Oklahoma's Latest Farm
And Ranch News
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Thursday, February 16, 2023 |
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Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update.
- Lessons to be Learned from the Last Big Drought with OSU’s Derrell Peel
- Agricultural Research is Vital for Continuous Innovation in Israel’s Desert Conditions
- Winter Weather Advisory for the State with Possible Snow
- Southern Plains Perspective: The Sustainability Train is Still Running
- Government and the Pork Industry Unite in a New Partnership to Protect the U.S. from African Swine Fever
- How Does Extended Wheat Stocker Grazing Impact Economic Returns?
- John Deere Continues 80-year FFA Partnership with $1 Million Donation
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Lessons to be Learned from the Last Big Drought with OSU’s Derrell Peel |
Around the time of the drought of 2012, the closure of a major beef processing facility in the Texas panhandle in 2013 made dramatic changes in the beef industry. Similar to the drought being faced by beef producers today, the beef herd capacity numbers were down significantly during that time and had to be rebuilt in the years following.
In this episode of Beef Buzz, I am featuring comments from Tony St. James’ interview with Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Market Economist, Derrell Peel, about what we can learn from rebuilding the beef cow herd after the last big drought.
“The packing industry in this country, most of that infrastructure that we rely on for the bulk of our slaughter was built in the 70s and 80s- early 80s,” Peel said. “That was a time period when we had 20 to 25 million more head of cattle than we do today, just from the long-term adjustments in the industry.”
There was chronic excess capacity in that industry, Peel said, and most producers today cannot remember a time when that wasn’t the case.
“That is what made that such a change,” Peel said. “We had closed a couple of plants earlier, but that last plant that closed at Plainview in 2013 really brought the total capacity down to a level where we were in a drought and we bottomed in 2014; the expansion that followed that- by 2016 to 2017, cattle numbers were back up enough where now, for the first time maybe ever, we were really bumping up against that slaughter capacity,”
Some lessons can be learned from the rebuilding in that 2014 to 2015 time period, Peel said, and the 2023 cattle numbers from USDA say that inventory is smaller than it needs to be.
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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.
They would like to thank all of you who participated in their 2022 Tulsa City Farm Show.
Up next will be the Oklahoma City’s premier spring agricultural and ranching event with returns to the State Fair Park April 13-14-15, 2023.
Now is the ideal time to contact the Midwest Farm Show Office at 507-437-7969 and book space at the 2023 Oklahoma City Farm Show. To learn more about the Oklahoma City Farm Show, click here.
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Agricultural Research is Vital for Continuous Innovation in Israel’s Desert Conditions |
As Class XX of the Oklahoma Ag Leadership Program continues to travel Israel, the group recently stopped at the Volcani Center for research and development for agriculture in Israel.
The center has been a major contributor to Israel’s remarkable achievements in agriculture. I had the chance to visit with Professor Shlomo Navarro, the current CEO of Grain Storage LTD about the vision of Israel agriculture.
Navarro has been an international colleague of OALP Director Edmond Bonjour for many years.
Navarro said his work consists mainly of entomology research, particularly store products. Navarro was a researcher at the Volcani Center for 42 years, before his daughter established a company based on his knowledge and new technologies.
The company developed by Navarro’s daughter, he said, works with different technologies, such as cold fumigation treatment, which is useful in treated fresh products before exporting from Israel.
The cold fumigation system, Navarro said, utilizes a non-toxic gas to treat products before they are exported. This technology, Navarro said, requires many moving parts to get the finished product, including a special generator and fumigation chamber, in order to maintain the concentration for the exposure time needed, which he said is around 24 hours.
Navarro also talked about developing a non-chemical treatment to remove insects and larvae from dates before export. This treatment, he added, is based on heating the dates at a certain airflow rate.
Research is critical to grow food in Israel, Navarro said, because of the desert conditions.
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Winter Weather Advisory for the Northwest with Possible Snow |
Thankfully the Wind has died down a bit throughout the state after seeing up to 78mph winds in the Panhandle yesterday.
According to State Climatologist Gary McManus, yesterday's excitement was forecasted to include a massive winter storm to our NW which would clip the NW part of our state, along with some fairly significant severe weather to our SE, which could potentially clip the SE part of our state.
In yesterday's forecast, McManus said we could see severe weather in several areas of the state ranging from snow to damaging winds and large hail, and a tornado or two might even be possible.
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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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Southern Plains Perspective: The Sustainability Train is Still Running |
There's a new blog post out at the Southern Plains Perspective. Read below!
I recently came across a blurb that caught my eye…”A recent survey found that 79% of global consumers are changing their purchase preferences based on sustainability and 66% choose to purchase products based on environmental friendliness.”
This piqued my interest, so I did a little more digging. With a few keystrokes I found another study that said that over 70% of consumers believe sustainability is important when selecting products to buy. Nearly half of these consumers say they buy sustainable products for their environmental impact.
Yep—the desire for “sustainably” produced products is as strong (if not stronger) than ever.
All of this would lead one to believe in the near future, we are going to see more and more efforts by processors and retailers to brand their products as “sustainable” or “regenerative” or something. There is no way to know for sure, but the evidence seems to point in the direction of farmers and ranchers having to at least give a little thought about how the commodities they produce would fit into this narrative. As the old saying goes, “the customer is always right,” and if these surveys are to be believed, the customers seem more and more to be interested in putting money toward products that are produced in the most environmentally friendly way possible.
This push for more environmentally sustainable food and fiber is actually one of the driving forces behind the Partnership for Climate Smart Commodities initiative that was launched in February of 2022. With a total investment of over $3 billion from the USDA Commodity Credit Corporation this effort is designed to develop pilot projects that will help develop strategies and potential new marketing opportunities that producers can use to meet this growing demand for more sustainably produced products.
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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
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For the agent nearest you, go to unionmutualic.com or give them a call at 405 286-7703.
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Federal, State and Private Sectors Unite in a New Partnership to Protect the U.S. from African Swine Fever |
At the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Winter Policy Conference today, NASDA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Pork Board (NPB) and National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) announced a new partnership to enhance coordination and preparedness to prevent and protect the United States from African Swine Fever (ASF), a deadly pig disease that could cripple the entire agricultural sector with long-lasting ramifications for the economic viability of U.S. livestock production.
The enhanced partnership between these four entities will allow for the most effective harmonization of federal and state response plans to enable producers to prevent, plan and recover from African swine fever outbreaks, as well as encourage industry preparation for future outbreaks and disease response in other livestock sectors, which fosters rural food security and public confidence in the U.S. food system. The only way to stop African swine fever is through proper preparation and mitigation efforts.
“When you bring together state, federal and industry groups with different strengths to take on challenges, you see a united force of resilience across all fronts,” NASDA CEO Ted McKinney said. “Our four organizations together will be able to coordinate strategies for animal disease preparedness and response, on not just one level but on local, state and federal levels. This type of collaboration will lead to better response to outbreaks, and, ultimately, to better animal health and welfare across the U.S. We’re thrilled to be joining this effort.”
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How does extended wheat stocker grazing impact economic returns? |
On today’s Cow-Calf Corner, Eric A. DeVuyst, Professor and Rainbolt Chair, along with Roger Sahs, Associate Extension Specialist at OSU’s Department of Agricultural Economics, talks about how economic returns can be impacted by extended wheat stocker grazing.
With hay supplies extraordinarily tight in Oklahoma and winter still here, both wheat stocker producers and cow-calf producers are looking for forage sources to get by until stockers are sold or grass greens up for grazing. One temptation is to continue grazing dual-purpose wheat later than is recommended by Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service specialists. This is a temptation to be resisted!
Past research demonstrates significant economic losses from grazing winter wheat past the physiological growth phase called first hollow stem. Depending on weather and location, first hollow stem usually appears around March 1 but in warm winters it occurs in February. Research by Fieser and others reported a 1% loss in wheat grain yield from grazing just one day past first hollow stem. Even at that seemingly harmless loss, an analysis by DeVuyst and others show net losses of about $1 per acre including both cattle gain and wheat grain loss. However, the Fieser research evaluated losses on stockpiled wheat forage, a rather uncommon management practice in Oklahoma. Alternatively, research by Redmon and others evaluated losses from more conventionally managed wheat grazing. Their results show a 5% average loss in wheat grain yield from just one day of extended grazing. In the report by DeVuyst and others that equates to over $11 per acre in lost net returns after considering the value of cattle gains and wheat grain losses.
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John Deere Continues 80-year FFA Partnership with $1 Million Donation |
Building on 80 years of partnership, John Deere announced a donation of $1 million to the National FFA Organization to support the growth of future leaders, feed agricuture’s talent pipeline, and honor the organization’s community service efforts.
John Deere is the longest-running sponsor of the National FFA Organization and continues to be a leading advocate for the FFA, its members, and advisors. For instance, by providing the National FFA Organization with the largest amount of unrestricted annual support of any corporate donor, John Deere empowers FFA with the type of financial flexibility and security essential for its long-term stability and growth.
“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with John Deere,” said Molly Ball, president of the National FFA Foundation. “For more than 80 years, they’ve been unwavering in their support and continue to see the potential leaders in each one of our members and our advisors.”
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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 higher- Choice Beef was up $3.61 and Select Beef was up $2.41 on Wednesday 02/15/2023.
Click on the Button below for the latest report from USDA Market News
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OKC West in El Reno had 8,282 head of cattle this week in their Tuesday and Wednesday sales
Compared to last week: Feeder steers sold steady to 2.00 lower. Feeder heifers traded mostly steady. Demand moderate. Many yards in the north are concerned about a winter storm hampering the ability to get cattle delivered in a timely manner causing buyers to be more selective. Steer and heifer calves under 500 lbs sold 5.00-8.00 higher, remainder of the calves fully steady with last weeks sharply higher market. Demand good to very good. Much needed moisture fell across the trade area at the first of the week and more is in the forecast. S
Click below for the complete closing report.
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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
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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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