Congressman Frank Lucas, Third District Congressman and former chairman of both the House Agriculture and Science Committees, is seeing significant progress on key legislative priorities that impact both national security and the future of American agriculture. Speaking with Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays, Lucas shared updates on a bill aimed at safeguarding the U.S. food supply and the ongoing efforts to secure key parts of the 2025 Farm Bill as a part of the One Big Beautiful Bill.

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Regarding legislative developments in Washington, D.C., Lucas shared significant progress on a national security-focused agricultural bill he has long championed. He explained, “The goal is to make sure that agriculture and food production is treated as a national security issue, like building missiles and satellites.” The bill gained momentum after it was revealed that Chinese entities had purchased farmland near U.S. military bases. Lucas emphasized, “Now I’ve gotten my colleagues’ attention… and I think we’re gonna get this language made permanent.” He detailed that foreign purchases of agricultural land and infrastructure will now fall under review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which will now include the Secretary of Agriculture.



Lucas also discussed the legislative process involving a major tax and agriculture bill—referred to several times as the “big beautiful bill.” He stressed its importance, saying, “If we don’t pass the big beautiful bill, all of the tax relief passed in 2017 will expire.” The bill also includes a key provision to extend the production programs of the 2018 Farm Bill, including crop insurance and conservation funding, for six years. Lucas called this “almost amazing” and emphasized its importance: “We need six years of certainty for producers out there after we’ve gone through the wild last six years.”

The Oklahoma Wheat Commission promotes greater use of wheat in domestic and international markets through research, market development and public education.

Our Commissioners develop policy and programs, direct the funding, represent producer interests and, of course, promote Oklahoma wheat!

Learn more about the Oklahoma Wheat Commission by clicking here for their website.

Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays put the word out on Sunday afternoon, June 29th, for harvest updates from farmers across the state- and several responded. Here’s what was shared across the state:

Alfalfa/Woods county line report on heavily grazed wheat:

Yields 58-81 bushels/acre

Test weights were 59 lbs/bushel

Less than 1% left to harvest, just the mud holes- Custom harvesters are moving N, into KS and CO. (Shared by Glen Shoulders)

Kay County (Courtesy of Tom Cannon)

Five more good days to go. Cutting dirty flooded fields as they dry.

Good yield.

Plus several more Wheat harvest reports- click here to read them all.



AND FINALLY- a NON Wheat Report from McCurtain County (Courtesy of Brent Bolen)

You didn’t ask for this but there’s zero wheat that i know of In McCurtain County. However, Red River bottoms looks like Iowa. I think every row crop acre in the county got planted to corn and it looks as good as I’ve ever witnessed!!

Past NCBA President Kevin Kester All In on Big Beautiful Bill and It’s Tax Provisions for Ranchers

In Our latest Beef Buzz, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays features comments from NCBA Past President Kevin Kester who stood right behind President Donald Trump this past Friday as the President was pushing hard for the Senate to step up and pass the One Big Beautiful Bill that has already cleared the House. (UPDATE- the Senate has voted 51 -49 to debate the OBBB, with a final vote possible on Monday)

Kester called that moment on Friday “almost Deja Vu” as he recalls being in a similar spot in 2017 during the first Trump Administration when the President was pushing for passage of what has become known as the Trump Tax Cuts.

Kester calls the OBBB a better version of the Trump Tax Cuts- especially when it comes to the so called Death Tax. Congress is proposing a fifteen million dollar exemption for an individual and a thirty million dollar exemption for a couple- made permanent and to be indexed for inflation.

Kester also praises Congress for improvements in Section 179 Expense Deductions which he calls “a big deal for us” and this measure keeps the bonus depreciation intact which is also a big deal. All of these could expire at the end of calendar year 2025 unless Congress completes work on this reconciliation bill.

Content The halls of the Oklahoma state Capitol are once again empty after a busy 2025 legislative session. The first session of the 60th Oklahoma Legislature commenced on the first Monday in February and gaveled out on Friday, May 30.

Of the thousands of bills filed at the first of the year, Oklahoma Farm Bureau closely monitored nearly 400 pieces of legislation over the course of the four-month session.



While the 2025 session was fraught with dissent between the legislature and Gov. Kevin Stitt, OKFB members and public policy staff kept their noses to the grindstone and secured passage of several bills relating to the organization’s priority issues in an effort to ensure Oklahoma’s farmers and ranchers can continue producing food, fuel and fiber for their neighbors and fellow Americans.

US Senator James Lankford (R-OK), a member of the Senate Finance and Homeland Security Committees, recently highlighted that the One Big Beautiful Bill delivers the largest tax cut in history for hardworking Americans, secures the border, strengthens Medicaid, and rebuilds the military, all while cutting out-of-control spending. Lankford was one of the 51 votes in the Senate on Saturday night that approved the Senate moving forward to debate the OBBB with a likely final vote coming on Monday.

“Right now, Democrats are running on rumors, innuendo, and quite frankly, just stuff they’ve made up that’s not in the bill—never been considered in the bill,” said Lankford on Fox Business.

“Yeah, we’re hoping to get a vote as quickly as we can get everything all together,” said Lankford on ABC News. “Most of it has been out there in public for now, days to weeks, actually, as we’ve released each chapter day by day over the last two weeks. But we’ve got several different issues that are all coming together at the end.”

In this episode of Red Dirt Agronomy, the team sits down with Dr. Jayson Lusk, Vice President and Dean of Agricultural Programs at Oklahoma State University, for a wide-ranging conversation on the future of agriculture and leadership in higher education. 

Dr. Lusk reflects on his journey from researcher to administrator, the challenges of guiding a land-grant institution, and how he stays grounded in the needs of Oklahoma’s producers. 

The discussion explores the evolving role of faculty engagement, the value of public communication, and how Extension can remain impactful in an increasingly digital world.

The episode also covers Dr. Lusk’s strategic vision for OSU agriculture, including plans to revitalize off-campus facilities, launch a beef center of excellence, and leverage big data and AI to support producer decision-making. 

With insights into the delicate balance of university leadership and the importance of staying connected with faculty and stakeholders, this conversation offers practical value for anyone invested in the future of agricultural research and outreach.