Express Ranch President Jarold Callahan Passed Away Unexpectedly December 23rd

It's a sad Christmas for those of us who knew Jarold Callahan. Unexpectedly, he died on Saturday, December 23rd while visiting family in northeastern Oklahoma.

Callahan had served as the President of Express Ranches for the past 27 years- and had led the effort to give birth to Cattlemen's Congress when Covid was knocking out major cattle shows in the fall of 2020. He was serving before his passing as the Chairman of the group that is putting on the Fourth Congress in less than a week.

Visitation for Jarold will be in Vinita on December 27th from 5 to 7 pm at the Burckhalter-Highsmith Chapel, 201 N Wilson, Vinita, OK. A Celebration of Life will be held this Friday, December 29th at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, 1700 Northeast 63rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK. The Obituary will be found later on the Burchhalter-Highsmith website but a suggestion for a memorial in honor of Jarold is on their site- "Jarold's family would prefer memorials be made in his honor to Cattleman's Congress to provide financial support to ensure that future livestock industry leaders have access to the educational opportunities offered by the OSU Purebred Beef Center. If you would like to support this cause, or contribute to the cost associated with the portrait and banquet, please make checks payable to: Cattleman's Congress, Inc. with the designation Callahan Saddle and Sirloin. Contributions should be mailed to: Cattleman's Congress, Attention: Kass Newell, 21 Land Rush St, Oklahoma City, OK 73107."

In addition to his role with Cattlemen's Congress- Jarold was also was currently serving as a member of the OSU Board of Regents. Earlier this fall- he was honored by the Saddle and Sirloin Club that's a part of the North American Livestock Expo as a Portrait honoree.

Callahan grew up in Welch, Oklahoma and lived his life in Oklahoma- loving the cattle business and all that goes with it. He was a member of the NEO and OSU Livestock Judging teams- coached both of those teams- served as Executive Director of the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association before taking on the job of making Express Ranches the premiere purebred ranch in the US.

Several statements have been released- including a word from Bob Funk, Sr of Express, the staff of Cattlemen's Congress, OSU- A&M Regents, Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association, Oklahoma Beef Council, Oklahoma Angus Association as well as the American Angus Association- click on these names to jump to those tributes.

Your Editor has done multiple interviews over the years with Jarold- often as a preview to their Big Event Cattle Sale each August, many times with him over the last four years about Cattlemen's Congress- and back a few months ago- talking about his life and career in a podcast that we produced for Cattlemen's Congress. Click on the Blue Button below for that Podcast that is a part of the Cattlemen's Congress Conversations that I have hosted in 2022 through now. The conversations we had after the interviews were over were about life and I will cherish those for the rest of my life.

We pray for Jarold's wife Jennifer, his family and those who worked with him closely-



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This coming Cattlemen’s Congress will mark year four for the national cattle show. Each year, the event has made changes to become better regarding not only the schedule but infrastructure as well.

I talked with Tyler Norvell who is part of the leadership team that helped make Congress a reality back in 2021- and who's looking forward to a great 2024.

Improvements have been made this year to the electricity in the barns, Norvell said, which will hopefully help exhibitors not rely on generators as much.

The Supreme Drive day on January 9th will be a busy one- as they have moved the Market Steer Show to that day along with the Prospect Show- all of that ahead of the Supreme Junior Female, Open Female and Open Bull Selections. The Collegiate Livestock Judging Contest which has been held that day in past years is moving to Monday, January 8th.

Norvell said the sales featured at the show have continued to grow, as there are sales for everyone, from live sales to embryo sales.

“We feel like that is what has set us apart long-term is the commerce that we can bring along with the show,” Norvell said.

Placements Higher Than Trade Expected in Final Cattle on Feed Report of 2023

The final Cattle on Feed report for 2023 was released as the industry headed into the Christmas holiday weekend- and it was a slightly bearish report- based on more cattle being placed into feedlots compared to what the pre report guesses by the trade were.

The On Feed number was 3% above a year ago- Placements were two percent less than a year ago and marketings were 7% under that of 2022.

I talked with Extension Livestock Market Economist Dr. Derrell Peel about the numbers- and he says "It's not a big surprise like that September report was- it is on the upper end of the placement range- but there were some analysts who thought it might be at this level. " Peel does acknowledge that it is a relatively large placement number and keeps the on feed numbers above a year ago as we end 2023.



Peel says the on feed numbers have now been above a year ago since October- and this is because of bigger placement numbers.

"We have had such a strong increase in cattle markets this year- prices have been well above year ago levels- particularly for feeder cattle- we have been running 30% to 36-37% above a year earlier levels all year on average. I think a lot of producers just really wanted to take advantage of this market."

The Agrarian way of life and the message of the Good News of the Birth of Jesus over 2,000 years ago are very much tied together- and this Christmas story from Brandon Baumgarten offers that link to what farmers and ranchers have done for centuries and the God’s provision of a “perfect lamb.”

Enjoy the “The Shouting Shepherd”

Have you ever tried to find the perfect livestock?

I have. Finding that right animal takes a lot of attention, experience and a good eye.

As someone who takes care of sheep, my good eye has seen everything from new lambs being born from weening a whole herd. It’s a constant job, but not a glorified job. It can be lonely living out in the fields outcast from society. Raising my sheep, I don’t talk much, I just mainly pay attention to my flock.

However, one night, I finally found the perfect sheep. True story. It was a late night, quiet and uneventful. The sheep were doing what they always did and we shepherds just watched, guided, and fed the herd like normal.

Then suddenly, normal began to change. Soon the silent night was broken. The uneventful night became eventful. Because in the sky appeared an angel from Heaven saying, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was even more angels praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

The sight was incredible. I quickly told the other shepherds that we had to see what the angels were talking about. We hurried to Bethlehem and saw Mary, Joseph, and the Christ child lying in a manger just like the Angel said. The King of Kings had come and we lowly shepherds were the first to hear of His arrival.

I’m usually pretty quiet tending my flock, but that night, something changed in me. I felt a rush in my heart to shout and proclaim the news that Jesus, the Son of God had finally come to earth. I shouted and shared the news with everyone I could. Yes, this once silent shepherd turned into a shouting shepherd for Jesus.



When we returned home, we gave thanks and glorified God for all we had seen. As a shepherd, I have a pretty good eye when it comes to livestock and that night we saw another sheep. But it wasn’t an ordinary sheep. We saw the precious lamb of God given as a gift for all the world to receive.

Wheat Organizations and Corn Growers Welcome Reopening of Border Rail Crossings

U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) and the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) are pleased that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency reopened rail crossings in El Paso and Eagle Point today.

These rail corridors are essential gateways to many loyal flour millers and their wheat food customers in Mexico who rely on the interconnected U.S. and Mexican rail system for a reliable source of high-quality U.S. wheat. Even short disruptions in this system can have significant negative effects on both sides of the border. We trust CBP will take the steps needed to avoid rail closures in the future, and we are grateful for their efforts to maintain border security and facilitate lawful trade.

“This is certainly a welcome relief,” said NCGA President Harold Wolle. “We are very appreciative that CBP was responsive to our calls to have the border crossings re-opened, but we hope this experience serves as a cautionary tale moving forward. Rail is a key mode of transportation for our exports into Mexico, so closing rail crossings can have devastating ramifications for farmers and the economy.”

USDA Highlights 2023 Successes in Serving Farmers, Families and Communities

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is marking the end of 2023 by highlighting on-the-ground projects and partnerships that are building economic prosperity for farmers, families, and communities nationwide. Thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda – and its record investments in rural America – USDA has been able to help tens of thousands of farmers continue their operations and increase their revenue, connected rural communities to internet access, advanced efforts to mitigate climate change, made investments that give small businesses a leg up, lowered energy costs and costs for consumers, and more.

“For too long, America’s agricultural policies have encouraged farmers to get big or get out, and this in turn has weakened the communities whose local economies are tied to small and mid-sized farms. We’re starting to see the impact of a new way of approaching policies and programs that are better designed for the real needs of rural communities—and the results are promising,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Over the course of the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA has pushed forward with efforts to create revenue-expanding new markets for farmers, help them find opportunity while simultaneously addressing climate change, and build stronger infrastructure that leads to more prosperous farms and communities. In 2023, we saw these changes begin to take hold in tangible ways, which puts extra momentum behind the work we’ll carry out in 2024.”