Farm Director KC Sheperd caught up with U.S. Senator James Lankford at the Oklahoma Youth Expo’s 2024 Legislative and Celebrity Showmanship competition. Lankford talked with Sheperd about the latest Washington, D.C. updates and more.

At the showmanship competition, Lankford won his species category, and House Deputy Floor Leader John Pfeiffer, who showed a steer, was the overall winner.

Lankford released a border security package in February, but he said this bill has been frustrating. While people in Washington, D.C., can see there is a problem, Lankford said coming to a solution is much more difficult and the rumors surrounding the bill have not been helpful.

“In the Senate, I have got to have 60 people to be able to vote for something,” Lankford said. “That means I have got to get Republicans and Democrats both on board. That means you have got to sit down with people you disagree with and work out the differences.”

One of the rumors Lankford addressed was amnesty.

“There was actually no amnesty in this bill at all," Lankford said.

The other big rumor Lankford addressed was that the bill allowed 5,000 illegal immigrants to cross the border daily.

“Completely 100% wrong," Lankford said. "The way the bill was written changed the rules for the very first-person crossing. So the first person that illegally crossed every day, we would detain them, then do a quick screening, and then they’d be deported. If you get to 5,000, you are overrun. You can’t do that. We changed the rules at 5,000, we don’t even screen anymore, we just deport you. “

Oklahoma Farm Bureau works to improve the lives of all Oklahomans by supporting our state’s agriculture community. As Oklahoma’s largest general farm organization led by Oklahoma farmers and ranchers, OKFB takes grassroots values and advocates for agriculture at the state Capitol and in Washington, D.C., to ensure our way of life continues for generations to come.

Farm Bureau hosts leadership events, supports our state’s agricultural youth and connects consumers with agriculture in order to build a brighter future for our state. Become an OKFB member today online at okfarmbureau.org/join. Together, we are rural Oklahoma.

Wednesday was the busiest day of all the days at the 2024 OYE with all four species were showing simultaneously in the market animal divisions- and a great many of the breed winners have been selected for the Thursday night Grand Drive this evening.

You can sort through all the results from the 2024 OYE by clicking here- but here are the Breed Champs for the Steers:

Angus Breed Champion- Claire Collins, Tillman County 4-H

Charolais Breed Champion- Landry Fuss, Cushing FFA

Chianina Breed Champion-Tripp Lewis, Davis 4-H

Hereford Breed Champion- Taos Heck, Latta 4-H

Maine- Anjou Breed Champion- Sadie Wynn, Newcastle 4-H

Shorthorn Breed Champion- Katlin Adams, Amber-Pocasset 4-H

Simmental Breed Champion- Aubrie McEndoo, Stillwater FFA

AOB Breed Champion- Creed Fuss, Pawnee County Clovers 4-H

To see the Breed and Division Winners in the Market Animal Classes up through Wednesday evening- click on the species of choice

Market Steers

Market Barrows

Market Lambs

Market Wether Goats

Angus Genetics Inc. Heart Health Initiative Works to Combat Bovine Congestive Heart Failure

In this episode of Beef Buzz, I am talking with Kelli Retallick-Riley, the President of Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI), a subsidiary of the American Angus Association. Retallick-Riley is discussing bovine congestive heart failure research to combat disease.

“As we approach this issue, we know congestive heart failure has been a growing concern,” Retallick-Riley said. “We had our initial meetings around congestive heart failure in the office and with other groups in 2018 and 2019. Since then, it has continued to be part of the conversation.”

Retallick-Riley said there is a focus on research coming out of Colorado State and more entities that have allowed AGI to begin a heart-health initiative to gather data sets on heart scores to see if there is a genetic link to bovine congestive heart failure and to find a solution to help producers select against it.

When it comes to that genetic link, Retallick-Riley says there is a .2 to .3 heritability around those traits. For reference, an EPD such as weaning weight has a similar range of heritability.

“There is definitely some hope of selecting cattle that are not as genetically predisposed to remodeling their hearts,” Retallick-Riley said.

On today’s Cow-Calf Corner, Barry Whitworth, DVM, Senior Extension Specialist, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service talks injuries on the farm or ranch.

In January, I attended the Oklahoma Veterinary Conference. While waiting for one of the sessions to start, a classmates of mine made the comment of how many of the attendees walk with a limp, used a cane, and/or have damaged hands. We all agreed that working with animals is hard on the body. In general, anything associated with farming and ranching is dangerous.

Most farmers and ranchers know that agriculture is a dangerous occupation. According to United States Bureau of Statistics, workers involved in agriculture, forestry, and fishing had the highest occupational fatality rate in 2022. The fatality rate of 23.5 per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers for this group is much higher when compared to the overall occupation fatality rate of 3.7 per 100,000 FTE. Most of the agriculture related fatalities are associated with transportation such as tractor overturns and vehicle crashes, but a fair number involve livestock.

EPA’s New Tailpipe Standard Will Hurt Family Farms

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) expressed grave concern and disappointment today with the Environmental Protection Agency’s final 2027-2032 emissions standards for sedans and light- and medium-duty trucks.

The plan still relies almost exclusively on the use of electric vehicles, requiring that a majority of the specified fleets are electric in less than a decade. A decision of this magnitude will have long-lasting negative implications for the rural economy because it ignores the benefits of ethanol. 

“We are deeply concerned and disappointed that EPA has chosen to force a one-size-fits-all solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ignore the readily available solution that biofuels like ethanol bring to the table,” said NCGA President Harold Wolle. “This decision will not only severely hamper the administration’s ability to reach its own climate goals, but it will also hurt family farms and rural communities that rely heavily on the sale of biofuels. On top of that, it will remove consumer choice from the market.” 

Given that for the past 15 years more than one-third of the corn produced each year has been used in ethanol, Wolle’s concerns are shared by many experts.

Speaker McCall to File Legislation Securing Oklahoma’s Border

Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, issued a statement today regarding his intent to file legislation to secure the border of Oklahoma against the ongoing illegal immigration crisis. 

“The failed policies of the Biden Administration have turned every state into a border state,” McCall said. “Oklahoma is a law and order state, and should be the last place illegal immigrants want to settle when they cross over the border.

For those reasons, and in light of recent court rulings regarding Senate Bill 4 out of Texas, I am immediately introducing legislation to secure the borders of Oklahoma in the same fashion as our neighbors to the south. Oklahoma will stand ready to defend its borders from all who would enter our country illegally.”

Senate Bill 4, passed in Texas in 2023, allows Texas law enforcement to arrest and deport migrants who enter the state illegally from Mexico.

Noble Research Institute Partners with Ranch Management Consultants for New Financial Management Courses for US Farmers and Ranchers

Noble Research Institute, the nation’s largest nonprofit agricultural research organization, and Ranch Management Consultants (RMC) announce a collaboration with an exclusive licensing agreement granting Noble use of RMC’s Ranching for Profit program content. 

Noble will design and develop a suite of educational, skill-building products incorporating both Noble-developed and Ranching for Profit content. The first Noble product benefiting from this relationship, Noble Business Essentials, is scheduled to be launched in June 2024. 

“Our educational programming focuses on helping farmers and ranchers enhance their soil to improve ranch productivity and to increase profitability,” said Steve Rhines, CEO and president of Noble Research Institute. “To bring the best financial and profitability education to the farmers and ranchers we serve, we knew we needed to partner with RMC.”

Noble’s purpose is to save U.S. grazing lands by promoting land stewardship through regenerative management, building soil health and keeping ranchers on the land. RMC has been the recognized leader in agriculture business training for more than four decades.