During the National Farmer’s Union Convention, Farm Director KC Sheperd caught up with Harrison Pittman, director of the National Agricultural Law Center based in northwest Arkansas, to talk about legal concerns of ag producers.

“Today, primarily we talked about the Supreme Court Loper Bright decision that deals with the scope of federal authority, and legalese on how courts give deference to what degree of agency action and agency interpretations of statutes which is a huge deal for the future of ag.”

During the meeting, many topics were covered, including the Supreme Court Loper Bright decision that deals with the scope of federal authority and legalese on how courts interpret and give deference to various scopes of agency action. They also discussed foreign ownership of agricultural land, tariffs, and suspensions of import licenses.

Of the latter, Pittman said, “I hope that is something that goes away pretty quickly because that is beyond tariffs. Tariffs mean you are being charged a higher cost for importing into the country. This means that you don’t get to import at all. That, I hope, gets resolved favorably somehow, sooner rather than later.”

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Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr., a speaker at the National Farmer’s Union Annual Convention held in downtown Oklahoma City this week, visited with Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays about the Cherokee Nation’s 12,000 sq./ft. meat processing facility located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

The facility really “beefed” up production during the COVID pandemic. “It was born out of what we all experienced, which was a bottleneck in terms of meat,” Hoskin said. “That was at a time during the pandemic when we were not only all trying to feed ourselves, but as the Cherokee Nation, we were trying to meet some of the needs of a lot of elders who needed to stay inside so they would be safe.”

Hoskin and other Cherokee leaders decided that there was no better time to step fully into an industry that they had already been considering. Utilizing funds from the CARES Act, the nation invested in the small processing facility.

“It has created some jobs and opportunities to have some local producers bring in their product, including us, we have a small cattle operation,” he said. “Then, it has allowed us to distribute that product to things like our elder programs and our programs for kids. Those are the things that I think we ought to be doing in the Cherokee nation.”

Oklahoma Winter Wheat Conditions Improve, Pasture and Range Conditions Decline

According to the latest Oklahoma Crop Progress and Condition Report , Winter wheat progress was reported as slightly behind normal with some field progressing to the jointing stage. Conditions were rated 46 percent good to excellent, 33 percent fair, and 21 percent poor to very poor. Last week’s conditions 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 52% good to excellent, up 2 percentage points from last week.

In Texas, the 2025 wheat crop is now at 28% good to excellent, down 6 points from last week.

Pasture and range conditions in Oklahoma rated 33 percent good to excellent, 42 percent fair, and 25 percent poor to very poor. Last week’s conditions 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, unchanged from last week.

Representative Danny Sterling of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, District 27, recently participated in a judging panel at the Oklahoma Electric Cooperative (OEC), where he witnessed the speaking skills and research presentations of the state’s young people.

“We are here to acknowledge the dedication and investigative efforts of these young individuals,” Representative Sterling stated, expressing his admiration for their accomplishments. “Their presence instills a profound sense of optimism regarding the future of our state.”

Representative Sterling dispelled prevalent misconceptions about youth, asserting, “While young people are often subject to negative stereotypes, the caliber of presentations witnessed this evening would undoubtedly alter such perceptions.”

Turning to legislative matters, he outlined the current activities at the State Capitol. “The legislative session is progressing through its various stages,” he explained. “We have concluded the committee phase of proposed legislation and are now commencing floor deliberations in both the House and Senate.” He detailed the procedural sequence of bill passage, culminating in the constitutionally mandated budget formulation during late April and May.

More than 300 organizations have sent a letter to health, agriculture and environmental leaders in D.C. calling for sound science and data to be used by the Make America Healthy Again Commission in upcoming evaluations for products essential to food and agriculture. The letter specifically focuses on the importance of pesticides, biotechnology, and food and feed ingredients for farmers and consumers, and it also highlights the ways in which these products are already robustly regulated to ensure their safe use.

Pesticides are called out by the signatories as being essential to protect crops and ensure U.S. consumers can continue to access a safe, abundant and affordable food supply. Biotechnology is important for improving crop yields and sustainability while also improving nutritional outcomes for consumers. Food and feed products are subject to a robust regulatory framework to certify any ingredients permitted for food use are safe for consumers. If access to any of these products is undermined, it could result in higher food costs for consumers or a greater reliance on foreign imports that may be less safe.

“We have long been supporters of quality, science-based regulation to ensure the products we provide consumers are safe, healthy and nutritious,” said Caleb Ragland, American Soybean Association president and Kentucky soy farmer.



“We’re pleased to discuss the long track record of safety around the products we use and the food we grow on our farms. However, it is essential we continue to use credible science and evidence in regulating these products so we can continue to provide safe, affordable food to the American people and consumers around the world,” said Ragland.

Dr. Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist, offers his economic analysis of the beef cattle industry as part of the weekly series known as the “Cow Calf Corner,” published electronically by Dr. Peel, Mark Johnson, and Paul Beck. Today, Dr. Peel analyzes uncertainty and volatility in the cattle market.

Cattle prices continue to generally grind higher amid a whirlwind of political activities and rhetoric that have buffeted markets at all levels. Markets have been whipsawed with on-again, off-again political announcements that create debilitating uncertainty in equity, futures and cash markets with negative impacts on producers, consumers and the complex supply chains of agricultural and food markets. 

Despite that, ever tightening supply fundamentals are supporting higher cattle and beef prices. Feeder cattle of all classes and fed cattle have set new record high prices since the beginning of the year. Estimated feeder supplies outside of feedlots on January 1 were down 0.5 percent year over year. The number of heifers in feedlots on January 1 was down 3.4 percent year over year with heifers making up 38.7 percent of total cattle on feed. The January 1 inventory of beef replacement heifers was down 1.0 percent year over year and beef replacement heifers as a percent of the beef cow herd is at the lowest level since 2011. All of these indicate that no heifer retention was underway at the end of 2024. 

Wildfire Risks Expected to Escalate throughout the Week with Warming Trend and Drying Conditions

Solidly wetting rains occurred at most locations across the southern half of Oklahoma, providing both amount and duration, boosting composite fuel moisture. Fire weather this week will drive escalating fire danger ahead of a potent storm system arriving on Friday. Wildfire activity is expected to increase through the week with a warming trend and drying conditions. Large and significant wildfire potential is anticipated, coupled with the increasing probability of a Southern Great Plains Wildfire Outbreak with Friday’s weather system. Prescribed and controlled burning is also expected to increase in frequency early in the week, and practitioners are strongly encouraged to ensure thorough mop-up and extended periods of patrol.

Unfortunately, most of the northern half of Oklahoma did not receive the precipitation that occurred further south, and by Tuesday afternoon, Energy Release Component will have eclipsed the 80th Percentile, resulting in significant resistance to control. Initial attack activity is expected to increase steadily this week with increasing large fire potential (>300 Acres) building to significant fire potential (>5,000 Acres) Friday.