The Joy of Eating and Living Well
The trends in food consumption are focusing more on healthy eating. We hear every day about the problems of overeating and the lack of nutrition. The Great Plains RC&D has facilitated the creation and development of several projects that will address the issue of food quality and sustainable agriculture.
The Great Plains RC&D began a facilitated process to form a regional coalition in western Oklahoma that would improve soil quality, rural economies, and water resources. A result of the monthly meetings of Oklahoma producers and representatives from supporting organizations was the creation of the Southern Plains Agricultural Resources Coalition (SPARC). The mission statement is: The Southern Plains Agricultural Resources Coalition will spark rural sustainability and profitably through greater use of no-till practices and conservation systems for producers, consumer, and communities by promotion of market based incentive, education, demonstration, participation, and research. In 2006, a NRCS Conservation Innovation grant was awarded to SPARC to advance their mission, and broaden their outreach.
Meanwhile the Great Plains RC&D worked on a Farm-to-School pilot project of delivering 100% whole wheat flour (SPARC flour). The tremendous success of the pilot project has created a demand that will require an increased production capacity of identity preserved 100% whole wheat flour. Nearly two tons of flour was used during the test project. Also, 20,000 pizza crusts were made into breakfast pizzas or topped with turkey pepperoni and/or cheese. The students have taken taste tests and truly enjoyed the rolls, cookies, and pizza crusts made with 100% whole wheat flour from wheat that was raised in a no-till conservation cropping system. In addition to the extra nutritional value of the 100% whole wheat are the environmental benefits provided from wheat grown in no-till conservation cropping systems. Consumer purchases will produce the market based incentives for conservation management systems. Consumers will benefit with healthier food and a healthier environment.
Market-based environmental stewardship is a new tool to achieve environmental goals. Such an approach can lead to implementation of more conservation practices and systems by providing added financial incentives. This project will develop the market based incentives to encourage and promote the adoption of no-till conservation cropping systems that will improve soil resource performance. Changes in management practices made by growers to qualify for certification result in measurable environmental benefits, including improvements to wildlife habitat, reduced erosion, improved soil quality, improved water quality, increased efficiency in use of water, decreased toxicity with reduction of pesticides, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and increased carbon sequestration in soils.
At the Oklahoma Food Policy Listening session the evening meal was entirely made of Oklahoma grown products. The SPARC flour was used for the hot rolls and cinnamon rolls. The Caddo Kiowa Technology Center Culinary Arts Class is known for their great tasting cinnamon rolls, those made with SPARC flour had to be the best ever! The student who made the rolls commented several times throughout the evening that the SPARC flour was the “most tenderest flour” she had ever worked with.
The Great Plains RC&D will receive funding from the USDA Rural Development to purchase flour milling and packaging equipment. This is needed to provide the increased capacity to meet the growing demand of providing an Oklahoma grown and highly nutritional flour for our public schools. Tests by Agricultural Research Service scientists have shown that wheat grown in no-till cropping systems that have produced higher quality soils also results in higher quality plants. The healthy plants provide healthy foods. The Great Plains RC&D and members of the Southern Plains Agricultural Resources Coalition are conducting their own evaluations during this year’s wheat harvest. A continuous streaming sampling procedure was adopted to gather representative samples from three separate farms. These samples will be sent to an independent laboratory with the assistance of Plains Grains. Soil quality analysis is also being conducted in conjunction with the wheat sampling.
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