Howdy Neighbors!

Associate farm reporter Carli Davenport spoke with Senior Manager of Food and Health for Hunger Free Oklahoma, Lauran Larson. Larson began by highlighting what she considers the earliest “food is medicine” initiative: the WIC program, or Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. She explained that WIC began “a little over 50 years ago” when researchers noticed mothers were “not meeting their nutritional needs” and babies were experiencing poor health outcomes.

The pilot program prescribed healthy foods to mothers, resulting in “ improved birth outcomes, higher birth weights, and better outcomes for the babies in general.” The success led to WIC becoming a federal program, proving over decades that “if we do prescribe healthy foods to individuals, we’re going to save money in the long run.”

Larson went on to explain that the modern food is medicine movement “really has started up in the last 15 or so years” and now reaches beyond mothers and babies. Larson said research has shown improved outcomes for conditions like “diabetes and hypertension” and emphasized, “we’re seeing great success with these programs.” In Oklahoma, there are “about 13 programs reaching specific patients in specific areas,” though eligibility depends on location and physician partnerships. “Every program is different,” she noted, with some enrolling new patients and others not, adding, “We hope to see more and more access statewide.

Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays speaks with Texas Cattle Feeders Association Chairman Robbie Kirkland, who said he came away encouraged after attending the announcement in Austin about new federal funding to fight the New World screwworm. “It was a good day. It was a day that the federal government came up with a large sum of money, $750 million for sterile fly production as well as another $100 million in R&D research and development,” Kirkland said. “The federal government saw we’re going to protect the U.S. cattle herd against New World screw worm.”

Kirkland emphasized the importance of the new sterile fly production plant being built in South Texas. He noted that the facility would produce about 300 million flies weekly, which could help push the screwworm back across Mexico. “What I’d like to think is we never get them in the United States, and then this ultimate facility helps us push those out of Mexico back down into South America and eliminate them,” he explained.

Even with this progress, Kirkland admitted that cattle feeders are feeling the impact of the border remaining closed to Mexican feeder cattle. He pointed to frustrations with Mexico’s response. “I think a lot of it goes back to the lack of reaction from the Mexican government,” he said. “If we’d have seen the Mexican government push on a little harder earlier we might have the border open today, but we don’t, because those cases continued to kind of trickle north.”

 The American Soybean Association is urging President Trump to prioritize soybeans in U.S.-China trade talks, warning that retaliatory tariffs are shutting American farmers out of their largest export market going into the 2025 soybean harvest.

In a letter sent to the White House, the group called for the removal of Chinese tariffs on U.S. soybeans and commitments for future purchases. ASA also released a white paper outlining the financial consequences of losing long-term market share in China.

“U.S. soybean farmers are standing at a trade and financial precipice,” ASA President Caleb Ragland, a soybean farmer from Kentucky, said in the letter. “Soybean farmers are under extreme financial stress. Prices continue to drop and at the same time our farmers are paying significantly more for inputs and equipment. U.S. soybean farmers cannot survive a prolonged trade dispute with our largest customer.”

At the Oklahoma National Stockyards, Ben Hale reported strong numbers: “We had 5,500 compared to 4,200 a year ago… it’s just been better every week, and not just by a dollar or two. Big gains on the feeders—two to six higher—and the calves, they called sharply higher, up to 20 some higher in some cases.” He noted intense buyer competition, especially for lighter-weight calves going to grass or wheat pasture.



Hale explained the tight supply of heifers and signs that ranchers may be holding some back for herd rebuilding: “Every week, we’re selling more steer yearlings than we are heifer yearlings we just don’t see very many of them. We had a load of heifers last week, 52 head, and all those went to North Texas. He’s making cows out of them and would have taken more, but we’re just not seeing them.”

Market conditions have also reflected cattle coming off grass. Hale said, “Had a pretty good lot of them weighing in the 780s… 240 steers weighing in 850 as much rain as we’ve had, even some of those cattle look like they may have backed up just a little. Some pretty good green conditions on them overall, so cattle should feed extremely well.”

There is evidence of an increase in heifer retention with improved drought conditions across much of the Central Plains and summer video auctions reporting a smaller percentage of heifer calves. Retention does not appear to be aggressive. With the calf market on pace for another year of record prices providing incentive, herd rebuilding remains sluggish compared to past cycles. Lingering drought continues to limit forage availability in key regions while high interest rates and the substantial capital required to develop or purchase bred females further suppresses expansion.

As well, many producers remain wary of a repeat of the post-2014 market correction, adding a layer of caution to long-term decision-making. Even with bred female values at record highs, relative to calf prices, breds may still be undervalued, a sign of producer hesitation rather than a lack of economic feasibility. An excellent metric to consider when purchasing bred heifers is the number of calves it takes to pay for the purchase.

Cattlefax recently reported that in 2025, that figure is projected to average just 2.75 calves, well below the long-term average of 4.5 and far beneath the 2015 peak of 9 calves. This ratio is likely to rise over time, driven by higher bred female prices, moderating calf values, or a combination of both. If feed resources allow, this dynamic suggests that adding females to the herd today may be the best time from a breakeven perspective to expand.

The meat science discipline has advanced by leaps and bounds under Dr. Gary Smith’s guidance. From food safety to quality beef production, it could be argued that his research findings helped save the beef industry in some of its most challenging times. College students were educated, inspired and trained to be top-notch leaders. The “Dean of Meat Scientists,” a renowned researcher and educator, has never shied away from getting in the trenches and putting in the work.

For the indelible mark he left on meat science and the beef community, Smith earned the 2025 Certified Angus Beef (CAB) Industry Achievement Award, presented at CAB’s Feeding Quality Forum in Rochester, Minn., on August 24.

Smith’s first exposure to protein processing was during his childhood, when his family would gather to harvest livestock and poultry for meat. From cattle and hogs to chickens and turkeys, generations would work together, without electricity, to get the job done. Witnessing the challenges of drought and socio-economic issues on the farm made an impression on Smith. When choosing a degree path, he settled on teaching agriculture—his past experience guiding him to help other farm families earn the money necessary to survive.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today issued a declaration that allows the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) for animal drugs to treat or prevent infestations caused by the New World Screwworm (NWS). This declaration applies only to drugs for animals.

NWS infests warm-blooded animals, including livestock, pets, wildlife, and, in rare cases, humans, causing severe tissue damage and sometimes death. The risk to human health in the United States remains very low, but the potential future threat to animal populations and the food supply chain requires proactive action. Although eradicated from North America and Central America decades ago, NWS has progressed north since 2022 and is now approaching the U.S. border with Mexico. This parasite poses an emerging threat to livestock and food security, with potential impacts on both national security and animal health.

“Today we are taking decisive action to safeguard the nation’s food supply from this emerging threat,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “This authorization equips FDA to act quickly, limit the spread of New World Screwworm, and protect America’s livestock.”

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins alongside Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Senator Marsha Blackburn, Senator Bill Hagerty, Representative John Rose, and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden, announced USDA will no longer fund taxpayer dollars for solar panels on productive farmland or allow solar panels manufactured by foreign adversaries to be used in USDA projects.

Subsidized solar farms have made it more difficult for farmers to access farmland by making it more expensive and less available. Within the last 30 years, Tennessee alone has lost over 1.2 million acres of farmland and is expected to lose 2 million acres by 2027. This problem is not just in Tennessee, since 2012, solar panels on farmland nationwide have increased by nearly 50%. That is why the Department is taking action.

“Our prime farmland should not be wasted and replaced with green new deal subsidized solar panels. It has been disheartening to see our beautiful farmland displaced by solar projects, especially in rural areas that have strong agricultural heritage. One of the largest barriers of entry for new and young farmers is access to land. Subsidized solar farms have made it more difficult for farmers to access farmland by making it more expensive and less available,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins. “We are no longer allowing businesses to use your taxpayer dollars to fund solar projects on prime American farmland, and we will no longer allow solar panels manufactured by foreign adversaries to be used in our USDA-funded projects.”

Checking the Markets...

Boxed beef continued its strong August run on Tuesday, with Choice up $2.96 to $407.20/cwt and Select up $2.62 to $379.76/cwt, widening the spread slightly to $27.44. This marks 11 gains in the last 13 sessions, with Choice up a total of $45.88 so far this month, the highest August rally in history. 

National Beef Wire reports the light-weight steer market at OKC West in El Reno, OK was on fire Tuesday, with the barn setting 25 new records from 3- through 7-weights. The 4-weights stole the show, accounting for nine of the top 10 highest prices in barn history, cementing a historic day for light cattle at OKC West. The top sale of the day was 18 head at 428 lbs bringing $525.00/cwt, which now ranks as the 4th highest 4-weight sale in the nation all-time. OKC West expects 4,500 yearlings today for their Wednesday sale.

Beaver Livestock also had a strong market on Tuesday with 4,500 sold- Compared to last sale: Feeder steer steady to 4.00 higher. Steer calves 6.00 to 10.00 higher. Feeder heifers 8.00-12.00 higher. 600-700 lbs 5.00 lower on lesser quality and fleshier heifers. 750-800 lbs heifers 30.00 higher on better quality and genetics. Heifer calves 300-550 lbs unevenly steady and 550-600 lbs 20.00 higher.

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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