The Woodward News

Local News

November 13, 2010

Workshop: Partnerships important for small farms

Dave Matthews Woodward News

Woodward, Okla. — Saturday afternoon, the Northwestern Oklahoma State University - Woodward campus hosted a Farm Field Tour & Workshop program.

The program discussed many issues facing agriculture today.



Economic opportunities

“We need to create jobs for young kids in rural Oklahoma,” High Plains Resource Conservation and Development Coordinator Tom Lucas said.

One way to provide those jobs, Lucas said, is by creating “opportunities for small farms.”

Even small farming operations have the ability to make a big impact on their communities, he said.

“Farmers can sell their fruits and vegetables at markets, grocery stores, restaurants and even Wal-Mart,” Lucas said.

Or he said they also have the opportunity to "grow gardens and let people come pick from their garden."

Either way, he said this allows community members a way to get food from local producers that hasn’t been covered with chemicals.

Farmers can also take advantage of making "added value" products by canning their produce and making things like jellies and sweet pickles, he said.

“Its kind of a lost art now, but canning food for preservation is something that is need,” Lucas said, noting canning goods can help bring in extra funds for the farmers.



Community involvement

But the farmers can't do it alone.

“We (as a community) need to help farmers market their products,” said Chris Kirby, director of the Farm to School program under the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.

The community needs to take advantage of the opportunities offered by using local food suppliers, she said.

“I was reading that local food and food services is one of the top 5 trends in America right now,” Kirby said.

For example, there is a big push in our nation to get children to eat healthier.

By utilizing local farms, schools can provide students with fresh fruits and vegetables, Kirby said.  The schools in turn are helping the farmers to get their products out to the public.

“Matching a farm and school together will help build a relationship between them,” Kirby said.

With more than 500 school districts in Oklahoma, she said there are plenty of opportunities to build these kinds of relationships.

Once the relationship is developed, the school could even potentially use its partner farm for learning opportunities by taking students to visit the farm.

This could be especially beneficial for students in more urban areas where they don't have much contact with farms, Kirby said.

“The closer you get to the city (Oklahoma City) the less kids know about agriculture,” she said.

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