Oklahoma's Latest Farm

And Ranch News

Friday, December 15, 2023

Howdy Neighbors!

Here is Your Daily Oklahoma Farm and Ranch News Update: 

 

  • Minimal Changes Seen in This Week’s Oklahoma Drought Monitor


  • Tips for Ag Producers from the American Bankers Association


  • Oklahoma Ag Leadership Alumni Host Class XXI in Downtown OKC


  • Animal Ag Alliance Emphasizes the Importance of Being Proactive Against Animal Activist Groups


  • Kim Anderson Applauds the Farmers Who Feed and Clothe Us


  • What’s all the Fuss about the Inflation Reduction Act?


  • Solutions for the Land Applauds Final COP 28 Agreement


  • OKFB Foundation for Agriculture awards local schools with $10,000 greenhouse grants


  • More Stories for Your Weekend Reading

Minimal Changes Seen in This Week’s Oklahoma Drought Monitor

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


Extreme drought or worse remains at 1.15 percent, unchanged from last week.


Severe drought or worse remains at 10.38 percent, unchanged from last week.


Moderate drought or worse is now at 32.88 percent, up slightly from last week’s 32.29 percent.


Abnormally dry or worse conditions are now at 67.68 percent, up from last week’s 57.68 percent.


As we post this Friday report- it has been a rainy last couple of days in the western third of the state- Slapout has topped the three inch rainfall total for the past 48 hours- and there are a bunch of Mesonet stations that have more than two inches of rain- check out the Mesonet map below- it links back to the two day rainfall totals in real time.

Click here to read a national drought summary and view this week's charts and graphs

Sponsor Spotlight



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.


Tips for Ag Producers from the American Bankers Association

Farm Director KC Sheperd recently had the chance to visit with the Senior Vice President of Agricultural and Rural Banking Policy at the American Bankers Association, Ed Elfman.


Sheperd and Elfman talk about farm bill priorities and recommendations for ag producers when it comes to communicating with their bankers.


Elfman said one of the American Bankers Association’s priorities is ensuring that agricultural borrowers are well represented.


“Everyone wants to talk about the runup in interest rates and where the world is going and all that, but we have got to keep looking forward for our borrowers,” Elfman said. “At the end of the day, it affects us as bankers. We want to make sure we know what is coming down the pipe.”


Looking into 2024, Elfman said one of the biggest issues is going to be the rising interest rate environment.

Click here to read more and listen to KC Sheperd talk with Ed Elfman about tips for ag producers and farm bill priorities

OALP Alumni Fellowship With Class XXI in Downtown OKC

The President of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Rodd Moesel, is one of more than 500 alums of the Oklahoma Ag Leadership Program(member of Class V) and he helped host Class XXI in an annual Christmas dinner at the Myriad Gardens in downtown Oklahoma City on Thursday evening. The Class is holding their fourth seminar since coming together this past August- working on Communications and Leadership.


Moesel introduced several of the Alums who have benefited from the program- and challenged the newest class that has just started their leadership journey thru OALP to invest themselves into the program- saying it will return huge dividends.


I talked with Moesel about the program- and how it was valuable to him- and we also talked about Oklahoma Farm Bureau's highlights in 2023- and what was ahead for 2024.


You can listen to our conversation by clicking on the Blue Button below.

Earlier on Thursday- we were honored to spend the afternoon with Class XXI in a media training session- and my colleagues in helping talk about how to communicate the story of ag with passion included (Above) Todd Brunner of Wright Radio in Weatherford, Bryan Painter of OBU in Shawnee and yours truly.


This class of 27 young men and ladies is ready to tell their story and the story of agriculture.

Read More and Listen to Ron and Rodd Moesel talk OALP and a year end review for Farm Bureau
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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




Animal Ag Alliance Emphasizes the Importance of Being Proactive Against Animal Activist Groups

In this episode of Beef Buzz, I am talking with Emily Ellis of the Animal Agriculture Alliance about work the group is doing to tackle issues regarding animal activist groups.


“At the Animal Agriculture Alliance, we are here to monitor animal rights groups and adversarial groups, so farmers and ranchers don’t have to,” Ellis said. “We know that they have a lot on their plate already, so we can do that lift for them. We can keep tabs on them and then share that information with them.”


One of the issues the Alliance is focusing on now, Ellis said, includes a “Right to Rescue” campaign from a group called Direct Action Everywhere.


“This campaign they have been lobbying for very heavily over the last year is what they describe as their right to rescue,” Ellis said. “We consider animal theft where, essentially, they are breaking into farms and facilities, stealing animals, and they are facing court trials across the country for these actions.”


Recently, Ellis said the co-founder of Direct Action Everywhere was found guilty of animal theft in California. Ellis added that the co-founder could be sentenced to up to three and a half years in prison.

Click here to read more and listen to Emily Ellis talk about the latest from the Animal Ag Alliance

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 Friday morning farm and ranch news with Ron Hays
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Sponsor Spotlight



National Livestock was founded in 1932 in Oklahoma City. National’s Marketing Division offers cattle for sale weekly at the Oklahoma National Stockyards in Oklahoma City. The Finance Division lends money to ranchers across several states for cattle production. The Grazing Division works with producers to place cattle for grazing on wheat or grass pastures. 


National also owns and operates other livestock marketing subsidiaries including Southern Oklahoma Livestock Auction in Ada, Oklahoma, OKC West Livestock Market in El Reno, Oklahoma, and the nation’s premier livestock video sale, Superior Livestock Auction. National offers customers many services custom made for today’s producer. To learn more, click here for the website or call the Oklahoma City office at 1-800-310-0220.



Kim Anderson Applauds the Farmers Who Feed and Clothe Us

This Week on SUNUP is Oklahoma State University Extension grain market economist Kim Anderson talks about what it takes to be a farmer.


“Let me tell you about what it takes to be a farmer,” Anderson said. “You have got to manage land, labor and capital.”


Anderson said that all land is not created equal, as each parcel of land may not allow the same productivity for every crop; therefore, farmers must select the crop that will have good productivity for the type of land it will be grown in.


“They have got to select tillage practices that will keep that land in production for a long time,” Anderson said. “They have got to fight Mother Nature…”


Anderson said farmers work hard to combat many problems including insects, storms, weeds, and more.


“They have got to have knowledge about all of those topics and know how to manage them, and to produce a quality product that the market wants,” Anderson said. “The knowledge and management ability of a farmer just boggles my mind. Farmers feed and clothe people in Oklahoma, the United States, and around the world. The economies in the U.S. and around the world depend on farmers and ranchers in agriculture to feed and clothe us.”

Click here to listen to Kim Anderson on OSU's SUNUP

What’s all the Fuss about the Inflation Reduction Act?

If you were following farm bill developments over the past year, chances are you’ve heard a lot of chatter about the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).  The IRA—signed into law in August 2022—provided approximately $18 billion in new, additional funding for climate-smart agriculture delivered via the existing conservation programs authorized in Title 2 of the farm bill. But, what does that have to do with the farm bill reauthorization?  As it turns out, quite a lot.


While the IRA infused $18 billion into the conservation programs, it was one-time funding. The IRA passed through Congress under a budget process known as reconciliation. While that process lowers the vote threshold in the Senate—allowing bills that might not otherwise pass to find their way through the process, typically in partisan fashion—it also requires that no spending extend beyond the 10-year budget window in the reconciliation agreement. For the IRA, that window closes in 2031. Contrast that with the farm bill, where the budget for conservation programs is assumed to continue in perpetuity.  


While the debate over the IRA has largely involved (1) quibbling over CBO’s projections of IRA spending and (2) speculating if USDA will be able to obligate the entire $18 billion by 2031, both of these arguments miss the bigger point. Absent creative thinking, the IRA funding will be a one-time flash in the pan—gone by 2031.

Click here to read the full article from Southern Ag Today and to see accompianing graphs and charts

Solutions from the Land Applauds Final COP 28 Agreement

Solutions from the Land (SfL) applauds the central outcome of COP 28, noting that the nearly 200 countries that participated in the 28th Conference of the Parties reached historic agreement that recognizes the fundamental priority of safeguarding food security and ending hunger, and in particular the vulnerabilities of food production systems to the adverse impacts of climate change.


The highlight of COP 28 for SfL was the adoption of the Emirates Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems and Climate Change by over 150 countries. This is the first-ever declaration on the “profound potential of ag and food systems in driving innovative responses to climate change and unlocking shared prosperity for all.” The Declaration addresses global emissions while protecting the lives and livelihoods of farmers who live on the frontlines of climate change. 


“If nations want to prevent the globe from warming more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, they cannot unless agriculture is enabled to participate in a way that just doesn’t meet a climate outcome, but in a way that delivers multiple solutions to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” said SfL President Ernie Shea.

Click here to read more about the COP 28 Agreement from Solutions from the Land

OKFB Foundation for Agriculture awards local schools with $10,000 greenhouse grants

The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture recently selected Roland Public Schools and Navajo Public Schools to receive the $10,000 Growing with the Foundation grant.


The Growing with the Foundation grant is designed to help students learn about agriculture through assisting schools with the purchase of a teaching greenhouse.


“We are proud to award Roland and Navajo Public Schools with the Growing with the Foundation grant,” said David VonTungeln, OKFB Foundation for Agriculture president. “As our society becomes further removed from the farm, we appreciate the commitment these schools have to teaching their students about where their food comes from.”


Typically awarded to one school per year, this year’s grant was presented to two schools thanks to the generous contributions of OKFB members during fundraising events at the organization’s 82nd annual meeting in early November.


For more information about the OKFB Foundation for Agriculture grant programs, visit the foundation website or contact Holly Carroll at holly.carroll@aggiving.org or at (405) 523-2300.

More Stories for Your Weekend Reading

CoBank Releases 2024 Year Ahead Report – Forces That Will Shape the U.S. Rural Economy
All-American Beef Battalion Lunch and Fundraiser Auction Planned for December 18 at the Oklahoma National Stockyards
2023 National Corn Yield Contest Winners Announced
Ranking Member David Scott Laments No Farm Bill by December, As Promised by Speaker Mike Johnson
House Passes Biden Impeachment Inquiry Resolution
AFBF Applauds House Action to Advance Nutritious School Meals
NIAA Creates New Council to Address Animal Disease Issues and Emergency Management
Collaboration and Momentum Main Themes of Sustainable Agriculture Summit
American Farmland Trust Releases Smart Solar Recommendations to Help Policymakers Advance Solar Development
Experts in Animal, Human Genetics Talk Innovation at Angus Convention
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 mixed- Choice Beef was up 68 cents and Select Beef was down 95 cents on Thursday 12/14/2023.


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

Boxed Beef Report

Weekly Cattle Auction Reports


The buttons below allow you to check out the weekly Cattle Auctions in the region that we post on our website and here in our daily email update.

Oklahoma National Stockyards Market Report from 12/11/2023
Tulsa Stockyards for Monday December 11, 2023
Joplin Regional Stockyards Market from Monday 12/11/2023
Oklahoma National Stockyards Cows and Bulls Sold Tuesday, December 12, 2023
OKC West in El Reno Market Report from 12/12 and 12/13/2023
Woodward Livestock Market from Thursday 12/07/2023
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 12/14/2023
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 12/14/2023
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.


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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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Radio Oklahoma Ag Network

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