27th Feb 2012 – Oklahoma….where the wind comes sweeping down the plain

As a teenager playing the part of Curly in Oklahoma, I had always imagined it as this amazing plain country where wheat and corn (Which reached as high as an elephants eye) were grown. Well obviously the part of Oklahoma where the hit musical was based on wasn't like the area I traveled in. Consisting of rolling hills and shallow fragile soil, the country I saw as I traveled south from Oklahoma city is now mainly used for cattle grazing, with the crops sown generally used for feed for the cattle.

Ardmore is about one and a half hours south of Oklahoma city. Here  I was hosted by the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation. Based in Ardmore Oklahoma this is a not for profit research and extension organization set up by Oilman & Philanthropist Lloyd Noble. Charged with “benefiting Mankind” the Noble foundation helps farmers and ranchers to improve the management of their soil resource and their businesses. It is the best capitalized organization of its type in the United States. It is well respected among farmers and ranchers alike. It has done, and continues to do some great work to improve the soil and production of many US farmers and ranchers.

This region has suffered two years of severe drought. While at the Noble foundation I spent time with consultants Jim Johnson & Chuck Coffey.  Jim & Chuck had some interesting thoughts on what had caused this unusual phenomenon in what had been a very reliable district for the past 30 years. Some of their research of 60 to 80 yr climatic cycles indicated that this area could be entering a dry phase that may extend for a prolonged period of time. This shift would confront ranchers with a new paradigm and require a change in business management. 

This climate controlled box simulates drought on these Alfalfa plants.
The Noble foundation has 100 of these Hi-Tech boxes

While at the Noble Foundation they allowed me to stay in their conference centre,
 which  was a pretty amazing facility