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!
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 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
Carson Horn, Associate Farm Director and Editor Pam Arterburn, Calendar and Template Manager Dave Lanning, Markets and Production Macey Mueller, E-mail and Web Writer
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Oklahoma's Latest Farm and Ranch News
Presented by 
Your Update from Ron Hays of RON
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
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Howdy Neighbors!
Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update.
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 Featured Story:Governor Mary Fallin a Part of the Trump for President Ag Advisory Committee
Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin and her Secretary of Agriculture, Jim Reese, are among a group of Republicans that have been selected to be a part of the Donald Trump for President Ag Advisory Committee. According to the news release on the group, "the men and women on the committee will provide pioneering new ideas to strengthen our nation's agricultural industry as well as provide support to our rural communities. Mr. Trump understands the critical role our nation's agricultural community plays in feeding not only our country, but the world, and how important these Americans are to powering our nation's economy."The formation of the board represents Donald J. Trump's endorsement of these individuals' diverse skill sets and ideas that can improve the lives of those in agricultural communities. Mr. Trump has received widespread support from voters who understand he is the only candidate with the best interests of the agricultural community at the heart of his policies.Besides Fallin and Reese, two Oklahoma State Lawmakers, Senator Eddie Fields and State Representative Casey Murdock are also on the Board. The board also boasts of including the current Chairs of the House and Senate Ag Committees - Mike Conaway of Texas and Pat Roberts of Kansas. Former Secretary of Ag John Block also is a member.Mr. Trump said, "The members of my agricultural advisory committee represent the best that America can offer to help serve agricultural communities. Many of these officials have been elected by their communities to solve the issues that impact our rural areas every day. I'm very proud to stand with these men and women, and look forward to serving those who serve all Americans from the White House."The executive board members will convene on a regular basis.Click here for a complete list of advisory board members.
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Sponsor Spotlight
Oklahoma AgCredit serves rural Oklahoma communities and agriculture with loans and financial services. Providing loans for rural property, farm and ranch land, country homes, livestock, equipment and operating costs is all we do.
We are the state's largest agricultural lending cooperative, serving 60 Oklahoma Counties. To learn more about Oklahoma AgCredit, click here for our website or call 866-245-3633.
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National FFA names 17 Oklahoma FFA Members as Finalists in 2016 Proficiency Awards- Second Most From Any State in US
The Oklahoma FFA Association will once again be strongly represented in the 47 program areas that make up the National Proficiency Awards that will be selected and recognized at the 89th National Convention of the FFA. Over the last four years, Oklahoma has amassed 25 national titles in the Proficiency contest - the most of any state in the country. In 2015 and 2014, five Oklahoma FFA members won national titles, Oklahoma claimed seven in 2013 and eight in 2012.In 2016, Oklahoma has the second most finalists of any state with a total of 17 Oklahoma FFA members heading to Indianapolis to compete in their Proficiency Award area. A year ago, Oklahoma had 16 finalists vying for honors in Louisville. One of the 2015 National Proficiency Award winners from Oklahoma, Kaylee Brunker of Perkins-Tryon, is back to compete for a national championship for a second year in a row. Brunker won in Sheep Production in 2015 - and competes this year in Small Animal Production and Care. Jordan Storey of Valliant was a National Finalist last year in Beef Production-Placement and is back this year hoping for national honors in the Agriscience Research-Animal Systems category.
Click or tap here to find a list of 2016 national finalists who will represent Oklahoma in the National Proficiency Contests.
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OSU's Wheat Improvement Team Sets Sights on Experimentals for the Future
Oklahoma State University's Wheat Genetics Chair Dr. Brett Carver says there were quite a few selections that really separated some good lines from some not so good lines of wheat varieties this year. Dr. Carver took some time out during the recent Oklahoma Wheat Review to speak to Radio Oklahoma Network's Associate Farm Director Carson Horn about some of things that influenced the selection decisions of OSU's Wheat Improvement team. "As everybody would expect, stripe rust led that list," Carver said. "And it was stripe rust, not necessarily when we'd expect to see stripe rust, in April, but an early stripe rust infection." Mother Nature threw other hindrances at Carver and his team like occasional freezes and a case of leaf rust, the likes of which have not been seen since 2009 or 2010. Dr. Carver and his team worked despite all this to figure out what materials worked best against the timing, kind and race of the infections. Dr. Carver says there is a lot coming down the pipeline. His goals for the future he says is to develop suitable replacements for certain varieties he has dubbed stalwarts in the breeding program and in statewide wheat production. "I have my sights set on a couple of experimentals," Carver said, "that I think will exceed the yield level that we're seeing in Gallagher and Iba." Listen to the full interview with Dr. Carver and Associate Farm Director Carson Horn, by clicking here. |
Corn Farmers Could be Out $2.5 Billion if EPA's Proposed Atrazine Ban Stands
A new report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on atrazine could cost the industry $2.5 billion in yield losses and increased input costs, at a time when net farm incomes are already in steep decline.
"Farmers cannot afford to lose access to atrazine," said Wesley Spurlock, a farmer from Stratford, Texas, and First Vice President of the National Corn Growers Association. "The farm economy has been struggling the past few years, and this could mean the difference between a profit and a loss for many farmers."
EPA released its draft ecological risk assessment for atrazine in June 2016, as part of the re-registration process for the herbicide. If the recommendations included within the assessment stand, it would effectively ban atrazine. EPA is accepting public comments on the assessment through October 4.
A 2012 economic analysis by the University of Chicago found that farming without atrazine could cost corn farmers up to $59 per acre. That's a staggering cost at a time when net farm income has already declined 55 percent over the past 2 years, according to USDA figures - and one that's bound to have repercussions across the entire agriculture industry.
Click here to read more about the negative effects of banning atrazine and find a link to voice your concerns to the EPA.
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Sponsor Spotlight
Oklahoma Genetics is proud to represent the tremendous wheat varieties that have been developed by the Wheat Improvement Team at Oklahoma State University. Varieties like Iba, Gallagher and now Bentley are the result of years of breeding research designed to help wheat producers in the southern plains to grow high yielding, high quality winter wheat.
To learn more about each of the varieties OGI represents, click here for their website. You will find a "Seed Source" with a list of where seed for each variety can be purchased for the 2017 wheat planting season.
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HSUS, Cocky After Success in Cage Free Egg Efforts, Going After Big Changes in Unnatural, Stressful Broiler Production
Dr. Yvonne Vizzier Thaxton is the director of the Center for Food Animal Wellbeing at the University of Arkansas. Dr. Thaxton has written a recent blog that offers her thoughts on the Humane Society of the US and recent overtures they have made to US broiler producers. The following blog was originally published at Meatingplace.com:
"It seems that HSUS has sent a letter to many CEOs of broiler companies with language noting their victories with layers and swine as well as their intent to now focus on the broiler industry. While I am not surprised at the attitude, I am somewhat flummoxed by their sending such an obvious threat.
"I agree that they have won some major victories. In the case of cage-free at the expense of the animals but nevertheless, the change is now a fact. The swine issue with gestation stalls is also now a fact. So what do they have in mind for broilers? I took a look at their white paper on the topic.
"More than 8.5 billion chickens are slaughtered for meat production in the United States every year. Raised in industrial production systems, these animals experience crowded indoor confinement, unnatural lighting regimes, poor air quality, stressful handling and transportation, and inadequate stunning and slaughter procedures. Because they are selectively bred for rapid growth, broiler chickens are prone to a variety of severe skeletal and metabolic disorders that can cause suffering, pain, and even death. Broiler breeders, the parent birds of chickens raised for meat, are subjected to severe feed restriction, and males may undergo painful toe and beak amputations, performed without pain relief. Scientific research on the behavior and welfare of broiler chickens demonstrates that these are substantial and important issues. Rapid and immediate reform is needed to improve the welfare of chickens raised for meat."
"That pretty much says it all. And the industry has been warned.
"Apparently in the letter HSUS said they have now "partnered with Perdue." Earlier this year, Perdue announced plans to switch to gas stunning, eliminating dumping and shackling sensible birds. The company is adding windows and perches to the growing houses. Perdue also indicated the company would study slower growing breeds of birds.
"At this point the horse is not out of the barn, but the door is open and the horse is moving toward the door which leads me to believe that HSUS is likely to once again claim they won the race."
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Want to Have the Latest Energy News Delivered to Your Inbox Daily?
Award winning broadcast journalist Jerry Bohnen has spent years learning and understanding how to cover the energy business here in the southern plains- Click here to subscribe to his daily update of top Energy News.
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The Art of Analytics Helping to Keep Beef Industry Relevant for Today's Consumer
As the beef industry transitions from traditional media promotion to building its presence online, there is a greater understanding being learned about how to most effectively reach today's consumer. Meredith Stevens of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association is at the forefront of this endeavor by the Beef Checkoff to study and engage its target audience. Stevens spoke to me about her findings."Search advertising is one of the most cost effective ways for the Checkoff to reach consumers," Stevens said. "Search advertising actually contributes to 84 percent of BeefItsWhatsforDinner.com page views."To ensure that the industry's message continues to reach the right consumers as they utilize online search engines, like Google, at the right times, Stevens says the Checkoff is working to help keep BeefItsWhatsforDinner.com rising to the top of search results."We've got to make sure that when consumers are looking for information," Stevens said, "beef content is there."Stevens also points out that one of the keys to success in keeping beef's digital presence strong, is understanding the importance of engagement. She says that with all the interaction available through social media, it is her job to make sure those avenues and opportunities to further engage consumers are being utilized, which in turn helps to spread beef's message beyond the original person of contact. Stevens went on to say that if there is no engagement happening with the content being published, then she can identify weak links in her strategies. She explains that this takes constant analyzation and optimization of content."We've got to measure that," Stevens said. "If we push out content and we put that out there on social media and nobody's engaging with it... we know we're missing a mark there."Stevens asserts that if you are not learning about your audience and crafting content to appeal to them, then you will eventually become less and less effective, and therefore, less and less relevant. To gain further understanding of its audience, the Checkoff conducted a content search analysis a couple years ago and found, for example, that people were looking for slow cooker recipes. Stevens and her team are now shifting their strategy to offer video demonstrations on easy beef recipes. She says their goal is to keep beef always top of mind for consumers, in ways that fit into their lives.Listen to Stevens talk more on how the beef industry is studying its consumer base and what they have learned so far during the latest Beef Buzz.
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OSU Names 2016 Distinguished CASNR Alumni and DASNR Champions
The Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at Oklahoma State University has a rich tradition and history of improving the quality of life for all Oklahomans through conducting and disseminating science-based research.
This is not possible without the achievements and excellence of its alumni, as well as other leaders around the world who are not alums of the college, but contribute to its mission. To acknowledge some of these outstanding alumni and friends of the university, DASNR recently selected its Distinguished Alumni and DASNR Champion award winners.
Recognized as 2016 Distinguished Alumni of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources are Larry Ferguson, Sen. Ron Justice and Matthew Waits. The 2016 DASNR Champions are Randy Byford, Dick Fischer and Malinda Berry Fischer and Helen Hodges.
"I am extremely pleased to recognize each of these unique honorees who are making lasting impacts in their professions. They also have had a dramatic impact on our programs in DASNR," said Tom Coon, DASNR vice president. "Celebrating the successes and support of our distinguished alumni and DASNR Champions is an opportunity for our students to glimpse their own futures. By connecting with our honorees, they are better equipped to reach similar heights in their own careers."
Click or tap here to read about each of these honorees for 2016- they will all be celebrated in a special night of honors in October on campus in Stillwater.
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Rain Back in the Nine Day Forecast- Just Ahead of Early Wheat Planting Window
It appears that rain may be returning to parts of Oklahoma by this weekend- based on the forecast being served by up Jed Castles of News9 in Oklahoma City- here is his nine day outlook for central and western portions of the state:
Notice that after today- Jed has us with daytime highs only in the 80s- unseasonably mild for the second half of August.
Alan Crone with the News on 6 says eastern Oklahoma also have rain chances heading higher and temps heading lower as well- click here for his Wednesday morning blog which explains what he sees weather wise the next few days.
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