Oklahoma's Latest Farm

And Ranch News

Monday, October 23, 2023


Pray for Rain!

Howdy Neighbors!

Here is Your Daily Oklahoma Farm and Ranch News Update: 

 

  • More Than 4,000 Oklahoma FFA Members Ready to Head to Indy Next Week


  • OSU's Derrell Peel Says Higher Than Expected Placements a Big Cattle on Feed Surprise


  • County Line Beef Grabs Top Honors at Best Beef Event In Stockyards City


  • OCA Fall Gatherings Kick off This Week in Leedey and Bristow


  • Rain That Can Counter Flash Drought May Arrive in Oklahoma Tuesday


  • Tax Relief May Be Available for Certain Cattle Producers Impacted by Drought


  • Grain Storage Capacity Can Buffer Impact of Transportation Disruption


  • Pecan Production Projection Looks Promising for the Fall Harvest

More Than 4,000 Oklahoma FFA Members Ready to Head to National FFA Convention in Indy Next Week

More than 4,000 Oklahoma FFA members are expected to make the trip to Indianapolis for the 96th National FFA Convention and Expo November first through the fourth.


Trevor Lucas, the Executive Secretary of the Oklahoma FFA Association, says thousands of Blue and Gold jackets will be seen next week in Indianapolis in and around the FFA Convention- “upwards of four to five getting close to six thousand Oklahoma FFA members will make the trek up to the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis- that’s pretty impressive”


I also talked with Lucas about one young lady who will be on the Lucas Oil Stadium stage from beginning to end as one of the six national FFA officers who is serving as the National Central Region Vice President- Karstyn Cantrell of Skiatook. (She's seen above at the closing session of last year's National Convention with the other members of her National Officer Team- after hearing their names called to be national officers)


And our preview story for Indy details how well Oklahoma FFA has done to reach the national finals in a multitude of contests- check it out by clicking on the blue button.

Read More and Listen Here as Ron talks with Trevor Lucas about Oklahoma Heading for Indy and the National FFA Convention
Sponsor Spotlight



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- It's the latest Drive in Five.

Derrell Peel Says Large Placements in Latest Cattle on Feed Report a Surprise

Placements in the October Cattle on Feed Report caught most analysts by surprise- as they totaled 2.21 million head in September, 6% above 2022. Net placements were 2.15 million head. The six percent above a year ago was well above the pre report guess average of one percent above a year ago.


Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.6 million head on Oct. 1, 2023. The inventory was 1% above Oct. 1, 2022, USDA NASS reported on Friday. This is the second-highest Oct. 1 inventory since the series began in 1996. The inventory included 6.95 million steers and steer calves, up slightly from the previous year. This group accounted for 60% of the total inventory.


Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 4.64 million head, up 1% from 2022.


Marketings of fed cattle during September totaled 1.66 million head, 11% below 2022.


Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Market Economist Dr. Derrell Peel says “Big placements which kinda reverses the trends that we had been seeing of year over year decreases in the on feed numbers at least temporarily.”


As to why this six percent increase in placements, Peel sees several reasons- “Drought has to be one of them- so timing has to be part of it where we are pulling some cattle forward- marketing them earlier because of drought conditions. Combine that with such strong prices that we have this year, so with producers who were a little short of feed had no hesitation about going ahead and marketing their calves- and even those that had adequate feed decided to take advantage of current high prices as they felt the current high prices were something they could not pass up- with some cattlemen skeptical about how long current high prices may last.”

Click here to read more and listen to Derrell Peel and I talks Cattle on Feed- Part One

County Line Beef Secures 1st Place at Oklahoma’s Best Beef Competition in Stockyards

The 2023 Best Beef Competition was held as a part of the Stockyards Stampede in Stockyards City this past Saturday. Over a thousand came through the beef tent to smell, taste, and see what this event was all about.


Farm Director KC Sheperd was on Hand to visit with Judge Jody Harris from Stillwater, Oklahoma, who is a professional BBQ and steak cooker who said she was looking for Taste and Texture, “We were looking at taste, and we were looking at texture. Taste, you know I believe these cooks here today wanted to showcase the beef that they’re providing us.” Harris said she also enjoyed getting to hear the personal stories of the ranches being showcased, “As they brought in the steak, they had three minutes to tell us all about their ranch, all about their herd, all about the companies they have, and even about how they prepared the steaks, a very special day.”


Harris said all of the steaks were great, so great In fact, the difference between third and first is, “We’re talking 4/10ths of a point, so it’s very close.”


The Nationally Sanctioned Judges chose County Line Beef of Stephens County as #1, followed by Wheeler Farms of Grady County, and 3rd place went to Piguet’s Prime Time of Craig County. The People's Choice Award was handed out to  Diamond 4 Cattle Co. of Rogers County


Click here to read more listen to KC's Interviews from the Best Beef Event on Saturday in Stockyards City
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For our farmers who have either- always have had cotton on their farms- or those who have more recently have added the fiber crop to their operations- we have a daily report heard on several of our Radio Stations- It's Called Cotton Talk!

Click on the Button below to listen to our most recent report
Click here for our Latest Cotton Talk- Hosted by KC Sheperd




OCA Fall Gatherings Kick Off This Week in Leedey and Bristow

Fall Gatherings are ready to begin this week. These meetings are designed by the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association to provide an opportunity to fellowship with area cattlemen in a casual atmosphere while gaining tips on how to protect our livelihood and enhance production practices. In an effort to recruit new OCA members, the organization encourages members to invite friends, family and neighbors.


Doors open for vendor and sponsor visitation at 6:00 pm and the program begins with a delicious BEEF meal at 6:30 pm. During the meeting you will hear from sponsors followed by industry updates from the Oklahoma Beef Council and the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association. 


The first Fall Gatherings are happening this Tuesday and Thursday:


Oct. 24 - Stierwalt Cattle | Leedey, OK

8501 State Highway 34

Leedey, OK 73654

Directions | RSVP


Oct. 26 - The Headquarters at Bell Cattle Co | Bristow, OK 

38769 W 241st St. S

Bristow, OK 74010

Directions | RSVP



We invite you to listen to us on great radio stations across the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network weekdays-

if you missed this morning's Farm News - or you are in an area where you can't hear it- click below for this morning's Farm news from Ron Hays and KC Sheperd on RON.
Listen to our Monday morning farm and ranch news with KC Sheperd
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KIS FUTURES specializes in Futures and Options for Institutions, Commercials, Hedgers, and Individual Traders and executes trades for its clients in the following markets: Livestock, Grains, Energy, Metals, Softs, Financials, Currencies, and Stock Index Futures. For more information, please give them a call Toll Free at (800) 256-2555. Click here for their website to learn more.

And- their iPhone App, which provides all electronic futures quotes is available at the App Store- click here for the KIS Futures App for your iPhone.  



Rain to Counter Flash Drought May Arrive in Oklahoma Tuesday

Forecasters are predicting significant rain for the first time since mid summer across a portion of Oklahoma- including areas that have felt a flash drought rise up in recent days. State Climatologist Gary McManus said these rains- if the systems bringing it into Oklahoma hold together, “would be key to stop the flash drought in its tracks.”


Best chances of rain as seen in the latest forecasts are showing up Tuesday into Wednesday with the main body of the state with perhaps an inch of rain- with under an inch projected for the panhandle. The forecast map above was released this morning by the National Weather Service. According to the Weather Prediction Center of the National Weather Service- the combination of a Pacific Front with Tropical Storm Norma are pushing closer to Texas and Oklahoma- “As the frontal system continues east, increasing moisture associated with Tropical Storm Norma currently in the Pacific is forecast to bring showers and thunderstorms to the Southern Plains overnight Monday, with some locally heavy rainfall possible.”


Local Mesonet forecasts suggest best rainfall chances for Oklahoma are Tuesday and Tuesday evening- starting in the southwest and moving up into the state. The Monday models seem to be moving the best and highest chances of rain a little farther east- northwest Oklahoma looking less likely to get a lot of rain from this system.

Tax Relief Available for Certain Cattle Producers Impacted by Drought

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently posted Notice 2023-67 informing cattle producers that they may have an extended period of time in which to replace livestock and defer taxes on any gains realized from forced sales caused by drought.


 The relief generally applies to capital gains realized by eligible farmers and ranchers on sales of livestock held for draft, dairy or breeding purposes (including calves). Sales of other livestock, such as those raised for slaughter (fed cattle) or held for sporting purposes, are not eligible.


The sales must be solely due to drought, causing an area to be designated as eligible for federal assistance. Livestock generally must be replaced within four years instead of the usual two-year period if the applicable region is listed as suffering exceptional, extreme or severe drought conditions during any week between Sept. 1, 2022, and Aug. 31, 2023.


 More information on reporting drought sales and other farm-related tax issues can be found in IRS Publication 225, “Farmer’s Tax Guide.”


According to the Texas Cattle Feeers Association- they encourage producers who believe they may be eligible to consult with their tax attorney and accountant.


Click here to read more about the fall session of Women’s Communications Boot Camp

Grain Storage Capacity Can Buffer Impact of Transportation Disruptions

From ocean port congestion and labor strikes to low river levels, railway service shortfalls and a nexus of state and federal freight regulation, farmers and ranchers are well acquainted with transportation disruptions. One effective albeit costly way to buffer against these disruptions is investment in on-farm and off-farm storage. Having sufficient storage capacity close to agriculturally productive regions means farmers can have a place to offload harvest if downstream transportation options are too expensive or unavailable. If storage is unavailable, farmers will be forced to absorb elevated transportation costs, face steep price cuts to get product moved or risk crop quality losses.


USDA’s latest Grain Transportation Report from the Agricultural Marketing Service highlighted National Agricultural Statistics Service data on grain storage capacity for both on-farm (including bins, cribs and sheds used to store grains and oilseeds on farms) and off-farm facilities (including elevators, warehouses, terminals, mills and crushers). As of Dec. 1, 2022, the U.S. had 25.4 billion bushels worth of total grain storage capacity: 11.8 billion (47%) of off-farm storage and 13.6 billion (53%) of on-farm storage. Figure 1 displays the total capacity for grain storage (on-farm and off-farm) by state as of Dec. 1, 2022. As expected, the bulk of grain storage is in heavy grain-producing heartland states. Iowa leads with 3.57 billion bushels worth of storage capacity followed by Illinois (3.15 billion) and Minnesota (2.37 billion).

Click here to read more from AFBF about the USDA's latest Grain Transportation Report

Pecan Production Projection Looks Promising for the Fall Harvest

Wind storms earlier this year, coupled with a late spring freeze in 2021 and an early fall freeze in 2022, have wreaked havoc on Oklahoma’s pecan crop the past couple of years, but the 2023 outlook is good with harvest on the horizon.


Becky CarrollOklahoma State University Extension senior specialist, fruit and pecans, said the National Pecan Shellers Association predicts this year’s crop estimate at 22 million pounds, which is above the average of 17 million pounds in Oklahoma.


“Pecan production is big in Oklahoma. It may not be as big of a commodity as wheat or cattle, but according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service Census of Agriculture, Oklahoma has 1,878 pecan farms that total 96,000 acres of land dedicated to pecan production,” Carroll said. “About 75% of the pecans grown here are native pecans, but the improved varieties are gaining ground due to large new plantings and to urban sprawl where native groves are being replaced by housing and commercial businesses. With the large turnout at the pecan field day recently featuring native pecans, landowners are still interested in learning how to manage our wild, natural production, too.”


Producers have struggled the past couple of years, and some growers are still recovering from the freezes in 2021 and 2022 and recent drought conditions. Carroll said trees tend to shed a lot of pecans before they mature in a drought, and those that do mature are typically smaller.

Click here to learn more about the potential for the 2023 Oklahoma Pecan Crop
Let's Check The Markets!
OKC West is our Market Links Sponsor- they sell cattle three days a week- Cows on Mondays, Stockers on Tuesday and Feeders on Wednesday- Call 405-262-8800 to learn more.
Today's First Look:
Ron on RON Markets as heard on K101  
mornings with cash and futures reviewed- includes where the Cash Cattle market stands, the latest Feeder Cattle Markets Etc.
Hear Today's First Look

Wholesale Boxed Beef Prices were higher- Choice Beef was up $1.26 and Select Beef was up $1.22 on Friday 10/20/2023.


Click on the Button below for the latest report from USDA Market News

Boxed Beef Report

Oklahoma National Stockyards had 6,131 as of 9 PM Sunday on the yards. The sale will start at 8:00 a.m. We are expecting to start with 6,200 -6,700.


On October 16th-Compared to last week: Feeder cattle remain very lightly tested. Feeder steers 2.00-5.00 lower. Feeder heifers mostly steady. Demand for feeder cattle moderate but quality plain to average. Weaned calves mostly steady. Un-weaned or short weaned calves 5.00-10.00 lower. As normal of the time of year, many cattle are un-weaned and these selling to limited demand. Cold front moved in over the weekend and areas to the north and west woke with a little frost on the pumpkin. Weather to remain dry the rest of the week with the next chance of rain coming just over a week from now. Slaughter cattle prices moved higher last week and cattle futures at mid day have made a complete turn around and are now all trading in the red.


Click below for the complete closing report.

Oklahoma National Stockyards Market Report from 10/16/2023

Here's our regular feature that is a part of the Monday Daily Email- market commentary from Bob Rodenberger, a partner with Stockman Oklahoma Livestock Marketing.

 

Bob talks Fridays with our own KC Sheperd with his commentary and is posted on our website-click here for this past Friday's story featuring Rodenberger's comments

 

 

Learn more about Stockman Oklahoma by clicking here.

Listen to KC Sheperd talk with Bob Rodenberger about the cattle markets of this past week.
Each afternoon we are posting a recap of that day's markets as analyzed by Justin Lewis of KIS futuresclick below for the latest update on the Livestock and Grain Futures Trade..
Click Here to Listen to Justin's Commentary From 10/20/2023
Okla Cash Grain:  
Daily Oklahoma Cash Grain Prices- as reported by the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture- The report available after the close of the Futures Trade for that day.
Read  Cash Grains Report from 10/20/2023
Our Daily Market Wrapup from the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network - analyzing the Futures Markets for that trading day- as reported by KC Sheperd.
Click to Listen to Our Weekday Wrap with KC
Slaughter Cattle Recap: 
The National Daily Slaughter Cattle Summary- as prepared by the USDA Market News
Read Report
TCFA Feedlot Recap:  
Finally, here is the Daily Volume and Price Summary from the Texas Cattle Feeders Association.
Read Report
Our Oklahoma Farm Report Team!!!!
 
Ron Hays, Senior Farm/Ranch Broadcaster and Editor
 
KC Sheperd, Farm Director and Editor

Dave Lanning, Markets and Production

Reagan Calk, Farm News and Email Editor

Pam Arterburn, Calendar and Template Manager

Rural Oklahoma is full of some of the greatest success stories throughout the entire state and is a big reason why Oklahoma is on track to become a top 10 state. 


The Road to Rural Prosperity dives into these stories, bringing you stories covering rural life, agriculture, energy, healthcare, tourism, and politics affecting rural America. 


The Road to Rural Prosperity is here to tell stories about rural America, for rural America.

Cattle Industry Leader Bob Drake sits down and talks with Ron Hays about his lifetime of service in the cattle business. Drake has served as the President of the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association, the last President of the old National Cattlemen's Association and Vice President of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau.


He loves politics and being a change agent for the cattle producer back up at the fork of the creek. Drake had a front row seat as the Beef Checkoff was approved by cattle producers and he believes it's way past time to find a way to get a second dollar at the national level.


Search for Road to Rural Prosperity and subscribe on your favorite Podcast platform.


To hear this podcast, you can click here or tap below:

Listen to Episode 86 with Ron Hays talking with one of the legends in the Beef Cattle Business- Bob Drake of Davis, Oklahoma
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Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, P & K Equipment, Oklahoma Farm BureauOklahoma Ag Mediation ProgramGreat Plains KubotaStillwater Milling CompanyNational Livestock Credit CorporationOklahoma Beef CouncilOklahoma AgCredit, Union Mutual Insurance, Oklahoma Pork Council, the Oklahoma Cattlemens Association, and  KIS Futures for their support of our daily Farm News Update.


For your convenience, we have our sponsors' websites linked here- just click on their name to jump to their website- check their sites out and let these folks know you appreciate the support of this daily email, as their sponsorship helps us keep this arriving in your inbox on a regular basis- at NO Charge!



We also appreciate our Market Links Sponsor - OKC West Livestock! 




We invite you to check out our website at the link below too that includes an archive of these daily emails, audio reports and top farm news story links from around the globe.

Head to Our Website OklahomaFarmReport.Com
God Bless!
Reach Out To Us:
Tim West
President/General Manager
Rural Oklahoma Networks

405-317-6361

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Mike Henderson
Director of Sales

405-615-4922

KC Sheperd
Farm Director
Radio Oklahoma Ag Network

405-443-5717

Email KC
Ron Hays
Senior Farm/Ranch Broadcaster
Radio Oklahoma Ag Network

405.473.6144
Email Ron