While the US Senate was able to finish the National Defense Appropriations Bill before leaving for the August Congressional recess this past week- the House was unable to get the FY2024 Appropriations for agriculture complete before they left town at the end of this past week for six weeks for their version of an August recess.

House Conservatives wanted more cuts in HR 4368- the Fiscal Year 2024 Ag Appropriations Bill- titled the Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration Related Agencies Appropriation Act of 2024- and that along with 189 amendments that were filed by lawmakers and being considered by the House Rules Committee that is chaired by Oklahoma Congressman Tom Cole prevented the Appropriations Committee from finishing their work before leaving town. Here’s the link from the Rules Committee that offers a quick review of all 189 amendments.

Among the 189 amendments was one spotlighted by multiple ag groups as being concerning- amendment 113 offered by Victoria Spartz of Indiana. We reported on it in our Beef Buzz from San Diego with NCBA’s Ethan Lane.

“At the beginning of this Congress, we watched the speaker fight where they were negotiating the rules, and some of the rules they negotiated were around how the amendment processes would work,” Lane said. “Open amendment process leads to the kind of appropriations process we are seeing now. They have got to pass an appropriations bill to find the government every year, but if you have that in a really open format, sometimes it draws some pretty wild stuff out of the woodwork in the form of last-minute, half-baked amendments, and certainly, we have seen a few of those this week, including this amendment from Victoria Spartz, this congresswoman from Indiana.”

Lane said Spartz is seeking to stop the use of federal funding in Beef Checkoff programs, and any checkoff programs in general.

“We don’t use any federal funds to implement the Checkoff programs, so it is sort of an odd amendment, but unfortunately not necessarily out of character for what we see during these kind of wild open amendment processes,” Lane said.

In our report found at Oklahoma Farm Report- we talk about the battle between GOP Leadership and the House Freedom Caucus that is making it hard to get an Ag Approps bill- and will make it very hard to get traction on producing a 2023 Farm Bill. Our story is linked in the blue button below.



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. 



Lucas Votes to Repeal Endangered Listing of the Lesser Prairie Chicken

Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03) released the following statement today after voting on a resolution which would repeal the lesser prairie chicken’s status as a threatened species, returning autonomy to local farmers, ranchers, and wildlife agencies in Oklahoma.

“Oklahomans are proud conservationists and great stewards of our land. We recognize that sustainable, healthy land serves as the lifeblood of our rural communities. However, listing the Lesser Prairie Chicken as a threatened species creates unnecessary burdens on our ability to not only provide for ourselves, but the entire world,” said Rep. Frank Lucas. “S.J. Res. 9 ensures these onerous and needless regulations do not infringe on our daily lives.”

BACKGROUND:

On November 25, 2022, the Fish and Wildlife Service published a final rule that added the lesser prairie-chicken to the federal endangered species list and created two distinct population segments (DPS) with different levels of protections. The species would be listed as threatened in the Northern DPS, which covers areas in

Oklahoma. S.J. Res 9 would repeal the Service’s 2022 listing and return the lesser prairie chicken to being managed by state wildlife agencies within its range. A summary of the S.J. Res. 9 can be viewed here.

Click below to read reactions from NCBA and Josh Brecheen:

• NCBA Welcomes House Passage of Two ESA Resolutions

• Congressman Josh Brecheen Stands Up for Oklahoma Farmers and Ranchers; Fights Back Against Biden Wildlife Overreach

Jake Nelson of Ralph’s Packing Co. Voices Concerns with Foreign Materials in Beef

Maci Carter, Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Intern, had the opportunity to talk with Jake Nelson, Food Safety Coordinator at Ralph’s Packing Co. after he presented at the 2023 Annual Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Convention and Trade Show. Nelson and Carter discussed issues with foreign materials in the packing industry as well as injection site lesions and how that impacts the food supply chain.

Nelson said he has been working at Ralph’s full-time since January of 2021. According to Nelson, the largest issue in the meat packing industry is foreign materials being found in the beef,

“The issue that seems to be creeping back up to us right now is the presence of lead shot, birdshot, buckshot, and things that come out of the shotgun out of a firearm,” Nelson said.

Nelson said that while this issue isn’t new, it is becoming a more prevalent topic of conversation in the packing industry.

“When I talk to colleagues across the industry, unfortunately, they’re starting to see an uptick in frequency as well,” Nelson said. “Whether it’s the beef production sector, whether it’s the hunting community, whether it’s kids out having fun, we don’t know, you know, things happen, and we see it, but we really need to stop because this is our food supply.”

At the Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting, I caught up with the CEO of CattleFax, Randy Blach. Blach talks with Hays about rebuilding the U.S. cow herd.

Our coverage from the 2023 Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting in San Diego is being powered by Farm Data Services of Stillwater.

Looking at the latest Cattle Inventory Report released by USDA, Blach said the July beef cow numbers are the smallest on record going back to around 1970.

“Beef cow slaughter is down about 700,000 head in 2023, but that is still a liquidation pace,” Blach said. “When you think about where we have gone and how much we have downsized, we have got to see beef cow slaughter drop further than that to actually get us back into expansion.”

As an industry, Black said cow liquidation and heifer retention have not begun in large fashion yet, but it is coming. Blach added that he could see producers retaining females from this current calf crop.

Oklahoma CattleWomen Distributes Annual Scholarships

The Oklahoma CattleWomen, Inc. (OCW) distributed its 2023 scholarships at the Oklahoma Cattle Convention on July 21 and 22 in Norman, Okla. The second annual scholarship was awarded to Riley Luginbill of Orlando, Okla. This $1,000 scholarship is awarded to a full-time college student who is an active and productive member of the Oklahoma Collegiate CattleWomen (OCCW).  

This scholarship was created in honor of Oklahoma CattleWomen member and friend, Nancy Buckminster and her dedication to the beef community and to OCW, who passed away in late 2021. This scholarship was first awarded in 2022 to honor the memory of longtime OCW member. 

Luginbill is studying agricultural education at Oklahoma State University (OSU), where she will once again serve on the officer team for OCCW. This organization is for young women at Oklahoma State University who share an interest in supporting and promoting the beef industry.  

Dairy MAX Celebrated National Dairy Month with Passion for Pints Blood Drives 

In celebration of National Dairy Month Dairy MAX hosted a series of blood drives across the region to emphasize the importance of blood donation and the role of dairy in maintaining overall health.

National Dairy Month is a time to recognize the significant contributions of the dairy industry and its products to our daily lives. In line with this, Dairy MAX takes a unique approach to celebrate by partnering with blood centers across the region to host Passion for Pints blood drives. These blood drives not only highlight the vital role of blood donation in saving lives, but also underscore the connection between dairy consumption and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

In more than 400 drives across Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Colorado, 13,465 units were donated which has the potential of impacting over 40,000 lives. By merging the act of blood donation with the celebration of dairy, Dairy MAX aims to raise awareness about both the importance of donating blood and the nutritional benefits of dairy products. Blood donors received giveaway items including a commemorative t-shirt, a squeeze cow, a recipe book featuring dairy foods, and dairy products for post-blood donation recovery (at select locations).

Beaver County Fair-Cimarron Territory Celebration Schedule Jam-Packed with Activities and Events

Associate Farm Editor, Reagan Calk, had the chance to visit with Mary Chris Barth about the Beaver County Fair and Cimarron Territory Celebration coming up on August 22 through 26 at the Beaver County Fairgrounds in Beaver, Oklahoma.

The five-day event will begin on Tuesday at 5 p.m., Barth said, with a farmers’ market and a Chuckwagon meal. Both will be in air-conditioned facilities, she added, and there will be an authentic chuckwagon present.

“Meat will be from locally sourced producers within Cimarron territory,” Barth said.

On Wednesday, the festivities will begin with the Cow Chip Parade Marshall and Queen reception at First Security Bank’s Pioneer room from 2 to 4 p.m., Barth said, then those individuals will be honored later in the day at the Old-Fashioned Church Service at the Presbyterian Church in Beaver.

“That is the oldest church in the panhandle, and it has operated continuously since construction,” Barth said.