On this episode of Beef Buzz, I am talking with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Chief Counsel Mary-Thomas Hart about the latest update on the Waters of the U.S. rule.



On August 29, the Biden Administration issued their revised WOTUS rule. While many ag groups have voiced their displeasure with the revised rule, NCBA sees potential.

“Earlier this year, we got a really favorable decision from the Supreme Court in Sackett v. EPA that required EPA to take the Biden Administration’s WOTUS definition back to the drawing board,” Hart said. “We heard from EPA a couple of months ago that they were planning some ‘surgical adjustments’ to the rule, and that is exactly what we got…”

These adjustments made by the EPA, Hart said, were quite impactful. One important takeaway, Hart said, is that there is no reference to a significant nexus in the latest rule, which is a massive achievement.



“We saw the redlining of any reference to the significant nexus test,” Hart said. “That rule, that change that we saw yesterday significantly narrows the number of features that are subject to federal Clean Water Act jurisdiction, and I think it provides a lot of additional clarity for farmers, ranchers, and landowners across the country.”



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!

Oklahoma Drought Conditions Increase Significantly in this Week’s Drought Monitor

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

Extreme drought or worse is now at 1.97 percent, up from last week’s 1.69 percent.

Severe drought or worse is now at 19.70 percent, up significantly from last week’s 8.28 percent.

Moderate drought or worse is also up from last week, now at 35.98 percent- last week’s percentage was 28.14.

Abnormally dry or worse conditions have worsened since last week and are now at 58.27 percent, up from last week’s 50.32 percent.

According to the 6 to 10-day precipitation outlook map, the majority of the panhandle is leaning below a 40 to 50 percent chance of precipitation through September 9. The northeast part of the state, dipping down into the southeastern border, stands at a near-normal chance of precipitation through that date. The remaining parts of the state are leaning below a 33 to 40 percent chance of precipitation through that September 9 date.

To view the latest Oklahoma drought numbers, click the Oklahoma drought map above the story.

Across our region- New Mexico is another state that saw worsening drought this week- Moderate Drought going from 85 to 90%. Texas dropped from 78.8 to 75.8% Moderate Drought this week- Kansas edged up one percentage point in the Moderate Drought category from 65.7% to 66.7% while Missouri held at just over half of the state in Moderate Drought at 52.87%.

NAWG’s Keeff Felty Talks Priorities for 2023 Farm Bill

At this week's Oklahoma Wheat Growers Annual Meeting in Stillwater, I had the chance to talk with the vice president of the National Association of Wheat Growers, Keeff Felty, about the 2023 Farm Bill.

Keeff Felty is a fourth-generation family farmer in the Altus area. He is also very active with state commodity boards and agriculture organizations including the Oklahoma Wheat Growers Association, Cotton Incorporated Oklahoma State Support Committee and has served on various commodity committees within the American Farm Bureau Federation and the Oklahoma Farm Bureau PAC Board.

“NAWG’s priorities, number one, is to protect our crop insurance and enhance it where we possibly can because that really is the cornerstone of our farm safety net,” Felty said. “Following that, we are seeking a reasonable increase in reference price for ARC (Agricultural Risk Coverage) and PLC (Price Loss Coverage), and also in the trade regards of doubling of the MAP (Market Access Program) and FMD (Foreign Market Development Program) funding.”

Felty talked about why it would be beneficial to see an increase in reference price.

“The cost of production has gotten so high on everything, as everybody knows,” Felty said. “Inflation has hit everybody and everything. Cost of inputs, cost of especially fuel and fertilizer, and equipment are the main things that go into that. It is just a relative measure of cost of production and trying to get it to more closely represent our true cost of production.”

Fall is right around the corner, and for many of us that means baking goodies with pecans. Pecans are native to the Southern region of the US, particularly along the Mississippi River flood plain. In 2022, Georgia was the top producer of improved varieties of pecans, contributing almost 43% of the US value of production[1].  Native pecans are a much smaller portion of total US pecan production. Oklahoma was the top producer of native varieties of pecans, contributing 72% of the US value of production. 

Pecan producers, like other agricultural sectors, have been faced with rising input costs in the last 3 years. Pests, diseases, and predation are big challenges in pecan production, and the costs of managing those challenges are forcing producers to make hard management decisions.  Native pecan grove owners have been particularly hard hit since their groves also have lower yields as compared to improved pecan varieties. This, along with higher maintenance costs for existing trees, leads to issues for those hoping to draw a profit from their pecan harvest. Higher input costs open producers to greater risks when it comes to price and yield declines. Insurance exists to help cover essential costs should a disaster event happen.

Whether a producer is involved in managing a native pecan grove or an improved pecan orchard, the risks for each can be equally damaging to profitability. Insurance can be combined with disaster programs in many cases in extreme events. 

Three Tips for Marketing Regeneratively Raised Cattle and Beef

More and more consumers want to buy beef that has been raised in a sustainable way, and they are willing to pay for it. This affects everyone in the beef industry, from the producer to the final beef supplier, whether it be a grocer or restaurant. 

Ranchers applying regenerative practices on their ranch are at an advantage to capture these emerging premiums while also ensuring their ranch is sustainable for generations to come. 

A proponent of these practices, Robert Wells, joined the Noble Research Institute as a livestock consultant in 2005. During his lifetime in the business, he has seen regenerative principles and practices offer value to producers time and time again.

He says the value is not solely seen in extra money made, but also in money saved. In either event, here are a few tips he offers for ranchers who want to maximize value in their regeneratively raised calves and finished cattle.

Oklahoma Angus Association's 24th annual sale, The Gathering, will be held on Saturday, September 2 in Perkins Oklahoma at the Sadler Ranch Sale Facility.

Click here to view the sale videos

Click here to view the catalog online

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