Oklahoma's Latest Farm
And Ranch News
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Your Update from Ron Hays of RON
Thursday, February 18, 2021
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Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update.
- Noble Research Institute Focuses on Regenerative Agriculture
- AFR/OFU President Scott Blubaugh Talks About Their Just Completed Hybrid Convention
- Feral Swine Eradication Project is among key topics of Free Conservation Webinar, 1p.m., Feb. 24
- Disaster Assistance Now Available for Oklahoma Ranchers Experiencing Livestock Losses
- Large Genetic Toolbox Available For Angus Breeders Says AGI's Joel Cowley
- New Lamb Protection during Wintertime Explained
- Horse owners need to be Watchful for Signs of Colic
- COLD and The Hardest Job on a Ranch
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Noble Research Institute Focuses on Regenerative Agriculture |
Noble Research Institute announced today that it will focus all of its operations on regenerative agriculture and set its primary goal to regenerate millions of acres of degraded grazing lands across the United States.
Noble will achieve the vision through its direct work with farmers and ranchers across the nation as they make the transition to and profitably maintain regenerative management of their lands.
“Land stewardship is a core value held by many farmers and ranchers,” said Steve Rhines, president and CEO of Noble. “Regenerative agriculture is the next step in the land stewardship journey wherein farmers and ranchers reduce their reliance on conventional practices and concentrate on restoring or regenerating the soil. The soil is the cornerstone of a healthy ecosystem and a productive farm or ranch.”
Regenerative agriculture differs from both mainstream conventional and organic agriculture in that it does not focus on inputs (such as fertilizer). Instead, regenerative agriculture uses interactions among soil, plants, water and animals to help build resilience in the soil. Resilient soil is more drought- and flood-resilient, decreases the use of chemical inputs (and related costs), reduces water contaminants, enhances wildlife habitats, and captures carbon in the soil to mitigate climate variability.
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The Oklahoma Cotton Council is proud to serve the cotton producers and those who are a part of the cotton industry in Oklahoma- promoting and protecting their interests. In Recent Years- cotton acreage has grown in Oklahoma- and today we are the third largest Cotton State in the US- based on Acres Planted.
The Oklahoma Cotton Council works for the cotton farmer in the areas of research, advocacy and education. Follow the Oklahoma Cotton Council on Facebook.
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AFR/OFU President Scott Blubaugh Talks About Their Just Completed Convention Which Was a Combination of In-Person And Virtual Meetings |
American Farmers & Ranchers/Oklahoma Farmers Union (AFR/OFU) hosted their 116th annual convention at the Embassy Suites & Conference Center in Norman Feb. 12-13.
The event was virtual, with the exception of in-person adoption of AFR/OFU legislative policy and officer elections. “This year’s event was unlike any previous convention,” said AFR/OFU Cooperative President Scott Blubaugh.
Blubaugh took time out from breaking ice and warming calves on his 6th generation northern Oklahoma farm to talk to Radio Oklahoma Agriculture Network Associate Farm Director and Editor KC Sheperd. Most of our events were online and we were able to record those, he noted.
We were able to meet in person for voting on policies issues and officer elections and it worked out really well, Blubaugh said.
The 2021 AFR/OFU Policy Committee supports a multi-level and transparent approach to illuminating rural areas with broadband internet service.
Minimum Negotiated Trade: “We support the exploration of minimum negotiated cash trade as it relates to the fed cattle industry. We encourage thorough research on the implications of a national or regional mandatory minimum to the concept of true price discovery in the marketplace.”
Over the last two decades, the number of cattle sold on a negotiated cash basis (i.e. through an auction barn) has diminished significantly. The percentage of cattle sold through negotiated cash sale is now so small, some industry experts warn the beef cattle industry lacks a market baseline. In light of this, the 2021 AFR/OFU Policy Committee strongly encourages urgent and sincere research on the potential for requiring large meatpackers to purchase a minimum percentage of their cattle inventory through the cash market.
Ag Sales Tax Exemption: “We support the state agriculture sales tax exemption and oppose regulations that increase or cause an undue burden on agricultural producers during the ag tax exemption application process.”
Due to the many significant barriers to building a successful farming or ranching operation, including additional hurdles for young or beginning producers, the 2021 AFR/OFU Policy Committee feels strongly that adding tax expenses or even a difficult application process to obtain tax exemption was an unnecessary burden for Oklahoma’s farmers and ranchers.
In addition to these new special orders, several special orders from last year were retained. The 2021 AFR/OFU Policy Committee felt these retained orders were not only still relevant, but of extreme importance.
Packers and Stockyards Act: “We demand the enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act in regard to the anti-trust issues surrounding the packing segment of the beef industry in the United States.”
Four major packing firms control more than 80 percent of all beef slaughtered in the United States. Because they have such an overwhelming market share, these corporations are poised to influence and potentially manipulate U.S. beef prices. This issue has been at the forefront of beef industry discussion since August 2019 and was on full display during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. In an effort to limit the potential for antitrust behavior in what is most certainly a year’s long battle, the 2021 AFR/OFU Policy Committee demands proper enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act.
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Feral Swine Eradication Project is among key topics of Free Conservation Webinar, 1p.m., Feb. 24 |
Time - whether you keep it on your watch, your phone or the dash of your pickup - is a very important resource for you as an agricultural producer. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Oklahoma Tribal Conservation Advisory Council (OTCAC) realize and appreciate that.
That’s why our NRCS and OTCAC FREE virtual webinar scheduled for 1 p.m., Feb. 24 is a perfect solution for getting the answers to your conservation questions and receiving new conservation information. The Feral Swine Eradication Project will be featured along with topics such as Locally-Led and the NRCS Application Process and USDA Program Updates.
You don’t have to leave the house, the field or the barn, we will bring it to you through a Zoom Meeting
During this webinar on Feb. 24, you will receive information and have the opportunity to ask questions about conservation and how it pertains to your operation. NRCS State Conservationist Gary O’Neill will share NRCS Updates and Trey Lam, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Conservation Commission, will present information on the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program. Several other topics will be highlighted as well.
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For our farmers who have either- always have had cotton on their farms- or those who have more recently have added the fiber crop to their operations- we have a new daily report starting to be heard on several of our Radio Stations- It's Called Cotton Talk- and we appreciate the Oklahoma Cotton Council for their support in making this a reality.
Click on the Button below to listen to our most recent report
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Disaster Assistance Now Available for Oklahoma Ranchers Experiencing Livestock Losses |
The Livestock indemnity Program (LIP) provided by the USDA Farm Service Agency provides assistance to you for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by adverse weather, disease and attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government or protected by federal law.
For disease losses, FSA county committees can accept veterinarian certifications that livestock deaths were directly related to adverse weather and unpreventable through good animal husbandry and management.
For 2021livestock losses,you must file a notice within 30 calendar days of when the loss is first apparent. You then must provide the following supporting documentation to your local FSA office no later than 60 calendar days after the end of the calendar year in which the eligible loss condition occurred.
*Proof Of death documentation, I.E., pictures with dates
*Proof of beginning inventory
*Proof of normal mortality documentation
*Copy of growers contracts, if applicable.
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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
National Livestock was founded in 1932 in Oklahoma City. National’s Marketing Division offers cattle for sale weekly at the Oklahoma National Stockyards in Oklahoma City. The Finance Division lends money to ranchers across several states for cattle production. The Grazing Division works with producers to place cattle for grazing on wheat or grass pastures.
National also owns and operates other livestock marketing subsidiaries including Southern Oklahoma Livestock Auction in Ada, Oklahoma, OKC West Livestock Market in El Reno, Oklahoma, and the nation’s premier livestock video sale, Superior Livestock Auction. National offers customers many services custom made for today’s producer. To learn more, click here for the website or call the Oklahoma City office at 1-800-310-0220.
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Large Genetic Toolbox Available For Angus Breeders Says AGI's Joel Cowley |
Angus breeders have embraced the latest technology for EPDs and Joel Cowley, president of Angus Genetics, Inc. (AGI) said their genetic toolbox is growing every day in an effort to make them more profitable.
It’s impressive the commitment the American Angus Association has had with performance testing and the tools available to Angus breeders, Cowley said.
Our goal is to fill the genetic selection toolbox, he said.
The growth traits for calving ease were introduced early on and now they have genetic tools for selecting cattle with improved feet which is an issue for some operations, he said.
Recently they have developed environmental EPDs for hair shedding for producers in the fescue belt and high temperature climates, Cowley said.
The biggest challenge for producers is sorting through all the information, something Cowley calls “analysis paralysis.”
One of the really valuable tools developed by the American Angus Association more than a decade ago are the bioeconomic indexes or dollar value indexes, Cowley said.
The indexes are expressed in terms of profit.
For example, Dollar Maternal ($M) calf weaned is driven by the scenario where replacement heifers are retained and the rest are sold at weaning, he said.
Producers can use these indexes to make a really good initial sort to make them more profitable, Cowley said.
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New Lamb Protection during Wintertime Explained |
Adult sheep are capable of enduring colder weather, but lambs are not. Lamb owners need to manage accordingly, said an Oklahoma State University expert.
“Sheep are most comfortable at temperatures between 45-70 degrees Fahrenheit,” said Dr. Barry Whitworth, OSU Extension veterinarian and food animal quality and health specialist. “It doesn’t have to be an arctic blast to negatively affect lambs. Low temperatures combined with wet weather are always a concern.”
Hypothermia - a dangerously low body temperature - is a major cause of death in young lambs. Newborn lambs have limited energy reserves and a large surface-area-to-bodyweight ratio, which means they lose body heat rapidly, particularly if they are cold and wet. In addition, lambs that do not feed within the first few hours after birth will soon run out of energy reserves to keep warm.
Symptoms of hypothermia include a hunched posture, lethargy, hollowed-out sides, excessive bleating and dehydration. A lamb’s rectal temperature can be taken to confirm hypothermia. Normal lamb body temperature is 102 degrees; a reading below 99 degrees indicates severe hypothermia
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Horse owners need to be Watchful for Signs of Colic |
Horse owners need to take steps to ensure colic does not become a problem for their animals as temperatures drop, said Oklahoma State University experts.
“Horses need more feed to replace energy loss brought about by harsher wintertime weather conditions,” said Kris Hiney, OSU Extension equine specialist with the university’s Department of Animal and Food Sciences “A good first step is to maximize forage intake. Give them as much hay as they will eat during cold weather.”
Concentrate composition and amounts should be increased gradually over a period of several days, especially if the horses are already consuming large quantities of grain. Horses may suffer from colic if ration changes occur too rapidly.
Many concentrates or grain mixes will have significant levels of soluble carbohydrates, which are efficient providers of energy. However, eating too much of these compounds in one meal is a significant contributor to the frequency of colic and founder in horses.
One general guideline is to limit grain feedings to maximum, single, meal intakes of around 5 pounds per 1,000 pounds of body weight, Hiney said. However, some concentrates are less energy-dense than others, so horse managers should follow recommended intake levels on feed bags.
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I used a Facebook post yesterday to vent some of my feelings after word came that a radio broadcast legend had breathed his last, painful breath. Rush Limbaugh was 70 and has battled more than one health challenge- but lung cancer finally took him away.
I know some of you saw what I wrote on Facebook- but thought I might share it here this morning:
A sad day for those of us that have chosen radio as a career- Rush Limbaugh has lost his battle with cancer-
I remember the day that the Program Director at KTOK told me in the hallway that we had a new nationally syndicated show that was going to air on the station on a delayed basis- I asked how will that be able to connect with listeners- Mike Elder said- just wait and see.
Rush started at 1 pm on the OKC airwaves and eventually they moved him to be live at 11am-
I was amazed how articulate he was and how he understood how radio can and does connect with listeners
I was always taught and tried to practice the art of talking with each listener one to one right in the middle of each broadcast- and Rush was the master of it
Right up to the end of his amazing career- he was gracious but also so sharp in delivering the points he wished for his listeners to hear and believe
The fastest three hours in radio has happened for the final time- thanks Rush for saving AM radio and teaching us all that if you really strive for excellence on the air- they will listen!
RIP Rush!
One other note that I think this audience might appreciate. There was a point a few years ago before the cancel culture of today was a thing that we got a few calls from a couple of Ad Agencies that had national advertisers that they represented- demanding that we give them an accounting of which of our radio stations carried Rush in the middle of each weekday- and that we immediately move any of their commercials out of the time frame that Rush was on the air. It was only a few- but they were well listened to by the rural community. I asked who was making these demands- was it the advertiser or just some self appointed control freak in the agency- never got an answer to that and it never got actually put onto the broadcast order to my knowledge.
That opened my eyes to the disdain for the conservative right back then- and has continued and we have witnessed over the last four years. Actually, it was around well before Donald Trump.
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COLD and The Hardest Job on a Ranch |
I won't mention names of my ranch friends who taken to Facebook and shared their grief of losing calves and even some older cows to this record breaking week of cold and snow.
But a few of the commentaries written in just a few words are and will be burned into my memory whenever I think about all these days of below freezing temps. Here are a few of the comments I have read the last couple of days:
"The hardest job on a ranch is carrying a new born dead calf off while the new momma cow continues to search the spot looking and wondering where it went. Then seeing them stay in that spot all day. Sucks! No fault of her’s, just a bad draw...(and these are a few of the comments that followed)
"Lost 2 in thr last 2 days plus 6 short breds went through the ice on the pond.
"We had one of those today. She is a good momma too
"The same thing happened to us. Checked on her four times but didn't get there at the right time !!!
"if the cow starts trying to talk to the calf like they will do. you can see a grown man cry right here. breaks my heart and it never gets easier
"It’s actually doesn’t ever get any easier. And guilt will make you come up with more if only this or that’s you can imagine. That’s the part that drives me crazy.
"We have one that hasn’t come to feed for three days now because she won’t leave the spot where her calf was. We just keep taking her a little and looks at us like she is completely lost. Poor mommas.
"So heartbreaking . We had a cow fall through the ice on the pond today! I totally hate ponds in the winter! Praying for all the ranchers and their livestock!"
There were a lot more but I'm crying now as I type so let's just pray for all of our farmers and ranchers who have lived thru this week of horrible weather- and say thanks for being willing to keep on doing what you do so our urban friends and millions more around the world can enjoy the products of your labor-
God Bless!
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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 continue to go higher- Harsh weather has made movement difficult and pushing Choice Beef up $2.74 and Select Beef up $3.61.
Click on the Button below for the latest report from USDA Market News
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Weekly Cattle Auction Reports
The buttons below allow you to check out the weekly Cattle Auctions in the region that we post on our website and here in our daily email update- Woodward and other "end of week" auctions cancelled last week due to extreme cold and the markets that operate the first half of this week have already shut down for this week.
Two Updates on sales that are Thursday auctions- Woodward is having a sale today- starting at 11 AM while the Fairview Livestock Auction is cancelled today because of the weather. Also, the Joplin Market has cancelled their cow sale normally held on Fridays this week.
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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 update on the Livestock and Grain Futures Trade..
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Okla Cash Grain:
Daily Oklahoma Cash Grain Prices- as reported by the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture- The report available after the close of the Futures Trade for that day.
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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 is the 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 affecting rural America.
The Road to Rural Prosperity is here to tell stories about rural America, for rural America.
At the recent Oklahoma Genetics, Inc Annual Conference, Dr. Tom Coon, Dean and Vice President of the Division of Ag and Natural Resources provided an update on 2020-2021 Enrollment at OSU in the midst of the Pandemic, new personnel for the Division and all the latest in the New Frontiers Project to fund and construct the new Ag Hall for the Division and the Ferguson College of Ag. Host Ron Hays was moderating the Conference and asked Dr. Coon about the timeline for the construction- with plans announced to have a groundbreaking celebration April 23rd.
Today's podcast featuring Tom Coon's address is powered by the Oklahoma Rural Water Association.
To find out more about our full series of Podcasts on The Road to Rural Prosperity- click or tap here.
To hear this podcast, you can click here or tap below:
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Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, P & K Equipment, AFR/OFU, 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.
We also welcome Express Ranches as our Presenting Sponsor- check out their March 5th Spring Bull Sale- including links to the Sale Book, Sale Video and Sale Data by clicking here for their website.
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
405.473.6144
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