At the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association’s Annual Policy Meeting, I had the chance to talk with the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Broadband Authority, Mike Sanders, about improving access to rural broadband in Oklahoma.

“When I first walked in on day one at the Oklahoma Broadband Office, we didn’t even have high-speed internet,” Sanders said. “I say that jokingly now because where we were and where we are is a 180-degree difference.”

After decades of rural Oklahomans being underserved and unserved, Sanders said, with the help of a tremendous board at the Oklahoma Broadband Office, policies and procedures have been set in place to make a difference in rural Oklahoma.

“Being a formal rural legislator, I knew intimately the issues and challenges that rural Oklahoma sometimes is up against,” Sanders said. “I will tell you in our last nine months of putting in the policies and administering all of this federal money, we are going to have some very good news coming very soon.”



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. 



Oklahoma got its moment in the limelight at both of the General Sessions held on Sunday at the 105th annual meeting of the American Farm Bureau in Salt Lake City.

The Sunday morning session saw OkFB receiving a New Horizons Award from AFBF. The New Horizon Award is presented to one State Farm Bureau in each AFBF membership category, and OKFB’s award recognizes the OKFB Capitol Camp, a legislative experience for Oklahoma 4-H and FFA members.

Held for the second time in the summer of 2023, Capitol Camp is an immersive two-day experience for high school juniors and seniors to learn about Oklahoma’s legislative process and how bills become law through a mock legislature held on the floor of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

Click here for our story on the New Horizon Award being handed out to Oklahoma Farm Bureau.

Oklahoma Third District Congressman Frank Lucas was presented with the Distinguished Service Award by the nation’s largest general farm organization on Sunday afternoon during their annual convention in Salt Lake City. AFBF established the Distinguished Service Award in 1928 to honor individuals who have devoted their careers to serving the national interest of American agriculture.  

Lucas commended AFBF for the important role the organization plays in informing farmers about congressional happenings and making sure they can voice their opinions and needs. A lifelong Farm Bureau member, Lucas shared what receiving this award means to him.

“It’s like having your family say you’ve done a really good job for them,” Lucas said. “There’s nothing more important than having your family acknowledge that your hard work has been for a purpose and accomplished things. I appreciate my Farm Bureau family acknowledging my 29 years of constantly working on their behalf. It’s very kind of them.”

Click here for our story on this honor- including the chance to see the video about Frank Lucas' career as a member of the US House.

As Improved Genetics Come with Herd Rebuilding, Paul Dykstra Sees More Opportunity for Certified Angus Beef

In this episode of Beef Buzz, I am back talking with the Director of Supply Management and Analysis at Certified Angus Beef, Paul Dykstra, about his perspectives on building back the cow herd.

Dykstra says building back the cow herd will not be an easy process as many replacement heifers are not being kept back, at least for now. There is not a large number of cows to generate replacement heifers to begin with, Dykstra added.

“The ability of your average cow-calf operator to go out and really bite off on a large purchase of replacements may not be as great as it was at some other time. Just a number of things that will probably slow that rebuilding, but perhaps that is a healthy pace as well.”

Better genetics are expected to come into play in the next herd rebuilding, Dykstra said, which will benefit many regions.

“We have got a great set of genetics across the board that have continually been improved, and consequently, we will up the ante when it comes to the end product when it is all said and done,” Dykstra said.

On Friday, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) welcomed the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) announcement that the agency is pursuing a Remote Grading Pilot Program for beef. The pilot program will allow a USDA meat grader to assign grades from a remote location, increasing the grading options available to producers who sell into smaller, local processing facilities.

“The USDA quality grades of prime, choice, and select are instantly recognized by consumers and an important way for cattle producers to be rewarded for raising high-quality beef,” said NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane. “NCBA is glad that USDA is launching this Remote Grading Pilot Program and expanding opportunities for meat grading to occur in smaller, local processing facilities. This will increase marketing opportunities for cattle producers and help them capture more value from their product.”

The USDA quality grades have become recognized by consumers as important indicators of beef quality, flavor, and eating experience. While many large meat processing plants provide this grading, the costs of maintaining a USDA grader on-site are often too high for smaller, local, and regional processing facilities. This pilot program will help ensure that smaller processors have access to USDA grading too, which in turn benefits the cattle producers who sell to these smaller processors by ensuring that their beef receives a quality grade as well.

NCBA looks forward to working with USDA to implement and evaluate this pilot program.  

House Completes Bill Filing for 2024 Session

The Oklahoma House of Representatives completed bill filing Thursday, Jan. 18, for the second regular session of the 59th Legislature. A total of 1,210 House Bills, 12 House Joint Resolutions and one House Concurrent Resolution were filed.

The full text of the bills, along with additional information including authors and co-authors, can be found online at www.okhouse.gov.

Last year, the Clerk of the House reported 1,901 House Bills, 44 House Joint Resolutions and one House Resolution were filed. A total of 1,463 House Bills and 42 House Joint Resolutions filed in 2023 are still available for consideration in the second regular session. Joint resolutions may be filed at any point during the session.

The House is currently comprised of 80 Republicans and 20 Democrats with one vacancy. The second regular session of the 59th Legislature will begin Monday, Feb. 5, at noon with the State of the State address from Gov. Kevin Stitt in the House Chamber.

American Pecan Council Aims to Boost India Exports with Reverse Trade Mission

In an effort to grow the industry’s global relationships to drive exports, the American Pecan Council (APC) conducted its first reverse trade mission last week with Indian nut importers in key growing regions. The mission gave importers an up-close, educational look at the U.S. pecan industry and how the full value chain can offer a high-value, nutritious product for Indian consumers. 

“We’re excited to open up our farms and doors to these importers from India,” said Larry Don Womack, APC Chair. “Our industry believes this isn’t just an opportunity to grow demand for U.S. pecans overseas, but can also build our industry’s standing in the global agricultural sector and grow economic opportunities here and internationally.”

The first stop on the three-state tour included Atlanta and Fort Valley, GA where importers participated in a welcome reception hosted by the Consulate General of India, Atlanta. They then went on to learn more about the history and proper handling of U.S. pecans, visited an orchard and met many of Georgia’s pecan growers and suppliers. Activities were co-hosted by APC and the Georgia Pecan Growers Association.

In El Paso and Las Cruces, importers saw pecan orchards and toured multiple processing facilities. They also met with growers and suppliers in Las Cruces to learn more about the local industry courtesy of the Wester Pecan Growers Association.

Interest Expenses Threatening Farm Financial Health

According to USDA’s 2017 Ag Census, about 97% of the United States’ 2.1 million farms are considered family farms and 88% of all U.S. farms have a gross cash farm income of less than $350,000 annually, putting them in the small family farm category. This means that most farms in the U.S. are small, family-owned businesses that rely on the availability of finance options to fund the high cost of producing the food, fiber and renewable energy our country and the world rely on every day.

According to USDA’s most recent Farm Sector Income Forecast, interest as an expense increased by about 43%, or $10.3 billion, to $34.42 billion in 2023. Interest rate hikes have not only increased the cost of credit as an input but have also limited farmers’ ability to use it. This Market Intel will give you a glimpse of farmers’ credit world and explain how changes in that environment could lead to challenges with liquidity, a problem that is hard to fix.

What is Liquidity and why is it Important?

An extremely important part of farm finances, farm liquidity is “the ability of a farmer to generate cash quickly and efficiently in order to meet his or her financial obligations.” Some assets, such as corn in storage, can be sold and turned into cash quickly and are considered assets with high liquidity. Others, such as a crop that was recently planted or livestock that have not yet been born, take more time to turn into cash and can require additional input expenses to become the final product for sale, such as grain or marketable livestock. When farms get tight on cash due to the high cost of operating or from overspending, lack of liquidity can become a real problem.