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 have KIS Futures as a regular sponsor of our daily email update. KIS Futures provides Oklahoma Farmers & Ranchers with futures & options hedging services in the livestock and grain markets- Click here for the free market quote page they provide us for our website or call them at 1-800-256-2555- and their IPHONE App, which provides all electronic futures quotes is available at the App Store- click here for the KIS Futures App for your Iphone.

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.

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We invite you to listen to us on great radio stations across the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network weekdays- if you missed this morning's Farm News - or you are in an area where you can't hear it- click here for this morning's Farm news from Ron Hays on RON.

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The President also pushed his position on the three FTAs held hostage by his demand that a union worker benefits program be reauthorized. President Obama told his audience - we should pass trade deals that will level the playing field for American companies. No folks benefit more than rural Americans when it comes to our trade. That's the reason that our agricultural sector is doing incredibly well, and that has spillover effects, ripple effects throughout the economy here.

Mr. Obama said - the only thing that is holding us back is our politics. "The only thing that's preventing us from passing the bills I just mentioned is the refusal of a faction in Congress to put country ahead of party. And that has to stop." The President called on everyone to send a message to Congress that it's time to put the politics aside and get something done. What was not said is that the three Agreements with Columbia, Panama and South Korea remain at the White House, as the President has refused to transmit them to Congress for an up or down vote until he gets guarantees that his worker retraining program will get more money.

After his stop at the Rural Economic Forum, the President engaged in a little economic development himself, stopping the bus for an afternoon treat. Here's the account from the pool report of media covering the Obama trip.

"POTUS made another unannounced stop, this time in Dewitt, Iowa, at Dewitt Dairy Treats.He chatted up a few folks next to the ice cream shop and then ordered ice cream for his staff. He offered the press, which declined.Nancy Ann DeParle had vanilla, while Jay Carney had strawberry, the flavor of the day.In total, POTUS ordered 2 chocolates, 2 vanillas, and 1 strawberry(all cones), and then was indecisive about what he would have - for a moment."What other flavors do you have?" POTUS asked. Mulling it over, he said, "I'll have a vanilla."

Click on the LINK below to read more about President Obama's day in Iowa- and you can also hear an audio overview we have from the Ag Policy breakout session in Peosta.

Click here for more on the President's Day in Iowa

Lalman says there are other options for producers, like evaluating the amount of inputs needed by the cow herd. One option, says Lalman, is to utilize a feed additive (Rumensin) that reduces hay intake by about 10% without changing the performance. Recent data at OSU shows that there was actually an increase in performance in about 60 days, and increased the weight gain by about half a pound per head per day, says Lalman. Rumensin is almost universally utilized in the feedlot end of the beef chain- but few cow calf producers take advantage of it because we have never had this severe of a feed shortage anytime in recent memory. Cost is about two cents per cow per day.

Click on the LINK below to listen to the rest of our conversation with Dr. Lalman on how beef cattle producers can deal with drought affecting their cow herd and more information on drought meetings and other tips from OSU Beef Extension on dealing with drought.

Click here for more on options for cattle producers from Dr. Lalman

According to Rich Nelson of Allendale, July Placements are expected to be 14.5% larger than last year. The extreme drought in the Plains was seen as the primary mover in higher placements. This overrode the small supply of available calves and feeders and even the negative margins from outgoing cattle. Losses of over $125 per head were seen on July marketings. This is three months in a row of over $100 per head feeding losses! Cattle placed in July will be marketed from December through March.

Our Beef Buzz programs are heard on many of our great radio stations across the region that are a part of the Radio Oklahoma Network. They can also be heard on our website- to see a full list of previous Beef Buzz reports, go towww.OklahomaFarmReport.Com and click on the Beef Buzz button on the left hand side of any page. Click on the LINK below for this Beef Buzz featuring Jim Robb.

Click here to listen to more from Jim Robb on the upcoming Cattle on Feed report

As producers gear up for the 2012 crop year, Neuens suggests looking at the economics of canola compared to wheat. Neuens says there is a significant demand for canola that will only continue to grow in the upcoming year.

Click on the LINK below to hear more from Gene Neuens on canola crushing throughout the winter months and preparing for canola planting in the 2012 crop year.

Click here to watch the latest edition of Canola TV

AFR is encouraging everyone to become involved, regardless of the shoes they wear or their background. The meetings will include staff reports, local and county organizational information and state and federal legislative policy updates. These meetings will be a great opportunity for members to provide feedback on policy issues and give their input on current and future activities of the farm and cooperative organization.

All AFR local/county officers, boards and members are invited to attend. A light meal will be served and an RSVP is requested for attendance by calling 1-800-324-7771. ext. 5552 (Micki) or 5567 (Marilyn). Each meeting will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m. with the meal at 6:15 p.m.

Click here to see a complete list of meeting days and locations

Despite the weak economy, the biodiesel industry is on track to produce at least 800 million gallons this year, more than double biodiesel production of 315 million gallons last year, when Congress allowed the biodiesel tax incentive to temporarily lapse. According to a recent economic study, this year's rejuvenated production will support more than 31,000 U.S. jobs and generate income of nearly $1.7 billion to be circulated throughout the economy. It also is expected to generate an estimated $345 million in federal tax revenue and $283 million in state and local tax revenues.

"We've dramatically increased production and doubled our number of employees at a time when many industries are shrinking or treading water," said Ben Wootton, owner of Keystone Biofuels in Camp Hill, Pa. "It's like night and day from 2010. I think that's a testament to biodiesel's staying power as an advanced biofuel and also to strong federal policy. We're a young industry, and we wouldn't be where we are today without the tax incentive - and a lot more people would be standing in the unemployment line."

Click here to read more on the growing biodiesel industry

Here in Oklahoma- the 16 members of the Joint Legislative Committee on Water Issues meets for the first time this morning at the state Capitol in the House Chamber- start time is 9 AM. On their agenda for this first meeting is a discussion of water law in the state and interstate compacts. After lunch, they plan on turning their attention to Indian Water law and Treaty Agreements. If you can't be at the Capitol- it will be streamed live- click here for that feed.

In recent days, the USDA has released the latest details of computer use down on the farm- and confirms it keeps growing. According to the report- "A total of 62 percent of U.S. farms now have Internet access, compared with 59 percent in 2009. Sixty-five percent of farms have access to a computer in 2011, up 1 percentage point from 2009. The proportion of U.S. farms owning or leasing a computer in 2011, at 63 percent, was up 2 percentage points from 2009. Farms using computers for their farm business remained virtually stable at 37 percent in 2011 compared to 36 percent in 2009."

And bigger farmers are even more plugged in- those with gross receipts over $250,000 annually- 82% of that group have internet access. CLICK HERE for the complete report as released by USDA this past week.

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.