From: Ron Hays [ron@oklahomafarmreport.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 06:32
To: ron@oklahomafarmreport.com
Subject: Oklahoma's Farm News Update
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Oklahoma's latest farm and ranch news
Your Update from Ron Hays of RON for Wednesday March 21, 2007!
A service of Midwest Farm Shows
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-- Replacement for Monte Reese announced by Cattlemen's Beef Board.
-- Oklahoma Cattle Feeder Paul Hitch calls ethanol binge "insane"
-- Grain and Stocker Producers told in DC that Timeline for Farm Bill Very Aggressive
-- The final Oklahoma Youth Expo Premium Sale Number- $732,000!
-- South Korean President calls campaign against U.S. Beef into his country "not honest" while AFBF demands Korean access!
-- Today's Farm News on RON features Conservation heroes Paul Brown and Joe Jeter.
-- Unwanted Pesticide Disposals are slated for Durant and Miami in April.

Howdy Neighbors!

Here's your morning farm news headlines from the Director of Farm Programming for the Radio Oklahoma Network, Ron Hays. Our email this morning is a service of Midwest Farm Shows, featuring the Southern Plains Farm Show in Oklahoma City April 19-21, 2007, as well as the Tulsa Farm Show held each December. Check out details of both of these exciting shows at the official website of Midwest Farm Shows by clicking here.

If you have received this by someone forwarding it to you, you are welcome to subscribe and get this weekday update sent to you directly by clicking here.


Replacement for Monte Reese announced by Cattlemen's Beef Board.
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We were told earlier this winter by leaders of the Cattlemen's Beef Board that they would be taking their time in picking a new Executive Director of the CBB, the body that is responsible for collecting and spending the dollar a head beef checkoff nationally. The group has had an Oklahoman, Monte Reese, at its helm for the past 17 years. Reese announced early in 2007 that he would be retiring at the end of April. Apparently, the group decided there was no need to go anywhere and pay anyone to look for the right man for the job as they have abruptly announced the decision to promote from within and the CBB has named Tom Ramey as their new CEO, effective May 1, 2007.

“We talked about undertaking a search for a new CEO, but after extensive discussion, we determined that we had just what we needed right on the existing Beef Board staff,” said CBB Vice Chairman Dave Bateman, who chairs the Board’s Executive Committee. “We talked a lot about the types of competencies that we need in a new chief executive officer to keep leading the Beef Board and our staff in the right direction during the coming years, and we agreed that Mr. Ramey had the right combination of the administrative abilities, communications skills, integrity and character that we need.” Ramey has served as CFO for the Beef Board for about 13 years, whereby he has been responsible for all accounting and financial functions of the Board. Prior to his work for CBB, Ramey was an audit manager with a major accounting firm and was director of operations and director of worldwide internal audit for an international software company.

Reese said he is very pleased with the Executive Committee’s selection. “I am 100 percent supportive of the Executive Committee’s decision to move Tom into this position,” Reese said. “He has the knowledge, skills, management ability and, most important, the personal integrity to lead this program in the direction that best benefits the cattle producers and importers who fund this self-help program.” Beef Board Chairman Ken Stielow adds his support for Ramey saying "I have no doubt that we have made the right decision here.”


Oklahoma Cattle Feeder Paul Hitch calls ethanol binge "insane"
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Paul Hitch, President Elect of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, is featured in a Forbes Magazine article entitled "Ethanol's Growing List of Enemies." The article speaks of the livestock industry getting their backs up on the issue of subsidies for the ethanol industry.

Hitch, who operates Hitch Enterprises in Guymon is quoted in the Forbes Article as saying, "This talk about energy independence and wrapping yourself in the flag and singing God Bless America— all that's going to come at a severe cost to another part of the economy."

The livestock industry is not asking for a repeal of the tax break for ethanol- not or they calling for an immediate end to the tariff on imported ethanol- but they say those advantages should not be renewed as they come to the end of their current life. You can read the full article that is up in cyberspace by going to the link we have provided below.

Click here for the Forbes treatment on ethanol and the enemies being generated.


Grain and Stocker Producers told in DC that Timeline for Farm Bill Very Aggressive
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The Oklahoma Grain and Stocker Producers were told in Washington this past week by one the sharpest staffers with the House Ag Committee, Bryan Dierlam, that the current timeline is very aggressive- as Dierlam seems to be suggesting that getting a Farm Bill done by around Labor Day may be darned close to impossible. He did tell the OGSP that if nothing is coming together by the start of September, the Committee Chairman (Colin Peterson) may entertain a "short term" extension. He adds flatly that there will be NO complete reauthorization of current farm law- the money is not there to make that possible.

The House Ag Committee Economist adds that it will be very tough to give the National Association of Wheat Growers their top priority, a higher direct payment. “What are you willing to give up to get the higher direct payment? We all recognize the problems, but where do we come up with the money?” Dierlam said. “A common concern among all wheat producers is this: is there enough money in the budget to do something different?” Some said if agriculture had the budget they would ink out 2002 and write in 2007. However, the funding isn't there to extend the popular current farm bill wholesale. And, there is a lot of question that there is political wherewithal to be able to do that given the efforts by folks like Ron Kind that we wrote about yesterday.

Probably the single highest priority item on OG&SP's list of concerns was the recent defunding of $150 million of federal research earmarks which included the Oklahoma State University Wheat Pasture Research Facility. It is now unclear how those earmarks will be funded in the future AND there is much discussion of whether to wrap together federal Ag Research Service funds and those destined for the nation's land grant colleges into a single budgeting apparatus, a proposal that concerns OG&SP and other groups. Meanwhile, federal research dollars for applied ag research have been on a long-term declining trend, which is why earmarks have been used for some of the newer initiatives nationwide. Unfortunately for projects like the Marshall Wheat Pasture Research Station- it appears they got few promises as they tried to educate the Congressional delegation in Oklahoma about the shortfall- and talked to staffers from lawmakers from Kansas and Texas well. OGS&P was represented in Washington by new President Gary Read, El Reno; Vice President Dean Kieffer, Helena; David Von Tungeln, El Reno; Jerry Juhnke, Enid; and Candace Krebs, also of Enid.


The final Oklahoma Youth Expo Premium Sale Number- $732,000!
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It was just a few dollars under the sales total of last year, according to Melissa Eisenhauer of the Oklahoma Youth Expo. The $732,000 will likely grow by a few more dollars as various "add ons" come in for particular young people and their animals. This number is for the entire 195 animals that were selected for the 2007 Premium Sale.

Almost 15% of the total sale premiums were paid for the four Grand Champions at the very front end of the sale. Leading the way as the sale began was the $50,000 paid out as the winning bid to Risa Ridling of Sentinel FFA for "Ace", her Grand Champion Steer that was selected on Sunday.

Based on the rules of the 2007 Oklahoma Youth Expo, the owner of the Grand Champion Steer will carry home a substantial portion of that money. All owners of animals that land in the Premium sale pay a 5% commission in the sale for promotion and other expenses that help operate the Premium sale. In addition, a large bid like the $50,000 put together for the top Steer is subject to another 10% deduction that will revert to the Show's General Scholarship Fund. Still, Risa Ridling nets $42,500 as a payday for her Grand Champion Steer- not a bad day's work.


South Korean President calls campaign against U.S. Beef into his country "not honest" while AFBF demands Korean access!
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Someone besides the Minister of Agriculture in South Korea has decided to weigh in on the need to start accepting US beef, including bone-in beef, once again. That someone is President Roh Moo-hyun . He is quoted in today's Korea Times as saying that the import of American beef is inevitable even if South Korea fails to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States. In a meeting with farmers and fishermen in southern Seoul, he reiterated his commitment to the FTA, saying that he would debate with opponents after the signing of the deal. ``Do you really think that the American people will stop demanding the opening of the beef market?'' he said. ``Some people are waging a struggle that is not honest.''

The President and several analysts all seem to agree- that the Koreans will have little choice but to accept the demands of their most lucrative market for so many products, the United States. Those demands include a reduction immediately in tariffs on US autos, and a full resumption of US beef into South Korea- bones and all. Yesterday, the nation's largest general farm organization added its voice to the call for Korea to "open up" as American Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman says his group opposes a Free Trade Deal with Korea until the barriers against US beef are fully resolved. Stallman's comments came in testimony on Capital Hill.

While the beef trade is not a part of the FTA talks, the Koreans now seem to be admitting that the chances are slim and none for a positive FTA vote in the US Congress unless that is taken care of in advance of any scheduled vote. And the Koreans seem eager to get their most favored nation deal with the United States in time to ride in under the wire with President Bush as his Trade Promotion Authority expires this coming summer.


Today's Farm News on RON features Conservation heroes Paul Brown and Joe Jeter.
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We are featuring two of the winners from Monday's Conservation Day activities on this morning's Farm News from the Radio Oklahoma Network. You can access our daily farm news on our radio stations across the state- or you can check out the daily update 24/7 by going to our web site and clicking on the button on the right hand side of the page, Listen to Ron!

That will take you to a page where we have a link to the daily morning report, as well as schedules for several of our radio stations from across the state that carry Ron on RON!

This morning, we have linked directly to the audio report for you to check out- just click below and you'll hear all of our morning farm news, including comments from Joe Jeter of Copan, State winner as a District Cooperator in Conservation and Paul Brown of Chickasha, District Director honoree this week during Conservation Day.

Click here to listen to Ron and the Morning Farm News report from the Radio Oklahoma Network!


Unwanted Pesticide Disposals are slated for Durant and Miami in April.
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The next Unwanted Pesticide Disposals are scheduled for April 3, 2007 8:00 am to 1:00 pm Bryan Agri-Products Durant, 210 N. Katy St Durant, OK and April 5, 2007 8:00 am to 1:00 pm Ottawa County Fairgrounds Miami, OK This is for people in production agriculture (farmers, ranchers, greenhouses, and nurseries), certified applicators, and pesticide dealers. Please no homeowners at this time. No questions asked all farmers/ranchers and other participants will remain anonymous. This collection will take only pesticides no other hazardous waste will be accepted such as oil, paint, antifreeze etc.

For more information please see the flyer linked below that we have on our website. You can also call Charles Luper OSU Pesticide Safety Education Program at 405-744-5808 or Sandy Wells Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry at 405- 522-5993.

Click here for details on next Unwanted Pesticide Disposal Sites- coming in April!


Our thanks to Midwest Farm Shows for their support of our daily Farm News Update. Go to their website at the link at the top of today's email for more information on either the Tulsa Farm Show or the Southern Plains Farm Show.

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



God Bless! You can reach us at the following:
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