I have had okra survive frosts and continue growing until freeze.
So I think what you are thinking is very possible in a warmer climate that did not reach actual freezing.
Well, here it gets in the teens or low 20s sometimes but the ground doesn’t freeze. I’m hoping for a trait like a fruit tree or something where the top dies but grows back from the roots the next year. The massive and deep root system on the okra would give it a huge head start the next year.
I’ve got similar winter temps. I think the issue is they don’t have a trait for winter dormancy so getting those roots to survive for long periods is going to be tricky.
Maybe cutting the plant down to the ground after frost and then covering with something like a bucket to protect during freezes and to prevent root rot from winter rains would allow survival through a milder winter. Then you could maybe select from plants that performing well with those conditions.
Might also help to grow the okra in pots first year and if you could over winter in a garage then plant out in ground the second year to have the advantage of an established root system.
I tried to buy a ticket with no success. Guess I’ll stick to my own okra experiments.
At the risk of generalizing too much, all species in the genus Hibiscus have edible ‘okra’ pods and many of them are perennial.
I have been getting to learn my local perennial okra in another thread: Rose hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos) The pods are smaller but the culinary quality is ok.
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