Truly an Oklahoma Treasure- OSU’s Kim Anderson to Retire End of July

Farm Director KC Sheperd had the chance to visit with Oklahoma State University Extension Grain Market Economist Kim Anderson about his retirement from OSU on July 31st. Aside from his crop market expertise, Anderson is also well known for his sales and marketing class where he has positively impacted the lives of countless OSU students.

Anderson was raised on a dairy farm in Muscogee County, Oklahoma where he decided at a young age he would plan to pursue a college degree. After high school, Anderson said he attended Connors State College for a short time before he was drafted into the U.S. Navy, where he would spend four years.

After his time serving in the U.S. Navy, Anderson said he had the chance to attend OSU and obtain a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education, and soon after, a master’s degree in agricultural economics. Anderson didn’t stop his education there and went on to obtain his PhD at OSU as well.

Over his years of experience, Anderson said he has witnessed a drastic change in technology, but the students are relatively the same. Aside from teaching sales, Anderson said he also teaches students how to learn, because he knows every student learns differently. “They are sending us the best and the brightest,” Anderson said. “They are sending us kids that, for the majority of them, they want to learn.”

When asked what he will miss the most, Anderson said he will miss the people he has the chance to work with and the students he has helped. “It is so humbling,” Anderson said. “I had the opportunity to impact and help prepare 220 young people a year, and I did.”

The Oklahoma Agriculture Mediation Program knows this is a hard time for farmers and ranchers. We want you to know we are still open, and we are still here for you. The Ag Mediation program is a free service that provides mediation to agriculture producers who may need help with ag-related disputes.

At Oklahoma Ag Mediation, we have been helping people in agriculture resolve conflicts since 1987. We know firsthand about working together to resolve conflicts, so you don’t have to go through the court systems. Let our professional mediators help you. Mediation is allowed for lease issues, farmer/neighbor disputes, family farm transitions, and more. These services are available at no cost for Oklahoma farmers and ranchers in all 77 counties. For more information, you can go to ok.gov/mediation, or give us a call at 800 248 5465. 

Matt Perrier, a Kansas Rancher spoke with Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays about producer profitability during the LMA Convention held in downtown Oklahoma City this past month. To hear our part one of Ron’s Conversation with Perrier on Beef Buzz, click HERE.

Perrier is a past president of the Kansas Livestock Association, currently serves on the Kansas Beef Council Executive Committee, and has served on various local, state and national boards in the livestock industry.

His take on producer profitability is that producers need to find common ground to work with one another rather than working against each other. He said, “We all have different perspectives on the beef industry in the beef community, and we all trade between each other. We are very segmented, very independent, and I love that about our industry. The downside of that is, instead of looking at the next person who buys our products as a partner, many times, we look at them as an adversary.”

Working With Cattle in the Heat by OSU’s Paul Beck

Weekly, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Nutrition Specialist Paul Beck offers his expertise on the beef cattle industry. This is a part of the weekly series known as the “Cow-Calf Corner.” Today, he talks about working with cattle in the heat.

Over the last few weeks we have had some really scorching temperatures with highs in the triple digits and lows in the upper 70’s. Coupled with the high humidity it is hard to get any relief for ourselves and our livestock. A good rule of thumb is that the higher the humidity, the lower the temperature that is cause for concern.

In hot summer conditions, heat transfer failures cause accumulation of body heat resulting in heat stress, reduced performance, animal discomfort, or death. When animals experience discomfort from heat stress, their behaviors change to reduce heat load (increased water consumption, decreased feed intake, seeking shade, standing in water, etc.).

The USDA Meat Animal Research Center published a scoring system to define heat stress in cattle based on panting score. This is a good indicator of heat stress because panting increases as the heat load increases. This scoring system is from 1 to 6, with 1 being slightly stressed to 6 being near death.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on USDA’s proposed amendments to all 11 Federal Milk Marketing Orders. AFBF has been calling for FMMO reform since 2021 and convened a successful first-of-its-kind industry-wide forum in 2022.

“We appreciate that USDA held this hearing, recognizing some of our concerns related to milk pricing. We are pleased with the intent to return the Class I skim milk price to the ‘higher-of’ formula as we called for. That said, we’re disappointed in changes that will benefit processors without regard for producers at a time when dairy farmers are struggling and many have gone out of business. USDA missed opportunities to improve and update price formulas.

“We also strongly believe make allowances should not be changed without a mandatory, audited survey of processors’ costs. Our dairy farmers deserve fairness in their milk checks and transparency in the formula, but the milk marketing order system can’t deliver that unless make allowances are based on accurate and unbiased data.

“We look forward to submitting our comments on the recommended proposals and encourage our members to do the same.”

What better place to explore the future of the Angus breed than in a city built by the cattle industry. The American Angus Association® is headed to Fort Worth for the 2024 Angus Convention, Nov. 1-4. Cowtown will serve as a fitting backdrop to drive innovation, explore and shape the future of the Angus breed, and engage in education and conversation.

“We are looking forward to being back in Fort Worth for Angus Convention this November,” said Caitlyn Brandt, director of events and junior activities for the American Angus Association. “Cowtown certainly attracts cattlemen and women from across the country along with allied industry members.”

The event will kick off in a “Welcome to Texas” fashion with the National Angus Tour and Beef Blitz on Friday, Nov. 1. These ticketed events immerse attendees in the local industry.

Between educational sessions, we will celebrate the accomplishments of producers who have helped move the breed forward, elect the next Board of Directors, discuss the state and future of the American Angus Association® and explore new industry innovations at the trade show.

Join your Angus Family in Fort Worth! Together we celebrate tradition & explore innovation.

The summer season is full of fun with outdoor activities such as swimming, riding bikes and catching fireflies. It is also a time for picnics and cookouts, and safety must be paramount to avoid any health risks.

Christi Evans, Oklahoma State University Extension assistant food safety specialist, said keeping cold foods cold during transport to the picnic or cookout site is vital. Also, prepare before leaving home. If burgers are on the menu, make ground beef or turkey into patties ahead of time.

“Pack the coolers with plenty of ice or frozen gel packs. Cold foods should be stored at 40 F or below to prevent bacterial growth,” Evans said. “Normally, perishable foods should never be left at room temperature for more than two hours, but the heat of an Oklahoma summer cuts that timeframe in half.”

Forestry Services Urges Caution with Fireworks

Oklahoma Forestry Services is urging extra caution with fireworks and campfires over the holiday as wildfire danger increases across the state – particularly west of I-35.

A summer La Niña weather pattern is rapidly building over our state. Cooler surface waters in the Pacific Ocean are pushing the jet stream north which means warmer, drier air here in Oklahoma. These dry conditions coupled with the high temperatures are the perfect recipe for increased wildfire risk.

“When it is this hot and this dry, wildland fuels can be easily ignited by stray fireworks and that has us hoping that people will be extremely cautious,” said State Forester Mark Goeller. “This is the week that we celebrate our nation’s independence, and nobody should have to spend it either fighting or evacuating from wildfire caused by careless behavior. Please be careful.”

Wildfire activity has picked up over the past week and fires are getting more difficult to contain and control. While the possibility of rain exists in the state this week, the chances are not great and any wetting rains we get will quickly evaporate. Dry conditions – and the risk of wildfire – will persist at least into next week.

Oklahoma Forestry Services is the state’s lead wildland firefighting agency. Visit forestry.ok.gov for the latest fire information and county burn ban resolutions.