Race Horse Style Storms Blow Across Oklahoma- Record Number of Tornados in February- Cheyenne Hard Hit

Early morning reports currently have 15 tornadoes recorded across Oklahoma- Jed Castles of News9 says that the previous high for an entire February is six- so these fast moving storms were causing record breaking havoc.

The picture above from the Facebook post shared by Lynda Lucas- she and others from Roger Mills County say a lot of damage has happened in Cheyenne- Multiple families have lost their homes in that community.

Daylight will tell us a lot more across the state. Damage won't be confined to the actual tornadoes- straight line winds were extreme- sixty and seventy mile gusts were common across the western half of the state. News9 had a reported wind gust of 111 miles per hour in Hollis.

As for rainfall- we have the 24 hour totals in the graphic below(Clickable back to the Mesonet)- The race horse nature of this system kept rain totals minimal- best rainfall seemed to fall in Woods County- well north of the damages seen along and either side of I-40.

OSU’s Amanda Silva on Wheat Variety Research and Wheat Crop Update

At the OGI Wheat Meeting, Farm Director, KC Sheperd, caught up with small grains extension specialist at Oklahoma State University, Dr. Amanda Silva, talking about wheat research at the university and Oklahoma’s wheat crop.

“The situation is a little bit rough in some areas of the state,” Silva said. “We are still under drought, especially western area- panhandle hasn’t really seen the rain that we have in other parts of the state, so wheat is small.”

A lot of wheat went in very late in the panhandle, Silva said, and the cold front that came in January and February has not been great for the crop.

“We are also seeing some moisture, so that makes me hopeful,” Silva said. “We need to see what this weather does, and are hoping this rain that we received in some parts of the state is going to help our crop.”



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CAB’s John Stika: Strengthening Consumer Trust Increases Beef Demand

In this episode of Beef Buzz, I am visiting with the President of Certified Angus Beef, John Stika, about CAB continuing to build trust with beef consumers and build on their brand.

“It (2022) was the second-best year we ever had in our history, and so we feel really fortunate,” Stika said. “The cattle industry is going through a lot of dynamics in the market, weather related, you know we were seeing cow numbers decline because of drought.”

Amid concerns, Stika said demand for beef is as solid as it has ever been.

“It is an industry now that is as aligned with consumer demand from a quality standpoint as it has ever been, as well,” Stika said. “I think the year we had in ’22 is a reflection of that, so demand doesn’t solve every problem we have, but it sure solves a lot of them.”

Stika said Certified Angus Beef remains extremely optimistic about what 2023 holds.

Oklahoma Ag Leadership Program Concludes International Travel Experience in Israel

The fourteen day international travel experience of Class XX of the Oklahoma Ag Leadership Program concluded on Friday as the Class returned to Will Rogers World Airport after 29 hours from airport to airport that started in Ben Gurion Airport in Tel-Aviv, Israel.

During the time in Israel- the Oklahoma Farm Report website and Email posted almost daily stories from Israel on the ag and cultural experiences that the Class enjoyed. Here are a few of the stories posted by yours truly from Israel as we traveled with Class XX- click on the story to jump to that article.

OALP International Experience Leaves Members with New Outlook on Agriculture– Audio with Class member Meg Stangl

A Look Into Israel Flour Milling and Wheat Industry– Audio with Omer Thon

Ag Leaders with OALP Challenge Alt Meat CEO in Tuesday Meeting in Tel-Aviv– Audio with Class Member Dr. Rosslyn Biggs

OALP International Experience Provides Class XX the Chance to Bring Home Broader Knowledge of Agriculture– Audio with Class Member Aaron Schantz

And there are another eight stories to access in our webstory- and Facebook links to see hundreds of pictures and info on each of the stops made by the class as they traveled from February 12-24 for their Agricultural Innovation Israel Tour.

Farm Bill Should Prioritize Agricultural Research, New Policy Report Says

The U.S. should increase support for agricultural research and development (R&D) in the next Farm Bill to ensure that farmers can keep feeding the world in spite of challenges from climate change and other shocks, according to a report produced jointly by Farm Journal Foundation and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

Hotter temperatures, droughts, floods, spreading pests and disease, and other natural disasters have reduced global agriculture productivity gains in recent years, according to the new policy report. Consumers are paying higher prices for food, while farm livelihoods are under pressure from rising costs of fuel, fertilizer, and other inputs. In addition, increasing hunger in low- to middle-income countries can potentially lead to more migration and conflict, creating risks for U.S. national security.

New innovations generated from agricultural research at land-grant universities and other public sector institutions can help increase farm productivity and economic growth. In spite of this, U.S. public investment in agricultural R&D has declined in recent years in inflation-adjusted terms. The 2023 Farm Bill offers a once-every-five-year opportunity to increase funding to public agricultural R&D and ensure that the U.S. is prepared for the challenges ahead, according to the report, which makes a series of recommendations for how the Farm Bill can prioritize agricultural innovation.

“Climate change, conflict, and COVID-19 have created huge challenges for global food and nutrition security, and both farmers and consumers are facing higher costs,” said Katie Lee, Vice President of Government Affairs at Farm Journal Foundation. “Agricultural innovation is absolutely critical to ensure safe, abundant, and affordable food supplies, and the Farm Bill provides an important opportunity to increase public support.”

Lankford, Colleagues Stand Up Against Medicare’s Planned Reimbursement Cuts for Rural Hospitals

Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) led more than a dozen Senators to push for an extension of a policy that allows rural hospitals to continue delivering quality care to their communities. In a letter to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, the Senators formally requested a four-year extension of the Low Wage Index Hospital Policy, which allows hospitals in rural areas to compete for and retain high-quality staff by increasing reimbursements to hospitals in rural areas with lower overall wages. Without action, Medicare payments to these hospitals will reduce after September 30, 2023.

In their letter, the Senators pointed out that extenuating circumstances, including the COVID-19 pandemic, have not allowed for adequate evaluation of the Low Wage Index Hospital Policy. They argue that extending the policy will allow CMS to better assess its impact on the benefiting hospitals ability to recruit and retain health care staff.

“Unfortunately, due to disruptions in the marketplace caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have not had the opportunity to see the true impact of the Low Wage Index Hospital Policy envisioned by CMS,” the Senators wrote. “Extending the Low Wage Index Hospital Policy for four additional years will allow hospitals and the agency to better understand the policy’s true impact in a more normal environment.”

Lankford and his colleagues are joined in sending their letter by Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Joe Manchin (D-WV), John Boozman (R-AR), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Tim Scott (R-SC), Tom Cotton (R-AR), and Katie Boyd Britt (R-AL).

NFU’s Dave Velde Talks about Opportunities to Put Money Back into Farmer’s Pockets

At the 118th American Farmers and Ranchers state convention in Norman, Oklahoma, Farm Director, KC Sheperd had the chance to visit with the General Council for the National Farmers Union, Dave Velde. Sheperd and Velde talk about Farmers Union Enterprises opening doors for farmers.

Velde said his role with NFU involves the business affairs of the organization, but also provides guidance on governance matters.

New projects created to put more money into the pockets of farmers is one of Velde’s main focuses. He talked about their work in the upper-Midwest, as it would also be a good fit for Oklahoma.

“In the upper-Midwest, we have an entity known as Farmers Union Enterprises, which is a for-profit corporation that I am CEO of,” Velde said. “We look for opportunities to earn money in a way that can enhance the income of farmers in our region. That money that we make from a successful business operation is piled back into the farm organization.”

As this is something that would be welcomed in Oklahoma, Velde talked about taking action to help make that happen. While “going green” is a popular movement, Velde said it is a great opportunity for farmers to be paid for being stewards of the land and taking care of the environment.

Oklahoma Panhandle State University Bull Performance Sale Coming Up Tomorrow

The Oklahoma Panhandle State University Bull sale will be held on Tuesday, February 28 at 1 p.m. in Goodwell, Oklahoma.

Selling will be 60 Performance tested Bulls- including 56 Registered Angus Bulls, 1 Red Angus, 1 Red Angus Composite and 2 Maine Anjous.

For more information- contact Dr. Crystal Tolle, Bull Test Supervisor and Assistant Professor of Animal Science- her cell is 580-273-5060 or Contact Sale Manager Matt Sims- his cell is 405-641-6081- or email him at matt@mcsauction.com

The catalog and other performance data will be available at mcsauction.com

The sale can be attended in person or watch and bid on LiveAuctions.TV- the link to the OPSU sale on LiveAuctions.TV is available here.

Equipment Manufacturers Call for Precision Agriculture Incentives in 2023 Farm Bill

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) joined the two-dozen commodity and agriculture groups that make up the Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance (FACA) to release the group’s 2023 farm bill priorities today.



“The 2023 farm bill should advance bipartisan policies that invest in rural communities and strengthen our national food supply chain. The equipment manufacturing industry wants to see robust incentives for the adoption of precision agriculture technology, as well as vital safety net programs to support America’s farmers and ranchers, included in the bill. As the legislative package takes shape, we look forward to working with Congress, our member companies, and industry partners, to deliver a bipartisan farm bill this year,” said Kip Eideberg, AEM Senior Vice President of Government and Industry Relations.

FACA will focus on the following issue area priorities for the 2023 Farm Bill:

• Conservation, Risk Management, and Credit
• Energy
• Food Waste
• Forestry
• Livestock and Dairy
• Research Extension, and Innovation