At the Oklahoma City Farm Show, I had the chance to talk with one of the founders of Midwest Shows, John Riles, about his experience producing the OKC Farm Show for the past 20 years.

In addition to the OKC Farm Show and the Tulsa Farm Show, Midwest Shows also holds farm trade shows in states such as Iowa, South Dakota, and Illinois. Riles said one of his favorite parts of traveling to produce different farm shows across the Midwest is hearing from farmers and ranchers in different regions.

“It is fun to experience the different environments and what people are interested in,” Riles said. “They are talking about droughts in different places and different reasons- one for raising crops, and the other is for feeding cattle and that sort of thing. It is a fun experience to travel both markets.”

The technology at this year’s OKC Farm Show is impressive and Riles talked about how he has the chance to see technology such as drones grow in the agriculture industry.



“Now you can see how they have adapted some of these drones, and the size of these drones is a little intimidating,” Riles said.

The Oklahoma City Farm Show continues today and tomorrow- Show hours at 9 AM to 5 PM today and 9 AM to 4 PM on Saturday. Admission and parking are free.

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- .



Parts of State See Relief in This Week’s Drought Monitor, While Dry Conditions Linger in Others

To view the latest Oklahoma drought map, CLICK HERE.

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

Severe drought or worse is now at zero percent, improved from last week’s .19 percent.

Moderate drought or worse is now at 8.47 percent, improved slightly from last week’s 8.83 percent.

Abnormally dry or worse conditions are now at 37.86 percent, up from last week’s 33.76 percent.

All aspects of drought in the state are much better shape than one year ago- at this time in 2023- over 53% of Oklahoma was in Moderate Droought or Worse. Thirty eight percent was in extreme drought or worse and 15% was in exceptional drought.

Beef Checkoff Strategy to Boost Domestic Beef Demand Proves Effective

I am talking with the CEO of the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion Board, Greg Hanes, about the domestic strategy for building demand for U.S beef.

To listen to Part 1 of my conversation with Greg Hanes talking about the use of Beef Checkoff dollars, CLICK HERE.

Herd liquidation over the last several years has meant tighter beef supplies ahead, which is detrimental to international beef demand. The herd liquidation has not only impacted international markets, but also domestic markets.

Hanes said the domestic marketing strategy for U.S. consumers includes finding ways to encourage them to include beef in their meal plans.

“I think now there is probably more options here for the consumers in the U.S. just with ground beef and other items we have available that are not as expensive as your traditional meal meats,” Hanes said. “There has been a lot of educational work on those, like showing how to prepare all of these dishes, how to buy it, cook it, and all of that.”

Building demand for beef is not a one-year job, Hanes said, as the effort is decades in the making. This long-term approach ensures the sustainability of the beef industry, and the continuous supply of the protein consumers want.

Farm Director KC Sheperd is talking with BASF’s Western Region Agronomic Manager, Kenny Melton, about planting disease-resistant cotton varieties and products that can boost cotton production and mitigate disease.

Melton first discussed the main diseases cotton producers need to be aware of during the growing season, emphasizing the importance of planning and being aware of past issues in specific fields. As producers look into what varieties of cotton they will be planting this year, Melton said it is critical to consider past issues in those fields because diseases typically recur in the same fields.

Another issue Melton discussed is bacterial blight in cotton. While bacterial blight may not be an issue every year, more humid conditions can support development.

“Actually, all of the FiberMax, say, one of our new ones, is actually resistant to bacterial blight, so we have got a good portfolio in terms of handling that disease,” Melton said.

Regarding root-knot nematodes, Melton said they typically occur at the same time as Verticillium wilt. For those impacted areas, Melton said it is best to dig up the roots and not just pull them out of the ground.



Melton said BASF offers a prime seed treatment with enhanced rates of some key fungicides to offer some protection against particular diseases.

To learn more about BASF, CLICK HERE.

This week on SUNUP is Oklahoma State University Extension grain market economist Kim Anderson. During this week’s edition, Anderson talks about the USDA’s Prospective Plantings release and the crop prices.

“Those numbers set the foundation for the ’24 and ’25 marketing year for all of the crops,” Anderson said. “When we get the planted acres estimate, that limits the top side of production and it also sets a boundary for the bottom side, so it is a starting point. It is a starting point we have to have.”

Compared to the 2023 report, Anderson said the estimated acreage for corn in Oklahoma was slightly lower. For soybeans, Anderson said the estimates were higher.

Hard red winter wheat saw an increase in planted acres in the U.S. and in Oklahoma, Anderson added. Cotton saw an increase in estimated planted acreage as well.

Anderson said the numbers in the Prospective Plantings report did not have much of an impact on prices.

“Really no movement at all in the crop prices,” Anderson said.

Watch SUNUP:

Saturday at 7:30 a.m. & Sunday at 6 a.m. on OETA (PBS)

YouTube.com/SUNUPtv

Cantrell-Grissom Cattle Co. Bull & Female Production Sale Set for Saturday April 6th in Seminole, Ok

Cantrell-Grissom Cattle Co. is hosting a bull and female production sale! The sale will take place Saturday, April 6 at 12:30 p.m. at Blackjack Farms Sale Facility in Seminole, Oklahoma.

The sale will consist of 75 Yearling Registered Black Angus Bulls, 15 – 18-Month-Old Registered Black Angus Bulls, 12 – 2-Year- Old Charlais Bulls and 70-Pen Commercial Replacement Heifers.

Click here for the sale catalog

Click here for the sale videos

Bid Online: LiveAuctions.TV

Matt Sims Cell/Text 405.641.6081

matt@mcsauction.com

www.mcsauction.com

More stories for your weekend reading!