Howdy Neighbors!

State Climatologist Gary McManus Forecasts 70-Degree Temps and Zero Chance of Snow this Christmas. The cold snap that recently hit Oklahoma is already on its way out, setting the stage for a significantly warmer—and drier—holiday week.

In a recent interview, State Climatologist Gary McManus told Farm Director KC Sheperd that the recent chilly temperatures were the result of a “big blob of cold air” from the northeast that is moving quickly, rather than a lingering air mass from the Rockies. “When we see those come in, they tend to disappear pretty quickly,” McManus said. “By Saturday, we’ll be up in the 70s over parts of the state, probably. So, yeah, welcome to Christmastime.”

A Pattern of Warmth This warming trend fits a larger pattern Oklahoma has experienced since mid-September. McManus noted that with the exception of a few cold days in late October and November, the state has remained in a temperature regime that is consistently above normal.

At the Oklahoma National Stockyards during the final sale of the year on Monday, attention turned to a special rollover sale of a single calf that supported the All American Beef Battalion’s Steaks for Troops program. The calf was sold multiple times, with over $44,000 raised (with donations still being accepted)- that will push the amount raised over the years by National Livestock to $750,000.

Jon Fort, chairman of the board, explained to senior farm and ranch broadcaster Ron Hays that the mission behind the effort and his long personal involvement. “I’m the chair,” Fort said, as he reflected on how the organization has grown from a simple idea into a nationwide volunteer operation.

Fort traced his connection back to the very first event in April 2008, when he received a call asking if he could help feed deploying National Guard members in Olathe, Kansas. “We had 450 National Guardsmen that were being deployed to Iraq, and I said, ‘Sure. I’m not sure how, but we’ll get it done,’” Fort recalled. From that first meal, Fort and his partner steadily expanded their capacity, eventually building a fleet of trailers and equipment to serve troops across the country.

Senior farm and ranch broadcaster Ron Hays speaks with Bray Haven, executive vice president of Cattlemen’s Congress, as the countdown continues to the 2026 event in Oklahoma City. With entries now closed and the show less than a month away, Haven says the picture for planning purposes is becoming clear. “It always sneaks up on us quick,” Haven said. “You get to the end of the year, then people start showing up right after the new year, so we’re excited to welcome people back to Oklahoma City.”

Haven notes that entry numbers for the sixth annual Cattlemen’s Congress show encouraging momentum. “Our entries were up, actually, for the first time since 2022,” he explained, adding that the show has held steady in recent years at around 8,000 to 9,000 head. For 2026, entries came in “right around 8,200,” signaling renewed growth after several stable years.

That growth is spread across much of the show. “Sixteen of the 25 breeds had an increase over their average number that they’ve had at Cattlemen’s Congress,” Haven said. He believes that kind of across-the-board improvement “really speaks volumes to the support that we’ve gotten and to the buy-in that we’ve gotten from the seedstock industry.”

In a recent cow calf article Dr. Derrell Peel says Beef prices have become, unfortunately, the federal poster child for high food prices and concerns about consumer affordability. Much political attention is focused on high beef prices as part of broader inflationary concerns among numerous food items – resulting from tariffs and other macroeconomic factors.

Ironically, high beef prices are only coincidentally contributing to inflation concerns in that beef prices are high because of internal beef market fundamentals rather than systemic inflation factors. Strong beef supply and demand fundamentals mean that beef prices would be high even if there were no other inflation or macroeconomic concerns. Beef production is down year over year in 2025 and expected to decrease further in the next two years. Decreased beef production is the result of smaller U.S. calf crops for seven consecutive years since 2018. 

The feeder cattle supply continues to tighten as a result, leading to lower feedlot production, decreased cattle slaughter and lower beef production. The beef cow herd may stabilize temporarily into 2026 as a result of decreased beef cow culling in the last three years. However, there is currently no indication of significant heifer retention, and it will not be possible to hold the herd inventory stable, and certainly not to rebuild inventories, without additional heifer retention. 

For most farmers and ranchers, a pickup truck is a tool as essential as a tractor or a combine. However, unlike other equipment, trucks are often viewed as depreciating assets from the moment they leave the lot. Lyle Orwig, Chief Marketing Officer for the Certified Agriculture Group, is working to change that narrative.

Speaking with Oklahoma Farm Reports Maci Carter, Orwig detailed how the Certified Agriculture Group is transforming the truck-buying experience by bridging the gap between automotive dealers and the agricultural community.

The program’s core mission is certifying auto dealers to better serve farm and ranch customers. According to Orwig, the process isn’t just a label; it requires rigorous commitment. Dealerships must put their parts, service, and sales staff through a specialized video-based training program designed to help them understand the unique commercial needs of agriculture.

The United States and Mexico reached an understanding to meet the current water obligations of American farmers and ranchers and for Mexico to repay the water deficit in Texas as part of the 1944 Water Treaty. This agreement extends to the current cycle and the previous cycle’s water deficit.

“President Trump continues to put American farmers first and is finally holding our international partners accountable to their obligations and commitments. Once again, America is being treated fairly,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins. 

“Farmers across South Texas have been reeling from the uncertainty caused by the lack of water. Now they can expect the resources promised to them, thanks to President Trump’s leadership. I thank Mexico for their willingness to abide by the treaty and return to good standing with their past obligations. Mexico has delivered more water in the last year than in the previous four years combined. Although this is a step in the right direction, President Trump has been very clear: if Mexico continues to violate its commitments, the United States reserves the right and will impose 5% tariffs on Mexican products.”

The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) and Certified Crop Advisors (CCAs) welcome the recent announcement by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz regarding the new $700 million Regenerative Pilot Program. ARA applauds the Trump Administration’s commitment to voluntary, incentive-based conservation efforts that place farmers first and strengthen America’s food and fiber supply.

“ARA stands ready to collaborate with USDA, NRCS, and all agricultural partners to ensure the Regenerative Pilot Program strengthens producer profitability, enhances natural resources, and supports a resilient food and fiber system for generations to come,”said Hunter Carpenter, ARA’s Senior Director of Public Policy.

Agricultural retailers and the Certified Crop Advisers (CCAs) they employ have long been at the forefront of helping growers adopt practices that improve soil health, protect water quality, and enhance long-term productivity. Many regenerative agriculture principles—such as the 4R nutrient stewardship framework, no-till and strip-till systems, cover crops, variable-rate application, and grazing—are already implemented across the country.

In an Article by Steven Klose, Tiffany Lashmet, and Jordan Shockley they say: Managing a farm or ranch is hard to say the very least.  Running your own business of any kind is difficult, but the nature of production agriculture is particularly challenging.  Long production cycles seem to magnify every decision, while the feedback loop between decision and outcome is delayed and unclear.  Operating in a competitive environment with little-to-no market power or influence, ag producers are price takers when it comes to purchasing inputs and price takers when it comes to selling commodities.  

When it comes to the production process, you could say… weather takers.  Layer on top of this the pressure many producers feel of maintaining the family’s legacy, and it’s easy to get to the point of questioning “how much more can I take?” It is not lost on us and our team of Southern Ag Today authors that offering management advice on Monday mornings is a little like a football fan offering quarterback advice from the comfort of the recliner.  

We try to keep the tips, data, tools, and other information as relevant as possible, and one of our measuring sticks for topics is whether or not our producer audience actually has the time to do anything with the information.  Because we know your job is busy and overwhelming, we can confidently say you have no choice but to make time for today’s management topic.

Checking the Markets...

The livestock complex closed mixed Monday afternoon as traders desire to push the cattle contracts higher but aren't willing to do so until they know they have enough support to challenge the market's 100-day moving average. December live cattle closed $1.02 higher at $230.82, February live cattle closed $1.00 higher at $230.55 and April live cattle closed $0.62 higher at $230.02. 

Boxed beef prices closed higher: choice up $2.02 ($359.46) and select up $3.08 ($347.30) with a movement of 114 loads 

January feeders closed $0.82 higher at $339.92, March feeders closed $0.77 higher at $334.85 and April feeders closed $0.55 higher at $333.77.

Click here for our Markets Page on OklahomaFarmReport.Com- there you will find our latest reports on cattle auctions, boxed beef, cash grains and market analysis.

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