AND- a Derrell Peel BONUS- Dr. Peel was featured Monday on the K-State Radio Website- featured in an interview with Eric Atkinson about the latest cattle market moving news- click here for a chance to hear their conversation.

I had the chance to catch up with Bill Buckner, president and CEO of the Noble Research Institute, this past weekend at the Oklahoma Farm Bureau State Convention. Buckner has been very busy the last couple years, really building up the NRI on the national stage and charting a course for the organization that will significantly increase its influence in the scientific community.

Buckner attests that in agriculture, everything is connected - and it can all be traced back to an origin that began underground. This idea is of course the foundation of one of Noble's key focuses, soil health.

"Having a soil health profile that's capable of creating a resilient agricultural system, we think, is very important," Buckner said. "Every conversation we have with a producer starts around a systems approach as opposed to a best management practices approach."

This is naturally difficult in some cases to get across to people, as most have been taught that what you do above ground, is most important to a crop's success. Buckner says many at USDA have a hard time grasping this concept, but farmers and ranchers on the other hand, are starting to see the light says Buckner.

"To get people to think about soil health differently is quite a stretch," he said. "It all stems back to where we were all products of the 60s coming through the system and we were focused above the ground. Farmers and ranchers today are changing that paradigm and the dynamics on the farm and I'm very encouraged by what we see there."

In his mind, the root of the problem lies with a lack of education. However, he hopes that issue will shrink as Noble continues to research ways in which to improve soil health, teach farmers and ranchers about their findings, and ultimately prove conservation's important role in agriculture as science and technology in this area evolves.

"We really look at it from a stewardship perspective," Buckner said. "When we look at the next five to ten years, as the science comes through and begins to develop, it will force farmers to think differently about the practices they have."

Click here to read more or to listen to my complete interview with Buckner about Noble's efforts in the advancement of soil health.

In the latest crop progress report released Monday, November 13, 2017, the United States Department of Agriculture rated the US corn crop's harvest at 83 percent complete compared to 70 percent a week ago and last year's progress at this same time at 92 percent - and still lagging behind the average of 91. The US soybean crop is 93 percent harvested, up from 90 percent last week and just behind last year's 96 percent and the average of 95. For the complete USDA Crop Progress report, click here.


According to the weekly crop progress report from USDA, Oklahoma winter wheat planted reached 93 percent, down 4 points from normal. Winter wheat emerged reached 86 percent, down 3 points from normal. Winter wheat condition this week rates 41 percent good to excellent, 53 fair, and 6 poor to very poor. Corn harvested reached 95 percent, down 3 points from normal. Sorghum harvested reached 80 percent, down 5 points from normal. Cotton harvested reached 48 percent, down 5 points from the previous year and down 7 points from normal. To view the complete Oklahoma Crop Progress and Condition Report, click here.


In Kansas, winter wheat condition rated 3 percent very poor, 9 poor, 32 fair, 50 good, and 6 excellent. Winter wheat planted was 97 percent, equal to last year, and near 99 for the five-year average. Emerged was 84 percent, behind 90 last year and 91 the average. Corn harvested was 93 percent, behind 99 last year, and near 96 the average. To view the complete Kansas Crop Progress and Condition Report, click here.


In Texas, winter wheat planted is rated this week at 89 percent complete, compared to 88 last year and 87 the average. Winter wheat emerged has reached 78 percent, ahead of last year by 6 and ahead of the average by 7. Winter wheat condition is rated this week at 46 percent good to excellent, 40 fair and 14 poor to very poor. Currently, corn harvested is up 3 points this week from last at 95 percent complete, just behind the average of 96. Cotton harvested is at 55 percent, ahead of the average by 2. To view the complete Texas Crop Progress and Condition Report, click here.

Each week, it seems there is something new coming from the ongoing negotiations to reauthorize the North American Free Trade Agreement, that could change the direction of discussion, either for better or worse. The same is true about the US free trade agreement with South Korea, or KORUS. This of course injects uncertainty into the markets and adds to the agricultural industry's apprehension regarding trade. Our Associate Farm Director Carson Horn spoke with Colin Woodall of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association's Washington, DC office about his organization's concerns surrounding the President and his administration's trade agenda and how it may impact beef producers.


"We still have a lot of worries, especially in regards to (Trump's) continued thoughts or comments about pulling out of NAFTA and also KORUS," Woodall said. "Both of those have brought a tremendous amount of value to the US cattle industry."


Woodall says $47 in value can be attributed to each marketed animal from our access to Korea alone. He contends that a pullout from either of these agreements would have a major, negative impact on the bottom line of the US cattle industry. Fortunately, though, the US is still at the negotiating table with its NAFTA partners and Woodall is optimistic that our representatives will hopefully respect the industry's wish not to brought up in discussion and to simply allow beef trade to go unfettered under existing practices.


"We've asked for them not to bring up cattle and beef issues. They haven't yet," he said. "So, for us, it's going to be a matter of whether or not we stay in the agreement period. And, that's still up in the air."


Listen to Woodall and Horn discuss concerns held by NCBA relating to trade, with me, on today's Beef Buzz - click here.

In case you missed it - Sarah Davisson from the American Quarter Horse Association joined me over the weekend on my "In the Field" segment on KWTV - News9 to talk about the 2017 Lucas Oil American Quarter Horse World Championship, happening now through November 18th at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds right here in Oklahoma City.

This year, the show has attracted over 4,800 entries from exhibitors who compete all year long at AQHA sanctioned shows to acquire enough points to qualify to compete in this show. During this event, 99 world champions will be crowned, including the most prestigious - Lucas Oil Super Horse Award, complete with bragging rights and a $25,000 cash prize!

You can watch my interview with Davisson, by clicking or tapping here, or you can read the full story and hear our complete off-camera discussion by tapping here.