Congrats to Johnna Stottlemyre of Luther- Owner of Supreme Champ Kid Doe at Oklahoma Youth Expo- Full Coverage of First Weekend Here 

The first weekend of showing animals at the Oklahoma Youth Expo is now under the belt of new Executive Director Tyler Norvell- and he told us that he was pleased with how everyone was coping with the extremely difficult conditions the 2012 show is facing with the livestock barns under major construction. While the renovation of the barns has been happening for several years- the barns that have been torn down in recent months to be replaced have caused the traffic flow into the fairgrounds to be disrupted- as well as the traffic flow and pen assignments to be significantly hampered compared to recent years.


The 2012 goat Showmanship contest was held on Saturday, with the Champion and Reserve Champion from the Senior Division winning the overall contest. The Overall Champion in Goat Showmanship was   Kelsey Humphries from the Wellston FFA (she won the 18 year old division) while the Reserve Champion was Karissa Pfeiffer from the Mulhall FFA, winner of the 16 year old division.  We have the full set of showmanship winners linked in our webstory you can jump to below.


On Sunday, approximately 800 Doe Kid goats were paraded before show judge Cade Halfman, who started at 9 AM and welcomed the top four Division winners in the Doe Kid show to the ring just before 6 PM. Supreme Champion Doe Kid for the 2012 Oklahoma Youth Expo was shown by Johnna Stottlemyre of the Luther 4-H (pictured here) while the Reserve Supreme Champion Doe Kid was exhibited by Karissa Pfeiffer from Mulhall-Orlando FFA. 

Our first story up on our BlueGreen Gazette found at www.OklahomaFarmReport.Com for the 2012 OYE details the goat show to this point- division winners from Sunday are listed and we have an interview you can listen to with John Grunewald of Farm Credit of Western Oklahoma- Farm Credit is the Title Sponsor of the Goat Shows this year at the OYE- and we have a link to our FLICKR page where we have photos from the Doe Kid show from Sunday. Click here to get to that story.

And- if you want to jump right over to the set of pictures- click here to jump there. 

APHIS Proposes Import Regulations in Line with International BSE Standards 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced it is seeking public review and comment on a proposal to complete efforts to modernize the Agency's import regulations for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).

"This proposal is an important step forward in our efforts to bring our import regulations in line with science-based, international animal health standards," said Dr. John Clifford, APHIS Deputy Administrator and Chief Veterinary Officer. "The proposal will help ensure we continue to provide strong protections against BSE, continue to make science-based decisions, and fully support safe trade in bovine commodities. As we continue to protect the health of the U.S. cattle industry, this proposal will also assist us in future negotiations to reopen important trade markets that remain closed to U.S. beef."

While the proposed rule would allow for the safe trade of additional bovines and bovine products, it's important to note that control of imports is only one of several interlocking safeguards against BSE. The proposed rule would not change other measures that are currently in place in the United States. For animal health, these measures include the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban and a robust BSE surveillance program. Human health is protected by measures that ensure the safety of U.S. beef, the most important of which is the ban on animal materials that have been shown to carry the BSE agent (known as specified risk materials) from the food supply.

Read more about the APHIS proposal by clicking here. 

Click here to read a response to the APHIS proposal by the NCBA. 

House Ag Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow responds to the proposal.  Read more by clicking here. 

R-CALF CEO Bill Bullard is disappointed by the proposal.  You can read his response here. 

Drought Still Shaping Southern Plains Wheat Crop

Last year's drought across large swaths of the Southern Plains is continuing into this year with some exceptions. Mark Hodges, executive director of PGI Quality Based Marketing says the drought has already played a significant role in determining the outcome of this year's winter wheat crop. This is his analysis of how weather conditions will impact producers' decisions and results:

The 2012 HRW wheat crop has already been an amazing one (not unlike about any year). The crop year started with the effects of the 2011 drought defining how the crop was planted. Most producers "dusted in" the seed (with the exception of some areas of north central Oklahoma, north central Texas and south central Kansas...see Drought Monitor map below) with a hope there would eventually be enough moisture to get the crop up and develop some type of a root system that would sustain the plant through the winter. Because of the drought the soil profile had been depleted from 2' on down in many areas (again, the exceptions were areas of north central Texas, north central Oklahoma and south central Kansas).

Uncharacteristic rains in late October into November provided what most areas of the state needed to geminate the seed and establish an initial root system and tillers (stems). La Nina patterns have historically proven the Southern Great Plains will have above average temperatures over the winter months, this year was no exception. This coupled with timely moisture since October/November has allowed many wheat producers to take advantage of the forage that was produced for grazing. Anecdotal reports have been cattle gaining over 3# per day in many areas and producers having to pull cattle off early because the size of those going to the feedlot. The concern of the warmer temperatures on the crop however, has been plants developing first hollow stem (stem elongation and the head starting to move upward) earlier than normal. This process started for many varieties in mid-February. The concern is the plant will mature too rapidly to a point it will be susceptible to damage from a freeze (through mid-April).

You can read more about how the drought will impact this year's HRW wheat crop by clicking here. 

Oklahoma Winter Canola Beginning to Bolt- Watch CanolaTV

Our latest edition of CanolaTV finds yours truly talking with Heath Sanders of PCOM at the canola plots established in Oklahoma County by PCOM- just north of their new plant location. Recorded on Friday March 9- Sanders says that many canola fields in the state of Oklahoma never turned brown during the winter season- and that researchers suggest that winter canola that stays green over the winter season will often end up producing higher yields.


Sanders says that they planted varieties that have different maturities- and that the earliest canola in these fields are beginning to bolt and will be in bloom in a matter of just a few days. Statewide, Sanders believes that much of the canola planted this past fall is in fairly good condition, although he has concerns about the acres in west central and northwestern Oklahoma, where it remains in a minimal drought rating. 

Click here to jump over to our website where you can check out the latest edition of CanolaTV- a service of our friends at PCOM. 

Oklahoman Joins National Wheat Foundation Board Seated at Commodity Classic

Nine wheat farmers, including one Oklahoman, and longtime industry participants have been selected to lead a revitalized and restructured National Association of Wheat Growers Foundation (NAWGF), doing business as the National Wheat Foundation effective immediately.

Jimmie Musick, owner and operator of Musick Farms in Sentinel, Oklahoma, was elected to the board and was also selected as temporary chairman of the group.

The election of a new Foundation Board is the result of a year-and-a-half-long process to enhance the 35-year-old organization's ability to facilitate collaborations across the wheat chain.

The process began with a strategic planning retreat held in September 2010, at which farmer leaders from the NAWGF and the National Association of Wheat Growers' (NAWG's) state associations set a new vision and mission for the organization. Based on that direction, grower-leaders undertook an extensive process of examining the Foundation's governance structure, programming goals and management of its key asset, the Wheat Growers Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.   

Click here to read more about the NAWG, Jimmie Musick, and their strategic plan. 

Dairy and Specialty Crops Take Center Stage as Ag Committee Kicks Off Farm Bill Discussions

Chairman Frank Lucas held a field hearing in Saranac Lake, New York. It was the first of a series to be held throughout March and April to gather input in advance of writing the 2012 Farm Bill.

Members heard testimony from producers in the northeastern United States on the future of farm policy.

New York is home to a range of agricultural industries, and is among the nation's top producers of a variety of specialty crops and dairy products. The hearing focused on policies impacting those industries in particular.

"Field hearings are an invaluable part of the Farm Bill process. They give us an opportunity to hear from a wide variety of producers across the country so we get diverse perspectives on farm policy. I'm grateful to the witnesses who testified today. Their input will help us craft a strong Farm Bill that serves all of American agriculture," said Chairman Frank Lucas. 

Click here to read more on the field hearing in Saranec, New York. 

Final Planting Date for 2012 Irrigated Cotton Changes

Final planting date for 2012 irrigated cotton in Jackson and Tillman Counties, Oklahoma, has been changed to June 10. The final planting date for 2012 for non-irrigated cotton will remain June 20.

This information is contained in Manager's Bulletin, MGR-12-002, according to USDA Risk Management Agency Administrator William J. Murphy.

The final planting date for irrigated cotton for the 2012 crop year in Jackson and Tillman Counties, Oklahoma, was changed to provide consistency between the irrigated and non-irrigated final planting date. However, after the publication of the actuarial documents for these counties, questions were raised as to whether this change was made in error.

Read more about final cotton planting dates by clicking here.