Oklahoma State University will honor two individuals this fall who have demonstrated a commitment to agricultural sciences and natural resources.

Thomas and Rhonda Coon are the 2025 Champion for OSU Agriculture Award recipients. They will be recognized during the OSU Agriculture Honors ceremony on Oct. 3.

“Tom and Rhonda exemplify the core values and mission of OSU Agriculture,” said Jayson Lusk, vice president and dean of OSU Agriculture. “Their dedication to advancing science-based research and improving the quality of life for Oklahomans reflects the rich tradition and enduring impact of our land-grant mission. We are proud to honor their achievements and celebrate their lasting contributions.”

With more than 25 years of professional experience in alumni relations and fundraising, Rhonda Coon connected with alumni and friends of Iowa State University and Michigan State University before her move to Oklahoma. At OSU, she helped organize and host events in support of OSU Agriculture programs.

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- .

Oklahoma State University will honor five individuals who have brought distinctive credit to the university’s Ferguson College of Agriculture and contributed significantly to society.

Shannon Angle, Bill Clymer, Robert Hodgen, M. John Kane IV and N. Malone Mitchell Jr. are recipients of the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award. The honorees will be officially recognized during the OSU Agriculture Honors ceremony on Oct. 3.

“These outstanding individuals have made a lasting impact on the Ferguson College of Agriculture and have served their communities, the state and OSU with distinction throughout their careers,” said Jayson Lusk, vice president and dean of OSU Agriculture. “We are proud to recognize their achievements with this prestigious alumni award.”

Learn more about each honoree below or visit OSU Agriculture Honors online.

Dr Derrell Peel- Heifer Retention Happening in Parts of Cattle Country

On this beef buzz, Dr. Derrell Peel, a livestock market economist, discussed the ongoing efforts to rebuild the U.S. beef cow herd with senior farm and ranch broadcaster Ron Hays. Peel noted that there is a gradual shift toward heifer retention, especially in drought-affected regions like the southern U.S., while areas like Montana are still focused on maintaining existing cattle numbers, some regions are beginning to hold back heifers as part of the rebuilding process. However, he cautioned that the pace of this retention remains slow and is expected to continue at a gradual rate in the near future.

Peel explained that while the U.S. beef cow herd hit a potential low point in January 2025, significant herd expansion is unlikely in the short term. The number of beef cows may stabilize, with only minimal growth expected over the next couple of years. “If that cow slaughter drops enough, then the supply of heifers might be sufficient to at least stabilize the beef cow herd.” He pointed out that the situation is different from 2014, when a strong pipeline of replacement heifers supported rapid herd expansion. Dr. Peel says that today, due to ongoing heifer slaughter, the industry essentially starts from zero in terms of heifer supply, which will require a few years to rebuild.

According to DTN- The first part of June is typically when cattle producers have all their cows on pasture. Conditions of pasture and range currently look to be suffering for quality as compared to a year ago.

While pastures and range in good-to-excellent condition seem to be widespread in 2025, those in the very-poor-to-poor category are more extreme than the previous year. The southwest states of Arizona and Nevada are especially dry with 81% and 95% of pastures in the worst category, respectively. Montana continues to see 53% of pastures in very poor-to-poor conditions and with only 14% rated good to excellent.

Southern states seem to have improved on pasture conditions with Texas having 31% in the very-poor-to-poor category as compared to 41% last year. The 2025 number is 7% worse than the previous week. Oklahoma has only 11% of pasture and range in the very poor-to-poor category, while 77% are good to excellent.



The Upper Plains, including Nebraska and South Dakota, continue to have some droughty conditions. Nebraska has 31% of pasture and range in very poor-to-poor conditions and only 27% are good to excellent. South Dakota is also suffering with 27% rated very poor to poor and 36% in good-to-excellent condition.

Fewer Marketings, Tighter Beef Supplies

In an article from David Anderson with Texas AgriLife- he digs into the latest Cattle on Feed report amid record high cattle and beef prices.  While the report did not have any big surprises compared to analyst’s pre-report estimates there were some noteworthy data points.  Marketings were 10.1 percent fewer in May 2025 than last May.  Some of that was attributable to one less working day in the month, but the rest was due to fewer fed cattle slaughtered.  An earlier SAT discussed fewer fed cattle being processed on Fridays over the last couple of months.  

Fewer cattle were placed into feedyards in May, with placements 7.8 percent below last year.  But, placements in Texas and Oklahoma feedyards were down 16.8 and 21.6 percent compared to last year, likely reflecting the continued border closing restricting the supply of Mexican feeder cattle.  Fewer placements and marketing left the total number of cattle on feed down 1.2 percent compared to last year.

While not one of the primals that make up the boxed beef cutout value, 50 percent lean beef has skyrocketed in value to almost $190 per cwt, compared to about $1.00 per pound last year. This beef is largely the product of fed cattle and makes up part of the supplies of ground beef. Fewer fed cattle marketed and slaughtered in recent weeks has likely cut into supplies while the demand for ground beef remains good. 

In an advance for agriculture, a new study reveals how wheat plants actively influence the microbial communities living on and inside their roots—and how these root microbiomes change over time depending on conditions such as drought and irrigation. These insights could guide future efforts to manage crops more effectively under varying environmental conditions.

Led by Tim C. Paulitz of the USDA-ARS Wheat Health, Genetics, and Quality Research Unit and Dr. Olga Mavrodi of Washington State University in Pullman, WA, the study was a collaborative effort involving multiple USDA-ARS and university scientists. Published in Phytobiomes Journal, the research brings together expertise in plant pathology, microbiology, and soil science.