Oklahoma's Latest Farm
And Ranch News
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Your Update from Ron Hays of RON
Wednesday, May 19, 2021
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Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update.
- OSU Extension Wheat Pathologist Dr. Bob Hunger Retiring After 39 Years of Dedicated Service
- OKFB: Stitt’s Return-to-work initiative Could help ag labor Shortages
- Oklahoma Cattle Producer Scott Blubaugh Encouraged by Ag Groups Willing to Agree on Solutions to The Cattle Market
- OSU to send five to College National Finals Rodeo
- NCBA Welcomes Bicameral Push for Swift Conclusion to DOJ Investigation
- Statewide Oklahoma NRCS Webinar
- ASA, Ag Leaders Voice Concerns to EPA Over Chlorpyrifos Ruling
- Oklahoma House Approves FY22 Budget Bill
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OSU Extension Wheat Pathologist Dr. Bob Hunger Retiring After 39 Years of Dedicated Service |
After 39 years of dedicated service to Oklahoma farmers, Bob Hunger, OSU Extension wheat pathologist and professor in the Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, is looking forward to retirement.
Hunger was recently interviewed by Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Associate Farm Director and Editor KC Sheperd.
Hunger started his career focused on teaching and research and later expanded to Extension.
All three have been very rewarding, Hunger said.
The research has been primarily with the wheat breeding program and Hunger has had the opportunity to work with two of the top wheat breeders in the country, first with Dr. Ed Smith and currently Dr. Brett Carver.
Two things stick out, Hunger said about his long OSU career.
In the early years, starting in the early 1980’s up to about 2000 we hardly every saw stripe rust, Hunger said.
Stripe rust is almost as significant today as leaf rust, as stripe rust has been able to adapt to Oklahoma, Hunger said.
The other notable disease that stands out is karnal bunt.
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Union Mutual was chartered in 1938 to write property and casualty insurance in the state of Oklahoma. Over the years, Union Mutual has maintained the attitude that started the company and continue to be that company that understands Oklahomans’ insurance needs when they contact any member of the UMIC team.
In poor economic times, in times when national insurance companies either stopped writing or completely left the state, Union Mutual has been there for Oklahomans. Today, Union Mutual writes insurance in all 77 counties of Oklahoma through almost 300 agency locations. These agents provide prompt and reliable quotes for most lines of insurance. Just recently, UMIC launched a new product in the preferred market space that has seen unprecedented growth with our rural customer base and falls in line with our Company mantra of “Protection not Politics”, when meeting the needs of our consumers and agents.
Monica Collison took over as CEO of Union Mutual in May of 2019. Under her leadership and through the hard work of her Union team, the company has continued to see positive results and productive growth with profit throughout the state of Oklahoma. Union Mutual offers a wide variety of coverage options for Oklahomans. For 82 years, Union Mutual has led the way to protect all of Oklahoma.
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OKFB: Stitt’s Return-to-work initiative Could help ag labor Shortages |
Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Rodd Moesel today released the following statement applauding Gov. Kevin Stitt’s announcement of a return-to-work initiative to help address labor shortages in Oklahoma.
“As Oklahoma farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses continue to struggle to find a reliable workforce, we appreciate Gov. Kevin Stitt’s plan to help put Oklahomans back to work. Dependable workers are critical to our agriculture producers as farmers and ranchers grow and raise food, fiber and fuel for our state, our country and our world.
“As we’ve seen all too often throughout the pandemic, uncertainty in the agricultural workforce jeopardizes the availability and accessibility of fundamental products we all rely on. We hope this plan is just the first step as we work toward solutions that will provide farmers and ranchers with the help they so desperately need.”
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Oklahoma Cattle Producer Scott Blubaugh Encouraged by Ag Groups Willing to Agree on Solutions to The Cattle Market |
During a private meeting last week in Phoenix among 24 invited cattle producers representing the six major farm groups there was consensus on six areas of agreement with three key solutions to solve issues surrounding the cattle market.
Scott Blubaugh, president of AFR/OFU and a Tonkawa, Okla., cattle producer, represented NFU at the historic meeting and later talked with me.
Three solutions were agreed upon by all the groups that we would work towards with our respective groups, Blubaugh said.
One would be to expedite the removal of the USDA livestock mandatory reporting and create a contract library of the alterative marketing arrangements that are out there, he said.
Also in agreement was a demand for the Department of Justice to issue public investigation status from the report of the Holcomb fire (Kansas packing plant) and the shutdown of the plants last spring, he said.
We’re tired of waiting, Blubaugh said.
We need oversight between the USDA and the Justice Department, he said, as there is really a disconnect there.
The third proposed solution involves increasing packing plant capacity.
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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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OSU to send five to College National Finals Rodeo |
Oklahoma State University’s Rodeo Team has overcome the difficulties of training and competing in a pandemic to qualify five students for the College National Finals Rodeo in June.
The five who made the cut comprise the largest OSU contingent in several years to be sent to the CNFR, said Cody Hollingsworth, the team’s coach. The qualifying students and their events are:
• Kenna McNeill, animal science student from Hobbs, New Mexico – barrel racing and goat tying.
• Lariat Larner, agricultural economics master’s student from Stephenville, Texas – goat tying.
• Cheyenne Bartling, recreation management and recreation therapy student from Sand Springs, Oklahoma – goat tying.
• Lexie Russell, animal science student from Gainesville, Texas – breakaway roping.
• Ethan Griffin, agribusiness student from Eucha, Oklahoma – team roping header.
“I’m very happy for the individuals and excited for the team’s position in the finals, particularly with the shortened season due to COVID-19 last year,” Hollingsworth said. “It has been extremely difficult for everyone, but these students rose to the challenge and more. It’s something we can all be proud of.”
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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
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.
They would like to thank all of you who participated in their 2021 Oklahoma City Farm Show.
The Tulsa Farm Show is Oklahoma’s premier agricultural and ranching event which returns to the River Spirit Expo (Expo Square) December, 9-10-11, 2021.
Now is the ideal time to contact the Midwest Farm Show Office at 507-437-7969 and book space at the 2021 Tulsa Farm Show. To learn more about the Tulsa Farm Show, click here.
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NCBA Welcomes Bicameral Push for Swift Conclusion to DOJ Investigation |
Today, Senator John Thune (R-SD) and Representative Dusty Johnson (R-SD-AL) led a bicameral letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, urging the Department of Justice to move forward with their investigation into anticompetitive practices in the meatpacking industry.
"Despite strong consumer demand and reopening across much of the country, cattle producers face significant business challenges. The farmers and ranchers NCBA represents are contending with high market volatility, drought, and extreme input costs, and they can't capture the value they deserve for the high-quality product they supply," said NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane. "We have a high supply of cattle at one end of this equation and a high demand for U.S. beef at the other, but the middle is being absolutely choked by the lack of processing capacity. It’s in the best interests of both producers and consumers for the Department of Justice to get to the bottom of the current market dynamics, and asses why they seemingly always result in producers getting the short end of the deal. Cattle producers deserve to know whether or not the price disparity that has plagued our market is the result of anti-competitive or other inappropriate practices in the packing sector. We thank Senator Thune and Congressman Johnson for keeping up the drumbeat on this critical issue. We hope their bicameral request for a progress report will be met at DOJ with the urgency it warrants, and we hope to see results from the Attorney General soon."
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Statewide Oklahoma NRCS Webinar |
Statewide Oklahoma NRCS Webinar to include information on the Environmental Quality Incentives Program Conservation Incentive Contract, Farm Bill updates, Simple Steps to Apply for NRCS Programs and much more on June 8
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., June 8 is a perfect solution for getting the answers to your conservation questions and receiving new conservation information.
Wherever you are in Oklahoma – Panhandle to southeast, northeast to southwest, Red River to the Kansas line or somewhere in the middle – you don’t have to leave the house, the field or the barn, we will bring it to you through a Zoom Meeting (Please see registration information below).
The NRCS has 21 Teams across Oklahoma’s 77 counties. However, this webinar is for everyone. Plus, we have found that producers from not only throughout Oklahoma, but throughout the region and the nation have joined our webinars to gather very important information.
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ASA, Ag Leaders Voice Concerns to EPA Over Chlorpyrifos Ruling |
Last week, ASA drafted and led a coalition letter to the Environmental Protection Agency expressing concern over the potential precedent that could arise from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals’ April 29 decision on the petition to revoke tolerances and cancel uses of chlorpyrifos. More than 40 agricultural organizations cosigned the letter. The signers asked EPA to use whatever legal means necessary, including requesting an en banc rehearing or appealing the ruling, to avoid this damaging precedent from undermining EPA’s independent, science-based regulatory authority.
In the case, the three-judge panel ruled that EPA’s decision to reject a 2007 petition to revoke tolerances and cancel uses of chlorpyrifos was arbitrary and capricious based on the evidence available to the agency and ordered EPA to instead grant the petition. Stakeholders expressed concern that the court supplanted EPA’s expert, scientific interpretation with its own, which risks creating a disruptive precedent on how EPA might have to address - and how courts might interpret - petitions to revoke tolerances and cancel uses in the future. The signers noted that similar overreach in 2019 resulted in a three-judge panel being reversed when an en banc rehearing was granted by the Ninth Circuit Court. Stakeholders acknowledge that EPA is set to make a registration review decision on chlorpyrifos in the coming months through EPA’s normal 15-year review timing, and that making a decision through this normal-order process, as Congress intended, will help protect EPA’s ability to make independent decisions when interpreting science.
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House Approves FY22 Budget Bill |
The House today passed the appropriations bill to fund state government services for Fiscal Year 2022, which starts in July.
“This is the most comprehensive budget I have seen in my tenure,” said House Appropriations and Budget Chair Kevin Wallace, R-Wellston. “It funds core services across the spectrum, and it gives parents, teachers and students everything they need for success in education.”
A&B Vice Chair Kyle Hilbert added, “This budget provides tax relief to individuals and businesses, makes targeted and historic investments in education, includes money for economic development, health care and infrastructure, and it leaves the state with the highest reserve balance in state history.”
House Bill 2900 passed the House with a vote of 82-19. It now moves to the state Senate.
Bills that specify spending limits for various state agencies also are still pending final passage.
This budget appropriates $8.8 billion for Fiscal Year 2022, which starts in July. This compares to $7.7 billion appropriated for FY21 - a 14.3% increase.
This budget increases common education funding by more than $210 million to a historic high of $3.2 billion. This will allow the reduction of classroom sizes in kindergarten and first grade, which is expected to lead to greater academic success for students throughout the remainder of their school years.
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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- Choice Beef was up $3.72 and Select Beef was up $2.16 on Tuesday May 18th.
Click on the Button below for the latest report from USDA Market News
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Oklahoma National Stockyards reported a final number 7,854 head on Monday May 17th
Compared to the last sale on 12/14/20: Feeder steers 1.00-4.00 lower. Feeder heifers steady to 3.00 lower. Steer calves steady to 2.00 lower. Heifer calves steady to 3.00 higher. Demand light to moderate as cattle futures traded sharply lower today. Record snowfall hit on New Years and many wheat fields are extremely muddy as a result.
Click below for the complete closing 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 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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The House today passed the appropriations bill to fund state government services for Fiscal Year 2022, which starts in July.
“This is the most comprehensive budget I have seen in my tenure,” said House Appropriations and Budget Chair Kevin Wallace, R-Wellston. “It funds core services across the spectrum, and it gives parents, teachers and students everything they need for success in education.”
A&B Vice Chair Kyle Hilbert added, “This budget provides tax relief to individuals and businesses, makes targeted and historic investments in education, includes money for economic development, health care and infrastructure, and it leaves the state with the highest reserve balance in state history.”
House Bill 2900 passed the House with a vote of 82-19. It now moves to the state Senate.
Bills that specify spending limits for various state agencies also are still pending final passage.
This budget appropriates $8.8 billion for Fiscal Year 2022, which starts in July. This compares to $7.7 billion appropriated for FY21 - a 14.3% increase.
This budget increases common education funding by more than $210 million to a historic high of $3.2 billion. This will allow the reduction of classroom sizes in kindergarten and first grade, which is expected to lead to greater academic success for students throughout the remainder of their school years.
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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 2021 Oklahoma Grain and Feed Association annual meeting on May 4th, we recorded the lunch time conversation between OGFA CEO and President Jeff Hickman and Oklahoma State University President Designate Dr. Kayse Shrum, who will officially become the 19th President of OSU on July first. Learn more about who Dr. Shrum is- personally and professionally- and what her early priorities will be when she takes the reins as President on July first.
Today's Road to Rural Prosperity Podcast is sponsored in part by the Oklahoma Rural Water Association and the Oklahoma Farm Bureau.
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, 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, Union Mutual Insurance, 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
405.473.6144
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