Howdy Neighbors!

Here's your morning farm news headlines from the Director of Farm Programming for the Radio Oklahoma Network, Ron Hays. We are proud to welcome Big Iron Unreserved Online Auctions as our newest sponsor of the daily Email. Their next auction is Wednesday, December 8 - featuring Low Hour, Farmer Owned Equipment. Click here for their website to learn more about their Online Farm Equipment Auctions.

We are also excited to have as one of our sponsors for the daily email Producers Cooperative Oil Mill, with 64 years of progress through producer ownership. Call Brandon Winters at 405-232-7555 for more information on the oilseed crops they handle, including sunflowers and canola- and remember they post closing market prices for canola and sunflowers on the PCOM website- go there by clicking here.

And we salute our longest running email sponsor- Midwest Farm Shows, producer of this week's Tulsa Farm Show. Click here for more on the December 9-11, 2010 Tulsa Farm Show, and we invite you to stop by and say hello to our Radio Oklahoma Network team during the three day Tulsa Farm Show.

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.

"I am very pleased that the United States and South Korea have reached agreement on a landmark trade deal that is expected to increase annual exports of American goods by up to $11 billion and support at least 70,000 American jobs. Last month in Seoul I directed our negotiators to achieve the best deal for American workers and companies, and this agreement meets that test.

"American manufacturers of cars and trucks will gain more access to the Korean market and a level playing field to take advantage of that access. We are strengthening our ability to create and defend manufacturing jobs in the United States; increasing exports of agricultural products for American farmers and ranchers; and opening Korea's services market to American companies. High standards for the protection of worker's rights and the environment make this a model for future trade agreements, which must be both free and fair."

Click on the LINK below for a factsheet from the Obama Administration for an overview of the deal cut by Ambassador Ron Kirk and his team representing the United States.

Click here for the factsheet from the Administration regarding the KORUS pact.

The US Meat Export Federation also released a statement of support: "I would like to take this opportunity to personally congratulate the U.S. negotiators for their dedication and commitment to pursuing these discussions to a successful conclusion," said USMEF President and CEO Philip Seng.

The American Meat Institute President and CEO J. Patrick Boyle also weighed in on the FTA- saying that AMI "supports the free trade agreement between the United States and South Korea announced today and urges the Congress to ratify it at its earliest opportunity."

We featured the announced deal of the KORUS trade agreement on today's Beef Buzz- CLICK HERE for that review of the deal cut by the Obama Administration that does not deliver on improved beef access over the Bush Administration deal- but does get the clock ticking on the tariff reductions- which is the reason the meat industry groups have asked for quick ratification.

Click here for our story that has the full statements of these three livestock/meat industry groups about the Free Trade Deal with South Korea.

Russia will continue to feel the effects of this year's drought moving into 2011. The drought caused a late start to the planting season, and winter wheat plantings will be down this year as a result. The IGC estimates Russian winter wheat seeding will fall to 11.5 MH (28 million acres), approximately 14 percent below last year's planted area. The reduction in winter wheat sowing could lead to further export restrictions if spring sowing does not increase. Earlier this month, the Russian Grain Union stated that spring grain sowings would have to increase by at least 2.5 MH (6 million acres) to ensure domestic supplies are adequate in the upcoming year.

"Even though spring wheat prices in Russia are high, it is likely that some potential spring wheat production area will be lost to sunflower," said Valentina Shustova, USW Moscow Office Director and Marketing Specialist. "Sunflower is the most profitable crop for Russian producers this year."
Don Schieber, a wheat producer from Ponca City, Okla., and current USW Chairman, learned of another concern about spring wheat from a Russian official on a recent visit.
"I asked him if spring wheat could make up for some of the lost production area for winter wheat," Schieber said. "His answer was simple: 'Not enough seed.'"

Click here for more on the IGC's ideas on more wheat acres in the coming year- this from the US Wheat Associates Electronic Newsletter dated December 2.

52 percent of Missouri voters last month approved Proposition B. The law limits people to 50 breeding dogs and requires the animals be fed daily, provided annual veterinary care and given unfettered access to an outdoor exercise yard. Dogs also cannot be bred more than twice every 18 months. The law, which takes effect next year, makes violations a misdemeanor, carries up to 15 days in jail and a 300-dollar fine.

David Martosko has written an op-ed piece that we have found on the web- and in it he says of the law- "The biggest change that Proposition B will bring is a cap on the number of dogs a breeder can own. Henceforth, 50 is the limit. Even if a breeder has two dozen employees giving 51 dogs daily massages, pedicures and catered meals, that won't be good enough."
You will enjoy Martosko's take on Proposition B- unless you work for the HSUS- and we have it linked for you below.

Click here to read more of David Martosko's opinion on what Proposition B means for Missouri if allowed to stand.

"We will examine the response of different switchgrass cultivars with various management practices and environmental conditions onbelowground traits, assessing how we can most successfully enhance carbon sequestration," said Wilson. "The ultimate goal is to increase carbon sequestration without increasing nitrogen, fertilizer or water use."
As emitted carbon dioxide levels continue to rise, more and more programs are trying to find a solution. However, Wilson's proposal for a possible answer is a bit different.
"What we look at is what happens below ground," said Wilson. "We look at the interactions between the roots, the soil and the microbial communities."

The USDA found this research to be greatly beneficial and awarded Wilson and her team nearly $1 million over the next five years. Of the more than 100 proposals submitted in the sustainable bioenergy area, the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources proposal was top-ranked. "We didn't have to change our budget, or anything, because we were top-ranked," said Wilson. "Our goal is to help get carbon out of the air and into the soil by selecting for plant-microbial relationships that maximize soil carbon inputs."
Sustainability is the name of the game.
"This research is unique because it considers the ecological costs or implications of raising herbaceous plants for biofuels," said Keith Owens, NREM department head. "To maximize the potential gain in biofuels, we must keep the inputs low and Dr. Wilson is investigating how to do this in a sustainable manner."

We are really excited about the 2010 Tulsa Farm Show that kicks off this coming Thursday, December 9 and runs through Saturday December 11 at the Quik Trip Center on the Tulsa State Fairgrounds in Tulsa. This is the 17th annual Tulsa Farm Show- and will activities now starting to fill the lower level- this mammouth building is very closed to being totally packed with everything new for the farm and ranch. We invite you to stop by and say howdy to myself and to Ed Richards during this year's show. I will be around Thursday afternoon and all day Friday- and Ed Richards will be in our booth on Saturday. Click here for the event listing for this year's show- the weather folks are talking about colder air for this weekend- but inside the Quik Trip Center Building- the weather is always perfect!

The 2010 Annual Meeting of the Oklahoma Wheat Growers Association is set for this coming Saturday at the Express Events Center in northwest Oklahoma City. The Growers will be working on their policy positions at the meeting this Saturday- and that will include a position on farm policy that will be a part of the 2012 farm bill debate. Will OWGA support direct payments or not for the next farm bill cycle? That will be decided this coming Saturday. They also have a great lineup of speakers- including the incoming Chairman of the House Ag Committee, Congressman Frank Lucas. Click here for our calendar item for the 2010 Wheat Growers meeting with a full listing of their speakers expected for this weekend.

One other event that is happening this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday is the fourth seminar for the current class of the Oklahoma Ag Leadership Program. They will be meeting in downtown Oklahoma City at the American Farmers & Ranchers headquarters- with an impressive group of ag leaders to speak to Class 15 on Wednesday- and several hours of media training being planned for this Thursday by yours truly.

We got the problem fixed early on this past Friday- but after the email had gone out with the link that may or may not have worked for you. So- click on the LINK below to get to that conversation today- as Kim does a really good job of explaining dockage and foreign matter as it relates to price discounts this past harvest- and some early ideas of what will be facing wheat producers this coming harvest as well.

Click here for our story with the audio imbedded with Lyndall Stout of SUNUP and Kim Anderson everything you need to know about dockage(at least all that Kim can tell you in a little over 2 minutes)

We also invite you to check out our website at the link below to check out an archive of these daily emails, audio reports and top farm news story links from around the globe.

Click here to check out WWW.OklahomaFarmReport.Com

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.