Category: Ag News

Cooperative Ventures, a venture capital fund formed by North America’s leading agricultural cooperatives, today announced its first investment in Sabanto, a hardware and software company on the forefront of developing autonomous capabilities in tractors. Sabanto, founded in 2018, is deploying fully-autonomous machinery performing row crop field operations throughout the U.S. “We’re very enthusiastic about the …

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Fri, 04 Nov 2022 08:28:51 CDT

Fifteen farm and ranch women leaders graduated today from the fall session of Women’s Communications Boot Camp hosted by the American Farm Bureau Federation.

The intensive four-day course co…

Fri, 04 Nov 2022 08:24:44 CDT

Gross Receipts to the Treasury for the past 12 months surpassed last month’s record high of $17 billion by more than $200 million, State Treasurer Randy McDaniel announced today.

Twelve-month …

Fri, 04 Nov 2022 08:00:09 CDT

The National Chicken Council (NCC) today delivered public comments at a U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) virtual meeting about the agency’s recently announ…

Fri, 04 Nov 2022 03:41:31 CDT

Woodward Livestock Auction
Thu Nov 3, 2022

AUCTION
This Week            3,512
Last Reported   &nbs…

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 15:17:32 CDT

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture are now putting the Daily Cash Grain Report into a PDF format – we are saving that PDF and archiving them for today’s specific report. To see today’s update, click on the PDF report link at the bottom of this story.

In addition to the PDF of the daily report, you can also listen to the Cash Grain Report by calling 405-621-5533. Push 2 for the grain report.

Click here: 04971_OklaCashGrain11032022.pdf

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 13:39:37 CDT

By Trisha Gedon

Some days, it can be a scramble to get a healthy dinner on the table due to sports practices, dance lessons, club meetings and other activities. Dinner time can be hectic without a plan.

Jessica Riggin, Oklahoma State University Extension educator and Lincoln County Extension director, said meal planning is a good way to serve healthy meals and save money on the grocery budget.

“With a meal plan, you determine the menu for the week and make a shopping list. When shopping, buy only what’s needed for those planned meals,” she said. “You save money with less impulse shopping and also save time by not making extraneous trips to the store throughout the week.”

Riggin suggests meal planning for your family’s biggest meal of the day, which for most people is the evening meal. Without a plan, it can be easy to fall into the habit of pizza delivery or drive-thru meals, which typically aren’t as healthy and are more expensive.

Riggin said she plans an entire month of meals at a time, but someone just starting out could start with two or three meals a week and work up from there. Print off a blank calendar page to keep track of the planned meals.

“The great thing about meal planning is it’s catered to the specific needs of your family,” she said. “Look at your calendar and determine what nights you or your children have activities. Activities can influence what kind of meal to plan for that evening. Do you need something quick so you can make it to the ballgame? A slow-cooker meal could be an option. You can even put a drive-through meal or pizza delivery on your calendar. The point is you’ve planned for it.”

Consider theme nights to ease the planning process, such as soup night, sheet-pan dinners, slow-cooker meals, breakfast for dinner, grilling night, etc. Riggin said if possible, cook a bigger meal on the weekend and plan to repurpose the leftovers another night during the week. Be sure to plan side dishes along with the main course.

“Try oven roasted vegetables for a different taste. A little olive oil and seasonings can change up the flavor and may entice picky eaters to give it a try,” she said. “Sometimes, it takes several exposures before a child develops a taste for a particular food. Frozen vegetables are just as healthy as fresh, and the quality is good all year long. However, do take advantage of fresh in-season fruits and vegetables.”

Vegetables can be served in a variety of ways, such as steamed, roasted, raw, in a stir fry or with a sauce. Each cooking method changes the flavor and texture. Someone may not like raw broccoli but can’t get enough of it roasted.

Get the family involved in choosing recipes, shopping for ingredients and cooking the meals, said Riggin. These are good life skills for everyone to have. Look at online recipe sites for new ideas. Be sure to read through each recipe to ensure it fits your health goals and lifestyle.

“Another great tool to help with meal planning is the USDA’s MyPlate website. It offers guidance for all age groups as well as healthy recipes on a budget and helps with setting personal goals for healthy eating,” Riggin said. “Consumers can also sign up to receive tips, recipes and more through email that can be incorporated into your meal plan.”

OSU Extension offers additional nutrition information online. Contact the nearest OSU Extension county office for more tips on meal planning, health and wellness.

Watch Riggin demonstrate healthy cooking tips and recipes on OSU Agriculture’s Oklahoma Gardening television show.

OSU Extension uses research-based information to help all Oklahomans solve local issues and concerns, promote leadership and manage resources wisely throughout the state’s 77 counties. Most information is available at little to no cost.

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 13:14:58 CDT

The U.S. Grains Council’s (USGC’s) Middle East, Africa and Europe regional office in Tunis, Tunisia, recently sponsored training for poultry industry representatives from the West African countries of Ghana and Ivory Coast. Collaborating with FISA’s (The Moroccan Poultry Association’s) training center, the Council is focused on educating West African poultry farmers and association members on all aspects of production and management including the technical knowledge and practical experience necessary to address industry challenges in their respective countries.

In October, using U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Section 108 funds, the Council hosted 22 poultry industry professionals from Ghana and Ivory Coast for a one-week program in Morocco to learn more about the best practices of poultry farming and nutrition.

“The markets across West Africa are growing and developing, and the demand for higher protein animal products is increasing. The Council is committed to supporting the development of the feed and livestock markets in the region, specifically the feed and poultry industry across West Africa,” said Kurt Shultz, USGC senior director of global strategies. “Emerging markets based in West Africa face several challenges including poor-quality feed; inefficient warehousing and storage; low productivity of producers; and inadequate safety and security of poultry products, among other challenges.”

To address technical problems in the industry in West Africa, the Council is leveraging its long-time partnership with FISA’s training center, Avipole, as a site for providing practical training to stakeholders. In 2017, the Council began organizing poultry management training short courses at the center, with FISA supporting the development and oversight of these short courses.

“The program held in October by FISA coincided with the Poultry Show “Dawajine” in Morocco. The West African delegation had the chance to visit their Moroccan counterparts and, as a result, expressed their interest to form an African Confederation for Poultry Development,” said Dr. Ait Boulahsen, USGC consultant in Morocco. “This new regional association will create a new dynamic for capacity building in West African countries and will help the industry leverage and tackle obstacles to improve the cost of poultry production and quality of poultry meat to the final consumer within West Africa,” Boulahsen said.

This new confederation is an exciting development as the poultry industries across West Africa come together to address the larger constraints to their development. This means they will be leading the effort and embrace the opportunity to collaborate with the Council and Moroccan industry leaders to develop a modern poultry industry across the region – all part of the Council’s mission – to develop markets, enable trade and improve lives.

To read more about the Council’s work with the Middle East and Africa region, click here.

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 11:44:35 CDT

After hearing from constituents at recent town hall meetings and directly from rural and family-owned pharmacies who serve Oklahoma veterans, military family patients, and military patients themselves, Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03) yesterday sent a letter to Lieutenant General Ronald Place, the Director of the Defense Health Agency (DHA), expressing his concerns regarding the recent pharmacy contract that resulted in the separation of 15,000 independent or community pharmacies from the TRICARE system.

“Oklahoma is home to more than 290,000 veterans and thousands of active-duty military members and families who depend on TRICARE. I proudly represent many rural veterans who live in Oklahoma’s Third District and like many of them, I share deep concerns with recent changes announced by ESI regarding military beneficiary access to pharmacies as outlined by TPharm5. In my district alone, there are over 67 pharmacies who will no longer be a part of the ESI Pharmacy Services Administrative Organization (PSAO’s).”

As recently as 2021, over 56,000 pharmacy retailers were recognized within the TRICARE network. TRICARE beneficiaries include active-duty service members, veterans, and their families. However, as a result of ESI’s newly negotiated contract on behalf of DHA, nearly 15,000 pharmacy retailers are no longer part of the TRICARE network, as of October 24th. The exodus of pharmacy retailers leaving the network leaves roughly 400,000 beneficiaries living in suburban, rural, and underserved communities with limited access to care- including thousands in Oklahoma’s Third Congressional District.

You can read the full letter here or below:

Lieutenant General Place,

Every military service-member and TRICARE beneficiary that serves our country deserves to have easy access to Department of Defense military health care and benefits they have dutifully earned. As you are aware, on October 24, 2022, a new pharmacy contract known as TPharm5 took effect. Led by Cigna/Express Script (ESI), one immediate effect of the new contract was the separation of 15,000 independent or community pharmacies from the TRICARE system. In addition to the 15,000 independent or community pharmacies, the severance will impact approximately 400,000 beneficiaries.

Oklahoma is home to more than 290,000 veterans and thousands of active-duty military members and families who depend on TRICARE. I proudly represent many rural veterans who live in Oklahoma’s Third District and like many of them, I share deep concerns with recent changes announced by ESI regarding military beneficiary access to pharmacies as outlined by TPharm5. In my district alone, there are over 67 pharmacies who will no longer be a part of the ESI Pharmacy Services Administrative Organization (PSAO’s). Enclosed is a list provided by ESI, which provides further details of the list of independent or community pharmacies who are no longer considered in-network through TRICARE. Please keep in mind this list solely covers independent or community pharmacies and does not include numerous pharmacy locations from chain-retail companies such as Wal-Mart who are no longer participating in TPharm5.

I, along with thousands of rural veterans and military beneficiaries who have been impacted by the Department’s actions are alarmed there are numerous independent or community pharmacies that may have unknowingly been dropped given the short notice to affirmatively respond to ESI. Our military beneficiaries, and especially our rural veterans, depend on local and independent community pharmacies for medications that are crucial to their health and well-being. Given my strong concerns coupled with critical feedback I’ve received from my veterans and local pharmacists, I am requesting answers to my questions by Monday, November 14, 2022.

1. I am told the original date for execution of TPharm5 was December 31, 2022. Because of concerns of rolling out TPharm5, it’s my understanding the decision for implementation on October 24, 2022, was made to avoid disruptions during the holiday season. Instead of rolling out TPharm5 two months early, why wasn’t the program delayed by two months to avoid confusion and provide stakeholders more time to prepare for changes?

2. If an independent or community pharmacy was unaware of ESI’s October 24, 2022 deadline and they are interested in joining TPharm5, what steps is DHA and ESI taking to ensure interested pharmacies are able to re-join?

3. Is there data used in the decision-making process for TPharm5 that states military beneficiaries prefer delivery of prescriptions through mail as opposed to a brick-and-mortar pharmacy?

4. How were military beneficiaries notified their current pharmacy will no longer be a part of TPharm5? By what methods and how many times were individual military beneficiaries notified?

5. Will you commit to DHA hosting a virtual townhall, so they can hear from military beneficiaries, as well as independent and community pharmacies who wish to provide feedback on the implementation process?

I urgently request your response to these questions.