Oklahoma's Latest Farm

And Ranch News

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Howdy Neighbors!

Here is Your Daily Oklahoma Farm and Ranch News Update: 

 

  • Safety Zone Calf Catcher: Protecting Ranchers and Calves Alike


  • Donald Trump's Address to Joint Session of Congress- "I Love Farmers"


  • David Weaber Discusses Challenges in Herd Expansion- It Ain't Cheap


  • NAWG Celebrates 75 Years of Wheat Advocacy at 2025 Commodity Classic


  • Secretary Rollins Previews Her Vision for Restoring Rural Prosperity


  • Several Ag Groups Release Statements about President Trump's Tariff Policies


  • NPPC’s Stevermer Calls on House Agriculture Committee to Reinstitute Prop. 12 Fix in Farm Bill

Safety Zone Calf Catcher: Protecting Ranchers and Calves Alike

For farmers and ranchers, calving season is a crucial time, often filled with long hours and potential hazards. Dan Leo, owner of Safety Zone Calf Catchers, has developed a device that aims to make this period safer and more efficient. His invention, the Safety Zone Calf Catcher, is designed to be mounted on ATVs or UTVs, allowing for the safe capture and processing of calves. Farm Director KC Sheperd caught up with him to get the spill on the “magic device.”


“Essentially, the calf catcher itself is designed to fit on the left-hand side of either an ATV or a side-by-side,” explains Leo. “It’s set up so you can catch a calf. You’re safe while you’re processing, and you can use them to pair out. There’s just a lot of big advantages to it.”


The inspiration for the Calf Catcher came from Leo’s own experience. “This goes back some 14 years ago,” he recalled. “We thought through the process and how we could make it. The original prototype, we’ve still got our operation today, and we’ve run, I don’t know, probably, ten or fifteen thousand calves calves through it over the years.”

Listen to KC's Interview with Dan Leo and Read More About It Here 

Sponsor Spotlight

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They would like to thank all of you who participated in their 2024 Tulsa Farm Show. 


Up next will be the Oklahoma City’s premier spring agricultural and ranching event with returns to the State Fair Park April 3-4-5, 2025.



Now is the ideal time to contact the Midwest Farm Show Office at 507-437-7969 and book space at the 2025 Oklahoma City Farm Show.  To learn more about the Oklahoma City Farm Show, click here

President Trump to Congress- "I Love Farmers"


This picture shows President Donald Trump looking out over the joint session of Congress Tuesday night- and if you look at the front row- the lady in white is your US Secretary of Ag Brooke Rollins.


She was not mentioned by name by Trump but he did mention that she was on the case of lowering the price of eggs- one of the failures mentioned by the President that was left over the previous administration.


The President did proclaim during his address that "I love my farmers." He tells the farm community to have have some patience as he works on improving trade via strategic tariffs- "it's gonna be great- it will be fun- I love you!"


Trump spoke for about an hour and 40 minutes, notching the longest address a president has delivered before a joint session of Congress, according to the American Presidency Project at the University of California at Santa Barbara. He beat the previous record for a longest speech by about 12 minutes- that previous long winded address was given by Bill Clinton in 2000.


"To my fellow citizens, America is back," Trump declared at the start of his Tuesday speech. 


One Reaction about the speech from the Oklahoma Congressional delegation comes from Senator James Lankford- here's the video reaction he offered to us late last night.

David Weaber Discusses Challenges in Herd Expansion: It Ain't Cheap

Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays is continuing his conversation with senior animal protein research analyst David Weaber at Terrain about herd rebuilding. Part one of the discussion can be found here.


Simply due to the rising cost of doing business, Weaber feels that herd growth will be modest and intentional. “It takes a big pile of money,” he said. “In the 2010-2012 territory, if you were spending $1,700 or $1,800 on a bred heifer, you were spending plenty. Today, they are at least $1,000 higher than that. Carrying costs are another $1,000 higher than they were back then. The economic signal isn’t as big as maybe what we perceive, just because that cost and revenue relationship is not record large either, so that is a bit of a challenge.”


Weaber doesn’t expect to see any signs of expansion in the slaughter cattle sector before 2028. “We passed on expanding the cow herd this past fall, so we’ll have to wait until fall of ’25 before we retain heifers,” he detailed. “We breed those in the summer of ’26, they calve in 2027. It is a push to get anything in terms of fed cattle supply growth anytime, even in the back half of 2028, is the earliest you could get that done.”


Weaber said beef supplies will become tighter before then because the females will be removed from the supply chain when they are retained as future mama cows. Already tight beef supplies have resulted in a good “trade-in” value for cull cows, and once producers begin retaining heifers, they can expect higher prices on the animals that they do sell as demand will be extremely high as supplies are further tightened.

Listen to Ron's BeefBuzz with David Weaber and Read More Here
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For our farmers who have either- always have had cotton on their farms- or those who have more recently have added the fiber crop to their operations- we have a daily report heard on several of our Radio Stations- It's Called Cotton Talk!

Click on the Button below to listen to our most recent report
Click here for our Latest Cotton Talk- Hosted by KC Sheperd

The latest news from the Oklahoma State Capitol is available daily on the Radio Oklahoma News Network.


Click on the blue button to hear from our Radio Oklahoma Network News Director Jacquelyn Farris

Click here for the latest report from the State Capitol on RON


NAWG Celebrates 75 Years of Wheat Advocacy at 2025 Commodity Classic

Today, the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) held a press conference at the 2025 Commodity Classic to celebrate the organization’s 75th anniversary. The event brought together current and past leaders of the organization to reflect on the organization’s accomplishments and discuss the future of the wheat industry. The group discussed the future of wheat advocacy, including continued efforts to get a long-term farm bill signed into law that meets the needs of today and makes a meaningful investment in the farm safety net.


“This event recognizes the hard work of those who have been part of NAWG’s history and reaffirms our ongoing commitment to ensuring that wheat growers and rural America can continue to thrive for generations to come. I am confident NAWG has a bright future ahead of us,” said Chandler Goule, NAWG CEO.


“As we look back at these past 75 years, it is amazing to see all that NAWG has accomplished. Our work is more important than ever, and the next 75 years will be vital as we continue to move the industry forward. It’s been an honor to serve as NAWG’s President,” said Keeff Felty, NAWG President.


Throughout its 75-year history, NAWG has played a pivotal role in advancing wheat production through alliances, advocacy, and innovation. The press conference highlighted key milestones from the past, including being the first trade organization to beat California’s Prop 65. NAWG continues to lead the way in protecting producers’ access to crop protection tools, maintaining a robust farm safety net, and ensuring the wheat community can compete globally.

Read More About NAWG's 75 Year History Here

We invite you to listen to us on great radio stations across the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network weekdays-

if you missed this morning's Farm News - or you are in an area where you can't hear it- click below for this morning's Farm news from Ron Hays and KC Sheperd on RON.
Listen to our Wednesday morning farm and ranch news with KC Sheperd
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Sponsor Spotlight



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.

Secretary Rollins Previews Her Vision for Restoring Rural Prosperity

Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins delivered remarks to hundreds of local leaders at the National Association of Counties. There, she previewed her vision for restoring rural prosperity to America. She discussed the importance of the President’s efforts to rein in out-of-control government spending and federal overreach to return more power to the people. She also addressed the wildfires in the Carolinas and provided an update on the Department’s distribution of economic and disaster aid passed by Congress in December.


See excerpts as prepared below:


On the wildfires in North and South Carolina:

“The brave men and women of the U.S. Forest Service are working closely with our state and local partners to stamp out the fires. We have deployed hundreds of firefighters—and we will deploy more if needed. To all of the leaders here from North and South Carolina… Please tell the people of your states that we have your back.”


On the importance of rural communities:

“America’s rural towns have and always will be the beating heart of our nation…. Families moved west to start a new life in a new land. They came together to build churches, schools, and city halls. They settled fields and forests and weathered hardships beyond what we can comprehend. They risked all they had to open storefronts and stand up Main Streets. They celebrated life’s joys together and cared for those who fell on hard times….


Read More Statements from Brooke Rollins on Various Issues in Agriculture Today

Several Ag Groups Release Statements about President Trump's Tariff Policies

President Donald Trump imposed 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada just after midnight in the early morning hours of March 4. Many ag groups issued statements about the action.


Click the links below to read each organization's take.

U.S. Meat Export Federation President and CEO Dan Halstrom Issued This Statement
Click Here to Read the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) and The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) joint Statement
The National Corn Growers Association's Statement can be Found Here
The American Soybean Association sent out This Article
National Farmers Union President Rob Larew's Comment can be Read Here
R Calf's Bill Bullard Loves the Trump Tariffs- Wants More
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar's Statement can be Read by Clicking Here
House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig's Statement is Here

NPPC’s Stevermer Calls on House Agriculture Committee to Reinstitute Prop. 12 Fix in Farm Bill

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) President Lori Stevermer, a pork producer from Easton, Minn., testified today on the “State of the Livestock Industry” before the U.S. House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.


In her testimony detailing pork producers’ farm bill priorities, Stevermer emphasized the need for a federal solution for the problems caused by one state’s overreaching regulation threatening all of U.S. agriculture – California Proposition 12


“California Proposition 12 reaches far beyond California to include farmers in other states – and even other countries,” said Stevermer. “The outcomes of Prop. 12 defy common sense – and create a patchwork of differing state regulations, if Congress doesn’t act.”


“America’s 60,000+ pork producers are grateful House Agriculture Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson addressed Proposition 12 through Sec. 12007 of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024, and we encourage the Committee to reinstitute this language in the 2025 Farm Bill.”

Read More from Lori Stevermer Here
Let's Check The Markets!
OKC West is our Market Links Sponsor- they sell cattle three days a week- Cows on Mondays, Stockers on Tuesday and Feeders on Wednesday- Call 405-262-8800 to learn more.
Today's First Look:
Ron on RON Markets as heard on K101  
mornings with cash and futures reviewed- includes where the Cash Cattle market stands, the latest Feeder Cattle Markets Etc.
Hear Today's First Look

Wholesale Boxed Beef Prices were higher- Choice Beef was up $0.94 and Select Beef was up $1.61 on 3/4/2025.


Click on the Button below for the latest report from USDA Market News

Boxed Beef Report for 3/4/2025

OKC West in El Reno had 4,500 head of calves and stockers on Tuesday, March 4, 2025.


Compared to last week: Steer and heifer calves sold fully steady compared to last weeks sharply higher market. Demand remains good for calves and stocker cattle. Rain is in the forecast for most of the week'


For today- Wednesday 3/5/25

Expecting 8,000+ Yearlings

3,000 Feeder Heifers @ 9:00am

5,000 Feeder Steers @ 12:00pm


Click below for the complete closing report.

OKC West in El Reno Calf and Stocker Market Report from 03/04/2025

On Tuesdays, Ron Hays gets the latest market commentary from Ben Hale of Western Livestock Auctions.

 

This commentary is posted on our website-click here for this Tuesday's story featuring Hale's comments.

 

Learn more about Western Livestock Auctions, Click Here.

Listen to Ron Hays talk with Ben Hale about the cattle Market
Each afternoon we are posting a recap of that day's markets as analyzed by Justin Lewis of KIS futuresclick below for the latest update on the Livestock and Grain Futures Trade..
Click Here to Listen to Justin's Commentary From 3/4/2025
Okla Cash Grain:  
Daily Oklahoma Cash Grain Prices- as reported by the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture- The report available after the close of the Futures Trade for that day.
Read Cash Grains Report from 3/4/2025
Our Daily Market Wrapup from the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network - analyzing the Futures Markets for that trading day- as reported by KC Sheperd.
Click to Listen to Our Weekday Wrap with KC
Slaughter Cattle Recap: 
The National Daily Slaughter Cattle Summary- as prepared by the USDA Market News
Read Report
TCFA Feedlot Recap:  
Finally, here is the Daily Volume and Price Summary from the Texas Cattle Feeders Association.
Read Report

Our Oklahoma Farm Report Team!!!!

 

Ron Hays, Senior Farm/Ranch Broadcaster and Editor

 

KC Sheperd, Farm Director and Editor


Dave Lanning, Markets and Production


Stevie White, Farm News and Email Editor


Pam Arterburn, Calendar and Template Manager

Podcasts From Oklahoma Farm Report and More

Two of our regular reports are also podcasts that you can subscribe to- Our daily Farm and Ranch News with KC Sheperdavailable here on the Apple Podcast Platform


The second is our daily Beef Buzz with Ron Haysavailable here on the Apple Podcast Platform


Periodically- we offer interviews on our Ag Perspectives Podcast series- this podcast is available here.


Ron has also has a series of podcasts from interviews with newsmakers at the Cattlemen's Congress- Click here or you can find them on your favorite Podcast platform- look for them by searching for Cattlemen's Congress Conversations.


We are making plans to jump back into regular installments of what has been called the Road to Rural Prosperity- a new name and fresh content is in the works- for now- click on the blue button below for one of our favorites that is a timeless classic.


The link below is one of our most recent podcasts- Ron spotlighting the Life and Times of Dr. Kim Anderson, who has just retired from OSU.

Listen to Ron Hays talking with Kim Anderson about his 42 years in OSU Extension and the Famous "A Third A Third A Third" Advice he has given.
Listen to Ron
Beef Buzz
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Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, P & K Equipment, Oklahoma Farm BureauGreat Plains KubotaStillwater Milling CompanyNational Livestock Credit CorporationOklahoma Beef CouncilStewart Martin Kubota, Oklahoma Pork Council, Oklahoma Wheat Commission, Oklahoma AgCredit, the Oklahoma Cattlemens Association, and  KIS Futures for their support of our daily Farm News Update.


For your convenience, we have our sponsors' websites linked here- just click on their name to jump to their website- check their sites out and let these folks know you appreciate the support of this daily email, as their sponsorship helps us keep this arriving in your inbox on a regular basis- at NO Charge!



We also appreciate our Market Links Sponsor - OKC West Livestock! 




We invite you to check out our website at the link below too that includes an archive of these daily emails, audio reports and top farm news story links from around the globe.

Head to Our Website OklahomaFarmReport.Com
God Bless!
Reach Out To Us:
Tim West
President/General Manager
Rural Oklahoma Networks

405-317-6361

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Mike Henderson
Director of Sales

405-615-4922

KC Sheperd
Farm Director
Radio Oklahoma Ag Network

405-443-5717

Email KC
Ron Hays
Senior Farm/Ranch Broadcaster
Radio Oklahoma Ag Network

405.473.6144
Email Ron