The Oklahoma City Chamber held its Legislative Kickoff at the Cowboy Western Heritage Museum with a panel consisting of Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton, Speaker of the House Kyle Hilbert, Julia Kirt, Oklahoma Senate Minority Leader, and Cyndi Munson, House Minority Leader.

After he announced the committees for the 60th legislature at the Oklahoma Legislative Kickoff, Oklahoma’s newly elected Speaker of the House Kyle Hilbert made time to speak with Farm Director KC Sheperd.

Speaker Hilbert had just returned from attending the Presidential Inauguration in Washington, D.C., and was proud that all 77 counties in the state had majority votes for Donald Trump for the third election in a row.

“There is a lot of excitement with the Trump administration leaning into Oklahoma as we do what we can to build on these successful conservative wins that we have at our backs, so we are working diligently with our federal delegation to see what we can do to set Oklahoma up for success,” Speaker Hilbert said.

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Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster got to speak with the Third District Congressman of Oklahoma Frank Lucas, who formerly served as Ag Committee Chairman. Citing the many changes in government recently with the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, the Republican majority trifecta, and the new Congress, Hays asked about the political climate going forward.

“You could almost describe it as a brand-new world both politically and in any other practical light,” Lucas said. “All of the Biden political appointees were dismissed shortly after President Trump was sworn in last Monday. The Senate is in the process of reviewing his nominations for his Cabinet posts where they’ll have to be ratified under the Constitution.”

Career civil servants like Lucas are running the agencies while they are between Biden’s dismissed political appointees and Trump’s incoming Cabinet.

Going forward, Lucas will continue his involvement on the Ag Committee, but also during yesterday’s House Agriculture Committee’s organizational meeting, Congressman Lucas was named the chair of the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology.

Derrell Peel Sees Possible New Trend in January Cattle on Feed Report- Tighter Supplies

Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays talked to OSU Extension Livestock Market Economist Dr. Derrell Peel after the latest USDA Cattle of Feed Report was released on Friday afternoon, and Dr. Peel says that the numbers might be the start of a trend toward tighter supplies in the US Feedlots.

Peel says that the numbers seemed to be friendly compared to the pre report estimates- “I think that the placements are going to be taken as being very friendly particularly given the market’s attitudes here lately anyway- they have been very strong- this will be a positive factor for the markets. The on feed number came in about one percent under the trade guess.”

He adds that this report is generally consistent with the last two or three months worth of reports- and he believes “this could be the start of some changes here with the on feed number dropping one percent from a year ago” saying the last year we have held right at even with the previous year on a month to month basis. “By itself, this report does not mean we have started going down the new path of tighter numbers at the feedlot level but if it continues this may be the start of it- we will need another couple of months to show it that’s happening.”

Peel and Hays also discuss the quarterly steer and heifer breakdown- and what that could signal ahead of the Cattle Inventory report that comes out this coming Friday afternoon.

American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall offered a laundry list of key priorities for the general farm organization as he met with reporters at the 2025 AFBF Convention in San Antonio on Sunday afternoon.

Among the issues that he says will help rural America to prosper- a modernized farm bill- he is appreciative that Congress did extend the 2018 Farm Law one more year- but it’s time to stop kicking that can down the road and it’s time for Congress to act.

He also named the need to deal with the Tax Cliff- rural America needs these 2017 tax tools to be either extended or made permanent to keep our food supply secure.

Ag Labor was the next item that he listed- and that an adequate guest worker program must be dealt with by Congress- labor is the most difficult daily problem facing farmers and ranchers. Duvall says they are ready to work with Congress to get a workable situation to keep folks who want to work on our farms in place.

You can listen to the highlights of the News Conference that Zippy conducted with the farm media- click here to read more and to listen.

The keynote of the Opening General Session on Sunday morning was delivered by the President of the AFBF, Georgia farmer Zippy Duvall. It was his ninth Keynote address as AFBF President- and sprinkled with lots of video clips- and congrats to many Farm Bureau stars- with a special emphasis on saluting County Farm Bureau Presidents across the United States.

One of the highlights of the Opening General Session is the presentation of the flags of the states that have Farm Bureaus- all of them- and that included Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Rodd Moesel carrying the Oklahoma flag across the stage.

The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, in partnership with the Oklahoma Local Ag Collaborative (OLAC), is hosting the 11th Annual Oklahoma Local Agriculture Summit (OKLAS) – formerly Oklahoma Farmers Market & Agritourism Conference – on January 29-31st at the Hilton Garden Inn Edmond Conference Center in Edmond, Oklahoma.

This multi-day conference will feature hands-on workshops, panel discussions, and traditional conference sessions of interest to farmers market managers, producers, community support organizations, and agritourism site managers.

Bayleigh Acosta, Engagement Manager for OLAC, was on hand to talk with Oklahoma Farm Report’s Farm Director KC Sheperd and share the details.

“It is really three days packed full of educational sessions and tours for Oklahoma producers,” Acosta said.

Oklahoma dominated the National Western Stock Show Junior Market Show this past week- having three of the four Grand Champions that were sold Friday night in the Premium sale.

The Junior Market Grand Champion Goat was shown by Sayde Allen from Elk City- Her Goat brought $45,000 in the Premium Sale

The Junior Market Grand Champion Lamb was shown by Clay Randall of Canute , Oklahoma- His Grand Lamb brought $52,500

AND



The Grand Champion Market Steer was shown by Madilyn Norvell of Tuttle, Oklahoma- Her steer, Thunder, brought a NWSS record of $210,000!

Congrats to all of the many Oklahomans who brought excellence from our state to the NWSS!