USDA's weekly Crop Progress Report shows that nationwide, the US Corn crop now stands at 67% good to excellent - down one point from last week. Soybeans was a point higher this week to 68% good to excellent - Cotton fell four points this week to 45% good to excellent and Sorghum dropped eight points to 47% good to excellent.



Oklahoma's spring-planted crop conditions are pretty good. Corn conditions rated 67 percent good to excellent. Soybean conditions rated 59 percent good to excellent. Cotton conditions rated 53 percent good to excellent, and Sorghum conditions rated 67 percent good to excellent. Editor's Note- While we have had reports of both corn and sorghum harvest in parts of Oklahoma- NASS is not reporting any numbers this week)

Kansas's conditions are a bit better with soybeans rated at 62 percent good to excellent. Cotton conditions rated 67 percent good to excellent. and Sorghum conditions rated 49 percent good to excellent.

Texas's spring-planted crop conditions have declined since last week with Corn conditions down to 43 percent good to excellent from last week's 50 percent. Cotton conditions are down to 40 percent good to excellent from last week's 46 percent rating. Sorghum conditions fell to a 57 percent good to excellent rating from last week's 63 percent. Soybean conditions fell fell to a 26 percent good to excellent rating from last week's 32 percent good to excellent rating.

Pasture and Range Conditions for the 48 states are down four points from last week at 35 percent good to excellent. Oklahoma has declined 1 point this week to 49% good to excellent - Kansas dropped 5 points to 47% good to excellent - Texas improved one point at 31% good to excellent while Missouri declined 5 points to an 80% good to excellent rating.



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At the Cattle Industry Summer Business meeting in San Diego, California, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays had the chance to talk with National Cattlemen’s Beef Association CEO Colin Woodall. In addition to his role in guiding NCBA’s policies, Woodall also oversees the organization that is the largest single contractor for the $1 per head Beef Checkoff. The two men talked about what the Beef Checkoff Program has done for producers which can no longer be discussed without mention of the Return On Investment study completed by Dr. Harry Kaiser of Cornell University.

Our coverage from the 2023 Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting in San Diego is being powered by Farm Data Services of Stillwater.

Woodall said that producers should be asking what their dollar per head is being used for and what it is doing for them. “Dr. Kaiser’s work is well known. He spends a lot of effort analyzing this and looking at what it means for the producer – not the packer – the producer. This number of $13.41 in value being returned per every single checkoff dollar being invested is huge! We know that is accurate. We can look at a lot of the work that NCBA does as a contractor for the National Beef Checkoff.”

He emphasized the importance of knowing that NCBA isn’t the checkoff, only a contractor that has to compete for the contract to do the work which includes promoting beef and moving as much product as possible through such programs as eCommerce and through advertising with the slogan “Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.”

Making Pork Relevant Again: Kevin Sheehan’s Strategy for Engaging Youth

Farm Director, KC Sheperd, had the chance to visit with the Senior Director of Processing and Engagement for the National Pork Board, Kevin Sheehan about transforming pork’s image in the eyes of America’s Youth.

At the Oklahoma Pork Congress, Sheehan said that pork is currently irrelevant to young people, whether on the menu or otherwise. He said, “We found through our research that there are more air fryers in homes than coffee pots. Millennials and Gen Zs are cooking with air fryers and pork loins and pork butts aren’t air fryer friendly. We need to make pork relevant to them and get them to cook more of it. We know that it is tasty, flavorful, and nutritious, but we need to make it convenient for them.”

Air fryer convenient pork is going to be a smaller cut than a large pork butt, and frozen, precooked products will be more convenient. “We also realized that this generation looks at pork as an ingredient. When you ask someone what their favorite meal is, someone who is a Boomer age might say that they like beef or pork or chicken. When you ask a Gen Z or Millennial, they say, ‘I like pasta. I like Pho. I like lasagna or tacos.’ Pork needs to be an ingredient there, so teaching them that pork is a great ingredient, is what we need to do.”

As members of Congress head to their home states and districts for the August recess, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is reminding Representatives and Senators that the farm bill is still on their legislative to-do list this year.

“The farm bill is a top legislative priority for corn growers and agriculture at large,” said Minnesota farmer and NCGA President Harold Wolle. “There is still an opportunity to build upon the 2018 farm bill by strengthening the commodity, conservation, trade and crop insurance titles and USDA programs.”

The farm bill was originally scheduled for reauthorization in 2023. Last November, Congress voted to extend the legislation to September 30, 2024, with the Agriculture Committee leaders committing to work together to pass the legislation this year.

“We are counting on our elected officials to find a path forward for a strong bipartisan farm bill that can be signed into law this year,” Wolle said. “Let’s get it done.

Pollard Farms of Waukomis, Oklahoma, will donate the 2025 Angus Foundation Heifer Package in support of furthering education, youth and research. The heifer, Pollard Rita 4012 (AAA* 20875621), is a daughter of EXAR Cover the Bases 0819B and out of a productive, young two-year-old that is on her way to the donor pen; she stems from the PF W34 Rita 4139, a long-time donor in the Pollard program.

The heifer will sell at the National Angus Bull Sale on January 10, at the 2025 Cattlemen’s Congress in Oklahoma City. “I am honored to donate the Angus Foundation Heifer Package this year,” said Dr. Barry Pollard of Pollard Farms. “I think it is an excellent opportunity for me to offer a fine animal for sale to help raise money for the Angus Foundation and the junior program.”

He continued, “The Angus Foundation plays an important role in our industry as it is our gateway to the youth. The Foundation is the vehicle to better themselves, to grow and to excel in our world. That is what it is all about, so I am happy to support it.”

Pollard Farms is owned by Pollard and his wife Roxanne. Together they have five children and 10 grandchildren.

“It is a huge honor to have Pollard Farms as donors of the 2025 Heifer Package,” said Jaclyn Boester, Angus Foundation executive director. “Dr. Pollard and Roxanne have been huge supporters of the Angus Foundation and advancing it’s mission.”

In China, Sam’s Club is one of the leading retail outlets for high-quality beef and pork. With support from the Beef Checkoff Program and the National Pork Board, the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) recently brought a team of Sam’s Club buyers from China to South Korea to gain insights on packaging, merchandising and promotion of U.S. beef and pork.

Jihae Yang, USMEF vice president for the Asia Pacific, explains that the Sam’s Club buyers were not only interested in new merchandising trends for beef and pork cuts, but also for value-added items in the home meal replacement (HMR) category. Yang adds that the buyers also heard from a leading Korea importer on how to more efficiently move U.S. beef and pork into retail channels.