Subject: Oklahoma's Farm News Update
From: Ron Hays <ronphays@cox.net>
Date: 12/24/2018, 5:04 AM
To: ron@ronhays.com



 
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We invite you to listen to us on great radio stations across the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network weekdays- if you missed this morning's Farm News - or you are in an area where you can't hear it- click here for this morning's Farm news from Ron Hays on RON.
 

 
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Today's First Look:
mornings with cash and futures reviewed- includes where the Cash Cattle market stands, the latest Feeder Cattle Markets Etc.
 
 
Each afternoon we are posting a recap of that day's markets as analyzed by Justin Lewis of KIS futuresclick here for the report posted yesterday afternoon around 3:30 PM.
 
 
Okla Cash Grain:  
Daily Oklahoma Cash Grain Prices- as reported by the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture.
 
  
Futures Wrap:  
Our Daily Market Wrapup from the Radio Oklahoma Network - analyzing the Futures Markets from the previous Day.
 
Feeder Cattle Recap:  
The National Daily Feeder & Stocker Cattle Summary- as prepared by USDA.
 
Slaughter Cattle Recap: 
The National Daily Slaughter Cattle Summary- as prepared by the USDA.
 
TCFA Feedlot Recap:  
Finally, here is the Daily Volume and Price Summary from the Texas Cattle Feeders Association.
 


 
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Oklahoma's Latest Farm and Ranch News
 
Your Update from Ron Hays of RON
   Monday, December 24, 2018
 
Howdy Neighbors! 

Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update. 
 
One Featured Story: USDA's Meat Inspection and Livestock Market Reporting Will Continue- Even With an Extended Government Shutdown

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has detailed which functions of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will remain available with the current lapse in government funding.


"There may be a lapse in funding for the federal government, but that will not relieve USDA of its responsibilities for safeguarding life and property through the critical services we provide," said Secretary Perdue. "Our employees work hard every day to benefit our customers and the farmers, ranchers, foresters, and producers who depend on our programs. During a shutdown, we will leverage our existing resources as best we can to continue to provide the top-notch service people expect."

USDA activities that will continue in the short-term include:


* Meat, poultry, and processed egg inspection services. 


* Grain and other commodity inspection, weighing, grading, and IT support services funded by user fees. 


* Inspections for import and export activities to prevent the introduction and dissemination of pests into and out of the U.S, including inspections from Hawaii and Puerto Rico to the mainland. 


* Forest Service law enforcement, emergency and natural disaster response, and national defense preparedness efforts. 
 

* Eligible households will still receive monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for January. 


* Most other domestic nutrition assistance programs, such as the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, WIC, and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, can continue to operate at the State and local level with any funding and commodity resources that remain available. Additional Federal funds and commodities will not be provided during the period of the lapse. 

* Provision of conservation technical and financial assistance (such as Conservation 

Reserve Program, Environmental Quality Incentives Program, and easement programs).

* Market Facilitation Program payments. 

* USDA's Market News Service, which provides critically important market information to the agricultural industry. 

To review the full list and read more about USDA in this partial shutdown that is now underway- click or tap here.



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Things get a little trickier this year for this Christmas holiday week with the partial Federal government shutdown.  For today and tomorrow- the shutdown will have little or no effort on services coming out of USDA.

Livestock auction markets across the region are all closed this week and the early part of next week because of the Christmas and New Year holidays- markets like Joplin will be reopening as early as Wednesday, January 2nd when they have their first cow and bull sale of the year.  Other markets are taking both this week and next week off- and coming back for the week of January 7th.

AG FUTURES have had the Sunday night/early Monday overnight trade going- will pause and then have their regular open at 8:30 AM- they do close at 12:05 pm and will not reopen until Wednesday morning at 8:30 AM.

There will be no Wholesale Boxed Beef trade reports either today or tomorrow- but they should return Wednesday at midday.

Local USDA Service Centers may be open for limited hours today- call before you try to visit- and they should be open Wednesday thru Friday to wrap up end of the year business. 

Mail service is a go for today- closed on Tuesday and then will resume on Wednesday. 

As for our reports- this email is mostly focused on all things Christmas- NO EMAIL on Christmas Day and we will resume as normal on Wednesday morning- with lots of year end farm and ranch news to report to you on.

If you follow us on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network- we have reports as normal today- NO Radio updates are planned on Tuesday and then we resume with our regular schedule of reports on Wednesday. 


State Veterinarian Dr. Rod Hall has released a statement that children of all ages may be very interested in:

"I have worked diligently with Dr. Robert Gerlach, State Veterinarian of Alaska,to ensure that Santa's reindeer have been inspected, have met Oklahoma's entry requirements, and are properly documented on a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection in anticipation of their trip across Oklahoma on Christmas Eve.

"The earthquakes in Alaska made it very difficult for Alaska's State Veterinarian to make it to the North Pole to inspect Santa's reindeer for his annual trip to deliver toys to Oklahoma boys and girls. But Dr. Gerlach used dog sleds and snow shoes to get the job done.

"I have approved the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection for Santa's reindeer and I greatly appreciate the effort Dr. Gerlach put into it."



Glen Selk, Oklahoma State University Emeritus Extension Animal Scientist, took a moment this Christmas season to explain, very scientifically, how Santa's Reindeer are able to fly through the sky Christmas Eve night to deliver toys to all the good boys and girls across the world.


"First of all," Selk writes, "historians report that reindeer have been domesticated by humans for over 5000 years. Since Santa himself is no spring chicken, we can assume that they have worked together for quite awhile. They should not have any trouble finding their way around. There is no need to worry about them getting lost. 


"We do know that reindeer are ruminants. They are like cattle in this regard. They have four compartments to their stomach. Of course Santa gets them filled up with hay and moss before he leaves the North Pole, so they should have plenty of feed stored in the four compartments to make it all around the globe. Also, cattle nutritionists have known for years that hay digests more slowly than grain, therefore the big meal that the reindeer eat before the journey should last even longer. Or just like your mom says 'It'll stick to their ribs!' 


"As for drinking water that should be no problem whatsoever. In their homeland the water is all frozen so they are used to getting the moisture they need by eating snow. So as the sleigh is parked on snowy rooftops in cold weather cities, the reindeer can take on the moisture they need if they get thirsty. 


"How do they keep warm while flying around on Christmas Eve? The reindeer coat is made of two layers; an outer layer of bristles and an inner layer of dense fur. The fur that they have is very thick and can hold a lot of air. The 'blanket' of insulation combining fur and air helps keep them warm in even the coldest of climates. Plus flying around Christmas night in many areas of the world that are warmer than they have at home should not be a problem. 


"How do they fly? Well that's a tougher question, but let's look at what we do know about them. Reindeer are amazingly fast runners on the ground. University of Alaska researchers report that a newborn baby reindeer at one day of age can out run the fastest graduate student. By the time that they are fully grown it is hard to tell what speeds that they could reach. Next remember those huge antlers. Antlers of adult male reindeer can be as much as 4 feet long! Just think about it. Each reindeer has 2 sets; that's 8 feet of antlers and with eight reindeer, or nine, if we count Rudolph on foggy nights, that is 64 to 72 feet of total antler span. A typical small Cessna airplane only has about 36 feet of wingspan. Certainly it seems feasible those eight reindeer running that fast with all that antler span could get off the ground. 


"There are a couple of myths about reindeer that we should clear up. You have probably heard the poem that says that they have tiny reindeer feet. Actually they have a very wide large hoof that they use at home to dig through the snow to find grass and moss to eat. You've got to think that those wide hooves would come in handy for sliding to rather sudden stops on the small landing sites that Santa has to work with on Christmas Eve. 


"And you've probably heard the song about 'up on the house top click, click, click.' Well it is true that reindeer do make a clicking sound as they walk. They have a tendon that snaps over a bone joint and makes a clicking sound on every step. 


"These are just a few facts about Santa's Reindeer. Maybe this will help us understand that age-old mystery that occurs every Christmas Eve."

So, if you have any Doubting Thomas' in your family this year, 
skeptical about Santa and his Reindeer, we'd like to invite you to prove them wrong as we all know they secretly hope to be. Click here to view this classic story on our website, and share it with all your friends and family to spread a little Christmas cheer.
 

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FivePeterson Brothers Offer Up Why Santa is Kinda Like a Farmer

 Courtesy of the Peterson Farm Brothers in Kansas- Enjoy!






Max Lucado has a way of taking the truths of the season and allowing us to see them in a different way. What if we were able to go back some 2,000 years ago- and be a fly on the wall where Joseph of Nazareth was standing- looking up into the night sky?  
It's always amazing to me that God choose a farm setting to bring his Son into this world- and here's what Max Lucado says that Joseph might be muttering as he waits on the birth of a child by his wife, Mary. (From He Still Moves Stones)

"This isn't the way I planned it, God. Not at all. My child being born in a stable? This isn't the way I thought it would be. A cave with sheep and donkeys, hay and straw? My wife giving birth with only the stars to hear her pain?

"This isn't at all what I imagined. No, I imagined family. I imagined grandmothers. I imagined neighbors clustered outside the door and friends standing at my side. I imagined the house erupting with the first cry of the infant. Slaps on the back. Loud laughter. Jubilation.

"That's how I thought it would be.

"But now. Now look. Nazareth is five days' journey away. And here we are in a- in a field- just outside a stable? Who will celebrate with us? The sheep? The shepherds? The stars?

"This doesn't seem right. What kind of husband am I? I provide no midwife to aid my wife. No bed to rest her back. Her pillow is a blanket from my donkey. My house for her is a shed of hay and straw.

"The smell is bad, the animals are loud. Why, I even smell like a shepherd myself.

"Did I miss something? Did I, God?

"When you sent the angel and spoke of the son being born--this isn't what I pictured. I envisioned Jerusalem, the temple, the priests, and the people gathered to watch. A pageant perhaps. A parade. A banquet at least. I mean, this is the Messiah!

"Or, if not born in Jerusalem, how about Nazareth? Wouldn't Nazareth have been better? At least there I have my house and my business. Out here, what do I have? A weary mule, a stack of firewood, and a pot of warm water. This is not the way I wanted it to be! This is not the way I wanted my son.

"Oh my, I did it again. I did it again didn't I, Father? I don't mean to do that; it's just that I forget. He's not my son. He's yours.
The child is yours. The plan is yours. The idea is yours. And forgive me for asking but, is this how God enters the world? The coming of the angel, I've accepted. The questions people asked about the pregnancy, I can tolerate. The trip to Bethlehem, fine. But why a birth in a stable, God?

"Any minute now Mary will give birth. Not to a child, but to the Messiah. Not to an infant, but to God. That's what the angel said. That's what Mary believes. And, God, my God, that's what I want to believe. But surely you can understand; it's not easy. It seems so- bizarre.

"I'm unaccustomed to such strangeness, God. I'm a carpenter. I make things fit. I square off the edges. I follow the plumb line. I measure twice before I cut once. Surprises are not the friend of a builder. I like to see the plan before I begin.

"But this time I'm not the builder, am I? This time I'm a tool. A hammer in your grip. A nail between your fingers. A chisel in your hands. This project is yours, not mine.

"I guess it's foolish of me to question you. Forgive my struggling. Trust doesn't come easy to me, God. But you never said it would be easy, did you?

"One final thing, Father. The angel you sent? Any chance you could send another? If not an angel, maybe a person? I don't know anyone around here and some company would be nice. Maybe the innkeeper or a traveler? Even a shepherd would do."


Max Lucado goes on to say "I wonder. Did Joseph ever pray such a prayer? Perhaps he did. Perhaps he didn't.

"But you probably have.

"You've stood where Joseph stood. Caught between what God says and what makes sense. You've stared into a sky blackened with doubt. And you've asked what Joseph asked. 

"You've asked if you're still on the right road. You've asked if you were supposed to turn left when you turned right. And you've asked if there is a plan behind this scheme. Things haven't turned out like you thought they would.

"Each of us knows what it's like to search the night for light. Not outside a stable, but perhaps outside an emergency room. On the gravel of a roadside. On the manicured grass of a cemetery. We've asked our questions. We questioned God's plan. And we've wondered why God does what he does.

"No, the Bethlehem sky is not the first to hear the pleadings of an honest heart, nor the last. And perhaps God didn't answer every question for Joseph. But he answered the most important one. "Are you still with me, God?" And through the first cries of the God-child the answer came. "Yes. Yes, Joseph. I'm with you."

"There are many questions that we won't be able to answer. Many times we will muse, "I wonder"

"But in our wonderings, there is one question we never need to ask. Does God care? Do we matter to God? Does he still love his children?

"Through the small face of the stable-born baby, he says yes.

"Yes, your sins can be forgiven.

"Yes, your name can be written in heaven.

"Yes, death has been defeated.

"Because God has entered the world.

"Immanuel.  
 
"God is with us."


It's a little book that I have shared prayers from before- Samuel Guard lived almost a hundred years ago- and he was a giant in the world of agricultural journalism when no one really knew what that was- He worked as the Director of Information for the American Farm Bureau- Helped Put one of the legendary radio stations on the air in the 1920s to help communicate to farmers across the midwest (WLS Radio- put on the air by the Sears Roebuck folks- the retail name that may disappear after this Christmas) and then later owned and served as publisher of the Breeders Gazette for years and years.

Along the way- he wrote a year's worth of prayers from a farm/ranch point of view- The Farmer Gives Thanks is a real treasure- and I wanted to share one of the prayers Samuel wrote for the Christmas season.

AND- I have come upon a second copy of this book- and I want to share it with one of you. If you would like to claim it for your own- send me an email and let me know you want it- I will put all the names of those who make the request in a hat and pull one out- and my extra copy of The Farmer Gives Thanks will be on its way to you. 

Now- enjoy a Christmas Prayer on this Christmas Eve from Samuel Guard:

"Sore afraid, too, we who are wont to abide in the fields watching our flocks, come now to kneel as in a stable. 

"Even a cow stable, Lord, back of an inn, just as the angel told us.

"And, lo, in a manger where we were wont to put hay for the kine, we found thine own begotten son.

"Given by our Father in Heaven that we other children should not perish from the earth.

"Immanuel!

"Prince of Peace!

"In a manger!

"A lowly manger. Might have been our manger. Where stood the star!

"For such is the Kingdom.

"Amen."

Jan and I wish you and yours a happy and holy Christmas 2018- I'll be back with you on Wednesday morning with more farm and ranch news as we will count down the final days of the old year.

Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, P & K EquipmentLivestock Exchange at the Oklahoma National Stockyards, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Stillwater Milling Company, National Livestock Credit CorporationOklahoma Beef Council, Oklahoma AgCreditOklahoma 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!


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