The Shows in the Jim Norick Arena were paused at noon on Saturday as Cattlemen’s Congress paid tribute to Jarold Callahan. Board Member Tyler Norvell told the exhibitors and those that were in the stands that it was appropriate to stop for a few moments midday Saturday to salute the late Callahan as it was his dream to always have the Herefords and Angus showing at the same time in the arena.

Jarold Callahan passed away on December 23, 2023 unexpectedly- and his death has left the national cattle show without it’s leader as it kicked off just seven days later. The show staff and leadership have pulled together and pushed forward in his memory as the largest beef cattle show in the US is now in it’s fourth year.

Norvell told the audience present and online that “But as we move forward, I can promise you- the Cattlemen’s Congress Board- the folks behind this show- are more committed than ever and Jarold always said from day one- this is gonna be the most exhibitor friendly and most affordable livestock show put on in the country. And that’s our mission to make it a good experience for the exhibitor. We want to always make that this is a show that is put on by cattlemen for cattlemen.”

It was announced on Saturday there will be two traveling trophies named from now on for Jarold Callahan- a trophy for the champion Angus open heifer and the champion Polled Hereford heifer.

Norvell also announced that the collegiate livestock judging contest that was near and dear to Jarold Callahan will be named from now on the Jarold Callahan Livestock Judging Contest at Cattlemen’s Congress.

During the tribute- there was a video capturing a few comments from Jarold- including a couple from the conversation that we had with him this past fall where he recapped his life ahead of the Saddle and Sirloin Portrait Ceremony in November. You can watch the video by clicking on the video link below.



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. 

They would like to thank all of you who participated in their 2023 Tulsa City Farm Show. 

Up next will be the Oklahoma City’s premier spring agricultural and ranching event with returns to the State Fair Park April 4-5-6, 2024.

Now is the ideal time to contact the Midwest Farm Show Office at 507-437-7969 and book space at the 2024 Oklahoma City Farm Show.  To learn more about the Oklahoma City Farm Show, click here. 

At the 2024 Cattlemen’s Congress, I caught up with the President of the American Angus Association and Oklahoma Rancher, Barry Pollard. Pollard wears many hats, as he is also the owner of P&K equipment and a retired neurosurgeon.

Pollard said it has been a busy week as a trade show representative and sponsor at Cattlemen’s Congress, and the crowd has been great. After the sudden passing of Jarold Callahan, Pollard talked about the impact Callahan had on the cattle industry and his instrumental place in Cattlemen’s Congress.

“His leadership and his knowledge of the business, from beginning to end, was just fantastic,” Pollard said. “He has been a guy that has been on the commercial end of it, he has feedlot experience and ownership, he has followed cattle all the way through, as well as seeing them in the show cattle arena…”

Pollard applauded Callahan’s special ability to evaluate things in the present, look forward to the future, and see changes that needed to be made.

“He was truly a visionary in this business,” Pollard said.

Angus CEO Mark McCully Describes Cattlemen’s Congress as a World-Class Event

At the 2024 Cattlemen’s Congress, I sat down and talked with the CEO of the American Angus Association, Mark McCully, and discussed the state of the Angus industry and the fourth year of Cattlemen’s Congress.

“We are four years in, and it has really matured into a fantastic event,” McCully said.

There are cattlemen from all over, McCully said, as he had the chance to visit with some producers who traveled from as far as Scotland to attend one of the cattle sales at the show. McCully said there are not only live cattle sales at the show but also sales for genetics in many different forms.

“Oklahoma City is a city that is easy to get around,” McCully said. “This is a very exhibitor-friendly show.”

Regarding the state of the Angus breed, McCully said ranchers remain optimistic, although herd rebuilding is going a little slower than many expected.



“I think the profitability scenario for commercial producers continues to be strong; they are going to be in the driver’s seat for a while, and that always bodes well for the ability to invest in genetics,” McCully said. “Angus genetics continue to fit that job description for calving ease, and as they start rebuilding and buying heifers back.”

Soy growers are asking Congress to support inland waterways in the upcoming 2024 Water Resources Development Act.

Lawmakers are in the process of developing the 2024 WRDA, a critical piece of legislation that will shape U.S. waterway policies for the next two years. The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee recently issued guidance for WRDA 2024 requests, with Congressional offices having until Friday, Jan. 12, to submit input.

ASA is urging Congress to ensure that inland waterways projects funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act) are completed in accordance with Congressional intent. Specifically, ASA is advocating for these projects to be funded entirely through 100% general revenue without relying on Inland Waterway Trust Fund dollars.

ASA state affiliates this week contacted their House delegation staff, asking them to communicate with the House T&I Committee in support of waiving the IWTF cost-share for the seven inland waterways construction and major rehabilitation projects funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Additionally, ASA requests that these projects remain wholly funded at the federal level, not with IWTF funds, in the 2024 WRDA.

ICYMI-RMA’s Livestock Roadshow is Coming to Oklahoma on January 10 & 11

To help livestock producers know what insurance resources are out there and answer any questions, USDA's Risk Management Agency is hosting a series of workshops for producers to learn about updates and improvements to several livestock risk management products. The improvements and expansions are based on feedback from America’s livestock producers.

Topics for RMA’s Livestock Roadshow sessions include:

• Annual Forage
• Dairy Revenue Protection
• Livestock Gross Margin
• Livestock Risk Protection
• Pasture, Rangeland and Forage
• Weaned Calf Risk Protection

Two sessions are happening in Oklahoma this week. On Wednesday January 10th- the Roadshow stops at the Great Plains Career Tech, 4500 S.W. Lee Blvd in Lawton from 1 to 4 pm.

Then on Thursday, January 11th- the roadshow will be in Stillwater from 9 AM til noon at the Payne County Expo Center at 4518 Expo Circle E.

More Protein, Better Policy: Welcome to 2024

National Milk Producers Federation CEO's Corner- A Word from CEO and President, Gregg Doud:

Happy New Year, and what a year 2024 promises to be. Within dairy and throughout agriculture, the refrain that will be often repeated is that this will be the year of protein. In fact, it may be the first of many: If you look out over the next decade, the supply of animal protein in the world – that’s beef, pork, poultry, and dairy — comes nowhere near meeting the demand.

That means U.S. dairy’s emphasis on exports and our international competitiveness will certainly be an area of focus. Dairy farmers and their cooperatives are extremely well positioned to do this: We’re efficient, we can get high-quality products overseas competitively, and our processing capacity is expanding. Our innovation and technology in the dairy industry to expand international markets is second to none. NMPF can support these efforts by continuing our excellent partnership with the U.S. Dairy Export Council and by seeking sound policy that promotes the powerhouse potential of U.S. dairy.

Our Cooperatives Working Together Program will soon be in a position to bring significantly greater resources to bear in supporting market growth for U.S. dairy worldwide – just as our main competitors in New Zealand and Europe take a step back in large part due to regulatory constraints we in the United States have been able to avoid.