We are already starting to wind down the breeding animal part of the 2018 OYE- with the wrap up of the Heifer show coming today and the ewes to follow. After that we move quickly into the showing of the market animals. This past Friday-  I ran into Jimmy Harrell of the Bank of Western Oklahoma and long-time supporter of the show. Since 2003, when the Oklahoma State Fair relinquished the event, Harrell has served on the board that has kept the nation's largest junior livestock show alive and developed it into what it is today.

 

"It is incredible. It takes in every county in the state," Harrell said. "When we took it over, we said we we're going to be friendly to the ag teacher, friendly to the county agent, friendly to the exhibitors, their parents and their grandparents where they could come here and enjoy it and not be something they dreaded."

 

 

This year had a record number of entries and about equal quantities of both market and breeding animals.

Harrell himself, has been coming to the show for decades, even as a boy showing his own cattle. He told me, though, a lot has changed since then - especially the Grand Drive which is now a marvel for attendees from all over the country.


"Our Grand Drive is one that everyone all over the nation enjoys. There's nothing like it," he proudly said, sharing how it began with his wife's idea to bring the winners of the steer show in with the Express Ranches Clydesdales. Then Executive Director Justin Whitefield who oversaw the hog show, he says, was so jealous he wanted in on the idea and merged the individual drives into one multi-species event. "It wasn't something we sat down and thought out, it just evolved by competition among ourselves."

Harrell gave credit to the legislators and sponsors who he says has kept the show going.

 

Click here to hear my entire conversation with Harrell as he reflects on where OYE has come since his youth, on our website.


Our coverage of the 2018 Oklahoma Youth Expo is once again a service of ITC Great Plains, Your Energy Superhighway- learn more about this high voltage, transmission only utility and their commitment to the communities they serve which is the cornerstone of their business - click here for their website.

I sat down with Mark Hodges, executive director of Oklahoma Genetics, Inc. to review the organization's sales tabulations from last year and how that has financially impacted OSU and the Division of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources.

In the end, 2017 turned out another record year in royalty payments back to OSU, according to Hodges who pointed out the fact, this happened in the face of declining wheat acres in Oklahoma and across the country.


In total, the check presented to OSU by OGI, paid $721,021 in royalties reflecting the overall purchase of OSU derived wheat varieties. Since that initial payment, Hodges says a supplemental $15,000 has been added to that as well, making a grand total of over $735,000. A vast majority of that money, of course allocated back to OSU's wheat improvement team that is generally responsible for the development of these wheat varieties.

 

Hodges also serves HRW wheat producers through quality testing and timely reporting as executive director of Plains Grains. In this capacity, he conferred his observations on the current conditions of Oklahoma's wheat crop.


"We are hurting," he said bluntly. "We've got some wheat that never germinated yet. So, will it meet the vernalization requirements of the plant...? We're not sure at this point. Lot of unanswered question right now, so we're extremely concerned about what's going on."

 

 

Listen to Hodge's full report on OGI's success this past year and hear his full update on the condition of Oklahoma's wheat crop, by clicking or tapping here.

In his latest blog post, Dr. David Marburger, Small Grains Extension Specialist at OSU, tries to address some of the questions regarding the rain we had in late-February that has spurred wheat in Oklahoma to begin germinating and emerging. He says the questions being asked boil down to what is a realistic expectation for this late-emerging wheat crop?

He describes how farmers can evaluate how much forage or grain yield potential they have.

"Wheat that was established prior to the February rain will have had enough time under cooler temperatures to vernalize and go through reproductive development. For most of these acres which did receive rain, we still have a chance at producing full or close full yield potential if the wheat tillered or if you increased your seeding rate to compensate for the late planting.


"For those who had spotty stands prior to the rain, we can still get an estimate on potential here too. You will need to estimate the percent of the field with an established stand, and then obtain a plant/tiller count as described above. Again, these established plants may still have full yield potential. For the plants now emerging, I doubt we will get much, if any, additional tillers produced. Also, the amount of grain produced by that single head will likely be less, unless the variety has a low vernalization requirement.


"With wheat that was planted very late and is just now, I doubt there will be additional tillers produced."

 

 

Read Marburger's full blog post for more information on what to expect from your wheat crop this year, by clicking here.

More than 8,000 farmers, agriculture leaders and ag advocates converged on the Anaheim Convention during the 2018 Commodity Classic that took place Feb. 27-Mar.1 in California. Commodity Classic is America's largest farmer-led, farmer-focused convention and trade show.

 

 

"We were very pleased with the turnout in Anaheim and the enthusiasm and energy were palpable," said Paul Taylor, an Illinois farmer and co-chair of the 2018 Commodity Classic. "Commodity Classic attracts people who are passionate about agriculture, thirsty for knowledge and positive about the future."


Included in the preliminary number of 8,055 registered in Anaheim were a record number of non-exhibitor first-time attendees (1,533) and more than 150 media representatives. A total of 3,646 farmers from across the nation and several foreign countries were on hand to take part in a robust slate of educational sessions, tour the large trade show and hear from a wide range of experts and thought-leaders in agriculture. 


Sonny Perdue, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, addressed attendees during the convention's general session. Attendees also had the chance to participate in more than 40 educational sessions on topics ranging from soil health to farm policy, from trade to pollinators, from high-yield strategies to cover crops and more. A huge trade show featuring 367 companies commanding a total of 1,894 booth spaces was open for the entire event, showcasing the innovation, technology, equipment and groundbreaking ideas that are changing the face of agriculture and food production.


Click here for more highlights from the 2018 Commodity Classic.