From: Ron Hays [ron@oklahomafarmreport.ccsend.com] on behalf of Ron Hays [ron@oklahomafarmreport.com]
Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2010 5:52 AM
To: Hays, Ron
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 Thursday July 29, 2010
A service of Producers Cooperative Oil Mill, Midwest Farm Shows and KIS Futures!
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-- Congressman Lucas No fan of GIPSA Livestock Market Rules Overhaul
-- A Legend in Animal Well Being- Dr. Temple Grandlin Talks Practical Animal Care and Handling
-- Forrest Roberts Explains NCBA's Response to Audit of Their Handling Beef Checkoff Monies
-- NPPC Likes Move by House Ag Committee to Advance Mandatory Livestock Reporting
-- Soe, Hoe and Grow- Ag in the Classroom Showcased Friday
-- CRP Signup Begins This Coming Monday- Francie Tolle Hopes For a Strong Oklahoma Signup
-- OCA Reminder- Plus Did you Remember to Wear Some Green?- and Congrats to Bob Funk!
-- 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 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.

We are also excited to have as one of our 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 on the oilseed crops they handle, including sunflowers and canola- and remember they post closing market prices for canola and sunflowers on the PCOM website- go there by clicking here.

And we salute our longest running email sponsor- Midwest Farm Shows, producer of the springtime Southern Plains Farm Show held in Oklahoma City, as well as the Tulsa Farm Show. Click here for more on the December 2010 Tulsa Farm Show, including information on how you can be an exhibitor.

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.


Congressman Lucas No fan of GIPSA Livestock Market Rules Overhaul
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Midday Wednesday, we talked with the ranking member of the House Ag Committee, Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas about a variety of subjects- starting with the livestock marketing rules that GIPSA within the USDA wants to put in place and that would dramatically change the way all species of livestock would be marketed.

Lucas contends that Congress did not intend for GIPSA to dramatically reshape the rules under the Packers and Stockyards Act- but rather just to define the practices for today's livestock business that are named in the ninety year old law. GIPSA has proposed rules that go well beyond what Congress instructed them to do and they need to pull back- or Congress will pull them back. Congressman Lucas adds that USDA is trying to do by rule what the Congress has told them not to do, as have the courts. He says if they persist, it's very possible that they will face a hostile Congress who will refuse to fund implementation of any changes they try to put into place.

Congressman Lucas also talked with us about how the Cap and Trade debate may be a part of a last minute Nancy Pelosi push for dramatic social change in the US during the Lame Duck Session this coming November after the General Elections are held and potentially control of the House and Senate could change. We also discuss funding for the 2012 Farm Bill cycle and how he thinks the mindset of Congress will be dramatically different in early 2011.

Click on the LINK below to jump to our website and a chance to listen to our full conversation with the Rancher/Congressman from Roger Mills County.

Click here for our full 12-13 minutes of conversation with Congressman Frank Lucas


A Legend in Animal Well Being- Dr. Temple Grandlin Talks Practical Animal Care and Handling
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In honor of Dr. Temple Grandlin speaking to the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association convention in Midwest City Friday morning during their Opening General Session- we dusted off an interview we did with this legend in animal well being and handling from May of this year. She was a keynoter at the International Symposium of Animal Well Being at Kansas State University and she talked with us just before she spoke to that group.

We have some of that conversation that makes up our Thursday Beef Buzz- and we hope that this will inspire you to make every effort to go and hear Dr. Grandlin, as well as David Martosko of the Foundation for Consumer Freedom who are the co- Keynoters tomorrow morning.

You know you have got a relevant program when folks outside the cattle business are raving about your program lineup- and that was what Roy Lee Lindsey of the Oklahoma Pork Council was doing when we visited with him yesterday- he's made time in this schedule to be there and so should you.
Click on the LINK below to hear a preview of what you will be hearing on Friday morning from Temple Grandlin- as she talks practical, measurable ways to approach animal care and handling- as well as the insights she has learned about consumers from her media tour done earlier this year to promote the HBO movie that was made about her life.

Click here for our Thursday Beef Buzz with Temple Grandlin


Forrest Roberts Explains NCBA's Response to Audit of Their Handling Beef Checkoff Monies
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The Chief Executive Officer of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, Forrest Roberts, spent a few minutes with host Mike Adams of Agritalk on the nationally syndicated radio program on Wednesday. He told Adams that NCBA continues to work to "understand the facts" from the Compliance Review conducted for the Cattlemen's Beef Board that shows problems with how the NCBA has handled Beef Checkoff funds and he adds that they will "acknowledge mistakes that were made and will act to correct them immediately."

Roberts added that NCBA wants to do what is needed to "uphold the integrity of the financial firewall between checkoff and policy sides of the organization."
He admits that they did receive a draft version of the report- answered point by point the questions raised by the CPA firm and did see some differences from the draft report and the final report that came out Monday evening. That Final Compliance Review still has a pattern of multiple unresolved issues in how the money was used and if the charge to the checkoff is legitimate or not.

Roberts was not asked about the specific claim by the CPA firm about spousal travel to New Zealand and whether that was an accounting error or not. USDA regulations are very clear that travel by a spouse is never allowed to be paid for by checkoff funds.
Click on the LINK below to hear the conversation between Host Mike Adams and Roberts on Agritalk on Wednesday morning.

Click here for more on the Forrest Roberts comments on Agritalk about NCBA and the Beef Checkoff


NPPC Likes Move by House Ag Committee to Advance Mandatory Livestock Reporting
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The National Pork Producers Council applauded the House Agriculture Committee Wednesday afternoon for approving legislation to reauthorize the law requiring meat packers to report to the U.S. Department of Agriculture the prices they pay producers for animals.

The committee passed H.R. 5852, sponsored by panel Chairman Collin Peterson, D-Minn., to reauthorize for five years the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act, which is set to expire Sept. 30. The committee bill also adds to the reporting law provisions requiring reporting of pork exports - by price and volume - and of wholesale pork cuts. "We are very pleased that the Agriculture Committee approved legislation reauthorizing the mandatory price reporting law," said NPPC President Sam Carney, a pork producer from Adair, Iowa. "The addition of export and wholesale cuts reporting will further help producers like me make business and production decisions."

Companion Senate legislation, sponsored by Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., and Ranking Member Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., was introduced on Tuesday.

Click here to read more on this move forward for renewal of Mandatory Price Reporting for Livestock


Soe, Hoe and Grow- Ag in the Classroom Showcased Friday
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The Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom Summer Conference - Sow, Hoe, and Grow - is set for all day Friday at the Moore/Norman Career Tech. Over 500 teachers registered from all parts of the state.

Dana Bessinger of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture emails us some of the details- "The day is going to begin with a welcome from the State Department of Education, recognition of Jamey Allen - new market development director, and comedienne, actress, former teacher and farm girl Patti Beth Anderson. We will have break-out workshops involving Ag in the Classroom lessons, lunch, a round-table session similar to speed dating with an ag expert, and finally Garden Ideas Make and Take. A P & K Equipment 6000 series tractor set up in the front driveway for a photo op will greet the teachers."

Dana says they have some rapid fire sessions that teachers can learn from by moving from one venue to the next. She calls it "speed dating." The Speed Dating session will include folks from The Noble Foundation; OSU Extension agronomy, economy, cotton, and animal specialists; OALP Director; Career Tech; Oklahoma Department of Ag including the lab, veterinarians, stats, animal industry, forestry, and consumer protection; Made-In-Oklahoma; Oklahoma Cattlewomen; Wildlife; Producers Mill; Farm Credit; Pork Council; Farm Bureau, American Farmers and Ranchers; agritourism and others.

Click here for the Ag in the Classroom webpages from the Oklahoma State University website


CRP Signup Begins This Coming Monday- Francie Tolle Hopes For a Strong Oklahoma Signup
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Francie Tolle, executive director for Oklahoma Farm Service Agency (FSA), highlights the critical need for landowners to take advantage of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general sign-up which will begin on August 2, 2010 and continue through August 27, 2010. Farmers and ranchers interested in offering land under the competitive general sign-up are encouraged to contact their local FSA office.
"For over 25 years, CRP has been USDA's most important and successful conservation program, protecting water quality, reducing erosion and creating habitat for a diverse mix of wildlife," said Tolle. "It's a program critically important to preserving the land in rural Oklahoma for future generations."

Currently, Oklahoma has 861,000 acres under contract in the CRP. On September 30, 2010 there are 211,000 acres expiring from contracts. Tolle noted, "Oklahoma needs a strong enrollment in this program period to maintain the environmental benefits we have built in past years under the CRP."
CRP is a voluntary program that assists farmers, ranchers and other agricultural producers to use their environmentally sensitive land for conservation benefits. Producers enrolling in CRP plant long-term, elected vegetative covers in exchange for rental payments, cost-share, and technical assistance. Participants voluntarily remove environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production by entering into long-term contracts for 10 to 15 years.

Click on the LINK below to learn more about the CRP signup that runs from August 2 through the 27th.

Click here for more details about the upcoming CRP signup that begins next Monday.


OCA Reminder- Plus Did you Remember to Wear Some Green?- and Congrats to Bob Funk!
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The 58th Annual Meeting of the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association starts later today- and you can click here to jump to our calendar listing for their meeting- it's a good one- and one you don't want to miss.

in the land of Pistol Pete- it's all about the green of 4-H the next couple of days- as the 2010 Oklahoma 4-H Roundup is underway- click here for our calendar reminder of their events and we will be telling you more about their top award winners early next week.

Finally, a quick congratulations to Bob Funk, owner of Express Ranches out of Yukon for winning the Headliner Award from the Livestock Publications Council earlier this week at their annual meeting in Minneapolis. Funk is in great company- last year's award winner was Dr. Temple Grandlin and Dr. Bob Totusek of OSU was the award winner three or four years ago.


Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, PCOM, P & K Equipment/ P & K Wind Energy, Johnston Enterprises, American Farmers & Ranchers, KIS Futures and Big Iron Online Auctions for their support of our daily Farm News Update. For your convenience, we have our sponsors' websites linked here- just click on their name to jump to their website- check their sites 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- FREE!

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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We've had requests to include Canola prices for your convenience here- and we will be doing so on a regular basis. Current cash price for Canola is $7.70 per bushel, while the 2011 New Crop contracts for Canola are now available are $7.75 per bushel- delivered to local participating elevators that are working with PCOM.

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.



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