Howdy Neighbors!

Here's your morning farm news headlines from the Director of Farm Programming for the Radio Oklahoma Network, Ron Hays. We are proud to have KIS Futures as a regular sponsor of our daily email update. KIS Futures provides Oklahoma Farmers & Ranchers with futures & options hedging services in the livestock and grain markets- Click here for the free market quote page they provide us for our website or call them at 1-800-256-2555- and their IPHONE App, which provides all electronic futures quotes is available at the App Store- click here for the KIS Futures App for your Iphone.

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The four lawmakers issued the following joint statement:

"Agriculture has a long legacy of bipartisanship and today the House and Senate Agriculture Committees are preserving that tradition. In the coming weeks, we will continue working with our House and Senate colleagues to provide the Joint Select Committee a detailed set of policy recommendations for achieving these important savings."

A part of the text of the letter sent by the four lawmakers is below.

Dear Chairwoman Murray and Chairman Hensarling:

Pursuant to Section 401(b)(3)(ii) of the Budget Control Act of 2011, the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry and the Chair and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Agriculture (the Agriculture Committees) recommend to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (the Joint Committee) $23 billion in net deficit reduction from mandatory programs within our jurisdiction.

As you know, the Agriculture Committees reauthorize most of the mandatory and discretionary spending programs in our jurisdiction every five years through omnibus legislation commonly known as the Farm Bill. The current Farm Bill expires in 2012, and the Agriculture Committees have been working diligently on the many important policies we consider in this reauthorization process.

Click here to see a complete copy of the letter

"EPA has repeatedly said that it has no plans to tighten regulations of dust. As further proof and upon careful consideration of the scientific record, analysis by Agency scientists, and advice from the independent Clean Air Science Advisory Council, EPA recently wrote Congress that it is prepared to propose to keep the current standard for PM10 when it is sent to OMB for interagency review.

"EPA hopes that this action finally puts an end to the myth that the Agency is planning to expand regulations of "farm dust"."

Click here for more on this statement from EPA and the letter from Jackson to the Senator

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) and the Public Lands Council (PLC) also welcomed news from EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson that the decision has been made to retain the current coarse particulate matter (dust) standard.

"This is refreshing news. The consequences of EPA regulating farm dust at levels twice as stringent as the current standard would have undoubtedly forced many farmers and ranchers into nonattainment, which would have resulted in enormous fines and would have jeopardized the future of many farms and ranches," said Bill Donald, NCBA President. "While we are pleased with Administrator Jackson's decision to lean on common sense and science, this issue is far from resolved."

Click here for more from NCBA and PLC.

The National Corn Growers Association President Garry Niemeyer released the following statement in response to the House and Senate Agriculture Committees' proposed reductions in farm bill spending:

"NCGA appreciates the bipartisan work of the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Ag Committees to reach an agreement on farm bill spending reductions. Our farmers have previously stated we are willing to do our part to help reduce the deficit.

Click here for more from the National Corn Growers Association.

The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC) also praised the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's announcement definitively stating to Congress that the agency will not regulate farm dust.

"EPA's decision today acknowledges common sense and sound science-rural dust does not pose a health threat at everyday background levels," said Chuck Conner, president & CEO of NCFC. "It is important that farmers and ranchers across rural America have some certainty about what the rules of the game are going to be, and this announcement helps to begin to provide that on the issue of dust regulation."

Click here for the rest of NCFC's statement regarding dust regulations

When Birdwell served as national president, it was the first year that girls were allowed to be members and he says it has been a great thing for the organization ever since. Also, the year that Birdwell served, he says they spent a lot of time with President Richard Nixon, talking with members and leadership in Congress, and on many national news programs, like the Today Show.

Click here to LISTEN to our conversation with Harry Birdwell as he reflects on his time as National FFA President.

Burlington FFA member, Seth Hankey, has been selected as a finalist for one of the National FFA organization's top star awards. Hankey is a finalist in the American Star in Agricultural Placement for 2011. These star awards recognize students who have developed outstanding agricultural skill and competency through their career development programs.

Hankey says the Agricultural Placement award is when the FFA member works for a farmer that owns all the equipment and the member does the work for the farmer. The FFA member gets to use all of the equipment and use it to their benefit to help them out on the farm says Hankey.

Each star finalist receives $2,000 from the National FFA Foundation and earns the opportunity to participate in an international experience tour to Costa Rica. A panel of judges will interview the finalists and select one winner for each award at the upcoming National FFA Convention. Winners that are selected will receive an additional $2,000 award.

Click here to watch a video of our interview with Seth Hankey as he prepares for National Convention.

Undoubtedly there are several factors behind the $13/cwt. increase in the Choice Select spread over the past 8 weeks. First, total beef production is falling; beef production has been below year ago levels for 8 of the last 9 weeks. Secondly, cow slaughter is currently a higher percentage of total slaughter compared to last year which means that the decrease in fed beef is even more pronounced than the total would imply. A third factor is that the Choice grading percentage in 2011 has remained mostly even with year ago levels.

For the past several years, a growing Choice grading percentage has contributed to a generally narrow Choice/Select Spread. These factors all combine to result in lower total beef supplies and proportionately lower Choice supply compared to Select beef supply. The unusual demographics of this year contributed to these changes and more impacts are expected in the coming months. The drought forced many younger, smaller cattle into feedlots, which is likely to temper carcass weights and may continue to limit Choice grading percent. High feed costs and lack of feedlot profitability is a growing incentive to minimize days on feed which is likely to further limit Choice grading percentage.

Click here for more from Dr. Derrell Peel and his latest cattle market analysis

When it comes to our fall-planted crops- "Planting of small grains and canola continued, though all activities were behind normal. Seedbed preparation for wheat ground was 94 percent complete by week's end and planting reached 63 percent complete, up 16 points from the previous week, but still 12 points behind normal. Wheat emerged was 32 percent complete, 19 points behind the five-year average. Canola seedbed preparation was virtually complete by the end of the week, while planting reached 81 percent complete. Thirty-five percent of canola had emerged by Sunday, 17 points behind last year.

Most row crops continued to be rated poor to very poor, while peanut conditions continued to be rated mostly from good to fair. The corn harvest was 90 percent complete by week's end. Sorghum coloring was 87 percent complete, 13 points behind the previous year. Sixty-one percent of sorghum had matured, and 32 percent was harvested by Sunday. Soybeans setting pods reached 94 percent complete, and 40 percent were mature by week's end, 22 points behind the five-year average. Only 13 percent of soybeans had been harvested, 17 points behind normal. Sixty-three percent of peanuts had matured by Sunday and 12 percent were dug, 33 points behind the five-year average. Cotton plants opening bolls reached 80 percent complete by week's end, 14 points behind normal."

When it comes to hay production and cutting, very little hay was cut over the last week. Third cuttings of alfalfa were 56 percent complete, and only seven percent of the state had completed a fourth cutting, compared to a five-year average of 99 percent. A second cutting of other hay reached 55 percent complete by Sunday, 27 points behind normal.

Click here for the complete Crop Weather Update as of Monday, October 17, 2011

The lease auctions of the School Land Commission continue today in the Panhandle- in Boise City this morning and in Guymon this afternoon- and tomorrow the auction moves on to Woodward with leases available from several counties in that area. Click here for more from the School Land Commission website about what leases are available here in the fall of 2011. Available there is both a PDF of the schedule of auctions as well as a county by county listing of the leases available.

Finally, we got a picture forwarded to us from Clay Pope of the OACD that shows one of his greatest fears- top soil in the air. This particular shot is in Lubbock- with the inside of the Red Raider football stadium for reference. Click here and take a look- and see first hand the impact of drought here in the southern plains.

We also invite you to check out our website at the link below to check out an archive of these daily emails, audio reports and top farm news story links from around the globe.

Click here to check out WWW.OklahomaFarmReport.Com

Here are some links we will leave in place on an ongoing basis- Click on the name of the report to go to that link:
Our Daily Market Wrapup from the Radio Oklahoma Network with Ed Richards and Tom Leffler- analyzing the Futures Markets from the previous Day-
Ron on RON Markets as heard on K101 mornings with cash and futures reviewed- includes where the Cash Cattle market stands, the latest Feeder Cattle Markets Etc.
Previous Day's Wheat Market Recap- Two Pager From The Kansas City Board of Trade looks at all three US Wheat Futures Exchanges with extra info on Hard Red Winter Wheat and the why of that day's market.
Daily Oklahoma Cash Grain Prices- As Reported by the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture.
The National Daily Feeder & Stocker Cattle Summary- as prepared by USDA.
The National Daily Slaughter Cattle Summary- as prepared by USDA.
Finally, Here is the Daily Volume and Price Summary from the Texas Cattle Feeders Association.