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Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update. 
 

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OKFB's LeeAnna McNally Says Budget Woes Top List of Concerns in Last Few Weeks of Session

LeeAnna McNally, director of national affairs at Oklahoma Farm Bureau, says there is still some uncertainty about how the final days of the 2016 Oklahoma legislative session may play out. At the top of the list of concerns - balancing the state's budget.

She says there are different opinions when it comes to the feasibility of passing a budget before the legislature is set to adjourn Sine Die on May 27.

"We hosted Rep. Earl Sears at one of our local Farm Bureaus in Osage County for a breakfast the other day, and he was confident that his chamber will be done in time," she says. "But when you talk to some in the Oklahoma state Senate, they're not as confident as Rep. Sears was.

"Then the governor of course has her position, so you're really just juggling with those three to continue to try to work on a budget. No one wants to go to a special session; however, there are certainly some important thought-out reforms that need to be made on both chambers." 

Read more (and listen to our conversation) about the legislative issues facing farmers and ranchers.


AND- LeeAnna was our guest on KWTV News9 on Saturday morning- click here to go and watch our In the Field Q&A.

This Week- HRW Wheat Tour and Oklahoma Wheat Crop Report Coming Midweek

Wheat Crop Scouts will be gathering today in Manhattan, Kansas for the 2016 edition of the Hard Winter Wheat Crop Tour that will primarily cover the state of Kansas- but will also look at some fields in Nebraska, Colorado, Texas and Oklahoma.

The Wheat Quality Tour actually tours the wheat crops in the fields. These tours give scouts first-hand experience and understanding of the quality of this year's wheat crop even before it is harvested.

We have a couple of folks that we will be hearing from that will be traveling on the 2016 winter wheat crop tour- fellow farm broadcaster Jesse Harding from KRVN in Nebraska will be on the tour- and will be giving us her insights- and Chris Kirby of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission will be doing the same.

The Wheat Quality Council really only tabulates an estimate for the Kansas wheat crop- but we will get an estimate of the size of the Oklahoma Wheat Crop this coming Wednesday morning when the annual Wheat Crop Report Session will wrap up the Annual Meeting of the Oklahoma Grain and Feed Association.

The Oklahoma Report Session will hear from extension and private industry scouts from all parts of the state- and will calculate an estimate based on those reports- then will ask for an estimate from all those present- primarily grain elevator managers- and calculate a second number from the consensus of the group present in Oklahoma City that morning.

The Oklahoma information will be shared with the Wheat Quality Council Tour at their annual stop in Wichita on Wednesday evening.

OSU Wheat Disease Specialist Dr. Bob Hunger Reports Effects of Stripe Rust Evident

Click here to read Dr. Hunger's complete report on Oklahoma's wheat crop.

Former OSU Professor Says Needs Are Changing in Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Bob Smith, former professor at Oklahoma State University, was recently recognized by his alma mater - Kansas State University - as a 2016 Alumni Fellow. KSU annually recognizes 12 successful alumni from each college, based on their high achievements in their respective professions. Smith represented the KSU College of Veterinary Medicine, where he earned his veterinary degree in 1976. 


Smith is now a leading veterinary management consultant for the beef cattle industry and says he has seen significant changes in bovine health over the last four decades.


"Many of the calls I made, even 40 years ago when I graduated, were to small farms, and the producers were extremely dependent upon the veterinarian; we did things they do themselves now," he says. "Now we're used more for developing preventative medicine protocols, therapeutic protocols, monitoring disease trends and diagnoses."

Dr. Smith talks more about the changing veterinary industry during the latest Beef Buzz.

Policy Think Tank Slams Wind Energy Industry in Report on Tax Credits

The 1889 Institute, an Oklahoma state policy think tank, recently published a two-page fact sheet, "Wind Energy Tax Credits," discussing how detrimental wind energy tax incentives are for the state's economy.


The fact sheet briefly discusses the history of wind energy, outlines zero-emission tax credits, highlights the problems with wind-generated energy, explains cronyism, and suggests solutions moving forward.


"Wind credits are estimated to cost the federal government about $1 billion in lost revenue each year," said Byron Schlomach, the fact sheet's author and 1889 Institute State Policy Director. "These credits result in a revenue loss for the state, estimated at $88 million for the current fiscal year and $123 million in 2017."

Click here to read more about Oklahoma’s wind energy tax credits.

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USDA Unveils Online 'Urban Agriculture Toolkit' for Urban Farmers and 

Agri-business Entrepreneurs

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today unveiled the  USDA Urban Agriculture Toolkit, a new resource created by USDA's Know Your Farmer team to help entrepreneurs and community leaders successfully create jobs and increase access to healthy food through urban agriculture. From neighborhood gardens grown on repurposed lots, to innovative mobile markets and intensive hydroponic and aquaculture operations, urban food production is rapidly growing into a mature business sector in cities across the country.


"Urban agriculture helps strengthen the health and social fabric of communities while creating economic opportunities for farmers and neighborhoods," Vilsack said. "USDA's Urban Agriculture Toolkit compiles guidance from our Know Your Farmer team and many private partners into one comprehensive resource to help small-scale producers manage all aspects of their business. From protecting soil health to marketing to schools and grocery store chains, USDA has tools to meet the needs of this new breed of innovative urban farmer and small business owner."


Industry estimates show U.S. local food sales totaled at least $12 billion in 2014, up from $5 billion in 2008, and experts anticipate that value to hit $20 billion by 2019. The numbers also show that these opportunities are helping to drive job growth in agriculture, increase entrepreneurship and expand food access and choice.


USDA's Toolkit is an electronic document that helps urban and small farms navigate more than 70 helpful resources, including technical assistance and financing opportunities. It focuses on some of the most pressing challenges confronting urban producers such as land access, soil quality, water resources, capital and financing, infrastructure, market development, production strategies, and applying for federal, state or private foundation grants. University extension service partners in Chicago and Indianapolis helped develop cost estimates for starting urban farms and the toolkit includes information on best practices and check lists for start-ups and early-stage producers planning outdoor or indoor operations.

Learn more about this valuable resource for entrepreneurs and community leaders.

Knowledge + Experience = Believing

 
This is the winning formula to reach Millennials- and the Beef Checkoff has gone "all in" in their efforts to engage with millennials- identifying them as the key generation to reach in increasing beef demand.

Beef Checkoff-funded consumer market research shows us that the key generation for beef marketing - millennials - practically live on their computer devices. They tell us that they get virtually all of their information online, then use that information to draw conclusions and make important decisions about agriculture and the food they eat.

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