Oklahoma's Latest Farm
And Ranch News
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Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update.
- Drummond to sue Biden administration over Endangered Species Listing of Lesser Prairie Chicken
- Ag Groups respond to AG’s notice of intent to file suit under the Endangered Species Act
- NCBA’s Sigrid Johannes Gives Update on Status of Lesser Prairie Chicken Proposed Rule
- U.S. Wheat Associates Board of Directors Elects New Officers for 2023/24 Includes Oklahoman Michael Peters
- USMEF’s Dan Halstrom says the U.S. Owns the Marque Reputation For Beef Production
- Look for These Soil Health Indicators in the Field
- Luke Bowman with ASA says the Marketability of SimGenetic Cattle has Never Been Hotter
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Drummond to sue Biden administration over Endangered Species Listing of Lesser Prairie Chicken
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Attorney General Gentner Drummond has announced his intent to file a lawsuit against the Biden administration if it does not withdraw a rule by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFW) that designates the lesser prairie chicken as a threatened species.
After the Friday announcement from the AG's office- I talked with him on Saturday about his intentions of working with other AGs in the region and suing the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
The rule, which is scheduled to take effect March 27, would place burdensome restrictions on Oklahoma ranchers needing to graze livestock, as well as unnecessarily impede development of energy pipelines, oil drilling, wind farms, and roads.
“This is yet another example of federal overreach by the Biden administration,” Drummond said. “Environmental activists wielding the authority of the federal government can have disastrous consequences for farmers, ranchers and energy producers. As a fifth-generation cattle rancher, I am committed to protecting our way of life, which feeds our state and nation with minimal environmental impact.”
In the Feb. 2 letter to U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and USFW Director Martha Williams, Drummond noted that the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) has worked closely with federal agencies, industry leaders, private landowners, conservation groups and other stakeholders to protect the lesser prairie chicken and its habitat.
The letter provides a 60-day notice of the intent to file litigation for failing to follow Section 4 of the Endangered Species Act with regard to the Final Rule the USFW issued Nov. 25, 2022.
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Ag Groups respond to AG’s notice of intent to file suit under the Endangered Species Act |
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed a notice of intent to file suit Wednesday, Feb. 1 against the United States Department of the Interior and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concerning the lesser prairie-chicken’s listing under the Endangered Species Act.
Oklahoma Farm Bureau issued the following statement in response to Attorney General Drummond’s notice:
As farmers and ranchers who strive to be good conservationists and wise stewards of the land, Farm Bureau members appreciate Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s action to notify the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Department of the Interior of the state of Oklahoma’s intention to file a lawsuit opposing the listing of the lesser prairie-chicken under the Endangered Species Act...
American Farmers & Ranchers statement:
“AFR stands with AG Drummond and his lawsuit against U.S. Fish & Wildlife in regards to the listing of the Lesser Prairie Chicken as an endangered species and the regulations and restrictions that accompany that listing. Oklahoma’s farmers and ranchers are the ultimate conservationists; no one knows about best conservation practices for their properties better than they do.
Over the past several decades, Oklahoma’s farmers and ranchers have engaged in voluntary conservation programs to preserve prairie chicken habitat. These efforts have proven successful and show great promise for a continued voluntary approach to preserving the prairie chicken’s native range..."
Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association also had a statement on the notice:
“OCA is grateful to Attorney General Drummond in his strong leadership to push back on the US Fish And Wildlife’s egregious listing of the Lesser Prairie Chicken under the Endangered Species Act. As a rancher, AG Drummond knows full well the great work cattle producers do each day to preserve and promote robust wildlife habitat on their ranches. The ESA listing does nothing to recognize the great work of Oklahoma ranchers. OCA looks forward to working with AG Drummond on this important issue.”
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NCBA’s Sigrid Johannes Gives Update on Status of Lesser Prairie Chicken Proposed Rule |
At the 2023 Cattle Industry Convention, I caught up with NCBA's Associate Director for Governmental Affairs, Sigrid Johannes, about the proposed rule by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFW) that designates the lesser prairie chicken as a threatened species.
“On the regulatory side, we did secure a delay to that effective date, so it was scheduled to take effect in late January- we have now succeeded in getting that pushed back to late March- March 27,” Johannes said. “But between now and then, we still have a ton of question marks for what people want to do if they want to get enrolled in this system that Fish and Wildlife has set up to review and approve grazing plans.”
Johannes said they still have not been given a good list of those third parties that will be reviewing and signing off on grazing plans.
“One thing that is pretty troubling is that NRCS is still not on that list,” Johannes said. “The day that this final rule came out, we had folks calling us from those states and were on the phone with Fish and Wildlife and with NRCS asking, ‘what can we do to get everybody to the table and make sure NRCS is included in this,’ because that would take the guesswork out of this for a lot of our producers.”
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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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U.S. Wheat Associates Board of Directors Elects New Officers- Oklahoman Michael Peters is Chair |
The U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) board of directors elected new officers for the organization’s 2023/24 (July to June) fiscal year at their meeting Feb. 3, 2023, in Washington, D.C. The board elected Jim Pellman of McClusky, N.D., as Secretary-Treasurer; Clark Hamilton of Ririe, Idaho, as Vice Chairman; Michael Peters of Okarche, Okla., as Chairman; and Rhonda Larson of East Grand Forks, Minn., as Past Chairperson. These farmers will begin their new leadership roles during the USW board meeting in July 2023 in Minneapolis, Minn.
USW is the export market development organization for the U.S. wheat industry.
Michael Peters is a farmer and rancher growing hard red winter wheat and canola, and grazing stocker cattle on wheat. He serves on the Mid-Oklahoma Coop board of directors and on the Plains Partners Coop Board, a division of CHS, and is a member of the Okarche Rural Fire Fighters’ Association Board. He has also served as President of St. John’s Lutheran Church. He currently serves as a Commissioner and Chairman of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission. He has participated in several farm leadership programs sponsored by CHS and the National Wheat Foundation. Peters and his wife Linda have two sons who work with him and his father on their farm.
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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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USMEF’s Dan Halstrom says the U.S. Owns the Marque Reputation For Beef Production |
At the 2023 Cattle Industry Convention, I caught up with the president and CEO of the United States Meat Export Federation, Dan Halstrom, and talked about the U.S. beef export market in 2022, and what he sees for the year 2023.
The final statistics for meat exports in 2022 will be in next week, and while USMEF expects record volume and three to four percent growth, Halstrom said the value is going to be the real story.
“It is not any one market; it is broad-based growth across a lot of markets,” Halstrom said. “I think that strategy is key. We are going to have three two-billion-dollar markets in China, Korea, and Japan, and a couple more that are over a billion- Mexico and Central America and South America.”
The month of November was a bit of a rough patch, Halstrom said, especially in Asia, partially due to the strong U.S. dollar at that time.
“The good news is, the Japanese yen and South Korean won have moderated a bit and has improved, not back to the original level, but gained about half the devaluation back,” Halstrom said. “We are expecting to see those markets improve in December.”
Despite headwinds, Halstrom said beef demand is the best he has ever seen.
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Look for These Soil Health Indicators in the Field |
Soil health is often defined as “the continued capacity of the soil to function as a vital, living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals and humans.”
We often think of soil health management as a new strategy, but it’s actually not. Healthy soils, with effective nutrient and hydrologic cycles, were functioning well before man decided to manage them. Agriculture in the early 1900s tended to focus more on plowing up the prairie soils with industrial technology and machinery rather than focusing on the soil’s ecology, thus soils were largely viewed as a medium to grow crops.
For some, the Dust Bowl of the 1930s changed our perception of how we view soil. For instance in 1949, Aldo Leopold in A Sand County Almanac stated, “Land, then, is not merely soil; it is a fountain of energy flowing through a circuit of soils, plants and animals.” Leopold went on to state, “When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”
Fast forward to today and much has changed in how we view the soil. What has not changed is our responsibility as land stewards, and that process starts with how we see the soil.
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Luke Bowman with ASA says the Marketability of SimGenetic Cattle has Never Been Hotter |
Farm Director, KC Sheperd is visiting with the Director of SimGenetic Development at the American Simmental Association, Luke Bowman, about the latest in the Simmental cattle industry. Sheperd and Bowman talk first about the American Simmental Association board meeting that recently took place in Montana.
“The board meetings in Montana a couple of weeks ago were really productive,” Bowman said. “Although, generally, the January board meeting is a slower meeting for policy development because that is when the new trustees come on the board, and there is a lot of orientation, we did pass a policy and make some resolutions that are very productive.”
One resolution passed, Bowman said, including putting several hundred thousand dollars into a research project involving carcass data on Simmental genetics.
“We are continuing a research project we call the Carcass Expansion Project where we are seeking out carcass data on Sim Genetics or related cattle, so they don’t have to be purebred Simmental cattle, but we are following them all the way through the feedlot and as fabricated carcasses to collect those data measurements to better enhance our genetic evaluation,” Bowman said.
Bowman said the association is also working to develop a percentage Simbra show for national, classic and regionals on the junior side.
“We know that is going to open the door for a lot of juniors that have some percentage Simbra cattle or crossbred Simbra cattle,” Bowman said. “It will give them an opportunity to exhibit that on our national platforms.”
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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 36 cents and Select Beef was down $2.05 on Friday 02/03/2023.
Click on the Button below for the latest report from USDA Market News
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Oklahoma National Stockyards had receipts of 7,262 head at 9PM Sunday evening and ONSY says they will begin the sale this morning at 8 AM am.
From the January 30th Sale- Compared to the previous sale: A winter storm moved in over the weekend dropping temps into the teens and 20’s and Monday dropped sleet across parts of the state with more to come. This has hampered livestock movement and reduced receipts. Feeder steers and heifers not well tested, however few sales steady to 2.00 higher. Steer calves lightly tested and steady to 3.00 higher. Heifer calves lightly tested and under 500 lbs. 8.00-10.00 higher; over 500 lbs. sold 3.00 lower. Demand moderate to good for all classes.
Click below for the complete closing report.
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Here's our regular feature that is 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 is 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.
Oklahoma Farm Report's Ron Hays talks regenerative agriculture and ranching with Jimmy Emmons. Jimmy is a long time resident of Leedey, OK. He is the third generation on the family farm in Dewey County. He and his wife Ginger have been farming and ranching together since 1980. They have a diverse 2000 acre cropping operation growing wheat, soybeans, sesame, sunflowers, irrigated dairy alfalfa hay, canola, grain sorghum and several cover crops for seed.
Jimmy has been monitoring soil health with soil testing since 2011 utilizing cover crops to enhance soil health.
Jimmy and Ginger also have a 250 cow/calf herd and take in yearling cattle for custom grazing on the nearly 6000 acres of native range. Ginger is the primary cattle manager in the operation. The Emmons’ utilize an adaptive multi-paddock grazing system on their range and forages grown on crop ground. They use the system to keep the native grasses and soils healthy, maximize biological diversity and optimize animal health.
As Jimmy Says- Long Live the Soil!
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, 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
***************
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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