Host Ron Hays talked after the Stars announcement with Will Shelby of Madill FFA, the American Star in Ag Placement and Nicole Stevens of Yukon FFA, the American Star in Agriscience.

When the grass is growing and the animals and the crops need care, you need America’s most trusted tractor to get it done. And that’s where P&K Equipment steps in with the solution you need- from John Deere equipment sales, to the technology, parts, and service support. Whether you’re choosing your John Deere equipment, securing financing, buying parts, or scheduling service, the P&K team is committed to meeting the needs of customers in-person (at one of their 27 locations) or online at pkequipment.com.

The experts at P&K Equipment make it their mission to provide top-notch solutions and unbeatable customer service. Visit their website, call one of the stores, or stop in and see them today- discover the P&K experience for yourself. 

Oklahomans are getting ready to cast their ballots for the November 3rd election with several critical topics this year. I caught up with Congressman Frank Lucas to get his feel on the upcoming election and why it's so important to vote on these issues,

Lucas worries that if we do have a change in leadership, how that will affect agriculture, "You have a dramatic difference in the direction that their supporters and their platforms want to take you." He says in the past years, EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler has been one of the most logical, rational EPA directors we have had for a long time, "He understands Ag, he understands the energy industry, but then he had spent a number of years working for Senator Jim Inhofe. Who will we get to replace Andrew?" Lucas also appreciates the work of Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue, "Having a Secretary who has been a Governor, who comes from a state that is diverse in agriculture as we have in Oklahoma, he understood the full spectrum of crops, and he's been a pleasure to work with as we've tried to address the bureaucratic things like that."

While Congressman Lucas hopes he will be reelected on the republican side, he also hopes House Ag Chairman Democrat Colin Peterson from Minnesota will again be reelected so they can continue their work "If Colin were not there anymore, then you get a generational change, you get a huge perspective change." He mentions that the other Senior democrats on the House Ag Committee are good people, but they have an entirely different perspective than Peterson.

Commodity Classic Announces Transition to Digital Experience 

“This is about doing the right thing for our farmers, exhibitors, stakeholders and the broader community in terms of health and safety—which is our top priority,” said Anthony Bush, an Ohio corn farmer and co-chair of the 2021 Commodity Classic representing the National Corn Growers Association. “After careful deliberation among our farmer-leaders and industry partners, the COVID-19 restrictions would prevent us from delivering the type of high quality experience Commodity Classic attendees and exhibitors have come to expect and enjoy for the past 25 years.”

According to Brad Doyle, an Arkansas soybean farmer and co-chair of the 2021 Commodity Classic representing the American Soybean Association, directed health measures due to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic such as social distancing guidelines would prevent Commodity Classic from conducting the trade show, educational sessions and farmer networking—each of which are hallmarks of Commodity Classic. “Farmers and agribusiness companies rate Commodity Classic highly because of its unique energy, excitement and one-on-one engagement with agribusiness companies and fellow farmers,” he said. “The health and safety restrictions required will simply not allow us to provide a productive in-person event that is in keeping with our 25 years of being the nation’s best farmer-led, farmer-focused ag experience.”

For our farmers who have either- always have had cotton on their farms- or those who have more recently have added the fiber crop to their operations- we have a new daily report starting to be heard on several of our Radio Stations- It's Called Cotton Talk- and we appreciate the Oklahoma Cotton Council for their support in making this a reality.

Click on the Button below to listen to our most recent report

The 2020 USW Crop Quality Report is now available for download in English, Spanish, French and Italian. Arabic, Chinese and, for the first time, Portuguese, translations will be available soon. USW also shares more detailed, regional reports for all six U.S. wheat classes on its website, as well as additional information on its sample and collection methods, solvent retention capacity (SRC) recommendations, standard deviation tables and more. Download these reports and resources from the www.uswheat.org here.

“OKFB appreciates the USDA’s additional $26.4 million investment in rural communities to provide broadband access in four Oklahoma counties,” said Rodd Moesel, OKFB president. “Reliable internet access is no longer a luxury but a necessity for day-to-day life in 2020. Expanding broadband throughout our rural communities has been a priority for Farm Bureau members for years, so we’re hopeful this investment is one of many to come as we work to bring all rural Oklahomans online.”

Cross Cable Television LLC will receive a $15.8 million ReConnect grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 2,815 people, 125 farms, nine businesses, one educational facility and a fire department to high-speed broadband internet in Haskell and Muskogee counties.

A $6.9 million ReConnect grant will be provided to Pine Telephone Company Inc. to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 2,099 people, 82 farms, 30 businesses, two fire stations, a post office and a public school to high-speed broadband internet in Atoka County.

Nineteen state cattle organizations, including the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association, the Texas Cattle Feeders Association, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers and the Kansas Livestock Association, have all signed a letter to the leadership of the House and Senate Ag Committees- asking that action on the Cattle Transparency Act of 2020 be postponed to allow the work being done by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and it's state affiliates have time to show whether or not it can provide improved price discovery in a market driven way. The letter reads "The undersigned state cattle organizations respectfully urge that action on H.R. 8557 and S. 4647 be postponed until an industry-driven solution to increase negotiated trade is given time to be tested. Several of our organizations, along with other members of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), have developed a solution to improve price discovery. This group of industry experts is also working with multiple university economists to examine the levels of negotiated trade that support robust price discovery in various regions of the country and how new proposals could improve price discovery. NCBA affiliates unanimously approved this approach, rather than immediately requesting government intervention in cattle marketing practices, at the 2020 NCBA summer business meeting."

This letter is in contrast to an earlier call by seventeen state cattle groups- led by Missouri and Iowa Cattlemen- supporting H.R. 8557 and S. 4647- click here for that earlier story.

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.

Ron on RON Markets as heard on K101  

Wholesale Boxed Beef Prices were higher on Friday- Choice Beef was up 78 cents while Select Beef was a penny higher in the afternoon report. Click on the Button below for the latest report from USDA Market News

Oklahoma National Stockyards had just over 3,000 head last Monday as the Ice Storm that swept across the region came after at least some cattle were able to be brought to town. Compared to the previous week- last Monday Feeder steers and heifers traded mostly 3.00-5.00 lower on limited comparable sales. To few comparable trades on calves for an accurate test, however a lower undertone is noted. Demand moderate. 

Click below for the closing report. of last Monday as we prepare for this week's trade

Each afternoon we are posting a recap of that day's markets as analyzed by Justin Lewis of KIS futures - click below for the latest update on the Livestock and Grain Futures Trade..

Daily Oklahoma Cash Grain Prices- as reported by the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture- The report available after the close of the Futures Trade for that day.

Our Daily Market Wrapup from the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network - analyzing the Futures Markets for that trading day- as reported by KC Sheperd.

The National Daily Slaughter Cattle Summary- as prepared by the USDA Market News

Finally, here is the Daily Volume and Price Summary from the Texas Cattle Feeders Association.

Ron Hays, Senior Farm Director and Editor

KC Sheperd, Associate Farm Director and Editor

Dave Lanning, Markets and Production

Sam Knipp, Farm News Editor

Pam Arterburn, Calendar and Template Manager