Oklahoma Cotton Crop Started Off Strong but Mother Nature Might be Taking a Toll

Farm Director, KC Sheperd, had the chance to catch up with Mark Nichols, a cotton grower from Altus, Oklahoma. Nichols serves as ACP (American Cotton Producers) Producer Chairman for Oklahoma.

“It started off really well,” Nichols said. “We, you know, all across the state got pretty good rains, but these temperatures that we’ve been experiencing in the last couple of weeks have really taken a toll on the cotton crop.”

Nichols said that although rain has been spotty across the state, most places received decent rains to start off the cotton crop well this year. Hot temperatures in the 100-110 range have taken a toll on it since.

“All those rains were just kind of to the north and to the east of our watershed,” Nichols said. “We, again, are not going to have enough water in there to make a water run.”

Although Nichols is in irrigation country, he said, unfortunately, the rains missed the watershed, only hurting the crop and limiting the options of producers this year.

“We’ve got lots of pivots down in Tillman County, and the cotton in Tilman County actually looks really good,” Nichols said.



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.



NCBA Pushes Back Against Legislative Agendas from Animal Activist Groups

In this episode of Bee Buzz, I am talking with National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s CEO, Colin Woodall, about agendas that do not support animal agriculture.

While many recognize groups such as PETA and the Humane Society of the U.S. for their agendas against animal agriculture, Woodall said one group that has come to the forefront recently is the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.)

“People kind of saw them (ASPCA) as truly being that group just helping dogs and cats,” Woodall said. “All you have to do is look at the commercials they have on TV for just 19 dollars a month- you can help them with dogs and cats.”

Woodall said NCBA has found that ASPCA is not different from HSUS and PETA when it comes to their agenda.

“It is their political agenda, not an actual helpful agenda that they are pursuing,” Woodall said. “That is what we are trying to expose.”

AFR Youth Program Announces 2023-2024 Youth Advisory Council

American Farmers & Ranchers (AFR) Cooperative has announced its 2023-2024 AFR Youth Advisory Council. This year’s council members were chosen by popular vote during the organization’s 2023 Senior Leadership Summit, which was held July 26-29.

Members of the 2023-2024 AFR Youth Advisory Council are Cooper Kline, North Rock Creek; Kennedy Clark, Minco; Ruby Bell, Bristow; Jamison McNiel, Bristow; and Titus Montgomery, Red Oak.



The AFR Youth Advisory Council is an opportunity for high school seniors who are active in the AFR Youth Program to further their leadership and program management skills. Council members assist in planning many AFR Youth Program events, facilitate general AFR events and act as mentors for younger Oklahoma youth. Council members also participate in agriculture-based service projects throughout the year.

“The AFR Cooperative is proud to invest in the future of Oklahoma through our state’s youth,” said AFR President Scott Blubaugh. “The AFR Youth Council is a unique opportunity to recognize and encourage some of our exceptional program participants.”

To become an AFR Youth Advisory Council member, the student or an immediate family member must be an AFR Insurance policyholder and have attended a Senior Leadership Summit prior to the year applying.

Ninety-five percent of consumers said that price per pound and overall price are more important or as important compared to a year ago when purchasing fresh chicken, according to research presented today at the 2023 Chicken Marketing Summit. Fresh chicken is the protein of choice because it delivers value, taste and contributes to a healthful lifestyle, even as consumers react to inflationary pressures.

The National Chicken Council (NCC) and WATT Global Media presented the results of a study that focused on current and anticipated U.S. consumer behavior, specifically, consumption of fresh chicken. Circana provided supporting data from its retail databases. The results suggested several opportunities for chicken to maintain market share.

The study was commissioned by NCC and conducted online by Circana June 22 – 27, 2023, among 520 U.S. adults. Funding was provided by Elanco Animal Health, Evonik Animal Nutrition, NCC and WATT Global Media. A full copy of the presentation is available by clicking here. 

Managing Heat Stress in Cow-Calf Operations

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 heat stress.

Heat stress is caused by a combination of environmental factors including temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, air movement and precipitation. During the summer we need to assess the heat stress that cattle are under. Cattle on pasture are not as susceptible to heat stress as feedlot cattle because they have the ability to seek shade, water and air movement to cool themselves. In addition, radiant heat from dirt or concrete surface is increased for feedlot cattle. At temperatures above 80 degrees Fahrenheit cattle can endure physiologic stress trying to deal with their heat load. Although cattle at this temperature are not at risk of dying they will have an increased maintenance requirement to cope with the heat.

Compared to other animals, cattle can’t dissipate their heat load very effectively. Cattle do not sweat effectively and rely on respiration to cool themselves. A compounding factor on top of climatic conditions is the fermentation process within the rumen generates additional heat that cattle need to dissipate. Heat production from feed intake peaks 4 to 6 hours after feeding. Since cattle do not dissipate heat effectively they accumulate a heat load during the day and dissipate heat at night when it is cooler. Any time the Temperature-Humidity Index (THI) is above 80 cattle will be under heat stress. 

See you tomorrow at the Oklahoma Pork Congress in Oklahoma City!

As the Oklahoma Pork Council Board of Directors and staff prepare for Oklahoma Pork Congress this Friday, August 4, in Oklahoma City, we want to make sure you have all the details to join us for a meaningful day of learning, networking and planning for the future. 

The Oklahoma Pork Congress will be held at the Sheraton Hotel in Downtown Oklahoma City. The Century Center Garage attached to the hotel offers the closest guaranteed parking at a cost of $10 per day but may not be able to accommodate extremely large vehicles. Click here to see the Sheraton’s full parking guide for the downtown OKC area.

If you are arriving Thursday, August 3, join us beginning at 5:30 p.m. for our “On Tap: Open Bar and Pork Snacks” Welcome Reception in the Sheraton’s Century Ballroom. On Friday, we will get started bright and early with a breakfast buffet and registration both opening at 7:15 a.m. in the second floor conference area. Morning education sessions will go from 8:00 a.m. to noon in the Plaza Ballroom, then we will break to celebrate several industry all-stars at our Annual Awards Luncheon in the Century Ballroom.

Oklahoma Pork’s Annual Business Meeting will begin at 1:00 p.m. back in the Plaza Ballroom, including board elections for five open seats.

Cole Announces Upcoming Telephone Town Hall for OK-04 Constituents

Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) today announced an upcoming hour-long telephone town hall for Fourth District Constituents. The call will take place on Monday, August 7 at 5:30p.m. CT.

“Since my last telephone town hall, House Republicans have been hard at work,” said Cole. “Not only has the House has passed several pieces of key legislation, but the appropriations process continues to move forward each week. Hearing from my constituents is an essential part of my job, and I look forward to the upcoming conversation.”

Details for participation:

Date: Monday, August 7, 2023

Time: 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. CT

Dial-In: (833) 305-1727

Sign-Up and livestream: cole.house.gov/telephone-town-halls

For more information or questions, constituents can call Cole’s Norman office at (405) 329-6500.