At Cattlemen’s Conference Part 2: Blueprint for the Future, I had the chance to talk with Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam of the University of California-Davis about gene editing. Dr. Eenennaam was the key note speaker the first evening of the Conference and was on a follow up panel the next morning on the science and regulatory challenges of gene editing.

“Gene editing basically enables you to do a targeted alteration in the genome to introduce a useful trait,” Van Eenennaam said. “It is a way to add to your breeding program when you already have a genetically elite animal, and you would like to add one more characteristic such as not growing horns, for example. Maybe in beef cattle, you want to add heat tolerance so you can introduce the slick allele that already exists naturally in Senepol cattle, and you’d like to maybe introduce it to Angus for example.”

 As many are not aware of the differences between gene editing and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), Van Eenennaam explained that gene editing is simply bringing out genes that already exist within an animal’s genome.

“The difference between genome editing is that you can actually use editors to make a targeted change in the genome without introducing foreign DNA or transgenic DNA,” Van Eenennaam said. “It is tweaking the genome of an animal in the same way that we naturally do in selection, because nature is always tweaking the genome of animals, and in fact, humans. That is the basis of evolution and our selection programs.”

Midwest Farm Shows is proud to produce the two best Farm Shows in the State of Oklahoma annually- the Tulsa Farm Show each December and the Oklahoma City Farm Show each April.

The Tulsa Farm Show is Oklahoma’s premier agricultural and ranching event- and returns to the SageNet Center (Expo Square) December, 6-7-8, 2024. 

Now is the ideal time to contact the Midwest Farm Show Office at 507-437-7969 and book space at the 2022 Tulsa Farm Show.  To learn more about the Tulsa Farm Show, click here. 

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented last Friday on the House Agriculture Committee markup and passage of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act.

“AFBF appreciates the leadership of Chairman Thompson and members of the House Agriculture Committee for the markup and bipartisan passage of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act. The farm bill affects all of America’s families, and we’re encouraged to see the legislation progress in the House.  

“We applaud the bipartisan vote after 13 hours of rigorous debate, but know that tight margins in both chambers and a crowded congressional calendar will present challenges in the next legislative steps. We urge House leaders to continue the momentum and bring this important legislation to a vote on the floor.

“We also urge the Senate Agriculture Committee to follow the lead of the House by scheduling a farm bill markup. A pandemic, high inflation, supply chain issues and global unrest all present challenges that can only be addressed by a new, modernized farm bill. 

“This is an opportunity for both chambers to work to advance a piece of legislation that will pay off at every dinner table in America.”

More reactions from ag groups( and a couple of others) below! Click the group name to see their comments:

• 
  
• Agricultural Retailers Association
• National Corn Growers Association
• National Association of Wheat Growers
• National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
• American Soybean Association
• National Cotton Council
• Independent Community Bankers of America
• National Audubon Society
• National Association of Conservation Districts

Derrell Peel- On Feed Numbers Finally Under Year Ago in Latest Cattle on Feed Report

The May USDA Cattle on Feed report released on Friday ahead of the Memorial Day holiday hit almost all of the pre report estimates square on the head. Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.6 million head on May 1, 2024. The inventory was 1% below May 1, 2023, USDA NASS reported on Friday.

Placements in feedlots during April totaled 1.66 million head, 6% below 2023. Marketings of fed cattle during April totaled 1.87 million head, 10% above 2023.

After the report- I talked with Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Market Economist Dr. Derrell Peel about the numbers and what they seem to be telling us.

Dr. Peel believes that the on feed numbers finally slipping below a year ago is significant- “You know we have been over year ago levels in the on feed numbers for several months now- we built them up last fall and carried that into the first part of this year, now we have dropped back year over year levels and I would anticipate- although I have been wrong before- I would anticipate that we would stay below year over year for an extended period of time and continue to pull this feedlot inventory going forward.”

USMEF Members Examine Consumer Trends, Promotion of Underutilized Cuts

The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) wrapped up its Spring Conference Friday with a closing general session focused on red meat industry efforts to build demand in international markets for beef and pork cuts that have limited domestic use. USMEF Director of Trade Analysis Jessica Spreitzer moderated a panel of USMEF representatives working in Mexico, South America, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, who highlighted marketing efforts showcasing the attributes of underutilized U.S. cuts.

Spreitzer discussed USMEF strategies to develop demand for cuts specifically from the pork loin and beef round primals, pointing to estimates that loin exports now account for about 20% of U.S. production, up from roughly 10% five years ago. On export demand for underutilized beef cuts, she noted that export markets account for 42% of the total U.S. production of the gooseneck round, 30% of the chuck shoulder clod and 18% of top inside round.



“The export side adds pricing competition, potential customers and ultimately brings added value to these underutilized cuts,” said Spreitzer.

Taiwan’s beef import market is traditionally competitive and price-sensitive, and USMEF has been aggressively promoting a range of alternative U.S. beef cuts for about 10 years. Alex Sun, USMEF’s senior marketing manager, said the strategic focus for the foodservice sector in 2024 is on the outside round flat and the top round. Sun explained that importers are typically not familiar with the versatility of these cuts, so USMEF conducts educational seminars showing them how to fabricate them for foodservice. The importers’ foodservice customers are then presented with ideas for new dishes utilizing the cuts.

On May 1, 2024, Rep. G.T. Thompson, Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, and Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, released summaries of their respective farm bill proposals (see here and here).  

On May 17, 2024, Chairman Thompson released text of his bill.  Very early this morning, the House Committee on Agriculture finished marking up its version of the 2024 Farm Bill – the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 – and passed it out of Committee on a bipartisan vote of 33 to 21. 

While there will be a lot of chatter about the path forward in the full House, attention is now turning to the Senate. To help set the stage, we have compiled a side-by-side comparison of the major farm safety net features of the House Ag Committee-passed bill and the Senate majority proposal – the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act of 2024.  Importantly, no bill text has been released for the Senate proposal, so the comparison is compiled from the summary materials linked above. Further, while Table 1 compares the proposals currently on the table, we leave it to the reader to draw their own conclusions about which approach they prefer. It is also important to note that Sen. John Boozman (R-AR), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, announced earlier this morning that he will weigh in with his own framework “in the coming weeks” but highlighted that the House Ag Committee-passed bill “mirrors much of what Senate Republicans are seeking to accomplish with our framework.”

New Home for OSU Agriculture Features Collaborative Outdoor Spaces

Oklahoma State University Agriculture is partnering with OSU Landscape Services to develop several outdoor gathering spaces around the new cutting-edge facility for the Ferguson College of Agriculture, OSU Ag Research and OSU Extension.

The east side of the building will feature an outdoor patio, plaza and grand pathway that accentuates the surrounding buildings and supports the land-grant mission, said Nick Ouellette, university landscape design manager.

“The east corridor creates an inviting pathway that offers opportunities for engagement, education, creativity and relaxation,” Ouellette said. “This space also provides an ideal place to take a break between classes, socialize, study and enjoy a snack.”



OSU Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture students and landscape architecture design interns assisted in developing landscape plans for the new building.

Biden-Harris Administration Invests in Domestic Fertilizer Projects to Strengthen American Farms and Businesses

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is investing in domestic fertilizer projects to strengthen competition for U.S. farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers.

This funding advances President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to grow the nation’s economy from the middle out and bottom up. It will create jobs and spur economic growth in rural communities by increasing competition in agricultural markets. Through these projects, President Biden is delivering on promises he made two years ago when he visited rural Illinois to announce the doubling of funding available through the Fertilizer Production and Expansion Program (FPEP).

“The Biden-Harris Administration and USDA are committed to bolstering the economy and increasing competition for our nation’s farmers, ranchers and small business owners,” Secretary Vilsack said. “The investments announced today, made possible through the Commodity Credit Corporation, will increase domestic fertilizer production and strengthen our supply chain, all while creating good-paying jobs that will benefit everyone.”



The Department is awarding $83 million in 12 states for projects through the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program (FPEP). This program provides grants to independent business owners to help them modernize equipment, adopt new technologies, build production plants and more.

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