OkFB August Area Meetings Begin Next Week as the General Farm Group Develops Grassroots Policy

I had the chance to visit with the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Vice President of Public Policy, Steve Thompson, about the OKFB August Area Meetings.

Oklahoma Farm Bureau members are invited to attend one of the 11 August Area Meetings held across the state, signifying the beginning of the grassroots organization’s policy process. Members will be able to consider some of the leading issues facing agriculture and rural Oklahoma as they prepare to develop an organizational policy for 2023. Members also will receive various organizational updates.

These meetings will help with the process of developing new policy for the annual OKFB meeting in November.

“That is the question, and that is the point is to find out what is on their (member’s) minds,” Thompson said. “I think that it will vary a lot depending on what part of the state you are in.”

As many parts of the state have received some rain, Thompson said he is curious to see OKFB members’ positions on policy.



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Greg Hanes Talks “Ins and Outs” of Beef Checkoff Programs and More

In this episode of Beef Buzz, I am visiting with Greg Hanes, the CEO of the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion Board, about the review of the current fiscal year by the beef board members and the new fiscal year, which starts the first of October.

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

“We are about three-quarters of the way through our current fiscal year, so projects are coming along and wrapping up,” Hanes said.

During the Summer Business Meeting, Hanes said beef board members had the chance to meet and talk about what the next fiscal year will look like.

“This is really the chance for a lot of that producer feedback and into it,” Hanes said.

In several different meetings, the nine different contractors of the checkoff had the chance to talk about what they have done during the current year, Hanes said, and the feedback was well received. Hanes said much of this work includes education, promotion, and research.

Nationwide Study Shows Positive Economic Impact of Soil Health Management Systems

On Wednesday, the Soil Health Institute and National Association of Conservation Districts announced the results of a nationwide study that demonstrates how improving soil health can help farmers build resilience and improve profitability across a diversity of soil types, geographies, and cropping systems.

“We know practices like cover crops and no-till benefit the environment by storing soil carbon, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and improving water quality,” said Dr. Wayne Honeycutt, President and CEO of the Soil Health Institute. “However, investing in soil health is also a business decision. This project provides farmers with the economic information they need to feel confident when making that decision.”

This multi-year and data-driven collaboration among the Soil Health Institute (SHI), the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD), and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) assessed the economics of soil health management systems (SHMS) for a range of crops including canola, chickpea, corn, cotton, dried bean, grain sorghum, millet, pea, peanut, rye, soybean, sunflower, walnut, and wheat. Some of the operations also raised dairy cows, beef cattle, chickens, and hogs. SHI and NACD conducted extensive interviews with 30 farmers with an established history of successful implementation of a wide range of SHMS, including cover crops, no-till, reduced till, strip till, planting green, rotational grazing, livestock integration, and manure incorporation across 20 states. Interviews were designed to learn about farmers’ experiences with adopting those systems and to evaluate their economics by comparing the costs and benefits before and after practice adoption.

Oklahoma Land Values Up 8.9% in 2023- Outpacing National Price Appreciation

The USDA Land Values Report shows that the price of farmland in Oklahoma increased 8.9% from 2022 to 2023. The average value stands at $2,450 according to USDA.

Cropland values for Oklahoma are also up 8.9% year over year- now at $2,210 per acre.

Pasture land values are up 8.3% in the state- at $1,950 per acre.

Total value of farmland and buildings across Oklahoma is up 11.3% here in 2023- at $77.4 million.

Nationally- NASS reports The United States farm real estate value, a measurement of the value of all land and buildings on farms, averaged $4,080 per acre for 2023, up $280 per acre (7.4 percent) from 2022. The United States cropland value averaged $5,460 per acre, an increase of $410 per acre (8.1 percent) from the previous year. The United States pasture value averaged $1,760 per acre, an increase of $110 per acre (6.7 percent) from 2022.

Associate Farm Editor, Reagan Calk, had the chance to talk with OSU Extension Northeast Area Livestock Specialist, Earl Ward, about ways that cattle producers can reduce their feeding costs and more.

One of the first things producers need to evaluate, Ward said, is how much forage they have available. Taking action to improve forage quantity and quality, Ward added, will make a big difference in the long run when it comes to minimizing haying days.

The OSU Extension office offers forage testing for $14.

“That gets you your percent dry matter, percent crude protein, and percent total digestible nutrients, which is our energy value,” Ward said. “By getting that 14-dollar forage analysis, that allows us to fine-tune your supplementation program and pick the right supplement that best matches that forage. Therefore, you are not underfeeding and overfeeding the animal.”

The type of hay feeder used can also make a difference when it comes to hay waste, Ward said, as some feeders are designed to prevent waste.

“If we see an open bottom ring feeder, we see a lot of waste as that cow takes a bite and steps backward, some of it falls on the ground, and she steps on it,” Ward said. “We waste up to 20 percent on some of those types of feeders.”

What Goats Really Eat, With Grazing Menu Tips to Benefit Your Ranch

It may not be literally everything, but the pesky brush species goats do eat make them a powerful land management tool. Here are tips for making their diet work in your favor.

Goats are the Swiss Army knife of grazers—they offer a diverse selection of land management tools for those willing to navigate their complexities. One twist for many is that goats are surprisingly picky about what they eat.

“They are very selective and delicate grazers,” says Joe Pokay, Noble Research Institute general ranch manager. “They move across the landscape browsing their preferred plants first before returning to eat less-desirable species later.”

The power of goats for land management purposes is rooted in the fact that brush is at the top of their grazing preference sheet. They eat well at Oswalt Ranch, one of seven Noble Ranches. Only about 50% of the 5,100-acre ranch can be grazed by cattle, due to aggressive brush encroachment. Pokay and his team are working out how they can best integrate goats to use the landscape as it is, to slow or stop brush encroachment, and to regenerate grasslands. 

Industry Leaders Awarded at 2023 Oklahoma Pork Congress

On Friday, August 4, 2023, the Oklahoma Pork Council hosted the 64th Oklahoma Pork Congress at the Sheraton Hotel in Downtown Oklahoma City. The event brought together more than 100 pork producers and supporters for educational sessions, an awards luncheon, and Oklahoma Pork’s annual business meeting to elect new leadership. 

One highlight included celebrating six award recipients for outstanding performance or support of Oklahoma’s pork industry. 

“Oklahoma pig farmers produce affordable, nutritious pork to feed families around the world,” Kylee Deniz, executive director of the Oklahoma Pork Council shared. “This year’s award winners represent a perfect cross- section of the passion, integrity and commitment we see across our industry. For our board and our staff, it’s an honor to celebrate these six champions within Oklahoma’s agriculture community.” 

What Implants Can I Use for Cattle on My Operation? Finishing

Weekly, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Nutrition Specialist Paul Beck offers his expertise on the beef cattle industry. This is a part of the weekly series known as the “Cow-Calf Corner.” Today, he talks about cattle implants:

Over the last few weeks I have been describing the new rules from the FDA regarding reimplanting beef cattle. Last week I showed the implants labeled for use during the stocker and “Growing Calves in Drylot” phase of production.

The new FDA rules affect the use of implants in grower/starter yards and finishing operations the most. Look for new implant programs and approvals for products in the near future to address these rulings...