SOK18-001

View the project report

Commodities

• Agronomic: annual ryegrass, canola, corn, cotton, grass (misc. annual), grass (misc. perennial), hay, medics/alfalfa, peas (field, cowpeas), rapeseed, sorghum (milo), soybeans, wheat
• Fruits: berries (blueberries), berries (strawberries), melons
• Nuts: chestnuts, pecans
• Vegetables: artichokes, asparagus, beans, beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, cucurbits, garlic, greens (leafy), greens (lettuces), okra, onions, peas (culinary), peppers, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips
• Additional Plants: herbs, native plants
• Animals: bees, bovine, camelids, goats, poultry, sheep, swine
• Animal Products: dairy, eggs, fiber, fur, leather, honey, meat

Practices

• Animal Production: animal protection and health, feed/forage, grazing management, grazing - continuous, grazing - multispecies, grazing - rotational, manure management, parasite control, pasture renovation, pasture fertility, preventive practices, range improvement, rangeland/pasture management, stockpiled forages, winter forage
• Crop Production: beekeeping, conservation tillage, continuous cropping, contour farming, cover crops, crop improvement and selection, cropping systems, crop rotation, double cropping, drought tolerance, fallow, fertilizers, foliar feeding, greenhouses, high tunnels or hoop houses, intercropping, irrigation, low tunnels, multiple cropping, no-till, nutrient cycling, nutrient management, organic fertilizers, plant breeding and genetics, pollination, pollinator habitat, pollinator health, postharvest treatment, row covers (for season extension), season extension, seed saving, shade cloth, silvopasture, strip tillage, stubble mulching, varieties and cultivars, water management, water storage, windbreaks
• Education and Training: demonstration, display, extension, farmer to farmer, mentoring, networking, on-farm/ranch research, participatory research, workshop
• Energy: energy conservation/efficiency
• Farm Business Management: agricultural finance, agritourism, business planning, community-supported agriculture, e-commerce, farmers' markets/farm stands, grant making, marketing management, risk management, value added
• Natural Resources/Environment: biodiversity, carbon sequestration, drift/runoff buffers, strip cropping, wetlands
• Pest Management: allelopathy, biological control, chemical control, compost extracts, cultivation, disease vectors, field monitoring/scouting, integrated pest management, mulches - general, physical control, precision herbicide use, prevention, row covers (for pests), trap crops, weather monitoring, weed ecology
• Production Systems: dryland farming, integrated crop and livestock systems, organic agriculture, organic certification, transitioning to organic
• Soil Management: composting, green manures, nutrient mineralization, organic matter, soil analysis, soil chemistry, soil microbiology, soil physics, soil quality/health
• Sustainable Communities: community development, food hubs, local and regional food systems, quality of life, sustainability measures, urban agriculture, urban/rural integration

Oklahoma State University and Langston University continue their commitment to the sustainability of agriculture by promoting economic viability; sound environmental/natural resource management, and awareness/recognition of social acceptability. This training POW builds upon and extends prior efforts. The goal of the program is to integrate sustainable agriculture practices into the mainstream agricultural practices of this region while protecting the quality of the natural resources. Objectives remain to train agricultural professionals (OCES, federal/state agencies, and NGOs) and mentor farmers in the concepts and practices of sustainable agriculture, as well as, disseminating information regarding sustainable agriculture through various outlets. Topics to be emphasized are integrating sustainable practices into daily agricultural operations, management of animal waste and/or unwanted vegetation, integrated resource management for large and small scale livestock and horticulture/agronomic enterprises, strategic use of fertilizer and herbicides in crop production, production and marketing of organic and IPM certified products, sustainable forage-based livestock systems, alternative income through agro-tourism, and production/marketing for community-based organizations. Training will be provided through attendance at national and regional workshops and trainings, experiential learning, demonstrations, tours, research presentations, online and small group in-service training. Documentation will be conducted on an on-going basis and evaluation of trainee knowledge, attitudes, skills, actions and behavioral changes will be tracked and reported.

1) Thirty extension educators and twenty-five agricultural related personnel will include sustainable agricultural concepts into ongoing programming efforts such as cover cropping, crop rotations and rotational grazing. a) In 2017, this was achieved through the No-till Oklahoma Conference, the Winter Crop School and the Rotational Grazing Field Day held at the Lane Research Station. b) 2018-2019 objective – We continue to encourage participation in trainings related to sustainable agriculture concepts such as cover cropping, crop rotations and rotational grazing.
2) Thirty agriculture professionals will be able to provide information and education on organic and IPM certified production and marketing of agricultural products. a.) In 2017, this was accomplished through the Organic Oklahoma Conference and the various FSMA Certification Workshops. b) 2018-2019 objective – We will continue to provide information and education on organic and IPM certified production and the marketing of these agricultural products.
3) Twenty educators would incorporate community-based markets for fruit and vegetable production into programming. a) In 2017, this was accomplished through the Market Garden Training and the Women in Agriculture and Small Business Conference. b) 2018-2019 objective -- We will continue to encourage the incorporation of community-based markets for fruit and vegetable production into statewide training programs.
4) Sixty extension educators and others will be able to provide information and education with respect to the environmentally sound management of natural resources - especially water, soil and air. a) In 2017, this was achieved through the Winter Crop School, the Canola College, and the No-till Oklahoma Conference. b) 2018-2019 objective -- We will continue to encourage participation in trainings that will provide information and education with respect to the sound management of natural resources-especially water, soil and air.
5) Eighty extension educators and others (agencies, producers, tribes, and NGOs) will have opportunities for joint trainings in community food systems, farmers markets, and food handling safety leading to cooperative efforts in sustainability for producers. a) In 2017, this was achieved through the various Alternative Crops workshops, FSMA Workshops, and various tours and field days. b) 2018-2019 objective – We will continue to provide educators and others with opportunities for trainings in community food systems, farmers markets, and food handling safety.
6) Twenty extension educators would be better prepared to assist and provide technical direction for producer driven research and on-farm demonstration activities through producer program granting opportunities such as the USDA and SARE. a) In 2017, this was encouraged through the development and distribution of Educator Kits containing information with respect to the SARE, ODAFF and USDA granting programs. This has also been addressed through the recent visit by the Southern SARE Administrative team at both OSU and Langston University. b) 2018-2019 objective – We will continue to encourage educators to be better prepared to assist and provide technical direction for producer driven research and on-farm demonstration activities.
7) Twenty to thirty educators and others will attend cropping systems and conservation tillage workshops to subsequently help producers in developing alternative economic opportunities in their operations to improve sustainability. a) In 2017, this was accomplished with programming such as the Canola College, the Winter Crop School, the Women in Ag Conference and local field days and tours. b) 2018-2019 objectives – We will support attendance at trainings to encourage education in cropping systems and conservation tillage workshops to help producers in developing alternative economic opportunities in their operations to improve sustainability.
8) Forty professionals will be trained in sustainable livestock practices to include beef, poultry and goat production. a) In 2017, this was addressed through the Rotational Grazing Field Day, the Organic Oklahoma Farm Tour, and the Langston University Goat Conference programs. b) 2018-2019 objective -- We will continue to encourage professionals to be trained in sustainable livestock practices to include beef, poultry and goat production.