The Oklahoma Wheat Commission released its first harvest report for the year yesterday announcing that combines were rolling near the Oklahoma/Texas border along the Red River in the vicinity of Eldorado and Grandfield.

According to Wheat Commission Executive Director Mike Schulte, whom issued the report, nearly 80,000 bushels have been harvested collectively over the last couple days between the two areas.

In Grandfield, test weights are averaging 63 to 65 lbs./bu, with yields ranging from the low 20's to mid 40's. In Eldorado, test weights are ranging from 60 to 61.5 lbs./bu, with occasional loads coming in higher than that. Yields in the region also ranging from the mid 20's to mid 40's.

Protein from the region will not be reported until a more accurate account can be given when more bushels come in.

High moisture levels are preventing harvest from taking place in surrounding areas at least for the next few days. Farmers are hoping there will not be too much damage to crops, due to this week's forecast of bad weather.

The Wheat Commission will continue to cover harvest with regular reports throughout the season. For Schulte's full report from this week, click here.

The results of the May 2017 edition of the Food Demand Survey (FooDS), were released earlier this week by the survey's administrator, Dr. Jayson Lusk of OSU. The survey
studies consumer habits and preferences on a monthly basis regarding mostly staple products. This month, Lusk based the ad hoc portion of the survey on how consumer buy and prepare ground beef, just in time for the grilling season.

Approximately two-thirds of the participants who said they eat ground beef patties, stated they determine doneness by visual observation. Next most common, selected by about 18% of respondents, was determining doneness by length of cooking time. Only about 13.5% said they used a meat thermometer to determine doneness.   


The majority of participants, about 69%, stated they prefer the internal color of ground beef patties to be brown. About 26% of participants stated pink as their preferred cooked internal color. Only 5% of participants stated they would want a red center in their ground beef patties. Less than 1% stated they would want another color.


The average temperature stated by participants was 162 degrees Fahrenheit; remarkably close to the actual USDA recommendation of 160F. In total, 65% of respondents gave an answer that was at least 5 degrees higher or lower than the USDA recommendation.

Review the actual report and learn more about this month's edition of the FooDS survey, conducted by Dr. Jayson Lusk of OSU, or read more of Lusk's personal remarks on the results on his blog, by clicking or tapping here.

 
Lots of destruction along the western edge of Oklahoma last night as tornadoes cranked up in the Texas Panhandle and roared across the state line doing damage in the Cheyenne area- and then in the Sayre- Merritt and Elk City communities.

The one fatality was Gene "Bo" Mikles, Jr., 53, who was in his car in Merritt when it was thrown "several hundred feet." Mikles was found lying on the ground.At least 100 structures were damaged and more than 50 were destroyed.

Our TV partner in Oklahoma City, News9, has this roundup this on their website- click here to check it out.

With sunrise- we will get a feel of the damage out in the country- large hail came with this line of storms that worked its way northeastward towards Fairview- strong winds took their toll as well.

Grandfield- down close to the Red River, received 1.22 inches of rain from this storm- and that will likely stop combines in that area- wheat in that area is very close to being ripe enough to harvest- and if fields can dry out- farmers will be trying to get the wheat cut in and around the storms of this week. (Click here for the real time 24 hour precipitation map of the Oklahoma Mesonet)

THE NEXT STORM is looking like a mean one as well- here is the graphic on the storms that could roll in tomorrow midday in western and central Oklahoma:



Quiet today- but then on Thursday- Hang on for another bumpy night across a lot of Oklahoma farm and ranch country.

It seems like farming communities around the country have had tough times lately, not just economically, but environmentally, too. Flooding, tornadoes, blizzards and wildfires have reeked havoc across the Midwest this year, coming at the worst time when farm income is dramatically low.

In response to this situation, our new Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, reminded rural citizens, earlier this week, of the many programs available through the USDA to assist during disaster situations.

"We want you to know that USDA resources are at your disposal," said Perdue. "USDA has people on the ground, in every county, who can help you. We will do everything we can to help farmers get those fields back in order and encourage them to take advantage of these USDA resources."

For complete list of the programs available through USDA, click here. For details and eligibility requirements regarding USDA's disaster assistance programs, contact your local USDA Service Center.

For nearly 13 years, no US beef has been allowed to enter China's market. However, President Donald Trump and his administration have made it a priority to broker a deal to reestablish the beef industry's relationship with China. This year, they have been successful in doing that and July 16 of this year marks the deadline to get the formalities ironed out. According the North American Meat Institute, access to China's market, which represents 12 percent of the world's global export business for beef, could potentially put up to $2.6 billion in the pockets of US cattlemen. Kent Bacus, director of international trade and market access for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association says China offers boundless opportunity.


"China has seen exponential growth in imports in about the last five years," Bacus said. "We think there's a lot of unmet demand in the Chinese market."


Bacus says that like many Asian markets, rounds, chuck rolls, tongues and offal cuts are very popular in China and the opportunity to market these products, generally underutilized here in the US, offers the chance to add significant value to beef carcasses.


"We see more competition for those cuts that have been selling very well in Asia," Bacus said. "We could see just the buying power of China is going to hopefully improve the profit margins on those cuts themselves."


Listen to Bacus describe the magnitude of added value that access to China's market will bring to the US with me, on yesterday's Beef Buzz - click here.

We are in the middle of the OSU Wheat Tour this week, as faculty lead groups to different wheat plot locations around the state to observe different varieties and their performance. During the tour stop in Kildare, Okla. earlier this week, I touched base with Dr. Bob Hunger, crop disease specialist at OSU to review the impact diseases have had on this year's wheat crop. He says the main culprit this year, Wheat Streak Mosaic virus.

Generally this virus has been confined to the Northwestern, Panhandle region of the state, but over the last few years, he says he has seen cases of this virus crop up deeper into the state, some as far reaching as the Stillwater area.
Hunger says no signs of Wheat Streak have been reported that far out this year, but certainly were in 2016. Still, the disease seems to have spread out once again.

"An infection in the fall will probably zero out your crop," Hunger speculated. "At least if it's across the entire field. With a spring infection, you'll be looking at easily 20 to 25 percent losses."

Hunger says, uncontrolled volunteer wheat left in abandoned fields are probably the biggest reason why there has been so much of the virus this year. Curl mites were able to survive throughout the growing season on the green vegetation throughout the fall, winter and spring - allowing the virus to spread to commercial wheat fields.


Unfortunately, when it comes to managing your risk of infection, there really aren't many options. No fungicides are known to prevent Wheat Streak Mosaic, and if you think you can prevent it from the source, you will find there is no insecticide available either that will kill the disease carrying curl mites.

"A later planting date will lessen the infection in the fall and then breaking that green bridge, controlling the volunteer wheat and the alternative grassy weeds that harbor the mites and the virus are really the two only options to go," Hunger advised.

Click here to read more about Wheat Streak in Oklahoma this year and what you can do to prevent it from infecting your wheat fields, or listen to my full conversation with Dr. Hunger, by clicking here.

A delicious slice of cheddar on a burger at the family barbeque, a cold glass of milk or a scoop of ice cream on a piece of birthday cake. There is no denying the enjoyment that dairy can bring to special moments and to our favorite foods. However, with so many choices in the dairy aisle - including non-dairy and plant-based alternatives - many people are seeking credible information about what dairy actually is, and they have questions about the practices of the dairy industry.



In a multiyear effort to reintroduce America to dairy, the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy - in partnership with America's Dairy Farm Families and Importers - is launching "Undeniably Dairy™," the first category campaign of its kind.



"Through the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, the dairy community has worked together to establish common ground on our top priorities and values, from responsible production and sustainable nutrition to economic value," says Barbara O'Brien, president of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. "We feel that now is the absolute right time to come together with one voice to share the community's story - to celebrate the delicious, nutritious foods in the dairy aisle and the people who bring them to your table."

The multimedia campaign will be revealed through an online video that showcases the joy of dairy in everyday life moments, while spotlighting farmers' contributions to the community. The full effort will feature a new logo and premier media campaign, including a convergent on-air and digital marketing campaign with Food Network and Cooking Channel in June to celebrate National Dairy Month and national on-farm events where farmers will invite the community in to learn more about modern farming practices. Original content will be shared across Facebook, YouTube and other social platforms. 


Moving forward, the campaign will continue to dive deeper into the undeniable taste and enjoyment of dairy, as well as the undeniable commitment that the dairy industry has made to being a relevant and socially responsible part of local communities across the country.

To preview of the campaign video along with other content, or to read more about this new innovative campaign by the Dairy industry, visit the full story on our website, by clicking here.

A couple from the Oklahoma City area and a woman from the Tulsa area have filed a federal lawsuit against Monsanto Company, blaming the company's herbicide Roundup for the cancer they suffer.

The lawsuit, CV-00561 was filed in Oklahoma City U.S. District Court by Wanda Clarke and her husband Donald Shepherd who live in Del City and by Esmeralda Hernandez of Broken Arrow. The suit says Clarke suffers from "Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma". Hernandez suffers "large B-Cell non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma."

They contend that Roundup, otherwise known as glyphosate is "defective, dangerous to human health, unfit and unsuitable to be marketed and sold in commerce and lacked proper warnings and directions as to the dangers associated with its use."

Jerry Bohnen has more on this story over on his Ok Energy Today website- and you can check the rest of the details by clicking or tapping here.