In the latest crop progress report released Monday May 8, 2017, the United States Department of Agriculture rates the US winter wheat crop condition at 53 percent good to excellent, with 32 fair, 11 poor and 4 very poor. Winter wheat headed was 50 percent compared to 55 percent this time last year and is 4 points above the five-year average. For the complete USDA Crop Progress report, click here.


According to the weekly crop progress report from USDA, Oklahoma winter wheat headed reached 90 percent, up 1 point from the previous year and up 7 points from normal. To view the complete Oklahoma Crop Progress and Condition Report, click here.

In Kansas, winter wheat condition rated 10 percent very poor, 17 poor, 30 fair, 37 good, and 6 excellent. Winter wheat jointed was 96 percent. Headed was 59 percent, behind 70 last year, but ahead of the five-year average of 51. To view the complete Kansas Crop Progress and Condition Report, click here.


In Texas, winter wheat condition was mostly fair to good. Areas of the Northern High Plains reported damage to wheat fields due to the previous week snow and wet conditions. To view the complete Texas Crop Progress and Condition Report, click here.


To sum up the current winter wheat crop condition here in the southern plains- here's the Good to Excellent Ratings for this week and the change from last week:


Oklahoma     49%     +2%
Kansas         46%      -6%
Texas           40%      -4%


As for the poor to very poor ratings- Kansas sees a spike up because of the cold and snow


Oklahoma     16%     -1%
Kansas         27%     +11%
Texas           16%     +1%

Looking back before the droughts of 2011-12, the total US cow herd hovered around 33 million head. After those droughts, though, it dropped dramatically down to about 29 million head by 2014. Since then, the herd has been gradually built back up, now reaching to just over 31 million, and so far, represents a 3 percent growth rate compared to last year's 4 percent rate. In essence, the beef cow herd in the US continues to grow, but perhaps at a bit slower pace, according to Dr. Derrell Peel of Oklahoma State University.


He told me that he, "doesn't see any reason why now to think that we won't expand this year," he said. "There's plenty of heifer out there to continue herd expansion."


Peel suggests just by looking at recent figures from the latest USDA Cattle on Feed reports, that there are no indicative signs of liquidation just now. So, the question is, how big can we expect the herd to get before it begins to plateau?


"It really depends sort of on what's to come," Peel shrugged speculatively. "We've been kind of surprised by the strength of demand both domestic and international. If that continues through the year and we continue to see improvements on the demand side, then there's not really any reason why herd expansion has to stop even going beyond 2017."


Listen to Peel and I discuss the speculation surrounding the US beef cow herd expansion in 2017 and beyond, on today's Beef Buzz - click here.

Entitled the Cultivating Revitalization by Expanding American Agricultural Trade and Exports, or CREAATE Act, if passed through Congress, this legislation would in effect double the appropriations for the MAP and FMD programs.

Authors of the bill, Reps. Dan Newhouse and Chellie Pingree, are finding considerable support from the soy industry, strongly in favor of increasing funding to two of USDA's most impactful export promotions for soybeans, according to ASA President and Illinois farmer Ron Moore.

ASA insists the soy industry would not be the only segment of agriculture that would affected positively by this measure, and suggests there would be significant residual effects that would spread throughout the ag community and beyond.

"Agricultural exports are one of the brightest lights in the U.S. economy, and these proposed increases to MAP and FMD will have a strong multiplier effect by creating jobs, expanding the farm and larger U.S. economy and increasing revenues to the Treasury," Moore said.

Get the full story and the facts behind it on our website, by clicking here.

For 66 years, Oklahoma City has hosted hundreds of kids and adults each year from across the country, who have come to compete in the National Land and Range Judging Contest. For years, the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts has sponsored the event, and 2017 was no exception. Last week, more than 600 4-H and FFA members from 33 states converged here to compete for the top honors. Our Associate Farm Director Carson Horn caught up with OACD's President and Dewey County farmer, Jimmy Emmons, during the contest's awards banquet to speak about the organization's involvement as the event's major sponsor.

It's very important for us to sponsor the youth of agriculture, especially in the land and range judging contest," Emmons said. "It's vital that we protect our land and range as natural resources here in our nation and it's very important that we involve the children and the youth of our country in that."

The nature of this contest is particularly specialized and requires years of practice to develop the skills necessary to compete at this level.


"There's several different aspects that they look at, trying to understand its function - the quality of the soil, what's in the soil, what class of soil that is," he explained, adding that these skills can help contestants later in life depending on the fields they go into, be it farming or even construction, architecture and engineering.

Emmons says he never ceases to be amazed at the quality of the contestants that show up each year, and congratulates them on their efforts, as well as their instructors for preparing them so well in this highly specialized task.

You can read more about this national contest held right in our own backyard, or listen to Carson's full interview with Emmons, by clicking or tapping here.

As of last week, the Oklahoma FFA Association has a new President to lead its 2017-2018 slate of officers for the coming year. Ridge Hughbanks of Alva, Oklahoma was elected during the 91st Oklahoma FFA Convention this past week after a year serving the association as its Northwest District Vice President. I invited Ridge to join me in studio for a visit about his FFA journey that's now culminated into one of the biggest honors of his career in the organization.

"Basically, my FFA journey in a nutshell was just diving in headfirst and never looking back," Hughbanks summarized. "I found parts of the FFA that I would have never dreamed were there had I not started branching out and meeting people."

Hughbanks says he was able to find a voice in FFA, discovering his place among the many activities available to students. He became involved with showing and judging livestock but also pursued other interests, such as the state chorus - which also presented the opportunity to sing with the national FFA chorus as well.

The decision to run though for state office, both as a district vice president and as president, manifested itself to Hughbanks from the support and encouragement of others, that called him to lead.

"I started having advisors and our P.I. groups across the state saying, 'Ridge, have you ever considered running for state office?' he remembered about running for the NW District, and then this year for state president. "Seeing this last year as a state officer, my eyes were opened to just how much the FFA officers did and how involved they were and the level of service that was there. I thought to myself, 'if I have another year and another opportunity to do that, I have people that believe in me - absolutely I will."

"There's a place for everybody in the FFA," Hughbanks asserted. "If you can find your place and find what you're passionate about, that's where you're going to find success."

Be sure to catch Hughbanks this weekend as my guest during our In the Field segment on KWTV News 9 in the OKC area at 6:40 a.m. Saturday morning. In the meantime though, you can learn more about Ridge, and listen to our entire off-camera interview, by clicking or tapping here.

During a recent visit to Washington, DC, I had the chance to speak with American Farm Bureau's Chief Economist Dr. Bob Young. With the rural community suffering from low commodity prices and overall depressed economic conditions, I had to ask him, how long he thought these circumstances might go on, for farm families that are seriously feeling the effects of this situation. According to him, he actually believes the economy in rural America may in fact moderate some during this year - assuming that the weather cooperates. But his advice is to hope for the best, but plan for the worst.

While all eyes have been on the damage being assessed in Kansas from recent winter storms, the verdict is till out on what impact it will have on wheat prices. But regardless what it is, Dr. Young says not to expect any dramatic changes in the market.

"On the wheat side - just an awful lot of wheat out there in the world right now," Young shrugged. "I think there's just enough supplies there, just hard-pressed to see a whole lot of price moves come out of that."

In order to literally and figuratively weather the storm of these tough economic times in the ag sector, Young advises producers to carefully manage their expenses and keep their pencils sharp.

"It's watching what's going on, on the personal expense side," he advised. "Folks that have been in business this long in agriculture know that."

Click here to listen to our full conversation, for more of Dr. Young's financial strategies and advice in consideration of his economic outlook for rural America.

 

It's the crown jewel of Field Days each year in Oklahoma for wheat produces- the Lahoma Wheat Field Day is happening this year this coming Friday, May 12th, at the OSU Research Farm just west of Lahoma. The tours will start at 9 AM- and lunch will be provided at noon.

"This highly popular annual wheat field day is an excellent opportunity for growers to evaluate wheat varieties in the replicated performance trial, compare them to others and what they have growing, and even get new ideas about wheat varieties they may want to try in the future," said Josh Bushong, OSU Cooperative Extension area agronomist.

Bushong added participants will hear from and be able to ask questions of and interact with OSU experts who will provide research-based insights about improved varieties and best management practices relative to getting the most out of one's crop.

Click or tap here for more details- and we hope to see you this Friday in Lahoma!

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Bayer will sell its Liberty and Libertylink-branded seeds business to gain antitrust approval for its acquisition of Monsanto. The divestment of the two global brands, which is a requirement imposed by South Africa's Competition Commission on Sunday, will account for the bulk of asset sales worth about $2.5 billion which is needed to satisfy competition regulators looking at the $66 billion Monsanto deal.

The planned divestitures are also widely expected to be required by competition regulators in larger jurisdictions, such as the United States and the European Union. Liberty products are recognized as an alternative to Roundup Ready crops. Bayer's CEO last month said he expects the acquisition to be final by the end of this year.

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Jed Castles with News9 in Oklahoma City has tweeted out his nine day forecast for central and western Oklahoma- and we got more rainfall/storms in the mix seven of the nine days:



Early next week- temps creep close to summertime readings- winds that are a fact of life this time of year will be blowing at 15 mph or higher the entire nine day period if Brother Jed is telling the truth.

On the eastern side of the state- Alan Crone with News on 6 sees similar chances of rain in the mix- his morning weather blog can be read by clicking or tapping here.