Howdy Neighbors!

At the Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting in San Diego, Senior farm and ranch broadcaster Ron Hays spoke with the executive director of nutrition research for NCBA, Dr. Shalene McNeil. Our Coverage from San Diego is powered by Farm Data Services of Stillwater.

Dr. Shalene McNeill, Executive Director of Nutrition Research for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), spoke with Ron Hays about the growing interest in nutrition and its implications for the beef industry. As public attention shifts to health, partly driven by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, Dr. McNeill sees this moment as both a challenge and a unique opportunity. “In my career as a dietitian, I have never seen nutrition interest as high as it is today,” she said, pointing out that people are frustrated by rising rates of obesity and chronic disease despite efforts to eat better.

Dr. McNeill emphasized the foundational role diet plays in health, advocating for a return to basic nutrition principles. “It comes down to getting adequate nutrition, getting enough of the nutrients that you need, getting enough protein in your diet so you’re satisfied,” she said. Beef can play a central role in helping families achieve a balanced diet, describing it as a “foundational food” that supports overall health and well-being.

Farm Director KC Sheperd spoke with Melody Blosser from Ag in the Classroom who shared the organization’s recent summer activities, beginning with the June road trip. “We went to Southern Oklahoma and took 50 teachers on three days of agricultural field trips,” she explained. Sponsored by the Oklahoma Beef Council, the trip included stops like Noble Research Institute, Oklahoma Wire and Steel, and various cattle producers and agritourism venues like Dogwood Blooms. Melody emphasized, “It’s the best month,” describing June as jam-packed with engaging and diverse agricultural experiences.



Following the road trip, Melody and her team attended the national Ag in the Classroom conference in Minnesota with 23 Oklahoma participants. “We had six different breakout sessions that were presented by Oklahoma educators,” she noted. Notable presenters included Jerry and Jacqueline from GRDA and Shelly Mitchell. “Our Oklahoma presentations are always received well… standing room only,” she proudly shared, emphasizing the positive national reputation of Oklahoma’s Ag in the Classroom educators.

Melody described the value these experiences bring to educators: “They get to see the agriculture up close and personal and learn new things that they can use in their own classrooms.” Educators could attend their choice of 12 traveling workshops on topics like dairy operations, turf management, and more.

Mike Schulte from the Oklahoma Wheat Commission discussed several upcoming events and initiatives, including the Junior Wheat Show, set for Wednesday, July 16th at the Payne County Fairgrounds in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Schulte emphasized the importance of this program for 4-H and FFA students: “We give over $16,000 in scholarships each year to the top five entries in the 4-H and FFA competition,” which are awarded on December 3rd at the Embassy Suites. Students are encouraged to participate by submitting 10-pound samples, and they can access the rules on the Oklahoma 4-H and Wheat Commission websites.

This year’s growing season posed some challenges due to excessive rainfall, but Schulte remains optimistic: “We are hopeful that we are gonna have a good number as we have progressed with harvest.” This Junior Wheat Show is only the visual competition, Schulte noted. the visual samples will be “judged by the lead wheat breeder at Oklahoma State University, Dr. Brett Carver.” the top samples will later be sent to “the OSU Food and Agricultural Product Center where they are given milling and baking scores.”

At the Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting in San Diego, Senior farm and ranch broadcaster Ron Hays spoke with National Cattlemen’s Beef Association CEO Colin Woodall about the recent passage of the big beautiful bill and the tragic Texas floods. Our Coverage from San Diego is powered by Farm Data Services of Stillwater.

Woodall quickly highlighted the importance of recent legislative victories and ongoing policy discussions for the cattle industry regarding the passing of the Big Beautiful Bill. He pointed to the passage of tax extensions and the significance of the Farm Bill, noting that both developments have brought momentum to the industry. “It’s a good time to be in San Diego for the summer business meeting,” Woodall remarked, referencing the positive policy environment.

However, much of the conversation quickly turned to the devastation in Texas caused by severe flooding. Woodall shared concerns from ranchers on the ground, saying, “We’re seeing loss of equipment, loss of fences, loss of houses and barns, also loss of cattle. So yes, this is just pure devastation throughout the state of Texas, especially in that central area.” Woodall tells the ranchers affected that there will be programs to help them recover from the loss. 

A letter with signatures from 42 agricultural associations, led by the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), was sent to President Trump today urging him to expeditiously nominate a chief agricultural negotiator in the Office of the United States Trade Representative.

The group said the nomination is critical to prioritizing the needs of American agriculture amidst the ongoing reciprocal trade negotiations.

“The chief agricultural negotiator is an asset to farmers and ranchers across the United States as well as within the federal government,” the letter said. “Their voice ensures that agriculture issues are prioritized as negotiations are ongoing and become more complicated.”

The role is responsible for conducting and overseeing international negotiations related to trade of agricultural products. The role is political, and each incoming administration is responsible for nominating someone to serve in the position.

In May, the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) released commodity cost and return estimates for crop and livestock products grown in the United States. These estimates are published twice a year and offer insights into the costs faced by the “average” producer at the national and regional levels across the United States. Additionally, on June 18, ERS released cost-of-production forecasts for the 2025 and 2026 production years. This article uses the ERS data to examine changes in operating costs for producers in southern states since 2022, when farm operating costs peaked, and to estimate future cost trends.

Note that ERS divides states into farm resource regions for their estimates. The Prairie Gateway includes most of Texas, parts of New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Nebraska, as well as all of Kansas. The Southern Seaboard consists of the easternmost counties of Texas, the northwestern counties of Louisiana, the southeastern counties of Mississippi, and most of Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. Finally, the Mississippi portal covers the eastern parts of Arkansas and Louisiana, along with the western parts of Tennessee and Mississippi.

The data show that operating costs in the southern United States have decreased from their recent highs in 2022; however, they are still significantly above their 10-year averages. The only exception is cotton in the Prairie Gateway states, where increases in ginning costs (due to higher production in 2023 and 2024) and interest costs were enough to offset reductions in other expenses. Table 1 outlines the changes in specific operating costs from 2022 to 2024, explaining why overall costs have decreased since 2022. Unsurprisingly, reductions in operating expenses are mainly due to lower costs for fertilizer, chemicals, and fuel over the past two years.

Cattle producers from across the country were recognized during the industry’s Summer Business Meeting in San Diego through the 2025 Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP). Regional award recipients were honored for their commitment to conservation and stewardship. The national winner will be announced during CattleCon 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee, in February.

“It is an honor to recognize these cattle producers for their commitment to conservation,” said NCBA President Buck Wehrbein. “Not only are they protecting natural resources for future generations, but they also serve as stewardship role models for producers across the country.”

Regional ESAP winners undertake stewardship efforts unique to their environment, landscape and resources.

Mark Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Breeding Specialist, offers herd health advice as part of the weekly series known as the “Cow Calf Corner,” published electronically by Dr. Derrell Peel, Johnson, and Paul Beck. Today, Mark talks about grilling beef.

Beef is the ideal dietary protein for grilling. With regard to flavor, beef is generally more interlaced with marbling, the taste fat that translates to a more flavorful and satisfying eating experience. Intact beef cuts can be aged to further intensify flavor which is not an option for other proteins. Beef offers more variety of cuts, all of which result in the same satisfying eating experience.

Beef steaks can be served in a variety of “degree of doneness” options relative to your preference. Likewise, beef offers more options in the amount of time spent in preparation to better fit your schedule. Since beef is the preferred protein among most consumers, it will typically cost more per pound in comparison; nevertheless, the variety of options from a beef carcass leads to choices to fit any budget. 

Checking the Markets...

As we begin the week after the Fourth of July holiday- the big livestock market event is the Superior Livestock Week in the Rockies Sale- 311,727 head will sell over the five days of the sale- Click here for more details from Superior Livestock.

OKC West (El Reno, OK) had a standout day on Tuesday, setting new all-time highs at the barn for 3-, 4-, and 5-weight steers. Leading the charge are 18 head at 326 lbs selling for $540.00, 59 head at 488 lbs bringing $490.00, and 44 head at 528 lbs fetching $420.00. They expect 3,500 head for the yearling sale on Wednesday.

OKC West is our Market Links Sponsor- they sell cattle three days a week- Cows on Mondays, Stockers on Tuesday and Feeders on Wednesday- Call 405-262-8800 to learn more.

Click here for our Markets Page on OklahomaFarmReport.Com- there you will find many of the reports we have linked on the right hand column found on the previous format of our email.

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