At Cattlemen’s Congress, I caught up with the Vice President and Dean of the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Dr. Jayson Lusk. Hays and Lusk talk about the show, his time at OSU, and more.

“It is a great place to come see some of our current students, hopefully some of our future students, and some of the top purebred breeders in the country,” Lusk said.

Some of Oklahoma State University’s bulls competed at Cattlemen’s Congress, Lusk said, as the University aims to continue support of the purebred genetics industry.

Since accepting his position at OSU, Lusk said he is pleased with how welcoming the school has been.

“It has been a whirlwind, but I am learning more every day,” Lusk said. “It has been a great experience.”

Lusk said the current freshman class enrolled at OSU is the largest in the school’s history. President of the University, Dr. Shrum, has a strategic plan underway to put into place, Lusk said, and the division of agriculture will also have a strategic plan that aligns with the University and prioritizes agriculture in the state.



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.



At the fourth Cattlemen’s Congress, I had the chance to talk with the Executive Secretary and CEO of the American Shorthorn Association, Montie Soules, about the strengths of the Shorthorn breed.

“It has been a great event for our breed this year,” Soules said. “We are right here within three head of what we had last year, and our sales have been extremely strong since we came here. I think last year, we had the highest grossing of all the breeds here, quite honestly.”

In 2023, Soules said, the American Shorthorn Association saw successful sales and new memberships.

“The great thing about when you get some new members is that they need to buy a few cows,” Soules said. “That really helps the process and helps the membership.”

Soules said registration has remained strong, as 2023 was the third consecutive year that the breed broke 15,000 registrations.

Oklahoma State Wins Jarold Callahan Livestock Judging Contest at Cattlemen's Congress

It was close- but the Cowboys from Stillwater took home the overall top prize in the Collegiate Livestock Judging contest on Monday that was just renamed this past weekend at Cattlemen’s Congress. On Saturday, the board of Directors that run Congress announced that from this point forward- the collegiate Livestock Judging Contest will now be called the Jarold Callahan Livestock Judging Contest at Cattlemen’s Congress.

The team from Oklahoma State University was three points better than the Reserve Champs that came from Western Illinois University to claim the Senior Collegiate Division. This is a whole new set of team members that are following in the footsteps of the 2023 National Champion Livestock Judging Team from OSU. 2024 OSU team members include Ashylyn O’Brein, Braylon Spears, Jed Sidwell, Kale Campbell, Anna Hannon and Clay Brillhart.

Team rankings in the senior college division had OSU placing first, Western Illinois University reserve, Texas A&M placing third, Kansas State University fourth, Texas Tech fifth and the University of Arkansas sixth.

Ross Blumbaugh of Western Illinois was the high individual of the Contest- while OSU’s Ashlyn O’Brein, Bryalon Spears and Jed Sidwell placed fourth, fifth and sixth high individuals respectively.

In the JUCO division- Black Hawk East from Illinois won the Championship with Redlands of El Reno as Reserve.

Click the Blue Button below to read more about those teams and see pictures as well.

This week, the Cattlemen’s Congress in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma is wrapping up. The event hosted cattle exhibitors from across the nation and many types of vendors. Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Intern, Maci Carter, had the opportunity to talk to Cheryl Johnson of Stan’s Beef Jerky about her business and their experience at Cattlemen’s Congress.

“Stan started this about 50 plus years ago,” Johnson said. “He has done shows all over the United States. He’s got eight different flavors and we got different sizes of bags, and it’s all smoked.”

Johnson explained that the man in the company’s name, Stan, started this business over 50 years ago and is now 84. A friend of theirs, Tony, has since bought the business, but they still love to help and support.

“This is our first year here with Stan’s Beef Jerky,” Johnson said.

Being a vendor at Cattleman’s Congress is a new venture for the business, but not unfamiliar territory for the family. Johnson explained that they like to refer to themselves as “cattle people” and they were excited when the opportunity to sell their product at the show came up.

“We have four flavors that are a tender cut because we turn the eye of the round a kind of a different way,” Johnson said. “Then the old style is a little drier. That kind of beef jerky that people have ate in the past.”

Cow-Calf Producers: Are you on offense or defense in 2024?

Dr. Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist, offers his economic analysis of the beef cattle industry as part of the weekly series known as the “Cow Calf Corner,” published electronically by Dr. Peel and Mark Johnson. Today, Dr. Peel talks about production costs, cattle markets and more.

The majority of the cow-calf sector has been on the defense for the past two to three years due to adverse weather and production cost conditions. Widespread drought has forced significant herd liquidation and resulted in additional feed and other production costs. It appears that the beef cow herd has decreased by roughly 11 percent since the last cyclical peak in 2019 and has decreased perhaps six percent in just the last two years due to drought. USDA will release the January 1 cattle inventory numbers on January 31 and confirm herd changes in 2023. The drought resulted in record high hay prices in 2022 with only slight decreases in 2023. High prices for supplement feeds, fertilizer, fuel, and other production inputs have added to the cost challenges.

Going into 2024, production costs have eased somewhat, and drought conditions have improved in many regions; though considerable drought remains around the country. Many regions that have less drought or are recently removed from drought still need time for forage recovery or, particularly important in many areas, water recovery. With considerable uncertainty remaining about moisture and forage conditions for the coming growing season, many producers are logically taking a very cautious approach to animal stocking. Restocking drought-reduced cow herds will be a slower process in many situations.

When it comes to Climate Smart Ag, Oklahoma could learn a thing or two from its neighbor

There is a new blog post out at the Southern Plains Perspective. The Southern Plains Perspective is authored by Clay Pope- who farms with his wife Sarah.  Read Below!

When it comes to conservation policy I generally like to brag on Oklahoma.  Many people don’t realize what a great job the Sooner State does when it comes to protecting natural resources on farm and ranch land. Whether it’s reducing run-off in streams and rivers, controlling soil erosion or improving wildlife habitat, Oklahoma has a record of being a national leader in addressing these issues. It’s a rare day when I point out how another state is doing a better job of helping farmers and ranchers deal with an environmental challenge.

Well, today is one of those days.

While perusing the internet last month for blog ideas, I came across a story describing a new program in the State of Missouri that’s focused on helping agriculture producers adopt “climate smart ag practices.” It’s something I think Oklahoma and other Southern Plains States should seriously consider copying.

In September of 2022, The Center for Regenerative Agriculture at the University of Missouri received a $25 million grant from USDA to lead the Missouri Climate-Resilient Crop and Livestock Project (CRCL). This initiative is designed to assist Missouri producers in adopting a wide range of climate-smart conservation practices in the hope of creating a more resilient crop and livestock system.

USDA Announces Market Development Program Investments for Fiscal Year 2024

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is awarding more than $203 million to nearly 70 agricultural organizations to help expand export markets for U.S. food and agricultural products via the Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) program. 

“Over the years we have seen the tremendous impact both MAP and FMD have on expanding U.S. exports to markets across the globe,” said FAS Administrator Daniel B. Whitley. “For each $1 invested in export market development, U.S. agricultural exports have increased by more than $24. These programs provide a significant boost to the U.S. agricultural industry, which in turn helps strengthen the economy not just in rural communities, but across the entire United States.”

Through MAP, FAS will provide $174.3 million for fiscal year 2024 to 68 nonprofit organizations and cooperatives. These organizations use the funds on consumer promotion, including brand promotion for small companies and cooperatives, and the funding is used extensively by organizations promoting fruits, vegetables, nuts, processed products and bulk and intermediate commodities. The average MAP participant provides more than $2.50 in contributions for every $1 in federal funding it receives through the program.

Under the FMD program, FAS will allocate $27 million for fiscal year 2024 to 20 trade organizations that represent U.S. agricultural producers. The program focuses on generic promotion of U.S. commodities, rather than consumer–oriented promotion of branded products. Preference is given to organizations that represent an entire industry or are nationwide in membership and scope. The organizations, which contribute on average more than $2.50 for every $1 in federal funding they receive through the program, will conduct activities that help maintain or increase demand for U.S. agricultural commodities overseas.