do it and do it when it’s right. You just make it work one way or another.” Canola was planted at 69 demonstration sites on more than 10,000 acres in Oklahoma this year as part of a project involving Oklahoma State University, Monsanto and cooperating producers. Called OKanola, this cooperative effort is taking a hard look at canola as a viable alternative crop for this state. Traditionally grown in the northern part of the United States, canola is fairly new to the state. Varieties have been developed in the last 10 years to fit Oklahoma’s climate. “We’ve got an excellent winter climate for growing winter wheat and winter canola,” said Michael Marlow, trait and seed representative for Monsanto, “and we want to demonstrate this.” Both Roundup Ready and Kansas State University-developed conventional varieties, such as Wichita and Sumner, have been grown in northwest Oklahoma. Many more varieties have been tested, said Marlow,
but these particular varieties seem to be a better fit for this climate. “As we develop more and more varieties to fit a larger or different climate, we can take it all the way down to the Red River; we can take it all the way up to northern Kansas,” he said. “But, right now we have canolas that fit a niche. Basically, between McPherson, Kan., and El Reno and as far west as Buffalo, and as east as maybe Ponca City.” The oilseed has many uses, including cooking oil and biodiesel, which make the crop a suitable choice for farmers looking for a profitable alternative. “With canola we can break disease and weed cycles; we can introduce a crop that’s a non-grain crop; it’s great for biodiesel; it’s great on your salad; it’s a very healthy oil, and it’s also an excellent oil for industrial lubricants,” Marlow said. “So, canola offers us a lot of advantages that we didn’t have as an alternative here in Oklahoma.” Neufeld, a Major County Farm Bureau director and cooperating producer, planted 60 acres of canola this season. His main interest in the crop was the potential to clean up his fields without turning to chemicals. As he drives the countryside, Neufeld doesn’t see many fields without rye or cheat infestations. “If canola takes off, it would be such a nice deal to cure a lot of our weed problems in this area,” he said. “This would be a rotation as opposed to a chemical solution. I think it would enhance our opportunities to do some true no-till in this area.” Neufeld also sees canola as a potential to take advantage of the area’s wettest seasons. “We’ve tried summer crops for numerous years, and it seems like we miss that one
Canola was planted at 69 demonstration sites on more than 10,000 acres in Oklahoma as part of a project involving Oklahoma State University, Monsanto and cooperating proucers.
Oklahoma Country • Summer 2005 • 9
crucial rain to maximize our yields and really make the summer crops profitable for us,” he said, “but the canola gives us a chance to use our best growing conditions.” Guthrie farmer Paul Fruendt, another cooperating producer, also found summer crops difficult to produce in Oklahoma’s climate, so he went searching for a cool-season crop. “For several years I’ve been looking for another crop that would be a cool-season broadleaf that would make my rotation work a whole lot better,” Fruendt said. “Canola fits that bill, and that’s why I’m wanting to produce it.” The Logan County Farm Bureau YF&R vice chairman planted a little under 80 acres, “enough to where we could get some in-depth field data, but not so much that we were betting the whole farm on it,” he said. Most of the canola harvested this summer will be shipped to Archer Daniels Midland Company in North Dakota to be made into cooking oil and other by-products. Some will be sent to a crusher in Colorado, which will supply to Blue Sun Diesel for B20 diesel fuel. Producers here, however, would rather their canola remain in Oklahoma. “I want a canola crushing operation here in the state,” Fruendt said. “The outlook right now is for a plant that would be able to crush canola, soybeans and sunflowers. And for me, that would be the optimum situation because all three of those crops we grow.”
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eufeld looks to the day when Oklahoma’s canola acres would support a crushing facility. “If we get enough acres that canola becomes a viable alternative, which I think it is going to be, we’ll have to have some help through our legislators to get some grassroots efforts involved to bring a plant to Oklahoma,” he said. Marlow believes the potential is there for a high number of acres in canola. “ With the right varieties, and we think we’re there, we believe we can grow a lot of acres of canola,” he said. “And if we do, and the farmers adopt it and they can make money, we’ll need a crushing plant here for several reasons.” The biggest reason is demand for the product. Currently, the U.S. imports more than two million acres of production each year, so a domestic market already exists. “There’s a demand out there for seven million acres of canola for healthy oils in cooking and in the food service industry,” Marlow said. Whether it be healthy cooking oil or biodiesel, he believes the worldwide demand for these products will continue to grow, supporting the crop long-term. “This may be futuristic, but in 10 to 15 years, the Plains states in production of canola oil could be as valuable as the MidEast is for oil for our vehicles,” he said. “There’s really no reason we can’t convert a large part of what we’re doing into biodiesel. There are limits in acres, but there is no reason we can’t reduce our foreign depdence on oil by growing more biodiesel.” As researchers and producers continue to learn more about canola, the optimism which convinced them try the crop in the first place remains. Only time will tell, but this could be Oklahoma’s newest alternative for farmers. “You can compare canola in Oklahoma today to ethanol production in Iowa 10 years ago,” Marlow said. “We’re really at the forefront. We are ready to explode with it.” 10 • Oklahoma Country • Summer 2005
Canola Contacts MICHAEL MARLOW Traits & Seeds Representative, Monsanto 580-747-4999 michael.p.marlow@monsanto.com ROGER DON GRIBBLE NW District Area Extension Agronomy Specialist, Oklahoma State University 580-237-7677 Roger.Gribble@okstate.edu MATT GARD Producer & Major County Farm Bureau Member 580-541-8990
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SPORTS TECH NEWS–2005
New lure blinks blood-red to simulate injury; yields 8 bass per hour. Triggers a frenzy in predator fish. Strikes are fierce. Empty a lake? WEST PALM BEACH, FL – A new, high-tech lure may have tipped the odds in favor of humans so decisively fish better start praying “catch and release” is here to stay. The new lure not only looks and swims like a real fish, it flashes a blood-red light that makes it appear to be bleeding. According to experts, a live and bleeding prey drives a predator into a frenzy. I asked an ichthyologist (fish expert) why by Charlie Allen this is so. “Predators – lions, sharks,” he said, “will always go for the weakest, most vulnerable prey. Fish are predators, so if a fish sees a smaller fish
650 fish in 25 hours
Patented lure uses a high-tech chip to create appearance of a live, bleeding prey. Triggers attack response in predators. fish’s natural motion, and each retrieval gives off a slightly different pattern. If a predator holds back on the first cast, it sees an entirely new presentation on the second. No two casts are alike. The patented system cools between each blink of light, giving each lure a
designs are virtual works of art, and the bodies are tough enough to take the fiercest hits.
bleeding it knows it’s weakened and will attack. There’s a survival program built No two casts alike into predators that says ‘Grab a meal when you can. You may not have one tomorrow.’ The lure is sold in a kit of four: one for “Now, if this lure you’re talking top water, one for middle, one for about can simulate a live, bleeding deep, and one that sinks as deep as Built in light flashes blood red in fish, a few fishermen could probayou want and stays there on retrieval. all 4 models. Lasts 1,000 hours in water. bly empty a lake with it.” They work in salt or fresh water. The first three fishermen to test Six largemouth bass per hour the lure came close to doing that. is worth a trip to the kitchen They caught 650 largemouth bass sink. But don’t stop there. Cast in just 25 hours. That’s over eight one of the lures near some struceach per hour. One told me the bass ture. If there’s a ten-pounder took the hook with such ferocity Surface Water dozing nearby, it’s yours. they hardly lost a strike. Call the distributor at 1-800To give the lure a quick test, I 873-4415 or click www.ngc filled my kitchen sink with water sports.com anytime or day and and dropped one in. It immediately order the Light n’ Live™. Or send started flashing a blood-red light your name, address and a check (or from its tail. A half-blind fish cc and exp. date) to NGC Sports 4-6 Foot Diver 16 Foot Diver Sinking Bait would see that! I thought. I took it (Dept. LS-86), 60 Church Street, out and it stopped. Then I asked a Yalesville, CT 06492. One set of veteran fisherman I work with to try the fishing life of over 1,000 hours in the four costs only $39.95, two sets cost lure over the weekend. Monday morning water. No battery replacement is $69.00, three sets cost only $99.00. S/h he charged into my office. required. Inside, the lure looks so com- is only $6.00 no matter how many you “I caught six monster fish in an hour plex I thought it would cost far too much order. There’s a money-back guarantee, with this thing! Where can I get some?” for most fishermen. There’s even a small if you return them within 30-days. The lure’s light pattern is timed to a steel ball inside to emit sound. The LS-2
© NGC Worldwide, Inc. 2005 Dept. LS-86
Oklahoma Country • Summer 2005 • 11
Billy Ross surveys some of the thousands of tomato plants in one greenhouse at Howe. The Oklahoma Bonnie Plant Farm growing station markets about 20 tomato varieties to gardeners in the Sooner State, eastern Arkansas, southern Missouri and southern Kansas.
12 • Oklahoma Country • Summer 2005
America’s love affair with gardening drives this ‘growing’ business By Mike Nichols
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illions of Americans are seduced each spring by the allure of growing their own vegetables, herbs and flowers. The magnetism of a bright red tomato; the appeal of fresh basil sprinkled in your favorite Italian dish; and the eye candy of brightly colored flowers defining a neatly landscaped lawn – a fascination within reach of nearly everyone. Cares melt and happiness abounds when that first homegrown tomato is pulled or the first bouquet of the season saturates the living room with the sweet smell of success. Gardening, indeed, has become a major leisure activity for adults. Even a clairvoyant couldn’t have predicted today’s addiction to gardening back in 1918 when Livingston and Bonnie Paulk planted two pounds of cabbage seed so they could sell plants to local merchants to supplement their income. Those humble cabbage plants grown in the fertile soil of Bullock County, Alabama, are the roots for the largest grower of vegetable and herb plants in the nation – Bonnie Plant Farm. Owned and operated by Paulk family descendents until purchased by the Alabama Farmers Cooperative in 1975, Bonnie Plant Farm now has 35 growing stations in 26 states that supply vegetable, herb and flower plants to the continental United States. The few extra dollars those first cabbage plants produced pale in comparison to today’s sales. Bonnie Plant Farm reported record sales of more than $42 million in 2002. Even stronger demand now should cultivate a larger cash crop for the 2005 season. “We continue to experience double-digit growth on an annual basis,” says Bonnie’s Bob Bartles. “We deliver product to all 48 states and service about 10,000 retailers including The Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Lowe’s, K-Mart and independent
garden centers and hardware stores.” When Oklahoma gardeners bring home the Bonnie Plant Farm-labeled containers, they’re transplanting a plant rooted in Oklahoma at the company growing station in Howe. Bonnie Plant Farm has cloned its roots in the heart of Dixie and transplanted them to one of its newer growing stations in Little Dixie in Oklahoma. “The Oklahoma site was selected because it is centrally located for the distribution of fresh products to retailers in Oklahoma and southeastern Kansas,” says Bartles. Seventeen greenhouses dot the landscape at the Howe facility, which is located just minutes outside Poteau on State Highway 83. In the peak season – between December and June – as many as 50 employees work to grow and ship the greenhouse vegetable, herb and flower plants to retailers across Oklahoma, eastern Arkansas, southern Missouri and southern Kansas. Billy Ross, whose words are flavored with a distinct Southern drawl, is station manager at Howe. Just like Bonnie Plant Farm, Ross is an Alabama transplant to the Sooner State. In charge of the Howe facility since it joined the company fold about nine years ago, Ross abandoned his hopes of being a high school coach more than 30 years ago to start a career with Bonnie. Thousands of plants wait in the 17 greenhouses for their opportunity to be loaded into one of 10 Bonnie Plant Farm trucks running out of Howe to find their way into someone’s garden. “Our business has really grown since nine years ago,” says Ross as he takes a brief reprieve from dealing with seasonal employees, answering his cell phone, advising route salesmen and
Oklahoma Country • Summer 2005 • 13
speaking on the two-way radio with office personnel. The plant business is seasonal, and during that six- to seven-month span, the schedule is hectic. Starting in December, workers at the Howe facility plant thousands upon thousands of seed in flats housed in the greenhouses. Water, nutrients, pest control and the optimum growing temperature are critical during the three-week time period it usually takes from planting until shipping. “We really concentrate on vegetables,” says Ross, an avid gardener himself despite the long days he puts in managing the horticultural facility. The focus of the Howe facility is tomatoes. Thousands and thousands of tiny tomato plants fill greenhouse after greenhouse, inching taller as they grow toward their shipping date. Although some of the tomatoes are seeded at Howe, most arrive from Bonnie growing stations in Alabama as tiny plugs that must be transplanted into flats to add size before finding their way to retail outlets. Bonnie Plant Farm produces some 58 varieties of tomato plants. “We try to weigh it out and have the favorite varieties – stuff suited for around here,” says Ross. The Howe operation markets about 20 tomato varieties, with Bonnie’s popular Better Boy heading the list of Oklahoma favorites. “And it’s a good tomato,” says Ross, who heartily recommends his personal favorite – the Bonnie Original – to gardeners. “We want our plant buyers to have a successful garden. We’ve got the best, highest quality plants.” onnie Plant Farm produces more than 150 varieties of cool and warm season vegetable plants, including its best selling line of tomatoes and some 39 varieties of peppers. Seventy five percent of its total sales are vegetable plants. “We grow all of the summer crops here,” says Ross.
B
14 • Oklahoma Country • Summer 2005
While it’s not unusual to purchase tomato, pepper or even cabbage plants, Bonnie’s list of vegetables available as plants might raise the eyebrows of some veteran gardeners. Bonnie’s “if you plant it, they will come” vegetable line includes varieties of artichoke, peas, broccoli, Brussels sprout, cantaloupe, cauliflower, collards, cucumbers, eggplant, okra, lettuce, onions, pumpkin, rutabaga, spinach, squash, strawberries, watermelons, rhubarb and sweet potato. “Product varies from growing station to growing station due to regional consumer and retailer preferences,” said Bartles. “Obviously, in the southwest growing stations we’ll keep a strong supply of tomatoes and peppers.” When the warmer months hit, the Howe facility focuses on plants like cucumbers, squash and cantaloupes. “When it gets real hot, the plants almost grow overnight. Water is critical,” explains Ross. “We do them straight from seed. Machines plant the seeds in the flats.” he scene at Howe definitely is not your mother’s flowerbed when the summer plants are seeded. They’re nested in top quality commercially mixed soil, fed top quality commercial nutrients and irrigated with an optimal supply of water. Huge fans in the greenhouses pull in fresh air and help regulate the temperature in the greenhouses. “You really have to take care of them,” says Ross, referring to the seedlings. “When we ship them, they’re ready to go.” The entire process is labor intensive as the tiny seed grow into plants for the market. Each individual plant is labeled with a small Bonnie Plant Farm plastic stake, which identifies the plant variety for the home gardener. The Howe facility ships about 220,000 flats each season, according to Ross. That translates into millions of plants, since flats contain a
T
Seventeen greenhouses similar to this one dot the landscape at the Howe growing station. The vegetable, herb and flower plants grown keep 10 trucks constantly on the road during the peak season, delivering to familiar retailers like The Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Lowe’s and K-Mart. While vegetable and herb plants make up 80 percent of the sales at the Bonnie Plant Farm growing station in Howe, the production of flower plants is on the rise. The brightly colored flower plants pictured soak up lots of TLC before being shipped to retail outlets.
Oklahoma Country • Summer 2005 • 15
minimum of four plants, and many have even larger numbers. “We have different numbers of plants in flats. We do that to help meet the gardener’s needs and prices,” says Ross. hile the vegetable plants dominate the greenhouses, several herb and flower plants get their start at Howe. “The herb business is picking up,” says Ross. “It just took off. People really are doing herbs.” “We are seeing tremendous growth to our herb business as young gardeners enter the category for the first time, primarily growing herbs for culinary purposes,” agrees Bartles. Basil is the most popular herb produced at the Howe station, according to Ross. Bartles said Bonnie produces many more herbs, including bee balm, catnip, cilantro, dill, lambs ear, lemon balm, oregano, parsley, pennyroyal, peppermint, sage, spearmint, marjoram, thyme, chives, rosemary and lavender. Vegetable plants account for 75 percent of Bonnie sales while herbs produce 10 percent and flower plants 15 percent on the national level. Ross says the Howe operation generates 80
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percent of its revenues from vegetable and herb plants while flower plants bring in 20 percent. The Bonnie flower line includes begonia, celosia, coleus, dahlia, dianthus, dusty miller, asparagus fern, gazania, impatient, lantana, Mexican heather, marigold, pansy, petunia, portulaca, salvia, snapdragon, verbena, vinca and zinnia plants. “Bonnie Plant Farms will continue to grow products to meet customer demand by offering quality products,” says Bartles. One old adage says plants are sunshine, food and medicine to the soul. “It doesn’t take much time for a garden,” says Ross. “The work is enjoyable and the rewards are sweet.” After all, life began in a garden and that Edenesque seductiveness remains rooted in the soil for the millions who plant happiness each spring.
The flats of Genovese Sweet Basil represent the most popular herb produced at the Bonnie Plant Farm growing station in Howe. Herb plants are finding an expanded niche in home gardens. Today’s younger generation of gardeners includes herbs in gardens for culinary purposes.
16 • Oklahoma Country • Summer 2005
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Oklahoma Country • Summer 2005 • 17
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Oklahoma summers characteristically bring hot and dry conditions, especially throughout July and August. Gardens, animals, crops, people – everything requires more water, water that is already in high demand. Many people enjoy an abundant water supply and never think twice about the costs of using extra water. However, others have experienced life with shortages and realize that saving water is critical. When times are dry and levels run low, water conservation becomes even more important. The Lugert-Altus Irrigation District in Jackson County is exerting efforts to improve its water efficiency. As the only water district in Oklahoma, it is joining many of the other 17 western states in applying new irrigation practices. States such as Arizona, California, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming use irrigation techniques that the Lugert-Altus district is working to imitate. The district is beginning its second phase of infrastructure modernization, already completing the initial steps of adding automation of water flow and gates throughout the structure’s main canal. District manager Tom Buchanan believes these recent improvements are a step in the right direction.
“We hope that will give us a true efficiency we haven’t seen before in the delivery of water,” said the Jackson County Farm Bureau board member. “Hopefully that will save us some water, make more water available to the end patrons, to the people that buy water from us or use water on the other end.” These techniques are a wave of new technology for the water district, considering Jackson County’s former irrigation practices modeled original technology of the 1940s. “We’re taking a great stride and one of those giant leaps to set up to modern times, so to speak, and use technologies that are available in today’s irrigation supply systems,” Buchanan explained. The Lugert-Altus Irrigation District’s main goal is to complete phase two of its modernization process and fully automate the majority of its 24-mile-long main canal for water flow. This will allow the district to monitor the amount of water available at any location and time. As a result of these changes, the district has more control of water outflow, allowing water to be released only when necessary. This progression of irrigation modernization is expected to take three years. The district has received $156,000 in grant money from the
The down-stream face of the Lugert-Altus reservoir spillway supplies the water necessary for Jackson County irrigation. Producers rely on this body of water to irrigate their crops every summer. Dry conditions have prohibited an overflow of this reservoir since 2000.
18 • Oklahoma Country • Summer 2005