From: Ron Hays [ron@oklahomafarmreport.ccsend.com] on behalf of Ron Hays [ron@oklahomafarmreport.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 4:32 AM
To: Hays, Ron
Subject: Oklahoma's Farm News Update
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Oklahoma's latest farm and ranch news
Your Update from Ron Hays of RON for Wednesday August 25, 2010
A service of Johnston Enterprises, P & K Equipment/ P & K Wind Energy and American Farmers & Ranchers Mutual Insurance Company!
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-- Sherrod Turns Down Vilsack's Job Offer
-- Rural Leaders Agree- Co Chair of Redistricting Committee is Vital Role for Dale DeWitt in 2011
-- National Farmers Union Beating the Drum for Folks to Show Up Friday in Ft. Collins
-- Republican Rookie James Lankford Likely the Newest Member of the Oklahoma Congressional Delegation
-- Varied Predictions All Indicate Record Corn Harvest
-- Action Alert Being Called by the American Soybean Association over Atrazine Review by EPA
-- Pollard Farms Have 13th Annual Production Sale Coming This Sunday
-- Big Iron Auction for Today Starts Closing Items at 10 AM
-- Let's Check the Markets!

Howdy Neighbors!

Here's your morning farm news headlines from the Director of Farm Programming for the Radio Oklahoma Network, Ron Hays. We are pleased to have American Farmers & Ranchers Mutual Insurance Company as a regular sponsor of our daily update- click here to go to their AFR web site to learn more about their efforts to serve rural America!

It is also great to have as an annual sponsor on our daily email Johnston Enterprises- proud to be serving agriculture across Oklahoma and around the world since 1893. W.B. Johnston is welcoming all fall crops this harvest. They have space to store your grain, and they look forward to serving you!! For more on Johnston Enterprises- click here for their website that features their grain, ports and seed business!

And we are proud to have P & K Equipment/ P & K Wind Energy as one of our regular sponsors of our daily email update. P & K is the premiere John Deere dealer in Oklahoma, with ten locations to serve you, and the P & K team are excited about their new Wind Power program, as they offer Endurance Wind Power wind turbines. Click here for more from the P&K website.

If you have received this by someone forwarding it to you, you are welcome to subscribe and get this weekday update sent to you directly by clicking here.


Sherrod Turns Down Vilsack's Job Offer
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Shirley Sherrod, the former director of USDA's Rural Development Program in Georgia, has accepted a personal apology from Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack for her wrongful firing. During a lengthy face to face meeting on Tuesday the Secretary formally offered Sherrod the position of deputy director of the office of Advocacy and Outreach, a position created in the 2008 Farm Bill. But, Sherrod turned down Vilsack's offer. The position is designed to improve the department's civil rights efforts and image nationwide.

Sherrod told CNN's Tony Harris that she was - uncertain about that role. Adding - there are still many questions around that position. Sherrod was forced to resign from her position in Georgia in July after misleading and incomplete video footage of a speech she gave was posted on the internet and picked up in media reports. Sherrod says she enjoyed her work with USDA and - would want to see it continue.

She told Harris: - I'm encouraged there are people who want to seriously talk about the racism that exists in this country. I'd like to see how we can deal with it and move forward. If I can help promote that discussion, it's something I would really like to do. I'd like to see us once and for all deal with it.


Rural Leaders Agree- Co Chair of Redistricting Committee is Vital Role for Dale DeWitt in 2011
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House Speaker-Designate Kris Steele named a bipartisan Redistricting Steering Committee earlier this month that will help the House prepare for the redrawing of state and federal legislative lines following the 2010 census. Three key rural lawmakers are included on the Steering Committee, including State Representative Dale DeWitt who will serve as one of the co-chairs.

The eight members-who represent each area of the state-named to the committee include:

Rep. Dale DeWitt, R-Braman
Rep. John Trebilcock, R-Broken Arrow
Rep. Danny Morgan, D-Prague
Rep. Paul Roan, D-Tishomingo
Rep. Jabar Shumate, D-Tulsa
Rep. Jeff Hickman, R-Fairview
Rep. Randy McDaniel, R-Oklahoma City
Rep. Lisa Billy, R-Purcell

In talking to leadership of several of our farm and commodity groups- all agree that DeWitt, Jeff Hickman and Lisa Billy will have a big job to make sure that rural areas of the state are treated fairly in the redistricting process that will crank up once the 2010 Census numbers are released next March.

Click here for more on the naming of this Committee by House Leader Kris Steele


National Farmers Union Beating the Drum for Folks to Show Up Friday in Ft. Collins
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As the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of Justice (DOJ) workshop on livestock approaches, National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson urges NFU members and all livestock producers to attend. The workshop is scheduled for This Friday, August 27, in Fort Collins, Colo.
The workshop's timing is ideal, as the comment period on the proposed rule published by the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) in the Federal Register of June 22, 2010 (75 Fed. Reg. 35338) has been extended.

"U.S. farmers and ranchers should attend this workshop to have their voices heard directly by USDA and DOJ staff," said Johnson. "We must be sure that the packer-producer organizations are not the only people at the table when discussing this important issue." The general farm organization, in a Tuesday News release calls the proposed rule " a Farmer and Rancher Bill of Rights", adding it "addresses concerns that have been discussed for many years and were developed at the direction of the 2008 Farm Bill, which requires USDA to carry out specific rulemaking to improve fairness in the marketing of livestock and poultry."

"The Farmer and Rancher Bill of Rights will ensure livestock producers the right to access competitive markets," said Johnson. "These proposed changes are vital to U.S. farmers and ranchers, and I urge USDA to adopt and implement them promptly."

Click here to read the full news release from the NFU.


Republican Rookie James Lankford Likely the Newest Member of the Oklahoma Congressional Delegation
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James Lankford continues his quest to follow a call that he has felt for over a year to step up and replace Republican Congresswoman Mary Fallin as the 5th District Congressman for the state of Oklahoma. The Fifth District includes Oklahoma, Pottawatomie and Seminole Counties. While Lankford faces a Democratic challenger this November- plus a couple of Independents- this seat is one of the safest Republican seats in America- and it appears the former head of Falls Creek- the youth camp near Davis run by Southern Baptists in Oklahoma- will replace Fallin in Washington as she seeks to become the Governor of the state.

Lankford told supporters last night during his campaign's watch party that "Congress needs a message from the people" and he is ready, able and willing to deliver that message.
Earlier this month, Lankford spent time with some of the leadership of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau, and reports we received from that meeting was how impressive Lankford was to several people in the room.

The likely GOP Freshman to be emphasized during his campaign to this point the themes of taxes being too high, government being too intrusive in the lives of our citizens and the need for Washington to see pushback against the policies advocated during the first two years of the Obama Presidency.
While he is not a farmer or rancher, he has expressed to us a real admiration of the work ethic of rural Americans and he understands how important a healthy farm economy is to the well being of our state. We have talked ag issues with him- and he keeps up on farm and rural issues in at least one of the same ways that you do- he is a subscriber to this email.

If you want to read more about his stand on the issues, click here for the James Lankford for Congress website.


Varied Predictions All Indicate Record Corn Harvest
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While projections for the 2010 corn crop may not be in complete agreement, everyone is certain that it will be a very good harvest. With estimates of between 13.29 billion and 13.365 billion bushels, U.S. corn growers are on course to set yet another production record this year, easily surpassing the 13.1 billion bushel harvest record set in 2009.

"As harvest approaches, we are excited about and energized by the record predictions in these reports," said National Corn Growers Association President Darrin Ihnen, a grower from Hurley, S.D. "Corn is fundamental as a staple crop in this country and this bountiful harvest helps create and maintain jobs while directly helping many consumers by keeping food, fuel and fiber prices down."

The U.S. Department of Agriculture supply and demand report issued earlier this month projected that the total corn harvest would total 13.365 billion bushels. This week, Pro Farmer projects that, based upon samples taken in seven Midwestern states, harvest will total only 13.29 billion bushels.
Click on the LINK below for more on the current status of the crop nationally even as we are half done or more with harvest of the Oklahoma corn crop.

Click here for the latest on the rapidly maturing corn crop for 2010.


Action Alert Being Called by the American Soybean Association over Atrazine Review by EPA
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According to an email from the American Soybean Association on Tuesday- "The Triazine Network has written a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson, expressing its concern on the agency's re-review of atrazine. As an individual citizen interested in a science-based outcome to the atrazine issue at the EPA, your support of this letter is vital. In doing so, you can help assure that the EPA follows agency protocol and uses science-based evidence when reviewing atrazine, not the false accusations of activists."

"ASA is asking you to join others across the nation to tell EPA that you support the Triazine Network's letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, and to request that EPA Administrator Jackson responds to the concerns and questions raised in the letter."

In the letter that the Soybean folks are talking about- the wide usage and safety record of atrazine is recognized- "Atrazine and its companion triazine herbicides have a 50-year history as safe and effective weed-control products used on more than 30 commodities in over 40 states and 60 countries. Atrazine is a staple product for producers, who use it as a critical tool for weed control in growing the vast majority of corn, sorghum and sugarcane in the United States. Use of atrazine fights weed resistance, reduces soil erosion and increases crop yield.
"Five decades of continued and rigorous EPA testing has shown time and again that atrazine poses no danger to public health. Over the last half century, more than 6,000 atrazine studies have been submitted to EPA. These studies confirmed, and EPA agreed, that atrazine does not affect human health. EPA's current 3 parts per billion limit for lifetime exposure or the 298 ppb limit for short-term exposure, are standards that are more than 1,000 times safer than a level shown to have no effect. We would also note, atrazine's status as one of the most widely tested herbicides adds a high level of confidence in its safety profile."

If you want to read the letter that ASA and others want to be sent to EPA- after you personalize it- click here.


Pollard Farms Have 13th Annual Production Sale Coming This Sunday
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The Pollard Farms 13th Annual Angus Production Sale is scheduled for THIS Sunday, August 29, 2010 in the air-conditioned sale facility at the ranch one mile east of Waukomis, Oklahoma. There will be 90 lots. Included will be 137 head of elite Angus genetics. The Pollard Family will be offering Donors, cow/calf pairs, bred cows, heifers, embryo calves, and pregnancies.

Eddie Sims with National Cattle is helping with the Pollard Sale- and he writes in the sale catalog "All the stops have been pulled out to bring you the very best. I assure you that Barry and Jesse have selected from the cream of their herd to assure the quality of their 2010 offering. A great selection of donors, ET calves, cow/calf pairs, bred heifers and heifer pregnancies will be available for your selection. These cattle and the genetics behind them will be positive additions to any program.
"The KiamichiLink offering is equally strong. Tucker and Rondell allowed us to choose some of the very best young females and heifer pregnancy matings with superior genetic makeup from their herd. Thanks to them for being a part of this quality event."

Click on the link below to see the Pollard website and click on the link right in that middle of their home page to jump to the sale catalog with lots of details about this offering. If you prefer calling to get a last minute question answered- that number at the ranch headquarters is 580-758-1464.

Click here for more from the Pollard Farms and details on the sale offering for this weekend.


Big Iron Auction for Today Starts Closing Items at 10 AM
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Over 480 items will be sold in this week's Big Iron Farm Equipment auction- with the first items to start closing at 10 AM central time on this Wednesday morning. Several items have been listed in today's sale from Oklahoma- and there are both grain drills as well as harvest equipment included in the auction this go round.

Click here to jump to the Big Iron site and a chance to review the hundreds of pieces of equipment that folks will be selling before the day is out.

Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, PCOM, P & K Equipment/ P & K Wind Energy, Johnston Enterprises, American Farmers & Ranchers, KIS Futures and Big Iron Online Auctions 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- FREE!

Click here to check out WWW.OklahomaFarmReport.Com


Let's Check the Markets!
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We've had requests to include Canola prices for your convenience here- and we will be doing so on a regular basis. Current cash price for Canola is $7.65 per bushel- as of the close of business yesterday, while the 2011 New Crop contracts for Canola are now available are $8.10 per bushel- delivered to local participating elevators that are working with PCOM.

Here are some links we will leave in place on an ongoing basis- Click on the name of the report to go to that link:
Our Daily Market Wrapup from the Radio Oklahoma Network with Ed Richards and Tom Leffler- analyzing the Futures Markets from the previous Day-
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.
Previous Day's Wheat Market Recap- Two Pager From The Kansas City Board of Trade looks at all three US Wheat Futures Exchanges with extra info on Hard Red Winter Wheat and the why of that day's market.
Daily Oklahoma Cash Grain Prices- As Reported by the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture. <
The National Daily Feeder & Stocker Cattle Summary- as prepared by USDA.
The National Daily Slaughter Cattle Summary- as prepared by USDA.
Finally, Here is the Daily Volume and Price Summary from the Texas Cattle Feeders Association.



God Bless! You can reach us at the following:
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phone: 405-473-6144
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