At the 2023 Agricultural Bankers Conference, Farm Director KC Sheperd had the opportunity to visit with Texas A&M Professor and Extension Specialist for Cotton Management, John Robinson. Sheperd and Robinson talked about the condition of the cotton crop.

Robinson first talked about what he has seen through Texas.

“Definitely, the sentiment for ’23 was tied to the wipeout of ’22 and whether ’23 would make up for it,” Robinson said. “In most cases, I would say it did not.”

From an analyst standpoint, Robinson said it was a challenging year because there was a lot of dryland cotton that germinated and was a standing crop but ended up being plowed.

“It was unusual that it would be up there all year and was probably counted by USDA and several of their supply and demand counts and calculations,” Robinson said. “It ended up being plowed up late in the year because there wasn’t enough yield on it.”



The Oklahoma Agriculture Mediation Program knows this is a hard time for farmers and ranchers. We want you to know we are still open, and we are still here for you. The Ag Mediation program is a free service that provides mediation to agriculture producers who may need help with ag-related disputes.

At Oklahoma Ag Mediation, we have been helping people in agriculture resolve conflicts since 1987. We know firsthand about working together to resolve conflicts, so you don’t have to go through the court systems. Let our professional mediators help you. Mediation is allowed for lease issues, farmer/neighbor disputes, family farm transitions, and more. These services are available at no cost for Oklahoma farmers and ranchers in all 77 counties. For more information, you can go to ok.gov/mediation, or give us a call at 800 248 5465.

Certified Angus Beef Connecting Producers and Consumers from the Ranch to the Plate

In this episode of Beef Buzz, I am back talking with the President of Certified Angus Beef, John Stika, about Certified Angus Beef and high-quality Angus cattle.

“Angus producers and cattlemen and women have been the ones who have stepped up to the plate in offering quality-focused genetics and producing quality carcasses,” Stika said. “Our job is to just go sell it. If we don’t have any inventory, we can’t sell it.”

The high quality of Certified Angus Beef, Stika said, all starts with those Angus members.

“Certified Angus Beef carcasses represent 22 percent of all fed cattle harvested in the U.S.,” Stika said.

In 2006, Stika said Certified Angus Beef made up less than six percent of all fed cattle harvested in the U.S.

“There has been a huge transformational shift in terms of focusing on quality in the industry,” Stika said. “I believe (that shift is) led by Angus breeders. That is the group of people that really stepped up to the plate.”

Noble Research Institute Conducts First Essentials of Regenerative Grazing Course

Noble Research Institute’s first Essentials of Regenerative Grazing course, held Oct. 23-25 on the institute’s campus, attracted farmers and ranchers from across Oklahoma and Texas who want to improve their grazing management. The next Essentials of Regenerative Grazing course occurs Nov. 14-16 at the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma Council House in Miami, Oklahoma. These dates will be the last offered for 2023. Deadline to register for this event is this Friday- November 10th.

The three-day immersive learning experience combines facilitator-led classroom learning with hands-on activities in the field to equip producers with the tools and knowledge for developing an appropriate grazing management strategy for their livestock operation. Attendees also have ample opportunities to connect and problem-solve with their peers. 

Luis Hernandez, livestock manager for 3J Farms OK in Blanchard, Oklahoma, said his favorite part of the grazing course was “the hands-on: outside, working with cows, moving the cows, figuring out the paddocks.” His second favorite “was the networking and all the table discussions that we got to have through the course.” 

Farmer Sentiment Rises as Producers Report Improved Financial Conditions on Their Farms

There was a slight uptick in agricultural producers’ sentiment in October, as the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer index rose 4 points to a reading of 110. The modest improvement in farmer sentiment resulted from farmers’ improved perspective on current conditions on their farms as well as their expectations for the future. The Index of Current Conditions rose 3 points to 101 while the Index of Future Expectations rose 5 points to 114. This month’s Ag Economy Barometer survey was conducted from October 16-20, 2023.

“Farmers in this month’s survey were slightly less concerned about the risk of lower prices for crops and livestock and felt somewhat better about their farms’ financial situation than a month earlier,” said James Mintert, the barometer’s principal investigator and director of Purdue University’s Center for Commercial Agriculture.

Mintert adds “Reports of higher-than-expected corn and soybean yields in some Corn Belt locations, along with a modest rally in corn prices, likely contributed to this month’s rise in the financial conditions and the barometer indices."

On Monday at Heritage Place in Oklahoma City, close to 100 farm bill stakeholders were in attendance to listen to the Chairman of the House Ag Committee, GT Thompson, and Congressman Frank Lucas talk about the farm bill. Also in attendance was Congressman Jonathan Jackson of Illinois. Farm Director KC Sheperd caught up with Jackson after the meeting.

Jackson serves on the House Committee on Agriculture and oversees and legislates on matters related to agriculture, rural development, and the nation’s food supply.

Some of the biggest issues Jackson said he hears about include high fuel prices, low commodity prices, high-interest rates, and more.

“I have a particularly keen interest in sensitivity to making sure that that small farmers and family farmers have a protected way of life,” Jackson said.

As Jackson also served on the Foreign Affairs Committee, he said he would like to see the nation participate in food diplomacy.

Southern Plains Perspective: Is it time to re-think farm supports and conservation?

There is a new blog post out at the Southern Plains Perspective. Read below! The Southern Plains Perspective is authored by Clay Pope- who farms with his wife Sarah.  

If you follow the national ag press, you already know that the general consensus among farm policy experts seems to be that there is little hope for a new Farm Bill any time before spring, with many making the case that we won’t see any real farm bill action until after the November 2024 elections. 

This should come as no surprise and not just because of the leadership challenges in the House of Representatives.  There is also debate about the level of reference prices for crop support programs, proposed cuts for nutrition assistance and the conservation priorities set by the Inflation Reduction Act. All this adds up to a likely long, slow slog before we see any solid proposals on farm policy develop in D.C.  

One bonus, I suppose, of this political malaise is that it gives you the chance to step back and consider how U.S. farm policy is currently shaped and how it might be changed. I’ve often wondered if we could structure a farm program in a way that not just supports the bottom-line of ag producers, but also make sure that our natural resource base has the ability to keep feeding and clothing our nation as we move into a future of 10 billion people all living in a world with an ever-changing climate (complete with the more extreme weather climate change is bringing)?

Benefits of Proper Hay Storage with OSU’s Mark Johnson

Mark Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Breeding Specialist, offers herd health advice as part of the weekly series known as the “Cow Calf Corner” published electronically by Dr. Peel, Mark Johnson, and Paul Beck. Today, Johnson talks about proper hay storage.

Proper hay storage is always important. This year, with less inventory of harvested forage and high prices, it is worth discussing some simple storage practices that can lead to less spoilage. First, one of the few upsides of drought is that very little precipitation falls on hay stored outside.

Precipitation, air temperature and humidity all lead to more spoilage in big bales. Twine wrapped bales are more subject to spoilage than net wrapped. Greater bale density leads to less spoilage. That being said, keep the following in mind when considering how your hay is stored.

Storage Site and Elevated Storage

Select a site on higher ground that is not shaded and is open to air flow to enhance drying conditions. The site should be well drained to minimize moisture absorption into the bottom of bales. Ground contact leads to more bale spoilage. When practical keep bales off the ground using low cost surplus materials like old pallets, fence posts, railroad ties and tires. Another option is a six inch layer of coarse ground rock. Anything that can be done to maximize drainage and minimize moisture within and around the storage site will be beneficial.