According to the latest Oklahoma Crop Progress and Condition Report released on March 4, 2024, winter wheat conditions rated 65 percent good to excellent, 27 percent fair and 8 percent poor to very poor. Last week’s conditions rated 70 percent good to excellent, 24 percent fair, and 6 percent poor to very poor.

Pasture and range conditions rated 31 percent good to excellent, 44 percent fair and 25 percent poor to very poor. Last week’s conditions rated 29 percent good to excellent, 51 percent fair, and 20 percent poor to very poor.



In Kansas- the 2024 wheat crop is now rated 53% good to excellent versus 57% good to excellent a week ago. The Texas wheat crop is rated 43% good to excellent this week.

While several states are now publishing weekly crop conditions- the first national Crop Progress report is still a few weeks away- the first national report of the season will come Monday April first.



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.

House Republicans Elect Hilbert Speaker-Designate

Speaker Pro Tempore Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, has been elected by the Oklahoma House Republican Caucus as speaker-designate for the 60th Legislature.(Rep Hilbert seen in picture above serving as emcee at the I Believe Gala for Oklahoma FFA in February 2024)

The speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives is the body’s chief presiding officer and is responsible for committee appointments, the flow of legislation and the management of the House budget and staff. The speaker also serves as an ex officio voting member on all House committees.



“I appreciate my colleagues’ trust and confidence as we take the first step to prepare for the 60th Legislature,” said Hilbert, who has served as Speaker Pro Tempore of the House since 2022. “The speaker serves at the pleasure of the members, and I’m fortunate to be surrounded by people who want to tackle the hard problems. We have no shortage of challenges facing our state, and by working collaboratively with members from rural, suburban and urban Oklahoma, we can craft policies that make a lasting difference for our constituents.”

Hilbert, 29, would be the youngest House speaker in Oklahoma state history and only the second Republican speaker 30 years old or younger in any state since 1873.

Oklahoma’s Cathy Vaughan Vying to Represent Oklahoma on National Pork Board

As the March 5-7 National Pork Industry Forum approaches, Oklahoma’s Cathy Vaughan is campaigning to represent the state on the National Pork Board. Vaughan recently ranked in the top half of candidates vying for National Pork Board seats after in-person interviews. A total of 10 candidates from 10 states are running for five available board positions.

Farm Director KC Sheperd had the chance to talk with Vaughan about her campaign. As the second-ever Oklahoma candidate for the National Pork Board, Vaughan currently serves as the Safety and Communications Coordinator for the Smithfield Foods Hog Production Division in Oklahoma. While working with more than 230 employees throughout Smithfield’s Oklahoma operation, Cathy continually devotes time to industry involvement beyond her company.

“It is definitely an honor,” Vaughan said. “I have worked for Smithfield and in the industry for almost 19 years now. I have had the pleasure of working with the Oklahoma Pork Council Board of Directors. I am serving my third term currently, where I have served as president and now currently as vice president. I think it is important for us to serve in our industry when and where we can.”

Agriculture feeds the world, Vaughan said, so to have the opportunity to be part of a group such as the National Pork Board is an important piece to serving the industry continues to move in a positive direction.

Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association Partners with Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation in Wildfire Relief Efforts

Since last week's wildfires roared across the Texas Panhandle and several parts of Oklahoma- the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation has been working diligently for impacted farmers and ranchers in the those areas to rally relief and provide information important to short-term and long-term recovery.

“Wildfire is truly a devastating disaster. It can happen so fast and so completely. In response to the horrific 2017 fires in Northwest Oklahoma, OCA created the Wildfire Disaster Relief initiative within the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation (OCF) to coordinate assistance and provide an avenues of support for those impacted by natural disasters,” said Michael Kelsey, OCA Executive Vice President. “While our Foundation continues their great and important work, OCA is working on federal and state disaster declarations and assistance to land and livestock owners.” 

To learn more about how you can contribute to the Wildfire Disaster Relief, visit the OCF Website At this link, there are multiple sites listed in Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle that are now accepting donations- including hay, fencing and more. It's the most comprehensive list we have seen to date- so I would encourage you to go and check it out.

In our latest Beef Buzz, Sarah Jones of Red Hill Farms based in Tennessee, talked about Inherit Select by Zoetis, which provides accurate insights on the potential of commercial crossbred replacement heifers in a matter of weeks for more informed selection and mating decisions.

At Red Hill Farms, Jones said genetic testing has been utilized for over 15 years.

“We will not purchase a bull if it has not been genomically tested, and we use genetic testing on all of our replacement females, and the bulls we sell are all genetically tested as well,” Jones said.

Inherit Select by Zoetis has been very popular with customers of Red Hill Farms, Jones said, because it allows producers to know more about their cow herd.

“More and more of our commercial cattlemen are using Inherit Select and genomic testing, genetic testing, for testing their cow herds and their replacement females to learn more about their cow herds,” Jones said. “We see more and more of our customers doing so, and once they test for the first time, it brings excitement to them, and they want to do more testing.”

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 beef by-product values.

The beef industry produces an enormous set of products. Among the thousands of different products are a wide range of edible and inedible by-products. USDA reports by-product values in several daily and weekly reports for steers, cattle, and cows. There are additional reports for detailed variety meat, hide and tallow values. Over the last fifteen years, steer by-product values have averaged $11.77/cwt. on a liveweight basis. That is roughly $165/head, or about 9.5 percent of the total value of a fed steer. In the 2009-2023 period, steer by-product values have varied from a monthly low of $5.90/cwt. to a high of $16.59/cwt. As a percent of total fed steer value, the by-product value has varied from a low of 6.2 percent to a high of 13.1 percent.

The set of products included in total by-product values is quite varied and includes edible offals, inedible offals, meat. bone and blood meal, edible and inedible tallow, hides, and pharmaceutical products. Edible beef by-products include a variety of muscle and organ meats (e.g. liver, tongue, tripe, tripas, heart, oxtail, sweetbreads, edible tallow, and cheek and head meat, much of which is exported or used in processed products. Edible tallow is used for cooking and processed foods and bones are the source of gelatin used in many products (think gummy bears). Some tallow that is equivalent to edible grade is also used for cosmetics and soaps.

NCBA Calls on Congress to Adopt FY24 ‘Minibus’

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) called on lawmakers on Monday to pass the minibus appropriations package announced yesterday by congressional leadership. The bill prevents a disastrous government shutdown and provides support for several key cattle industry priorities.

“While this legislation is not perfect, it advances a number of priorities important to cattle producers, including critical investments in electronic animal ID tags for producers and strengthening oversight of lab-grown protein,” said NCBA President and Wyoming rancher Mark Eisele. “Further, a government shutdown would unnecessarily harm farmers and ranchers by restricting their access to federal personnel, essential market information, and delaying access to critical disaster assistance programs. We urge Congress to avoid a shutdown by passing this important legislation.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is currently crafting a rule that would require the use of electronic ID tags instead of existing metal tags on certain classes of cattle moving interstate. This change is designed to facilitate faster traceability in the event of a foreign animal disease outbreak in the United States. In the event this rule finalizes, NCBA supports USDA covering the entire cost of electronic ID tags for impacted producers. Additionally, NCBA supports greater oversight of emerging lab-grown technology to ensure that consumers are protected, and cattle producers have a level playing field with the lab-grown protein products currently in development.

U.S. Custom Harvesters Prioritize Mentorship And Being a Voice for Farmers

Farm Director, KC Sheperd, recently had the chance to catch up with the President of U.S. Custom Harvesters, David Misener, at the annual American Farmers and Ranchers Convention in Oklahoma City. Meisner talks about regulations that are impacting U.S. farmers and more.

“It is very frustrating, some of the new rules that we have, especially with H-2A stuff, and we are just not happy about that,” Misener said. “… what they are making us do just isn’t reasonable, and it is not equal in part either.”

Misener has the chance to travel to Washington, D.C. often to be a voice for farmers across the country. In his most recent trip, Misener said he felt that his voice was heard regarding labor requirements.

“We are so enthused when we have someone who wants to work and wants to do,” Misener said.

U.S. Custom Harvesters are mentors of the sort; as Misener explained, new employees, regardless of age, are not only taught about how to run machinery and how to perform well in their specific role, but about life in general.