Howdy Neighbors!

Its time for the friday farm funny with a special guest! farming and ranching can be stressful so enjoy a laugh!! (or just laugh at me)

While at the Ag Outlook Forum in Kansas City, Farm Director KC Sheperd heard comments from Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins, who laid out new plans to support America’s farmers and warned that agriculture is facing some of its toughest challenges yet.

Rollins emphasized the urgency of her message: “We have a lot, a lot of challenges in agriculture right now,” she said, underscoring that she came to lay out “what President Trump’s vision is, the work that we’re doing,” and to deliver “a couple of fairly big announcements.”

She reminded the audience of agriculture’s historic role: “Although 250 years ago, at our founding, we had a nation where 90% of our people were farmers, today it’s only 1.2%.” Yet, she argued, “that small percentage today is constitutive of all the rest. You not only feed and fuel and clothe us, the American people, but truly the world.”

Rollins warned, “Agriculture in our country today is under threat. You all know it because you live it more than anyone else in the country.” Rising costs, falling commodity prices, and what she called “decades of poor policy and neglect” had left farmers struggling.

According to the latest Oklahoma Drought Monitor report, exceptional drought remains at 0 percent, unchanged from the start of the calendar year.

Extreme drought or worse conditions remain at zero percent, unchanged since the week of October 29, 2024. Severe drought or worse conditions remain at zero percent, unchanged since the week of May 29, 2025. Moderate Drought remains mostly unchanged since last week, new conditions have emerged in Bryan County.

Abnormally dry or worse conditions have remained unchanged since last week.

According to the 6-to-10-day precipitation outlook map, the panhandle will have near-normal conditions while the rest of the state is leaning above 33-40% chance of precipitation.

In the southern plains, Rain arrived late in the drought-monitoring period across the northern tier of the region. Elsewhere, hot, mostly dry weather dominated. On September 21, prior to the rain’s arrival, topsoil moisture—as reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture—was rated 78% very short to short in Tennessee, along with 71% in Arkansas. By September 23, a core area of severe to extreme drought (D2 to D3) existed across the mid-South, including parts of Arkansas and Tennessee. Statewide, 40% of the pastures in Arkansas were rated very poor to poor on that date.

The Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) will operate the OCA Beef Tent at the Tulsa State Fair in Tulsa, Okla. from Sept. 25 to Oct. 5. Now in its 33rd year, the Beef Tent offers high-quality beef products and serves as a platform to promote Oklahoma’s beef industry.

Located on the south side of the Oklahoma Ford Dealers Barn, the OCA Beef Tent will be open all 11 days of the fair. Guests can enjoy a delicious menu featuring the popular ribeye steak sandwiches, beef sticks provided by Whiskey Creek Cattle Company, chips and refreshing beverages.

“We are proud to celebrate the 33 years of the OCA Beef Tent,” said Michael Kelsey, OCA Executive Vice President. “It has become a true Oklahoma tradition. Serving delicious beef and spending time with fellow Oklahomans during the fair is something we look forward to every year.”

Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays offers an overview four days after the most recent, and closest yet detection of New World screwworm in Mexico, the parasite’s threat to the U.S. border is growing. The Mexican government confirmed on Sunday that an infected heifer had been found in Sabinas Hidalgo, Nuevo Leon, just 70 miles south of Laredo, Texas. That’s a dramatic jump from the previous margin of safety, which had been about 370 miles from the U.S. border. In response, Mexican officials activated emergency controls while the U.S. maintained the ban of imports of cattle, bison, and horses from Mexico.

By Monday evening, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced on social media that USDA teams were already “boots on the ground” in Nuevo Leon, inspecting traps and releasing sterile flies to combat the pest. Industry leaders have praised the quick action, though they remain concerned. Colin Woodall, CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), acknowledged producers are worried but said he is hopeful: “Even though the fly is closer, we should not take our eye off the ball to make sure that the Mexican government is doing everything possible to be a good neighbor.”

Woodall explained that NCBA views this as a multi-pronged challenge, closely tied to Secretary Rollins’ five-point plan. He emphasized that while U.S. agencies work to mass-produce sterile flies, more pressure must be applied on Mexico to improve cattle movement controls. At the same time, NCBA is ramping up education for producers. “We know the life cycle is a very quick life cycle,” Woodall said. “You can be out among your cattle on a Tuesday and on Wednesday you could potentially have larva.” He stressed that vigilance and awareness are critical to limiting the pest’s spread.

House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15) released the following statement after President Donald J. Trump stated he would use some of the money generated from tariffs to support America’s hardworking producers:

“Years of Biden’s broken promises, from failing to enforce the Phase 1 agreement to letting inflation run wild while foreign governments use our farmers as pawns, have devastated American agriculture.

President Trump is right to support them and step in to provide a bridge to the enhanced farm safety net policies in H.R. 1, which will kick in next year. I’m committed to working with the Trump Administration to support farmers and rural America during critical economic times.”

This week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the U.S. government was in negotiations to extend a $20 billion swap line to the Argentine government and potentially purchase the country’s foreign bonds. Almost immediately after, a reported 20 shiploads of Argentine soybeans were purchased by China after the Argentine government announced it would waive taxes on its soybean exports.

Upon this news, ASA President Caleb Ragland issued the following statement:

“U.S. soybean farmers have been clear for months: the administration needs to secure a trade deal with China. China is the world’s largest soybean customer and typically our top export market. The U.S. has made zero sales to China in this new crop marketing year due to 20% retaliatory tariffs imposed by China in response to U.S. tariffs.

This has allowed other exporters, Brazil and now Argentina, to capture our market at the direct expense of U.S. farmers. The frustration is overwhelming. U.S. soybean prices are falling, harvest is underway, and farmers read headlines not about securing a trade agreement with China, but that the U.S. government is extending $20 billion in economic support to Argentina while that country drops its soybean export taxes to sell 20 shiploads of Argentine soybeans to China in just two days.

The 5 States Beef Conference will return this fall with two meetings bringing timely beef industry updates to area producers. The first session will be held Tuesday, October 14 at the Beaver County Fair Building in Beaver, OK. Registration begins at 2:00 p.m. with the program running from 2:30 to 7:30 p.m. The second session will follow on Wednesday, October 15 at Frank Phillips College Rahll Campus in Dalhart, TX, with registration at 9:30 a.m. and the program scheduled from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

 The conference will feature a strong lineup of speakers addressing issues relevant to cow-calf, stocker, and feedlot operators. Topics include grazing efficiency, updates from current research, the economics of dairy beef crosses, grazing management in western rangelands, beef genetic technologies, herd expansion economics, and life cycle analysis of beef production systems.

 Speakers this year represent several land-grant universities across the region, including Oklahoma State University, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, West Texas A&M University, Kansas State University, and New Mexico State University. Presenters include Jason Smith, Emma Briggs, Paul Beck, Tim Steffens, Logan Thompson, Mozart Fonseca, Tommy Perkins, Merri Beth Day, and Jonathon Cammock.

According to Channel 9, State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced his resignation on Wednesday night on FOX News. 

He said he will now serve as CEO of Teacher Freedom Alliance.

Since Walters resigned, Gov. Kevin Stitt will have to find someone to finish off the rest of the term.  In March of 2025, Rep Ellen Pogemiller submitted a letter to the Attorney General requesting a formal opinion after she said Walters used state resources to promote TFA.

This happened last in Oklahoma in 2021, when Attorney General Mike Hunter resigned and John O’Conner was appointed to replace him.

Checking the Markets...

DTN reports that Southern live cattle were marked at $237, which is $3.00 lower than last week's weighted average. Northern dressed cattle traded at mostly $365, which is $6.00 lower than last week's weighted average. 

The drop in boxed beef prices accelerated on Thursday, with Choice Boxed Beef prices falling $5.42 to $371.97, the sixteenth straight session that choice prices have fallen, Select boxed beef was down $2.97 to $353.45, making it a $18.45 choice select spread on 158 loads, down from the 188 loads on Wednesday, which was the largest single day load total for 2025.

Woodward had 1,773 head on Thursday- Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers mostly steady. Steer calves 5.00 to 10.00 lower. Heifer calves steady. Demand was moderate. 

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