Howdy Neighbors!

Don't forget the Milk and Cookies! Santa Claus is coming to town!

The Stockyards City Cowboy Christmas Parade brought a special guest to Oklahoma City this year. Amid the festive atmosphere, the Oklahoma Farm Reports’ own Maci Carter had the unique privilege of visiting with the man in red himself: Santa Claus.

Despite centuries of delivering gifts, Santa shared that the magic of the job hasn’t faded. When asked what keeps the night special after all this time, his answer was simple. “The smiles on the children,” Santa said. “Nothing compares with the smiles on the children on Christmas morning when they open that special present”.

As the big night approaches, children across Oklahoma are undoubtedly wondering where they stand on Santa’s list. Santa revealed that behavior seems to be improving, noting that the “naughty list is down a little bit this year”.

However, before returning to his sleigh, Santa took a moment to reflect on the deeper meaning of the holiday. For him, the season is defined by the themes of Advent—Hope, Joy, Love, and Peace—and by the holiday’s origin. “Christmas… what it’s all leading up to… is about a present,” Santa said. “Not lots of presents, but that very first Christmas present that was left in a manger for all of us. That’s what we’re celebrating”.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” — Isaiah 9:6 (KJV)

In Western Oklahoma, the cotton harvest is usually a race against the clock and the weather. But this week at Green Acres Farm in Canute, the harvest became a race to help a friend. Farm Director KC Sheperd was on site as the local agricultural community gathered to surprise producer Robert Luttmer, who has been battling cancer, by harvesting the remainder of his cotton crop.

According to longtime friend and U.S. Custom Harvester David Misener, Luttmer has been doing well with his treatments but has struggled to maintain the grueling schedule required to finish the harvest. “He’s struggling trying to get his crop harvested,” Misener explained. “He’s got appointments every once in a while. Some days he ain’t getting done until after 11:00, and sometimes even 1:00. The community talked about it and thought, ‘Let’s help him out.’

The event was organized as a surprise. While most producers in the area had already completed their own harvests, they brought their equipment back out into the field for Luttmer. The turnout was substantial. Misener estimated that seven cotton strippers and six tractors were on site, along with numerous support vehicles and a community-provided meal for the workers.

In this special holiday edition of your Beef Buzz, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays features retired Beef Cattle Specialist Dr. Glenn Selk who offers his explanation about how Santa’s Reindeer are the perfect for the jolly old man as he travels around the world on Christmas Eve.

Dr. Selk says Reindeer are the perfect match for Santa. “Let’s look into some key facts about reindeer that may help us understand how they transport Ole St. Nick on his appointed rounds over the world. First of all, historians report that reindeer have been domesticated by humans for over 5,000 years. Since Santa himself is no spring chicken, we can assume that they have worked together for quite a while. They should not have any trouble finding their way around. There is no need to worry about them getting lost.

We do know that reindeer are like ruminants. They are like cattle in this regard. They have four compartments to their stomach. Of course, Santa gets them filled up with hay before he leaves the North Pole, so they should have plenty of feed stored in the four compartments to make it all around the globe. Also, cattle nutritionists have known for years that hay digests more slowly than grain, therefore the big meal that the reindeer eat before the journey should last even longer.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today issued a transit permit to Mr. S. Nicholas Claus of the North Pole, a distributor with Gifts and Good Cheer, Inc. The permit will allow reindeer to enter and exit the United States between the hours of 6 p.m. on Dec. 24, 2025, and 6 a.m. on Dec. 25, 2025, local time, through or over any U.S. border port.

“USDA is delighted to grant Mr. Claus and his reindeer a special permit to enter the United States, ensuring a seamless journey for the joy they bring each holiday season,” said Dudley Hoskins, Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. “We extend a warm welcome to Mr. Claus and recognize the vital role of U.S. whole milk and cookies in fueling his festive flight.”

Veterinary officials ensured the reindeer met all entry requirements before issuing the permit. Dr. Rosemary Sifford, USDA’s Chief Veterinary Officer, stated: “At a recent inspection, the reindeer were found to be healthy and able to prance and paw with each hoof.”

The following statement was issued by Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Stacy Simunek following the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma’s judgment in the State of Oklahoma v. Tyson Foods, Inc., lawsuit, which outlined penalties for poultry companies and a 30-year remediation plan for the Illinois River watershed.

“Oklahoma Farm Bureau members are disheartened by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma’s judgment against poultry companies in the decades-long State of Oklahoma v. Tyson Foods, Inc., lawsuit.

“Family poultry producers will be the first to feel the negative impacts of this decision. Tyson Foods has already announced their intentions to allow contracts with local poultry producers to expire, leaving farm families on the hook to pay for their own poultry facilities and operations with no source of income. As a result, millions of dollars of economic activity are at risk of leaving eastern Oklahoma’s rural communities.

Xcel Energy, operated by Southwestern Public Service Company, is to blame for the largest wildfire in the history of the state of Texas in 2024, the state of Texas said in a new lawsuit filed on Dec. 16. According to a story from DTN, the state is trying to recover economic and other damages from the fires that caused more than $1 billion in losses, including to farmers, ranchers and local communities in the Texas Panhandle.

The Smokehouse fire started in Texas but eventually spread into Ellis County in western Oklahoma. It burned an estimated 31,596 acres Roger Mills and Ellis counties. On the same day, the Catesby Fire scorched 90,699 acres in Ellis County, and the Slapout Fire burned an estimated 26,048 acres in Beaver County. Total damages from all three fires in Oklahoma in 2024 were estimated at $32.9 million.

The Smokehouse Creek fire that started at the end of February 2024 took the lives of three Texans, destroyed more than 15,000 head of cattle and burned over 1 million acres, the lawsuit alleges, and was started by the utility company’s lack of maintenance of utility poles in the region. Southwestern operates in the region as Xcel Energy.

Man, it feels like this year just flew by! It has been a special year watching my girls do the things they love, and I’ve enjoyed doing what I love—bringing radio reports to all of you.

Around rural Oklahoma, Christmas means faith, family, and hoping the cattle don't get out while you’re gone! I’m so thankful that radios still work in the pickup halfway across the pasture or inside the tractor cab. I truly appreciate you letting me be a part of your lives through agriculture and the airwaves.

Christmas can be stressful between buying the right gifts, avoiding politics at the dinner table, and navigating family dynamics. However, it gives me such comfort knowing that God already has this crazy world figured out. My Grandma Leona's favorite song was "I Know Who Holds Tomorrow." If there is any blessing I could give you, it is the peace of those lyrics: I know who holds tomorrow, and I know who holds my hand.

I pray for a prosperous 2026 for all of you. So, this Christmas, here’s to timely rains, good crops, strong cattle prices, and faith, family, and friends around the dinner table. Thank you for letting my family be a small part of yours. Thank you all for helping us tell the Story of Ag. Merry Christmas!

PS, if anyone needs a Christmas Eve Service to join, Crossings and I would be happy to have you! (I Promise its awesome! Times listed below)

It’s been quite the year in the Hays household- as Jan and I attempt to keep up with five families(son and daughters) and the ten grandkids that quickly are growing up.(Youngest two are pictured with us above) We are blessed because of each of you that continue to let us tell you the latest news in the world of farming and ranching- and even after doing this for fifty five years- I am amazed that I get to do this.

I have shared before from a little book that is decades old- written by one of the farm broadcast pioneers from the earliest days of radio- Samuel Guard (He actually put WLS Radio on the air in Chicago to get information out to farm community)- he wrote down prayers for an entire year- and one of his at the Christmas season means a lot to me- I share it with you now:


Sore afraid, too, we who are wont to abide in the fields watching our flocks, come now to kneel as in a stable, Lord, back of an inn, just as the angel told us. And lo, in a manger we found thine only begotten Son.



Given by our Father in Heaven that we other children should not perish from the earth.



Immanuel! Prince of Peace! In a manger! A lowly manger- Might have been our Manger. Where stood the star!



For Such is the Kingdom- Amen.

My prayer for each of you this Christmas is that you understand in the middle of all of the chaos of the season- Jesus is THE GIFT- and God wants you to have His Gift- right now and forever more.

Checking the Markets...

To no one's real surprise, following Monday's stronger trade, the live cattle complex is back to trading lower as the market's resistance at its 100-day moving average remains a difficult barrier to conquer. February live cattle settled down $1.42 at $230.00 while April live cattle are down $1.05 at $230.02 and June live cattle are down $0.82 at $224.12.

Choice Boxed Beef crashed on Tuesday- falling $7.10 to $355.77. Select Beef was also lower- dropping $1.10 to $349.59. The Choice/Select spread narrowed to $6.59 with 138 loads reported.

Grain elevator bids across wheat country in Oklahoma were higher on Tuesday- ranging mostly from $4.38 to $4.58- up six and three quarters of a cent for hard red winter wheat.

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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