The process has moved quickly this week as Republicans have selected Oklahoma Congressman Tom Cole to be the Chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee- the first Oklahoman ever to serve in that role.

I had the chance to talk with President of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Rodd Moesel, about Congressman Cole’s new position of leadership. Moesel is currently in Washington D.C. with a group of farm bureau members from Oklahoma.

“We are overjoyed for Congressman Cole and overjoyed for the state of Oklahoma, and really for our whole country,” Moesel said. “Tom is one of the brightest minds in all of Congress and probably understands government appropriations better than any person I have ever met in my lifetime. To have an Oklahoman in that key role is a huge feather in the cap of our state and I am very confident that Tom will make really great decisions for not only our state but for our country.”

Congressman Cole’s has spent many years dedicating time to understanding the agriculture industry and making those connections, Moesel said, which makes him a great asset for the country and for rural Oklahoma.

Moesel also talks with Hays about the Chris Kidd announcement to not run for another term in the Oklahoma Senate- and he provides an update Oklahoma Farm Bureau leaders in Washington this week meeting with the Oklahoma delegation and more.

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I am back talking with Mark Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Breeding Specialist, for part three of a preview for the 2024 Cattlemen’s Conference, which will be held on May 22nd and 23rd at the Totusek Arena in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Johnson said the first panel of speakers on Wednesday will be discussing selection and mating relative to the marketing endpoint in a beef operation.

The next conference discussion will feature Dr. Jason Rowntree of Michigan State University, who will talk about beef’s carbon footprint. Regenerative ranching will be discussed with Hugh Aljoe of the Noble Research Institute.

Wednesday will conclude with a banquet featuring remarks from Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam, a Cooperative Extension Specialist in Animal Genomics and Biotechnology at the University of California, Davis. As the keynote speaker of the conference, Eenennaan will discuss gene editing.

Introducing Ross Turner of the Oologah FFA Chapter, Your 2024 Northeast Area Star in Agribusiness

This week, our coverage of the 2024 Oklahoma FFA Star Award Finalists begins with Agribusiness competitor Ross Turner of the Oologah FFA chapter representing the Northeast Area.

Turner is the owner and operator of Turner Stock Dogs, where he trains dogs on a month-to-month basis. His operation primarily consists of Border Collie dogs, but he also works with other breeds.

After working with a few different cow dog breeds, Turner said he enjoys Border Collie dogs for their quickness, strength, and intelligence. Turner added that part of his strategy is he does not turn dogs out on stock until they are around one year old.

“I find they are a little more mature by that point, where they can handle some training and some criticism without getting their feelings hurt and giving out on you,” Turner said.

Turner is the first of 18 FFA Area stars we will be profiling as we lead up to the 2024 State FFA Convention- we will have one a day here in our daily email- and they will be found in our Blue Green Gazette section of our website.

At today’s House Financial Services Committee hearing, Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03) highlighted the detrimental effects of the SEC’s climate disclosure rule. On March 6, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted the Climate Rule, introducing sweeping changes to existing disclosure obligations for public companies. Despite modifications made to the initial proposal, the final rule presents massive challenges that will impact the entire economy.

In this week's Cow Calf Corner, Kellie Curry Raper, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist, talks about data collection on OQBN and non-OQBN cattle as it relates to the market.

An important aspect of the Oklahoma Quality Beef Network is detailed data collection on OQBN sale dates for both OQBN and non-OQBN cattle. And one thing that data is telling us is that more lots of uncastrated males have come through the sale ring as of late. The charts below illustrate data from the 2019-2023 fall sale seasons and indicates a sharp increase in the number of bulls marketed as feeder calves beginning in 2021. Note that OQBN certified cattle are required to be castrated and healed prior to marketing, so this increase in bulls is coming from non-program cattle.

In fact, the proportion of bull lots nearly tripled from 8.7% in 2019 to 24.4% in 2023, while the proportion of bulls as measured by head more than doubled from 4.3% to 10% over the same time period. These numbers reflect an overall increase in the proportion of bulls coming through feeder calf sales.

Research indicates multiple animal performance benefits linked to earlier castration (birth to 3 months), including shorter initial weight loss periods, lower disease susceptibility, and higher post-weaning ADGs. Additionally, the process is less stressful for calves at younger ages when the calves are lighter, posing less risk of harm to both the calf and the producer.

Do What You Can for Wild Turkey Habitat With Your Ranch Management Choices

For the majority of the last 50 years, wild turkeys served as a great North American comeback story. Populations went from nearly non-existent to covering every part of the contiguous United States. Until recently.

“Turkeys were the great success story for wildlife departments all across the nation,” says Josh Gaskamp, Noble Research Institute regenerative ranching advisor and manager. But today, many wild turkey populations, particularly those in the Southern Great Plains, are in steep decline. The “why” is unclear, but theories include loss of habitat, disease and climate events – both drought and excessive rain.

Kansas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska – states that boasted big turkey numbers and the associated recreational opportunities over the past several decades – have seen wild-turkey populations declining up to 50% in the past 15 years, according to state wildlife agencies. As these population numbers drop, so have hunting bag limits, tag numbers and even hunting seasons. Kansas canceled its 2023 fall season after its wild turkey population hit a 15-year low.

Researchers in these states and others have launched studies into why turkey production has taken such a dive. A joint study by Oklahoma State University and Texas A&M seeks a comprehensive understanding of the turkeys’ nesting behavior, reproductive success and survival of different life stages to determine if a decline is occurring.

Rancher’s Thursday Webinar: Management of Beef on Dairy Crossbreds in Beef Production

Later today at 12 noon central- the second in a series of webinars will be held by OSU to consider beef on dairy in the beef cattle production scheme. Click here for the registration for today and the entire series through early May.

The Rancher’s Thursday Lunchtime Webinar Series focusing on use of Beef on Dairy crossbreds in beef production started last week with a presentation by Bailey Basiel from Penn State University discussing how sire breeds and selection within a breed affects performance and carcass quality from beef on dairy crosses. The recording of the presentations will be posted on the OSU Beef Extension website at https://extension.okstate.edu/programs/beef-extension/ranchers-thursday-lunchtime-series/

The series will continue through May 2nd every Thursday at noon from April 11th to May 2nd. This Webinar covers the management of Dairy Beef crossbreds in the beef production system. There will be presentations on research dealing with the effects of sire selection and early life management on finishing performance as well as management and performance of dairy-beef crosses in commercial feeding operations. Experts from across the nation will cover recent research and real-world experiences in managing and marketing these unique animal resources. Register for this online webinar series at https://okstate-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_dxm_nDV2TM22cErxr4XFaQ#/registration