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We invite you to listen to us on great radio stations across the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network weekdays- if you missed this morning's Farm News - or you are in an area where you can't hear it- click here for this morning's Farm news from Ron Hays on RON.
Let's Check the Markets!
OKC West is our Market Links Sponsor- they sell cattle three days a week- Cows on Mondays, Stockers on Tuesday and Feeders on Wednesday- Call 405-262-8800 to learn more.
Today's First Look:
mornings with cash and futures reviewed- includes where the Cash Cattle market stands, the latest Feeder Cattle Markets Etc.
Each afternoon we are posting a recap of that day's markets as analyzed by Justin Lewis of KIS futures- click or tap here for the report posted yesterday afternoon around 3:30 PM.
Okla Cash Grain:
Futures Wrap:
Feeder Cattle Recap:
Slaughter Cattle Recap:
TCFA Feedlot Recap:
Our Oklahoma Farm Report Team!!!!
Ron Hays, Senior Farm Director and Editor
Pam Arterburn, Calendar and Template Manager
Dave Lanning, Markets and Production
Kane Kinion, Web and Email Editorial Assistant
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Oklahoma's Latest Farm and Ranch News
Your Update from Ron Hays of RON
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Merry Christmas!!!
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Howdy Neighbors!
Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update.
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 Featured Story:
The world of commerce prepares to shut down today- in some cases, businesses have already closed while others will be taking off by noon or a little after.
The Ag Futures will have a partial day of trading today- with the Grains and Oilseeds closing trade at 12:05 central and the Livestock contracts closing at 12:15 pm.
They both reopen Thursday morning, December 26th.
Livestock Auction Markets are closed till the New Year.
In the case of our radio reports and this daily email- we will take Christmas Day off and will return on Thursday morning as well.
Breaking agricultural news will be updated as needed on our website, www.OklahomaFarmReport.Com.
Today's email has several top ag stories that we wanted to share- but we also are devoting several stories of the season- and the Reason for the Season to this email- we hope you will read them and share them as you will as well.
Merry Christmas!!!!
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Sponsor Spotlight
Dating back to 1891, Stillwater Milling Company has been supplying ranchers with the highest quality feeds made from the highest quality ingredients. Their full line of A & M Feeds can be delivered direct to your farm, found at their Agri-Center stores in Stillwater, Davis, Claremore and Perry or at more than 125 dealers in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas and Texas. We appreciate Stillwater Milling Company's long time support of the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and we encourage you to click here to learn more about their products and services.
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USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) today announced a new crop insurance option for hemp growers in select counties of 21 states in 2020. The pilot insurance program will provide Actual Production History (APH) coverage under 508(h) Multi-Peril Crop Insurance (MPCI) for eligible producers in certain counties in Alabama, California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
The MPCI coverage is for hemp grown for fiber, grain or CBD oil for the 2020 crop year. It is in addition to the Whole-Farm Revenue Protection coverage available to hemp growers announced earlier this year.
"We are excited to offer coverage to certain hemp producers in this pilot program," said RMA Administrator Martin Barbre. "Since this is a pilot program, we look forward to feedback from producers on the program in the coming crop year."
You can read more from the EPA regarding the pilot crop insurance program for hemp, by clicking or tapping here.
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On a weekly basis, Dr. Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist, offers his economic analysis of the beef cattle industry. This analysis is a part of the weekly series known as the "Cow Calf Corner" published electronically by Dr. Peel and Dr. Glenn Selk. Today, Dr. Peel talks about the December 2019 Cattle on Feed Report released this past Friday afternoon.
"In the latest USDA Cattle on feed report, the December 1, 2019 feedlot inventory was 12.03 million head, 102.5 percent of last year and the highest December total since 2011. The December inventory was the highest monthly total for year, as it has been six of the last ten years. The annual average feedlot inventory in 2019 was 11.62 million head, the highest twelve month moving average since the current data series began in 1996.
"November marketings were 1.813 million head, 97 percent of last year and about as expected. Marketings in Texas were sharply lower at 91 percent of year ago levels and were down year over year in Nebraska (97 percent) and Iowa (73 percent) as well. Marketings in Kansas were 103 percent of last year and marketings were sharply higher year over year in South Dakota (145 percent), Oklahoma (114 percent) and Idaho (107 percent).
Click here to read more from Peel regarding the feedlot placements at the end of 2019.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today issued a movement permit to Mr. S. Nicholas Claus of the North Pole, a broker with Worldwide Gifts, Unlimited. The permit will allow reindeer to enter and exit the United States between the hours of 7 p.m. December 24, 2019 and 7 a.m. December 25, 2019, through or over any U.S. border port.
"With a growing world population, Mr. Claus will have his busiest Christmas yet. At USDA, we want to ensure we are not hindering Mr. Claus' important work of spreading Christmas Cheer for all to hear," said Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. "Ease of access into the United States for Mr. Claus and his nine reindeer will ensure that children all over the country - including my own fourteen grandchildren - will wake up on Christmas morning with joy and filled with the spirit of the season. USDA issued this permit in advance and waived all applicable fees to help ensure a smooth trip on Christmas Eve night."
In addition to the normal disease testing requirements, flying reindeer must undergo additional tests to ensure they will be able to safely handle significant changes in altitude and temperature throughout their journey, and are fit for landing on rooftops. On this year's health certificate, the accredited veterinarian noted that one of the reindeer named Rudolph was positive for "red nose syndrome," however, it was also explained that this is normal for him and not an animal health concern. The veterinarian also verified the reindeer have been vaccinated against any diseases they could encounter on their trip around the world.
Click here to read more from the USDA on the granting of permits to Mr. Claus.
AND the word is also GOOD from Dr. Rod Hall at the Oklahoma Department of Ag- He and Blayne Arthur had a special Facebook post giving us the word about Santa's Reindeer.
Click here for their Facebook post on this health inspection conducted up at the North Pole.
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Sponsor Spotlight
The Oklahoma Farm Bureau - a grassroots organization that has for its Mission Statement- "Improving the Lives of Rural Oklahomans." Farm Bureau, as the state's largest general farm organization, is active at the State Capitol fighting for the best interests of its members and working with other groups to make certain that the interests of rural Oklahoma are protected. Click here for their website to learn more about the organization and how it can benefit you to be a part of Farm Bureau.
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Long time OSU Beef Cattle Specialist Dr. Glenn Selk (Now retired but still offering regular reports in his weekly Cow Country News) offered some thoughts of one of his early Christmas times down on the farm- let's go back to the late 1950s with Dr. Selk and remember Christmas on the farm with him:
"It was about 60 years ago that a Christmas became memorable for this retired extension beef specialist. Christmas Eve day on the Platte Valley farm was cloudy and cool. Evening chores were to be completed earlier than usual so that the family could attend Christmas Eve services at the small Presbyterian church in town.
"The hay rack was loaded with small square bales of alfalfa hay and my brother and I took the wires off of the bales and kicked the hay off the wagon as Dad drove along the creek bank feeding grounds. It was one 75 pound bale to every three cows. How my Dad knew back then that 2.5% of the body weight per day for 950 - 1000 pound cows was the proper amount, I'll never know. After the chores were completed, it was time to get cleaned up and ready to go to town.
You can read more of Selk's memories of Christmas, by jumping over to our website.
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T'was the Night of the Biggest and Best Gift of Them All
This is our first Christmas at the Oklahoma Farm Report and Radio Oklahoma Ag Network to be a part of the Bob Funk Family of Companies- and that included the opportunity to be a part of the Christmas parties that Mr. Funk likes to host.
It was quite an event- and as the evening wound down- Bob offered a Christmas poem that I thought you might enjoy- we have permission to share it with you- so read and share with others if you would like:
T'was the night before Christmas, God glanced over the earth. He looked to and fro, all over its girth.
They missed it again, He said with a sigh, A heavy heart and a tear in his eye.
I gave them my Son, so they could be free. My greatest gift... to them from Me.
They traded Me in for a man in red, A little tree and a horse-drawn sled.
How do I save them and make them see My love is complete, my grace is free?
How do I help them when all they know Is a talking snowman and a box with a bow?
Maybe next year, they will stop and see: The biggest gift of Christmas Is the little child from me
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The "Factory" Farm Connected to That First Christmas in Bethleham
I have always liked the Shepherds in the Luke version of the Christmas story the best. They heard the incredible story from the Angels- did not bat an eye- and decided they had to go right then and see this baby they were told about by the Angel.
Why did this story hit home with these first century farmers? Well, they were not country bumpkin sheep herders out in the wilderness- but rather the operators of what you might call one of the first Commercial Sized Farms in the world. The sheep herds that were within five miles of Jerusalem provided close to a quarter of a million lambs annually to the Temple.
How do we know that? Well, the Jewish historian Josephus writing in the first century records that at Passover up to 265,000 lambs would be sacrificed in the Jewish temple at Jerusalem.
These weren't your run of the mill lambs- those lambs had to meet the strict legal-religious regulations of the Jewish faith. They had to be no more than one year old, male and without spot or blemish. Therefore they had to be born in controlled conditions and inspected for birth defects before being raised in protected conditions.
The website patheos.com adds that "The law also said that animals to be sacrificed had to be born within five miles of Jerusalem. Bethlehem is just five miles from Jerusalem.
"The hillsides around Bethlehem, therefore were a first century lamb factory farm. When the lambs were born they were wrapped up in strips of cloth to protect them and placed in a stone feeding trough in the birthing barn until the priest could come by and inspect them."
Cue the Angel- Luke 2:12 finds that Angel giving these specific directions to the Shepherds- "You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger." (Think- Stone feeding trough)
After the Shepherds saw and heard the Angels- They were excited about a Savior that would become THE Lamb of God- and would be the one and done replacement for all those perfect lambs grown on the hillsides around Bethlehem-
They went- they saw- they told everyone they could about this perfect Lamb of God-
From the Hays Household- Merry Christmas and May you experience the Wonder the Shepherds Experienced that first Christmas with God's Gift to ALL People!
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Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, P & K Equipment, AFR Insurance, Oklahoma Pork Council, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Stillwater Milling Company, National Livestock Credit Corporation, Oklahoma Beef Council, Oklahoma AgCredit, Oklahoma Ag Mediation Program, Inc., the Oklahoma Cattlemens Association and KIS Futures for their support of our daily Farm News Update. For your convenience, we have our sponsors' websites linked here- just click on their name to jump to their website- check their sites out and let these folks know you appreciate the support of this daily email, as their sponsorship helps us keep this arriving in your inbox on a regular basis- at NO Charge!
We invite you to check out our website at the link below too that includes an archive of these daily emails, audio reports and top farm news story links from around the globe.
God Bless! You can reach us at the following:
phone: 405-473-6144
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