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!

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These resolutions will begin to percolate up at the county Farm Bureau meetings before moving onto the state and national levels to develop policy for the general farm organization. Three of the meetings have been held so far, with 12 August Area meetings being held total.

Spradling says the biggest issue of concern this year is water. Spradling also says they are preparing for the finalization of the Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan and making sure that agriculture is adequately represented in that area. Also, the issue of the 2012 Farm Bill is the national concern that is topping the list, says Spradling.

The Oklahoma Farm Bureau is also hosting a Drought Summit meeting on August 30 at the Oklahoma City office to address the issue of the drought but also how farmers and ranchers are going to recover from this severe drought year. The summit will feature speakers from the Sam Roberts Noble Foundation, Oklahoma State University, and the Oklahoma Agriculture Mediation Program, as well as, Agriculture Secretary Jim Reese and Francie Tolle with the USDA.

Click here to listen to Mike Spradling's comments on Farm Bureau's upcoming meetings

Is there enough moisture to sustain the crop?

It is important to remember that having enough moisture to get a crop emerged and having enough moisture to sustain wheat forage throughout the fall are two different things. An early---sown (prior to Sept. 15) wheat crop will quickly establish a dense crop canopy that will quickly exhaust moisture reserves. If forage is in desperate need and forage is the only consideration, this might be an acceptable scenario; however, if there are plans to harvest grain next spring or to sustain season---long forage production, then delaying planting until mid September will help stretch soil moisture a little farther.

Will you have to plant deep to reach moisture?

That first structure protruding from a germinating wheat seed is actually not a leaf. It is the coleoptile. The wheat coleoptile is a rigid structure whose sole purpose is to "punch through" the soil surface so that the first true leaf emerges above the soil surface. If this does not happen, the first true leaf will try to extend below the soil surface, turn yellow, and take on an accordion---like appearance (picture to right). Modern semi---dwarf wheat varieties have shorter coleoptiles than older, tall wheat varieties and coleoptile length is shortened even further by hot soil conditions. So it is important to plant a variety with a longer coleoptile length (e.g. Doans) if planting deeply into hot soils. A rating of coleoptile lengths for wheat varieties can be found in OSU Fact Sheet 2141 OSU Wheat Variety Comparison Chart available at www.wheat.okstate.edu.

Click here for more ways to prepare for planting wheat in hot soil conditions

"Promoting nutrient-rich dairy, fruits, vegetables and whole grains is a priority for us. Students who taste test these foods - some for the first time - are likely to choose them more often," said Valeri Evans, Kingfisher County Family & Consumer Science Extension Educator and co-program advisor for Cashion and Lomega schools, and several others schools in the county. Evans was recently named "Program Advisor of the Year" for Oklahoma.

Click here to learn more on Fuel Up To Play 60 in Oklahoma schools

Chambers claims that the groups on the joint letter likely represent millions of rural Americans and their voices will help the Senate overcome the vocal opposition to the GIPSA rule generated by the self-interested but well-funded meatpacker lobby.

The letter points out that the nation's two largest general farm organizations - the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Farmers Union - previously joined with 140 farmers, consumers and community groups across the nation to oppose the effort by the U.S. House to derail the GIPSA rule with language included in the House's Fiscal Year 2012 Agriculture Appropriations Act.

Click here to read a full copy of the letter sent by R-CALF to U.S. Senators

Limited resource producers are defined as having direct or indirect gross farm sales of not more than $100,000 in each of the previous two years and receiving little or no assistance from the government.

The program emphasizes marketing and requires a three year commitment as funds are provided in increments of a maximum of $500 each year. Micah Anderson, ODAFF Plasticulture Coordinator, said applicants will be evaluated based on experience, marketing plans and application date.

Click here for more information on USDA Grants, including where to apply

Criteria for the Leonard Wyatt Memorial Outstanding Cooperator Award are based on accomplishments within the farmer or rancher's operation, their community service and their willingness to assist other farmers and ranchers, said Billy Cook, senior vice president and director of the Agricultural Division.

"The Hammerts are a special family, mixing the best of ranching traditions with the desire to keep up with cutting edge technology and new management practices," said Dan Childs, senior consultant. "They are dedicated to their community, their operation and the agricultural way of life. They are true stewards of the land and highly deserving of this year's Leonard Wyatt award."

Pete Hammert operates more than 900 acres near the family farm in Anadarko, Okla., where he was raised. While the drought has forced him to destock, Hammert usually runs stocker cattle, while raising wheat, canola and soybeans.

Click here to read more about Pete and Rose Hammert and their award

From the calendar- there are a couple of events that we plan on covering for you- this coming Saturday- the 2011 Southern Plains Beef Symposium will be held at the Ardmore Convention Center right off I-35 in Ardmore. This has always been one of the finest one beef symposiums in this region- and it appears the 2011 event will be a dandy as well. We will be once again emceeing the morning sessions- The agenda includes one of the researchers who have challenged the notion that cows are a major cause of green house gases- Dr. Frank Mitloehner from University of California at Davis. Also on the agenda is one of our very favorite cattle market watchers- Jim Robb of the Livestock Market Information Center. Click here for more details about the 2011 Southern Plains Beef Symposium- or you can call the Carter County Extension Office to preregister at 580-223-6570.

On Friday and Saturday of this week- the Organization for Competitive Markets has their 13th ANNUAL Food and Agriculture Conference at the Western Crown Center in Kansas City. "Voices Rising From the Land" is their theme- Anita Poole recently switched jobs from her role as Counsel for the American Farmers & Ranchers to become the new Executive Director of the OCM- replacing Fred Stokes who is retiring. Their agenda is rather interesting- as they will be offering a GIPSA update from the perspective of group that wants the marketing rule implemented as USDA proposed it over a year ago- a panel on genetically modified crops as well as comments on the Beef Checkoff from the man who recently resigned from the Chairmanship of the Cattlemen's Beef Board- Tom Jones of Arkansas. We have plans on getting up to Kansas City and covering the meeting on Friday- for now- click here for the PDF of the agenda of this OCM Conference.

There are lots more events planned in the days ahead- click here for our calendar as found on www.OklahomaFarmReport.Com

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.