Correction from Monday Email-

The story that featured our conversation with Michael Kelsey on the 2025 state legislative session did not have a link back to our webstory where you could find the audio to listen to Ron and Michael- we apologize for that oversight- click here to jump to that story and the chance to hear that conversation.

Today, the USDA released the Prospective Plantings and Quarterly Grain Stocks Reports. Farm Director KC Sheperd spoke with Rich Nelson from Allendale, who provided insights into the reports’ implications, highlighting both surprises and ongoing concerns.

“We had our update as far as what’s left over for these crops as of March 1st,” Nelson began, discussing the grain stocks report. “Quite a surprise for these reports. Normally, these are hard to guess, and the trade is quite wrong on a few of these numbers. In this case, 8.2 billion bushels of corn are leftover on the trade estimate, 1.9 billion bushels of soybeans are leftover on the trade estimate, and certainly, for our discussion as far as wheat, there are 1.2 billion bushels left over on the trade estimate, for the most part. So very surprising, the trade got these numbers correct for old crop stocks mid-year.”

Turning to acres, Nelson highlighted a significant corn acreage projection. “USDA gave us a 95.3 million acre estimate for corn. This is the largest of all time,” he stated. “But the market has not really taken this as a big bearish surprise. A lot of the trade had moved up its prior views in recent days. So for corn, they’re really calling today’s report quite neutral.”

Soybean acreage was closer to trade expectations. “For soybeans, as far as acres, they came in relatively close to the average trade guess, 83.5, so a more or less than neutral acres and neutral stock number. So neutral for soybeans,” Nelson explained.

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- .

The Prospective Plantings Report was released today, and Associate Farm Editor Stevie White had the chance to talk with USDA State Statistician Troy Marshall about the results and how that data compares to the January reports.

Surveys were conducted on March 1st to get the updated data for today’s report, and Oklahoma winter wheat was reduced by 100,000 acres compared to the January seedings report to 4.15 million acres planted, down 5% from last year. Texas’s numbers were unchanged from last year at 5.5 million acres, but down 300,000 acres from the January projections. Kansas estimates about 7.3 million acres of wheat planted, down 4 % from last year and also down 100,000 acres from the january report.

“For wheat, I think a lot of that is driven around a lot of the weather and planting conditions that we saw as we go through,” Marshall said. “We are still seeing reports of drought with the drought monitor over the last couple of weeks. We did see some rain come through, but it was kind of spotty this last weekend, but we have some pretty good chances for next week, so hopefully everyone who has wheat in will get something going there.”

Along with the rain, if it arrives, Oklahoma producers will be looking to put corn in the ground soon as Texas has already started.

Experience Expert Insights at the Hemphill County Texas A&M AgriLife Beef Conference

Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays is continuing his conversation with Andy Holloway about the 10th Annual Texas A&M AgriLife Hemphill County Beef Conference, which will be held on April 29-30 at the Jones Pavilion in Canadian, Texas. Click here to hear and read the first part of their discussion.

After last year’s event attracted more than 800 cattlemen and women from 26 states, Holloway, the Texas AgriLife Extension Agent who began the event in 2015, expects another great turnout at the 2025 event.

“Happy Days Are Here Again” is the theme of the event, mirroring the time when President Franklin D. Roosevelt used it as his campaign slogan after the Great Depression and then again after World War II because it truly was happier days for the nation.

“That is exactly the analogy that we want to set forth in this conference, because we have has a lot of tough years in the beef cattle business, but now, we have record beef cattle prices, historic profits from the cow calf segment, and even the feedyards are making big bucks on cattle that are being killed,” Holloway said.

According to the latest Oklahoma Crop Progress and Condition Report, winter wheat jointing reached 35 percent, down 9 percentage points from the previous year and 2 points from the five-year average. Conditions were rated 33 percent good to excellent, 40 percent fair, and 27 percent poor to very poor. Last week’s conditions rated 37 percent good to excellent, 34 percent fair, and 29 percent poor to very poor.

In Kansas this week, the 2025 wheat crop stands at 49% good to excellent, unchanged from last week.

In Texas, Winter wheat headed reached 22 percent, up 2 percentage points from the previous year but down 2 points from the five-year average. Winter wheat conditions rated 26 percent good to excellent, down 2 points from last week.

Oklahoma Pasture and range conditions rated 30 percent good to excellent, 35 percent fair, and 26 percent poor to very poor this week. Last week’s conditions rated 20 percent good to excellent, 36 percent fair, and 44 percent poor to very poor.

The Texas, Pasture and Range conditions for this week are at 11% good to excellent, up 2 points from last week.

Oklahoma residents are urged to stay vigilant today as the state faces the possibility of another round of severe weather this week, just days after a significant hailstorm. State Climatologist Gary McManus warns of potential tornadoes, large hail, and a high fire danger.

Meanwhile- a Red Flag Warning is in effect from mid morning til dark today in the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles- plus there is a Red Flag Warning in the western tier of counties in the main body of Oklahoma from 1 to 8 PM today.

“Fresh off our the hail from Saturday night/Sunday morning, we have another POTENTIAL round of significant severe weather on the line for today,” McManus states, emphasizing the immediacy of the threat. He highlights the potential for large hail, noting, “Tornadoes? Sure, but the hail could be what gets ya, putting knots on your noggin faster’n you can rub ’em.”

However, the formation of these storms is not guaranteed. “Now obviously storms actually have to form in the first place, and there is an indication a somewhat strong cap, or lid on the atmosphere, will be in place,” McManus explains. This “cap,” a layer of warm air, could inhibit the development of thunderstorms. “This layer of warm air thousands of feet above the surface would act as a dead-stop for that air rising explosively upwards and forming thunderstorms.”  

This year’s Cow Calf Boot camp will be hosted at the Kingfisher County Fairgrounds in Kingfisher, Oklahoma April 8th-10th. Registration is $150 and includes educational instruction, 5 meals, and an OSU Beef Cattle Manual. If you are interested, do not delay! Registration is being handled through the Garfield County Extension Office. To register, contact Dana Zook at dana.zook@okstate.edu or call the Garfield County OSU Extension office for registration and fee information about this year’s camp 580-237-7677.  

The Oklahoma Beef Cattle Summit is to be held at the Pontotoc County Agri-Plex in Ada, Oklahoma, on Thursday, April 17. The doors open at 8 a.m., and the agenda includes an impressive array of informative and educational seminars.

Register and RSVP for lunch before April 9 by calling or emailing Erin Hubbard at (580) 332-2153 or erin.hubbard@okstate.edu. See the full agenda below or visit the website.

Oklahoma Attorney General Drummond Questions Firing of Director for Oklahoma Forestry Services

Attorney General Gentner Drummond made the following remarks today in the wake of Gov. Stitt’s forced ouster of Oklahoma Forestry Services Director Mark Goeller.

“It should be inconceivable to think that the courage, skill and herculean work of firefighters across the state would be rewarded with the sudden and inexplicable ouster of Director Goeller,” Drummond said. “Honestly, the Governor’s action is baffling. While the wildfires that swept through our state this month exacted a heavy toll, the death and devastation would have been far, far worse without the strong coordinated effort of firefighters and Oklahoma Forestry Services.

“Director Goeller is a seasoned professional who is highly regarded in his field. He – and all those who battled the fires – have earned the gratitude and respect of Oklahomans. It is outrageous that the Governor’s response to their bravery would be to push out the director mere weeks after that deadly firestorm.”