The last tour stop of the alternative Oklahoma Tour was Yarrowhead Farms at Carney, Oklahoma. Mike and Amanda Wilson, owners of Yarrowhead, claim to be the first and only certified biodynamic farm in Oklahoma. This means the view of the farm organism extends beyond the fence line and includes the tangible and intangible forces that work through it. Examples include climate, inherent wildlife (above and below ground), the light and warmth of the sun, and even the more distant astronomical influences. Biodynamic agriculture attempts to harmonize all of these forces within a holistic, living farm system. Day-to-day practices of biodiversity is not just minimizing the farms’ dependency on imported materials, but striving to become regenerative rather than degenerative. The farm becomes organized so that the waste of one part of the farm becomes the energy of another part — increasing the farms’ ability to self-renew and acquire sustainability. While the practices at this farm are above reproach, we are cognizant that implementing such practices on a large scale would be both unrealistic and prohibitive.
Submitted by Nada Carter and Deborah Mills
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