Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays caught up with Former Senator AJ Griffin, current CEO of the Potts Family Foundation, to talk about the Potts Family Foundation and its recent gift to rural Oklahoma Communities. Potts Family Foundation was created in 1980 and is a private operating foundation begun by the Ray and Pat Potts family. Since Ray’s passing, Pat and her three sons and daughter continue philanthropic work in communities.

The mission of the Potts Family Foundation is two-fold: They are the largest funder of the Oklahoma Center for Non Profits, and Pat was its founder. “We are very concerned about non profit sustainability and making sure the non profit community across the state is healthy and vibrant,” Griffin said.

The other major area of focus is early childhood – the first five years of life. “Ray and Pat adopted one of their children, and as they raised her, they learned the importance of the years when she wasn’t part of their family. So, Pat has made it a personal mission to help families provide the very best early experience for their children.”

Research has shown that events that occur during a child’s prenatal period and up to the fifth year of life can permanently impact the development of the individual’s brain. “We do a lot of trauma training and trauma information work all across the state as a key component of our mission at Potts Family Foundation,” she added. “We also support innovation in early childhood programs through grants, training and support, technical assistance, and helping with collaborations.”

Oklahoma Farm Bureau works to improve the lives of all Oklahomans by supporting our state’s agriculture community. As Oklahoma’s largest general farm organization led by Oklahoma farmers and ranchers, OKFB takes grassroots values and advocates for agriculture at the state Capitol and in Washington, D.C., to ensure our way of life continues for generations to come. Farm Bureau hosts leadership events, supports our state’s agricultural youth and connects consumers with agriculture in order to build a brighter future for our state. Become an OKFB member today online at okfarmbureau.org/join. Together, we are rural Oklahoma.

Eric Halfman, Go-To-Market Manager for John Deere Gator Utility Vehicles, discusses the new XUV845 gas and XUV875 diesel models showcased at the Farm Progress Show with Oklahoma Farm Report’s Maci Carter.

In July, John Deere launched their XU845 and XU875 SUV Signature Edition John Deere Gators. The XU845 is the gas-powered version, and the XU875 runs on diesel. The full-size crossover machines are designed for production precision ag, livestock, and rural lifestyle customers.

Key features include HVAC cab comfort, optional Green Star Ready for boundary mapping, and an auto-track ready option for spraying applications. 

“Yes, you can auto-track with a Gator,” Halfman said. “Specifically, a great opportunity for that would be in a spraying application where you can hook up a tow-behind sprayer, and rate control with that sprayer.”

Exploring the Challenges of Rebuilding the Beef Cow Herd: Insights by Livestock Analyst Abbi Prins

Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster, Ron Hays, caught up with Abbi Prins, Livestock Industry Analyst with CoBank, who, like many experts believes that herd rebuilding will be slow. Prins authored an article for CoBank regarding the current status of the U.S. beef cow herd and the challenges of rebuilding it.

Prins said the project was begun to see what the beef cow inventory is doing in regards to cow-calf operators, rather than from a feedlot standpoint. “We did this because the cow calf producers are providing the next generation of animals to become our beef supply,” Prins said. “How many beef cows do we have? How productive are they? What are their offspring doing to support the beef supply over the next few years?”

She said that the study showed that numbers have been dwindling since the peak in the 1970s, so the question becomes, when will this turn around in the 2020 – 2030-year range?

Through financial analysis, it is apparent that the cow calf producer isn’t in any hurry to begin rebuilding. Record high calf prices create an inviting cash flow for them and allow them to pay down debt from high feed prices and high interest rates.

On Saturday, the President of Livestock Nutrition Center, Ronnie Castlebury, released a letter acknowledging they had shipped a load of feed to Beutler Brothers in Elk City that contained monensin- the contaminated feed resulting in the death of an estimated 70 performance horses.

Dr. Castlebury's full statement follows:

“We are truly sorry for what the Beutler family is going through. Our preliminary tests show a load of feed delivered to Beutler and Son Rodeo Company in Elk City contained monensin, which can be toxic to horses. This likely occurred due to a combination of a failed cleanout procedure and a sensor malfunction. We have confirmed this is an isolated incident to this single load of feed from a single facility and no other feed has been impacted and is safe for animal consumption.

"We take this seriously and are working with the State Departments of Agriculture in Oklahoma and Kansas and the FDA to get to the root cause of the problem and will take any and all corrective actions needed.

"Words are cheap but we are dedicated to assist and support the Beutler family and make this right because our customers and employees expect and deserve it.

"Our deepest sympathies go out to Mr.’s Bennie and Rhett Beutler and family and everyone affected by the recent tragic event at their ranch. The loss of so many valued animals is devastating.”

Ronnie Castlebury, Ph.D-President of Livestock Nutrition Center

The Oklahoma Department of Ag says the feed in question originated in Kansas. A state inspector took a feed sample, sent it off for testing, and notified the Kansas Department of Agriculture about the feed. Those results should be revealed in two to three weeks.

According to a report from News9 in Oklahoma City, Ranch Owner Randy Beutler says they are caring for the 140 horses they still have, including the very young, ones that lost their mothers. Four of the foals were born just 10 days ago, and Beutler says will have to be bottle-fed.

U.S. corn prices hit a four-year low as the prospect for record corn and soybean crops takes shape in the field. The eroding outlook also appeared in the August Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor as more economists are concerned U.S. agriculture is either already in a recession or on the brink of one, but economists point out if it weren’t for strong cattle prices, the ag economic picture would look even worse.

“When you look at, what we said for both, relative to last month or last year, some of the most pessimistic readings we’ve had, since we’ve been surveying here on 2024,” said Scott Brown, interim director, Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center (RaFF), University of Missouri who also helps author the Monthly Monitor each month.

The latest Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor tried to get a better gauge of the risk of financial stress in agriculture, and asked the more than 70 economists surveyed if agriculture is on the brink of a recession. Nearly 60% said “yes.”

“Maybe what was even more surprising to me is the responses to the question, ‘Are we already in a recession?’ More than 50% said ‘yes, we’re already in a recession.’ That’s a big change from where we were just 16 to 24 months ago, and it shows a lot of folks are worried about where we sit today.”

Producers, lenders, and policy-makers seeking to gain insight into the rural agricultural economy and make more informed decisions will be interested in attending the 2024 Rural Economic Outlook Conference, Wednesday, October 16 at the Conoco Phillips OSU Alumni Center in Stillwater. This annual one day conference features outside keynote speakers plus OSU faculty. Kenny Burdine, Extension Professor in Livestock Economics at the University of Kentucky is a featured keynote speaker providing an update on Livestock Risk Protection Insurance for Feeder Cattle.

Another featured keynote speaker, Randy Daniels, Chief Risk Officer at Triangle Insurance will discuss the Impact of the Agricultural Insurance Market on the Ag Industry.

Participants also have an opportunity to hear from OSU experts about departmental research, value-added enterprises, and updates on the livestock market as well as faculty views on Ag finance and grain markets.

The registration fee is $50 and includes breakfast, lunch, and breaks.

Click https://agriculture.okstate.edu/…/rural-economic… for the conference agenda and to register for the 2024 Rural Economic Outlook Conference.