Oklahoma's Latest Farm
And Ranch News
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Your Update from Ron Hays of RON
Wednesday, July 8, 2020
UPDATE on our NEW LOOK- Thanks for your comments- they are helping us work on making our daily report the best it can be- WE ARE SORRY about the Headlines not linking you straight to the story within the email- Constant Contact has dropped that feature and is tone deaf on bringing it back. Email me with your comments about the new look- click here to email.
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Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update.
- Road to Rural Prosperity--2020 Oklahoma FFA Stars Reagan Klassen and Kale Miller
- NCBA's Colin Woodall Expects Good Improvements For Cattle Industry In Coming Months
- Farmer Sentiment Rebounds Amidst Ongoing COVID-19 Concerns
- OCA Convention On Schedule For July 24-25, Tulsa, So Producers Can "Lean on Pickup" To Discuss Issues T
- Cattle Raisers Applaud Bills to Increase Beef Processing and Availability
- In Their Words--Praise for Inhofe's Relief For Producers Act of 2020
- State Fair of Texas Canceled for 2020 Due to Coronavirus Concerns- and a Look at the Kansas State Fair Still Happening(And some Speculation on Tulsa)
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Road to Rural Prosperity--2020 Oklahoma FFA Stars Reagan Klassen and Kale Miller
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The Latest Road to Rural Prosperity podcast features a conversation hosted by KC Sheperd with the 2020 Oklahoma FFA Star Farmer Reagan Klassen of the Hydro-Eakly FFA Chapter. Reagan's farm operation centers around her beef cattle- her herd has grown during her FFA years- and even before that- she remembers going our with her dad and grandpa very early in life checking on cattle and other farm chores. The culmination of her efforts- being named as the Star in Ag Production here in 2020.
Then I describes the Agribusiness that propelled Kale Miller of Stroud FFA to Stardom as the 2020 Oklahoma FFA Star in Agribusiness. Miller has developed a commercial sized lawn mowing business in his community en route to his being named as Star in Agribusiness.
This Road to Rural Prosperity is powered by the Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma.
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Midwest Farm Shows is proud to produce the two best Farm Shows in the State of Oklahoma annually- the Tulsa Farm Show each December and the Oklahoma City Farm Show each April. (rescheduled for June in 2020)
They would like to thank all of you who participated in their 2020 Oklahoma City Farm Show.
Up next will be the Tulsa Farm Show in December 2020- the dates are December 10th, 11th, and 12th.
Now is the ideal time to contact the Midwest Farm Show Office at 507-437-7969 and book space at the 2020 Tulsa Farm Show. To learn more about the Tulsa Farm Show, click here.
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NCBA's Colin Woodall Expects Good Improvements For Cattle Industry In Coming Months
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The first six months of 2020 have been a whirlwind of constantly changing issues and Colin Woodall, CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, believes the cattle industry is now seeing some daylight after months of uncertainty, and he expects the last half of the year to be better.
The good news is we have returned to about 95 percent of our packing capacity, Woodall said, and that is quicker than anybody thought possible.
This means we are able to keep the meat cases full so we can maintain customer base, Woodall said.
He is optimistic the plants will get to 100 percent, but it might be September before that happens.
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Farmer Sentiment Rebounds Amidst Ongoing COVID-19 Concerns
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Farmer sentiment improved in June for the second month in a row, rebounding from sharp declines that took place in both March and April, according to the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer. The index was up 14 points from May to a reading of 117. The Ag Economy Barometer is based on responses from 400 U.S. agricultural producers with this month's survey conducted from June 22-26, 2020.
Ag producers became more optimistic about both their current and future farming operations compared to a month earlier. The Index of Current Conditions rose 19 percent from May to a reading of 99, and the Index of Future Expectations climbed 12 percent from May to a reading of 126. Over the last two months, farmers' perspective regarding making large investments in their farming operations improved markedly. The Farm Capital Investment Index recovered to a reading of 60 in June, compared to just 50 a month earlier and a reading of 38 in April. Although much improved since bottoming out in April, the recovery still left the Farm Capital Investment Index 12 points below the 2020 high established in February, before coronavirus impacted markets.
"This month's survey was conducted after the USDA announced details regarding the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP)," said James Mintert, the barometer's principal investigator and director of Purdue University's Center for Commercial Agriculture. "A more favorable spring planting season combined with assistance from CFAP help explain this month's improvement in farmer sentiment, yet a majority of producers believe additional economic assistance will be needed in 2020."
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OCA Convention On Schedule For July 24-25, Tulsa, So Producers Can "Lean on Pickup" To Discuss Issues
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Oklahoma cattle producers will get the chance to “lean on the pickup” and talk about issues important to the industry during the 68th annual meeting of the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association, July 24-25 at the Tulsa Southern Hills Marriott.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced OCA to change venues from their traditional site in Norman but Michael Kelsey, OCA executive director, says OCA members are looking forward to the change of scenery. I spoke to Kelsey about the upcoming convention.
We’ve been overwhelmed by the positive response, Kelsey said.
People are telling us they want to meet in person and discuss the issues and that’s what we’re planning to do, Kelsey said.
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We invite you to listen to us on great radio stations across the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network weekdays-
if you missed this morning's Farm News - or you are in an area where you can't hear it- click below for this morning's Farm news from Ron Hays and KC Sheperd on RON.
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Sponsor Spotlight
Established in 1905 as Oklahoma Farmers Union, AFR/OFU has been a champion for rural Oklahoma for more than 100 years. Today, the AFR/OFU Cooperative provides educational, legislative and cooperative programs across the state and AFR Insurance provides auto, home, farm and life insurance to both rural and urban Oklahomans.
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In Their Words--Praise for Inhofe's Relief For Producers Act of 2020
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Leaders in the agricultural community praised Sen. Inhofe for introducing the Responding to Epidemic Losses and Investing in the Economic Future (RELIEF) for Producers Act of 2020, legislation that would provide relief to livestock and poultry producers amidst the Coronavirus pandemic. The bill would support producers that are faced with euthanizing their animals due to COVID-19, provide resources for animal health laboratories as they develop solutions to defend against emerging animal disease spread and give additional authority to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary through the existing Commodity Credit Corporation Charter to deal with removal and disposal of livestock for any public health emergency moving forward.
“Livestock and poultry producers have felt the devastating impacts of COVID-19 as shifts in demand and challenges in processing have arisen. The Relief for Producers Act offers some much needed relief to those producers and provides support to critical animal disease laboratories that have stepped up to support public health efforts during this challenging time. The leadership and recognition of the importance of protecting our agriculture industry by Senator Inhofe and his colleagues is very much appreciated,” said Blayne Arthur, Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture.
"We thank Senators Inhofe, Burr, Ernst, Grassley and Tillis for their support of U.S. hog farmers who urgently need federal assistance to address this unprecedented crisis," said NPPC President Howard "A.V." Roth, a producer from Wauzeka, Wisconsin. "While plant capacity has improved, millions of hogs remain backed up on farms due to the COVID-created bottleneck, one that could have a lasting impact on hog farmers. The RELIEF for Producers Act provides a much-needed lifeline to thousands of farmers who could otherwise go out of business, leading to consolidation and contraction of the U.S. pork industry. We urge Congress to work together to quickly pass much-needed legislation addressing this crisis."
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Cattle Raisers Applaud Bills to Increase Beef Processing and Availability
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Robert E. McKnight, Jr., president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, applauded the introduction of two bills that will expand the options available to meat processors and increase the availability of beef to consumers.
The Direct Interstate Retail Exemption for Certain Transactions (DIRECT) Act of 2020 introduced by Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas and Rep. Dusty Johnson of South Dakota would allow meat processed at state-inspected facilities to be sold directly to consumers across state lines through e-commerce.
The Requiring Assistance to Meat Processors for Upgrading Plants (RAMP UP) Act, would provide federal grants for existing meat processors to move from state to federal inspection, which will similarly allow for increased interstate meat sales.
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State Fair of Texas Canceled for 2020 Due to Coronavirus Concerns
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The State Fair of Texas, slated for this fall, was canceled Tuesday because of ongoing concerns about the spread of the coronavirus, fair organizers said in a public statement.
“One of the greatest aspects of the Fair is welcoming each and every person who passes through our gates with smiles and open arms," said Gina Norris, board chair for the State Fair of Texas, in a written statement. "In the current climate of COVID-19, there is no feasible way for the Fair to put proper precautions in place while maintaining the Fair environment you know and love."
The Texas Fair is the latest in a whole series of State Fairs across the country that have tossed in the towel because of Coronavirus- this past month- the State Fair of Oklahoma made the same decision to cancel for 2020.
To our north- the Kansas State Fair soldiers on- as their September event will happen- altho it is unknown what the final product will look like. The Fair Board in Kansas ignored the recommendation of the top Health Official in Kansas in their vote of two weeks ago. Here are details on the decision in Kansas from the Hays Post
Back in Oklahoma- the Tulsa State Fair says they are still a GO- but officials have also said an absolute final decision will not be made til the end of this month.
The Tulsa World opined a few days ago that Fair Officials need to make very sure that it can be "safe" if they elect to have the October 1-11 event.
The Editorial Board writes " the only standard for deciding whether to move ahead with the fair should be whether it can be held safely. Can we figure out how to make sure everyone — from the exhibitors in the animal barns to the ride operators on the midway — observes appropriate COVID-19 precautions? Can we make sure that the event is fun and profitable but not a vector for deadly disease?
"The Oklahoma State Fair decided that its event wasn’t in line with the good health of the community. It was a difficult decision that will certainly be second-guessed by some, but Tulsa State Fair officials should do the same if they don’t feel certain that a fair can be staged safely."
A webstory posted by KTUL in Tulsa quotes several vendors pulling the plug on their involvement at this year's Tulsa State Fair- that decision based on a little bit of health worries but more on economic concerns- one vendor says it\s too risky economically to go to the Tulsa Fair- even it they have it- because he guesses it will be half a normal crowd at best.
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OKC West is our Market Links Sponsor- they sell cattle three days a week- Cows on Mondays, Stockers on Tuesday and Feeders on Wednesday- Call 405-262-8800 to learn more.
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Today's First Look:
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.
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Wholesale Boxed Beef Prices were slightly lower on Tuesday- off 16 cents on Choice and off 13 cents on Select.
Click on the Button below for the latest report from USDA Market News
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OKC West in El Reno had 1,000 head for their calf sale on Tuesday. Compared to last Tuesday: Steer and heifer calves sold 2.00-5.00 higher few instances of as much as 8.00 higher. Demand very good despite extremely hot temperatures and no rain being in the forecast. Click below to check the full report.
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Each afternoon we are posting a recap of that day's markets as analyzed by Justin Lewis of KIS futures - click below for the latest report.
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Okla Cash Grain:
Daily Oklahoma Cash Grain Prices- as reported by the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture- Click below to view the latest report.
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Our Oklahoma Farm Report Team!!!!
Ron Hays, Senior Farm Director and Editor
KC Sheperd, Associate Farm Director and Editor
Dave Lanning, Markets and Production
Sam Knipp, Farm News Editor
Pam Arterburn, Calendar and Template Manager
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Rural Oklahoma is full of some of the greatest success stories throughout the entire state and are a main reason Oklahoma is on track to become a top 10 state.
The Road to Rural Prosperity will dive into these stories each week bringing you insight into the great things happening in and to rural Oklahoma. We will bring you stories covering rural life, agriculture, energy, healthcare, tourism and politics all affecting rural America.
The Road to Rural Prosperity is here to tell stories about rural America, for rural America.
Episode 40 features a conversation hosted by KC Sheperd with the 2020 Oklahoma FFA Star Farmer Reagan Klassen of the Hydro-Eakly FFA Chapter- and then Ron Hays describes the Agribusiness that propelled Kale Miller of Stroud FFA to Stardom as the 2020 Oklahoma FFA Star in Agribusiness.
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Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, P & K Equipment, AFR Insurance, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Oklahoma Ag Mediation Program, Great Plains Kubota, Stillwater Milling Company, Oklahoma Cotton Council, National Livestock Credit Corporation, Oklahoma Beef Council, Oklahoma AgCredit, the Oklahoma Cattlemens Association, 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!
We invite you to check out our website at the link below too that includes an archive of these daily emails, audio reports and top farm news story links from around the globe.
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God Bless!
Reach Out To Us:
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Tim West
President/General Manager
Radio Oklahoma Ag Network
2401 Exchange Avenue,
Suite F
Oklahoma City, OK 73108
405.317.6361
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Ron Hays
Director of Farm Programming
Radio Oklahoma Ag Network
405.373.6144
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