According to the latest Oklahoma drought monitor report, exceptional drought remains at zero percent, unchanged from the start of the calendar year.

Extreme drought or worse has been eliminated, down from 41.57 percent last week.

Severe drought or worse has decreased to 41.55 percent, down from 67.70 percent last week.

Moderate drought or worse, decreased to 67.84 percent, down from 83.54 percent last week.

Abnormally dry or worse have decreased to 92.26 percent, down from 92.27 percent last week.

As for our neighbors, temperatures were 12-15 degrees above normal, with areas of the Texas Panhandle 6-9 degrees above normal. Much of north Texas and Arkansas received significant precipitation, with widespread reports of 800% of normal rain for the week. A full category improvement was made over much of Oklahoma and northern Texas and western Arkansas, with extreme drought removed from the region. Significant rains fell over much of Kansas also reversing the trend of very dry conditions. Much of eastern Kansas saw a full category of improvement this week, with extreme drought being removed from the southeast.

Kansas Drought Monitor shows Moderate Drought shrinking from 76.84 percent last week to 53.69 this week. Texas Drought ratings saw a decrease from 73.65 percent a week ago to 68.08 percent.

Click here for the Kansas Drought Monitor Page and Click here for the Texas Drought Monitor Page.

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.

At the American Angus Convention in Ft. Worth, Texas, Oklahoma State University’s Dr. Shannon Ferrell gave a presentation on succession planning and Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays caught up with him to get the details for you.

Ferrell acknowledged the increasing median age of agricultural producers across the nation and the fact that estimates show that perhaps a trillion dollars in agricultural assets will need to be transferred to the next generation of farmers and ranchers in the next twenty years.

Misconceptions surrounding succession planning are common. Ferrell detailed that only 30% of family-owned businesses will survive succession intact because owners have failed to plan correctly. Also, 64% of farms and ranches exist with no estate plan in place.

“You really have to do something,” he said. “You have to be proactive, otherwise, a lot of forces are working to pull your ranch apart as it makes that transition.”

USMEF Conference Opens with Election Analysis

The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) launched its annual strategic planning conference in Tucson, Ariz., Wednesday with an analysis of the U.S. election’s potential impact on agricultural policy and international trade. USMEF members also received an in-depth look at the new administration in Mexico, as the United States prepares for a critical phase of trade relations with the largest export destination for U.S. red meat.

USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom opened the conference with an overview of U.S. red meat exports in 2024 and his outlook for the coming year.

Keynote speaker Jim Wiesemeyer, a veteran journalist and renowned Washington insider, delivered his insights about the presidential and congressional elections and the potential effects on U.S. agriculture and trade policy. Wiesemeyer highlighted that Trump is the first candidate in over a century to reclaim the White House after losing it, having gained even stronger support in rural America than he had in two previous elections. Republicans did much better than most expected in U.S. Senate races, with a likely pickup of four seats in addition to the 49 held in the current Congress. Although several House races were still too close to call, it appears the GOP will hold on to its narrow majority, he reported.

Wiesemeyer speculated on the post-election agendas for the White House and the 119th Congress and identified what he expects will be their key issues. He stated that the election outcome may have improved the chances of completing a new Farm Bill before the end of 2024, with Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member John Boozeman (R-Ark.) leading the effort during the upcoming lame duck session of Congress.

This week on SUNUP, OSU Agriculture Economist Dr. John Michael Riley discusses the highs and lows of current grain and cotton markets.

Recently heavy rains have fallen across much of the state. Riley said, “If you look at mesonet maps, depending where you are at, anywhere from one to two inches all the way up to possibly six inches have fallen.”

He admitted that while it was a blessing to receive, the force and volume of it may feel like a curse for some.

The corn harvest is almost over, and soybeans are still needing to be harvested despite the soggy ground. The nation’s wheat is 87% planted and Oklahoma’s wheat is only 72% planted. While it is getting late in the season, Riley mentioned that wheat is a hardy crop.

“Wheat conditions right now are pretty poor across the state and the U.S.,” Riley said. “We were in the midst of those rains when the date was being listed for the Crop Progress report that was released on Monday so we will certainly see how things change moving forward.”

According to Texas A&M's Ag Economists Joe Outlaw and Bart Fischer- Tuesday’s election will bring a significant change to the leadership in Washington D.C., with Republicans taking over leadership of the Senate and former President Trump being re-elected President.  

As of late Wednesday evening, it appears Republicans will remain in control of the House of Representatives, albeit with a very small majority. Leadership elections over the next couple of months will determine if Chairman Thompson (PA) and Ranking Member Scott (GA) will continue to lead the House Committee on Agriculture.  Of the 29 Republican members currently on the committee, only 10 were around to vote on the 2018 Farm Bill (green represents they voted for the 2018 Farm Bill).  Eight of 25 Democrat members were around to vote on the 2018 Farm Bill.  So, only 18 of 54 members of the committee were around to experience the process and vote for the last farm bill.  Most of the current Republican and Democrat members were re-elected on Tuesday with the exceptions of Republican Marc Molinaro (NY) and Democrats Abigail Spanberger (VA) and Elissa Slotkin (MI) who both left to seek other offices. 

There is more experience on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry as 8 of 12 Democrats and 8 of 11 Republicans were around to work on the 2018 Farm Bill, although Senator Grassley (IA) voted against the bill (indicated in red).  After Tuesday’s election, it is presumed that Senator Boozman (AR) will become Chairman, and the Democrats will select a new ranking member as Chairwoman Stabenow is set to retire at the end of the year. In terms of departures, Senator Braun (IN) is leaving to become the Governor of Indiana, and Senator Brown (OH) was defeated.

Bart Fischer- by the way- will be the Saturday night keynote speaker at the 2024 Oklahoma Farm Bureau Annual Meeting- the latest on his thinking about the Election and his thoughts on the Lame Duck and more will be unveiled Saturday night

Oklahoma Farm Report’s Stevie White got to talk with Vickie Roop at the Best Beef Competition a few weeks ago. Roop raises unique Piedmontese beef on her ranch in Okarche, Oklahoma.

She competed at the inaugural Oklahoma Best Beef Competition and has been invited back every year since. “This is a great event to get out in the public and have them taste our locally sourced beef.”

Her niche beef product is produced by a breed of cow originally from the Piedmont region of Italy. She first tasted the beef in 2018 while attending a wedding in Italy. She loved the flavor and after learning about the other health benefits, she began replacing her own Angus/Charolais crosses with Piedmontese cattle. By 2019, she had 14 head and is now up to 32 mama cows that produce 17 to 20 steers each year.

She explained the uniqueness of the breed she chose. “Piedmontese is a double-muscling breed, but they have an inactive myostatin gene that maintains tenderness and juiciness despite the double-muscling, while also producing less fat and more Omega-3s, ounce-for-ounce, than salmon. It is truly the healthy beef.”

Cantrell-Grissom Inaugural Fall Female and Bull Sale to be held November 9 in Earlsboro, OK

C-G Inaugural Fall Female and Bull Sale to be held Saturday, November 9, 2024, at 12:30 pm.

NEW LOCATION: Cantrell-Grisson Cattle Co. Sale Facility

GPS Address: 35351 E111 Rd.

Earlsboro, Oklahoma 74864

360 Head Selling: 18-month-old Angus and Charolais bulls, spring-bred cows, spring heifer and bull calf splits, registered Angus Spring bred heifers, fall pairs, and spring open donor prospects, commercial Angus spring bred heifers, and 3 and 4-year-old spring calving commercial cows.

Click here for the sale catalog.

Click here for the YouTube link to the Sale Videos for the Cantrell- Grissom Female and Bull Sale

Phone contacts today and tomorrow include

Clint Grissom 405-567-9188

Mike Cantrell- 405-323-6401

Sale Manager Matt Sims- 405-641-6081

Oklahoma Farm Bureau

Annual Meeting Kicking Off in OKC

Farm Bureau members from all 77 counties across Oklahoma are headed to downtown OKC to celebrate the year- set policy and honor Farm Bureau families from all nine districts.

Our own KC Sheperd will be helping the group kickoff their opening General Session this afternoon with greetings and the latest farm and ranch ranch news- and Ron Hays will be also providing a news and market update on Saturday morning in their General Session just ahead of the delegates getting down to work in the first of two policy sessions planned for Saturday.

It will be a busy three days- click here for lots of the details and the latest schedule for today thru Sunday morning at the 2024 OkFB Annual Meeting.