Agriculture & Outdoors
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A BOUT WITH A TROUT What to expect during summer fishing
By JAKE SERMERSHEIM jsermersheim@tahlequahdailypress.com
Trout aren’t the most popular fish to go after in the state of Oklahoma, but there are still plenty in the state to catch.
There are multiple spots to catch trout, but the most popular are the Lower Mountain Fork and Green Country’s own Illinois River. In the Illinois River, there are mainly rainbow trout, but fishers can also find brown trout. Trout can be caught out of the Arkansas River with access points in Muskogee and Tulsa.
“i am looking forward to catching trout this year,” local fisherman Ben Manous said. “It’s just me vs. the fish out there.”
Rains early in the spring resulted in some fishing reports coming out of the Illinois River indicating slow trout activity. But that has changed, with the most recent report reflecting that the fishing is picking up.
According to Chris Whisenhunt, senior fisheries biologist for the Oklahoma
Department of Wildlife and Northeastern State University graduate, the fishing was been very solid for trout recently.
“Trout fishing has been really good, [people] have been out there recenlty and have said it is [picking up],” Whisenhunt said.
There has been a lot of rain in the area recently, but the local lakes into which the Illinois and Arkansas River flow — Tenkiller and Fort Gibson — are known to handle extreme fluctuation well. Trout are especially good at finding ways to avoid flooding, according to Whisenhunt.
“The local lakes, Tenkiller and Fort Gibson are known for extreme high water fluctuations, especially in the spring,” he said. “It can impact spawning, but our fisheries shows very little impact over the years that it has.”
With the summer coming up and the fishing season about to be in full gear, Whisenhunt says the season should be solid if the weather doesn’t get too hot.
Local fisherman Ben Manous fishes on the Arkansas River.
“The trout fishing should be good as long as the water quality is good,” Whisenhunt said. “If we have extreme heat and drought later in the summer, that definitely impacts the trout, because they can’t stand hot water. If the water temperatures get above 70 degrees, that drastically impacts the trout fishing.”
If the water level reaches that 70-degree mark, stocking of trout is supsended. Whisenhunt said that normally, June and July are fine, but officials keep an extra eye on the fisheries in August and September.
“There’s plenty of flow coming out of the lake,” Whisenhunt said. “They’re keeping the lake flowing because of a project, late in the summer — August, September — is when things get dicey and we really have to start watching the water quality really closely.”
Some of the most popular lures are live bait, inline spinners, small jigs and handtied flies.
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The Camp family moved to the area to set up a homestead.
Homesteading helps keep Hulbert family grounded
By LEE GUTHRIE lguthrie@tahlequahdailypress.com
The word “homestead” brings up an image of people living off the land, without electricity, drawing water from a well, and growing and butchering food.
In Hulbert, a family has elevated homesteading to an art, and focuses on the important elements of what it means to homestead.
For this family, it’s about providing for themselves in a sustainable way, but also passing along the knowledge to others. Eli and Brian Camp Sr. purchased 17 acres in 2021 outside of Hulbert, and named it Longshadows Ranch.
“When we arrived here in 2021, the dirt was compacted dead dirt,” said Eli. “And we were city folks living in a country house.”
There was nothing outside of the home but a fence and two horses when they moved in. Eli was closing down her full-time medi-
cal practice to open a place to teach people everything she has preached to her patients for 25 years.
She is a holistic-focused, primary care and general practitioner and has an undergraduate degree in botany.
“It’s family first; it’s us feeding ourselves, taking care of ourselves, making medicine for ourselves, and the extra we sell, and that’s what funds our efforts on the ranch,” Eli said. “And all along the way, we bring people here to learn with us.”
They work with homeschools in a program called “Farm School,” and with grownups through activities, or people can volunteer to work on the ranch and learn.
Longshadows Ranch just received a grant from Carolyn Watson, a Texas banker who understood the importance of teaching younger generations sustainability and regenerative agriculture.
“It pays 25 people to come here for a year, weekly, 5-10 hours a week, ages 14-30,” Eli said.
Brian Jr. and Sophia are 15 and 16, respectively.
Brian Jr. takes care of the chickens, ducks, bees, helps with gardening and does woodworking.
“I like taking plant starts to market, planting and harvesting and woodworking,” Brian Jr. said.
Sophia takes care of the rabbits and horses, and part of her duties is harvesting the rabbits for meat. “And she’ll take care of the three sheep that we are arranging to buy to eat the rouge persimmon trees growing in our pastures,” Eli said.
One of the rabbits had a litter of about seven babies, and Sophia said it’s important to handle them so they are not stressed when it comes time to harvest them. Brian Jr. also takes care of butchering the chickens, as needed.
“There’s a special devise; you put their heads in and pull on their back feet to snap their necks, so it’s quick and painless,” Sophia said.
Both of the children were homeschooled, and Brian Jr. started his first semester at Northeastern State University this spring.
“It’s a lot different than city life; it’s living life like it’s supposed to be lived,” Brian Jr. said. “It makes sense out here.”
Brian Sr. said both of his kids are taller than he and Eli are,
“Sometimes I look out the window and they are trooping through the yard barefoot, and I go, ‘country kids,’” Brian Sr. said.
A full garden supplies the family with vegetables, microgreens and herbs, as well as wild greens and medicinal plants, like sheep sorrel and plantain.
The ranch is not certified organic, but the family grows organically. They use Hügelkultur, a system of raised beds constructed using layers of wood, other organic matter, and topsoil, essentially mimicking the natural processes of a forest floor.
“I read an article that said more and more organic farmers are starting to move away
from the certification, because it’s just a money thing [for the regulators],” Brian Sr. said. “We can say we use organic practices; we just can’t put a stamp on it that says ‘organic.’”
19TH SEASON
Every Sunday
April-October
200 EMorgan St. Tahlequah, Ok 74464
Under the Pavilion
Brian Camp has a woodworking shed that he teaches woodshooping.
Farmers reflect on changes to planting, harvesting
By MARY HANAFEE
TDP Special Writer
Oklahoma farmers are seeing the consequences of climate change firsthand, as erratic weather and shifting seasons put pressure on crops, livestock and livelihoods.
At the Tahlequah Farmers’ Market, growers say increasingly extreme conditions – such as heavy spring rains, intense summer heat and unpredictable weather patterns – are disrupting their harvests and straining their resources.
Michael Landry, who runs M3 Bee Farm, said managing bees in Oklahoma has become a balancing act.
“For me, every season is a little
different. Last year, we had a real wet spring, which affects the honey. Then it got really hot through the summer. That burns up all the sources of food for the bees,” Landry said.
Without adequate nectar from flowering plants, bees struggle to survive. Beekeepers are increasingly forced to supplement with feed, a costly and labor intensive solution.
“Early spring and when summer hits, that’s really make or break for the bees,” Landry said. “This year, we had a lot of rain, so there’s not a lot of nectar out there. The bees aren’t growing as much as they normally would.”
He said the quality and quantity of honey produced has suffered in
Michael Landry of M3 Bee Farms offers his honey
recent years.
“We have to be pretty careful. More than anything, it limits how much product we can put out,” he said. “I’m a farmer, bees are my livestock. It’s a precarious balance. We need bees. They pollinate. Anyone who wants to be a beekeeper, I encourage it because we need them. What will we do without pollinators? We’re going to have a big problem.”
Tabitha Hibbs, owner of Wise Cat Apothecary, said she’s been forced to rethink her entire planting strategy to protect crops from weather extremes.
“A lot of plants that have traditionally been full sun, by early July, they need afternoon shade,” Hibbs said. “We use shade cloths now. We’ve really had to plan out morning, afternoon and evening exposure to make sure the plants get the right light.”
Even hardy staples like tomatoes are showing signs of stress.
“In July and August, it doesn’t matter how much you water them, the sun is so intense, they burn up,” she said.
Wet springs have also made it difficult to plant on schedule.
“It can be hard to get plants out on time because it’s so wet, but then if you wait too long, they burn up,” Hibbs said. “Last year, I lost a lot of product due to the weather. We tried to save it, but eventually just had to cut it all out.”
She has begun sourcing herbs she once grew herself, but rising prices due to drought, tariffs and global shortages have cut into her margins.
“I’m having to pay more, but I can’t always raise my prices, so now my profit margin is really thin,” she said. “It’s a challenge. I’ll never be able to retire if I keep doing this. If we don’t have a decent year this year, we’ll have to reassess.”
products.
Benjamin Berry, of Burning Bush Farms, said he’s seen planting and harvesting schedules shift dramatically in recent years.
“The grow zones are all moving. It’s harder to predict,” Berry said. “I plant stuff way earlier now than I used to. I harvest differently. It’s just different.”
He worries the broader implications of climate change are only beginning to show.
“The rain comes all at once and the weather patterns are more extreme, which is rough on the crops. I don’t think we’ve seen the full extent yet of what will be affected by climate change,” he said.
Benjamin Berry of Burning Bush Farms shows his
Berry growers explain challenges, advantages
By RENEE FITE
Special Writer
For decades, Stilwell has meant strawberries to most people, especially due to the annual and oldest continuous festival in Oklahoma.
The Kiwanis Club of Stilwell founded the Strawberry Festival 78 years ago to bring fun and people to town, to promote business, and celebrate agriculture in the county. Today, growers plant acres of the sweet red berries and offer a few tips to encourage those considering trying their hands.
Bobby Doyle grew his first berries in 1956. It was one of those years with too much rain and not enough sun, said Doyle. He planted about a half an acre this year.
“The main thing is for the berry itself to stay dry and to drain, and enough moisture for the roots to grow good. Keep the weeds at bay,” Doyle said.
Fertilization is also important.
“Fertilize with the equivalent of 400 pounds per acre with something like 1020-10 or Triple 19. For one acre or a row across a garden, use about 10 pounds of fertilizer,” said Doyle.
When he first started, plants were bun-
Bobby Doyle eats a fresh strawberry at the Festival, May 10, while sitting by his wife, Jane.
dles in 25 to 50 and shipped from various locations.
“After establishment, I got my berries from Squeaky Cantrell. That day has come and gone. Today they’re shipped from California, mostly. Bare root plants mostly come from Canada,” Doyle said.
This year, Bryce Miller planted almost 100,000 plants using the plastic cover method.
“This keeps the berries dry and roots moist and helps to prevent gray mold,” said Doyle.
Dave Guevara planted a matted row.
“I have a matted row, too. You plant a row, let it set out runners about 2 feet wide. That’s the only way we grew them in the past,” he said.
As for the berries, Doyle said he has his favorites.
“I like Early Glo for the home garden. It’s small, sweet and makes beautiful jam –a high producer that is somewhat resistance to disease and has a big berry is San Andreas,” he said.
There are probably 50 different molds and diseases, and Doyle advises to get a strawberry book from the University of Arkansas for those needing help fighting it.
As for growing berries for 69 years, he said, “It’s a good experience.”
A new grower who plants the most berries is Bryce Miller.
In the 1960s around Adair County and the Sequoyah County bottoms, about 6,600 berries were planted.
“There were about 1,000 acres of berries planted in Adair County, until the canning factory closed,” Miller said.
The Miller’s started growing berries in 2017. The first year, they planted 5,000, and this year they put out 80,000.
“I really like seeing the joy that strawberries bring this community,” said Miller. Every season, they learn something new about berries, besides it’s hard work, and
Miller wants to encourage people trying to grow strawberries.
“Don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t work out the first or second time. It’s a big learning experience. It took me three years to figure it out,” Miller said.
The plastic sheeting method has gained popularity in recent years.
“I prefer using plastic mulch over matted rows because they are usually a lot cleaner, have less weeds and are easier to pick,” Miller said.
There are challenges, such as plant disease and bugs.
Growing berries in Stilwell is worth the effort.
“It’s hard work, long days and nights, but very rewarding – especially to see people standing in line and going crazy over something you have produced. And it makes me feel like I have accomplished something in life,” Miller said.
Summer food workshops offer unique ways to cook
By RENEE FITE Special Writer
Oklahoma State University Extension is a great place for youth and adults to learn new skills.
This summer, as every year, several workshops are available in Adair County, with three providing opportunities to improve skills in the kitchen: Bread Making, Dutch Oven Cooking and Pressure and Water Canning.
These workshops are open to both youth and adults, which will be monthly: Dutch Oven cooking is June 25, Pressure and Water Canning is July 17, and Bread Making is Aug. 12.
“Anyone is welcome at the workshops,” said Naomi Fuson, educator with Adair County OSU Extension Service.
In the canning food preservation workshop, Pressure and Water Canning, participants will receive instruction, and information for procedures and safety, Fuson said.
In the bread-making workshop, participants will learn artisan bread-making procedures and safety, said Fuson.
“We offer different workshops every year. Our canning workshop will not be the same as last year,” she said.
Fuson said all supplies will provided. Signup ahead of time is encouraged due to limited enrollment.
Other programs offered include CNEP Healthy Eating Tools for You and Your Family, FCS Financial Plan-
an OSU Extension summer workshop.
ning, and Co-Parenting for Resilience.
Adults who are interested in learning a variety of skills in various workshops, or opportunities to volunteer, might consider joining OHCE — Oklahoma Home and Community Education.
“This is a statewide, county-based organization that has a unique partnership with Oklahoma State University and OSU Extension.
Local members seek to develop leadership skills and strengthen families in their respective communities,” Fusion said.
There are three clubs are in Adair County: Country Acres, with Marylin
Area residents can learn to make artisan bread at
Vaughan, president; Zion/ Stilwell School, with Donna Boecher, president; and Strawberry Sweeties, with Megan Langley, president.
Meeting times and places vary. Country Acres meets at 1:30 p.m. at alternative locations; Zion/ Stilwell meets at 10 a.m. bimonthly at alternate locations; and Strawberry Sweeties meet at 5:30 p.m. bimonthly at the OSU Extension Office.
Zion Club will celebrate its 100th anniversary this year, said Karen George.
“Each club has different projects they work on. Country Acres focus is veterans and preschools, Zion/ Stilwell is Special Olympics and Strawberry Sweeties is Care Portal and foster Kids,” said Fusion.
There is also an Adair County OHCE Club, with Kathrine Rackliff as president.
For information about the workshops or OHCE groups contact OSU Extension at 918-696-2253.
Making jelly from fruit can be delicious fun.
Formorethan 100years, we’ve been apartner to theagricultural industry of eastern Oklahoma.
From farmingtocattle,and everything in between, Carson Community Bank has helped families and agricultural businesses grow in our area for generations. We understand thehardwork and determination it takes to run yourfamily business, and we areheretohelp you grow for the next generation of local ag businesses.
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