Destry Swaim of Okeene FFA Takes Top Honors at 2023 Oklahoma 4-H & FFA Junior Wheat Show

The 2023 4-H & FFA Hard Winter Wheat Scholarship & Champion awards banquet was held last night in Oklahoma City. The purpose of this program is to encourage increased production of wheat with superior market quality. The contest receives major support from the Oklahoma Wheat Commission with $16,000 in scholarships money is awarded to the top five 4-H and top five FFA entries funded by Check-off dollars. Other awards are given as well. The show is sponsored by the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, Oklahoma Genetics, Inc., Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma Wheat Commission, Oklahoma Wheat Research Foundation, and WestBred™ seeds.

Destry Swaim, son of Brandon and Robin Swaim, was awarded the overall grand champion award showing his Doublestop CL Plus variety in the 2023 Oklahoma 4-H/FFA Junior Wheat Show. Swaim placed 9th in production and milling and 1st in baking, earning him the title of 1st place as the FFA champion, and overall grand champion of the 4-H/FFA Junior Wheat Show. Swaim is from the Okeene FFA chapter. (Swaim is seen receiving his award last night above)

Clinton Chaney, son of Scott and Jennifer Chaney, was awarded 1st place and 4-H champion showing his WB4515 variety in the 2023 Oklahoma 4-H/FFA Junior Wheat Show. Chaney placed 3rd in production and milling and 2nd in baking, earning him the champion 4-H award.  Chaney is a member of the Medford 4-H Club in Grant County.

According to Kim Anderson, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service grain marketing specialist, “Participating students learn what it takes to produce milling quality wheat.” He also stated that “The purpose of this program is to promote the production of quality wheat and teach 4-H and FFA youth about wheat production, marketing, and management.”





Midwest Farm Shows is proud to produce the two best Farm Shows in the State of Oklahoma annually- the Tulsa Farm Show each December and the Oklahoma City Farm Show each April.

It's happening NEXT WEEK!!! The Tulsa Farm Show is Oklahoma’s premier agricultural and ranching event- and returns to the SageNet Center (Expo Square) December, 7-8-9, 2023.

There is still time to contact the Midwest Farm Show Office at 507-437-7969 and book last minute space at the 2023 Tulsa Farm Show.  To learn more about the Tulsa Farm Show, click here.  



According to the latest Oklahoma drought monitor report, exceptional drought remains at zero, unchanged from the past three months.

Extreme drought or worse is at 1.16 percent, unchanged from last week’s percentage.

Severe drought or worse is now at 11.38 percent, slightly improved from last week’s 13.68 percent.

Moderate drought or worse is at 33.39 percent, slightly improved from last week’s 36.34 percent.

Abnormally dry or worse conditions are now at 51.95 percent, improved from last week’s 55.32 percent.

According to the 6-to-10-day precipitation outlook map, the entire state of Oklahoma is leaning below a 40 to 50 percent chance of precipitation through December 9.

Click the Oklahoma Drought Map above the story to view this week's Oklahoma drought numbers.

R.A. Brown’s Donnell Brown Believes Precision Breeding With Gene Editing is the Future

On this episode of Beef Buzz, I am catching up with Donnell Brown of the R.A. Brown Ranch in Throckmorton, Texas at the recent American Angus Convention as they talked his ranch’s role in gene editing.

“We have got the first two gene-edited Angus animals, and the company that we are working with has made others with slick coat hair traits,” Brown said. “We have actually turned black Angus animals red.”

Since black cattle absorb more heat than red cattle, Brown said by using gene editing, ranchers can keep the great Angus genetics but with a more heat-friendly color: red.

“Our company that is doing the gene editing is also making them slick hair coated,” Brown said. “So, they are slick like a Brahman- not the normal Angus haircoat.”

As 70 percent of the global cattle population is in the tropics and sub-tropics, Brown said it is a huge opportunity for Angus to take on these gene-edited slick hair coats.

On Thursday- USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack offered his thoughts on the latest farm income forecast as released by his agency this week:

“Today’s farm income forecast for 2023 shows that, while net farm income is expected to drop below the 2022 record high, it is still one of the best years on record for the overall farm sector at $151.1 billion. In fact, net cash farm income for 2023 is 15 percent above average for the last two decades, and farm income over the 2021-2023 period represents the highest level of farm income in the last 50 years. U.S. agriculture exports have also seen the three highest years on record in 2021-2023, which is reflected in overall cash receipts, while 2024 is projected to be the fourth highest year on record despite potential declines.

“Even so, the data shows a majority of farm households rely on off-farm jobs to make ends meet, indicating that the income is not evenly distributed across the farm spectrum. USDA will continue our efforts to bolster a complementary system that makes it possible for small- and mid-sized farms to benefit from more, new and better markets and climate smart agriculture opportunities so they can thrive. The change in net farm income this year is reflective of overall lower prices for farmers, higher production costs and higher interest rates, and declining government payments since their 2020 record levels. “A bright spot for farmers is that some production costs, including feed, fertilizer and pesticides, have declined. USDA is taking all of these factors into account as we design and implement our programs, and as we work with Congress on the next Farm Bill into 2024.” 

Ethanol Industry Makes Big Strides in Low-Carbon Emission Movement

Associate Farm Editor Reagan Calk is talking with the Vice President of Industry Relations at the Renewable Fuels Association, Robert White, about the ethanol industry.

Ethanol has many benefits, White explained, as it is a clean burning fuel and is low carbon.

“You have less emissions, and it is a renewable product we can make,” White said. “It is not a limited supply. At the end of the day, it is a domestic product. It is something we make here in the United States. As we watch the turmoil around the globe, it is more important to have energy security and energy independence, especially when it comes to our energy needs.”

With Carbon emissions becoming a bigger topic of discussion, White said Ethanol has a place at the table when it comes to reducing those emissions because it is a low-carbon fuel.

“Unless it says otherwise, everything you are using at the pump today is ten percent ethanol,” White said. “There are opportunities to move that to E15, which is 15 percent ethanol.”

USGC 2023/24 Corn Harvest Quality Report Shows Largest Crop, Lowest Broken Corn Ratio On Record

According to the U.S. Grains Council’s (USGC’s) 2023/2024 Corn Harvest Quality Report, the 13th such annual survey published globally today, the 2023 U.S. corn crop is the largest on record with the lowest percentage of broken corn and foreign material (BCFM) to date.

Warm and dry weather conditions in April and May let producers plant ahead of schedule, and despite concerns about continued dryness in June, healthy rainfall returned later in the summer. This allowed the crop to properly mature and resulted in the timely harvest of 386.97 million metric tons (15,234 million bushels) of corn.

The average aggregate quality of the representative samples tested was better than the grade factor requirements for U.S. No. 1 grade. The report also showed that 88.0 percent of the samples met the grade factor requirements for U.S. No. 1 grade and 96.7 percent met the grade factor requirements for U.S. No. 2.

“The Council is proud to produce this annual report that proves the quality and abundance of U.S. corn year over year. The transparency it provides to buyers helps them make informed decisions and takes another step towards developing markets, enabling trade and improving lives,” said Brent Boydston, USGC Chairman. “This crop’s incredible volume allows the United States to remain the world’s leading corn exporter, accounting for an estimated 26.4 percent of global corn exports.”

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