One great way to get a taste of Oklahoma is try some Oklahoma kayaking.

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The Oklahoma Food Coop

Last night Dianne and I traveled to Jenks, Oklahoma to pick up 
our first order from the Oklahoma Food Coop. The Oklahoma Food 
Cooperative offers members a cross between a farmers' market, a 
grocery store and Amazon.com. 

The Oklahoma producers that supply the Coop's products put their actual names on their Made-in-Oklahoma products and make them in accordance with Coop rules. The consumer members that purchase the grass-fed beef, free range chickens, fresh eggs, produce and ready-made entries get to enjoy farm-friendly food on their own 
terms. 

Both parties pay a one-time fee for membership fee that makes them lifetime shareholders in this bold project. 

Coop founder Bob Waldrop wanted to create an option for Okies that want to eat local. The groceries the coop offers aren't always a bargain, but they're better for you and they help keep 
Oklahoma dollars in Oklahoma. The food is fresher because it is harvested locally and it is more environmentally sustainable because it does not have to be shipped long distances. 

The Oklahoma Food Cooperative sells over 2,000 products from local producers. From a small beginning, the cooperative now sells over $40,000 a month of locally produced organic foods and other products.

How Does the Food Coop Work? 

The success of the Coop depends on meeting the needs of both consumers and producers. Consumers are drawn to a system that offers greater transparency and selection. Producers are drawn to a more sustainable business model that protects them from market fluctuations and prohibitive transportation costs. 

While the farmers' share of the food dollar averages 19 cents nationwide, every dollar spent with the co-op sends 95 cents straight into the pocket of an Oklahoma farmer.

Oklahoma Food Cooperative Membership 

The Cooperative only sells food and non-food products that are made in Oklahoma, via an order delivery system based on the website and a network of members and volunteers across the 
state. The co-op treats farmers and customers as equals, and each pays a one-time fee of $50 to join. The co-op plays the role of an agent. It facilitates the ordering, delivery of and payment for Oklahoma foods between the two.

Ordering Your Food

Each month, producer members post at the website what they have available. Members have 2 weeks to order. 

On the third Thursday of each month, the farmers come to Oklahoma City and the coop's volunteer crew sort everything into customer orders, which then later in the day go out to our 17 
pickup sites across the state. They generally have about 1500 different items available each month. 

The web site features a list of Oklahoma producers and processors, with links to their sites. Producers range from 
certified organic farms to natural meats to processed goods like cheeses and salsas. You can buy fruits, herbs and vegetables, cheeses, milk and eggs, peanuts and pecans, baked goodies, 
grains, flours and more. 

Dianne and I had fun making out our order. We decided to try some foods we had never tasted before like ground lamb as well as going with some 'can't miss items' like 
Chocolate-Oatmeal-Walnut cookies!

Picking Up Your Food 

Coop Customers can then pick up their products at a dozen locations statewide and in OKC you can even get delivery! 
Currently, the closest pickup location to our Okmulgee home is in a residential neighborhood in Jenks, Oklahoma.

The pickup point was at the home of one of the members. We pulled up to find the host's driveway lined with a colorful array of ice chests. We parked about five feet from the food we 
were taking home, so we didn't need shopping carts! Our son Dylan got to enjoy some time playing in the yard with the children of our host. 

I kept thinking about what a friendly way of shopping this was. Compared to the hustle and bustle of Wal-Mart shopping, picking up food from the Coop is like visiting family friends.

Holy Cows And Hog Heaven: The Food Buyer's Guide To Farm Friendly Food

Oklahoma Farmers Markets

OSU-OKC Farmers Market
400 North Portland
Oklahoma City, OK 
YEAR-ROUND
Wednesday and Saturday
8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
http://www.osuokc.edu/agriculture/farmers/

Shawnee Farmers Market
7th & Bell
Shawnee, OK
SEASONAL: May-October
Wednesday & Saturday

Cherry Street Farmers Market
15th & Peoria
Tulsa, OK 74103
SEASONAL

Lawton Farmers Market
East Gore, across from Hwy patrol office
Lawton, OK
OPEN-AIR/SEASONAL: May-December
Saturday, 7:00 a.m.-12:00 noon

With our wealth of farmlands, fisheries and ethnically diverse urban areas,  Oklahoma cuisine has evolved in some amazing directions. In fact, we even managed to get 3.2 beer legally classified as food!

FYI - The Official State Meal of Oklahoma is chicken fried steak, fried okra, squash, cornbread, barbecue pork, biscuits, sausage and gravy, grits, corn, strawberries, black eyed peas and pecan pie.

Kirby's Cafe in Okmulgee

Last week the whole family stopped in at Kirby's Cafe in downtown Okmulgee. As a child I was raised on the kind of classic American food they serve here, before the cruel world weaned me on fast food and micro-crap.

I ordered the Pork Chop Dinner and know this was my kind of place when they asked me: "Grilled or fried?".  Yes, my friends you can still get a properly chicken-fried pork chop at Kirby's Cafe in Okmulgee, Oklahoma.

Sometime in the 80's all of the restaurants started grilling everything and in my opinion the whole thing got out of control. No health benefit is worth robbing the pork chop from its rightful place in the skillet.

The next question from our waitress sealed the deal: "What kind of gravy...White, Brown or Yellow?" Honest pan fried pork chops and the holy trinity of gravy. Now that's what I'm talking about!

Kirby's Cafe
219 W 6th St
Okmulgee, OK.
Phone: 918-756-8480

El Reno Onion Burgers

As you may or may not know, El Reno Oklahoma claims the distinction of being the birthplace of that cafe favorite ... the Onion Burger.

The Fried Onion Burger Day Festival is a tribute to the aromatic, unique burgers, which have been cooked daily in El Reno since the early 1900's. Cooked every year on the first Saturday in May, the "Big Burger" is the world's largest fried onion hamburger, weighing over 850 pounds. Festival goers are treated to a free bite of the "Big One" as long as it lasts.

Robert's Grill
300 South Bickford Ave.
El Reno, Oklahoma
405-262-1262

Sid's
300 S. Choctaw
El Reno, Oklahoma
405-262-7757

Abraham's Western Cafe
4920 N Western Ave
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
405-843-8172

OKC Onion Burgers

Recently, our family visited Oklahoma City for a few good meals and some driving around. For lunch, we hit Kansas City Blues, Barbeque & Burgers.

The name alone was nearly enough to make us stop and the large sign offering 'Super Onion Burgers' definitely closed the deal. I'd kill for one of those SOB's, I told my wife murderously.

In addition to Super Onion Burgers, catfish, dry rub BBQ and a great jukebox, KCBB&B offers live acoustic blues music over the lunch hour! Dress casual and expect to get lunch for less than $7. 

The top notch food and entertainment at Kansas City Blues Barbecue & Burgers means we will surely be back. 

Kansas City Blues Barbecue & Burgers
36B W Memorial Rd-Suite B4
Oklahoma City, OK 73114.
(405) 751-6557

Oklahoma Area Outdoors Book Bargains!

A Canoeing & Kayaking Guide to the Ozarks,

Oklahoma Sportfishing: A Complete Sportsman's Guide (Backcountry Guides)

The Best Of Fishing, Hunting, Camping, And Boating In Missouri

Tulsa Seafood Spots

Two Tulsa spots you may have passed by offer awesome seafood. Don't let their exteriors fool you, these places offer world-class cuisine right here in the Sooner State.

Bodean Seafood Market & Restaurant
3323 E. 51st 918-743-3861

White River Fish Market
1708 N. Sheridan 918-835-1910

"Dianne and I stopped in at the White River Fish Market this weekend and it was fantastic! We both heartily recommend their Smoked Salmon, Tilapia, hush puppies and onion rings. We will definitely be back...this time on a Tuesday or Wednesday for the Lobster tail special!" - 7-29-2006

Do you love cheese?  Check out this Oklahoma site loaded with great information on cheese storage, cheese samplers and making your own cheese.

Did you know that for decades Oklahoma law has considered beer a food and wine an alcoholic beverage?

Oklahoma Wildlife Federation Fundraiser Banquet

Oklahoma Wildlife Federation is having their fundraiser banquet at Remington Park June 7th.

They will be auctioning off lots of great stuff for hunters and outdoorsmen. Guided Elk Hunts, Guided Deer Hunts, Guided Fishing trips, and much much more (Knives, fishing rods and reels painting's just to name a few).

They will be having a live auction, silent auction and a raffle. Last year they gave away around 20 firearms.

Silks Restaurant will be cooking the dinner. Don't miss out that's June 7th, 2008. Couples $65.00, Single $45.00.

The Oklahoma Wildlife Federation is the oldest conservation organization in Oklahoma and serves as the official state affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation, tying it to the largest conservation organization in the world.