The 2024 Denim Ball will be held on April 5th and 6th at the Skirvin Hilton Hotel in Oklahoma City! Farm Director KC Sheperd is talking about this year’s event with Charity Martin of the Oklahoma Cotton Council.

Martin said so far, the Denim Ball has fantastic pre-registration numbers, and everything is running smoothly in preparation for this year’s event. While it is not required to RSVP, Martin said it is certainly appreciated. To register, CLICK HERE!

On Friday night, the weekend will kick off with a welcome reception, “Casino Night,” in the Skirvin-Venetian room. Attendees will receive an hour of free drinks while they mingle with one another.

“Saturday morning is going to be the golf tournament,” Martin said.

The golf tournament has almost reached capacity on teams, so if someone is interested in playing, Martin said to contact her for help finding a spot to play. The tournament will begin at 10 a.m. at the Trosper Park Golf Course, and awards will be given to first, second and third place, along with the longest drive and closest to the pin.

Oklahoma AgCredit supports rural Oklahoma with reliable and consistent credit, today and tomorrow. We offer loans for land, livestock, equipment, operating costs and country homes (NMLSR #809962) to farmers, ranchers and rural businesses across 60 counties. As a cooperative, we are owned by the members we serve. Through our Patronage Program, we have returned more than $74 million to our members since 1997.

For more information on our services or to find a location near you, visit our website here.

Dairy Cattle Test Positive for HPAI- State Vet Rod Hall Explains What We Know

On March 25th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in two dairy cow herds in Texas and two herds in Kansas. Importantly, USDA confirmed there is no threat to human health, and milk and dairy products remain safe to consume. I am talking with Oklahoma State Veterinarian Dr. Rod Hall about HPAI found in dairy cows.

“It is a strain we have been dealing with for two years now in poultry and wild waterfowl,” Hall said.

While HPAI is highly contagious in birds, Hall said it is not transferable from cow to cow. When a cow contracts HPAI, Hall said they will recover.

“They do not appear to be terribly sick, and certainly not dying from it,” Hall said. “There is no indication that cows are passing it from one cow to the next. If we thought that is was being transmitted from cow to cow and could move that way, then we would have to at least consider the possibility of depopulating those herds, but that is just not the case right now.”

Hall added that it is unclear what the cause of HPAI is at this time.

Texas Ag Commissioner Miller Provides Update on HPAI Detection in Texas and Kansas Dairy Herds

On Wednedsday, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller provided an update on the confirmed presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) found in diagnostic samples from dairy operations in Texas and Kansas. Diagnostic samples of unpasteurized milk from affected cattle collected from two dairy farms in Kansas and one in Texas were confirmed to be positive for HPAI on March 25, 2024. Another Texas dairy also confirmed the presence of HPAI through an oropharyngeal swab test. The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA), The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC), and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) are closely monitoring the situation and its impact to Texas dairies.

“This outbreak has quickly grabbed the attention of the agriculture industry on a national level,” Commissioner Miller said. “Understanding the details surrounding the transfer of avian virus to livestock is the top priority of animal health professionals and agriculture agencies. While troubling, this outbreak is not currently expected to threaten our nation’s commercial dairy supply.”

The 2024 Hemphill County Texas A&M AgriLife Beef Cattle Conference will be held April 23-24, 2024, Jones Pavilion, Canadian, Texas. The Tuesday and Wednesday beef cattle event has established itself as one of the nation’s leading sources for cutting edge, critical information for beef cattle producers. Andy Holloway, County Extension Agent, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Hemphill County who founded this event in 2015 said the Beef Cattle Conference has truly become a “Field of Dreams” story, “You Build, and They Will Come”. In the last several years more that 12 states have been represented by beef cattle producers and including almost one third to the counites in Texas. Go to www.hemphillcotxbeef.com to register, see the agenda, accommodations, speakers information, grand prize drawings and more. 

The conference features some to the most important topics in 2024 that are facing producers. The theme for the beef cattle conference is “BETTER RANCHING FOR BETTER LIFE”. International and national known speakers include Troy Applehans of Cattle Fax; Mark Makens, Atmospheric Scientist; Dr. Shannon Ferrell of Oklahoma State University; Mark Gardiner of Gardiner Angus Ranch; Kade Lawrence of Texas 4-H State Council; Dr. Loni Lucherk of West Texas A&M University; JoJo Carralles of Heart Brand Beef; Dr. Jason Smith of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension; Travis Thorne of Capital Farm Credit; Dr. Morgan Treadwell, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension; and Dallas Mount of Ranching For Profit. 

Is Your Dewormer Working?

On today’s Cow-Calf Corner, Rosslyn Biggs, DVM, OSU College of Veterinary Medicine, State Extension Beef Cattle Specialist talks about internal parasite resistance in Oklahoma cow-calf herds and how Oklahoma ranchers can participate in the latest research.

Anthelmintic (dewormer) resistance is a growing concern, and given the expense of dewormers, producers and veterinarians need to be sure they are working. Recent Oklahoma State University (OSU) research has shed light on the seeming need to mitigate the challenge of internal parasite resistance in beef cattle.

OSU research is ongoing with an expanded opportunity for Oklahoma cattlemen and veterinarians in 2024. Researchers from Veterinary Medicine, Animal and Food Sciences, and Extension are currently conducting a larger study of Oklahoma herds. The study hopes to collect data from at least 50 different groups of cattle from around the state. Samples can be collected from now through fall 2024.

If you are interested in participating in this project, please fill out the interest form. Once received, the research team will be in contact to coordinate delivery of the sampling kits and other details. Questions on the project may be directed to rosslyn.biggs@okstate.edu or david.lalman@okstate.edu.

Biofuel and Ag Groups Call on EPA to Issue E15 Emergency Waiver

Today, Growth Energy, Renewable Fuels Association, National Corn Growers Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, National Farmers Union, and National Sorghum Producers sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calling on Administrator Michael Regan to act swiftly on an emergency waiver for E15 sales:

“New and ongoing conflicts across the globe continue to pose risks to the United States’ transportation energy supply. In addition to the conflict in Ukraine, now extending into its third year, the recent unrest and volatility in the Middle East present additional challenges to American energy security. In particular, attacks on shipping in the Red Sea have already had a disruptive effect on the transit of fuel in the region, raising the specter of constrained supply and increased gasoline prices at home,” wrote America’s top biofuel advocates.

To remedy the ongoing disruptions to global energy markets, stabilize gasoline prices for American consumers, and support domestic energy security, the authors urged EPA to quickly authorize the summer sale of gasoline blended with up to 15 percent ethanol.

“The consumer cost savings that result from allowing the year-round sale of E15, even on a temporary basis, are well-established. As a result of the emergency waivers issued in 2022 and 2023, consumers choosing E15 experienced average cost savings of 10-30 cents per gallon, with some locations offering over $1 off per gallon,” they added.

Spring Wildfire Prevention and Protection

What to know

Dry air, low humidity levels and strong winds are the ideal conditions for outbreaks that can occur any time of year but are historically prevalent in March, the windiest month of the year. Oklahoma’s wide, open spaces, particularly in the western part of the state, are what allow small fires to spread and grow quickly.

Communities are encouraged to participate in the National Firewise USA program, which educates residents on how to protect homes and neighborhoods in areas at high risk of wildfire. Landowners living in remote, rural areas should take the following precautions during wildfire season:

• Survey the status of the home, other buildings and equipment. Determine how the property can stand alone if fire response is delayed or not available.
• Keep the area mowed down short and make sure any kind of flammable shrubs or trees are a safe distance from the home and buildings.
• Prune tree limbs to prevent fire from spreading to the crown of trees.

There's more great tips to consider- click on the blue button check them out.

Coming Friday- the Griswold Grass to Grid Production Sale

The Griswold Family's Grass to Grid Production sale happens Friday, March 29th at 12:30 pm at the Griswold Cattle Sale Facility, 9313 East 6th Street, Stillwater. The Sale Facility is 7 miles east of the junction of Highways 177 and 51.

They will be selling 200 Angus, Sim-Angus and Maine-Angus bulls. 100 Open Heifer Calves Ready to Breed

85 Pairs and Heavy Bred One Iron Angus Straight Four Year Olds

AND 50 Commercial first calf heifer spring pairs and heavy breds.

For last minute info- call John Griswold at 405-780-3300 or Jeanne Griswold at 435-421-1200.

Click here for the webpage on their website that has the link to the catalog and the videos of the offering.

Attend in person or participate on CCI.Live- available here