Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner Launches Cattle Calling Docuseries- Features Burtrum Cattle of Stillwater

During the Heritage Fire Tour event in Minneapolis, Minn., the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, debuted the very first episode of the docuseries, “Cattle Calling.” Attendees were among the first to experience this highly anticipated release aimed to provide consumers with an in-depth look at the cattle farming and ranching Industry.  

The first episode of Cattle Calling focuses on Kinzie Burtrum and the Burtrum family (Burtrum Cattle, LLC of Oklahoma) as they work to ensure their ranch and their family thrives despite a complex and changing landscape. Follow along to see how this family adapts to care for the land and the cattle, and ensure their operation can continue. Cattle Calling continues the Beef Checkoff’s ongoing emphasis on connecting with consumers and sharing the stories of beef producers. The video project aims to connect consumers with the cattlemen and women who are working to ensure they are adopting tools and technologies that help beef farmers and ranchers become more sustainable over time.  

The Heritage Fire Tour is a three hour live-fire event that centers around educational opportunities in the culinary field. The Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand is excited to showcase all things beef during the event, from the video to burgers and steaks and everything in between.



National Livestock was founded in 1932 in Oklahoma City. National’s Marketing Division offers cattle for sale weekly at the Oklahoma National Stockyards in Oklahoma City. The Finance Division lends money to ranchers across several states for cattle production. The Grazing Division works with producers to place cattle for grazing on wheat or grass pastures. 

National also owns and operates other livestock marketing subsidiaries including Southern Oklahoma Livestock Auction in Ada, Oklahoma, OKC West Livestock Market in El Reno, Oklahoma, and the nation’s premier livestock video sale, Superior Livestock Auction. National offers customers many services custom made for today’s producer. To learn more, click here for the website or call the Oklahoma City office at 1-800-310-0220.



Surprise- Placements Jump 5% Over Year Ago in June Cattle on Feed Report

While USDA posted a headline in their June Cattle on Feed report that there is a three percent decline in total on feed numbers in this latest report- the number that jumped off the page to just about everyone was the five percent increase in placements in May 2023 versus a year ago.

According to USDA- Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.6 million head on June 1, 2023. The inventory was 3 percent below June 1, 2022.

Placements in feedlots during May totaled 1.96 million head, 5 percent above 2022. Net placements were 1.88 million head. During May, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 380,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 295,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 480,000 head, 800-899 pounds were 505,000 head, 900-999 pounds were 215,000 head, and 1,000 pounds and greater were 80,000 head.

Marketings of fed cattle during May totaled 1.95 million head, 2 percent above 2022.

I talked with a pair of market analysts about the report- one was Lance Zimmerman, Senior Beef and Cattle Market Research Analyst, Rabo AgriFinance who says that the placement number is concerning, at least in the short run.

“The biggest shocker in the report is the May Placements number being five percent above a year ago,” Zimmerman said.

He points out that is well above the range of pre-report guesses offered by analysts. While marketings were about as expected- it meant the on-feed number was not as low as the trade was anticipating.

Noble Research Institute to Host Hands-On Courses for Beginning and Experienced Regenerative Ranchers

Farm Director KC Sheperd is talking with Noble Research Institute agricultural consultant, Steven Smith, about the upcoming Essentials of Regenerative Ranching courses coming up and about the importance of regenerative ranching.

This new in-person program offers a two-day course in several different locations on a few different dates throughout Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas.

With plenty of conflicting information, it may be hard for ranchers to know where to begin when it comes to improving the health of soil and livestock. The upcoming conferences will talk about how to be a better steward of the land, while also focusing on profitability.

“What we are going to do is walk them through the six soil health principles, the four ecosystem processes, and then we will touch on some basic bookkeeping,” Smith said. “It is pretty surprising how many people think their glovebox is their accountant, but they need to be a little more precise than that.”

Producers will discover what limiting factors may be holding them back from achieving their agricultural goals, Smith said, and they will also talk about the basics of grazing management.

“We will spend the majority of the next day in the field,” Smith said.

Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Intern Maci Carter had a chance to visit with Lauren Minyard about the Women in Ag Conference she is hosting in August. Minyard shared what topics to expect, who the event will be beneficial for, where to sign up, and more.

“This year’s Women in Ag Conference will be made up of five different breakout sessions,” Minyard said. “There are 20 different topics in total.”

After reviewing last year’s evaluations, Minyard tried to curate the best breakout lineup possible for the desires of the attendees. From crops to calf production, grapes and all things winery, chickens, and her personal favorite, wills, and trusts, Minyard intends to cover a vast breadth of topics to cover as many interests as possible.

“This is open to anybody and everybody, so all ages, all skills,” Minyard said. “You can be just starting out, or you can be somebody who has been doing it for 20-30 plus years. It’s really open to anyone who would love to come, and we would love to have everyone there.”

Just as the topics are diverse, people from all backgrounds and experiences are welcome at the Women in Agriculture Conference. Minyard said she is sure there will be something there for everyone.

“I am, as you know, a female and a woman, a mom, I also have a farm; it’s really hard to be away overnight,” Minyard said. “So, we took this conference this year down to one day, but I will say that I have it packed full.”

USW, NAWG Applaud Introduction Of American Farmers Feed The World Act Of 2023

U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) joined the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) and other agricultural organizations at a June 22 press conference introducing the “American Farmers Feed the World Act of 2023,” a bipartisan effort to “keep food in America’s international food aid programs.”

U.S. Representatives Tracey Mann (KS), John Garamendi (CA), Rick Crawford (AR), and Jimmy Panetta (CA) introduced the legislation, which aims to restore the original intent of the Food for Peace program without spending additional Farm Bill resources, all while safeguarding the interests of U.S. farmers.

A fact sheet on the American Farmers Feed the World Act of 2023 can be found here.

“America’s international food aid programs have enjoyed bipartisan support for more than 65 years because they are simple, effective, and they feed millions of vulnerable people around the world each year,” said Mann. “Through these programs, America fortifies our allies, counters the influence of foreign adversaries, creates new markets and trading partners, and stops wars before they start. For decades, America has purchased and donated American-grown commodities to execute our foreign assistance programs. Over time, however, transferring cash and purchasing commodities from foreign competitors with Food for Peace dollars has become the norm. This shift has diminished transparency and accountability, reduced the procurement and shipment of American-grown food for hungry people, and jeopardized more than six decades of bipartisan support for our international food aid programs. This bill puts a stake in the ground: it’s a noble thing to feed hungry people, and we should use American commodities as we do it.”

Senators Stabenow and Ernst Introduce FARMLAND Act to Counter Chinese Purchases of US Farm Land

Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, are taking action to overhaul the current system that has allowed China’s malign influence to threaten American food security and national security by buying up agricultural land in the United States.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), foreign ownership and investment in U.S. agricultural land has nearly doubled over the last decade. While Iowa has laws on the books protecting its agriculture security from foreign investment, Ernst and Stabenow are taking action as a response to reports of China threatening America’s food supply and posing an even greater national security risk by acquiring U.S. farmland near military installations.

“Food security is national security. China, our nation’s number one pacing threat, is buying the farm and encroaching on land surrounding military bases. America needs to know how our foreign adversary has been allowed to use loopholes to attempt to exploit any potential vulnerability and assert control over our agriculture industry. I’m taking decisive action today to overhaul the system that has allowed this national security threat and work to combat our foreign adversaries, especially the Chinese Communist Party’s malign actions in our own backyard,” said Senator Ernst, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee and Committee on Agriculture.

“Food security is national security. This bill safeguards our nation’s farmland and food supply by overhauling the system for federal oversight of foreign land ownership. There is nothing more basic to our nation’s independence, safety and security than protecting our food supply from foreign ownership,” said Senator Debbie Stabenow, Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture.

State Legislative Report Suggests Oklahoma Should Divest Itself of School Land

A report released earlier this month from the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency recommends that the Commissioners of the Land Office for the state of Oklahoma divest itself from land holdings in the coming years.

Overseen by a state board chaired by the governor, the CLO manages about $2.3 billion in state land, property assets and investments in an effort to maximize financial returns for local public school districts and higher education institutions. Within its holdings, the CLO has 750,000 surface acres and 1.2 million mineral acres, along with other securities.

In 2022, the agency distributed $91.5 million to public school districts and $30.9 million to higher education entities in the state.

The Legislative Office found that the Land Office’s portfolio has “little impact” at this time given the state’s nearly $4 billion education budget, could grow in the future.

“The impact of CLO’s distributions is less due to investment strategy than it is to the growth in other state funding for education,” the report states. “At current funding levels, CLO’s trust fund corpus is unlikely to ever grow to a level that would make a significant impact on education funds, as the total value of all CLO’s permanent educational trust funds — which includes common and higher education — is less than the state’s annual legislative appropriations for common education alone.”