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Class XVII of the Oklahoma Ag Leadership Program Graduates- Brings OALP Alumni Total to 475

 
The members of the Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Program Class XVII met for the fourteenth and final time as a group this past Saturday, as the Program graduated another 23 young agricultural professionals in ceremonies in Stillwater. The Oklahoma Agriculture Leadership Program is open to men and women who are active in all aspects of Agriculture and aspire to leadership roles. The program itself consists of a series of seminars and study tours over a two-year-period. Among the topics that are emphasized are leadership development, communication, government operations, economics, agriculture, religious and cultural studies.


The Class XVII Graduates bring the total number of graduates of the program to 475 since its inception in 1982.


With the end of Class XVII- the time is now to consider being a part of Class XVIII. Applications are now being accepted and must be submitted by May first.  Those applications will then be reviewed- candidates will be asked to come to Stillwater for an interview in early June- with those selected to be a part of the next class to begin their journey in the program in August.

We talked with several of the latest grads of the program Saturday- you can hear our report with them by clicking here and read more about the program as well. And- we have a list of the 23 grads from Saturday in our report as well that you can see.

As many of you know- I am an alum of OALP- Class One- and believe in what the program is doing in helping prepare those of us in agriculture for that next step in being a part of the leadership community within Oklahoma agriculture and the rural areas of our state.

I am amazed that over the years- so many of the ag leaders you find today across the board in Oklahoma- are fellow alums of OALP. 

If you want to make a difference- this is a program that will build you, stretch you and make you better in preparing you to be a servant leader. 

With Wheat Crop at Flag Leaf Stage- the Latest on Wheat Diseases with Dr. Bob Hunger  

 
Oklahoma State University's Dr. Bob Hunger, Extension Wheat Pathologist in the Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology has released his latest wheat disease findings- released via email on Saturday, April 2nd.


"Wheat has advanced in maturity across Oklahoma this past week with flag leaves definitely emerging around Stillwater. From reports I've received, I believe across the state wheat ranges from flag leaves emerging to heads starting to emerge (although wheat in far northwest Oklahoma and the panhandle may not be quite as far along). I didn't hear specifics but was told that freeze damage has been observed around Kingfisher in central Oklahoma. With frost/freezing temperatures again last night, additional damage is possible. Drought, although not as bad as last year, also is creeping back into the picture. One producer from southwestern Oklahoma indicated to me that "leaves are rolling-up at 2 o'clock in the afternoon." I didn't see any wheat that looked stressed, but in several locations had to dig 4" or more to find moist soil.

        
"In my trips this past week to central Oklahoma (Watonga) and to more north-central Oklahoma (Blackwell), I could find stripe rust, but it doesn't appear to me that it had advanced (become more severe)."

Read more of Dr. Hunger's observations- as well as reports that he has received from neighboring states by clicking here.

Lincoln to Local Features State Budget Talk With Earl Sears

 

The Oklahoma Farm Bureau is posting a weekly YouTube about happenings at the State Capitol during the 2016 State Legislative Session- and this past week's Lincoln to Local featured State Representative Earl Sears, who is the Chairman of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee.

Sears says that while many people are frustrated that more action has not already happened on the budget crisis that Oklahoma government is facing- the Legislature is working on the problem- holding lots of meetings, vetting lots of ideas and is working to develop a consensus on what needs to be done.

He predicts that consensus will come by mid May- and that it will reflect the reality of current revenues.

He did indicate to Farm Bureau's Hannah Nemecek that the Ag Sales Tax Exemption is not going to be touched by lawmakers- that it is safe- because it is beneficial to one of the economic drivers in Oklahoma- farming and ranching.

You can take a look at this latest Lincoln to Local by clicking on the Video Link here.

Merger That Gave Birth to Oklahoma AgCredit Has Gone Well- Butch McComas Talks with Ron

 
Now a few months into its merger, Oklahoma AgCredit is hitting its stride as the state's largest Farm Credit Association, according to the organization's CEO Butch McComas.


Formerly two separate organizations - Farm Credit of East Central Oklahoma and Chisholm Trail Farm Credit, Oklahoma AgCredit serves agricultural producers and rural landowners with combined assets of more than $1 billion and a portfolio in excess of 5,400 loans.


"We formed a very strong financial organization," McComas said. 

I caught up with Butch at Ag Day this past week at the State Capitol- and you can read more about his thoughts on the merger- as well as hear our conversation by clicking here.


And- for the patrons Oklahoma AgCredit, this week happens to be a good week as Patronage Open Houses are planned for this Wednesday and Thursday.  Details about this year's payout of $4.35 million are available here.

Monsanto Urges Farmers to Weigh in on Approval of Dicamba Weed Management Tools

 
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced this past Friday a 30-day public comment period regarding the in-crop use of dicamba herbicide with Bollgard II® XtendFlex cotton and Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans. This action represents another critical milestone toward farmers gaining access to new dicamba weed-management tools.

Dicamba has a decades-long history of safe and effective use in the U.S. and 25 other countries in corn, wheat, fallow and pasture land, conservation tillage acres, as well as homeowner uses. Following final approvals, farmers will be able to use dicamba in-crop with soybeans tolerant to dicamba and glyphosate and with cotton tolerant to dicamba, glyphosate and glufosinate.

"Stakeholder comments will really make a difference," said Kim Magin, Monsanto's director of industry affairs. "Supportive letters are important for regulators to understand the various perspectives from farmers and agricultural stakeholders."

Details on how individuals can submit comments to the EPA - and information on a tool that Monsanto has in place to help farmers and others with their comments are available here.

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USDA Announces $90 Million Available to Support Local Food Systems, Specialty Crop Producers

 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the availability of more than $90 million in competitive grants to help strengthen local and regional food systems, develop new market opportunities for producers, and support farmers growing fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, flowers and nursery crops (known collectively as specialty crops).

These grants programs are administered by USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and include the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program, and the Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program.

"Over the past seven years, USDA has strengthened local and regional food systems by investing in projects that recruit and train farmers, expand economic opportunities for small businesses and increase access to healthy foods," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "These grant programs make a real difference to farmers, ranchers, and businesses in communities across the country, revitalizing rural economies while also increasing access to fresh, healthy food."

More details on these grants are available here.

Looking for April Showers- and Not Finding Much to Report On

 

We have not hit desperation yet- but the worry is building as we get into the first full week of April- the nine day forecast for central and western Oklahoma is filled with spring like temps, the wind sweeping down the plains and barely any chances of rain. 

Jed Castles with News9 provides us the graphic this morning- and if you are only interested in what rain may be ahead- you are not going to be very happy:




Meanwhile, we get the why of the current weather patterns from Alan Crone with the News on 6 in Tulsa- he explains in his latest blog "The pattern remains active but the shower and thunderstorm activity is limited due to the depth and quality of low level moisture across the area.   A front will clear the area this morning, another front nearing Tuesday night and passing across the area Wednesday morning, and a third passing Thursday night, and a 4th system Sunday night into Monday of next week.   The 2nd system will have a chance for a few showers and storms pre-dawn Wednesday.   Severe weather is not expected with this system.   The last front in this series for the 7 day planner will have a chance of strong to severe storms."

It's that system next Sunday that could have some low level moisture to work with- the question will be how much and how far into western Oklahoma will it track?  

Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, P & K Equipment,  American Farmers & Ranchers, Stillwater Milling Company, Oklahoma AgCredit,  the Oklahoma Cattlemens Association, Pioneer Cellular, Farm Assure and  KIS Futures 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- at NO Charge!

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