From: Ron Hays [ron@oklahomafarmreport.ccsend.com] on behalf of Ron Hays [ron@oklahomafarmreport.com]
Sent: Friday, September 05, 2008 06:13
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 Friday September 5, 2008!
A service of Producers Cooperative Oil Mill, Farm Credit Associations of Oklahoma and Midwest Farm Shows!
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-- Standardized COOL Affidavit Rolled Out- Groups to Meet with Bruce Knight Today.
-- One More Link on COOL Affidavit
-- International Buyers of US Wheat Buy on More Than Just Price
-- Next Tuesday- Learn About Plasticulture.
-- Northeast Oklahoma Water Quality Programs Expanding
-- Major Importer of US Soybeans Blesses Roundup ReadyII Technology
-- Montana Falls Off the Bangs Free Wagon
-- Let's Check the Markets!

Howdy Neighbors!

Here's your morning farm news headlines from the Director of Farm Programming for the Radio Oklahoma Network, Ron Hays. We are excited to have as one of our new sponsors for the daily email Producers Cooperative Oil Mill, with 64 years of progress through producer ownership. Call Brandon Winters at 405-232-7555 for more information about rotating some of your winter wheat acres into winter canola this year- and check out the full story on PCOM on their website by clicking here.

It's also great to have the Farm Credit Associations of Oklahoma with us regularly as an Email Sponsor- Financing Oklahoma is their business! Check out their website which shows their locations statewide by clicking here!
And our email this morning is also a service of Midwest Farm Shows, producer of the annual Tulsa Farm Show held each December, as well as the springtime Southern Plains Farm Show in Oklahoma City. 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.


Standardized COOL Affidavit Rolled Out- Groups to Meet with Bruce Knight Today.
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We reported last week that several groups got together last week to work on a standardized Affidavit for producers to comply with the new COOL law that officially kicks into place as of September 30. General farm groups, cattle industry groups and livestock marketers were those who put this document together.

"This was an unprecedented meeting," Livestock Marketing Association President Bobby Smith of Fairview, Oklahoma said. "And it made sense for LMA to be instrumental in putting it together, since America's livestock markets already move millions of livestock every year, from one owner to another. "We're pleased to work with our industry partners to develop the language of the necessary origin documentation, so that the ultimate goal of COOL - telling consumers where their meat comes from - is reached."

The President of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, Andy Groseta, says that his group wanted to make sure that producers would have a realistic way to comply. "Our goal was to create a simple, efficient, and effective means of declaring livestock origin from conception to consumer, and we believe this affidavit does exactly that. Producers can fill in information specific to their cattle and assert the origin of any animal being sold. Livestock marketers further along the ownership chain can use individual affidavits to create a single, combined affidavit for a group of animals."

The Livestock Marketing Association says that there are actually three documents that have come out of this process. Those documents include a "continuous" document that can be on file with a marketer that you regularly do business with. The second document can be used as a "stand alone" document for a specific transaction and the third document is specifically for cattle or other livestock being sold directly to a packer. We have a story with links to the actual "stand alone" affidavit and the letter that has gone out from all of the industry to the stakeholders.

Click here for our story on the COOL Affidavit on WWW.Oklahomafarmreport.com


One More Link on COOL Affidavit
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On Thursday afternoon- we were able to catch up with the new top hired hand in the Washington office of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association- Burton Eller. We talked with him about the process within the meeting- as well as the result.

What really impressed Eller was the willingness of everybody in the room to work together to find a solution that would be workable in as painless a way as is possible for cattle producers and others along the beef chain to satisfy the paper trail demanded by Country of Origin Labeling, which kicks off officially September 30.

We have our conversation with Burton linked below- we have published it as a Podcast in what we call our Ag Perspectives. We have three Podcasts that we post on an ongoing basis- and you can subscribe either at our website- or you can search and find us on Itunes in their podcast section. It's free and it's one more way that we are working to get our RON information out there to folks in the world of farming and ranching.

Click here for the conversation with Ron and Burton Eller on COOL Documents


International Buyers of US Wheat Buy on More Than Just Price
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While some will argue that US Wheat has been and will always be the seller of last resort because our wheat prices are much higher than other suppliers of wheat- that argument is not as true today as it once was when most of the wheat was sold to government buyers who cared little about quality a few years back.

Today, US Wheat Associates tell us that more and more of the wheat crop that is sold overseas is purchased by private buyers- and they want quality and reliability and consistency of supply.
"The demand for high-quality, hard wheat is growing every year," says Dick Prior, Regional Vice President for the Middle East, East Africa and North Africa with U.S. Wheat Associates (USW). "Yes, the world supply of wheat is up but more than 60 percent of that is soft wheat. The U.S. along with Australia and Canada are the primary sources of quality hard wheats and the U.S. is the most reliable supplier to more buyers." Sales of U.S. hard red winter (HRW) so far in marketing year 2008/09 back up the demand factor. USW Market Analyst Ian Flagg reports that at 7.8 million metric tons, U.S. HRW exports exceed 60 percent of U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates for the entire year.

Joe Sowers, USW Assistant Regional Director for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, says that in today's market environment, the value of reliability is more important. "Global buyers were able to source wheat from the U.S. last year when other exporters turned them away," Sowers notes. "For now, the fact remains that the U.S. is the first to harvest, the quality is exceptional and the Southern Hemisphere crop is still a question mark," Sowers says. "We remain optimistic that importers will continue to see the value of buying high quality U.S. wheat that meets their needs


Next Tuesday- Learn About Plasticulture.
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A Plasticulture Workshop has been planned at the P Bar Farms, on historic Route 66 between Weatherford and Hydro at 9:30 am this coming Tuesday September 9, 2008. The morning will start with a demonstration of the plasticulture application machinery furnished by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture.

Following the demonstration, P Bar Farms will provide lunch and the Farm Service Agency will give a program update. After lunch, the drip tape irrigation system will be connected. The use of plasticulture systems would offer a number of benefits to vegetable, ornamental nursery, small fruit and flower growers, and consumers. Horticultural crop producers face challenges for a consistent water supply and must constantly develop/adopt production technologies that promote more efficient use of land and water resources. Horticultural growers would benefit from the Plasticulture by having alternative methods of producing horticultural crops in an economical, ecological, and efficient system resulting in reduced chemical purchases; increased worker safety standards; more efficient harvesting with minimum pesticide residues; predictable, higher crop yields and quality; and ability to produce horticultural crops in an extended season.

The workshop is being sponsored by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Great Plains RC&D, Farm Services Agency, and P Bar Farms. For more information on this workshop, contact Larry Wright at the Great Plains RC&D offices- their number is 580-832-3661. We have a link below to more information on Plasticulture from the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture website.

Click here to learn more about Plasticulture


Northeast Oklahoma Water Quality Programs Expanding
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Scotty Herriman, President of the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts,says that a series of projects designed to address water quality issues in northeast Oklahoma will be expanded due to the success they have shown and the overwhelming support of local landowners.

According to Herriman, in 1998 the Oklahoma Conservation Commission in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began working with local Conservation Districts and local landowners to institute Best Management Practices (BMP's) in northeast Oklahoma to address non-point source pollution concerns in the watersheds of lakes Eucha and Spavinaw, two primary sources of drinking water for the City of Tulsa. With funding from the State of Oklahoma, matched at a rate of 60% to 40% by the EPA's Clean Water Act Section 319 Nonpoint Source Program, over 200 local land owners were able to implement BMP's such as riparian buffer restoration next to streams, proper pasture management, better management of chicken litter and other animal waste, and septic tank repair.

By taking these and other actions, landowners were able to help reduce the amount of phosphorus going into the lakes by over 30% in less than five years. Because of this success rate, the EPA and the Oklahoma Conservation Commission will inject an additional $1.5 million into the area and will extend the program for an additional two years. This new investment will result in over $5 million going on the ground in these two watersheds alone.

In addition, the City of Tulsa, the Oklahoma Scenic Rivers Commission, the USDA Farm Services Agency (FSA), the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the EPA, local Conservation Districts and the Conservation Commission are also all partnering on a Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) to do even more work in the Eucha- Spavinaw watershed and the Illinois River Watershed. Based on the CREP four to one match, local monies that are committed will turn into as much as twenty million dollars to further enhance water quality in these watersheds- a huge public/private investment in a relatively small area that has been the focus of much controversy over water quality. This type of investment will go a long ways to making concerns over water pollution in these watersheds a moot point.


Major Importer of US Soybeans Blesses Roundup ReadyII Technology
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Monsanto Company announced Thursday it has received regulatory approval in China for the importation of Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans. China imports accounted for approximately 38 percent of U.S. soybean exports in 2007, making it the largest purchaser of U.S. soybeans. This approval is a significant step forward in the commercialization of this highly-anticipated soybean technology.

Roundup Ready 2 Yield is the only second-generation biotechnology trait in soybeans to achieve regulatory approvals in the United States and key export markets like China, propelling it to be first to market with 2009 commercial sales. It is also the first in a series of game-changing technology platforms Monsanto is poised to launch for soybeans, corn and cotton.

Johnny Dodson, a soybean producer from Halls, Tenn. and first vice president of the American Soybean Association applauded the news. "China's approval of the Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybean prior to the 2009 seed-buying season is welcome news to U.S. soybean farmers," Dodson said. "Timely overseas regulatory approvals are critical because growers have rapidly adopted new biotech-enhanced seed varieties as they became available.
Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans are the second generation of the Roundup Ready technology farmers have used in soybeans since 1996. They will be introduced on 1 to 2 million acres for the 2009 season as part of a controlled commercial release, followed by a large-scale product launch of five to six million acres scheduled for 2010.


Montana Falls Off the Bangs Free Wagon
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The Montana Department of Livestock has announced this week that the USDA's Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service officially downgraded the state's brucellosis status from Class Free to Class A. Dr. Marty Zaluski, state veterinarian for the Montana Department of Livestock, said the downgrade comes as no surprise. "Everyone knew this was coming," Zaluski said. "This just makes it official."

Montana had been brucellosis-free since 1985, but the disease was found in a Bridger cattle herd in May of 2007. Per APHIS rules, the state had to remain brucellosis-free for 24 months after that discovery to maintain Class Free status. The process of downgrading Montana's status was initiated in June 2008 after a cow in Paradise Valley was found to be infected with the disease. Zaluski said the department has been working on a brucellosis action plan, and will reapply for Class free status as soon as possible, on May 27, 2009.

Montana's loss comes as Texas here in the southern plains is becoming officially Brucellosis free. Both Montana and Wyoming have had concerns about keeping Brucellosis out of their cattle herds, with the disease still active in their wildlife population- especially of elk. Contact with Elk was the likely cause of the cases that has cost Montana their Bangs Free status.


Our thanks to Midwest Farm Shows, Farm Credit Associations of Oklahoma and Producers Cooperative Oil Mill for their support of our daily Farm News Update. For your convenience, we have our sponsors' websites linked at the top of the email- check them out and let these folks know you appreciate the support of this daily email, as their sponsorship helps us keep this arriving in your inbox on a regular basis!

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


Let's Check the Markets!
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The overnight electronic trade in our ag futures saw prices tumble LOWER early this morning. After our grain and oilseed prices treaded water yesterday, Kansas City wheat has dropped 20 cents this morning, corn has fallen 14 cents and November soybeans are 37 cents lower in the electronic trade.

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- One Pager From Country Hedging- looks at all three US Wheat Futures Exchanges 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.



God Bless! You can reach us at the following:
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phone: 405-473-6144
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