According to the latest Oklahoma Crop Progress and Condition Report released on March 18, 2024, winter wheat jointing reached 36 percent, up 11 points from the previous year and up 8 points from normal. Winter wheat conditions rated 70 percent good to excellent, 24 percent fair and 6 percent poor to very poor. Last week’s conditions rated 61 percent good to excellent, 32 percent fair and 7 percent poor to very poor. 

Pasture and range conditions rated 41 percent good to excellent, 41 percent fair and 18 percent poor to very poor. Last week’s conditions rated 38 percent good to excellent, 38 percent fair and 24 percent poor to very poor. 

In Kansas:

Winter wheat conditions rated 53 percent good to excellent, 34 percent fair, and 13 percent poor to very poor. Last week’s conditions rated 55 percent good to excellent, 33 percent fair and 12 percent poor to very poor. 



In Texas:

Winter wheat headed reached 17 percent, down 7 percentage points from the previous year and down 1 point from the average. Winter wheat conditions rated 41 percent good to excellent, 35 percent fair and 14 percent poor to very poor. Last week’s conditions rated 46 percent good to excellent, 35 percent fair and 19 percent poor to very poor.

National Livestock was founded in 1932 in Oklahoma City. National’s Marketing Division offers cattle for sale weekly at the Oklahoma National Stockyards in Oklahoma City. The Finance Division lends money to ranchers across several states for cattle production. The Grazing Division works with producers to place cattle for grazing on wheat or grass pastures. 

The newest addition to the National Family is Dakota Moss- and Livestock Risk Services.

National also owns and operates other livestock marketing subsidiaries including Southern Oklahoma Livestock Auction in Ada, Oklahoma, OKC West Livestock Market in El Reno, Oklahoma, and the nation’s premier livestock video sale, Superior Livestock Auction. National offers customers many services custom made for today’s producer. To learn more, click here for the website or call the Oklahoma City office at 1-800-310-0220.

It's chilly on this March 26th- but not historically bad- and in fact, according to Gary McManus, our state climatologist, we are a few days away from even hitting our average last freeze of the spring across Oklahoma- Gary even provides this map:

It will be on the chilly side for much of the rest of the week- but Good Friday is looking like we could touch back into the 70s with plenty of wind- and Saturday of Easter weekend looks really nice- then Easter Sunday chances of rain are in the forecast for parts of Oklahoma. That seems to be the next chance of moisture for anybody in the state as it stands right now.

In the meantime- don't put away those jackets just yet.

Latest Cattle on Feed Report Shows Placements Higher than Pre-Report Estimates

I am talking with Oklahoma State University Livestock Market Economist, Derrell Peel, about the latest USDA Cattle on Feed Report released on March 22, 2024.

“The March Cattle on Feed Report showed placements in the month of February that were up 9.6 percent over last year,” Peel said. “Marketings in February were up 3 percent over last year. That gives us a March 1 on-feed total that is up 1.3 percent compared to one year ago.”

Peel said the placement number was larger than the pre-report estimates, but it is important to note that January was down significantly, and February was up. When you put the two together, Peel said they average out to about the same number as last year.

“Cattle on Feed Reports don’t make cattle, so if we come in with a bigger placement number, it means that we changed the timing of cattle, but it doesn’t change the overall numbers that much,” Peel said.

Cattle prices have been moving up steadily, but Peel said some of that is because the seasonality of light calves and feeder cattle generally increases through the first quarter of the year.



“This may give us a little pause and might give us a slight correction in the futures market,” Peel said. “I don’t think we will see the kind of correction we had last fall that really kind of overcorrected, in my opinion. I would be surprised if we saw that kind of reaction.”

At the 2024 Oklahoma Youth Expo’s Sale of Champions, Farm Director KC Sheperd talked with Marilyn Harrel of Diamond Hats to recap this year’s OYE and Diamond Hats’ role in the event.

Harrell first talked about the “This One’s for the Girls Event” hosted by Diamond Hats, which took place earlier in the week. To check out Oklahoma Farm Reporter Maci Carter’s coverage of the event, CLICK HERE.

“Today, we are here at the Sale of Champions to spend the money that we made at the gala this past year where we raised nearly $300,000, and we will spend probably $200,000 of it today,” Harrel said. “We spent some last night as we gave away around $20,000 worth of scholarships.”

Through buying market animals of exhibitors at OYE, Harrel said Diamond Hats has the chance to support the youth of Oklahoma, who are the future of agriculture.

“There is nothing like mentoring our farm kids and encouraging them,” Harrel said.

Looking back on how Diamond Hats began, Harrel said the group has seen tremendous growth.

“Mr. (Bob) Funk came to me, or called me and asked me about starting an organization to get the ladies more involved,” Harrel said. “Basically, he said, ‘I want to elevate the image of agriculture, I want to have a gala event where all of these cowgirls can get dressed up in their finest, and the men can put on their finest,’”

Oklahoma City Farm Show Set for April 4-6 at OKC Fairgrounds

The 20th Annual Oklahoma City Farm Show is set to feature the latest agricultural machinery, equipment, technology, and services from hundreds of exhibitors representing more than 1000 products and services. Indoor exhibits will fill the Bennett Event Center, along with outdoor exhibits located directly in front of the event center. The show is free to attend and there is plenty of free parking at the OKC Fairgrounds complex.

Attendees can stay up to date on the event and view the interactive show floor plan at the event website, OklahomaCityFarmShow.com. The interactive floor plan provides the most up-to-date exhibitor information, along with contact information and exhibit location. Social media users can also stay informed of daily event announcements and interact with fellow attendees and exhibitors by following the show at facebook.com\OklahomaCityFarmShow.

In addition to more than 150,000 square feet of agricultural and ranching exhibits, the show kicks off each morning with complimentary coffee and rolls until 10:00 AM. Early attendees can also take advantage of the opportunity to sign up for the daily $1,000 Showbucks prize drawing, sponsored by Great Plains Kubota. The Showbucks drawing will be held each day at 1:00PM. Showbucks can be used as cash to purchase products from show exhibitors. Attendees can sign up for the drawing at the Great Plains Kubota exhibit.

Groundbreaking Working Grant program launches in Texas and Oklahoma

During the 2024 Cattle Raisers Convention & Expo, Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) Leadership Development Foundation announced the launch of the new TSCRA Leadership Development Foundation Working Grant Program. This groundbreaking program aims to support those starting or growing a business in ranching, beef production or related area supporting the beef value chain.

The program is administered through the TSCRA Leadership Development Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization established by Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association in February. In addition to financial assistance, it provides individuals access to mentorship, educational resources and networking opportunities to enhance their skills and expertise. 

“Whether it’s helping a young producer purchase their first parcel of land, or it’s enabling a veterinarian to open a large animal clinic in a rural community, or giving a generational producer the opportunity to grow their operation, these grants have the power to transform lives and revitalize our rural economies,” said TSCRA President Carl Ray Polk Jr.

The Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Leadership Development Foundation will accept application twice annually in May and November and is open to applicants in Texas and Oklahoma involved in various segments of the beef industry, including cow-calf operations, stockers, feeders, packing plants, veterinary clinics, and other segments of the beef value chain. 

Applications for the TSCRA Leadership Development Foundation Working Grant Program will open May 1, 2024.

Individuals interested in applying are encouraged to visit tscra.org/what-we-do/leadership-development-foundation/ for more information.

NCBA and Dairy Industry Statements on HPAI Detected in Dairy Cattle

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is aware that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in samples collected from dairy cattle in the United States. Importantly, the agency confirmed there is no threat to human health, and milk and meat remains safe to consume. USDA has confirmed that affected dairy cows do not appear to be transmitting the virus to other cattle within the same herd. 

At present, HPAI has not been detected in beef cattle. However, producers are encouraged to implement enhanced biosecurity measures on their farms and ranches to help protect their herds. For more information on animal health protocols and developing an effective biosecurity plan, cattle farmers and ranchers are encouraged to visit www.bqa.org, and complete or update their certification in Beef Quality Assurance practices. Producers can also visit usda.gov for resources on how to manage wildlife to limit exposure to HPAI.

Read the full statement from NCBA by clicking here.

There is also a statement released late yesterday from the dairy industry-

"Earlier today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in two dairy cattle herds in Texas and two herds in Kansas.  

"Importantly, USDA confirmed that there is no threat to human health and milk and dairy products remain safe to consume. Pasteurization (high heat treatment) kills harmful microbes and pathogens in milk, including the influenza virus."

Read the full joint statement from four key dairy groups by clicking here.