Tulsa County OSU Extension Center

🚗🌼 Kickin’ up excitement on the Mother Road! 🌼🚗

We’ve been keeping an exciting secret… and we’re FINALLY ready to share it! 🎉

County Extension Ag/4-H Educator Hannah Hough and Northeast District Ag Literacy/STEM 4-H Educator Kylie Nicholson were honored to receive a grant from Keep Oklahoma Beautiful and Keep Route 66 Beautiful and, along with a generous donation from the Oldies 'n Goodies Car Club, to create something special along Historic Route 66 during the Route 66 Centennial Celebration year! 🛣️✨

So… where are we planting roots? 🌱
Right at the historic Tulsa Fire Station 66 on Route 66!

Our Tulsa County 4-H members, volunteers, and educators are rolling up their sleeves this week to install beautiful native pollinator flower beds that will:
🐝 Support bees, butterflies, and other pollinators
🌼 Add long-lasting beauty to the station and Route 66 corridor
🌱 Be low-maintenance and environmentally friendly
❤️ Serve as a meaningful community service project

These gardens are more than flowers — they’re a hands-on learning opportunity for youth to discover horticulture, pollinators, stewardship, and the importance of giving back to the community through service, kindness, and beautification.

But we didn’t stop there… 👀

We’re turning this project into a full-throttle, fun-packed “4-H on Route 66” 2-day day camp! 🚘🌻

Campers will:
🛣️ Explore the history and culture of Route 66
🐝 Learn all about pollinators and native plants
🎨 Create Route 66 & pollinator-themed County Fair projects
🏛️ Tour the Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum in Sapulpa, OK
🌼 Help bring these pollinator gardens to life

You could say we’re putting the “petal to the metal” this summer! 🌸💨

We can’t WAIT to share the finished gardens, camp highlights, and all the memories made along the way. Stay tuned as Tulsa County 4-H cruises into a summer full of service, learning, blooms, and Route 66 fun! 🌻🚗✨

Youth Livestock Judging Clinic

We are once again hosting the Northeast District Livestock Judging Clinic on June 25, 2026, at the Delaware County Fairgrounds. This will be a great day of learning the basics of livestock judging, evaluating a few classes, and learning fundamentals of giving reasons. Registration will be through Microsoft Forms (link below).

https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=HclpKknoNE6iMM34sn4ZZLPA-haaCx1IvzaEKtzdq3tUMzlIQ1ozTVk1WEpWSE5KOUM4RE1ZUzNNVS4u&route=shorturl

Please enjoy the next issue of Tulsa Co. Ag News!

Volume 3, Issue 6 Tulsa Co Ag News | PDF to Flipbook Created with the Heyzine flipbook maker

🌾 Hello, June! 🌾

Summer is officially knocking on the door here in Northeast Oklahoma, and June is a BIG management month for pasture, hay, and cattle operations. While we’re all hoping for timely rains and growing grass, now is the time to stay proactive instead of reactive. ☀️🐄

A few June management reminders from OSU Extension:

✅ Scout pastures for summer w**ds before they become a bigger issue. Thistles, johnsongrass, broomw**d, and other invasive w**ds can quickly compete with valuable forage. Early identification and proper control timing matters!

✅ Monitor pasture conditions closely. Overgrazing during hot, dry periods can weaken stands and open the door for w**d pressure later in the season. Leaving adequate stubble height helps protect root systems and retain moisture.

✅ Keep an eye on drought stress. Even with spring moisture, Oklahoma weather can change fast. Watch forage growth, stock water availability, and body condition scores on cattle as temperatures rise.

✅ Hay season is underway! Before baling, check fields for w**d pressure, fertility needs, and equipment readiness. Quality hay starts long before it hits the baler.

✅ Evaluate stocking rates and grazing rotation plans now — not after pastures are already stressed. Good grazing management in June can make a major difference later this summer.

OSU Extension also recommends soil testing and forage testing as valuable tools for making cost-effective fertilizer and feeding decisions throughout the year.

Here’s to safe haying, healthy cattle, green grass, and hopefully a little rain in the forecast for all of Oklahoma agriculture this June! 🌦️🚜🌱

Enjoy this beautiful picture of an Oklahoma pasture with Indian paintbrush by OSU photographer, Mitchell Alcala

Mindful Conversations: Using Mindfulness in Talking with Aging Loved Ones" https://extension.okstate.edu/.../mindful-conversations.

Have you ever been in the middle of a conversation and felt lost? Maybe your mind was wandering. And at times, we might feel that the person we're trying to talk to isn't paying attention. To converse and be respectful, people need to "be present" and pay attention to each other. Life is full of distractions, our cell phones being one of the biggest.

Being mindful is the act of self-awareness in any given moment, even pausing in the middle of a situation to pay attention to how you feel, what is happening around you, and the entire situation.

The OSU Extension fact sheet "Mindful Conversations: Using Mindfulness in Talking with Aging Loved Ones" https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/mindful-conversations-using-mindfulness-in-talking-with-aging-loved-ones provides easy steps, tips, and explanations on how to have mindful conversations. The steps include listening, nonverbal cues, and speaking.

Communication is a two-way street. Conversations with aging loved ones is very important and extra attention may be needed. Practice mindful communication and remember to put the person before their diagnosis. Words have power!

The Science of Journaling

Journaling isn't just writing — it's a way to actually understand what's going on in your head and express yourself. Words, doodles, whatever works for you. No rules, no grades. Journaling has real benefits for your mental health! People who journal can manage their stress better and can better understand their own emotions. Writing about our feelings can help with problem-solving and clarity. If you aren’t sure where to start, you can try one of these.

-Copy down lyrics or a quote and write about what it means to you

-Tell the story of a hard thing you got through

-Write about one person or thing that you are grateful for

-Draw how you are feeling. You don’t have to use words to use a journal.

SAVE THE DATE! 🌿🦌

Ready to take your deer food plots to the next level this year? Whether you're managing for hunting, improving deer nutrition, or just wanting a healthier, more productive property for wildlife—this FREE virtual workshop is for you.

📅 Tuesday, August 4, 2026
⏰ 6:30 PM (CST)
📍 Virtual via Zoom — join from anywhere (yes, even in your PJs!)

Join an OSU Extension Wildlife Specialist as they cover:
✔️ Food plot planning for deer hunting
✔️ Nutritional needs and forage selection
✔️ Site preparation and establishment
✔️ What to plant and when to plant
✔️ General food plot management
✔️ Deer range management in Oklahoma

This webinar will run approximately 1.5 hours and is completely FREE to attend.

👉 Sign up by August 1st:
https://forms.office.com/r/QGHjtVy2cD

(You can also register using the QR code on the flyer!)

📧 The Zoom link will be sent out the day before the program (August 3rd), so be sure to get registered.

Have questions? Contact County Ag Educator Hannah at 918-746-3725.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to make your food plots work harder for you and your wildlife! 🌱

Here at the Tulsa County OSU Extension Office, we get quite a few questions on erosion in pastures, pond areas, creeks, fields, etc. & thought this segment might be helpful! Our friends at USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service are also a wonderful resource for answering erosion questions on your property that you may have

What Soil Erosion Is Doing to Your Land (May 16, 2026) Daniel Adamson, OSU Extension soil and water conserv...

In honor of Memorial Day, the Tulsa County OSU Extension Center will be closing at 3:00 p.m. today and will be closed on Monday.

Regular business hours will resume on Tuesday.

We encourage everyone to take a moment this weekend to reflect on the meaning of the holiday and honor those who served.

Homemade Food Freedom Act Informational Program coming up offered by the Oklahoma County OSU Extension office in OKC- see below for more details and to sign up

Recent updates to Oklahoma’s food freedom laws are creating new opportunities for home-based food businesses.

FAPC’s Homemade Food Freedom Act Workshop helps entrepreneurs, cottage food operators and farmers market vendors better understand how to legally and safely sell qualifying homemade food products under Oklahoma law.

Topics include:
• What foods qualify under Oklahoma’s food freedom laws
• Labeling and food safety requirements
• Direct-to-consumer sales
• Growing a home-based food business with confidence

Tuesday, July 14
Oklahoma County Extension Office – Oklahoma City

Registration is $35 and includes workshop materials and lunch.

Registration deadline: June 30.

Register here:
https://ag-events.okstate.edu/event/the-homemade-food-freedom-act-workshop-july-2026 #