Oklahoma's Latest Farm
And Ranch News
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Your Update from Ron Hays of RON
Monday, December 21, 2020
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Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update.
- Ag Groups Respond to Michael Regan's Selection To Lead EPA
- Beef Producers Seek New Promotion Opportunities And Will Sponsor NASCAR Race In February
- Billions Included for Farmers and Ranchers in Massive $900 Billion Bill Expected to Barrel Through Congress This Week
- John Deere reaches agreement with Smart Guided Systems®
- Cover Crops offer Potential Grazing Benefit for Cattle Operations
- Trump Administration Sets the Pace for Food Loss and Waste Reduction Efforts to Continue
- A Decade-long, Globe-trotting search for a Better Christmas tree
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WFEC, NextEra Energy Resources, Announce Phase One Wind Farm Completion
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Ag Groups Respond to Michael Regan's Selection To Lead EPA
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President Elect Joe Biden has announced his plans to nominate the current Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Michael Regan to head the Environmental Protection Agency in his administration.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association's (NCBA) Vice President Of Government Affairs Ethan Lane today issued this statement in recognition of Michael Regan's nomination to become the next Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):
"With the selection of Michael Regan to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, NCBA stands ready to engage with Mr. Regan on environmental issues important to the beef cattle industry. Cattle producers across the country rely on clean water, air, and soil for the health of their livestock and families, and they take great pride in the myriad investments made in those resources through responsible stewardship. We look forward to building on the U.S. cattle industry’s environmental success with Mr. Regan."
“AFBF congratulates Michael Regan on his nomination to lead the EPA. As secretary of North Carolina’s Department of Environmental Quality, he reached out to farmers and ranchers to better understand the challenges facing agriculture. He has a reputation for making decisions guided by science that also take into account input from the people who would be impacted the most.
“If confirmed, we hope he brings that same openness and science-based approach to the EPA. We look forward to working constructively together to achieve the goals of sustaining a vibrant agricultural economy while building on our progress of instituting climate-smart practices.”
"Secretary Regan made a point to educate himself about our industry and issues. He visited our farms and listened carefully to our concerns. While we don’t always agree, we respected each other and shared a commitment to clean water, clean air and economic progress for everyone."
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Midwest Farm Shows is proud to produce the two best Farm Shows in the State of Oklahoma annually- the Tulsa Farm Show each December and the Oklahoma City Farm Show each April. (held in June 2020 earlier this year- due to COVID 19)
After a lot of deliberation, Midwest has decided to also reschedule the Tulsa Farm Show from December to February 25, 26 and 27, 2021.
Now is the ideal time to contact the Midwest Farm Show Office at 507-437-7969 and book space at the upcoming Tulsa Farm Show. To learn more about the Tulsa Farm Show, click here.
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Beef Producers Seek New Promotion Opportunities And Will Sponsor NASCAR Race In February
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Beef producers will be taking advantage of a new opportunity to promote their product in early 2021 said Stillwater, Okla., rancher Clay Burtrum.
Burtrum is vice chairman of the Federation of State Beef Councils, and we talked with Clay this past week about the work of the Federation to promote beef.
With this pandemic we’re seeing new opportunities, Burtrum said.
One of the new opportunities is sponsoring a NASCAR event.
The green flag will drop Saturday, Feb. 13 on the Beef, It’s What’s For Dinner 300 race in Daytona, Fla.
It’s part of the Xfinity race series and is their big race of the year to open the season, Burtrum said.
The race is just one day ahead of the iconic Daytona 500 which should draw even more attention to the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner 300.
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Billions in Additional Help for Farmers and Ranchers Included in Massive $900 Billion Bill Expected to Barrel Through Congress This Week
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The Chairman and the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas and Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan successfully led bipartisan negotiations to increase food assistance for families and provide help to farmers and food suppliers in the final COVID-19 packagem that was announced Sunday by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. The final bill includes $13 billion in food purchases and direct support for farmers and ranchers to support and build resiliency in our food supply chain as well as a 15% increase in SNAP benefits and provides additional funding for food banks and senior nutrition programs.
Here are a couple of the provisions that are in the $900 Billion dollar deal that will now be considered, first by House and then by the Senate in these final days of the 116th Congress.
Farmers and Ranchers
• Provides an estimated $5 billion for supplemental $20 per acre payments to all row crop producers.
• Provides an estimated $225 million for supplemental payments to producers of specialty crops if they lost their crop in 2019.
• Provides up to $3 billion for supplemental payments to cattle producers, contract growers of livestock and poultry, dairy farmers, and producers who were forced to euthanize livestock or poultry due to COVID crisis.
Food Purchases, Worker Protection, and Food Supply Chain
• Supports food purchases, donations, and worker protection by including no less than $1.5 billion to fund purchases of food for distribution to those in need, and to provide worker protection measures, and retooling support for farmers, farmers markets, and food processors to respond to COVID-19. Includes a mandatory review of USDA food purchasing and distribution.
• Supports dairy product donations by providing $400 million for a Dairy Product Donation Program, modeled after the 2018 Farm Bill pilot milk donation program, to facilitate the donation of dairy products and minimize food waste.
• Supports small meat and poultry processing by providing $60 million in grants to small meat and poultry processors to make improvements necessary to expand their markets by meeting federal food safety inspection standards. Grants may be used for modernizing or expanding facilities, modernizing equipment, and implementing other processes to ensure food safety.
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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
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John Deere reaches agreement with Smart Guided Systems®
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John Deere has entered into an allied distribution agreement with Smart Guided Systems to sell and support its Smart-Apply Intelligent Control System through the John Deere dealer channel in the U.S., Canada, and Australia.
Through this agreement, John Deere dealers will sell and service the Smart-Apply Intelligent Control System which uses Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and is compatible with John Deere tractors used in high value crop applications.
The Smart-Apply Intelligent Spray Control System is an add-on kit for air-blast sprayers that are towed behind a John Deere tractor. Smart-Apply can reduce the potential for chemical drift and help decrease the amount of product being applied.
“We are excited to offer this innovative precision spraying solution to our customers for use with their John Deere tractors in high value crop applications such as fruit and tree nut orchards, nurseries, and vineyards,” said Greg Christensen, Go-To-Market Manager for John Deere. “The Smart-Apply system will help ensure that only the canopy gets sprayed and automatically adjusts spray volume based on plant density per nozzle zone. This results in less wasted product while positively contributing to environmental sustainability, maximizing potential profit, and maintaining agronomic efficacy for our growers.”
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We invite you to listen to us on great radio stations across the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network weekdays-
if you missed this morning's Farm News - or you are in an area where you can't hear it- click below for this morning's Farm news from Ron Hays and KC Sheperd on RON.
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Sponsor Spotlight
Established in 1905 as Oklahoma Farmers Union, AFR/OFU has been a champion for rural Oklahoma for more than 100 years. Today, the AFR/OFU Cooperative provides educational, legislative and cooperative programs across the state and AFR Insurance provides auto, home, farm and life insurance to both rural and urban Oklahomans.
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Cover Crops offer Potential Grazing Benefit for Cattle Operations
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Cattle producers who did not plant cover crops earlier this year should be making plans to maximize their grazing resources in 2021 by speaking with their Oklahoma State University Extension county agricultural educator.
Many Oklahoma ranchers have been reaping the benefits of feed cost and overall animal wellbeing by having cover crops available as forage resources heading into winter. However, cover crops are not going to be a viable option for every livestock operator.
OSU Extension county offices can help review their options, drawing on the research-based knowledge and resources of the OSU Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.
“There are a lot of factors that go into using cover crops as a grazing resource in a cost-effective manner,” said Brad Bain, McCurtain County Extension director and agricultural educator. “What works best in one region of the state may not work best in another area. Also, a ranch will have specific operational needs, ranging from soil health and moisture in a pasture to investments in herbicide treatments, planting systems to be used and a host of other considerations.”
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Trump Administration Sets the Pace for Food Loss and Waste Reduction Efforts to Continue
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the renewal of the joint agency formal agreement (PDF, 724 KB) including the Winning on Reducing Food Waste The agreement reaffirms the agencies’ commitment to improve coordination and communication efforts to better educate Americans on the impacts and importance of reducing food loss and waste. Food loss and waste negatively impact food security, the economy, communities, and the environment.
Since the Trump Administration launched the Winning on Reducing Food Waste Initiative, the collaborative effort has achieved great success. Public-private partnerships, like the United States Food Loss and Waste 2030 are key to successfully reducing food loss and waste by implementing proven strategies and sharing best practices. In 2020, the Trump Administration welcomed ten new businesses and organizations to the 2030 Champions.
Today's renewed three-year agreement will continue to build on these successful partnerships and reiterate our shared commitment to work towards the national goal of reducing food loss and waste by 50 percent by 2030.
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A Decade-long, globe-trotting search for a Better Christmas tree
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Seth Truscott College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences writes in the latest article for Washington State University about getting Better Christmas Trees.
Christmas tree lovers and tree growers across the U.S. could one day admire new varieties that look great, hold up for weeks in the home, and stand up to a deadly disease that kills popular firs, thanks to globe-trotting research by Washington State University scientist Gary Chastagner.
Known as “Dr. Christmas Tree” to growers for his 40 years of research at WSU, the plant pathologist’s work on holiday trees has encompassed disease management, needle retention, variety improvement, and care of cut trees in the home, along with research into other valuable ornamental crops, including bulbs and cut flowers.
His current focus, the Collaborative Fir Germplasm Evaluation Project (CoFirGE), is a 10-year effort linking Chastagner with researchers in Connecticut, Oregon, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Michigan, aimed at finding high-quality tree varieties that resist devastating diseases.
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WFEC, NextEra Energy Resources, announce phase one completion of the largest combined winds
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Western Farmers Electric Cooperative (WFEC), together with a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, announced the completion of the first phase of the largest project in the country to combine wind energy, solar energy and battery storage in the same location. Skeleton Creek Wind began generating 250 megawatts (MW) of wind energy for customers on Dec. 16, 2020.
“Oklahoma is a leader in renewable energy, and at Western Farmers, we are excited to add an additional 250 MW of clean, reliable and environmentally-friendly wind energy from Skeleton Creek,” said Gary Roulet, chief executive officer for WFEC. “This is another milestone on our evolution towards increasing zero-carbon energy. And, when we add the solar energy and battery storage components of this project, we’ll be able to make more affordable, renewable energy* available to customers for more hours of the day - even when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining.”
The Skeleton Creek Project - combined of wind, solar and energy storage - is the first of its kind announced in the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), the electric grid region that includes Oklahoma and 13 other states in the central U.S. covering 546,000 square miles. When it comes online, it is also expected to be the largest co-located wind, solar and energy storage project in the U.S.
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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.
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Today's First Look:
Ron on RON Markets as heard on K101
mornings with cash and futures reviewed- includes where the Cash Cattle market stands, the latest Feeder Cattle Markets Etc.
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Wholesale Boxed Beef Prices were mixed this past Friday- Choice Beef was down 88 cents while Select Beef was up 57cents.
Click on the Button below for the latest report from USDA Market News
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Weekly Cattle Auction Reports
The buttons below allow you to check out the weekly Cattle Auctions in the region that we post on our website and here in our daily email update-
PLEASE NOTE- of these major auctions- the only one that plans a sale this week is Joplin- the others will resume is the early days of 2021.
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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..
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Okla Cash Grain:
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.
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Our Oklahoma Farm Report Team!!!!
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
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Rural Oklahoma is full of some of the greatest success stories throughout the entire state and are a main reason Oklahoma is on track to become a top 10 state.
The Road to Rural Prosperity will dive into these stories each week bringing you insight into the great things happening in and to rural Oklahoma. We will bring you stories covering rural life, agriculture, energy, healthcare, tourism and politics all affecting rural America.
The Road to Rural Prosperity is here to tell stories about rural America, for rural America.
Host Ron Hays travels the Road to Rural Prosperity with mixed feelings as he talks with Roy Lee Lindsey of OkPork- who has just announced his resignation as Executive Director as the head of the group representing hog farmers in Oklahoma- as he prepares to take a similar position with the North Carolina Pork Council- North Carolina the second largest pork state in the US.
Today's Road to Rural Prosperity is being sponsored in part by the Oklahoma Rural Water Association.
To find out more about our full series of Podcasts on The Road to Rural Prosperity- click or tap here.
To hear this Podcast you can click here or tap below:
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Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, P & K Equipment, AFR/OFU, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Oklahoma Ag Mediation Program, Great Plains Kubota, Stillwater Milling Company, Oklahoma Cotton Council, National Livestock Credit Corporation, Oklahoma Beef Council, Oklahoma AgCredit, 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.
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God Bless!
Reach Out To Us:
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Tim West
President/General Manager
Radio Oklahoma Ag Network
2401 Exchange Avenue,
Suite F
Oklahoma City, OK 73108
405.317.6361
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Ron Hays
Director of Farm Programming
Radio Oklahoma Ag Network
405.473.6144
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