2012- NE District Agriculture PAC Summary

Cattle and Forages Grasshopper control (Cherokee) Pasture renovation (Cherokee, Nowata, Ottawa, Payne, Rogers, Washington, Adair, Creek, Tulsa) Herd health issues (Craig, Rogers, Washington, Pawnee) Drought recovery strategies related to pasture and range forage production (Craig, Osage, Wagoner, McIntosh, Delaware) Utilizing small grains for forage production (Mayes) Due to the drought conditions, beef producers are interested in learning how to improve the efficiency of their herd (Mayes, Okmulgee) Increase forage production (Mayes) Seeding pastures to winter forages (Nowata) Hay shortage (Nowata) Stocking rates (Okfuskee, Osage, Wagoner) Year-around forages (Okfuskee) Weed, brush and tree control (Okfuskee, Okmulgee, Ottawa, Sequoyah, Osage, Adair, Tulsa, McIntosh, Delaware) Alternative forages (Okmulgee, Payne) Tours, conferences and Master Cattlemen programs (Payne) Nutrition, quality of feed stuffs, advocate value of better hay (Washington, Osage, Creek, McIntosh) Younger & inexperienced beef producers and ranch employees (Osage) Retained ownership of calves to increase profits (Adair) Herbicide application: ground and air (Pawnee) Introduction of legumes to pasture/range land to reduce fertilizer costs (Tulsa) Forage fertility use (Tulsa) Bull Selection and Management (Delaware)

Cattle Receiving and Feeding Alternative feeds (Cherokee, Craig, Okmulgee, Lincoln, Tulsa, Delaware) Cattle health –vaccinations, nutrition, weaning, etc. (Rogers, Creek, Tulsa)

Commercial Horticulture Managing/clearing native pecan groves (Nowata) Fruit tree management/pruning & fertilizing (Nowata) Wildlife control (Okfuskee) Pest Management (Okfuskee) Raised bed gardening (Okfuskee) Recruit and train more Master Gardeners (Washington) Master Gardener management (Washington) IPM for homeowners (Washington) Water conservation and xeriscaping (Washington) Drought response (Payne) General commercial horticulture information and demonstrations (Creek, Tulsa) Encourage farmer’s markets to open in “food desert areas” (Tulsa) Outreach and education/services to horticulture producers for Farmers Market/direct sales (Rogers) Education and promotion of commercial horticulture industry to legislature/decision makers (Rogers) Need to expand pecan field day and clinics to more counties and hold more often (Rogers) Develop and offer workshops to producers on organic/sustainable growing of horticulture crops (Rogers) Improve communication/contacts/networking of various growers throughout and county and multi- county area (Rogers) Consumer Horticulture Drip irrigation as a response to the drought (Payne) Community Gardens (Payne) Dealing with tree loss (Payne) General consumer horticulture (Creek, Delaware) Marketing Master Gardener services (Payne) Expanding Master Gardeners outreach efforts to other communities (Payne) Gardening and families raising healthy food (Wagoner, Tulsa) Home gardening techniques, pesticides, climate adaptable varieties (McIntosh, Tulsa) Proper landscape plants (McIntosh) Landscape drought recovery (McIntosh, Delaware) Horticulture projects to promote positive change/skill development for at-risk youth and incarcerated adults (Tulsa) Basic soil fertility and timely application (Delaware) Identify and develop a new Master Gardener demonstration garden (Rogers) Promote community gardening with teamwork from County Alliance (Rogers) Increase horticulture education to youth and 4-H clubs (Rogers) Publicize and promote Master Gardeners contributions (Rogers)

Crop Management Utilizing poultry litter for fertilizer as compared to commercial fertilizer (Mayes, Okfuskee, Lincoln) Optimal use of fertilizers (McIntosh, Delaware) Varieties that are drought tolerant (Nowata) Strip tillage vs. no-till (Nowata, Osage) Seed availability issues and patent limitations (Washington) Farming with below average rainfall (Okmulgee) Resistant weeds (Ottawa) Monitor disease and insect problems (Sequoyah) Variety selection for yield and resistance (Sequoyah) Soil quality, management, testing (Osage, Wagoner, Lincoln, Tulsa) Crop damage due to wild pigs and deer (Pawnee) Soil micro-organism management (Tulsa) Water usage (Tulsa) Water delivery (irrigation) forage and crops (Tulsa) Producers need information on crops that grow well in the county (Delaware) Crop Management - Wheat Variety demonstration plots and field day (Payne) Evaluate wheat for grain and grazing (Payne) Need information on new wheat varieties (Delaware)

Ecosystem Management, Conservation and Restoration Pond renovation (Cherokee, Okfuskee) Cedar control (Cherokee, Pawnee, Lincoln, Creek) Predator protection laws and wild hog invasion (Washington) Prescribed burning and formation of an association (Okfuskee) Wildlife management for hunting (Okfuskee) Wildlife/agriculture opportunities (Adair) Water wells and aquifers potential use (Okmulgee) Water collection and storage for cattle (Ottawa) Water quality, water rights, testing and filtering systems (Osage, Pawnee, Lincoln, Washington, Delaware) Sericea Lespedeza and non-native species control (Osage) Proper way to apply litter (Delaware) Producers need assistance with the development of a nutrient management plan for their farm (Delaware) Need for pesticide container recycling day (Delaware)

Farm and Agribusiness Management Crop and forage insurance (Craig) Cattle marketing strategies for beef cattle (Craig) Cattle recordkeeping tools (Nowata) Precision farm data (Ottawa) Compliance of farm laws (Ottawa, Rogers) Right away agreements with oil and wind turbine companies (Pawnee) Farm Bill (Ottawa, Payne, Rogers) Government and local assistance (Ottawa) Income from oil/gas industry – mineral owners and easements (Payne) Business information concerning the drought (Payne) LLC information (Payne) Managing farm estates and their transfers (Osage) Ag lenders update (Payne) Marketing/value added opportunities (ie OQBN) to ag lenders and producers (Payne, Rogers, Lincoln, Creek) Hedging and contacting, market updates (Rogers, Sequoyah, Osage) Tax implications (Rogers) Interpretation of highway laws for livestock and crop transportation (Washington) Lease hunting: landowner liabilities (Pawnee) Educate young and new producers’ knowledge of managing a ranch/farm (Osage) Farm and agribusiness management (Wagoner) Property rights (Washington)

Goat Management (Creek)

Homeland Security-Agricultural Biosecurity Implementation of biosecurity plan (Lincoln) Possible livestock herd health issue (Lincoln) New state and federal mandated laws dealing with livestock testing (Lincoln) Effective methods to identify cattle for quick containment of possible biosecurity threats (Lincoln)