Field Notes June 2022

Happy summer!  Temperature-wise, it may have felt like the season’s been well underway for a while now, but with the summer solstice just past, it’s officially only just begun.

What’s the most prominent sign of summer for you? Is it the dragonflies flitting above the ponds? It turns out that the Kerr Ranch was the first place in Oklahoma where dragonfly species were recorded. The state wildlife department paid us a visit recently to commemorate the event. David Redhage talks about it in this month’s president’s note.

Maybe you really mark summer’s arrival by the weeds popping up in the pastures. Don’t reach for the sprayer just yet, though! First, have a look at a new interactive guide to non-chemical weed management options.

Is it the sight of cattle on fresh forage that tells you summer’s underway, or fields of ripening wheat? The cattle-wheat combination is a common one across the southern plains – but there are many other profitable and ecologically beneficial ways of integrating crops and livestock. A new infographic paints the picture.

Perhaps it’s trips to your local farmers market that really tell you summer has begun. You can once again vote for your favorite farmers’ market in a contest for prizes in the American Farmers’ Market Celebration.

Please join us in welcoming Kim McDonald, the Kerr Center’s new Bookkeeper/Accountant!