As they gear up for the Oklahoma Youth Expo (OYE), the organization’s president, Tyler Norvell took time out of his busy schedule to tell Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays all about the big event slated for March 10 – 12, 2025, at State Fair Park in Oklahoma City.

This year’s event will be the 110th annual Spring Livestock Show, and it promises to be bigger and better than ever before. Norvell said, “It has gotten bigger, maybe not in the number of animals that show up, they have held steady over the last couple of years, but where we have gotten bigger is the Skill-a-thon, where any kid can come and take a test for free and compete for over $15,000 worth of scholarships.”

The Ag Mechanics Contest exploded from 50 entries in 2020 to 350 entries this year. “We don’t want financial resources to be a reason a kid doesn’t come and be a part of this event,” Norvell insisted. “There is something for everybody, no matter what your situation is. I think we have accomplished that now, but we are going to look for more ways to give more opportunities.”

With all of the exciting things going on at OYE, the bittersweet undertone is the fact that 2025 will be its last year in the original Jim Norick Arena and its 60th year in “The Big House.”

Hays and Norvell talk about the legacy of the Norick Arena and what's ahead in future years with the new facilities that will help OYE, Cattlemen's Congress and all of the other events held annually at the OKC Fairgrounds be bigger and better- take a listen by clicking on the Blue Button below.

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At National Farmers Union’s (NFU) 123rd Anniversary Convention, the organization awarded KC Sheperd of Radio Oklahoma Ag Network with the 2025 Milt Hakel Award for Excellence in Agricultural Journalism. Of course, our audience knows KC as our lead broadcaster who has been a part of our team for over five years and helps us deliver farm and ranch news and more on our statewide radio network, our website, social media and this email report. 

Sheperd often partners with, covers, and conducts interviews at AFR/Oklahoma Farmers Union (OFU) events, bringing the latest and most relevant issues for AFR/OFU members and in the agriculture industry to the ears of a larger audience. AFR/OFU President Scott Blubaugh led the efforts to nominate Sheperd for the award.

For over 35 years, the NFU has presented the Milt Hakel Award for Excellence in Agricultural Journalism award to reporters or news outlets that demonstrate exceptional coverage of agricultural issues. The award is named in honor of Milton D. Hakel, a highly respected Farmers Union communicator. In 1991, Radio Oklahoma Ag Network’s Senior Farm Broadcaster, Ron Hays, received the award from the general farm group.

NCBA’s Samantha Werth: Unlocking Financial Benefits Through Grazing Management

Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays is talking with the Director of Sustainability at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Samantha Werth, about grazing management.

Werth offered resources to help producers with their grazing management decisions, from templates to put their ideas on paper to regional contacts to ask about rotational grazing, adaptive management, or stocking rates.

NCBA has worked with the Texas A&M Center for Grazing Lands and Ranch Management to develop a value for creating a grazing management plan. Working through a set of “if/then” scenarios, the two organizations are researching the financial benefits of adopting certain practices.

“The true value is giving yourself the time to sit and really think about every parcel of your land and where the opportunities lie and what sorts of goals you can set to reach your ultimate profitability goals,” Werth described.

Exports of U.S. beef trended higher than a year ago in January, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). Pork exports were slightly below last January’s large totals, despite another outstanding performance in Mexico and Central America.

January beef exports reached 102,840 metric tons (mt), up 3% year-over-year, while value increased 5% to $804.6 million. Growth was driven in part by larger exports to China and Canada, while exports to South Korea were steady in volume but higher in value. Strong value increases were also achieved in other key markets, including Taiwan, the Caribbean, Central America and the ASEAN. Exports of beef variety meat were the largest in nearly two years, led by larger shipments to Mexico, Egypt, Canada and China/Hong Kong.

“Demand for U.S. beef came on strong in the Asian markets late last year, and that momentum largely continued in January,” said USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom. “The performance in Korea is especially encouraging, given the country’s political turmoil and slumping currency. It is also gratifying to see exports trending higher to China, though we are concerned about access to the market moving forward, as many U.S. beef and pork plants are awaiting word on their eligibility beyond mid-March.”

Pork exports totaled 243,965 mt in January, down 3% from a year ago, while value eased 2% to $668 million. Shipments soared to Central America and continued to trend higher to leading market Mexico. Exports also increased year-over-year to China/Hong Kong, the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand, but these results were offset by sharply lower shipments to Japan, Korea and Colombia.

Argo Development Partners, in conjunction with the Miami Area Economic Development Service, Inc. (MAEDS), will hold an open house for the Oklahoma Bioprocessing Project on Tuesday, March 11, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

The public meeting will be held at the Miami Civic Center at 129 5th Ave. NW in Miami, Oklahoma.

The meeting will begin with a brief overview by MAEDS followed by a presentation from Argo Development Partners and other local stakeholders. The meeting will include a time for questions and comments from the public. Commenters will be limited to 3 minutes by the moderator, and the meeting is expected to be 90 minutes in duration.

According to the sponsors of the proposal- the project will use anaerobic digestion technology to convert poultry litter into renewable natural gas and fertilizer.

“This meeting is designed to be an information session for the public; there is no specific permit or decision related to this meeting,” said Miles Walker, managing director with Argo Development Partners. “There will be an additional meeting on April 2 in Miami, hosted by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, to address Argo’s request for an air permit.”

In a victory for residents of Southeast Oklahoma, Attorney General Gentner Drummond said he is grateful the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is putting the brakes on a proposed hydroelectric power plant on the Kiamichi River in Pushmataha County.

FERC found the updated Proposed Study Plan insufficient to proceed with the study planning process in a letter last month to Southeast Oklahoma Power Corporation (SEOPC). The Dallas-based SEOPC must file a second updated Proposed Study Plan with FERC that includes the required explanations by March 22.

“This is welcome news for Oklahomans who treasure the Kiamichi River and how this proposal would adversely impact property owners, wildlife and the river itself,” said Drummond.

He has been a staunch opponent of efforts by SEOPC to establish a transmission line extending through Pushmataha and McCurtain counties to provide power for Texas. In an August 2024 letter to FERC, Drummond had urged rejection of the application, noting that SEOPC provided only limited information to the commission and had not requested the proper state licenses or permits for the project.

Moreover, Drummond argued that the project appeared to be inconsistent with numerous mechanisms in the State’s Water Settlement Agreement with the Choctaw Nation and the Chickasaw Nation that are intended to preserve the flow of the Kiamichi River and protect the region.

“As the chief law officer of the State of Oklahoma, I will not tolerate violation of Oklahoma law or flagrant disregard for the sovereignty or federal law, protected rights of a tribal nation and similarly situated property owners,” the Attorney General wrote in the letter. “Most of the proud Oklahomans who call the Kiamichi region home have lived there for generations. I intend, as Oklahoma’s Attorney General, to ensure that their private property rights are safeguarded to the full extent of the law.”

Weekend Rains Helpful for Southern Oklahoma Farmers/Ranchers

Parts of southern Oklahoma got over an inch of rain over this just concluded weekend- but not much moisture was happening north of Interstate 40.

Check out the graphic above- it's clickable back to the Oklahoma Mesonet so you can explore totals on a Mesonet station by station basis.

Pauls Valley and Madill seemed to the winners- both with just over 1.8 inches of rainfall.

The news is not great for the next ten days if you are looking for rain anywhere in the state- northeastern Oklahoma may have a slight chance this coming Friday- and that is about it.