As the 109th Oklahoma Youth Expo approaches, I am talking with the OYE Executive Vice President, Kass Newell, about this year’s expo, starting this week.

“We are really excited to be at the 2024 Oklahoma Youth Expo, all moved in,” Newell said. “There are some changes for the show this year, some schedule changes, that are going to make things a lot easier for this year, I think.”

Newell said the schedule and locations of several events this year have changed, including the gilt sale, gilt show, legislative showmanship, the ag mechanics contest, and more. The gates open at 5 PM TODAY for breeding gilts, with the MoorMan's ShowTec Commercial Breeding Gilt Show to start on Wednesday.

Newell said the ag mechanics contest has grown, so the show has moved the event to Saturday, March 16, so more people can attend.

The grand drive will continue to be held on the same date, Thursday, March 21st. Newell said the sale will be held the following day.

More information about OYE can be found on its website, Facebook page, or by downloading the Oklahoma Youth Expo app in the Appstore and on Google Play.



The Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association is the trusted voice of the Oklahoma Cattle Industry. With headquarters in Oklahoma City, the OCA has a regular presence at the State Capitol to protect and defend the interests of cattlemen and cattlewomen.

Their Vision Statement explains the highest priority of the organization- "Leadership that serves, strengthens and advocates for the Oklahoma cattle industry."

To learn more about the OCA and how you can be a part of this forward-looking group of cattle producers, click here for their website. For more information- call 405-235-4391.

On Friday, Farm Director, KC Sheperd, had the chance to talk with Allendale’s Rich Nelson about this month’s report. Nelson said this report is often quiet, but there will be more action close to the end of the month with the quarterly grain stocks report and prospective plantings report scheduled to come out.

“We did see a mild change for U.S. wheat numbers, in this case recognizing little problems with exports, so about a 15 million bushel increase there,” Nelson said.

Nelson said both Russia as well as European Union wheat prices hit brand new lows again for the long-term down trends. Nelson added that this poses concern from a competition viewpoint.

Regarding hard red winter wheat, Nelson said rains in March and April are the prime determinants of winter wheat yields. In the Southern Plains, Nelson said things are looking good at the moment.

“We do have a little bit of concern about this cold snap, but beyond that, looks like we are going to be okay for the spring,” Nelson said.

Congressman Lucas Dives into Minibus Appropriations Bill, Farm Bill, Wildfires and More

I had the chance to catch up with Congressman Frank Lucas to discuss the minibus appropriations bill’s impact on agriculture, the farm bill, and more.

Lucas first discussed the minibus appropriations bill, which included spending on Agriculture and FDA. This bill will be part of the effort to avert the government shutdown.

Within the directives document for USDA/FDA- available here– one thing that jumped out in our first reading of some of the details of policy found in this measure includes language that Congressman Frank Lucas and others have been demanding regarding the need for the US Secretary of Ag having a seat at the table at CFIUS:

“The agreement makes the Secretary of Agriculture a member of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) with respect to covered transactions involving agricultural land, biotechnology, and industry. The agreement requires the Secretary to notify CFIUS of agricultural land transactions reported under the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) that may pose a risk to national security.

We are also talked about trying to get a 2024 Farm Bill moving forward- the congressman remains hopeful that time can be allocated in April or May to debate a Farm Bill on the floor of the House- the key finding money to improve federal farm safety net reference prices once we have the FY2024 Appropriations battle behind us.

Oklahoma State University (OSU) varieties continue to lead planted acres of Hard Red Winter Wheat across the state of Oklahoma, according to the March 2024 “Oklahoma Variety Report” from USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. For the sixth year in a row, the top seven leading wheat varieties planted in the state were developed by OSU. (Seen above at the Chickasha Research Facility last spring- Doublestop CL Plus is the number one planted variety in the state for 2024)

Thanks to wheat improvement programs like the one at OSU, producers continue to have improved and expanded options of wheat varieties to plant. Whether it is improved stress or pest tolerance or increased yields coupled with end-use quality expected by our food industry, the Oklahoma Wheat Improvement Team at OSU is working to develop varieties that are meeting producers’ changing needs.



Most importantly, OSU wheat varieties are locally adapted but globally marketed.

It is important to note the varieties released by the Wheat Improvement Team at OSU have been through several years of testing for quality-based attributes that domestic and foreign customers expect in their milling and baking operations. Variety development programs that rush a variety to release may not provide the same level of scrutiny for end-use performance. By finding important traits that are beneficial to grain buyers, the OSU Wheat Improvement Team is also working to penetrate a wider segment in the food sector by creating varieties that have dual benefit to farmers and end users.

For the 2024 USDA Oklahoma Wheat Variety Survey click here.

Following continuous advocacy by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released a limited greenhouse gas disclosure rule that omits the requirement for large publicly traded companies to release greenhouse gas emissions data from private companies in their supply chain. This type of data, known as Scope 3 reporting, could have increased burdens on family farmers and ranchers whose beef is processed or sold by publicly traded companies.

I am talking with the NCBA’s Chief Counsel of Government Affairs, Mary-Thomas Hart, about the latest SEC ruling, which she says is a victory for the cattle industry.

“For years, NCBA and other agricultural groups have worked with agencies across the administration to ensure that cattle producers and other agricultural producers are not subject to greenhouse gas emissions reporting requirements,” Hart said. “Whether through the EPA or on Capitol Hill, we have worked on this issue for a long time. It was quite surprising when we got a proposed rulemaking from the Securities and Exchange Commission asking for greenhouse gas emission reports from farmers and ranchers.”

“When it comes to cattle production, the United States does it better than anyone,” Hart said. “When we are looking at emissions per pound of beef, the United States emission intensity per pound of beef is lower than any beef producing nation in the world.”

Rapid Start for 2024 Pork Exports; Beef Export Value Above Year-Ago

U.S. pork exports raced to a great start in 2024, according to January data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). While January beef exports were slightly below last year’s volume, export value trended significantly higher. Lamb exports were also strong in January, posting the highest value in more than four years.  

Although January pork exports were led by another powerful performance in leading market Mexico, U.S. pork continued to make gains in a wide range of Western Hemisphere and Asia-Pacific destinations. Pork exports totaled 251,424 metric tons (mt) in January, up 6% from a year ago, while export value also increased 6% to $682.1 million.

“Mexico’s demand for U.S. pork is so spectacular that it tends to overshadow other great success stories,” said USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom. “It is especially gratifying to see other markets following the trail blazed by Mexico, as purchases expand beyond raw material for further processing to include center-of-the-plate cuts, including loins, which are gaining popularity at retail and foodservice.”

January beef exports totaled 99,764 mt, down 1% from a year ago. But export value climbed 9% to $763.8 million, as value trended higher year-over-year to South Korea, Japan, Mexico, Canada, Central America, the Caribbean and Hong Kong.

Remembering Glenn Payne

Glenn Payne, Former President of Oklahoma National Stockyards passed away on March 6th. Glenn was a true friend of Agriculture being part of the Stockyards for many years, as well as the Oklahoma Beef Council, LMA and many others. You could always find him working cattle with his daughters at their Mustang Farm. Glenn was a mentor to many in the industry, always willing to offer a helping hand to anyone who was looking to learn more about the Agricultures business.

Glenn is survived by his daughter Kelli Payne and her partner, Dave Newcomb, daughter Rita Wiedemann and her husband Matt, and his granddaughter, Bailey Estes, all of Mustang.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation Lasting Legacy Campaign or Wildfire Disaster Recovery, 2500 Exchange Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73108.

Graveside services are planned for today, Monday, March 11th at 2pm at the Mustang Cemetery, located at 325 S Mustang Road. Details on a Celebration of life at a later date will be forthcoming.

Click here for the full Obituary: