Howdy Neighbors!

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler announced a suite of actions to strengthen the American beef industry, reinforcing and prioritizing the American rancher’s critical role in the national security of the United States. Since 2017, the United States has lost over 17% of family farms, more than 100,000 operations over the last decade.

The national herd is at a 75-year low while consumer demand for beef has grown 9% over the past decade. Because increasing the size of the domestic herd takes time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing now to make these markets less volatile for ranchers over the long term and more affordable for consumers.

“America’s food supply chain is a national security priority for the Trump Administration. We are committed to ensuring the American people have an affordable source of protein and that America’s ranchers have a strong economic environment where they can continue to operate for generations to come,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins. “At USDA, we are protecting our beef industry and incentivizing new ranchers to take up the noble vocation of ranching. USDA will immediately expedite deregulatory reforms, boost processing capacity, including getting more locally raised beef into schools, and work across the government to fix longstanding common-sense barriers for ranchers like outdated grazing restrictions.”

In a recent conversation Senior farm and ranch broadcaster Ron Hays spoke with Dr. Nevil Speer, beef industry consultant, to discuss President Donald Trump’s recent comments on beef prices — remarks that have stirred frustration among cattle producers.

Hays opened by noting that President Trump had “poured gasoline on the fire” with his social media post claiming credit for ranchers’ success and criticizing them for not understanding the impact of his tariffs. The President had said, “Cattle ranchers, who I love, don’t understand that the only reason they’re doing so well is because I put tariffs on cattle coming into the United States, including a 50% tariff on Brazil.”

Turning to Dr. Speer, Hays posed a hypothetical: “What if President Trump was on the other line wanting some advice? He says, ‘Nevil, I need some help what kind of magic have you got to make this thing really be better for all concerned, especially our cattle producers?’” Dr. Speer replied, saying, “That’s a really interesting question, Ron, because I was just telling my wife I had a line in one of my columns that I took out because it seemed a little snarky — that Donald Trump doesn’t understand the business.” He continued, “If he were going to call me, I would encourage him to be asking more questions of the business and learning the history and trying to understand the market before he starts to take action.”

AFR President Scott Blubaugh and the AFR Cooperative officer team have released this statement: “Years of drought, low cattle prices, high input costs, and rampant industry consolidation have left America’s ranchers operating in the red and discouraged them from expanding their herds, resulting in a U.S. cattle herd that’s the smallest it’s been since 1951.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on the future of America’s beef supply. “Farm families are no different from other American families. We feel the impact of higher grocery costs, but don’t get to set the prices. Meanwhile, farmers are suffering through an economic storm – expenses remain high, and cattle farms have been decimated by years of low prices, drought and the threat of the New World screwworm. 

Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. “While we appreciate the Trump administration’s ongoing support for ranchers and landowners, we strongly oppose the proposal to increase beef imports from Argentina. Importing beef from a country where foot and mouth disease is present poses a serious threat to the health of the U.S. cattle herd. It also undermines efforts to stabilize the market through natural herd rebuilding. 

Oklahoma is set for a significant weather shift this week, according to State Climatologist Gary McManus and data from the OCS/Mesonet Ticker. After a prolonged period of summer-like warmth, the state is preparing for the arrival of a major storm system that will usher in much-needed rain and mark the true start of “real fall” temperatures.

McManus notes that Oklahomans have been enjoying what he called a “glorious stretch of fall weather,” characterized by pleasantly warm days and cool mornings. However, that pattern is about to break. “Enjoy the next two days of light-jacket weather in the mornings and shorts in the afternoons,” McManus advised, “Because after that, real fall looks to intrude, and with it comes some decent chances for rain.”

The focus of the week is a significant storm system expected to arrive late Tuesday and persist through Wednesday and Thursday. This rainfall is considered crucial for the state, which has been experiencing abnormally dry conditions.

Mcmanus stresses the agricultural importance of the incoming moisture: “We need the moisture to stave off flash drought and to get the winter wheat crop up and going. This is a critical time for the wheat.”

According to a post on X from US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, some of the functions of the USDA’s Farm Service Agency will be restored today.

Secretary Rollins says “President Trump will not let the radical left Democrat shutdown impact critical USDA services while harvest is underway across the country. Today, USDA will resume Farm Service Agency core operations, including critical services for farm loan processing, ARC/PLC payments, and other programs.

“The president of the United States is standing up for our farmers while Democrats obstruct. Special thanks to our great USDA employees who continue to work without pay to serve our farmers and ranchers.” In a separate post- she adds “This Thursday, USDA will resume Farm Service Agency core operations, including critical services for farm loan processing, ARC/PLC payments, and other programs — over $3Billion in assistance farmers have counted on in their business planning decisions.”

According to the Protocols released by USDA about how the agency will function during the shutdown, FSA was one agency that was mentioned as being one that could be partially reopened.

Three land-grant universities are exploring whether producing energy from animal waste and cleaning wastewater can be achieved in one technology system. Three separate types of technologies already exist to generate energy by producing methane from animal waste. clean wastewater. recover phosphate from animal waste.

“They have all existed in their own silos, and scientists are always working to make these systems more efficient and less harmful to the environment,” said Kiranmayi Mangalgiri, assistant professor of water quality in the Oklahoma State University Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering.

Can scientists accomplish this by combining the technologies together? This is the question being asked by a team of researchers from OSU, Kansas State University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The project recently received a combined $6 million from the National Science Foundation.

Representatives After the collection and analysis of more than 2,250 samples of wheat collected from coast to coast, U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) has officially published the 2025 U.S. Crop Quality Report. The report, which is the 46th issued since 1979, provides essential, objective information to help global wheat buyers purchase the wheat they need at the best value possible.

“We are happy to share the 2025 U.S. Crop Quality Report, a detailed look at the high-quality wheat grown by U.S. wheat farmers and used by millers and bakers around the world,” said USW President and CEO Mike Spier. “This USW report reflects not only the quality of the 2025 crop, but also the hard work and commitment of U.S. wheat farmers. We’re proud to share the results of their efforts with our global partners.”

The 2025 report is supported by funding from the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) export market development programs and USW’s state wheat commission members. The report includes class-specific information, starting with samples collected during harvest.

In a recent media briefing hosted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, two leading experts debunked common myths surrounding seed oils. They offered a critical examination of the rise of ultra-processed foods. The discussion, moderated by Ellen Wilson, featured Dr. Matti Marklund and Dr. Julia Wolfson, who offered evidence-based insights into these highly debated dietary topics.

Dr. Matti Marklund, an assistant professor in the Department of International Health, opened the discussion by addressing the widespread online negativity surrounding seed oils. He emphasized their nutritional value, noting their affordability and versatility in cooking. “They are also an important source of healthy fats, especially linoleic acid, which is an essential Omega-6 fatty acid that the body cannot make on its own and must get from foods,” Dr. Marklund stated.

Contrary to claims from wellness influencers that these oils cause inflammation, Dr. Marklund pointed to a robust body of evidence showing the opposite. “Scientific studies consistently show that higher intake is linked to lower risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes,” he explained. 

Checking the Markets...

Choice Boxed Beef prices were mixed on Wednesday. Choice cutout value slipped $1.28 to $370.65, while Select increased $1.04 to $353.61, narrowing the Choice/Select spread to $17.04 on 153 loads.

OKC West had 7,395 head of cattle on Tuesday and Wednesday in El Reno- their manager Bill Barnhart offered this commentary on their Facebook page- "What a turn of events since last Wednesday. Uncertainty related to President Trump’s remarks about importing Argentine beef last week has created a lot of volatility in the markets this week. His remarks were followed by a limit down day in the futures Friday and another similar move today wiping out the gains achieved recently. The calf trade Tuesday was mostly unaffected but Wednesday feeder cattle were off 5.00-15.00. More uncertainty and volatility is expected."

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.

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