The following information has been provided by the Trump-Vance transition team about the intended nominee for Secretary of Agriculture at the USDA, Brooke Rollins. Anna Kelly, Trump- Vance Transition spokesperson says of Rollins:

“Brooke Rollins is the ideal nominee to lead President Trump’s U.S. Department of Agriculture,

with her deep roots in agricultural communities, exceptional leadership at the highest level of

policy making and her strong working relationship with President Trump. After several dozen

meetings with a bipartisan group of Congressional Members, Rollins is energized and prepared

for her nomination hearing where she will put forth a vision of protecting and defending

American farmers and ranchers.”

Dating back to 1891, Stillwater Milling Company has been supplying ranchers with the highest quality feeds made from the highest quality ingredients. Their full line of A & M Feeds can be delivered direct to your farm, found at their Agri-Center stores in Stillwater, Davis, Claremore and Perry or at more than 125 dealers in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas and Texas. We appreciate Stillwater Milling Company’s long time support of the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and we encourage you to click here to learn more about their products and services.

On today’s Beef Buzz, Oklahoma Farm Report’s Ron Hays features comments from a recent conversation that Farm Director KC Sheperd had with Luke Bowman, Director of SimGenetic Development with the American Simmental Association to talk SimGenetics at Cattlemen’s Congress.

Eight hundred fifteen cattle are entered at Cattlemen’s Congress in Oklahoma City with either purebred or percentage Simmental genetics. The American Simmental Association has been represented at every event since it began.

When asked what keeps them coming back, Bowman said, “It is the quality of the show and the ease of working with people. The show staff is extremely flexible to allow us to run our point shows how we like to do it and let other breeds run their shows how they want to. Oklahoma City is very affordable; it is great for families to make that winter vacation there because they can afford to do it. It is just the overall camaraderie.”

The American Simmental Foundation will auction a donated heifer during the show to raise money for the American Simmental-Simbrah Foundation which raises money for research, junior projects, and scholarships.

Understanding H5-N1 in Swine: Insights from the Swine Health Information Center

The Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) is for the enhancement of swine health and to protect them from emerging diseases through preparedness, disease monitoring, communications, and targeted research. Oklahoma Farm Report’s Maci Carter spoke with Dr. Lisa Becton, the organization’s Associate Director, to get the details.

Currently, the Center is researching H5-N1 and Weaned-to-Harvest Biosecurity.

Dr. Becton commented on the amount of activity seen from H5-N1 and how it took the industry by surprise when it was identified in dairy herds for the first time.

“We were watching it with poultry, but when it came over into the dairy side, it really raised some eyebrows,” she said. “Then when USDA first broke the case about the first pig diagnosis in that Oregon farm, it also raised some concerns.”

Between Christmas and New Year’s - Oklahoma Farm Report’s Ron Hays talked with 2025 National Association of Farm Broadcasting President Jeff Nalley. Hays and Nalley have been farm broadcast colleagues for over thirty years- and they both share a love of pursuing the latest in agricultural policy news - wherever it can be found.

They discuss the end-of-the-year CR - what it means for farmers and ranchers struggling because of low farm prices and high input costs. They look at the new Congress and the administration being formed by the 47th President of the US, Donald Trump.

There are lots of concerns- a few bright spots- and some hard work ahead to keep the US farm economy moving full speed ahead.

Jeff Nalley is a 37-year veteran of radio and farm broadcasting and is widely recognized as one of the best interviewers in the business.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on the passing of former President Jimmy Carter.

“Farm Bureau joins the nation in remembering President Jimmy Carter. From his humble start on a small farm in Georgia to his election to the nation’s highest office, his life is a testament to the potential within every American.

“We appreciate the perspective his rural roots brought to the White House and his post-presidential work to fight food insecurity and teach modern farming practices to developing countries. We express our condolences to his family, while celebrating the life of a man dedicated to public service.”

In a far-reaching, and transformative effort to modernize the Oklahoma House of Representatives, Rep. Tom Gann, R-Inola, has sponsored a reform package – House Resolution 1001 – designed to distribute power, promote transparency and reinvigorate the legislative process. His reforms aim to end the culture of opacity and concentration of authority that he says has hindered the chamber’s effectiveness for far too long.

“The time has come to ensure the House of Representatives becomes an institution of laws, not of one man,” Gann said. “For years, our legislative process has stagnated, with decisions made behind closed doors and power centralized into the hands of one individual, the House speaker, who is elected by a single House district and not the people of Oklahoma as a whole. In recent years, at best, the House has simply marked time, failing to embrace new transparency measures. At worst, it has regressed, relying on secretive processes controlled by a single person.”

“No one individual should hold the power to appoint committee members, designate chairs, assign legislation, block legislation approved by committees, control the multi-million-dollar House budget, withhold resources from other members, or introduce legislation outside the normal guidelines that apply to everyone else. This reform fundamentally changes that dynamic, redistributing authority to ensure fairness, transparency and member-driven governance.”

New Year's 2025- A Reminder of What's Closed- PLUS January 9th Declared National Day of Mourning

It is a regular day of trading for Wall Street and our Ag Futures today- December 31st ahead of the party that many will have as they say good bye to 2024 and hello to 2025.

2025 arrives at midnight tonight- and January first is our first holiday of the new year- Government offices will be closed as are banks, the markets and many businesses. In recent years- more and more retail stores catering to the consumer are open and are having big sales- but do your research if you have an itch to shop.

Ag futures will have a regular session today- but will close and not have overnight electronic trade today into early January first. They are closed on Wednesday and have a preopen early Thursday morning

If you are listening to our reports on our statewide radio network- most of our radio stations will be carrying our updates- but this email will take Wednesday off and be back with the latest farm and ranch news Thursday morning for the first time in 2025.

MEANWHILE- President Joe Biden has declared January 9th as a National Day of Mourning to remember our 39th President, Jimmy Carter. Most Federal government offices will be closed that day- U.S. stock exchanges will close on Thursday, January 9 in observation of the national day of mourning in honor of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who died on Sunday at the age of 100.

The CME Group is also honoring the late President as Ag Futures will be closing early that day at 12:15 PM. Click here for their announcement on their National Day of Mourning plans.