We have seen triple-digit temperatures and high heat indexes the past few weeks, but according to State Climatologist Gary McManus a cold front will be moving through the state this weekend, “The front arrives in NW OK on Thursday then overspreads the state over the next 24 hours. Should get some showers and storms forming in the High Plains and then heading our way in the NW flow around the periphery of the heat dome to the west, it's meandering that way allowing the cold front to slip through. Pretty nice temps setting up, just like we detailed yesterday, but maybe the rain chances are slipping a bit farther south along with the milder air.”

We will still have to suffer through a few more days of hot temps; in fact, a heat advisory is in effect today as the heat and humidity will build up today, pushing the heat index up to dangerous levels.

Highs over the weekend include some 80’s and some 70s throughout the state and there’s also a chance of rain in the forecast.

To read more from State Climatologist Gary McManus on his mesonet ticket, click here.



National Livestock was founded in 1932 in Oklahoma City. National’s Marketing Division offers cattle for sale weekly at the Oklahoma National Stockyards in Oklahoma City. The Finance Division lends money to ranchers across several states for cattle production. The Grazing Division works with producers to place cattle for grazing on wheat or grass pastures. 

One of the newest additions to the National Family is Dakota Moss- and Livestock Risk Services.

National also owns and operates other livestock marketing subsidiaries including Southern Oklahoma Livestock Auction in Ada, Oklahoma, OKC West Livestock Market in El Reno, Oklahoma, and the nation’s premier livestock video sale, Superior Livestock Auction. National offers customers many services custom made for today’s producer. To learn more, click here for the website or call the Oklahoma City office at 1-800-310-0220.  

What's ahead for the beef cattle industry? As we wrap up our multi part conversation with Colin Woodall of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, I spent some time with the CEO talking about his responsibilities of helping guide the future direction of the NCBA.

At the Richard McDonald Leadership Institute session at the Summer Cattle Industry Meeting earlier this summer, Woodall and Cattle Industry leaders requested and got feedback on the state of the cattle industry from participants. “Richard McDonald was a long-time President/CEO of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association. When he passed away the Texas Cattle Feeders Association donated money for us to have this leadership institute to help develop the future leaders of this association. We are going to sit down with them and do an old-fashioned swat analysis: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. We are going to hear from our members how they think we are doing and where we need to focus our time.”

Woodall plans to use the feedback to formulate NCBA’s strategic plan which will be revealed in San Antonio during CattleCon 2025. “This is an exciting time for us because demand is great. The consumer is with us. They want our product. We know that we play a role in the discussion of maintaining open space and being able to upcycle with our cattle by taking grasses that have no use to humans and turning them into a high-quality protein. The overall quality of our product is the best it’s ever been and only continues to improve. We have opportunities for niche local marketing that is giving younger producers the ability to market their cattle like they’ve never had in the past. This truly is a beef renaissance time for us.”

To read and listen to Hays’s earlier conversation with Woodall about the Beef Checkoff, click here. In another conversation, they discussed reducing regulations to ease the burden on newcomers to the beef industry. To read and listen to it, click here.

Meet OSU’s Jenny Dudak As She Talks Cotton Across the State

Farm Director KC Sheperd caught up with the new OSU Extension Cotton Specialist, Jenny Dudak, to talk about her and the position she recently gained.

Dudak was raised in Northeast Iowa and obtained her Undergraduate and Masters at Texas A&M University where she worked in the Cotton Extension program. When she finished her Masters in the cotton program, her area of study was controlling reniform nematodes in cotton. She moved to Oklahoma and obtained her PhD at OSU under Dr. Todd Baughman, who was an extension weed scientist. She graduated in May 2024 and became the OSU Cotton Specialist the same month.

Dudak’s interest in cotton began in her first semester at Texas A&M University when she took a class that entailed developing a research project which happened to be a cotton corn rotation field under a pivot.

“That was the first time I had ever seen a cotton plant and it really intrigued me,” Dudak said. “So, when the student worker position opened up in the Cotton Extension program run by Dr. Gaylon Morgan at the time, I applied, was accepted and the rest is history.”

Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Frank Lucas and Congressman Max Miller (OH-07)introduced H.R. 9219, the Weather Data Taxpayer Protection Act. This legislation is a critical step in improving the accuracy and reliability of weather prediction by ensuring weather tools, purchased with taxpayer funds, are more accurate, standardized, and able to account for ever-changing weather risks.

The Weather Data Taxpayer Protection Act would establish a commission to ensure the quality, reliability, usability, timeliness, and accuracy of weather risk data and models utilized or purchased by Federal departments and agencies.

“For millions of Americans, accurate weather predictions can make or break one’s livelihood. Whether you work in the agricultural industry, the oil and gas industry, or on Main Street, rapidly changing weather patterns have increasingly affected our day-to-day lives,” said Congressman Frank Lucas. “We’ve accomplished so much in enhancing weather predictions, but there is still work to be done. That is why I’m proud to join Rep. Miller in introducing the Weather Data Taxpayer Protection Act.” 

“Ensuring the proper use of taxpayer dollars will always be a priority of mine,” said Congressman Miller. “I am proud to support this legislation to protect our communities by improving the accuracy of data used to predict the weather. We have all been impacted by severe weather at some point. By seeking the input of experts from a variety of industries, this legislation is a positive step forward in ensuring the proper use of American tax dollars in one of the most unpredictable aspects of life—the weather.” 

Eighteen members of Congress sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo yesterday saying they are concerned that tariffs on imports of a widely used herbicide – called 2,4-D – could compromise reliable, affordable access to agricultural inputs. The effort was led by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Reps. Adrian Smith (R-Neb.) and Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.).

“Agricultural producers already face record-high input costs while competing in a volatile market and prices for all crops are forecasted to decline over the next several years,” the representatives said. “Without careful consideration of the facts during these preliminary investigations, new tariffs will result in difficulties for producers who rely on this critical input. This will only exacerbate their economic challenges.”

The National Corn Growers Association supported the congressional effort.

“Duties on 2,4-D imports would intensify what is already a difficult period for many growers as key input costs continue to increase,” said Minnesota farmer and NCGA President Harold Wolle. “The tariffs could make these products hard to acquire and more expensive for farmers. We applaud these members of Congress for pushing this issue with Commerce and we hope the administration will listen.”

Dr. Temple Grandin Headlines Woodward Meeting This Coming Monday

Farm Director KC Sheperd caught up with Troy White of Bull Creek Ag and Outdoors in Mooreland, Oklahoma, to discuss the upcoming 580 Cattle Conference to be held on August 12 at the Woodward County Event Center in Woodward, OK. The doors open at 12:30 pm and the conference will begin at 1 pm.

The event was created after a series of conversations that White had with his vet, Dr. Richard Prather, about how they would like to organize a seminar for cattlemen in their area to help them understand the importance of vaccination protocols, matching cattle to their environment, low-stress cattle handling, and other topics that affect herd health and profitability.

Headlining the Conference is the world renowned Dr. Temple Grandin. The beef cattle industry has been greatly influenced by her work with the humane handling of beef cattle and she is considered the premiere designer of livestock handling facilities in the world. Dr. Grandin is a Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. 

General Revenue Fund collections for fiscal year 2024 were approximately $8.5 billion, which is $177.7 million, or 2.1%, above the estimate for the year and $547.2 million, or 6.1%, below the all-time high record collections of the previous year. In addition, fiscal year 2024 registered $262.2 million and $91.3 million in deposits to the Revenue Stabilization Fund and Constitutional Reserve (Rainy Day) Fund, respectively. The combined balance in both funds is slightly above $2 billion. 

“In the wake of two consecutive years of record collections, total general revenue collections from fiscal year 2024 still pulled ahead of the estimate and enabled additional deposits into state savings accounts,” said Katie DeMuth, interim director of OMES. “These reserves position the state to enter the new fiscal year with a strong foundation.”

General Revenue Fund collections for the month of June totaled $753.3 million, which is $84.2 million, or 10.1%, below the monthly estimate after $154.9 million in collections was deposited into state reserve funds. This is $113.4 million, or 13.1%, below collections in June 2023. In the month of June, there was a $130.2 million deposit to the Revenue Stabilization Fund and a $24.7 million deposit to the Rainy Day Fund, bringing the current balances to $663.6 million and $1.3 billion, respectively.

Revenue tables are available on the OMES website.