Oklahoma's Latest Farm
And Ranch News

Your Update from Ron Hays of RON
Monday, March 8, 2021
Howdy Neighbors!
Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update. 
 
  • The USDA Will Focus on Climate Change, Improved Markets And Covid Relief Funds- USDA Chief Tom Vilsack to Virtual Commodity Classic

  • Vilsack and Other Democrats Cheer Passage of Budget Reconciliation Package- Republicans Vote No

  • Consumers Want More High Quality Beef, Says CattleFax CEO Randy Blach

  • OKFB Hosts Discussion with Legislative Redistricting Chairs  

  • Sub-zero Temperature Won't Have Big Effect on Insect Pests

  • NAWG Elects Officers, Adopts 2021 Policy Priorities in Annual Conference 

  • New Political Action Committee Launches to support Oklahoma Republican Women running for Elected Office 

  • Details announced on Rancher Relief Fund from Texas Cattle Raisers 

  • USDA Extends Application Deadline for the Quality Loss Adjustment Program 
The USDA Will Focus on Climate Change, Improved Markets And Covid Relief Funds Said USDA Chief Tom Vilsack During Commodity Classic Speech
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack closed out the annual Commodity Classic with his virtual keynote address Friday, emphasizing climate change policies, Covid relief funds and foreign and domestic markets.

It has been an incredibly difficult time for farmers and ranchers, Vilsack said.

With a nod to his first time as USDA chief, Vilsack said things will be a little different during round two.

It is a different time and I am a different person this time around, he said.

The USDA is committed to making sure the ag industry gets its share of Covid relief funds

He noted 89.6 percent of American farm families depend on off-farm income.

The focus for the next four years is going to be on markets, he said.



We are doing everything we can to guarantee price transparency, fair and competitive markets, Vilsack said.

He also said they are working on expanding domestic meat processing facilities.
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Vilsack and Other Democrats Cheer Passage of Budget Reconciliation Package
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the following statement over the weekend on passage of the American Rescue Plan Act by the U.S. Senate.

“I am grateful to the U.S. Senate for passing the American Rescue Plan today to bring much-needed nutrition assistance and financial relief to millions of families struggling to pay the bills and put healthy food on the table. President Biden made this transformative piece of legislation his first priority upon taking office, and he fulfilled his pledge to the American people. If you’re a mother or father struggling to get by, who didn’t always know when or where the next meal would come from, you will rest easier tonight knowing help is on the way. The bill not only boosts SNAP benefits through September, it also increases targeted nutrition assistance to mothers and young children and expedites more nutrition aid to U.S. territories. Farmers, business owners, and workers across the food supply chain will see additional assistance to respond to market disruption, as well.

Read Secretary Vilsack's complete statement- available here.

Also praising the $1.9 Trillion deal was the Chair of the Senate Ag Committee, Debbie Stabenow- she describes it as a bold action to "help farmers, families, and rural communities get back on track and survive this pandemic. Click here for her statement.

Oklahoma's Senators both voted no- and issued statements about the massive package- Senator James Lankford calling it a "Rushed, Progressive Wish List Cloaked As COVID Bill"- read his comments by clicking here. And Senator Jim Inhofe called it partisan politics- his comments are available here.

Consumers Want More High Quality Beef, Says CattleFax CEO Randy Blach
Consumers want more high-quality beef and are willing to pay for it, said Randy Blach, CEO of CattleFax, a global leader in beef industry research, analysis and information.

Blach was a featured speaker at the CattleFax market outlook seminar during the recent virtual NCBA winter conference.

We’ve seen over a 60 percent increase in the amount of choice and prime beef production in the United States since the 2000 to 2005 time period, Blach said.

Even though we’ve seen that kind of increase in production levels, the spread between select and CAB has continued to get higher, Blach said.

That is classic beef demand growth, he added.

The consumers are saying we want more of the good stuff, Blach said.

I don’t think that will go away once the restaurants reopen later, he said.

This is a very clear signal that the consumer is sending the beef producer today, he said, as 8 percent more of the total meat sales is going to beef.
OKFB hosts Discussion with Legislative Redistricting Chairs
Oklahoma Farm Bureau this week hosted Senate and House redistricting committee chairs Sen. Lonnie Paxton and Rep. Ryan Martinez to ’discuss Oklahomas ongoing redistricting process.

Every 10 years, the state Legislature is tasked with redrawing state legislative and congressional district lines following the decennial census. The new boundaries will be used for elections beginning in 2022 through 2030.

During the discussion, Paxton and Martinez shared important information about the process, potential changes to rural legislative districts, and how all Oklahomans can be engaged in the redistricting process.
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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
Sub-zero Temperature won't have Big effect on Insect Pests
Although recent subzero temperatures put the big chill on the human population, the insect population fared better.
“While some insects leave the area in the winter and return in the spring, there are others that make their own antifreeze,” said Tom Royer, Oklahoma State University Extension entomology specialist. “The greenbug, for example, can withstand temperatures of up to minus 9 degrees Fahrenheit, so they often survive the kind of temperatures we had in February.”

Many Oklahomans are wondering about this summer’s mosquito population. Did the cold weather put the kibosh on them? Unfortunately, the answer is no.

Royer said as a kid, his family used to go camping in northern Minnesota every year, which is another state well populated with the pesky mosquito. The bug is often referred to as the unofficial state bird of the State of 10,000 Lakes.

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.
Sponsor Spotlight


The Oklahoma Farm Bureau - a grassroots organization that has for its Mission Statement- “Improving the Lives of Rural Oklahomans." Farm Bureau, as the state's largest general farm organization, is active at the State Capitol fighting for the best interests of its members and working with other groups to make certain that the interests of rural Oklahoma are protected. Click here for their website to learn more about the organization and how it can benefit you to be a part of Farm Bureau. 


NAWG Elects Officers, Adopts 2021 Policy Priorities in Annual Conference
Last week the National Association of Wheat Growers concluded its annual conference, which entailed organizational action and adoption of 2021 policy priorities. Given the impacts of COVID-19 over the past year, the board re-elected the same slate of officers to continue in their roles for 2021. With that action, the board has re-elected Dave Milligan (MI) as President; Nicole Berg (WA) as Vice President; Brent Cheyne (OR) as Treasurer; Keeff Felty (OK) as Secretary; and Ben Scholz (TX) as Past President.

“It’s an honor to continue serving as NAWG’s President, especially as we’ve got a lot of important issues and opportunities for wheat farmers with the new Congress and new Administration,” said NAWG President and Cass City, Michigan, farmer Dave Milligan. “Following several important policy wins in 2020, we’ve now set our priorities for the upcoming year with a focus on defending critical farm support programs, maintaining and growing our markets, and engaging in climate and sustainability policy in a constructive manner to represent wheat growers’ interests, among other issues.”

NAWG’s efforts return now to engaging with Members of Congress and the Administration to outline the organization’s priorities. As part of this effort, NAWG will hold a virtual Hill week next week where its farmer members will meet with their Congressional delegations and the House and Senate Agriculture Committees.
New Political Action Committee Launches to support Oklahoma Republican Women Running for Elected Office
A new Political Action Committee (PAC) launched today to help build the bench of Republican women running for elected office across Oklahoma.

The Promoting Oklahoma Women in Elections & Representation (POWhER) PAC is a network of grassroots individuals committed to helping inspire and support Republican women running for office at all levels of government and strengthening the network and unity of Republican women across the state.

Each year, the POWhER PAC will issue checks to eligible women running for election, hold member-only events with PAC endorsed candidates and host an annual networking event for members with former and current elected Republican women.

“We have seen an increasing number of Republican women from across the nation raise their hand to run for office, and we are committed to elevating that movement here at home,” said the POWhER PAC board members. “Our desire is to help inspire and support female candidates and give them the boost they need through financial support and our membership network. We welcome Republicans across Oklahoma - women and men - to join this grassroots effort to help talented, conservative women run for office, deliver change and lead our state at all levels of government.”
Details announced on Rancher Relief Fund from Texas Cattle Raisers
For cattle raisers financially burdened by February’s devastating winter storm and resulting power and water outages, help is on the way.

Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association today opened the application phase of its TSCRA Disaster Relief Fund. Applications will be accepted through Sunday, March 14. The short timeline will allow funds to be distributed as soon as possible, said association president Hughes Abell, a rancher from Austin.

“We know cattle raisers are hurting,” he said. “And they need help now.”

The disaster relief program is designed to provide financial assistance to ranchers in Texas and Oklahoma who are victims of a natural disaster and consequentially are financially needy or otherwise distressed.
USDA Extends Application Deadline for the Quality Loss Adjustment Program 
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the deadline from March 5 to April 9 for agricultural producers to apply for the Quality Loss Adjustment (QLA) Program because of recent winter storms and some clarifications to program rules. This program assists producers who suffered crop quality losses due to qualifying 2018 and 2019 natural disasters.

“Because of recent winter storms and some program updates, we want to provide five additional weeks for producers to apply for the program,” said Zach Ducheneaux, Administrator of the Farm Service Agency (FSA). “I want to make sure eligible producers have the opportunity to apply and to work with our team members to help with any questions. We recently clarified policy to ensure producers who sold grain to the feed market due to quality issues are adequately compensated.”
Let's Check The Markets!
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.
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.
Wholesale Boxed Beef Prices went lower again on Friday, March 5th- Choice Beef was lower by $2.55 and Select Beef was down another 83 cents.

Click on the Button below for the latest report from USDA Market News
Oklahoma National Stockyards had just over 10,000 head on hand Sunday evening- and the word we got from Kelli Payne was to expect 12,500 up to 13,000 head for today's sale- which will be starting at 6:30 AM.

For comparison- Click below for the complete closing report.from last Monday, March first.
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..
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.
Our Daily Market Wrapup from the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network - analyzing the Futures Markets for that trading day- as reported by KC Sheperd.
Slaughter Cattle Recap: 
The National Daily Slaughter Cattle Summary- as prepared by the USDA Market News
TCFA Feedlot Recap:  
Finally, here is the Daily Volume and Price Summary from the Texas Cattle Feeders Association.
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
 
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.

Host Ron Hays talks with Oklahoma Third District Congressman Frank Lucas about two recent pieces of legislation that he voted against- HR 1, the Democrat's Voting Rights Bill that would strip power away from the states on how to register and verify voters- and also the Budget Reconciliation Bill that the Biden Administration is calling the American Rescue Plan. Hays and Lucas also talked about the confirmation of Tom Vilsack to be USDA Secretary- Lucas saying he is "relieved" that Vilsack was President Biden's choice to be Secretary.

Rep. Lucas also talked about the CFAP money that is being held up by the Biden USDA- saying that Congress offered explicit instructions on funds to be spent to compensate cattle producers who sold cattle at a loss April 15 thru May last year as COVID devastated the market.
The Congressman also talked about the groundwork ahead of a 2023 Farm Bill and what he is working on in the Science Committee to help research back on track after a year of dealing with the Pandemic.

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:

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 also appreciate our Market Links Sponsor - OKC West Livestock! 


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.
God Bless!
Reach Out To Us:
Tim West
President/General Manager
Radio Oklahoma Ag Network

2401 Exchange Avenue,
Suite F
Oklahoma City, OK 73108

405.317.6361
Ron Hays
Director of Farm Programming
Radio Oklahoma Ag Network

405.473.6144