Legislators and Governor Celebrate Junior National Champions at The Capitol

Friends and family members gathered at the Oklahoma Capital to Honor the Oklahoma Junior National Champions on Tuesday. Legislators were on hand along with Ag Secretary Blayne Arthur, OCA’s Michael Kelsey, Heather Buckmaster, the Oklahoma Beef Council, and Governor Kevin Stitt to celebrate the winnings of these young showmen.

At the Capitol, Farm Director, KC Sheperd, had the chance to talk with the Deputy Commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Ag, Food, and Forestry, JanLee Rowlett, about this special event recognizing Oklahoma’s youth who have won awards for exhibiting cattle across the country in livestock shows. This is the second year and Governor Stitt and lawmakers have welcomed Junior Show winners to the capitol to celebrate.

“We are here celebrating Oklahoma’s youth that have been exhibiting cattle all summer across the country,” Rowlett said. “We have the National Junior Champion and Reserve Champions from several different breeds represented here. Oklahoma is, of course, a strong livestock state, especially when it comes to those youth programs. We are really fortunate to have so many great cattle and great kids represented here today.”

This experience allows the individuals at the event to get a behind-the-scenes look at the state Capitol, Rowlett said, and meet the Governor, state legislators, and more. Each youth award recipient had the chance to take a photo with Governor Kevin Stitt as he and Ag Secretary Blayne Arthur took the time to congratulate and get to know the families at the event.



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Oklahoma Wheat Commission Host Chilean Trade Delegation in Southwest Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Wheat Commission hosted a Chilean trade delegation last week in Southwest Oklahoma. This delegation sought information to understand all levels of the marketing chain of the Southern Plains region of the US, particularly looking at locations to source Hard Red Winter Wheat.  The group toured locations in Southwest Oklahoma, on Thursday, July 27th, with meetings held at Cenex, Harvest States in Frederick, Oklahoma. 

After lunch in Altus, members of the group toured Muller Farms with Matt and Kellie Muller, discussing crop rotations with wheat and cotton production. 

The delegation then met in Headrick, Oklahoma at a loading facility operated by Co-Mark Equity, with discussions on sourcing from other locations that included Coop Services, Lawton, OK and Planters Coop, Lone Wolf, OK. 

The group wrapped up the day with a trade dinner hosted by the Oklahoma Wheat Commission and Oklahoma Wheat Growers Association in Medicine Park, OK. A Memorandum of Understanding was entered into by the Chilean Millers, the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, (ODAFF) the Oklahoma Wheat Commission (OWC) and Oklahoma Wheat Growers Association (OWGA). 

OKFB Program Looks to Help Rural Businesses Plant Roots to Strengthen Communities

At the 2023 Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Convention and Trade Show, Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Intern Maci Carter had the chance to visit with Amarie Bartel, Rural Economic Development Coordinator of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau. Bartel and Carter talked about the Oklahoma Grassroots Rural & Ag Business Accelerators program.

The Oklahoma Grassroots Rural and Ag Business Accelerators program is a collaborative rural development initiative from Oklahoma Farm Bureau along with national and state-level partners that develops Oklahoma-based innovators creating ideas, technologies and products creating economic opportunities in rural Oklahoma.

Bartel explained the goal of the Oklahoma Grassroots Rural and Ag Business Accelerators program is to bolster, refine, and empower agricultural innovations of communities with populations of 50,000 individuals or less. These accelerators are educational curricula that Oklahoma Farm Bureau is using to strengthen and support businesses and build up small Oklahoma communities in return.

Within the program, Bartell said there are two different tracks for innovators to be involved in. The first track, she said, is called Cultivate Oklahoma, and the second is called Activate Oklahoma.

In this episode of Beef Buzz, I am talking with the president and CEO of the United States Meat Export Federation, Dan Halstrom, about meat exports around the globe.

Starting with South Korea, Halstrom said it continues to be a significant market as it had one of the largest inventories entering the year.

“The early year numbers probably don’t look so good, but we are starting to see momentum come back there,” Halstrom said. “The food service actually is probably a notch ahead of Japan and way ahead of China.”

As South Korea is well positioned, Halstrom said he expects to see a significant rebound.

In Japan, Halstrom said there is potential in the food service sector.

“The U.S. dollar has been pretty strong in a lot of these Asian countries, especially Japan,” Halstrom said. “We reached upwards of 145 yen to the dollar a few months ago; we are back down a little over 140 now, but that compares to 120 just a year ago.”

Halstrom was one of several key players in the beef arena that we talked to at last week's Summer Cattle Industry Business Meetings in San Diego- our coverage powered by Farm Data Services of Stillwater.

Abigail Logan takes top honor at State 4-H Roundup

Kind, dedicated and hardworking are three words used to describe Abigail Logan. The Payne County 4-H’er inspires others, is devoted to service and is 100% committed to the Oklahoma 4-H Youth Development program.

All of these qualities and more were recognized when Logan was inducted into the Oklahoma 4-H Hall of Fame, the most prestigious state 4-H Award. She was recognized at the Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma Honor Night Assembly during the 102nd State 4-H Roundup at Oklahoma State University. She received a $5,000 scholarship sponsored by Farm Credit Associations of Oklahoma.

Logan, a nine-year veteran of 4-H, was also awarded the $1,200 Advanced Family and Consumer Sciences Scholarship sponsored by the Oklahoma Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences and the Oklahoma Association for Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals, and the $1,200 Larry D. Anderson Memorial Scholarship sponsored by the Larry D. Anderson Memorial Endowment. In addition, she was named a member of the Blue Award Group.

Active in the Heritage 4-H Club, Logan has always had a love for trying new things and pushing herself out of her comfort zone. She found many opportunities to do this throughout her 4-H career.

Cooler Weather and Rain Chances on the Horizon

It's been a HOT July in Oklahoma, but According to State Climatologist Gary McManus, relief is coming and bringing with it a chance of rain.

"Rain chances should come back as early as Thursday up north and spread to the south as we get into the weekend," McManus said. "Maybe not as monumental as we saw in July, but enough to keep the clouds around and the dust settled.”

We did see quite a bit of rain throughout July, which is not typical for Oklahoma.

“The unusually wet and mild weather Oklahoma enjoyed through much of May and June continued into July, providing the state with uncharacteristic summertime drought relief," McManus said. "The Southern Plains heat dome still managed to meander its way, however, over Oklahoma for short periods, basting the state in intense heat and stifling humidity.”