Finally- Wheat Harvest 90% Done According to the Oklahoma Wheat Commission

The Oklahoma Wheat Harvest is wrapping up in most locations across the state with the exception of some locations in the Panhandle, North Central Oklahoma, East of Enid on the 412 Hwy corridor, and areas along the I-35 corridor around Tonkawa/Ponca City/Blackwell and Braman.(this area is considered only 70% done and rains this weekend may force farmers to abandon the remaining fields not yet harvested)

The Oklahoma Wheat Commission is calling harvest 90% complete.

Harvest is also just getting a good start on the irrigated wheat in the Panhandle regions. Not much dryland wheat will be harvested in the Panhandle, and in many areas producers will be harvesting for seed wheat with very little going to the elevators. It is thought some elevator locations will take in 25% of what is generally taken within a normal year. Other locations where irrigation is not utilized, might be fortunate to take in 5% of what they would in a normal year.  Harvest is considered completed in most all other regions with a few minor exceptions of producers needing to get some fields out. The rain has continued to hinder producers in several of those locations and it will remain to be seen if producers will try to finish cutting if the rains continue through this weekend in Central and Northern Oklahoma. 

Test weight and quality has held up for the most part with not much sprout damage being reported; however producers have been fighting with mud and terrible weed issues. Some are utilizing harvest aides, but if the rain continues it is thought several acres will be abandoned because the quality with yields will make the remainder of the crop not salvageable.

This will be the final harvest report published by the Oklahoma Wheat Commission for the 2023 season.



Oklahoma Farm Bureau works to improve the lives of all Oklahomans by supporting our state’s agriculture community. As Oklahoma’s largest general farm organization led by Oklahoma farmers and ranchers, OKFB takes grassroots values and advocates for agriculture at the state Capitol and in Washington, D.C., to ensure our way of life continues for generations to come. Farm Bureau hosts leadership events, supports our state’s agricultural youth and connects consumers with agriculture in order to build a brighter future for our state. Become an OKFB member today online at okfarmbureau.org/join. Together, we are rural Oklahoma.

Latest Meat Demand Monitor Shows Meat Demand Slipping in Month of June

In this episode of Beef Buzz, I am visiting with Kansas State University Extension Livestock Market Economist Dr. Glynn Tonsor, about the latest information from the meat demand monitor he oversees at Kansas State. The monitor works with both the beef and pork checkoffs in tracking retail and food service meat demand on a monthly basis.

Tonsor said the latest data shows some issues regarding meat demand looking back at the month of June.

“The punchline in June is the domestic retail channel, demand slipped compared to May for six of the eight products that we track, and that includes both beef and pork products we track,” Tonsor said.

In June, Tonsor said beef and pork retail was down compared to May and compared to the previous year. Demand for all eight evaluated meals in the food service category was down from May, Tonsor said, specifically the dinner meal.

“All four in the beef and pork space we track are down versus June of 2022,” Tonsor said. “So, a simple and unfortunate summary is this metric shows June domestic meat demand fell compared to May and is lower than June of 2022.”

Tonsor also talked about consumers making different purchasing decisions because of high prices. Those who are less likely to eat at a restaurant, he said, also are more likely to make more cost-efficient decisions at the grocery store.

Interstate Movement of Animals and Livestock Checkpoints

On today’s Cow-Calf Corner, Dr. Rosslyn Biggs, OSU College of Veterinary Medicine Extension Beef Cattle Veterinarian talks about interstate movement of animals and livestock checkpoints.

Interstate movement requirements of animals, especially livestock, vary according to the state of destination. These requirements have existed for years to facilitate trade and prevent the spread of disease. Requirements are enforced by states in different manners including checkpoints at state borders.

Owners should always confirm requirements and coordinate with their veterinarian well in advance of shipment as inspection, testing, vaccination, and identification of the animals may be required. In most cases a certificate of veterinary inspection (CVI), commonly called a health certificate, must be issued by a veterinarian that is licensed and USDA accredited documenting the animals meets entry requirements.

CVIs must be accurately completed and issued by a veterinarian within the appropriate time frame according to the state of destination entry requirements. Entry requirements do change especially if a disease outbreak occurs so animal owners and veterinarians must check entry requirements prior to each individual shipment. In general, any animal that is affected, exposed, or quarantined for an infectious, contagious, or communicable disease may not be issued a CVI for movement.

Courtney Bir Talks Beekeeping, Hive Management and More

Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Intern Maci Carter had the chance to visit with Courtney Bir, an OSU Extension Farm Management Specialist. Bir and Carter discussed upcoming bee workshops, her own bee farm, how to handle unwanted swarms and hives, and her take on “Save the bees”.

“We have two main workshops,” Bir said. “The first one is July 26, from nine to three in Oklahoma County, and then September 7, we have a workshop in Tulsa County.”

Bir was excited to share that OSU Extension has a few beekeeping workshops coming up in the near future. She shared that registration will be $20, and you can register through OSU Extension.

“The Oklahoma City one is more geared towards beginners,” Bir said. “The Tulsa one will go into a little bit more advanced topics.”

Some information Bir said attendees could expect is how to get started, common pitfalls, the economics of beekeeping, regulations, labeling laws, opportunities for beekeepers to participate in government programs, and more.

Sorghum industry leaders are marking a milestone in the industry as July 1, 2023 marked the 15th anniversary of the United Sorghum Checkoff Program, the leading producer-funded organization championing the sorghum industry in the United States. Since its founding, the Sorghum Checkoff has dedicated its efforts to advancing sorghum profitability through innovative research, promotion and education.

“We’ve made significant strides in the past 15 years, and we’re deeply committed to continuing to advance the crop for U.S. sorghum producers and end-users across the world,” Sorghum Checkoff CEO Tim Lust said. “Our 13-member board of sorghum producers located across the U.S. has invested over $46 million into research aimed at optimizing sorghum as a robust, profitable crop for several value-added end-use markets. These strategic projects and collaborations in research, education and market development have been pivotal to the sorghum industry’s success and are anticipated to stimulate further growth.”

Over the past decade-and-a-half, the Sorghum Checkoff has made significant strides, including funneling resources into cutting-edge research to advance production techniques. Key agronomic milestones include the introduction of the first-ever over-the-top weed and grass control in sorghum, the development of sugarcane aphid-tolerant hybrids and the potential to fast-track breeding methods due to the discovery of doubled haploid in sorghum.

The Sorghum Checkoff has also played a key role in expanding international markets, specifically in countries like China, and it has significantly boosted public awareness about the nutritional and environmental benefits, establishing sorghum as a versatile crop. 

Biofuel, Farm, Fuel Marketer Groups Urge Fairness in Tailpipe Emissions Standards

America’s farmers, fuel marketers and retailers, and renewable fuel producers today called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to adopt a market-oriented, technology-neutral approach to transportation decarbonization in its upcoming final tailpipe emissions standards for 2027-2032 light- and medium-duty vehicles. 

In a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan, seven national associations representing the full spectrum of the renewable fuel supply chain, said the proposed rule favors electric vehicles while failing to consider the decarbonization potential of existing biofuels that can improve the emissions profile of the vast majority of cars on the road today. The organizations recommend that EPA account for all emissions relating to different fuel and engine technologies and equitably incentivize emissions reductions from all of those technologies.

“EPA should use the best available science to accurately account for the full lifecycle carbon intensity associated with particular fuels and technologies, but its proposed approach ignores the significant upstream emissions from electricity generation associated with electric vehicles,” the groups said. “Incentives for alternative fuel technologies should be tied to those technologies’ full lifecycle environmental attributes rather than a single cherry-picked step in the lifecycle (i.e., tailpipe emissions).”

Historical Review of the U.S. Beef Cattle Industry – Part 2 – The Modern Industry

Mark Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Breeding Specialist, offers herd health advice as part of the weekly series known as the “Cow Calf Corner” published electronically by Dr. Peel, Mark Johnson, and Paul Beck. Today, Johnson talks about part two of a historical review of the beef cattle industry.

During the first half of the 20th century a selection trend developed and then intensified toward earlier maturing, smaller framed cattle. In the 1950s, surplus feed grains and consumer demand for grain finished beef led to the advent of the commercial feedlot. “Snorter Dwarfism” was reported in 1951, which is believed to have been the result of intense selection for extremely small frame cattle.

By the 1960s the U.S. was primarily populated by Angus, Hereford and Shorthorn cattle of the small framed, “comprest” variety. Crossbreeding was considered sacrilegious by many cattle breeders. The modern feedlot industry was expanding in response to cheap feed and consumer demand for grain finished beef. The industry was searching for cattle that could be pushed to heavier finished weights without becoming over fat. The carcass yield grading system was adopted in 1965. Charolais cattle had been imported from Mexico in 1936, but the feedlot performance of the Charolais crossbred steer in the 1960s created an awareness of the lean growth potential offered by the Continental European breeds. Simmental cattle were reintroduced, the Limousin breed was imported and a “breeds revolutions” started that would see dozens of breeds imported to the U.S. over the next 15 years. By the end of the 1960s cattle breeders, in all breeds, were selecting for larger framed, leaner, later maturing type. In the 1970s crossbreeding became widespread practice in the commercial cow-calf industry. Intense selection for larger type would continue into the late 1980s.