To view the latest Oklahoma drought map, CLICK HERE.

According to the latest Oklahoma drought monitor report, exceptional drought remains at zero percent, unchanged from the start of the calendar year.

Extreme drought or worse remains at zero percent, unchanged from the past ten weeks.

Severe drought or worse is unchanged from the past three weeks at .19 percent.

Moderate drought or worse is now at 3.85 percent, up from last week’s 3.23 percent.

Abnormally dry or worse conditions are now at 34.61 percent, up from last week’s 30.80 percent.

According to the 6-to-10-day precipitation outlook map, the panhandle and the far southeast corner of the state are likely above a 50 to 60 percent chance of precipitation through March 16. The remaining parts of the state are leaning above a 40 to 50 percent chance of precipitation through March 16th.



The vision of the Oklahoma Beef Council is to be a positive difference for Oklahoma's farming and ranching families and the greater beef community, and its mission is to enhance beef demand by strengthening consumer trust and exceeding consumer expectations. 

To learn more, visit www.oklabeef.org. Also, don't forget to like its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/oklabeef for stories on Oklahoma's ranching families and great beef recipes. 

And Check out this video below that helps you learn more about the Beef Checkoff-

Political Dynamic in Washington, D.C. Makes for Slow Appropriations and Farm Bill Progress

I am back talking with the Vice President of Governmental Affairs at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Ethan Lane, about the appropriation bills for this fiscal year 2024 that will impact beef cattle producers.

“There is a lot of good stuff in there for the cattle industry,” Lane said. “There are about 15 million dollars to pay for electronic ear tags for our producers to comply with this rule making we think is coming from USDA on animals moving interstate over 18 months. That is going to be expensive, and we have worked hard to make sure our producers aren’t bearing the cost of complying with that.”

Lane said that the FDA appropriations also includes points to prohibit ELD (Electronic Logging Devices) devices for livestock haulers, prohibits listing the greater sage-grouse as an endangered species, prohibits the EPA from monitoring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions from livestock operations, and more.

This bill is expected to move through Congress and be signed by the president, and then the second half of the appropriations process will commence.

Editor’s Note- the bill passed the House on Wednesday 229-85 and awaits action in the Senate.

While many hope the second half of the appropriations process will bring us closer to a Farm Bill, Lane said things going forward might not be shy of complications. Getting a Farm Bill done here in 2024 is becoming more and more of a challenge.

Mid America Technology Center Works to Provide Resources to Accelerate Ag Careers

At the 2024 Oklahoma Local Ag Summit, Oklahoma Farm Reporter Maci Carter visited with Jona Kay Squires, the Ag Business Manager at the Mid America Technology Center.

“It is really a unique job in that we get to provide training to agricultural entrepreneurs in the counties that we serve,” Squires said. “There are 29 technology centers in the state, and most of us will touch every 77 counties we have.”

From one-on-one consultations to training classes, Squires said the Mid-America Technology Center provides resources for those with careers in agriculture to accelerate.

“It can be anybody that has a small garden, it can be a livestock producer, crop producer, any way that we can help them to be economically, viably more productive,” Squires said.

Squires also discussed loan and grant opportunities for Oklahoma farmers and ranchers. 

This Week on SUNUP is Oklahoma State University Extension grain market economist Kim Anderson. During this week’s edition, Anderson discusses prices in the grain markets, as wheat harvest is about 90 days away.

Between 2009 and current prices, Anderson said wheat prices have averaged about $5.84. The lowest price was in July of 2016 at $2.55, and the peak was in 2022.

“Wheat prices have came back down and crossed that magic six-dollar line,” Anderson said. “It tends to trend above or below six dollars. Right now, with wheat prices down around five dollars, it looks like we may be starting a price pattern down in the four dollar to six dollar price range.”

Into the Mind of the Farmer Considering Regenerative Agriculture with Elizabeth Heilman

At the recent Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts Annual meeting, talked with Elizabeth Heilman, an Ecologist and co-owner of the Regenerative Wisdom Agricultural Consulting Service about how social and emotional factors can play a part in a farmer’s willingness to try out regenerative agriculture.

Farmers are in the most stressful profession in the United States, Heilman said, which means that anyone who experiences high stress is less likely to try something new because it feels threatening.

Because of this, Heilman said many farmers are hesitant to try out regenerative practices on their farms that can help their sustainability and profitability in the long run.

“Right now, there is a study across the state of Oklahoma, and it showed on average that only 18 percent of rain was going into the soil and being used by plants,” Heilman said. “When we think about a drought, we have to ask how much rain is coming down and how much we are using.”



Heilman said understanding farmers’ social and emotional worlds can help encourage them to adopt new practices.

Enhanced Swine Traceability Resolution Adopted at National Pork Industry Forum

U.S. pork producers approved a resolution to enhance the country’s live swine traceability system during the 2024 National Pork Industry Forum hosted by the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) this week in Chicago..

“Traceability is a priority for the industry and has been for decades,”said Lori Stevermer, incoming NPPC president and Minnesota pork producer. “These standards will improve our ability to control the spread of a foreign animal disease and lessen the economic impact of an outbreak should one occur.”

In 2022, a producer-led task force brought together stakeholders throughout the pork supply chain to identify and address current gaps in the live swine traceability system. This task force offered a series of comment periods for producers to provide input on the enhanced standards

“Industry delegates at Pork Forum took a proactive step to protect animal health and producers’ livelihoods. An outbreak of a foreign animal disease in the United States, such as African swine fever or foot-and-mouth disease, would result in the immediate suspension of pork exports from the U.S., which totaled over $8.2 billion in pork and pork products last year,” said Scott Hays, NPPC president.

The approved standards will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for inclusion in the regulations mandating live swine traceability. To view the enhanced standards or learn more, visit nppc.org/trace.

TSCRA Disaster Relief Fund opens applications for cattle raisers impacted by wildfires

Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) announced on Thursday cattle raisers impacted by wildfires in the Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma can apply for financial aid through the TSCRA Disaster Relief Fund.

The TSCRA Disaster Relief Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting ranchers and landowners impacted by natural disasters, will distribute financial assistance to reduce the financial burdens incurred by cattle raisers from recent wildfire damages that were not covered through insurance or other means of aid.

The open application window comes after hundreds of individuals and companies donated generous gifts in response to the second largest wildfire event in the United States. Donations continue to be accepted to benefit ranchers and landowners impacted by this natural disaster.

More stories for your weekend reading!