Oklahoma's Latest Farm
And Ranch News
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Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update.
- Celebrate The Fall with Oklahoma Agritourism Pumpkin Patches and Mazes all Over the State
- Amy Hagerman Highlights Federal Drought Help for Cattlemen and Lower Pricing for Forage/Water Testing from OSU
- Oklahoma School Land Commission Lease Auctions Begin Today
- LMA recognizes Roberts, Marshall, and Costa as "Friends of the Livestock Marketing Industry"
- New Southern Plains Perspective Blog Post Launches Video Series: Voices from the Drought
- The Mighty Mississippi Feels the Drought
- U.S. Grains Council Applauds Kenya's Leadership on GMO Crops
- U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol Welcomes Timeless Luxury Brand, Ralph Lauren, as a Member
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Celebrate The Fall Season with Oklahoma Agritourism Pumpkin Patches and Mazes all Over the State |
Associate Farm Editor, Reagan Calk, got the chance to visit with the Agritourism and Farmers Market Coordinator at the Oklahoma Department of Ag, Micaela Halverson, talking about Oklahoma Agritourism and exciting things coming up this month.
“I am the marketing coordinator for Oklahoma Agritourism and if you don’t know what agritourism is, it is anywhere you can experience agriculture in the state of Oklahoma,” Halverson said. “So, all of these farms and ranches are inviting the public out to their farm to experience agriculture in some sort of way.”
There are many different categories to explore, Halverson said, from “U-pick” farms where visitors can enjoy locally grown harvestables they pick themselves, to horseback riding and Christmas tree farms.
“This is one of my favorite times of the year,” Halverson said. “Everyone is getting ready for fall and the way to do that is to visit a pumpkin patch or maze.”
Halverson said there are over 40 different pumpkin patches and mazes across the state that are opening their gates to visitors. These operations offer an assortment of activities, she added, such as U-pick produce and hayrides.
“If you haven’t been to one of our fall venues, a pumpkin patch or maze, I highly recommend it,” Halverson said. “I have been to a couple already this week and have had a blast getting to pick out pumpkins. At any age, I would recommend going. Whether it is small children to adults- there is something for everyone and they are just a lot of fun.”
Another great place to look for venue information, Halverson said, is on the Oklahoma Agritourism Facebook and Instagram pages where they are sharing posts from the venues and pictures of what to expect at these pumpkin patches and mazes.
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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.
The Tulsa Farm Show is Oklahoma’s premier agricultural and ranching event- and returns to the SageNet Center (Expo Square) December, 8-9-10, 2022.
Now is the ideal time to contact the Midwest Farm Show Office at 507-437-7969 and book space at the 2022 Tulsa Farm Show. To learn more about the Tulsa Farm Show, click here.
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Amy Hagerman Highlights Federal Drought Help for Cattlemen and Lower Pricing for Forage/Water Testing from OSU |
As pasture and range conditions continue to drop in the Southern Plains, I am visiting with Oklahoma State University Agricultural Economist, Amy Hagerman, talking about federal programs that can aid producers in covering the cost of buying and transporting forage for livestock.
“A lot of the programs that we have from the federal level are pretty consistent, so we are talking about the LFP Program (Livestock Forage Program), to cover the cost of the hay or the feed that is being brought into the operation,” Hagerman said.
“The deadline for pasture, rangeland, and forage insurance protection is coming up pretty soon and that is something producers can consider protecting against upcoming months of drought given our weather expectations going forward,” Hagerman said. “Also, thinking about this Livestock Risk Protection- this price protection program- if you are going to invest the cost of feeding calves for a number of months into this winter, being able to lock in some price protection on those calves may be really valuable.”
Hagerman talked about how OSU Extension decided to decrease the cost of testing for their basic forage test, nitrate toxicity test, and livestock water test. These lower prices for OSU forage and water tests will be in effect through December 31st.
“So, what those new rates will look like is 2 dollars instead of 6 dollars for the nitrate toxicity, 4 dollars instead of 14 dollars for the basic forage, and 5 dollars instead of 15 dollars for the livestock water test,” Hagerman said. “It is just recognizing that people are going to be taking more tests because of the way forage is coming in, because of watching pond levels, those that still have water, going through into the coming year.”
Testing is open now, Hagerman said, so producers can go to their county extension office to find out the details and turn in their samples for their tests.
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Oklahoma School Land Commission Lease Auctions Begin Today |
The 2022 Land Lease Auctions will begin taking place from October 10-14 today at 9 a.m. at the Cimarron Co. Fairgrounds in Boise City.
Also, today will be the land lease auction in Guymon at the Texas County Fairgrounds at 2 p.m.
Coming up tomorrow, October 11 at 10 a.m., the next auction will be at the Woodward Event Center in Woodward.
To see county designations for each auction, click the blue button below!
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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 daily report heard on several of our Radio Stations- It's Called Cotton Talk!
Click on the Button below to listen to our most recent report
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The Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association is the trusted voice of the Oklahoma Cattle Industry. With headquarters in Oklahoma City, the OCA has a regular presence at the State Capitol to protect and defend the interests of cattlemen and cattlewomen.
Their Vision Statement explains the highest priority of the organization- "Leadership that serves, strengthens and advocates for the Oklahoma cattle industry."
To learn more about the OCA and how you can be a part of this forward-looking group of cattle producers, click here for their website. For more information- call 405-235-4391.
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LMA recognizes Roberts, Marshall, and Costa as "Friends of the Livestock Marketing Industry" |
During the Livestock Marketing Association’s (LMA) annual D.C. Fly In, Retired Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS), Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS), and House Livestock Subcommittee Chairman Jim Costa (D-CA) received the Friend of the Livestock Marketing Industry award for going above and beyond in their legislative service on behalf of the livestock marketing industry. This is the first time in more than 20 years that LMA has given the award. It is the first time legislators have been award recipients.
“It takes true leadership and quite a bit of grit to be a leader in livestock policy,” said Chelsea Good, LMA Vice President of Government and Industry Affairs and Legal. “LMA has been blessed by the leadership of Senators Roberts and Marshall and Representative Costa. They roll their sleeves up, dig into the details, and are willing to stand up for what is right.”
Sen. Roberts is the only individual to chair both the House and Senate agriculture committees. He remained true to his Kansas roots throughout his forty years of serving in Washington D.C., prioritizing the interests of the livestock sector. In fact, he was known to some simply as the “Farm Guy.”
Both Marshall and Costa continue their service to Congress and the livestock industry. Rep. Costa is Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture. Sen. Marshall, who has served in the Senate since 2021, is a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
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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 Pork Council is producer-led organization representing the interests of all pig farmers throughout Oklahoma since 1991. Through federally collected Pork Checkoff funds, Oklahoma Pork promotes pork and pork products, funds research, educates consumers and producers and support the efforts of the Oklahoma pork industry.
October is National Pork Month! Join us in celebrating our state’s farmers and the safe, affordable pork they put on plates of Oklahomans and people around the world! Learn more about the Oklahoma Pork Council here: www.okpork.org.
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New Southern Plains Perspective Blog Post Launches Video Series: Voices from the Drought |
There is a new blog post out at the Southern Plains Perspective by Clay Pope talking about drought in the Southern Plains. Read Below!
Dry Dry Dry Dry Dry Dry Dry Dry Dry Dry....
That’s the blog.
Not really, but it could be.
This is really starting to feel like a broken record. The latest drought monitor tells the tale (remember, the darker the color, the worse the drought).
That is a whole lot of dry in the Southern Plains. Especially in Kansas and Oklahoma. Hopefully it’s going to get a little better; there is, according to NOAA, a better than average chance over the next 6 to 10 days for at least some precipitation in the region, but I’m not holding out hope for any kind of “drought buster” making its way through the Southern Plains (although one can always hope).
With what seems like an ever-extending drought now settled in on the region, I think its important that we start sharing more of the stories of the farmer, ranchers and rural communities that are being affected by this weather trend. That’s why this week we are launching our “voices from the drought” video series. Over the next few weeks, we are going to try and post a few videos from a handful of folks in the region that have felt first-hand the impact of this drought on their farming and ranching operations.
For our first video we caught up with Laura Gay Burdick, a rancher in Palo Pinto County Texas and the Chair of her local Soil and Water Conservation District Board. She visited with us about the conditions in her community and what she has been dealing with trying to cope with the drought.
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The Mighty Mississippi Feels the Drought |
According to an AP article from the Clarion Ledger the unusually low water level in the lower Mississippi River is causing barges to get stuck in mud and sand, disrupting river travel for shippers, recreational boaters and even passengers on a cruise line.
Lack of rainfall in recent weeks has left the Mississippi River approaching record low levels in some areas from Missouri south through Louisiana. The U.S. Coast Guard said at least eight “groundings” of barges have been reported in the past week, despite low-water restrictions on barge loads.
That has impact on Oklahoma's ports at Catoosa and Muskogee along the McClelland-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation system. A major grounding happened near Lake Providence, La this past week(about 55 miles south of where the MKARNS dumps into the Mississippi River) The Clarion article reports that "It halted river traffic in both directions for days to clear the grounded barges from the channel and to deepen the channel via dredging to prevent future groundings.”
For agriculture- it comes at a very bad time. Corn and soybean harvest is ramping up even as barge traffic is having low water troubles.
Mike Steenhoek, executive director of Soy Transportation Coalition, said 29% of the nation’s soybean crop is transported by barge. He estimated that barge capacity is down by about one-third this fall because of limits on the tows caused by the low water. That reduced capacity at a time when demand remains high is contributing to a 41% jump in barge shipping prices over the past year.
Matt Ziegler, manager of public policy and regulatory affairs for the National Corn Growers Association, said about 20% of the corn crop is exported, and nearly two-thirds of those exports typically travel down the Mississippi River on barges before being sent out of New Orleans.
The Army Corps of Engineers is busy dredging locations up and down the lower Mississippi to try to keep the river open- and they are limiting barge traffic in both directions. That makes it harder to be able to move our grain and oilseeds into the global market.
What caught our attention on this was a Facebook post from Brent Bolen- who shared a picture(see below) of the Red River down in southeastern Oklahoma looking rather pitiful- the Red River dumped into the Mississippi at one time- but now empties into a parallel waterway in Louisiana- the Atchafalaya River, which also empties into the Gulf.
Both the Red River and Arkansas River are facing drought along their pathways- and that is impacting barge traffic along the Arkansas and the Mississippi.
One more reason to pray for rain.
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U.S. Grains Council Applauds Kenya's Leadership on GMO Crops |
After a recent Kenyan governmental task force recommendation regarding genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and food safety, this week, Kenya’s president, William Ruto, lifted the ban on GM crops, opening the market to both the production and import of GMO-derived crops.
The president’s statement read:
“In accordance with the recommendation of the Task Force to Review Matters Relating to Genetically Modified Foods and Food Safety, and in fidelity with the guidelines of the National Biosafety Authority on all applicable international treaties, including the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (CPB), Cabinet vacated its earlier decision of November 8, 2012, prohibiting the open cultivation of genetically modified crops and the importation of food crops and animal feeds produced through biotechnology innovations; effectively lifting the ban on genetically modified crops. By dint of the executive action open cultivation and importation of white (GMO) maize is now authorized.”
“This is an encouraging development,” said Kurt Shultz, senior director of global strategies, “the Kenyan government is responding to the reality that its farmers and livestock industry need new tools to increase their agricultural productivity. Lifting this ban will enhance domestic production in Kenya and allow Kenya to participate in the global corn trade market where 90 percent of the corn and soybeans are GM making it easier for imports to backfill their needs in times of crop shortfalls, such as increasingly recurring droughts.”
President Ruto’s statement also mentioned the decision was two-fold - allowing the government to respond to an ongoing drought, but also building upon Kenya’s redefinition of acceptable agricultural commodities that began in 2019 with acceptance of a particular strain of pest-resistant cotton.
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U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol Welcomes Timeless Luxury Brand, Ralph Lauren, as a Member |
The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol (“Trust Protocol”) is pleased to announce the membership of Ralph Lauren Corporation (“Ralph Lauren”) (NYSE:RL), an iconic luxury brand with an enduring philosophy of creating timeless products that are meant to be worn and loved for generations. This membership will support Ralph Lauren in its efforts to scale sustainable practices in U.S. cotton production.
Grounded in its philosophy of timelessness, Ralph Lauren’s Global Citizenship and Sustainability strategy, Timeless by Design, is the Company’s commitment to a lasting, positive impact on the planet and the communities it serves across three pillars: Create with Intent, Protect the Environment, and Champion Better Lives. Aligned with Timeless by Design, Ralph Lauren is working to improve soil health through programs that support regenerative agriculture practices and rigorous impact measurement, believing that these efforts are fundamental to building a resilient cotton industry in the U.S. and globally.
“Cotton makes up more than three quarters of our total material use, and we are committed to ensuring this critical fiber is fully sustainably-sourced in our portfolio by 2025. Our ambition requires collaboration and partnership with organizations like the Trust Protocol as we work together to make progress on sustainable cotton goals – within our business and the winder industry,” said Katie Ioanilli, Chief Global Impact & Communications Officer at Ralph Lauren.
The Trust Protocol drives continuous improvement in six key sustainability areas—land use, soil carbon, water management, soil loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy efficiency. The Trust Protocol integrates these sustainability metrics from Field to Market’s Fieldprint® Platform, enabling enrolled growers to measure the environmental impacts of their operation and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
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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- Choice Beef was down $1.29 and Select Beef was down 86 cents on Friday 10/07/2022.
Click on the Button below for the latest report from USDA Market News
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Oklahoma National Stockyards had right around 7,000 head Sunday late afternoon- and ONSY President Kelli Payne says they expect to start with approximately 8,000 head or so this morning- the auction will begin at 6:30 AM this morning.
From the October 3rd sale: Compared to 9/26: Feeder steers 1.00 to 3.00 lower. Heifers mostly steady. Demand moderate to good for feeder cattle. Quality average to attractive. Steer and heifer calves, most classes unevenly steady. Demand moderate for calves. Many cattle continue to head to market some 4-5 months early due to drought conditions. Extreme drought continues to plague most of the region as cooler temperatures are expected this week with a slight chance of moisture
Meanwhile, on Tuesday of this past week- the ONSY slaughter cow and bull sale had 1,546 sold versus 825 a year ago.
Compared to the previous week: Slaughter cow sold $11.00 - 15.00 lower. Slaughter bulls sold $10.00-13.00 lower. Demand was moderate to low, with
some of the regular slaughter accounts currently out of the market. . Slaughter cow numbers are up with the ongoing drought and no rain in sight.
Click below for the complete closing report.
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Here's our new feature that is now a part of the Monday Daily Email- market commentary from Bob Rodenberger, a partner with Stockman Oklahoma Livestock Marketing.
Bob is talking Fridays with our own KC Sheperd with his commentary and will be posted on our website-- OklahomaFarmReport.Com.
We will share a link to it Mondays here in our market section of the daily email.
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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/Ranch Broadcaster and Editor
KC Sheperd, Farm Director and Editor
Dave Lanning, Markets and Production
Reagan Calk, Farm News and Email 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 a big reason why Oklahoma is on track to become a top 10 state.
The Road to Rural Prosperity dives into these stories, bringing 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.
KC Sheperd talks educational issues impacting Oklahoma with State Secretary of Education Ryan Walters. Walters is also the GOP Nominee running for the State Superintendent of Education in the November General Election.
Walters tells Sheperd that “I believe in parents. I believe in our rural communities and our rural schools. I believe they are the backbone of the education system in the state of Oklahoma. I am going to do all that I can to continue to empower them and to make sure they are strong. The governor and I pushed and passed the Redbud Act which put over 38 million into stabilizing our most rural schools. That is something we thought was very important.”
In rural communities, Walters said, a concern from parents is access for their children to different programs such as FFA, for example, or work in an internship or externship. Rural schools are unique, Walters said, because of how involved the staff and community are.
There are many questions over whether or not money from medical marijuana and the lottery are being used for education in Oklahoma when so many schools are still underfunded throughout the state. Because of this reason, Walters said, he has already called for an audit.
“Taxpayers need to see where their money is going and we need to make sure it is being utilized,” Walters said.
Search for Road to Rural Prosperity and subscribe on your favorite Podcast platform.
To hear this podcast, you can click here or tap below:
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Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, P & K Equipment, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Oklahoma Ag Mediation Program, Great Plains Kubota, Stillwater Milling Company, National Livestock Credit Corporation, Oklahoma Beef Council, Oklahoma AgCredit, Oklahoma Pork Council, Union Mutual Insurance, 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
Rural Oklahoma Networks
405-317-6361
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Mike Henderson
Director of Sales
405-615-4922
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KC Sheperd
Farm Director
Radio Oklahoma Ag Network
405-443-5717
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Ron Hays
Senior Farm/Ranch Broadcaster
Radio Oklahoma Ag Network
405.473.6144
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