According to the latest Oklahoma Crop Progress and Condition Report released on March 3, 2025, winter wheat grazed reached 47 percent, down 10 points from the previous year with no data on a five-year average. Conditions were rated 35 percent good to excellent, 36 percent fair, and 29 percent poor to very poor.

In Kansas this week, the 2025 wheat crop stands at 54% good to excellent..

In Texas, the 2025 wheat crop is now at 34% good to excellent

Pasture and range conditions in Oklahoma rated 35 percent good to excellent, 33 percent fair, and 32 percent poor to very poor.

The Texas Pasture and Range conditions for this week are at 9% good to excellent.

The vision of the Oklahoma Beef Council is to be a positive difference for Oklahoma's farming and ranching families and the greater beef community, and its mission is to enhance beef demand by strengthening consumer trust and exceeding consumer expectations. 

To learn more, visit www.oklabeef.org. Also, don't forget to like its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/oklabeef for stories on Oklahoma's ranching families and great beef recipes. 

And Check out this video below that helps you learn more about the Beef Checkoff- .

Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays is visiting with animal protein research analyst at Terrain, David Weaber, about herd rebuilding.

Like others, Weaber believes the U.S. cow herd is at the bottom as far as quantity is concerned but cautions that growth will likely happen very slowly. “If you look at the January Inventory Report, some mild growth – I won’t call it restocking or rebuilding, yet – was seen in Texas and Oklahoma. They were up a little more than a hundred thousand head combined. That is over six million beef cows between those two states.”

Even still, the total nationwide cattle numbers were down half a percent. States like Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Colorado experienced declines. In Texas, cow numbers increased by 60,000 head, but beef replacement heifers decreased by 60,000 head, indicating that there isn’t a strong push toward rebuilding yet.

Speculating on the cause, Weaber said, “If we look at what is going on in the country, I think there are a lot of ranches working on healing up balance sheets, trying to get their leverage position back in line after the last drought that we went through – we fed a lot more hay. Some of those ranches fed five years’ of hay in three years or three years’ in two. I would encourage folks that if you don’t have two years’ worth of hay in your stackyard, figure out a way to start working towards that.”

If you Wear Cotton, You’re Invited to this year’s Denim Ball, April 4th & 5th

The Oklahoma Cotton Council is preparing to host its 6th annual Denim Ball, a celebration of the cotton industry that promises a blend of casual fun and fundraising. Farm Director KC Sheperd had the chance to visit with Charity Martin, Executive Director of Member Services with the Oklahoma Cotton Council. This year’s event will be held at the historic 1st National Center, a venue that combines classic architecture with modern amenities.

“This year, the event will be more informal,” said Martin. “We’re kicking things off with a happy hour on Friday and a party in the vault on Saturday.” The unique setting of the 1st National Center’s vault adds a touch of intrigue to the festivities.

Beyond the social events, the Denim Ball offers a range of activities. “We’ll also have a golf tournament, recognition of new members of the Cotton Hall of Fame, and a silent and live auction to raise funds for the advancement of the cotton industry,” Martin explained. The event serves as both a celebration of the industry’s achievements and a crucial fundraising opportunity.”

Sponsorship opportunities are still available for those interested in supporting the cause, though the window is closing. “Sponsorship opportunities are closing soon, but there’s still time to participate,” Martin emphasized. “We encourage everyone to reach out for more information about the different sponsorship levels.”

Today at the National Association of State Department of Agriculture 2025 Winter Policy Conference, NASDA members voted to support federal programs and policies that expand “food as medicine” initiatives and strengthen their connection to local and regional food systems.

NASDA CEO Ted McKinney highlighted the significance of the policy update stating, “Food as medicine programs create new opportunities for small and medium-sized farmers to engage with regional and public health-focused initiatives, ensuring more individuals have access to nutritious foods that support their health. Supplying local programs with nutritious products from nearby farms creates a win-win for farmers, ranchers and consumers in those communities.”

Recognizing the significant potential at the intersection of agriculture and healthcare, the organization’s newly amended national feeding and nutrition assistance program policy now states, “NASDA supports the utilization of federal funding to create food as medicine programs, such as medically tailored meals, that will use agriculture products to create improved health outcomes and reduce medical treatment costs.”

NASDA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit association which represents the elected and appointed commissioners, secretaries and directors of the departments of agriculture in all 50 states and four U.S. territories. NASDA grows and enhances American food and agricultural communities through policy, partnerships and public engagement. To learn more about NASDA, please visit www.nasda.org.

Today, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) thanked President Donald Trump and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for suspending enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) and limiting the scope of the law to protect family farms and ranches from excessive regulations.

“Family farmers and ranchers across the country are breathing a sigh of relief thanks to President Trump and Secretary Bessent suspending the Corporate Transparency Act reporting requirements for American citizens,” said NCBA President Buck Wehrbein, a Nebraska cattleman. “We appreciate President Trump’s common-sense approach and continued support for rural America and the hard-working cattle producers who feed our nation.”

For months, the CTA reporting requirements have been subject to litigation, temporary enforcement pauses, and other changes that have created confusion for small business owners across the country. The announcement from the U.S. Department of the Treasury provides some short-term protection from the CTA’s enforcement penalties while the agency works to craft new regulations that protect U.S. citizens from burdensome reporting requirements.

“For over a year, cattle producers have been extremely concerned with the ever-changing direction of the Corporate Transparency Act and the steep punishment associated with non-compliance,” said NCBA Executive Director of Government Affairs Kent Bacus. “Without President Trump’s intervention, millions of small business owners may have been in violation with the law. We greatly appreciate Treasury developing a new rule that provides certainty for small businesses and protects American agriculture.”

NCBA continues to encourage cattle producers to consult with their attorney and/or tax professional about this latest development.

Farmers never know what a season may bring, but a good team helps navigate challenges and celebrate successes.

Kenny Rathjen and Monte Simerly of K&M Farms in Dalhart, Texas, did both last season when the pair took home the Bin Buster award in the 2024 National Sorghum Producers Yield Contest. Verified by the National Sorghum Producers, they won first place with a Pioneer® brand hybrid yielding 240.01 bu/A. With the help of their agronomist and Pioneer brand seeds, the team made important decisions that acted as catalysts for success. 

K&M Farms started the 2024 season by planting a 50-acre field of Pioneer brand 85P75 under pivot irrigation. When weeds began to show up early in the season, their agronomist suggested they try a different herbicide application. Rathjen said that collaborative decision-making helped take their field of Pioneer brand sorghum to the next level.

“June was starting to get a little weedy,” Rathjen said. “After visiting with my agronomist, we decided to spray it, which created a lot more tillers. That really helped the yield in this particular circle.”

Tariff Wars- Trump Moves Forward With Tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China- China Pushes Back

This is going to be a very fluid situation in the near term- Associated Press and others are reporting that China is adding tariffs to a variety of US goods- China will impose additional tariffs of up to 15% on imports of key U.S. farm products, including chicken, pork, soy and beef, beginning March 10.

China suspended the soybean import qualifications from three U.S exporters and halted the imports of U.S. lumber from Tuesday, their customs department said in a statement.

The three U.S. companies affected are CHS Inc, Louis Dreyfus Company Grains Merchandising LLC and EGT.

This all follows U.S. President Donald Trump's order to raise tariffs on imports of Chinese products.

President Trump's new tariffs include a 25% levy on most imports from Canada and Mexico, with an additional 10% tariff on Canadian energy exports. Tariffs on Chinese goods were increased from 10% to 20%.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, meanwhile, says Ottawa would impose immediate 25% tariffs on more than $20 billion worth of U.S. imports. Tariffs on an additional $86 billion worth of products will take effect in 21 days.

US Ag futures are in the red this morning in the overnight trade in response to the unknowns of the impacts from the tariffs and the Ukraine tensions- Jason Britt, President of Central States Commodities says on X that "Corn and Bean markets acting like with these tariffs you never export anything ever again. Let’s just see what things do and how much they actually slow. If you need it you pay for it. Soybeans in a seasonal decline anyway and corn exports have plenty of room to slow and still meet USDA numbers."