Farm Director, KC Sheperd, is visiting with Brandi Herndon about the 2023 Tulsa State Fair coming up on September 28 through October 8.

“We are excited to welcome our guests to 11 days of awesome,” Herndon said. “We are starting out this first weekend with a lot of our open shows.”

Numbers in the open cattle shows are up, Herndon said, as exhibitors have traveled as far as Florida to exhibit their animals this year. The open and junior sheep breeding shows will be this weekend, Herndon added, along with the junior breeding guilt show.

The fair will kick off on the 28th with a cattle grading contest.

“It is the state championship for the cattle grading for 4-H and FFA,” Herndon said. “We will have over 1800 kids here participating in that.”



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On Wednesday afternoon, the full House defeated the Spartz Amendment number 76 that would have prohibited any appropriated funds from helping operate any commodity checkoff programs- this offered as an amendment to the FY2024 Funding package for USDA and FDA. The Amendment was overwhlemingly defeated by 377-49 vote.

Below is our earlier article that detailed the large amount of opposition that was generated by the Ag community.

In a letter sent yesterday to Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) alongside 129 leading state and national livestock, crop, and forestry organizations voiced its opposition to Rep. Victoria Spartz’s (R-IN) anti-checkoff amendment to legislation that funds the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Spartz amendment to the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act attacks commodity checkoff programs, which are industry-led organizations that exist to promote agricultural products and support America’s hardworking farmers and ranchers.



Two Oklahoma commodity groups- the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association and the Oklahoma Soybean Association have signed the letter- as well as the Texas Cattle Feeders and the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers.

Express Ranches Fall Bull Sale to Offer Top-of-the-Line Genetics to Commercial Producers

In this episode of Beef Buzz, I am talking with Jarold Callahan of Express Ranches about the Express Ranches Fall Bull Sale coming up on October 2 in Yukon, Okla.

“The whole foundation for any purebred operation should be the commercial business,” Callahan said. “What keeps us going is the sale of bulls and females to the commercial industry.”

Callahan said this particular sale is more about the commercial cattle producer having the opportunity to purchase great genetics. The 2023 Fall Bull Sale will feature around 230 Angus Bulls, Callahan said, and 35 Hereford bulls.

“We will also sell 80 commercial bred heifers off of our UU Bar ranch, bred to low birthweight Angus bulls from here at the ranch, and we will also sell 30 registered spring calving heifers as well as a handful of fall calving commercial cows off of the UU Bar.”

An abundance of information is provided on each animal that will be sold, Callahan said, including EPDs and bioeconomic indexes.

At the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation Women’s Seminar, titled, “Confidence Meets Purpose,” Associate Farm Editor, Reagan Calk talked with keynote speaker, Joni Nash about her message.

Based in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, Nash is a charity event auctioneer, motivational speaker, and author. At the seminar, Nash talked about the definition of one’s “purpose” and how to go about finding it.

“A lot of times, our purpose or identity gets wrapped up in what we do, and what we do becomes our identity and who we are, but it is not,” Nash said.

While many individuals might feel like their purpose is things such as their marital status, job title, and awards won, Nash said one’s purpose is more than this.

“Those are vehicles to carry out your purpose, but those things are all temporal; those things all change, because different seasons of life change,” Nash said. “When those things change, it doesn’t mean that you are without purpose.”

While someone’s purpose may look a little different depending on the season, Nash said, it stays the same.

USDA to Begin Issuing $1.75 Billion to Agricultural Producers Through Critical Emergency Relief Programs

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) yesterday announced that it will begin issuing more than $1.75 billion in emergency relief payments to eligible farmers and livestock producers. These much-needed payments are helping farming and ranching operations recover following natural disasters in 2020, 2021 and 2022.  

“USDA provides substantial economic support for America’s farmers and ranchers through its critical farm program payments. These payments are reflective of the incredible and cumulative financial hits brought on by devastating natural disasters that agricultural producers nationwide have endured while fulfilling their commitment to produce our food, fiber and fuel,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “This additional assistance helps offset the tremendous losses that these producers faced and is a valuable investment, not only for farmers and ranchers but in the economic successes of our communities – rural and urban – and in our nation’s food security for generations to come.”  

AFR Delegation Presents Benjamin Franklin Award to Lankford, Hern

American Farmers & Ranchers (AFR) recently presented two Oklahoma legislators—Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) and Rep. Kevin Hern (OK-01)—with the National Association of Mutual Insurance Company’s (NAMIC) Benjamin Franklin Public Policy Award. The awards were presented in Washington, D.C., the week of Sept. 11, when AFR members were on Capitol Hill lobbying Congress on behalf of agriculture and insurance issues.

The Benjamin Franklin Public Policy Award is named for Dr. Benjamin Franklin, who was a dedicated public servant and co-founded America’s first successful mutual insurance company.

The award is presented to federal legislators who demonstrate unwavering support and leadership on behalf of NAMIC members, insurance consumers and the property/casualty insurance industry. Only members who truly understand and support the industry, successfully protect the free and open market environment and work to facilitate the positive relationships between insurers and their insureds are considered for the prestigious award.

Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association concludes 2023 Policy Conference

Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association today concluded its 2023 Policy Conference, bringing together the association’s Board of Directors, Executive Committee and four policy committees that all contribute to the future of the cattle industry.

“The 2023 Policy Conference was a tremendous success,” said Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association President Arthur Uhl. “Bringing together cattle raisers is a core mission of our association and we value this time that our members can discuss issues of importance to landowners.”

Members voted on new and expiring policies during the meeting and passed a new strategic plan that provides direction to Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association through 2029.

The meeting included a recap of the 88th Texas Legislature Regular Session, where Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association advanced policy priorities including Right to Farm, truth in labeling for alternative proteins and landowner liability legislation. Also included was a discussion of the propositions on the November ballot affecting agriculture.

 “A number of constitutional amendments are on the ballot this November, including Proposition 1, that establishes the Right to Farm statute within the Texas Constitution,” said Uhl. “We walked away realizing there is more work to be done and that begins with getting out to vote in a few short weeks.”

Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association represents 26,000 cattle raisers in the Southwest. To learn more about the association and its legislative efforts, visit TSCRA.org.