The Oklahoma Conservation Commission (OCC) is embarking on an innovative initiative this summer, taking its popular “Crossroads” soil health event on the road with a multi-day bus tour. Trey Lam, Executive Director of the OCC, shared details with Farm Director KC Sheperd about the “Crossroads on the Road Soil Health Bus Tour,” emphasizing its hands-on approach to educating farmers and ranchers about sustainable land management.
“We think it’s an exciting opportunity,” Lam stated, explaining the evolution from their annual Enid-based “Crossroads” event. “We’ve noticed in other states and even other ag groups have these bus tours. So we thought this year we’ll take it on the road, because there’s a lot you can do in the classroom when you talk about soil health and soils and good stewardship, but seeing it in practice is a lot more eye-opening.”
The tour, co-sponsored with No-till on the Plains, will begin in Kay County at Tom Cannon’s Goodson Ranch, known for its long-standing commitment to both crop and livestock production. From there, participants will journey south to the Noble Research Institute to explore the institute’s shift towards regenerative agriculture and grazing-focused soil health practices on their ranch lands.
The second day will see the tour head west to visit Brett Peshek, a producer and business owner specializing in cover crop seed. Lam highlighted the increasing importance of cover crops, noting they’ve “become really important to our soil health program, both on cropland and overseeding of pasture lands to get that diversity, because you want to be able to keep a living root in that ground.”
The tour will then visit Jimmy Smith Farms in Beckham County, a Leopold award winner recognized for its dryland cotton production and innovative use of cereal rye as a cover crop, as well as their custom-built grain drills. Further stops in western Oklahoma include Mark and Annette Thomas’s operation, where they are innovators in direct-marketed cattle and meat production.
Lam emphasized the diverse learning opportunities the tour offers. “You’re going to learn so much from the people who are on the bus with you,” he remarked, underscoring the value of farmer-on-farmer training and mentorship. He stressed the importance of seeing various approaches to soil health across different environments: “We’re going to see all different types of soils, all different types of rainfall patterns, and how they’re making it work in each one of those environments.” This, he believes, allows participants to compare practices with those “facing the same challenges that you are.”
The “Crossroads on the Road” tour is open to all – farmers, ranchers, agricultural professionals, and the general public. Registration information is available on the Oklahoma Conservation Commission’s website or through the No-till on the Plains site.
Beyond the bus tour, Lam outlined a busy summer agenda for the OCC. This includes expanding their cedar and woody species control program across the state, with new pilot projects on the North Fork of the Red River. They are also conducting more training for rural fire departments and prescribed burn associations to promote the value of prescribed fire. Additionally, their unpaved roads program continues to work with county commissioners to reduce erosion and maintenance costs, and their water quality monitoring efforts are ongoing to demonstrate the positive impact of voluntary conservation practices on Oklahoma’s waters.
A significant development for Oklahoma conservation, Lam excitedly shared, is the appointment of Jimmy Emmons as Assistant Chief of the NRCS in Washington, D.C. Lam described Emmons as a personal mentor, highlighting his pioneering work in no-till and soil health. “It’s a great day for Oklahoma and for conservation in general,” Lam stated. “To have someone who understands where you’re coming from and what the local conservation district does, a local USDA Service Center. He knows what the customer needs and what the farmer and rancher face when they go into that office.” This direct connection to Washington, Lam believes, will be invaluable for Oklahoma’s conservation efforts.
For more information on the bus tour or any OCC programs, individuals are encouraged to visit the OCC website or contact their local conservation district office.
– Learn about soil and water resiliency.
– Observe soil health considerations in the Southern Plains: Crop rotations, cover crops, pasture cropping, native pastures, grazing, stacked enterprises, and more.
– Regenerative Agriculture in action
Departing on June 30 AM from the Kansas Star Casino, 777 Kansas Star Dr., Mulvane, KS 67110, and proceeding south to the Goodson Ranch, 10855 W. Hubbard Rd., Blackwell, OK 74631.
Make sure to select where you will load the bus during registration.
**** The group will arrive back at the departure site on July 2, 2025. ***
