Since the legalization of Medical Marijuana in Oklahoma with State Question 788- criminals have flocked to the state to set up illegal grow houses because of cheap permits, cheap land, and lax rules allowing them to get into the business of growing marijuana in Oklahoma.

I am talking with Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics spokesman Mark Woodward about how these enterprises have invaded Oklahoma- the magnitude of the current problem, and how the state is pushing back on thousands of bad people who have set up shop in the state- with the hope to reduce the number of these operations dramatically in the days to come.

It’s a huge problem all across rural Oklahoma, but Woodward believes progress is being made to reign in these illegal marijuana farms.



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According to the Oklahoma Crop Progress and Condition Report released on March 20, 2023, winter wheat was rated 29 percent good to excellent, 28 percent fair and 43 percent poor to very poor. Last week’s ratings were 30 percent good to excellent, 26 percent fair and 44 percent poor to very poor. Winter wheat jointing reached 22 percent, up 11 points from the previous year and up 1 point from normal.

Pasture and Range Conditions rated 13 percent good to excellent (no excellent), 27 percent fair and 60 percent poor to very poor. Last week’s ratings were 9 percent good to excellent, 31 percent fair and 60 percent poor to very poor. 

Livestock conditions rated 39 percent good to excellent, 42 percent fair and 19 percent poor to very poor. Last week’s conditions rated 42 percent good to excellent, 42 percent fair and 16 percent poor to very poor.

Latest Cattle on Feed Report Shows Higher Prices to Come

In this episode of Beef Buzz, I am talking about the latest cattle on feed numbers, and features input from DTN Livestock Analyst ShayLe Stewart on the report.

The cattle on feed number as of March is at 96 percent of a year ago, which is down four percentage points. The average estimate was expecting close to 95.3 percent of those cattle on feed numbers.

Placements in February were at 93 percent, down seven percent from a year ago. Pre-report estimates showed placements at 93.1 percent.

Marketings were reported at 95 percent of a year ago and the pre-report estimates averaged at 95.7 percent at a range from 95 to 96 percent.

DTN Livestock Analyst, ShayLe Stewart, said it is likely traders will find the report neutral to somewhat bullish as analyst projections leading up to the report were spot-on. From a fundamental standpoint, she added, one cannot argue that with the tremendous position that this report has put cattle feeders and cow-calf producers in, it is not surprising to see Friday’s cattle on feed number to come in at four percent under the year ago numbers, with some analysts predicting that the report could be as few as 94.2 percent of a year ago.

With marketings not as aggressive as they were the previous year, which is largely due to reduced slaughter speeds, there is naturally going to be more cattle on feed than if processing speeds were still operating like they were in 2022.

Researchers at land-grant institutions in the southern region of the United States are working hard to stop more than $1 billion in economic damages each year.

Around 9 million feral hogs have been reported in 35 states. Feral hogs were almost unheard of in Oklahoma 40 years ago but can now be found all over the state, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. They cause an estimated $1.5 billion in economic damages annually across the U.S. They eat crops, dig up trees and devour food that other animals depend on.

Hogs can significantly damage native flora and fauna through their rooting behaviors and facilitate the spread of invasive plants, alter soil and water resources and limit regeneration of native plants. Habitat degradation by feral hogs can influence the diversity and occurrence of native wildlife communities. Feral hogs also carry and transmit diseases that pose significant risks to the health of many wild and domestic animals.

“Damage from feral hogs has become a widespread phenomenon across many areas of the United States, causing a staggering amount of damage,” said Scott Senseman, associate vice president of OSU Ag Research. “A collaborative, multi-state effort is likely the only way to mitigate the problem.”

National Sorghum Foundation and BASF Announce 2022-2023 Scholarship Winners

The National Sorghum Foundation (NSF) and BASF are pleased to announce the award of two joint scholarships to Max Harman from Michigan State University and Breely Huguley from Texas Tech University. Each winner will be awarded $2,500 to be applied during the 2022-2023 academic year.

“The National Sorghum Foundation is proud to once again partner with BASF to award these scholarships to two very deserving young individuals,” NSF Chairman Jeff Dahlberg said. “We send a warm congratulations to Max and Breely on this accomplishment and look forward to continuing this partnership to help hard working student leaders succeed.”

Harman is a first year Ph.D. student studying molecular plant genetics at Michigan State. In his application, he said he wants to pursue a career in agriculture research to improve food and our food system using novel gene-editing techniques to discover and implement novel traits that benefit both producers and consumers.

Huguley, a senior agricultural communications major at Texas Tech, grew up on a farm near Olton, Texas. Huguley plans to pursue a master’s degree in the same discipline with future aspirations to either work in public policy in Washington, D.C., or in public relations and crisis communications.

AFBF Hails Bipartisan Effort to Freeze Flawed Wage Rate

The American Farm Bureau Federation urges Congress to pass newly-introduced legislation to freeze the flawed 2023 Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR), which distorts labor costs for farmers across the country who hire nearly 400,000 employees through the H-2A program.

The bipartisan Farm Operations Support Act, introduced by Sens. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), temporarily resets the AEWR at 2022 levels, providing much need wage relief to farm families and giving Congress an opportunity to deliver a fair and reasonable solution.

The 2023 AEWR rule missed the mark by such a wide margin that farmers in some states experienced required wage increases of more than 10% after smaller increases last year. In Michigan and Florida, for example, wages have increased 13 percent and 15 percent compared to 2022 rates.

Furthermore, DOL’s newly published rule in February 2023 will raise costs even higher for certain occupations on farm.

The AEWR has significantly outpaced increases in the national average wage for most workers in America for most of a decade. In fact, it has outpaced the overall U.S. Employment Cost Index in eight of the last 10 years.

AFBF President Zippy Duvall said, “Farmers are committed to paying their employees a fair wage, but the new AEWR rule used flawed data to reach a flawed conclusion. Requiring farmers to pay their workers far more than the average domestic worker is earning just makes no sense, especially in the face of high supply costs, inflation and a global food shortage. I commend Sens. Ossoff and Tillis for standing up for farmers and urge Congress to pass this critical legislation.”

Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack Salutes Farmers and Ranchers on National Ag Day Rate

“On this 50th National Ag Day, we recognize the contributions of American farmers, farmworkers, ranchers, forest landowners, and all agricultural producers in providing our nation – and this world – with its food, fuel, and fiber.

“Throughout our history, Americans have faced unprecedented challenges, but we have always been able to endure thanks in large part to the unwavering efforts of those who work the land. Because of the efforts of our agricultural communities, here in America we all benefit from a rich abundance of safe and nutritious food, which allows us to thrive as one of the few nations on earth that is food secure and not dependent on any other nation for basic food needs. American agriculture is able to lead the world into a climate-smart future as farmers, ranchers and producers take seriously their responsibility to be stewards of our land and water and take part in every day climate smart practices that improve soil health and water quality."