Spring crop harvest marches on- soybean harvest is nearing two thirds done at 62% complete- up 2 percentage points from the previous year and up 10 points from the average.  Corn has reached 45% harvested-  up 2 percentage points from the previous year and up 3 percentage points from the five year average. Cotton farmers have a third of the 2023 US crop now harvested-  down 3 percentage points from the previous year and up 1 point from the average.  And grain sorghum harvest stands at 53% complete- two points ahead of the five year average.

SOUTHERN PLAINS WINTER WHEAT:

In Oklahoma, winter wheat planted reached 64 percent, up 13 points from the previous year and up 1 point from normal. Winter wheat emerged reached 31 percent, up 2 points from the previous year but down 12 points from normal.

In Kansas, winter wheat planted was 70 percent, ahead of 62 percent last year, and near 68 percent for the five-year average. Emerged was 38 percent, ahead of 31 percent last year, but behind 43 percent average.

In Texas, winter wheat planted reached 62 percent, down 6 percentage points from the previous year and even with the five-year average. Winter wheat emerged reached 35 percent, down 1 percentage point from the previous year and down 2 points from the five-year average.

Cotton bolls opening n in Oklahoma reached 90 percent, down 2 points from the previous year but up 1 point from normal. Central Oklahoma cotton harvest has begun in some areas. Cotton harvested reached 12 percent, up 6 points from the previous year but unchanged from normal. Cotton conditions rated 9 percent good to excellent, 39 percent fair and 52 percent poor to very poor. Last week’s conditions rated 9 percent good to excellent, 35 percent fair and 56 percent poor to very poor. 



Union Mutual of Oklahoma Turns 85 Years Old

Union Mutual was born out of necessity in Oklahoma and serves as one of the oldest rural insurance carriers serving only the people of Oklahoma. Union Mutual was created 85 years ago for one purpose, that was and is to serve and protect rural Oklahomans and their property. That mission has bever wavered.

Union Mutual Insurance of Oklahoma was chartered in 1938 to write property and casualty insurance in the state of Oklahoma. Over the years, Union Mutual has maintained the attitude that started the company, “Protection for Oklahomans by Oklahomans.” In poor economic times, in times when national insurance companies either stopped writing or completely left the state, Union Mutual has been there for Oklahomans. Today, Union Mutual writes insurance in all 77 counties of Oklahoma through almost 300 agency locations. These agents provide fast and reliable quotes for most lines of insurance.

Union Mutual of Oklahoma CEO Monica Collison had this to say on the company turning 85 years old. “I am humbled to lead such and extraordinary company and team with the history and legacy of Union Mutual. Union Mutual has stood with rural Oklahoma for 85 solid years and I look forward to helping it for the next 85 years.”

For the agent nearest you, go to unionmutualic.com or give them a call at 405 286-7703. 

The Success Story of LRP- a 4,000% Increase in Coverage Since 2018

In this episode of Beef Buzz, I am back visiting with Texas A&M’s Bart Fischer, this time talking about the growth of the Livestock Risk Protection Program.

Aside from his role as Research Assistant Professor and Co-Director of the Agricultural and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M University, Fischer is also the former Chief Economist of the House Agriculture Committee. Fischer was a key player in the 2014 and 2018 farm bills.

“Following the 2018 Farm Bill with Mr. Lucas, we have had LFP in place, Livestock Forage Program, and that is administered by FSA,” Fischer said. “There had really been no innovation on the crop insurance side for livestock.”

While there have been a few tools such as livestock risk margin and livestock risk protection, Fischer said these programs did not advance very much because up until 2018, the federal government could not spend more than 20 million dollars a year on livestock policies.

“That 20 million would buy about 500 million dollars for the liability protection, but then those policies stopped being sold once they hit that limit,” Fischer said.

Funding Made Available for Close to 300,000 Households in Need of Broadband in Oklahoma

Farm Director, KC Sheperd, is visiting with Oklahoma State University’s Brian Whitacre, about an update on broadband in Oklahoma. Whitacre is on the state’s Broadband Expansion Council, which provides recommendations to the newly formed Oklahoma Broadband Office.  

“We have held a series of events where we try to listen to people that are struggling with on-the-ground broadband issues,” Whitacre said. “Director Sanders with the Oklahoma Broadband Office has kind of headed those up, and we have heard that the people who tend to show up to those meetings are the ones that don’t have good broadband.”

Whitacre said the broadband team knows the approximate number of households around the state that need better broadband service. The number, he added, is close to 300,000.

“We finally have some money to help those specific households,” Whitacre said. “Just a couple of days ago, the portal for that first chunk of money closed, so we had providers submit their documents about how many homes they were going to serve, how much money they thought it would take to get there.”

With about 400 million dollars available through the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program, in the coming weeks, Whitacre said the broadband office will evaluate those proposals and decide who will be funded.

As Oklahoma has been waiting for fall, those cooler temperatures have finally arrived in the state. According to State climatologist Gary McManus, El Reno had a freeze Monday morning, along with a few areas in the Panhandle.

On this Tuesday morning- there is a 29 degree reading at Lake Carl Blackwell and a 32 degree reading in Stillwater- both in Payne County and Burneyville down by the Red River is showing a 32 degree reading- these as of 4:40 this morning. (The map below linked to the real time Low temp map of today)

While the cooler temperatures are welcome, Oklahoma still needs some rain. McManus says it is looking pretty desperate right now.

“After that mostly dry cold front scoured the moisture from the air all the way to the Gulf, we are building on yet another month-long (plus) dry spell, which is very bad news for our drought-plagued state," McManus said.

USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program Pays More Than $1.77 Billion to America’s Producers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued more than $1.77 billion this year to agricultural producers and landowners through its Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), a critical piece of the Department’s efforts to support climate-smart agriculture and forestry on working lands. Right now, CRP’s more than 667,000 participants received payments from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) for their voluntary conservation efforts on more than 23 million acres of private land. Since 2021, CRP has grown by 21 percent in terms of acres enrolled, testament to the Biden-Harris administration’s program improvement efforts.



“Through the addition of tools to sequester carbon, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and better quantify these efforts, while also bringing into the fold more Tribes and underserved producers, we’ve made the Conservation Reserve Program better for our nation’s natural resources and for our agricultural producers and landowners,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “These producers and landowners voluntarily place their land under contract and, in the spirit of stewardship, agree to establish and maintain prescribed conservation practices for the life of contract. We’re grateful to all CRP participants who are making a tremendous difference by proactively addressing climate change and conserving natural resources now and for future generations.”

Wildlife Management Issues During Drought

Lack of rainfall can impact wildlife habitats, food availability and quality in times of drought. Here are ways to take stock of conditions and try to help the populations on your ranch.

Just as drought conditions affect ranch management decisions and crop yields, they also take their toll on wildlife. Here are observations about evaluating and managing wildlife habitat and feeding in dry times.

EVALUATE WATERFOWL HABITAT:

If the 2023 drought continues into the fall and water levels keep dropping, waterfowl will have fewer areas to loaf, roost and feed, and will tend not to stay in their normal ranges. This would cause hunting conditions and numbers of birds staying within a given area to be well below average.

However, if we get rain in the fall and impoundments fill up, it should be an excellent year for waterfowl hunting. As water levels have been dropping throughout the summer, moist-soil plants have been germinating and growing along the banks and basins of impoundments. Many of these moist-soil plants are waterfowl foods, such as smartweeds. If water levels rise this fall, these plants will be flooded, creating excellent conditions for waterfowl hunting.

2023 waterfowl populations in the breeding grounds are estimated to be down 7% from 2022 and down 9% below historical averages this year. If our habitat conditions improve, more birds will be in the area and stay longer.

Mobile Markets visit communities with nutritious food and fun

Pop-up Mobile Markets were a big hit in nine Oklahoma communities this summer thanks to Oklahoma State University Extension and partnering agencies.

The Mobile Markets were hosted in Stilwell, Muskogee, Webber Falls, Porum, Haskell, Boynton, Westville, Taft and Warner through October. The markets in Muskogee were available to Head Start students while the others were open to senior adults. Partnering agencies included Healthy Oklahoma Nutrition Alliance, Eastern Oklahoma Development District’s Area Agency on Aging, Muskogee County Health Department, Cherokee Nation, Muskogee and Adair counties’ TSET Healthy Living Programs and OSU Extension’s High Obesity Program.

“The purpose behind the Mobile Markets was to break down barriers and increase access to healthy foods in these rural communities,” said Leo Perez, Oklahoma State University Extension educator, special projects. “The Mobile Markets get fresh produce directly into the hands of senior citizens. There are a lot of health benefits of having a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables.”

Perez said the markets distributed a total of 8,371 pounds of locally sourced produce and beef during the summer.