An overview of the certified organic horticulture plots at the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture near Poteau, Oklahoma. Organic practices such as cover crops, biochar, compost and compost teas, as well as variety trials., habitat for pollinators and no-till and biointensive beds.

1. The Cannon Horticulture Plots...

2. ...were certified organic...

3. ...by the Oklahoma Department of
Agriculture in June 2011.

4. George Kuepper
managed the
horticulture program
from 2008 to 2016.

5. Kuepper's report,
“Small-Scale Organics: A Guidebook for the
Non-Certified Organic Grower,”
is available free online.

6. The Cannon hort plots started out as a
bermudagrass pasture...

7. ...but bio-extensive management got rid of
bermudagrass, organically! Learn how:
Market Farming with Rotations and Cover Crops

8. Bio-extensive management relies heavily on
crop rotations...

9. ...keeping at least half the ground in
cover crops, both summer...
sorghum-sudangrass

10. ...and winter.
crimson clover

11. In addition to suppressing weeds, cover crops
add fertility.

12. Additional fertility comes from compost...
...made with on-farm materials, like
hay and manure.

13. Compost tea boosts populations of
beneficial microbes in the soil.

14. Biochar, made on the farm, can increase soil
moisture capacity...
...as well as increasing fertilizer efficiency and
improving habitat for beneficial soil microbes.

15. Our heirloom sweet potato variety trials ran
from 2010 to 2012.

16. Check out this overview, or the individual
years' reports:
2010 2011 2012
Technology
& Practices

17. We trialed heirloom tomato varieties in 2009
and 2010,and also ran a trial of
grafted tomatoes.

18. Other heirloom variety trials have included:
squash okra sorghum

19. We have also conducted heirloom
variety demonstrations, on crops
including organic no-till pumpkins,

20. flour and meal corn,

21. ...and the “three sisters” mix of corn, beans,
and squash.

22. The Cannon plots manage cover crops to favor
beneficial insects, including native pollinators.

23. Buffer margins provide more permanent
habitat for beneficials. Here, yarrow has
been left un-mown to finish flowering.

24. After several years free of bermudagrass,
the horticulture program is establishing
some perennial crops, like elderberries.

25. In 2016, the horticulture program began
participating in statewide lavender variety
trials, in cooperation with Myriad Gardens.