Kelli Payne Shares the Story of AIM and Growing Paynes

Farm Director, KC Sheperd, had the opportunity to visit with Kelli Payne, of Growing Paynes in Mustang, Oklahoma, and co-founder of the AIM (Agriculture Immersion and Mentorship) Program. Payne and Sheperd talked about the AIM Program, her journey with Growing Paynes, agritourism, and more.

“AIM stands for Agricultural Immersion and Mentorship,” Payne said. “We wanted to introduce students to agriculture in a different way, give them some opportunities, not a full-fledged internship where you’re working for just one company all summer long, or just a shadow opportunity, but we wanted to take them around the state, and let them meet some people that have really done some great things in agriculture.”

Payne said AIM started as one of her many dreams that came to fruition when she saw there was a great need to fill. Now, she gives students an opportunity to get involved with agriculture in new ways.

“That coincided with trimming of all the strawberry plants in the greenhouses,” Payne said. “By the time they got done, tomato harvest was coming on, and pumpkin planting happened in between. So, they certainly had their work cut out for them.”

Payne said the interns came at a convenient time, being that she was gone for most of June. Payne credits her sister for helping with the program and said the students got to participate in a diverse set of experiences on her own farm.



Midwest Farm Shows is proud to produce the two best Farm Shows in the State of Oklahoma annually- the Tulsa Farm Show each December and the Oklahoma City Farm Show each April.

The Tulsa Farm Show is Oklahoma’s premier agricultural and ranching event- and returns to the SageNet Center (Expo Square) December, 7-8-9, 2023. 

Now is the ideal time to contact the Midwest Farm Show Office at 507-437-7969 and book space at the 2022 Tulsa Farm Show.  To learn more about the Tulsa Farm Show, click here. 



Some Ranchers Closer to Herd Rebuilding as Drought Eases- But Likely Not in Missouri or Kansas

As drought continues to play a big role in factors impacting the beef cattle sector in many states, I am back talking with Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist, Dr. Derrell Peel, about drought conditions in the top beef cattle states.

While Texas and Oklahoma’s drought conditions are now seeing improvements year-over-year, Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska are facing conditions that are worse than a year ago.

Oklahoma is now at 23 percent moderate drought or worse, down from a year ago at 62 percent. In Texas, moderate drought or worse is at 31 percent, down from last year’s 93 percent.

This year, Missouri is facing 81 percent moderate drought or worse, versus last year’s percentage of 40 percent. Kansas is currently facing 82 percent moderate drought or worse, versus last year’s percent of 47 percent. In Nebraska- it's severe drought or worse at 48% this year versus 41% in 2022.

Peel said while drought is better in Texas and Oklahoma, those conditions in other major beef cow states might hinder the rebuilding of the cow herd.



“We have still got drought in Kansas, parts of Missouri, and parts of Nebraska,” Peel said. “You know, the question from the broader market is if we have reduced that overall drought picture nationally to a point where drought is not really driving the overall cattle numbers as much, certainly for producers that are caught in that.”

Cattle Producers Praise Congressional Resolution Supporting Beef Checkoff

Cattle industry leaders praised the introduction of a bipartisan congressional resolution recognizing the importance of commodity checkoff programs, including the Beef Checkoff.

“As a cattle producer who invests in the Beef Checkoff, I know how important this program is to the continued success of America’s cattlemen and cattlewomen. The Beef Checkoff was created by cattle producers, is run by cattle producers, and provides immense benefit to cattle producers,” said National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Todd Wilkinson, a South Dakota cattle producer. “I am proud of Representative Barry Moore (R-AL) for leading this resolution and standing with cattle producers to recognize the importance of checkoff programs. I hope more members of Congress listen to farmers and ranchers and reject animal rights activist-led proposals like the OFF Act that undermine producer control of checkoffs.”

Every time cattle are sold in the U.S., $1 from the sale goes to support the Beef Checkoff. These investments are collected by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB), a producer-led organization overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Each year, industry organizations, research institutions, and land grant universities develop proposals focused on strengthening beef demand through research, consumer education, marketing, and promotion efforts. The cattlemen and cattlewomen that volunteer their time to serve on the Beef Board, as appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture, determine which proposals to fund. The organizations that receive funding become contractors to the Beef Checkoff and undergo regular audits to ensure the judicious use of producer dollars and compliance to the program.

Dr. Deke Alkire with the Noble Research Institute has several time- and labor-saving ideas that he is offering cattle producers- here are a couple:

FOUR-WHEELER CATTLE GUARD

Most people do not like to open and shut gates. This has led to countless escaped animals, arguments and reprimands. Cattle guards are common along pasture roads that are frequently traveled, but they can be expensive. There are places where it would be handy to cross a fence but a full-size cattle guard is not justifiable. For cattle producers who use a four-wheeler, a smaller version of a cattle guard is a good idea. These only need to support the weight of your four-wheeler, so they can be can be constructed for much less than a full-size version. Elevating the tire path helps prevent cows from jumping across it.

The four-wheeler cattle guard photo is of Noble Research Institute cooperator Jan Lee’s design, but there are many others online. Search for four-wheeler cattle guards.

ELECTRIC CATTLE GUARD

If you already have an electric fence nearby, another option is an electric cattle guard. These are inexpensive and easy to build. Devlon Ford wrote a great article describing how to build one: Electric cattle guard saves time.

2023 National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) results

Over 750 Angus juniors and their families traveled to Grand Island, Neb., to compete in the 2023 National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) July 1-8 at Five Points Bank Arena.

National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) members transformed into “Guardians of the Plains” as they exhibited 1,096 entries during the weeklong event that included more than a dozen educational contests in addition to the cattle show.

            Jirl Buck, Madill, Okla., judged owned heifers; Ethan Moore, Madill, Okla., assisted in judging 619 owned heifers; Jarold Callahan, Edmond, Okla., judged the 220 bred-and-owned heifers, 61 bulls and 37 cow-calf pairs; Ryan Callahan, Edmond, Okla., assisted in judging bred-and-owned heifers; Brigham Stewart, Washington, Kan., judged the 68 steers; and Joe Myers, Harrodsburg, Ky., judged the 91 phenotype and genotype heifers.

            Ty Collum, Perkins, Okla., led the grand champion owned female. Conley DT Georgina 1076 is a September 2021 daughter of Colburn Primo 5153 and first won early senior champion.

           Kathryn Coleman, Modesto, Calif., led the reserve grand champion owned female. BCII SC FTZS Sandy 3122 is a March 2022 daughter of KR Cadillac Ranch and first won junior champion – division 4.

           Sara Sullivan, Dunlap, Iowa, won third overall champion owned female with UDE Queen Ruth 2003. She is the January 2022 daughter of KR Casino 6243 and first claimed junior champion – division 7.

USCA Attends White House Roundtable on Competition

On Thursday, the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) participated in a meeting hosted by the White House and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to discuss legislative competition priorities.

USCA Executive Vice President Lia Biondo, who attended the convening, issued the following statement: 

“Today’s discussion marks continued progress on the Biden-Harris Action Plan for a fairer, more competitive producer marketplace. Since its release in 2022, the Action Plan has guided administrative and legislative action to build a more resilient meat and poultry supply chain.

“USCA is pleased with the Biden Administration’s support of critical cattle market reform legislation, as outlined in the Action Plan. A study compiled by Texas A&M’s Agricultural and Food Policy Center forecasted that without enactment of legislation like the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act, negotiated trade in Texas-Oklahoma-New Mexico is expected to fall to zero percent by 2026. Zero percent negotiated trade is a wholly, vertically consolidated industry. 

“USCA looks forward to working with the Biden Administration and Congress to build a better business climate for independent producers, as outlined in the Action Plan and discussed at today’s listening session.”