Kerr Center Publications

The March 2021 issue of Field Notes covers elderberry safety, sustainable agriculture videos, CRP signups, USDA value-added grants, and more! Read on!

The February 2021 issue of Field Notes covers seed starting, wildfire preparedness, the Conservation Stewardship Program, and more! Read on!

The January 2021 issue of Field Notes covers the western monarch population, a new treatment for goat parasites, small-scale tools, soil biodiversity, and more!

The December 2020 issue of Field Notes reviews the unusual past year at the Kerr Center – with a look ahead at what 2021 may bring.

The findings from three years of work with different elderberry varieties at the Kerr Center are available in this free report.

The Field Notes October 2020 issue covers renewed federal coronavirus aid to farmers, container-grown tomatoes, bee-killing pesticides, online trainings, and more. Read on!

In 2020, the Kerr Center horticulture program trialed several varieties of cherry tomato from the Sun series, indoors in self-wicking containers. This report contains the results of that trial.

The Field Notes September 2020 issue covers chicken tractors, container-grown peppers, CRP Grasslands, cover crops, and more. Read on!

The Field Notes August 2020 issue covers automation, hydroponics, USDA pandemic relief, insect population updates, and more. Read on!

The Field Notes Spring 1999 issue includes an open letter from Jim Horne to Dan Glickman, articles on riparian areas and co-ops, and more.

The Field Notes Summer 1999 issue includes articles on grapes and berries, sustainable citrus, confinement hog operations, and more.

The Field Notes Fall 1999 issue includes articles on trade policy, efficient hay feeding, black walnut trees, and more.

The Field Notes Winter 1999 issue includes articles on winter gardening, native pecans, ethnic and heirloom vegetables, and more.

The Field Notes Spring 2000 issue includes articles on socially responsible investing, public attitudes toward biotechnology, and more.

The Field Notes Summer 2000 issue includes articles on genetic goal setting, heirloom vegetable varieties, and more.

The Field Notes Fall 2000 issue includes article on corn mazes, biological control of corn earworm, the Ogallala Aquifer, and more.

The Field Notes Winter 2000 issue includes articles on cover crops, alternative crops, Senepol cattle, and more.

The Field Notes Spring 2001 issue includes articles on Mississippi’s Family Farm Initiative, sustainable food labeling, and more.

The Field Notes Summer 2001 issue includes article on direct marketing, a natural beef survey, Pratt’s Food, and more.

The Field Notes Fall 2001 issue includes articles on The Next Green Revolution, alternative crops, and more.

The Field Notes Winter 2001 issue includes articles on an small fruit trials, antique balers and tractors, and more.

The Field Notes Spring 2002 issue includes articles farmland preservation, the Oklahoma Producer Grant program, and more.

The Field Notes Summer 2002 issue includes article on essay contest winners, the Oklahoma Food Policy Council, an antique tractor donation, and more.

The Field Notes Fall 2002 issue is an in-depth program for the Future Farms conference.

The Field Notes Spring 2003 issue includes article on an environmental education award, antique farm equipment, growing onions, and more.

The Field Notes Fall 2003 issue includes articles on farmland protection, Ag in the Classroom, organic certification, and more.

The Field Notes Spring 2004 issue includes articles on natural beef resources, CSAs, help for community food/farm groups, and more.

The Field Notes Summer 2004 issue includes articles on biological control of corn earworm, farm-fresh cookbooks, organic beef, and more.

The Field Notes Fall 2004 issue includes articles on the Oklahoma Farm-to-School Program, Oklahoma wines, and more.

The Field Notes Winter 2005 issue includes articles on community food security, farm-to-school, the Kerr Center’s Redbud Award, and more.

The Field Notes Spring 2005 issue includes articles on John Ikerd, local food, health and nutrition in grass-fed meats, and more.

The Field Notes Fall 2005 issue includes articles on community gardens, bison in Oklahoma, rotational grazing, and more.

The Field Notes Spring 2006 issue includes articles on the reprinting of The Next Green Revolution, a memoriam for Ann Ware, and more.

The Field Notes Summer 2006 issue includes articles on the creation of the Oklahoma Farm-to-School program, sunflower biodiesel, and more.

The Field Notes Fall 2006 issue includes articles on food insecurity, pastured poultry, direct marketing, and more.

The Field Notes Spring 2007 issue includes articles on the Buy Fresh, Buy Local program, meat goats, aquaponics, vermicompost, and more.

The Field Notes Summer 2007 issue includes articles on biofuels, organic foods, direct marketing, meat goats, and more.

The July 2019 issue of Field Notes includes a review of a comprehensive guide to garden insects, links to new resources on agroforestry and cover crops, and news about fertilizer industry greenhouse gas emissions.

The Southern Organic Resource Guide was designed to help certified and transitioning organic farmers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee minimize and manage risks associated with obtaining and maintaining organic certification.

This planting guide from Sow True Seeds was used as a handout in the Oklahoma Beginning Farmer & Rancher Program.

The Field Notes September 2019 issue covers pollinator seed mixes, increasing pesticide toxicity, beginning rancher materials, and more!

The Field Notes October 2019 issue covers disappearing birds, the new sweet sorghum manual, pollinator habitat resources, and more!

The Field Notes November 2019 issue covers sunflower identification, disaster preparedness, Oklahoma endangered species, and more!

The December 2019 issue of Field Notes includes a review of a book on monarchs and milkweed, and reviews the past year at the Kerr Center – with a peek at what 2020 brings.

Happy 2020! It’s the time for resolutions. Why not tackle learning a whole new group of organisms? David Redhage suggests a publication that would be useful for anyone seeking greater familiarity with Oklahoma’s resident lichens….

The Field Notes February 2020 issue covers wildfire preparedness, seed starting, hydroponics, season extension, conservation oral histories, and more!

The Field Notes March 2020 issue covers COVID-19 resources for agriculture, prescribed fire trainings, wetland easements, heirloom vegetables, and more!

The Field Notes April 2020 issue is brimming with ways to help monarchs, from the backyard to the back 40, and more! Read on!

The Field Notes June 2020 issue covers native plant landscaping, biopesticides for high-tunnel strawberries, wetland mitigation banking, and more. Read on!

Shiitake Mushrooms outlines the basics of small-scale shiitake mushroom production. The report covers inoculation, harvesting, marketing, and more.

The Field Notes July 2020 issue covers summer gardening, mushroom growing, beginning ranching, long-term research trials, and more. Read on!

Get the latest news and find out what’s happening at the Kerr Center.

The Field Notes Fall 2007 issue includes articles on awards for the Oklahoma Farm to School Program, Pineywoods cattle, and more.

The Field Notes Winter 2007 issue includes articles on Eliot Coleman at the Horticulture Industries Show, economic multiplier effects, and more.

The Field Notes Summer 2008 issue includes articles on online organic resources, natural livestock production, and more.

The Field Notes Spring 2008 issue includes articles on agroforestry, Jim Horne’s 35 years at the Kerr Center, and more.

The Field Notes Fall 2008 issue includes articles on hoop houses, both practical advice and recent research on raising meat goats, and more.

The Field Notes Spring 2009 issue includes articles on heirloom okra, WIC at farmers markets, Choctaw horses, and more.

The Field Notes Summer 2009 issue includes articles on raising freshwater prawns in ponds, sustainable pest management, and more.

The Field Notes Fall 2009 issue includes articles on food assistance programs at farmers markets, sustainable agriculture at OSU-OKC, and more.

The Field Notes Spring 2010 issue includes articles on sustainably raising goats on pasture, shrimp in farm ponds, and more.

This month David Redhage reviews a book with gritty subject matter: sand. We share a study that documents how grazing can build up organic matter in the soil. With summer looming, you can still start…

This month we share some encouraging news from the national census of agriculture about how conservation practices are taking root in Oklahoma. Next, we sound a reminder that the deadline to sign up to have…

This month the air is rich with the scent of soil broken open for planting in fields and gardens across the landscape. It’s a prime time to talk about soil health: how to achieve and…

Whether or not the groundhog saw its shadow where you are, things will soon be greening up on ranches, farms, and gardens around the state. Recent research has shown how adding cover crops and cattle…

Happy 2019! To ring in the new year, we’ve got a new report (on small-scale gardening tools) and a new article (on managing excess forage), as well as pointers to new resources (on soil health)….

Season’s greetings from the Kerr Center! David Redhage starts off this issue with a review of a book on two very different visions of the future, and the men who championed them. As usual, the…

This report relates the Kerr Center’s experiences with small-scale farming and gardening tools during a decade of bio-extensive management on the Cannon Horticulture Plots. Tools evaluated include spades, digging forks, broadforks, hoes, and more.

With Thanksgiving just past, many of us are looking forward to a break before the next growing season. In this issue, we offer up some suggestions to spark ideas as you spend the cooler months…

It’s October, when spooky decorations are everywhere you look. In keeping with the season, in this issue we’re talking about some of the scariest things in agriculture. David Redhage starts us off with a tough…

In September we pass through the fall equinox, and the balance point where there are as many hours of daylight as of darkness. So, in this issue, we focus on the idea of balanced halves…

The start of school is just around the corner – and it’s still hot as blazes. This month, we share some learning opportunities – as well as tips on beating the heat. David Redhage has…

We’re creeping into that time of year when water starts to become even more of a concern than usual. David Redhage gets this month’s newsletter rolling with a timely review of a book on the…

It’s nearly (officially) summer, and the air is full of the buzzing of creatures of the insect kind. It seems that there are plenty – more than enough for comfort, even – but are there…

As summer looms, David Redhage takes a look back over the Kerr Center’s three decades of involvement with SARE. We’ve got another top-notch grazing workshop on the calendar for June 9, and we’re hoping you’ll…

This month we offer two new publications: – Farming with Walk-Behind Tractors captures ten years of lessons learned with BCS two-wheel tractors, and their various attachments, on the Cannon horticulture plots. – New Use for…

This report covers the Kerr Center’s decade of experience using walk-behind tractors in the Cannon Horticulture Project. It serves as both backgrounder and how-to manual.

With spring officially sprung, David Redhage returns to the topic of organic small-scale grain production. Our online events calendar shows several monarch meetups happening around the state. This issue features several resources that would come…

As we move toward the start of spring, David Redhage offers some insights into agroforestry enterprises based on years of experience on the Kerr ranch. For anyone who’s ever puzzled over how to figure out…

This month we bid farewell to Jim Horne as an employee, and welcome him back as board chairman. It’s already time to start the earliest crops for spring planting.  We share some resources to help…

Season’s greetings from the Kerr Center! David Redhage gets this issue rolling with reflections on an article about breeding crops for particular nutritional needs. The rest of this month’s newsletter is given over, as usual,…

Happy Thanksgiving from the Kerr Center! This month, David Redhage reviews a book that looks at techniques for restoring soil life in different regions and climates the world over. We share some of the livestock…

The nights are noticeably longer than the days by now, and many farm and ranch activities are being put to rest for the season. With that thought, we’re focusing this issue on tasks for the…

This document explains how to build a low-cost hoop house, of the design developed by Tod Hanley.

Fall has arrived, and school bells are ringing – so for this issue, we’re taking a back-to-school slant. David Redhage has been out teaching about increasing and conserving pollinator habitat. We share a presentation on…

This presentation describes the Kerr Center’s experiences and lessons learned from efforts to establish wildflower plantings on the Kerr Ranch using organic methods.

It’s August, and we’re as keen as anyone else to keep out of the sun. In this issue, we focus on how to do the same thing for crops and livestock, with features on: –…

This handout lists various supplies and equipment used in the Kerr Center’s organic horticulture program.

This handout lists, for several different vegetable crops: irrigation frequency, critical moisture period(s), rooting depth, and potential defects.

This handout lists various supplies and equipment used in the Kerr Center’s organic horticulture program.

This handout shows seeding and transplanting dates for a variety of vegetable crops.

This handout maps the Cannon Horticulture Plots, as well as the field within them where the 2013 warm-season cover crop trial was conducted.

This handout lists contact information for several commercial suppliers of drip and micro irrigation equipment.

This handout includes a table of different compost feedstocks and their approximate carbon-to-nitrogen ratios.

This handout discusses points to consider when blending organic fertilizers. It contains several tables of nutrient contents of different organic fertilizers.

This is the 2011 fee schedule from OSU’s Soil, Water, and Forage Analytical Laboratory.

This is Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service leaflet number L-249.

This is Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service publication number HLA-6036.

This is a soil sample submission form from A&L Laboratories.

This is a fee schedule from A&L Laboratories.

This guide covers procedures, tools, sample preparation, size, depth, and timing, and recommendations for specialized sampling locations and situations.

This time of summer, we can look with satisfaction out over the horticulture plots’ “green fallow” of warm-season cover crops, keeping the soil shaded and sheltered, as well as weeded and nourished, despite the hot,…

This handout has guidelines for farmers and sellers at farmers markets to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

This presentation discusses harvest and post-harvest handling of fruit and vegetable crops for market farms and gardens.

This presentation discusses the management of crop pests on an organic market farm.

This presentation discusses the composting options for fertility in market farming/gardening.

This presentation discusses watering needs and approaches for small-scale horticultural crops.

This presentation by David Redhage, from the Oklahoma Beginning Farmer and Rancher Program, discusses the basics of writing a business plan. Adapted from the SARE publication of the same name, it includes a series of…

This presentation discusses the management of soil fertility under organic regulations.

This presentation by David Redhage, from the Oklahoma Beginning Farmer and Rancher Program, discusses the basics of writing a business plan. Adapted from the SARE publication of the same name, it includes a series of…

This presentation by David Redhage, from the Oklahoma Beginning Farmer and Rancher Program, discusses the basics of writing a business plan. Adapted from the SARE publication of the same name, it includes a series of…

This presentation discusses soil nutrient management.

This presentation discusses the management of soils for market farming operations.

This presentation sketches the details of several agroforestry projects on the Kerr Center ranch.

This NRCS fact sheet was used as a handout in the Oklahoma Beginning Farmer & Rancher program.

This presentation by David Redhage, from the Oklahoma Beginning Farmer and Rancher Program, discusses basics of a business plan and marketing. It covers reasons for creating a business plan and the elements of a business…

This presentation by Will Lathrop, from the Oklahoma Beginning Farmer and Rancher Program, discusses the general principles of extending the grazing season with cool-season and stockpiled forages. It includes early results from an ongoing grazing…

This presentation by Chris Rice, from the Oklahoma Beginning Farmer and Rancher Program, discusses the management of forage for grazing animals on the small acreages typical of many Oklahoma farms. It uses the example of…

This presentation by David Sparks, D.V.M., from the Oklahoma Beginning Farmer and Rancher Program, discusses the selection of breeding stock in meat goat operations. It covers goal setting, importance of buck genetics, performance data, on-farm…

This presentation discusses the management of goat reproduction to maximize profits.

This report recounts the lessons learned from nine years of organic management of the Cannon Horticulture plots.

As summer looms, many thoughts turn to water. For this month’s issue, we focus on some farm- and ranch-related aspects of that life-giving liquid. We highlight a report full of advice on how to protect…

Tired of the same old, same old? Try it a different way in May! This month’s president’s note reports on how researchers at the University of Arkansas are moving table grapes into high tunnels to…

This month, David Redhage explains how plastic mulch is helping the horticulture program get soil prepared during narrow weather windows. We continue this issue with some bad news for bats. To balance that, we share…

With gardening season now in full swing, David Redhage responds to the final book of the late “contrary farmer,” Gene Logsdon – a letter to young farmers on “new garden farms.” In the same vein,…

This month we take a look at some tips for tasks that are timely as winter winds to a close: – assessing cattle’s body condition by eye – starting transplants from seed We also report…

This presentation covers seed biology, germination, storage, variety selection, planting dates, field & greenhouse plantings, and growing out transplants.

Happy 2017 from the Kerr Center! In this issue, we take a look at some often-overlooked benefits of weeds – and how to encourage them. Cattle often shed weight over the winter. One of our…

Season’s greetings from the Kerr Center! Following our habit, we’ve devoted the December issue to a look back over the highlights and accomplishments of the year. Please have a look to see what’s been happening…

With the Thanksgiving holiday just past, we’re reflecting on some of the things we’re thankful for: – We’re thankful for non-chemical approaches to preventing pest damage to crops. – We’re thankful that a cow’s mouth…

With Halloween coming up at the end of the month, we’ve got a note about bats – the real ones, that don’t suck blood but do eat mosquitos and pollinate native plants – and what…

This fact sheet contains information on planting and growing celestial lily (aka prairie iris), Nemastylis geminiflora.

This fact sheet contains information on planting and growing narrow-leaf mountain mint, Pycnanthemum tenuifolium.

This fact sheet contains information on planting and growing fogfruit (aka frogfruit), Phyla nodiflora.

This fact sheet contains information on planting and growing rock pink (aka flower-of-an-hour), Phemeranthus calycinus.

This fact sheet contains information on planting and growing giant coneflower (aka giant browneyed Susan), Rudbeckia maxima.

This fact sheet contains information on planting and growing Indian blanket (aka firewheel, blanket flower), Gaillardia pulchella.

This fact sheet contains information on planting and growing big bluestem, Andropogon gerardii.

This fact sheet contains information on planting and growing little bluestem, Schizachyrium scoparium.

This fact sheet contains information on planting and growing indiangrass, Sorghastrum nutans.

This fact sheet contains information on planting and growing switchgrass, Panicum virgatum.

Fall is finally just around the corner, but we’re casting one eye back over our shoulder to summer, when the crew of OSU’s popular TV program “Oklahoma Gardening” visited the Kerr Center to film two…

This fact sheet contains information on planting and growing Ohio spiderwort, Tradescantia ohiensis.

This fact sheet contains information on planting and growing Mexican hat, Ratibida columnifera.

This fact sheet contains information on planting and growing goldenrod, Solidago spp.

This fact sheet contains information on planting and growing compassplant, Silphium laciniatum.

This fact sheet contains information on planting and growing maypop, Passiflora incarnata.

In the heat of August, activity in the garden winds down, and livestock stick to the shade. It’s a good time for planning, and this month, we offer some ideas for inspiration. David Redhage shares…

Summer is blockbuster movie season. This month, we’ve got viewing suggestions of our own, highlighting several videos from the Kerr Center site. First, though, take a look with David Redhage at small-scale grain raising –…

This worksheet includes basic information and notes on 50 plants common in southeastern Oklahoma.

This article, from the summer 2004 issue of Field Notes, profiles Oklahoma rancher Walt Davis, who switched to low-input rotational grazing to reduce costs, only to find his pastures diversifying and his operation qualifying for…

This Oklahoma Producer Grant project fact sheet describes several practices – including permanent sod, limited-access watering points, and buffer strips – to improve water quality in ponds.

In this month’s newsletter, we’ve gone a little wild. In this month’s president’s note, David Redhage shares thoughts on his recent reading material: Eating on the Wild Side. We present a recap, with links to…

This presentation by David Redhage discusses practical considerations for fencing livestock out of streams, laying out watering systems for rotational grazing, setting up siphon systems for gravity-fed watering from ponds, and protecting stream crossings and…

This Missouri NRCS publication covers in detail all aspects of water supply for livestock under rotational grazing management.

This University of Arkansas Extension publication describes two methods of using ponds for watering livestock while limiting direct access: floating fences, and drawing water from ponds.

This University of Tennessee Extension publication discusses the benefits of excluding livestock from streams, and the resultant need to develop alternative means of watering livestock.

This fact sheet summarizes the Kerr Center’s experience with and recommendations for grazing management.

Registration is closing soon for two June workshops – don’t miss out! May 27 is the last day to register for the June 4 livestock workshop. This intensive, hands-on session combines the topics of two…

Registration is now open for two June workshops, on livestock (June 4 at the Kerr Center) and elderberries (June 11 at 360 OK Farms). Space is limited, and registration is first-come, first-serve, so please sign…

Spring has sprung! In this issue, we direct the current and future graziers among you to some eyes-on resources for electric fencing, and point the way to some clarity on the sometimes confusing subject of…

Happy leap year from the Kerr Center! With spring just around the corner, we’re filling this issue with tips to help you prepare for the next growing and grazing seasons. In this issue, you’ll find…

Happy new year from the Kerr Center! We’re ringing in 2016 with a note from our new President and CEO, David Redhage – and a range of reading to help you get your farming, gardening,…

Season’s greetings from the Kerr Center! Please join us in bidding a fond and grateful farewell to outgoing President/CEO Jim Horne. We’re pleased to report that our outreach efforts on native pollinators and their habitat…

Happy Thanksgiving from the Kerr Center! Fall is stretching on toward winter. The shorter days leave time in the evening for snuggling up with something to read – and this month, we have suggested reading…

Happy October! We hope you’ll share our pleasure at having been selected by the Bellmon Awards program in recognition of our work with pollinators. With fall in full swing, we’ve wrapped up our last two…

This presentation covers grazing systems and their benefits, grazing terms and calculations, pasture design, and grazing strategies.

The worst of summer’s heat and drought is almost past, and we’re looking ahead to two great events in our fall educational lineup: – a September 26 elderberry workshop, featuring advice from Oklahoma’s home-grown expert,…

The first tastes of fall weather are making it pleasant to be outdoors again, and the Kerr Center is offering two autumn workshops to let you enjoy it while sharpening your farming and ranching skills:…

Summer is heating up – and so is the schedule of educational workshops at the Kerr Center. Feral hog management will be the topic of an August 27 workshop, combining expertise from the Noble Foundation…

This report describes the demonstration organic market garden planted as a teaching tool for the 2014 Oklahoma Beginning Farmer & Rancher Program.

This beautiful full-color guidebook is overflowing with information on 38 Oklahoma native plants and the pollinators that visit them.

This is a list of books covering techniques for starting and establishing native plants.

This report outlines how to control grasses and weeds, and build soil life, health, and fertility organically, using cover crops and rotations.

Read our February edition of Field Notes and get ready for spring! Recent icy weather makes springtime seem a long way off, but new calves on the ranch remind us that it’s not so far…

This publication outlines thoughts on, and experiences with, using cover crops as beneficial insect habitat in organic farming.

Spring is bursting at the seams, and so is the Kerr Center’s lineup of educational events. On May 9, find out how plastic mulch can help you give your crops a head start and keep…

This publication describes our project to establish native pollinator plants using organic techniques.

This table lists a variety of trees and shrubs that grow in Oklahoma, including time of bloom, mature height, water requirements, commercial sources, and more.

If April showers bring May flowers, now’s the time to learn what to watch for – or plant – in your pollinator gardens. Several recent Kerr Center publications can help – download them all as an Earth Day treat! Then, pass that treat along to pollinators by putting the information to work, giving them a hand by preserving habitat and planting pollinator-friendly plants, trees and shrubs.

Two Kerr Center workshops that can help you take your garden in new directions are right around the corner. One covers plasticulture – a gardening method that combines water-saving drip irrigation with weed-smothering plastic mulch,…

Last month, we predicted (somewhat un-originally) that April showers would bring May flowers. The flowers are here, all right, but what we left out of that forecast was the May deluge that Mother Nature delivered…

This is a list of books that contain information on landscaping with plants, emphasizing native species, that provide pollinator habitat in Oklahoma.

This is a list of books that are useful for identifying native plants that provide pollinator habitat in Oklahoma.

These books cover identification, ecology, and management of native pollinator species relevant to Oklahoma.

Brief summary of the Pineywoods cattle program at the Kerr Center

This summary of sweet potato work at the Kerr Center from 2010-2013 contains a guide and links to more detailed publications resulting from that work.

This document contains policy recommendations covering environmental issues, fair markets and contracts, marketing, education and research, and rural development. Also: guiding principles, mission and values of the Kerr Center. For state and national use.

This paper critically examines the impacts of the increasing use of the Ogallala-with specific focus on the situation in the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandle regions, and the possibility of adopting sustainable development practices to curb the increasing aquifer water depletion and deterioration.

Keynote luncheon speech in 1998 by Kerr Center president Dr. James E. Horne at 10th anniversary of the establishment of the USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program. Horne was an early supporter of…

This handout lists, for over four dozen vegetable crops, fall and spring planting dates and related information.

This report defines and describes heirloom vegetable varieties and discusses their implications.

These websites offer background information on both Oklahoma native pollinators and the plants that form important parts of their habitat.

These seed suppliers and nurseries sell plant material useful in establishing native pollinator habitat for Oklahoma.

May 28 – next Thursday – is the final day to register for the June 6 “3 Bs” workshop. It covers bees, butterflies, and beneficials, along with a wealth of other practical information on native…

This fact sheet contains information on planting and growing Illinois bundleflower, Desmanthus illinoensis.

Use this guide to help you plan your milkweed garden – picking native milkweeds that match your location and soil.

Things are finally beginning to dry out a little bit on the Kerr Center farm and ranch. Two important dates are coming up next week: On Thursday, June 25, the FREE pasture plant identification workshop…

The Field Notes Spring 2011 issue includes articles on low-cost hoop house construction, pond management, pears, and more.

Happy New Year from the Kerr Center!  In this first issue of our new email-only newsletter, you can find updates on recent activities in all of our programs – cover crops on the hort plots,…

The Field Notes Fall 2010 issue includes articles on shelterbelts, bois d’arc trees, Jim Combs’ retirement, and more.

This report covers general concepts and approaches in agroforestry. It includes references, a reading list, tables of planting distances, and a list of tree species suitable for southeastern Oklahoma.

This is a two-page description of how to apply the concepts of systems theory to practical management for certified organic production.

This is an FAQ-format summary of organic farming for producers considering certification.

Brief summary of issues in organic food and farming from a customer’s point of view: definition, benefits, GMOs, pesticides, regulatory agencies, labeling, shopping

This presentation covers organic practices, prohibited substances, food safety, integrity, seeds & planting stock, marketing, steps to certification, and resources.

Brief guide to compliance with the National Organic Standard’s regulations for using manure and manure-compost in certified organic farming operations

Summarizes U.S. food labeling laws; discusses economics of food labeling; analyzes labeling of organic and genetically modified foods, with a comparison of those cases between the United States and the European Union.

Written in 1996 by former Kerr Center Communications Director Maura McDermott, this 35-page report details the history of the Kerr Center, from its beginnings as the Agricultural Division of the Kerr Foundation in 1965, through…

This intern report consists of an annotated research bibliography on biochar.

This is a drawing illustrating how a two-barrel nested biochar retort operates.

This is a selection of off-site resources on season extension.

This intern report gives a brief overview of biochar.

The Kerr Center sponsored several workshops on hoop house (also known as high-tunnel or cold frame) construction.  The workshops focused on the low-cost, user-friendly design developed by producer grant recipients Tod and Jamie Hanley. These…

This report includes guidelines and an organic system plan to help determine whether an organic farming operation meets the USDA standards.

In this issue: Our newsletter turns 40; Interns report on biochar and vermicompost; Spring workshops include resilience-oriented practices and native pollinators; Bill Edgar reports on growing heirloom okra seed; Cattle Manager Will Lathrop discusses raising cattle on less hay; George Kuepper shares his tools and techniques for growing sweet potatoes and a bio-extensive management system.

OKBFRP 2013 Highlights, Agroforestry Update, Resilient Farmer Recap, Remembering Sen. Kerr , Kerr Center Honors, Okra Seed Project, Choctaw Youth Program, Pollinator Project, 2013 Summer Interns

The Field Notes Spring 2013 issue includes articles on resilience in agriculture, 2012 sweet potato variety trial results, and more.

This intern report covers general concepts and approaches in agroforestry.

Flowering Periods for Select Oklahoma Wildflowers

Native Plants for Native Pollinators on the Kerr Ranch

This presentation discusses the safe handling of pesticides in a market farm setting.

This publication outlines the origins of organic agriculture, highlighting the concepts that define it as a distinct and sustainable approach to farming.

This is a list of materials and cost calculations for building a hoophouse. It was most recently updated in fall 2017.

This is a list of resources and description of basic equipment necessary for soil preparation and seeding in different farming methods.

This is a list, by item, of sources of seeds, tools, and supplies used in the Kerr Center horticulture program.

This article describes the implementation and results of two agroforestry projects undertaken on the Kerr Center ranch in the 1990s.

This collection of online resources related to pond management was used as a handout at a 2011 workshop led by Ken Williams.

This presentation gives an extensive overview of setting up an organic farming system.

This fact sheet contains information on planting and growing purple prairie clover, Dalea purpurea.

This intern report provides background information on the perennial herb comfrey (Symphytum officinale).

This intern report discusses energy savings for farm vehicles.

This intern report explores various considerations involved in growing, selling, and buying food sustainably and locally.

This intern presentation presents the results of a summer project that investigated multi-species rotational grazing with cattle and pastured laying hens.

This intern report presents the results of a summer management intensive grazing project.

This intern report outlines two different methods of submitting a plant sample to the OSU Extension Service for plant pest and disease identification.

This intern report describes a visit to Foundation Farm, a no-till market garden, and reflects on the role of no-till in sustainable agriculture.

Rationale and preliminary results for using cover crops killed in place in raised beds as a low-till market vegetable production system

General overview of the benefits, considerations, and management of cover crops, including tables of planting and management information for both warm- and cool-season cover crops

This fact sheet describes how to eliminate bermudagrass from future vegetable fields using a sorghum-sudangrass cover crop.

This report outlines the “bio-extensive” approach to fertility and weed management used on the Cannon Horticulture Plots.

This intern report describes the results of a series of trials designed to determine whether adding different mineral salts affected the quality of biochar produced in a two-barrel retort of a design used at the Kerr Center.

This intern report describes the results of a series of trials designed to determine which materials produce the most suitable biochar in a two-barrel biochar retort of a design used at the Kerr Center.

This intern report describes which feedstocks produce the most suitable biochar in a two-barrel biochar retort of a design used at the Kerr Center.

Extensive bibliography, step-by-step outline, and list of common materials giving carbon:nitrogen ratio for each.

This intern report describes the results of a summer project that attempted to make finished compost in 14 days using the Berkeley method.

This paper, by a former Kerr Center intern, explores the pros and cons of large-scale vermicomposting.

This publication presents the results of our 2009 heirloom summer squash variety trial.

This publication presents the results of our 2009 heirloom tomato variety trial.

This document discusses interesting observations we made in our 2010 heirloom tomato variety trial.

This report presents the results of our 2010 grafted heirloom tomato variety trial.

With this report, the Kerr Center helped increase public understanding of our food system broadening and deepening the discussion of what we can do to make our fields and tables healthier.

Provides Instructors a Useful Framework for Teaching the Essential Points of Sustainable Agriculture. Use as a Supplemental Text for Courses in Agriculture, the Environmental Sciences, and Rural Sociology.

Conference Proceedings February 8th and 9th 2000 Edited by Maura McDermott. Innovative, successful marketing systems, livestock and cropping systems, and natural resource management. Also building sustainable rural communities. Papers by participants including Joel Salatin, John…

This intern report compares the cost of baling versus buying hay, taking into account labor, machinery, and fertilizer.

This fact sheet contains information on planting and growing rattlesnake master, Eryngium yuccifolium.

This fact sheet contains information on planting and growing Maximilian sunflower, Helianthus maximiliani.

This intern report describes the chicken tractor used in the Kerr Center’s pastured poultry projects from 2009-2010.

This intern report describes organic, free-range, and pastured poultry production systems, and discusses housing and fencing.

This is a diagram, from a 2010 workshop at the Linda and Dave Sparks farm, of the low-cost pens that the Sparks built for working their meat goats.

This presentation covers ways to use grazing rotations and stocking of multiple livestock species to manage parasites in meat goats.

This presentation, by Erin Campbell-Craven, defines pastured poultry, describes the common features of both broiler and layer operations, describes the Kerr Center’s pastured poultry projects from 2009 – 2011.

This report provides an overview of the general requirements for organic certification and for food processing facilities, followed by a discussion of four different on-­farm enterprises, including table eggs.

This presentation describes goats’ feeding behavior and dietary requirements, with an emphasis on managing goats on pasture.

This presentation describes a holistic approach to goat health management, and includes a list of related resources.

This is a presentation by David Sparks, D.V.M., from a 2011 meat goat field day, covering the growing problem of dewormer resistance in the barber pole worm, and a monitoring-based strategy for managing this meat…

This is a presentation from a 2011 meat goat field day, covering in detail the biology of the barber pole worm as well as various approaches to managing this meat goat parasite.

This list of goat health products used in the Kerr Center’s goat program includes notes on use and suppliers.

This is a report summarizing the results of the first five years (2007-2011) of the meat goat “buck test.”

This is a report summarizing the results of the 2011 meat goat “buck test.”

This is a report summarizing the results of the 2011 meat goat “buck test.”

This is a report summarizing the results of the 2010 meat goat “buck test.”

This is a report summarizing the results of the 2009 meat goat “buck test.”

This is a report summarizing the results of the 2008 meat goat “buck test.”

This is a report summarizing the results of the 2007 meat goat “buck test.”

This is a list of materials to have on hand during goat kidding.

This is a presentation by Brian Freking from the livestock track of the Oklahoma Beginning Farmer & Rancher Program. It covers paddock design, water requirements for cattle, lanes, stabilized stream crossings, fenced pond access points,…

This fact sheet explains why the Kerr Center livestock program uses old tires from heavy equipment as watering tanks, and describes the process of preparing and installing them.

This Oklahoma Producer Grant project fact sheet includes a farm/ranch profile, project objectives, project description (water line, watering points, results), and tips/lessons learned.

This diagram illustrates the basic interconnection between soil, forages, animals, and weather in livestock production.

This page contains links to soil quailty indicator worksheets for assessing indicators including bulk density, infiltration, slaking, soil crusts, soil structure and macropores, earthworms, soil enzymes, total organic carbon, mineral cycle, and water cycle.  

This is a presentation by Brian Freking from the livestock track of the 2012 Oklahoma Beginning Farmer & Rancher Program.  It covers the purpose of soil sampling, how (and how not) to take a sample,…

This is OCES Fact Sheet BAE-1749.  It has been used as a handout at several Kerr Center livestock workshops.    

This is a book, published by SARE, used in the livestock track of the Oklahoma Beginning Farmer & Rancher Program.

This is a list of ATTRA publications related to sustainable and organic pasture and forage management.

This is a presentation by Walt Davis from the 2000 Future Farms conference. It describes the management decisions in a transition from high- to low-input beef cattle production, and the resulting improvements in profitability and…

This report covers site preparation, lime application, fertilization, weed control, legume selection, seed inoculation, estimating establishment costs, grazing management, companion grasses, winter and summer annual and perennial legumes, and pasture surveying.

This is a presentation by David Sparks, D.V.M., from the 2008 Future Farms conference. It makes an economic case for adding goats to existing cattle operations, and addresses diet, predator control, fencing, and parasite management.

This is a report on the Kerr Center’s experience with management intensive grazing (MIG). It defines MIG, explains and demonstrates how to calculate grazing period, rest period, and stock density, and summarizes two Kerr Center…

This is a book chapter, used in the livestock track of the Oklahoma Beginning Farmer & Rancher Program, that discusses how to divide a farm into paddocks for rotational grazing. It covers soil and water…

This is a book chapter, used in the livestock track of the Oklahoma Beginning Farmer & Rancher Program, that discusses how to set stocking rates. It includes a discussion of seasonal carrying capacity and grazing-period…

This is a report examining the economics of buying vs. baling hay.  

This publication from West Virginia University Extension Service, describes how to make a device for measuring the amount of available forage in pastures.  

This is a publication from the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative, used in the livestock track of the Oklahoma Beginning Farmer & Rancher program.  

This is a presentation by Ron Morrow from the livestock track of the 2012 Oklahoma Beginning Farmer & Rancher Program, covering the details of planning and managing a rotational grazing system.

This is an article from the summer 2005 issue of Field Notes. It explains the basic principles behind rotational or management intensive grazing.

This is a two-page guide to calculating the amount of required and available forage for cattle, and timing the movements of a herd in a rotational grazing system.  

This is a report on a five-year project that evaluated goats as an alternative to chemical and mechanical means of brush control. It covers fencing, facilities, breeds, stocking rate, animal management, and predators, along with…

This is a list of ATTRA publications related to sustainable and organic beef production.  

This presentation covers simple soil health monitoring techniques, basic soil science, and sustainable livestock management.

This report covers heifer selection and nutrition, early puberty, target weight concept, proper feeding, breeding, calving difficulty, and bull selection.

This is a publication from the USDA-NRCS, used in the livestock track of the Oklahoma Beginning Farmer & Rancher program.

This is a handout by Brian Freking from the 2011 Healthy Soils, Healthy Livestock conference.  It is a fact sheet answering common questions about electric fencing.

This is a handout by Brian Freking from the 2011 Healthy Soils, Healthy Livestock conference. It is a fact sheet comparing the cost per foot of 4 different fence types.

This document covers livestock health management from a whole-farm perspective, including an emphasis on “wellness promotion” as opposed to “disease prevention,” and a discussion of stress management.

This presentation includes a detailed discussion of vaccines, discusses managing both immunity levels and disease exposure, and addresses the effect of difficult births.

This is a report published in 2000, describing the results of a multi-year study at the Kerr Center that evaluated reproduction and calf performance of beef heifers under management with and without compensatory gain.

This is a list of supplies to have on hand during cattle births.

This is a handout by David Sparks, D.V.M., from the 2011 Healthy Soils, Healthy Livestock conference. It is a visual guide to determining a cow’s age by looking at her teeth.

This is OCES publication ANSI-3283. It has been used as a handout at several Kerr Center workshops on beef cattle as a reference for body condition scoring.

This is a handout by David Sparks, D.V.M., from the 2011 Healthy Soils, Healthy Livestock conference. It consists of a short list of health management practices grouped by age, from 6 week prior to birth…

This is a presentation by David Sparks, D.V.M., from the 2011 Healthy Soils, Healthy Livestock conference. It covers beef cattle health management, including calving issues and proper use of vaccines.

This is a presentation by David Sparks, D.V.M., from the 2011 Healthy Soils, Healthy Livestock conference. It covers economic comparisons between conventional cattle management and management focusing on cost efficiency.

Learn about seasonal forage availability and rotational grazing.

Extensive list of books, websites, and organizations with information about native plants and pollinators.

This report gives an overview of riparian area management techniques in use on the Kerr Center ranch, including fencing, limited-access watering, and stabilized stream crossing points.

The Field Notes Fall 2012 issue includes articles on the Oklahoma Beginning Farmer & Rancher Program, interns, meat goats, and more.

This report contains an overview of insights and observations from three years of grant-funded investigation of small-scale technologies and techniques for growing sweet potatoes that might benefit gardeners and small market growers.

This report presents the results of our 2010 heirloom sweet potato variety trial.

This report presents the results of our 2011 heirloom sweet potato variety trial.

This report presents the results of our 2012 heirloom sweet potato variety trial.

This publication presents the results of our 2008 heirloom sweet sorghum variety trial.

This publication presents the results of our 2008 heirloom okra variety trial.

This report presents the results of our 2012 heirloom Three Sisters variety trial.

This toolbox is written for anyone who desires to make a profit from range poultry production, whether by direct-marketing ‘pastured poultry,’ building a processing plant, or working cooperatively with other producers. This Toolbox was produced…

This report presents the results of our 2012 no-till organic pumpkin/warm season cover crop trial.

This report presents the results of our 2011 flour and meal corn demonstration.

The Field Notes Spring 2012 issue includes articles on the native pollinator program, heirloom sweet potato varieties, and more.

The Field Notes Fall 2011 issue includes articles on drought, sweet potatoes (including George Washington Carver’s work with the crop), and more.