Don’t Miss the Annual OCA Ranch Rodeo This Weekend at the Lazy E Arena

The 39th Annual Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association Ranch Rodeo is coming up on August 18 & 19 at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma. 12 historic Oklahoma ranch teams will compete in the rodeo in six different events comprised of work that makes up day-to-day ranch jobs.

In this episode of Beef Buzz, I am talking with the Executive Vice President of the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association, Michael Kelsey, about the event.

“We are just so excited about this event and the legacy that it shows,” Kelsey said.

The Annual OCA Ranch Rodeo is not only a comradery between Oklahoma ranchers and working cowboys, Kelsey said, but it is a great benefit event for the Children’s Hospital Foundation.

“We have been blessed over the about 19, almost 20 years, that we have been working with them to exceed 635,000 dollars that we have raised for the Children’s Hospital Foundation,” Kelsey said. “Cowboys Helping Kids. That is what this is all about. The competition is intense, but it is really about that opportunity to help out such a great resource here in the state of Oklahoma, and that is the Children’s Hospital Foundation.”

On Saturday, before the second ranch rodeo performance, there will be an OCA Ranch Horse Competition and a LongRange Kids Dummy Roping contest.

“Then, we go to the children’s rodeo, which we have some of the Miracle Kids come in from the Children’s Hospital, and that is the first time some of them have seen a horse,” Kelsey said. “To see their eyes and their expressions as they climb onto a horse, or they hold a branding iron and paint brand a piece of paper just like a cowboy… it just makes the day for them.”



The vision of the Oklahoma Beef Council is to be a positive difference for Oklahoma's farming and ranching families and the greater beef community, and its mission is to enhance beef demand by strengthening consumer trust and exceeding consumer expectations. 

To learn more, visit www.oklabeef.org. Also, don't forget to like its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/oklabeef for stories on Oklahoma's ranching families and great beef recipes. 

And Check out this video below that helps you learn more about the Beef Checkoff- check out the latest Drive in Five!

Minimal Changes in Drought Monitor this Week, Low Precipitation Chances Next Week

According to the latest Oklahoma Drought Monitor, exceptional drought remains at zero percent, unchanged from the past few weeks.

Extreme drought or worse is unchanged from last week’s 1.60 percent.

Severe drought or worse has improved slightly from last week’s 5.84 percent and is now sitting at 5.35 percent.

Moderate drought or worse has improved slightly from last week’s 12.81 percent and is now at 12.75 percent.

Abnormally dry or worse conditions have improved from last week’s 37.75 percent and are now at 35.99 percent this week.

According to the 6-10-day precipitation outlook map, the panhandle of Oklahoma is leaning below a 33 to 40 percent chance of precipitation through August 26. The rest of the state is leaning below a 40 to 50 percent chance of precipitation through that date.

Click the Oklahoma drought map above the story to see this week's numbers.

Oklahoma Winter Wheat Crop Sitting at Above Average Prices

This Week on SUNUP is Oklahoma State University Extension grain market economist Kim Anderson. During this week’s edition, Anderson talks about the latest in the grain markets.

Wheat prices are down about $1.75 looking back to late July, Anderson said, and about 30 cents have been dropped in the past week or so.

“If you look at the average price over that period, it has been $7.60, and the current price is now down around $6.75,” Anderson said.

The country with the largest impact on the wheat market is Russia, Anderson said, because it is the largest exporter of wheat.

“Russia has 37 percent of the market, Canada 20 (percent), Australia 17 (percent), and the U.S. and Ukraine is about 8 percent,” Anderson said.

While Russia does have a large impact, Anderson said changes in any country are going to impact prices because it is a world market.

“If you are looking at risk and you have a problem in any country, it is going to be Russia or Canada,” Anderson said.

Last Thursday, the Women In Agriculture and Small Business Conference was hosted in Edmond, Oklahoma. At the conference, Dr. Courtney Bir talked about Business Management and Strategic Planning. Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Intern, Maci Carter, had the opportunity to talk to Dr. Bir about understanding the value of a small business, the needs, and desires of customers, what to consider when calculating your worth, and more.

“Taking time out to plan strategically how you are going to market things, who your customers are, how you’re adding value to them, those sorts of things,” Bir said. “It’s not everyone’s favorite, but it’s really important if your goal is profitability.”

Bir described that oftentimes it is easy to get caught up in the mechanical parts of the business, like getting seed in the ground or animals fed. However, strategically planning the purpose of your business and how to market it is just as crucial to the success and profitability of a small business.

“A lot of lenders require a business plan,” Bir said. “What we talked about today was more about strategic decision planning. So it’s more of an internal look at what your business is and what you want to be and where you want it to go.”

Bir said that lenders require a business plan, and while it is not a one size fits all model, it is important to think about.

OSU Ag fall field days begin in August

Oklahoma State University Agriculture will kick off its fall season of field day events with the Panhandle Crops & Forages Field Day in Eva, Oklahoma.

The event will be held 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 31 at the OSU McCaull Research and Demonstration Farm where producers will learn about regenerative agriculture, range drought recovery, water use efficiency and more.

“Water use efficiency – basically, how to do more with less – is the biggest deal in the high plains, and that is a large part of what we focus on at McCaull station,” said Cameron Murley, the facility’s senior superintendent. “Our water table is dwindling, so we are always trying to figure out ways to conserve water and do more with less to extend the life of Ogallala aquifer.”

A portion of the field day will introduce cotton results from the Testing Ag Performance Solutions Program, which allows producers to try out research-based improved technologies and strategies at OSU Ag Research sites in the Oklahoma Panhandle before investing their own money in similar systems.

This year’s TAPS Program will focus on participants’ experiences with cotton using the variable rate center pivot irrigation system at the research station.