2024 Q4 Impact Report

Letter from Founder and Team

 surprised us all with notable weather patterns, allowing for a much-needed break from the summer’s heat. All wheat acres were sewn in the third week of October. This year we tried something new, in an effort to mitigate compacted soils. We blended Purple Top Turnips into our Hard Red Winter Wheat variety. We are looking forward to their results as the season progresses.

In late October, our founder Angel, along with farm managers met with a local fencing service to form a plan for the property. Finalizations and completion are expected this coming quarter!

November 2024 in north central Oklahoma was wet, ranking as the wettest on record, which helped improve and eliminate drought conditions across large portions of the state. Our wheat crop loved it and was easy to emerge from the ground with a nice even stand. Small turnips have been noted upon field scouts.

Our farm manager Kellen applied chicken litter and cattle manure post plant in the last few weeks of December. This will provide a natural supply of rich nutrients to the growing crop. Unlike synthetic fertilizers, organic manures provide a slow release of nutrients, which helps sustain crop growth over time.

Since spring our grass pasture has been grazed by cattle. The number of heads has fluctuated in the effort to rid the area of invasive weed species and in turn fertilize the pasture along the way. 21 steers remained on the grass until December 24th. The ground will remain at rest until early next spring.

 

 

As we conclude another year of meaningful work, we reflect on the progress we made in fostering sustainable ecosystems, supporting regenerative agriculture, and hope to empower communities in North Central Oklahoma.

Looking ahead, we are inspired to expand our efforts, strengthen our partnerships and innovate further in the pursuit of environmental stewardship. Together, with the continued support of our stakeholders we will cultivate new opportunities for growth, sustainability and share prosperity in the years to come.

Summary of Q4 Activities

Our donor funded activities are broken down into 7 main categories. The activities completed during this quarter of this year are outlined below.

University Involvement Support/ Science Projects

  • Ongoing conversations with Oklahoma State University about participating in additional research projects, speaking events with students, and other opportunities for engagement.
  • Coincided with Oklahoma State University Specialist Jason Warron to create a timeline for Rainmakers soils and carbon sequestration testing.

Diverse Planting

  • Perennial:
      • We continue to care for the orchard trees.
      • Irrigation bags were removed from orchard and boarder trees for their dormancy season.
  • Annual:
    • All wheat acres were planted with a blend of Purple Top Turnips in the third week of October.

Livestock Incorporation

  • Indirect Cattle and Chickens: 315 tons of cattle manure and __ tons of chicken litter were spread across all planted acres post planting. At a rate of 1/3 chicken litter, 2/3 cattle manure.
  • Direct Cattle: 21 steers remained in the grass pasture for the duration of Q4. All steers were removed on December 24th.
  • European Honeybees: Supplemental feeding has remained in place for our bees. Our bees have about 38 pounds of honey in their hive and have enough to be self-sustaining through the winter months. Plans are in place for supplemental feeding in a severe winter weather event.

Cover Cropping

  • Cover cropping is beneficial to regenerative farming in many ways. It protects the soil from erosion. Many species replenish essential nutrients, such as nitrogen, in the soil.
    1. Native grasses: The deep roots from native species also help sequester carbon. Our native grass cover crop around the orchard will continue to develop around the orchard, which will help with carbon sequestration and retaining water in that soil. The native grass, though its establishment was limited, still remains. There are some bunchgrasses in that region, but they are not the dominant species of cover.

Farm Equipment & Supplies

  • No new additions to the farm. Each day we are thankful for the investment in B.A.T Girl.

Infrastructure

  • Replanted boarder trees have established well and look to go into dormancy strong and ready for spring.

  • We continued to develop a water catchment system. The water tank was completed in August. Looking to continue construction plans with contractors.

Rainmaker Farm

  • Ongoing monitoring of the Barn Owl Nest boxes Rainmaker Farm is using ecological pest management. There is no nesting evident yet, but there are signs of use (white wash etc.

Targets and Goal Tracking

We are on track to meet our targets and goals.

Next Steps

In Q1 2025 we anticipate the following:

    1. Invasive plant management is going to continue to be a priority leading into 2025.
    2. Continue to care for the orchard and border trees, including watering new plantings.
    3. Explore partnering with researchers and educators at the University.
    4. Continue efforts with weather station.
    5. Continue to develop water catchment system.
    6. Install orchard irrigation system.
    7. Continue our outreach and education efforts.