Oklahoma Senator James Lankford held a “Pen and Pad” with Oklahoma reporters today, addressing a range of topics from border security to federal job cuts and press freedom.

Lankford highlighted the significant drop in border crossings, stating that the number has decreased from 12,000 people per day, eighteen months ago, to less than 200 recently. He acknowledged that January and February are typically low months but emphasized the “remarkable drop” in a short time.

Regarding tariffs, Lankford noted the unknowns surrounding the administration’s direction, suggesting that tariffs are being used as a negotiating tool. He recalled the $48 billion in agricultural subsidies during the previous administration due to tariff impacts.

Lankford emphasized the focus on stopping fentanyl flow from Mexico, acknowledging methamphetamine as the “biggest killer” in Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma Pork Council, a farmer-led organization, represents the interests of all Oklahoma pig farmers. From large-scale commercial operators to first-time 4-H and FFA exhibitors, our mission is to positively impact every Oklahoman who raises pigs. At Oklahoma Pork, we focus our efforts within four strategic intentions to serve our farmers: foreign animal disease preparedness, workforce at all levels, image enhancement, and freedom to operate. Learn more by visiting okpork.org.

Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays spoke with National Cattlemen’s Association executive director of government affairs Kent Bacus about trade tariffs.

President Trump has imposed tariffs on Canada, China, and Mexico - and the administration is interacting with them in an effort to resolve the concerns the President has - especially in reducing or eliminating the flow of fentanyl into the US.

During his first term in office, Trump’s use of tariffs did result in good things for agriculture. “For the last four years, we have essentially had a dormant trade policy,” Bacus said of the actions of the former Biden administration. “We weren’t talking about opening markets and other things, and it’s been very frustrating as someone who actively works on trade and trying to open new opportunities for cattle producers.”

He described the new Trump administration as one that wants to move quickly to address the issues that have plagued Americans for the past few years. He added that it shouldn’t surprise anyone that Trump uses tariffs as a tool because he used them very strategically and effectively during his first presidency to bring China to the table.

Windy Weather brings Fire Danger

Oklahoma’s fire danger is poised to escalate as dry and breezy conditions return following a brief respite provided by eastward-moving rainfall. While yesterday’s precipitation significantly reduced fire activity and aided in containing several large blazes, the state is now bracing for increasing risks.

The recent rainfall has created a temporary window of relief, resulting in “light initial attack activity in the state and supported containment of several large fires occurring in recent days.” However, this reprieve is expected to be short-lived.

“Although cooler temperatures are forecast for today, dry and breezy conditions will prompt drying conditions today over dormant fuels, setting the stage for increasing fire danger indices Thursday and Friday,” officials warn.

A Fire Weather Watch has been issued for parts of the Oklahoma Panhandle for tomorrow, with “elevated fire weather across much of western and northern Oklahoma.” This indicates a heightened risk of wildfires in these regions.

Nearly 5,700 USDA employees who were fired over the past month must get their jobs back -- at least temporarily -- after a federal employment board ruled their terminations were unlawful.

The Merit Systems Protection Board issued an order Wednesday requiring USDA to bring back the fired workers to their jobs for at least the next 45 days while the board continues its investigation. The Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) is an independent agency that protects federal employees from wrongful termination, retaliation and political interference.

The MSPB granted the temporary stay in job terminations following a case brought by the Office of Special Counsel on behalf of a U.S. Forest Service employee who was still in his probationary period -- meaning he had worked in his position for less than two years. The Office of Special Counsel alleged USDA leadership engaged in a prohibited practice by sending identical termination letters to every probationary employee saying they were fired based on performance issues.

The Office of Special Counsel pointed to guidance from the White House Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to terminate all probationary employees not designated as "mission critical." The Office of Special Counsel asserted the probationary employees were not fired based on their individual job performance, "but rather because they were performing functions that the Government wished to eliminate." The Office of Special Counsel said the terminations were not due to performance but instead resembled a mass restructuring of the Department of Agriculture.

The firings were part of a sweeping move by the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk.



The board ordered all probationary employees at USDA that had been terminated since Feb. 13 to be included in the stay, which extends to April 18.

Jonathan Cammack, assistant professor and state Extension specialist, livestock entomology and parasitology, is offering herd health advice as part of the weekly series known as the “Cow Calf Corner,” published electronically by Dr. Derrell Peel, Mark Johnson, and Paul Beck. Today, Cammack gives advice on getting an early start on fly season.

As we finally start to warm up, it’s never too early to start thinking about our fly management program for the upcoming season. Management of horn flies should be approached from multiple angles, using as many of the tools as we have available. A two-pronged approach of combining insecticide products targeted at different life stages, such as an ear tag for adult control, and a feed-through insect growth regulator (IGR) for larval control, will give you the highest probability of success in the battle against these pests.

Ear tags are an effective method for control of adult horn flies and should be administered to the animals once the threshold of 200 flies per animal is reached. Most ear tags have an effective life of approximately 4 months, under ideal conditions. In the hot, Oklahoma summers, expect the lifespan of an ear tag to be 3 months or less. Waiting to tag animals until horn fly numbers reach the threshold of 200 flies per animal will help ensure that the ear tags are still effective once we reach peak fly season in mid to late summer. If horn flies are active: it’s never too late to tag, but it can be too early. Make sure to use a different chemical class than you did last year, to help slow the development of insecticide resistance. If picking a synthetic pyrethroid tag, choose one that is synergized, and contains piperonyl butoxide (PBO) as an active ingredient. A good, yearly rotation schedule for ear tags is shown below.

At Wednesday’s House Financial Services Committee markup, Oklahoma Third District Congressman Frank Lucas saw widespread support for his long-standing priority, the Agricultural Risk Review Act (H.R. 1713). The legislation passed unanimously out of the committee after Congressman Lucas spoke in support of the bill. You can watch his remarks here.

H.R. 1713 adds the Secretary of Agriculture as a permanent member on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), the interagency committee charged with reviewing the national security implications of foreign investments in the economy. The bill also requires CFIUS to consider referrals for reportable agricultural land transactions from USDA. A section of this bill was included under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 last Congress. H.R. 1713 would make these provisions permanent law.



“As a fifth-generation farmer and rancher, I know firsthand that food security is national security. That is why I have long advocated for giving the Secretary of Agriculture a voice in national security discussions,” said Congressman Lucas. “I am proud to reintroduce this bill and work to ensure this effort can now become permanent law.”

Express Ranches Spring Bull Sale Set for Friday, March 7th in Yukon

The 31st Annual Spring Bull Sale at Express Ranches is happening on Friday, March 7th- beginning at 11 AM. On offer will be 335 Angus Bulls and 34 Hereford Bulls.

You can check out the bulls in person starting at 12 noon today- and the Friday schedule includes viewing of the lots and breakfast at 7:30 am ahead of sale time at 11 AM.

Attend the sale in person or participate on two online platforms- LiveAuctions.TV or LiveAg.

Click here for the sale book

Click here for the videos of the bulls being offered

Click here for their "sort the Angus Bulls" feature

For last minute questions- call Express at 405-340-0044