Long Live the Soil- Jimmy Emmons Becomes Assistant Chief of NRCS

Last November, there was a lot of buzz about Jimmy Emmons being considered by the Trump Transition team for a top position at the US Department of Agriculture. That died down as the President selected confidant Brooke Rollins to be his Secretary of Ag. But, Emmons stayed in the conversation as the staff at the Natural Resource Conservation Service was assembled. This week- that became a reality as Jimmy Emmons was sworn in as the Assistant Chief of the NRCS- the number two person in the NRCS at the USDA.

His friend and Congressman, Frank Lucas, was on hand for the swearing in at the USDA in Washington. Lucas writes of Emmons “As a lifelong Oklahoman, Jimmy has spent years working around the state and across the country promoting innovative and voluntary conservation practices. Having someone like this in a position to lead farm policy isn’t just beneficial for Oklahoma, but the entire country and the world. I am proud of my longtime friend and fellow Oklahoman for his willingness to serve the nation and his commitment to the American farmer.”

Congrats to Jimmy Emmons- Long Live the Soil!

U.S. winter wheat condition was rated 52 percent good to excellent, up from 51 percent last week, according to USDA NASS’ latest Crop Progress report of the year, released on Monday.

Oklahoma's Winter wheat conditions were rated 56 percent good to excellent, 35 percent fair, and 9 percent poor to very poor. Last week’s conditions rated 53 percent good to excellent, 36 percent fair, and 11 percent poor to very poor.

As for our neighbors, Kansas winter wheat conditions rated 49 percent good to excellent, up from 48% last week. Meanwhile, Texas wheat conditions rated 32 percent good to excellent, down significantly from 42 percent last week.

Oklahoma's pasture and range conditions rated 54 percent good to excellent, 36 percent fair, and 10 percent poor to very poor. Last week’s conditions rated 49 percent good to excellent, 38 percent fair, and 13 percent poor to very poor.

Stewart Martin Kubota is passionately committed to providing our customers with the highest quality products, most innovative solutions, and services delivered with integrity and professionalism. Stewart Martin Kubota has four locations to serve you in Bixby, Broken Arrow, Okmulgee and Muskogee. Stewart Martin offers a full line of tough Kubota tractors, mowers, utility vehicles, construction equipment and farm / hay implements.



Remember, If it’s not orange, it’s a lemon! Visit us at stewartmartinkubota.com

At Oklahoma State University’s (OSU) wheat breeding plots in Lahoma, Dr. Brett Carver, OSU Wheat Breeding Specialist, offered a comprehensive overview of the diverse variety plots, emphasizing both immediate concerns and long-term goals for the program.

A significant portion of the discussion revolved around disease resistance, particularly in light of widespread wheat streak mosaic reported in Kansas. The field day also showcased advancements in soft wheat varieties with improved gluten quality, a crucial factor for marketability. Looking ahead, Dr. Carver expressed excitement about “up-and-comers,” focusing on yield improvements with enhanced wheat streak resistance tailored for the Panhandle. 

How AI is Transforming Decision-Making in Cattle Production

Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster, Ron Hays, is talking with Donnell Brown, a past president of the National FFA Organization and rancher at the R.A. Brown Ranch out of Throckmorton, Texas. The two men discussed technological advancements aiding the cattle industry today.

He touted AI technology for helping process big numbers for producers to create workable summaries that help make decisions. On the R.A. Brown Ranch, 1,000 animals per year are tested for feed efficiency. Although there are only 16 different feed bunks, the cattle are on them 24/7.

“That captures over half a billion weights every year,” he said. “That is way too much for me to analyze as a cowboy in West Texas, so having someone that can compile that information and turn it into decision-making tools, where I can select cattle that do more with less, that is a great definition for sustainability.”

“As the House of Representatives prepares to consider the budget reconciliation bill, NCFC urges lawmakers to approve this legislation and deliver the certainty America’s farmers and cooperatives urgently need. This package includes several critical priorities that will strengthen the farm economy, improve global competitiveness, and ensure long-term viability in the face of continued market disruptions.



“We strongly support several key tax provisions championed by Chairman Jason Smith and the Ways & Means Committee, particularly the permanent extension of Section 199A. This provision is essential to ensuring that farmers and co-ops are not hit with higher taxes simply for doing business together. Alongside that, the extension of Section 179 expensing and the clean fuel production credit under Section 45Z will empower producers and their co-ops to invest in the future and continue driving rural innovation.

The United States exported a record $2.6 billion of pork to Mexico in 2024. Mexican demand for U.S. pork has continued to expand in 2025, growing 11% in the first quarter.

According to U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Mexico Director Gerardo Rodriguez, pork consumption has grown more than 50% over the past 15 years. USMEF works to continue building that demand by developing new products for convenience stores and foodservice.

The growth in pork demand, however, has attracted new competition in the market, with all eligible suppliers having zero-duty access. This makes preserving the duty-free status of U.S. pork all the more important.

Lara Moody, Executive Director for the Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER), took time out of her busy day to visit with our own Farm Reporter, Maci Carter. IFEEDER is the research and education foundation that supports the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA). Every three to five years, IFEEDER meets with AFIA, the Pet Food Institute, and the North American Renderers Association to swap data on all U.S. dog and cat food sales. The data is used to reverse engineer the ingredients used in all of the products to highlight the importance of pet foods to the rest of the agricultural industry.

The economic impact of the pet food on the United States economy is quite significant. Moody explained that 7.6 billion tons of material are sold to pet food ingredient suppliers that are working with farmers. Inputs sold to farmers to produce the material are measured at 9.8 billion tons, and 13.2 billion tons of ingredients are sold to pet food manufacturers. All of this equates to $51 billion of sales in the pet food space.

Secretary Rollins Announces Farmers First: Small Family Farms Policy Agenda

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins released the first set of policy proposals under her newly launched Make Agriculture Great Again Initiative. These initial proposals (PDF, 7.2 MB) are a comprehensive set of policy solutions aimed at improving the viability and longevity of smaller-scale family farms for generations to come. About 86 percent of all farms in the United States are small family farms. To ensure small family farmers can start and stay in business, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has outlined a toolkit of actions, including the streamlining of application processes, improving reliable access to credit, farmland, and markets, and appropriate business planning tools.

The Small Family Farms Policy Agenda provides actionable solutions to a variety of challenges faced by small family farmers:

1. Ensure Simple, Streamlined, and Transparent Tools and Applications;
2. Ensure Reliable Access to Credit;
3. Ensure Working Farmland is Used to Farm;
4. Ensure Small Farms Can Be Passed On to the Next Generation for Generations to Come;
5. Hyperfocus USDA Programs for Farmers on Farmers;
6. Labor Reform;
7. Enhance Access to Risk Management and Business Planning Tools;
8. Ensure Definitions of Farm Size Reflect Modern Day Realities;
9. Enhance Farmer Access to Educational Resources;
10. Other Small Farm Resources Available.

View the Farmers First: Small Family Farms Policy Agenda (PDF, 7.2 MB)