Oklahoma's Latest Farm
And Ranch News
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Your Update from Ron Hays of RON
Monday, January 4, 2021
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Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update.
- Oklahoma Senator James Lankford Calls for Election Commission to Resolve Questions of Voter Fraud in Presidential Election
- Oklahoma Certified Beef Association Formed to Provide Consumers Oklahoma Certified Beef
- New USDA Dietary Guidelines Good For Beef Industry, Says NCBA's Danielle Beck
- OWRB approves $205 million for Kaw Lake Water Supply funds & Several other Community Projects
- Agriculture Assured a Seat at the Table in Drone Policy Discussions
- Biden’s EPA Nominee Reaches Out to Corn Growers
- This Weeks Ag in the Classroom, The Oklahoma Vegetable of the Month... Carrots!
- Cattlemen's Congress Boasts Over 20 Sale Events- Here are Four Happening This Week
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Oklahoma Senator James Lankford Calls for Election Commission to Resolve Questions of Voter Fraud in Presidential Election |
Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today announced he would join a group of Senators to propose an election commission to review the November 3, 2020, election process.
"Millions of Americans, including thousands of Oklahomans, still have significant questions about the November 3 election process. We have reports of problems with voting machines, people voting twice, non-residents voting in a state, or people mysteriously voting after their death months or years before. In some states, there were problems with signature verification, different rules for mail-in ballots than in-person ballots, delayed receipt of ballots, inconsistent curing of ballots, a lack of meaningful access to the polls, or a questionable counting process for partisan poll watchers. Many of these questions have been reviewed by state leaders and courts, but questions still persist. These are not questions that exist in the dark corners of the internet, but ones I hear at the grocery store, the gas station, through text messages, and on phone calls.
"For the sake of the nation’s unity, these questions should not be ignored.
"Today, I am joining a group of Senators to propose an election commission, modeled on the commission formed in 1877, to resolve the electoral issues of the election of 1876 when three states, Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina, had reports of voter fraud. The 1877 commission comprised of five Senators, five members from the House, and five Supreme Court Justices quickly organized to evaluate the election and make a recommendation to provide the nation a way to resolve the issues before the inauguration. The commission we are proposing would be required to meet and complete their audit within 10 days, before the January 20 inauguration. The report of the commission would be submitted to the individual states so each state would still have the final say on their electors, which is the constitutional requirement.
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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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Oklahoma Certified Beef Association Formed to Provide Consumers Oklahoma Certified Beef |
Kicking off 2021 with a bang, American Farmers & Ranchers/Oklahoma Farmers Union (AFR/OFU) Cooperative is announcing a new opportunity for Oklahoma's ranchers- the Oklahoma Certified Beef Association (OCBA).
Through OCBA, the state’s cattle producers can verify their quality beef products as “Oklahoma certified.” To earn the distinction, ranchers must prove their animals are bred, born, raised and processed within Oklahoma state borders through an affidavit-based, third-party verification system. Once verified, the certified beef products can be marketed to consumers with the official OCBA seal.
Through pandemic-related meat shortages, the demand for local and direct market beef soared in 2020. That demand is expected to maintain in 2021. Due to the demand surge, many Oklahoma ranches either jumped in to direct marketing for the first time or have been looking for ways to expand. The OCBA seal is a great way for both new and established businesses to distinguish Oklahoma certified products from other ranches that may purchase animals from out-of-state.
“OCBA is a great opportunity to connect directly with consumers looking to purchase beef from local ranches,” said AFR/OFU Cooperative President Scott Blubaugh. “As an organization, we’re excited to offer another way for AFR/OFU members and Oklahoma ranchers at large to market high-quality Oklahoma beef.
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New USDA Dietary Guidelines Good For Beef Industry, Says NCBA's Danielle Beck |
The new five-year USDA dietary guidelines have been released and Danielle Beck, senior director of government affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, said the beef industry came out looking good.
Beck has worked tirelessly over the past several years on making sure beef is included in the guidelines.
Our top priority has been to protect the scientific credibility of the dietary guidelines, she said.
The dietary guidelines serve as the cornerstone for all federal nutrition policies and programs and we know that science is on our side when it comes to the healthy role beef plays in our diets, Beck said.
There is a lot of room for growth when it comes to American’s dietary choices but what’s really important is, we get back to the basics, Beck said.
The basics that matter include eating more fruits, vegetables and nutrient-dense protein such as lean meat, Beck said.
It’s never too late or too early to focus on a healthy diet, she said.
A one size fits all advice is not practical for everyone, so you must take these recommendations and make them work for you personally, Beck said.
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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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OWRB approves $205 million for Kaw Lake Water Supply funds & Several other Community Projects |
The Enid Municipal Authority (Authority) received approval for $205,000,000 in funding from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB), through its contract with the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), to improve the Authority’s water infrastructure. Construction of upgrades and improvements to the water system will be financed by the Oklahoma Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF).
The Authority will use the funds of this loan in combination with three previously approved OWRB loans to fund the city’s “Kaw Lake Water Supply Project.” This project will provide raw water from Kaw Lake to Enid’s new 10.5 million gallon a day water treatment plant via a raw water intake structure constructed at Kaw Lake, a booster pump station, and approximately seventy miles of transmission line. This project will provide another source of water for the Authority to improve resiliency during drought and ensure that the surface water is treated to meet federal drinking water standards.
Joe Freeman, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division calculated that the Authority’s customers will save an estimated $9,320,000 over the life of the 30-year loan compared to traditional financing. The DWSRF loan will be secured with a lien on the revenues of the Authority’s water, sewer, and sanitation systems and a two cent sales tax.
Enid’s City Manager, Jerald Gilbert, said, “This was a long term project collaboration of many people. It started in about 2015 with an initial study and is needed for the long term future of our city. We appreciate what OWRB and DEQ has done for Enid and other communities.”
Joe Freeman commented, “This loan approval is historic to OWRB as the broadest scope of project in geographic size and as the single largest loan in history of the Board. The Kaw Lake Water Supply Project has required the cooperation of numerous entities and individuals over several years, but most of all the great staff and leadership of the city of Enid.”
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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
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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Agriculture Assured a Seat at the Table in Drone Policy Discussions |
U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), John Thune (R-SD) and Pat Roberts (R-KS), who has served as the Chairman of the Senate Agriculture, Forestry and Nutrition Committee, applauded the signing into law of their bipartisan legislation to ensure the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) chief drone policy committee includes representation for agriculture, forestry, and rural America. The Drone Advisory Committee for the 21st Century Act will ensure that the FAA provides representation for local government officials, including those from county and tribal governments, on the Drone Advisory Committee (DAC).
“As more farmers and small business owners across Michigan utilize drone technology to bolster their daily operations, it’s critical that rural representatives have a seat at the table — especially when it impacts their bottom line and as they deal with unprecedented challenges related to the Coronavirus,” said Senator Peters, a member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. “I am pleased that this commonsense, bipartisan legislation has been signed into law. It will better ensure that agriculture, forestry and rural perspectives are included in drone policy decision-making.”
“As technology becomes more sophisticated, farmers will increasingly rely on drones to assess, monitor, and manage their farm activities,” said Senator Thune. “Rural areas like South Dakota – where agriculture is the state’s top industry – deserve to have a seat at the table when it comes to making decisions on drone policies and best practices. I’m pleased this bill is now law and will ensure representation from rural areas on the Drone Advisory Committee.”
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Biden’s EPA Nominee Reaches Out to Corn Growers |
Michael Regan of North Carolina is Joe Biden’s nominee to oversee the Environmental Protection Agency. It didn’t take long for Regan to begin reaching out to U.S. agriculture.
In fact, it was the day before the official nomination announcement that Regan called National Corn Growers Association CEO Jon Doggett. “He called me on my cell phone at night,” Doggett says. “It was not set up and I was completely surprised.” Regan said he wanted to introduce himself and point out that “we have a lot of work to do together if I get confirmed,” and say how much he’s looking forward to working with U.S. agriculture. Most of the conversation focused on working with corn growers to help reverse climate change. Regan said to Doggett, “I know the RFS is important to the corn industry, and climate change is important to Joe Biden. And we’re looking forward to helping farmers find opportunities to help us address climate change.” Doggett says, “That was good to hear.”
Doggett also had the chance to talk to the future EPA chief about some of the needs of U.S. corn farmers that intersect with EPA regulation, including GMOs and glyphosate, that help farmers be more sustainable, both environmentally and economically.
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This Weeks Ag in the Classroom, The Oklahoma Vegetable of the Month... Carrots! |
Whether your kids are doing blended learning, online learning, or back in school, its always nice to have a few extra resources and fun things to do as a family! Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom has come up with some excellent daily activities you can do with your kids and family.
For this week's Ag in the Classroom We are talking about the Oklahoma Vegetable of the Month...... Carrots! The first carrots were white, purple, red, yellow, green and black - not orange. Their roots were thin and turnip-shaped. Orange carrots did not appear until the 1700s, in Holland. Growers there bred them to match the Dutch flag. Orange carrots have the advantage of containing beta carotene, which our bodies convert to Vitamin A.
Do carrots really help you see better?
During the Second World War the carrot was widely used as a substitute for scarce commodities. In Britain the Ministry of Food promoted Woolton Pie, composed entirely of vegetables. Potato, carrot and rutabaga provided the basic ingredients, with onion and cauliflower added when available. British children ate carrots as a substitute for the fruit they could no longer obtain.
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Cattlemen's Congress Boasts Over Twenty Sale Events- Here are Four Happening This Week |
As we greet the New Year- some of the best Beef Cattle in the country will be arriving at OKC Fairgrounds for the Inaugural Cattlemen's Congress.
The detailed schedule is available here- but we do have four of the sales planned for this coming week that we want to draw your attention to- click on the Buttons below for all the details for each of these sales!
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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 lower on the final trading day of 2020
Choice Beef dropped 58 cents whole Select beef gave back most of Wednesday's gain- off $4.21.
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- All of these markets esume their auctions the first full week of 2021- starting today!
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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 is the 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 affecting rural America.
The Road to Rural Prosperity is here to tell stories about rural America, for rural America.
Congress has passed a 5,393-page Relief/Spending Omnibus Package- and Host Ron Hays Talks with Ethan Lane, Vice President for Government Affairs for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association about Pandemic Relief- more money in CFAP, Grants for RAMP UP, the establishment of the SALE Act and more. Lane also talks about the announcement by USDA to start the process of moving Gene Editing for animals away from FDA over to USDA, a look at the Climate Team for President-Elect Biden, a return to USDA by Tom Vilsack, and a look into 2021 from a DC Perspective.
Today's Podcast is powered by Banc First, Loyal to Oklahoma, and Loyal to You.
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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