Starting Thursday morning at 9 AM and running until Saturday afternoon- the 2023 Tulsa Farm Show will bring area farmers and ranchers to the SageNet Center at Expo Square to view the latest in agricultural & ranching technology. Show Sponsor, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, along with right at 350 exhibitors will feature thousands of agricultural products, ranching equipment, and services, making the Tulsa Farm Show one of the country’s premier agricultural events and the largest show of its kind under one roof.

I talked with show manager Scott Guttormson just ahead of the start of the 2023 event- “We are excited to be celebrating the 30th Annual Tulsa Farm Show this year! This is a great end of year event for area farmers and ranchers, and exhibitors are eager to get in front of customers. We are happy to have the support of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau again this year as the official show sponsor. And we are also excited to be adding seminars hosted by OSU Extension Services. It’s going to be a great 30th Annual Tulsa Farm Show!” Click on the blue button below to listen to Ron and Scott’s complete conversation.

In addition to exhibits, demonstrations, competitions, performances, and prize drawings are popular attractions at the show. Renowned natural horse trainer, Craig Cameron, will provide daily horsemanship seminars and interact with attendees throughout the show. Craig’s entertaining and interactive demonstrations have been a Tulsa Farm Show favorite for the past 28 years.



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At the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Oklahoma Grassroots Rural and Ag Business Accelerators Demo Day, Associate Farm Editor Reagan Calk had the chance to visit with Kaben Smallwood, a participant in the Customized Development program, about his business and participation.

The Oklahoma Grassroots Rural & Ag Business Accelerators program is a collaborative rural development initiative from the Oklahoma Farm Bureau and national and state-level partners developing Oklahoma-based innovators creating ideas, technologies, and products creating economic Opportunities in rural Oklahoma.

Smallwood is the founder of Symbiotic, and he and his team participated in the Customized Development program, which provided tailored resources and mentorship plans in the form of three or four action items for companies that have already completed at least 60 percent of the work covered by existing Activate Oklahoma rural development pipeline or Cultivate Oklahoma agricultural innovation pipeline.

“My company specializes in building autonomous, organic farms of the future,” Smallwood said. “We do this by building recirculating water systems where we raise fish and produce. We combine that with cutting-edge engineering and design.”

American Angus Association Utilizes the Latest Research to Boost Genetic Progress

In this episode of Beef Buzz, I am talking with the president of Angus Gentics, Inc. (AGI), Kelli Retallick-Riley, about genomics in the cattle industry.

“We really hit our stride with genomics in 2010 when we incorporated genomics into our national cattle evaluations at American Angus, and quite frankly, it has been an upward trajectory of people getting involved in genotyping and continuing to phenotype their animals to really put the best most accurate genetic predictions out there for breeders and commercial cattlemen to use,” Retallick-Riley said.

Retallick-Riley explained why information regarding both phenotype and genotype is critical.

“Genotype will tell me who I am related to, but if I don’t know anything about those relatives, I can’t draw an inference on that, so they really go hand in glove,” Retallick-Riley said. “We can’t have good, accurate genomic predictions without the actual performance records that our breeders are collecting.”

From a strategy standpoint, Retallick-Riley said producers can receive 25 progeny equivalents worth of accuracy by genotyping animals.

House Ag Committee Chairman GT Thompson Diagnosed with Prostrate Cancer

The Chairman of the House Ag Committee, GT Thompson of Pennsylvania announced on Tuesday that he has a bigger fight than securing a 2024 Farm Bill- beating cancer.

Here is the statement the Chairman released yesterday:

"After a routine physical and subsequent tests, I was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. While this diagnosis is a surprise, I feel well, and I will continue my work representing the people of Pennsylvania’s 15th District.

"Anyone who’s worked with me knows I am a person of faith as well as an eternal optimist, both of which will guide me as I undergo treatment. I am grateful to my medical team, my family, everyone I work with and represent in Congress.

"My faith in God is strong and I will tackle this head on. I appreciate both prayers and privacy during this time."

One statement from the ag community was released on Tuesday afternoon from Jim Mulhern- the CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation:

“Our prayers are with our long-time friend Rep. GT Thompson and his family as they navigate his diagnosis. Rep. Thompson has always been a fighter and we know he will face this challenge head-on. We are here to support Rep. Thompson through his treatment and know that his strength and spirit will help him through a speedy recovery."

Ahead of that announcement on Tuesday- we talked with his colleague and friend Congressman Frank Lucas about the farm bill process- and we asked the congressman about GT- and you can hear his comments (and hear his respect) for Chairman Thompson- click on the blue button below.

Agricultural producers’ sentiment increased for the second consecutive month, as the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer index rose 5 points to a reading of 115, a 12% increase compared to the previous year. The sentiment growth is largely attributed to farmers’ improved perceptions of their farms’ financial conditions and prospects.

This month’s Ag Economy Barometer survey was conducted from November 13-17, 2023.

The Index of Current Conditions rose 12 points to 113 while the Index of Future Expectations improved by 2 points to 116. The Farm Financial Performance Index also rose in November to a reading of 95, which is up 3 points from October. The financial index reached its low point back in the spring. The November reading was 25% higher than in May and 10% higher than at the start of fall harvest in September.

“Farmers’ expectations regarding financial performance have improved, with fewer producers’ expecting worse performance than a year ago,” said James Mintert, the barometer’s principal investigator and director of Purdue University’s Center for Commercial Agriculture.

The Farm Capital Investment Index has fluctuated throughout 2023 but rebounded this month to a reading of 42, up 7 points from October. Over the last several months, producers who view the investment climate as favorable were asked why they feel that way. The percentage of respondents choosing “strong cash flows” has been drifting lower since summer when approximately 40% of respondents chose that as their primary reason. This month just 22% of respondents chose “strong cash flows” with “higher dealer inventories,” chosen by 29% of respondents, claiming the top spot as to why now is a good time to make large investments, implying a potential change in market conditions.

78th Annual AFR State Speech Contest Challenges Oklahoma Youth

American Farmers & Ranchers (AFR) wrapped up its annual fall speech contest series Saturday Dec. 2 at Oklahoma State University (OSU) in Stillwater.

This marks the 78th year of the statewide contest. The event has gone through many changes over the years but has always maintained its central agricultural theme. Varying by grade level, this year’s speech categories are AFR/OFU, Agricultural Policy, Agribusiness, Natural Resources, Extemporaneous and Agri-Science.

Nearly 500 students will compete in AFR district speech contests this fall, resulting in more than 160 finalists advancing to the state contest. At the state level, the top three competitors in each category receive cash awards.

“Public speaking is one of the most valuable skills young people can gain for their future careers,” said AFR Cooperative President Scott Blubaugh. “We are honored to host the 78th Annual AFR Speech Contest, which has a long-standing tradition of fostering professionalism and confidence in Oklahoma’s youth.”

The AFR Annual Speech Contest is just one of many AFR Youth Program traditions. The organization also hosts a youth leadership summit, statewide scholarships, livestock judging and grading competitions, and many other development opportunities. For more information on this contest or other AFR Youth Program projects, contact AFR Youth Development Coordinator Tailor Atkinson at (405)218-5566 or tailor.atkinson@afrmic.com.

Biden-Harris Administration delivers $1.9 million to support public safety in Rural Oklahoma in 2023

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Oklahoma State Director Kenneth Corn announced today that USDA has invested more than $1.9 million in public safety sector services in communities across rural Oklahoma in 2023.

During the past fiscal year, Rural Development has funded 22 projects throughout the state totaling $1,926,935 that has been delivered to first responders and correctional services in rural Oklahoma. These projects helped fund items that supported police cars, fire trucks, fire hydrants, ambulances, severe weather warning systems, county jails and more. These funds were obligated under the Rural Development Community and Facilities Loan and Grant program.

This program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. Rural areas including cities, villages, townships and towns including Federally Recognized Tribal Lands with no more than 20,000 residents according to the latest U.S. Census Data are eligible for this program.

“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to not only rebuilding our economy, but by also maintaining a level of health and safety, so our residents in rural Oklahoma can proudly call their community home,” Corn said. “As I have traveled across Oklahoma speaking to city managers, police and fire chiefs, and our elected local officials, their message back to me is that the programs the President has delivered under USDA are a vital part of providing essential services to their Oklahoma neighbors. Without these funds many of these communities would be left with multiple coverage gaps that would impact the health, safety, and wellbeing of all too many rural Oklahomans.”

Move brush piles, dead trees and volatile vegetation away from firebreaks prior to a prescribed burn

When using prescribed fire to manage plant communities, it’s important to examine the perimeters of burn units and address coarse and volatile fuels near firebreaks before they cause problems.

Fire, herbivory and rest are some of the most important ecological processes that naturally manage plant communities. Many land managers tend to be familiar with using rest and herbivory (e.g., livestock grazing), but they may be less comfortable with the use of fire.

Fire is an essential process that manages plant succession, maintains desirable species composition, and sustains the health and grazeability of native grasslands. Lack of familiarity with the proper use of fire can increase the possibility of escapes.

ADDRESS COARSE AND VOLATILE FUELS NEAR FIREBREAKS

One of the most common mistakes made during site preparations for prescribed fires is leaving coarse or volatile fuels close to firebreaks, also called fireguards. Coarse fuels are materials that burn for a relatively long time, such as brush piles, snags (dead standing trees), logs or stumps. Volatile fuels in the context of prescribed burning are vegetative materials containing oils, resins, waxes or terpenes that cause them to burn more intensely. They also typically throw up more embers than similar-sized nonvolatile fuels. Examples of volatile fuels include junipers (also called cedars), pines, greenbriers, blackberries and weeping lovegrass.