Subject: Oklahoma's Farm News Update
From: Ron Hays <ronphays@cox.net>
Date: 8/1/2018 5:31 AM
To: ron@ronhays.com



 
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We invite you to listen to us on great radio stations across the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network weekdays- if you missed this morning's Farm News - or you are in an area where you can't hear it-  click here for this morning's Farm newsfrom Carson Horn on RON.
 

 
 
MarketLinksLet's Check the Markets!  



OKC West is our Market Links Sponsor- they sell cattle three days a week- Cows on Mondays, Stockers on Tuesday and Feeders on Wednesday- Call 405-262-8800 to learn more.

 
   
FedCattleExchange.com has a total of 1,060 cattle on their showlist for the Wednesday, August 1st sale of finished cattle- details will be available after noon today by clicking here.
 
 
Steer and heifer calves trade mostly steady on comparable sales Tuesday compared to last week at OKC West - click or tap here for a look at the July 31st sale results.


Today's First Look:
mornings with cash and futures reviewed- includes where the Cash Cattle market stands, the latest Feeder Cattle Markets Etc.
 
 
Each afternoon we are posting a recap of that day's markets as analyzed by Justin Lewis of KIS futuresclick or tap here for the report posted yesterday afternoon around 3:30 PM.
 
 
Okla Cash Grain:  
Daily Oklahoma Cash Grain Prices- as reported by the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture on Tuesday, July 31st.
 
  
Futures Wrap:  
Our Daily Market Wrapup from the Radio Oklahoma Network - analyzing the Futures Markets from the previous Day.
 
Feeder Cattle Recap:  
The National Daily Feeder & Stocker Cattle Summary- as prepared by USDA.
 
Slaughter Cattle Recap: 
The National Daily Slaughter Cattle Summary- as prepared by the USDA.
 
TCFA Feedlot Recap:  
Finally, here is the Daily Volume and Price Summary from the Texas Cattle Feeders Association.
 


 
Our Oklahoma Farm Report Team!!!!
 
Ron Hays, Senior Farm Director and Editor

Carson Horn, Associate Farm Director and Editor
 
Pam Arterburn, Calendar and Template Manager
 
Dave Lanning, Markets and Production
 
Oklahoma's Latest Farm and Ranch News

Your Update from Ron Hays of RON
   Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Howdy Neighbors! 

Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update. 
 
FPFFarmBillFeatured Story:


Let's take a look at what is happening in US trade relations, as far as agriculture is at least concerned. Right now, China has levied a 25 percent tariff on $34 billion worth of US goods, including cotton; soybean futures as a result have hit a nine-year low; Mexican tariffs on dairy products have risen as much as 25 percent; Turkey has targeted rice with their own tariffs and now Russia is stealing market share away from our wheat industry. That's just an abbreviated snapshot of the current economic environment we're in... which unfortunately has overshadowed the major legislative wins we've actually seen transpire over the past few months regarding the Farm Bill. Farm Policy Facts published an op-ed this week depicting the sobering situation we find ourselves in at the moment as agriculturists, referencing two reports on the financial health of the farm economy - both of which describe the situation as deteriorating weakening and increasingly risky.


So, the question on everyone's minds is of course - what can be done to fix the situation?


Well, according to Farm Policy Facts, "the White House took a positive first step in that direction last week in announcing a relief package designed to help offset the losses farmers and ranchers have faced as a result of the unwarranted foreign actions."


But keeping in mind this action is only a temporary fix, Larry Combest, a former chairman of the House Agriculture Committee and architect of the 2002 Farm Bill, believes securing a permanent solution falls to the current Farm Bill conferees.


"'The key will be to act swiftly in a bipartisan manner and conclude work on the current Farm Bill as soon as possible," he told Farm Policy Facts. "The farm policies in the bill are strong, but conferees should be open to strengthening them even more if it can help farmers weather this current storm."


Combest says lawmakers and administration officials must also remain vigilant during this time to press for free and fair trade abroad by tearing down barriers and using all tools available to fight illegal foreign subsidies and government policies.


"'There are far too many cases of our trading partners cheating the system and looking to disadvantage rural America," he concluded. "Standing up and fighting for America's farmers and ranchers is a winning issue for elected officials, and it's the right thing to do.'"
 

Click here to read the complete op-ed piece up on our website and learn more about Combest's position on the Farm Bill as the ag industry's saving grace in these harsh economic times.

Sponsor Spotlight
 
 
The Oklahoma Farm Bureau - a grassroots organization that has for its Mission Statement- Improving the Lives of Rural Oklahomans."  Farm Bureau, as the state's largest general farm organization, is active at the State Capitol fighting for the best interests of its members and working with other groups to make certain that the interests of rural Oklahoma are protected. 

During the month of August- Farm Bureau has a series of Grassroots Meetings that are designed to offer members updates on key issues- and to begin the process of developing policy at the local level to be considered later in the fall at the state level. 

 Click here for their website to learn more about the organization and how it can benefit you to be a part of Farm Bureau.

APCLittle by Little, Real Progress Being Made to Break Pecans Out of the Pie Shell in Consumers' Minds

In recent months, the American Pecan Council has made some great strides in its mission to break the pecan out of the pie shell in consumers' minds. With the help of their agency of record, Weber-Shandwick, the APC has successfully launched its first national branding campaign. We caught up with Sarah Yaffe of Weber-Shandwick during the APC's last board meeting recently. She brought us up to speed on the ad agency's efforts to promote pecans as America's Original Supernut and spread its message that pecans are nutritious, delicious, versatile and local - being the only tree nut indigenous to the US.


"This is not just something that happens overnight, as much as we would like it to be," she said. "But we think we are starting to change perceptions. We are starting to see some real traction, but again it is early days and we've got to keep going and not let our foot up off the gas."

 
With roughly a year under their belts now, though, the APC and Weber-Shandwick are already working together on plans for next year to keep up the momentum they've started. Yaffe says a significant part of that plan will include social media as a primary channel for reaching potential customers and spreading the message that pecans are more than just a seasonal pie filling. In this initial phase of the campaign, Yaffe says social media stole the show as the tool with the most ROI. She insists that she will continue to put resources towards the things that prove to be have the most value and influence.


"Today's consumers have their phone in their hand all the time. It's their connection to the world and for us, social media is an important way to intersect our consumer because that's where they are," she said. "So, we have to make sure our stories and our content are there."


You can learn more about all that the APC is doing to reinvent consumers' perception of pecans, by clicking here to listen to the complete interview with Yaffe.

One of the big parts of the brand rollout for the Pecan was in New York City- here's a video that captures what that looked like:



BUZZAs Industry Debates the Need of Traceability - the Performance Food Group Proves Program's Value

The US beef cattle industry has been talking about the need for traceability for years - all the way back since the Cow That Stole Christmas in 2003 and even beyond. Dr. Brad Morgan with the Performance Food Group told uin a recent interview, that having a reliable traceability system in place is something the customers he works with truly want.


"We finally just decided we were going to go ahead and do it ourselves. We call it "Path Proven," that's our marketing term for it," Morgan said. "But, we take a DNA sample from each one of the cattle that go into our program. We can take a hamburger patty for instance and tell you exactly which carcass it came from."


Morgan says this system does three things for PFG and its customers. First of all, if there is ever a problem with any products sold to a customer, a sample of meat (cooked or raw) from the product can be taken and its DNA tested to see if the product did in fact come from PFG's Braveheart beef program. That helps to resolve most any issues that may arise. Secondly, Morgan says it keeps the packers honest. With the check-points in place, PFG can ensure that the meat being packaged under their brand is in fact from the cattle that have entered their program. Finally, it is a way to provide one of the most important selling points to customers - consistency of quality. Morgan says when high-quality beef is recognized, they trace it back to the ranch from which it originated so they know where to return for more high-quality beef. But to the industry's credit, Morgan says he has never seen such a quality herd than the one we have now.


"I think we're maxed out on carcass weight. These cattle are too big, but we can't get them any bigger," he said but added. "So, that's something, but from a marbling standpoint, from a quality standpoint...It's the best I've ever seen as a whole."


Listen to Morgan and I discuss PFG's traceability system and the value it adds to their program, on yesterday's Beef Buzz - click here.


AAAHSUS- "We all want more Laws for Animals" Animal Ag Alliance Reviews Their Latest Activist Rhetoric

The Animal Agriculture Alliance has just released a report detailing observations from the Taking Action for Animals Conference, held July 20 - 23 in Arlington, Va. The event was organized by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).


"Farmers, ranchers and food companies are under constant pressure from animal rights activist groups who want to eliminate meat, dairy and eggs from everyone's plate," said Kay Johnson Smith, Alliance president and CEO. "HSUS may not seem as extreme as many activist groups, but they share the same vegan agenda. We hope this report along with our report from the 2018 National Animal Rights Conference will help farmers, ranchers, veterinarians and all those dedicated to providing a safe food supply prepare for activist tactics and threats. Likewise, we hope they shed light on groups that fundraise on pets to help consumers better understand their true agenda."


Speakers at the conference focused on how to work with legislators on passing bills that make raising livestock and poultry more difficult for farmers and ranchers. "We are reaching in our toolbox and using everything we can," said Kitty Block, HSUS acting president and CEO. "The single most important thing you can do is build a relationship with your legislator," added Kristen Tullo, HSUS Pennsylvania state director. "We all want more laws for animals," said Carol Misseldine, HSUS senior director of grassroots and engagement. 

Click or tap here for more on what the Alliance heard at that HSUS gathering.


Sponsor Spotlight

 
KIS FUTURES specializes in Futures and Options for Institutions, Commercials, Hedgers, and Individual Traders and executes trades for its clients in the following markets: Livestock, Grains, Energy, Metals, Softs, Financials, Currencies, and Stock Index Futures. For more information, please give them a call Toll Free at (800) 256-2555. Click here for their website to learn more.


And- their iPhone App, which provides all electronic futures quotes is available at the App Store-
click here for the KIS Futures App for your iPhone.   

SELKOSU's Glenn Selk Reminds Producers to "Preg" Check and Cull "Open" Replacement Heifers Early

In his article for this week's edition of the Cow/Calf Corner newsletter, Glenn Selk identifies strategies to help beef producers effectively "preg" check and cull their cattle. His primary piece of advice, is to do both of these tasks early on. By doing so, he says you are serving three very economically important valuable purposes.


1) Identifying and culling open heifers early will remove sub-fertile females from the herd and makes sense to remove this genetic material from the herd so as to not proliferate females that are difficult to get bred. 


2) Culling open heifers early will reduce summer forage and winter costs. If the rancher waits until next spring to find out which heifers do not calve, the pasture use and winter feed expense will still be lost and there will be no calf to eventually help pay the bills.


3) Identifying the open heifers shortly after (60 days) the breeding season is over will allow for marketing the heifers while still young enough to go to a feedlot and be fed for the choice beef market.


"Certainly the percentage of open heifers will vary from ranch to ranch. Do not be overly concerned, if after a good heifer development program and adequate breeding season, that you find that 10% of the heifers still are not bred," he writes. "Resist the temptation to keep these open heifers and "roll them over" to a fall-calving herd. These are the very heifers that you want to identify early and remove from the herd. It just makes good economic business sense to identify and cull non-pregnant replacement heifers as soon as possible."
 

Click here to read Selk's full article for more advice on how to form your strategy for preg checking and culling this season.


FFANational FFA and Microsoft Partner to Bring Innovation to More Than 650,000 Students Nationwide


The National FFA Organization and Microsoft Corp., last Thursday announced their collaboration to bring innovative technology, science, research and entrepreneurship to the classrooms of the more than 650,000 FFA student members nationwide through an initiative known as Blue 365. 


A statement announcing the new partnership implied that the modern food and agriculture industries are becoming increasingly reliant on precision agriculture, big data, cloud technology, robotic systems, advanced communications and other sophisticated technologies. Blue 365 will serve as a catalyst for evolving sustainability, innovative efficiency and preparing the future leaders who will solve the world's critical agricultural challenges.


"Today's FFA members are our future industry leaders," said National FFA CEO Mark Poeschl. "The future relies on connecting diversity of innovational approach, solutions-orientation and cutting-edge technology. We are excited that Microsoft shares our vision of Blue 365. Through agricultural education and FFA, our members are evolving their skill sets for the 21st century demands; they will be the change in our industry. Blue 365 can be the spark needed to create the next big idea in agriculture." 


Microsoft's participation in Blue 365 is part of its commitment to helping people who may be impacted by technological advances and builds on its civic-centric TechSpark initiative launched last year. Blue 365 will be unveiled in Indianapolis, Ind., this October at the 91st National FFA Convention & Expo, the nation's largest student convention. Click over to the Agri-Innovations page on our website to learn more about Blue 365 and Microsoft's TechSpark initiative.

ArystaArysta Gets EPA Registration for Batalium- Offering a New Wheat Weed Control Option

Wheat farmers are getting yet another tool in the weed control toolbox- this one from Arysta Crop Science, as they announce the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has granted registration for BATALIUM™ Herbicide for use in spring, durum and winter wheat.


BATALIUM is a cross-spectrum herbicide that provides rapid and long-lasting control of tough grasses in wheat while also eliminating a wide spectrum of broadleaf weeds, all in one application. Its three distinct modes of action, in Groups 2, 4 and 6, also make the herbicide a valuable resistance management tool.


"BATALIUM offers unmatched weed control and flexibility that meets the growing demands of wheat growers, today and in the future," said Kathy Seitzinger, Marketing Manager - Herbicides, Arysta LifeScience. "By simplifying grass and broadleaf weed control with one application, BATALIUM is a better way to control weeds, helping wheat growers achieve more efficient weed control and simply get more done."

Click or tap here to read more about this newest product for wheat producers in their battle to stay ahead of weeds in their fields.

Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, P & K EquipmentLivestock Exchange at the Oklahoma National Stockyards, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Stillwater Milling Company, National Livestock Credit CorporationOklahoma Beef Council, Oklahoma AgCredit,  the Oklahoma Cattlemens Association, and  KIS Futures for their support of our daily Farm News Update. For your convenience, we have our sponsors' websites linked here- just click on their name to jump to their website- check their sites out and let these folks know you appreciate the support of this daily email, as their sponsorship helps us keep this arriving in your inbox on a regular basis- at NO Charge!


We also appreciate our Market Links Sponsor - OKC West Livestock! 
 
 
We invite you to check out our website at the link below too that includes an archive of these daily emails, audio reports and top farm news story links from around the globe.   
 

 
God Bless! You can reach us at the following:  
 
phone: 405-473-6144
 

 



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