Following the 125th Annual Meeting of the Oklahoma Grain and Feed Association, Farm Director KC Sheperd caught up with Oklahoma State University small grains specialist Dr. Amanda Silva and talked about Oklahoma’s winter wheat crop.

“Oklahoma wheat production this year is a mixed bag,” Silva said. “We have some fields that are looking good. Of course, not up to our yield potential, but looking good considering our conditions.”

In some fields, Silva said there is no wheat at all.

“We started last week in the southwest and south-central areas, and I was very surprised with some of the fields that we saw, especially on the variety trials,” Silva said. “Some good-looking wheat, again, considering the conditions, and I am very excited to move north now in these following weeks and see the overall situation.”

While these conditions are not ideal, Silva said it is a good opportunity to harvest data that can be useful in tough years going forward.  



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Steven Sanders of the Guthrie FFA Chapter won the State Star in Agribusiness award at the 97th Oklahoma FFA Convention and Expo on May 3 at the BOK Center.

Sanders first became involved with agriculture the fall of his freshman year. He began his project when the Oklahoma Youth Expo’s gilt sale was moved to an online format, and the sale allowed exhibitors to scratch gilts from the sale.

“That is what started my business,” Sanders said. “I actually scratched one of them from the sale and started breeding sows.”

Luke Gallagher of the Altus FFA chapter was announced Oklahoma FFA State Star Farmer during the fifth session of the 97th Oklahoma FFA Convention and Expo on May 3 at the BOK Center.

Gallagher’s supervised agricultural experience focuses on beef cattle.

“My project is a stocker steer operation,” Gallagher said. “I run stocker steers on wheat pasture, and I have a small cow/calf herd that I run typically just on grass pasture. I run about 400 head of wheat pasture calves right now.”

Congratulations to FFA Stars Gage Slagell- Ag Placement and Abigail Burton- Agriscience

Gage Slagell of the Hydro-Eakly FFA Chapter earned the title of State Star in Agricultural Placement during the fifth session of the 97th State FFA Convention and Expo May 3 at the BOK Center.

Slagell’s supervised agricultural experience is working for Triple S Farms in Hydro, Oklahoma. Triple S Farms focuses on producing watermelons, sweet potatoes, potatoes, cantaloupe, wheat, soybeans and peanuts. They produce roughly 360 acres of watermelons and 40 acres of cantaloupe.

Triple S Farms is owned by Slagell’s grandfather and his great-uncle. Slagell said he is grateful for the help he has received with his project, especially from his dad and grandpa.

Abigail Burton of Stillwater FFA Chapter won the State Star in Agriscience award at the 97th Oklahoma FFA Convention and Expo on May 3.

The State Star in Agriscience represents the best of the best within FFA member-led research in Oklahoma

 Hailing from Stillwater, Oklahoma, Burton has been an active member since her eighth-grade year. She is the 2022-2023 chapter president and served as the 2021-2022 chapter vice president. Last year, Burton qualified for the National FFA Agriscience competition and received third place.

In this episode of Beef Buzz, I am back speaking with Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist, Dr. Derrell Peel, about beef demand and packing capacity going forward.

Since before the pandemic, Peel said he has been watching beef demand closely.

“We have been concerned about the potential for weakness there, and it has just remained remarkably resilient through all of this,” Peel said.

Coming out of the pandemic in 2021, Peel said there was an incredible demand for beef. While we have backed off from those levels, Peel said 2022 prices stayed high, and he sees them continuing at those high levels going into 2023.

“We recognize that consumers have a lot of issues on their plate,” Peel said. “Interest rates are rising, they have still got inflation area concerns, and all of those macroeconomic concerns are still out there, and yet it really isn’t affecting beef demand at this point in time, and it doesn’t really look like it is going to at least in terms of what we can see right now.”

While many have predicted consumers would start to trade higher value cuts for a cut of lower priced cuts due to inflation, Peel said, he is yet to see this trend.

Caleb Horne (pictured above), member of the Morrison FFA Chapter, will lead the more than 29,500 members of the Oklahoma FFA Association for 2023-24.

Members elected the 19-year-old to his presidential position during the 97th Oklahoma FFA Convention on May 3. An biochemistry and molecular biology major at Oklahoma State University, Horne previously served as the 2022-23 Oklahoma FFA Northwest Area Vice President. He is the son of Wes and Sharbee Horne of Morrison.

Seven additional FFA members will join Horne on the 2023-24 Oklahoma FFA Association officer team: Pedro Valles, Dover FFA, secretary; Clara Duncan, Chickasha FFA, reporter; Garrett Case, Skiatook FFA, northeast area vice president; Alec Anderson, Ringwood FFA, northwest area vice president; Trey Myers, Perkins-Tryon FFA, central area vice president; Kayla Poling, Silo FFA, southeast area vice president; and Kylee Falasco, Weatherford FFA, southwest area vice president.

Yesterday, U.S. Senators Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), along with Reps. Tom Cole (OK-04) and Dina Titus (NV-01) introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Medical Student Education Authorization Act to authorize the Medical Student Education (MSE) Program through fiscal year 2025.

The MSE Program provides grants to public institutions of higher education to expand or support graduate education for physicians in states with the most severe primary care provider shortages. First created in 2019 by Congressman Cole and former Senator Jim Inhofe, the MSE Program is currently subject to annual authorizations, which results in significant uncertainty over funding and long-term planning for funded institutions.

“Many Oklahomans have to travel long distances to see their primary care provider at small, rural hospitals or IHS and Tribal-run facilities,” said Senator Mullin. “Over the past few years, our communities have faced a growing physician shortage that is making it more difficult for rural, Tribal, and underserved areas to receive proper care. Our bipartisan bill will authorize the MSE Program to support graduate education for physicians in states like Oklahoma to ensure rural Americans receive the care they need. I’m grateful to Rep. Cole, Rep. Titus, and Sen. Rosen for their partnership in reintroducing the Medical Student Education Authorization Act.”

Drummond praises signing of law to crack down on illegal marijuana grows

Attorney General Gentner Drummond commended Gov. Stitt for signing legislation today that will help law enforcement crack down on Oklahoma’s rash of illegal marijuana grow operations. Authored by Rep. Jon Echols and Sen. Lonnie Paxton, House Bill 2095 gives the Office of the Attorney General, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control, and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation full enforcement authority over the state’s medical marijuana laws.

“I want to thank Gov. Stitt, as well as Rep. Echols and Sen. Paxton, for this tremendous step forward in Oklahoma’s efforts to stamp out illegal marijuana grow operations,” said Drummond. “The illegal marijuana industry is crawling with Mexican cartels and Chinese crime syndicates that pose a serious threat to public safety, particularly in our rural communities. Gov. Sttt’s approval of HB 2095 ensures the Attorney General’s Office and our excellent law enforcement partners have the tools and authority to shut down these dangerous criminal enterprises.”

Specifically, the measure allows the Office of the Attorney General to subpoena business documents, conduct unannounced on-site inspections, seize and destroy illegal products, and enter into agreements with other state agencies to combat illegal marijuana grow operations. Moreover, HB 2095 extends the moratorium on new grow licenses through 2026 so law enforcement has additional time to shut down illegal marijuana farms.

Senate Votes to Negate Listing of Lesser Prairie Chicken- NCBA and OCA Both Cheer Vote

Senator James Lankford (R-OK) voted Wednesday to strike down the Biden Administration’s recent listing of the lesser prairie-chicken (LPC) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Lankford supported a Congressional Review Act resolution to disapprove of the rule put forward by the Biden Administration’s Fish & Wildlife Services (FWS). The resolution passed in a vote off 50 to 48. The lead Senator on the effort was Kansas Senator Roger Marshall.

“The Endangered Species Act continues to be weaponized by Democrats to push their federal takeover of private energy, agriculture, and commerce in my state,” said Lankford. “Oklahomans have diligently worked to conserve the lesser prairie-chicken and it’s habitat so we could preserve the species and avoid its listing under the Endangered Species Act. Studies have shown that the lesser prairie-chicken population is impacted mostly by drought. Despite years of work, Biden’s Fish and Wildlife Service has ignored the drought and all the work of land owners by moving forward with their listing. Considering the Endangered Species Act has cost land owners, producers, and many more millions of dollars and yet only has about a 2-percent success rate, I remain adamantly opposed to listing the lesser prairie-chicken.”

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After the vote- both the NCBA and the OCA quickly weighed in with both thumbs up.

“The lesser prairie chicken listing will do little to benefit the bird, but it will succeed in shutting down the voluntary conservation work that is responsible for the species surviving today. NCBA thanks Senator Marshall for his leadership on this issue, and we appreciate the support of those in the Senate who are listening to the concerns of farmers, ranchers and local officials,” said NCBA Policy Division Chair Gene Copenhaver. “This resolution puts flexible, locally led conservation efforts back at the forefront. The Biden administration’s actions to list the bird, micromanage grazing operations on private lands, and implement a top-down approach will not benefit the bird or the land.”

Likewise- the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association's Executive VP, Michael Kelsey, offered this statement of support for the vote- "The Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association sincerely appreciates the US Senate for passing this important resolution. The listing of the Lesser Prairie Chicken was an overstep by the Biden Administration ignoring the everyday commitment to animal, environmental and wildlife stewardship of cattle producers. We look forward to the full House passing the companion resolution as the next step. “