Congress Will Act on New Farm Bill When it is Forced To, Mary Kay Thatcher Says 

With the 113th Congress in the history books and the opening of the 114th looming on the horizon, Mary Kay Thatcher, Senior Director of Congressional Relations with the American Farm Bureau Federation, spoke with me about the fate of the 2012 Farm Bill and the prospects for the new year. She said she was disappointed the bill never made it to the House floor, but was not surprised with the extension.

"I wasn't surprised that we got an extension because going to the permanent law was just such a crazy thing. And you know once the urban people started understanding $7-a-gallon milk that certainly pushed it over the top. So, I wasn't surprised we got an extension."

However, she said, "I was surprised about a few things. I would have really almost bet anything that any extension would have included livestock disaster assistance given the huge drought we had. So, obviously, there's still some things we have to clean up about it, but it does at least give us another nine months to work on it. I'm not one of these people that thinks we're going to do it anytime soon in 2013 either. So, I suspect we'll be at it most of the year."

There had been a lot of talk before the extension was passed that direct payments would not be a part of any new future legislation. Thatcher said she doesn't see how that could happen with so many producers already on the hook or finalizing plans which rely on those payments.

"It is almost impossible. Yes, the direct payments don't come until October in the next fiscal year, but they're for this 2013 crop. So, thinking that you're going to have a farm bill that takes those away is just crazy."

You can catch our full audio interview or read more by clicking here.  

NCGA Pleased with Appeals Court Decision to Dismiss Anti-Ethanol Lawsuit 

Tuesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia dismissed a lawsuit challenging the Environmental Protection Agency's approval of E15. The suit, brought by anti-ethanol groups, was dismissed on the grounds that none of the petitioners had standing to bring the action.

"The decision of the U.S. appeals court reinforces what we have known for years that continued attempts to block consumer choice will eventually fail," said. "The EPA has tested E15 extensively and concluded that it is safe for use in cars in 2001 and newer. The science is on our side, and we firmly believe that consumer choice will prevail in the end."

The suit alleged that 15 percent ethanol blends harm engines and push up the price of both food and gasoline. While much data to the contrary exists, the lack of subject matter jurisdiction ensured the claim did not proceed.

Click here to read more.

 

Rep. Biggs to Seek Constitutional Amendment to Protect Agriculture Industry

An Oklahoma House lawmaker intends to file a bill that would protect the rights of Oklahoma farmers and ranchers to engage in and utilize modern and traditional agriculture practices.

State Rep. Scott Biggs' legislation would place a state question on the November 2014 ballot to amend the constitution to protect "the right of farmers and ranchers to engage in modern farming and ranching practices" and would prevent any state law or regulation that would " the right of farmers and ranchers to employ agricultural technology and modern livestock production and ranching practices."

Biggs, a member of the House Agriculture and Wildlife Committee who grew up on a farm in Indiana and studied agriculture economics at Oklahoma State University, said the amendment is necessary to protect the industry from outside special interest and activist groups.

You can read more by clicking here.

Cow Herd Rebuilding Faces Uncertainty, But High Calf Prices Provide Incentive

Drought prevailed across much of the country in 2012, especially across much of Oklahoma and Texas. Cattle producers liquidated large portions of their herds in 2011 and into 2012. Dr. David Anderson, professor and economist in Livestock and Food Products Marketing with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, says we'll know more about the exact size of the remaining herd and the magnitude of the rebuilding job facing producers when the USDA's Cattle Inventory report is released later this month.

"The cattle inventory report comes out in a couple of weeks. I think the most interesting number in the thing is going to be the number of replacement heifers held back to enter the herd. I've got to believe that even though prices are attractive, when you look at the drought monitor map, it's going to be pretty tough for people to have held back many heifers. And that really sets us up for when we can actually have that expansion. Is it 2014 that we could see it starting? Or is it even later? And I think it really hinges on those drought conditions from Texas to the Great Plains because that's where a big majority of our cow herd is. It's in those states."

Anderson says that with calf prices at record highs, producers may find making the decision to expand or get back into cow-calf operations won't be that difficult when the weather finally stabilizes.

Join us for more on the Beef Buzz with Dr. David Anderson.  Click here to go there. 

 

NRCS Accepting Applications for Greenhouse Gas Conservation Projects in Oklahoma

Agricultural producers in six Oklahoma counties who agree to implement conservation practices under the new Environmental Quality Incentives Program Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Initiative have until February 15, 2013 to submit applications for financial assistance.

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), in partnership with Delta Institute, Oklahoma State University, and the Oklahoma Conservation Commission, is making funds available to promote innovative nutrient management practices and whole-farm accounting technologies as part of a 3-state Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG). The funding is available for farmers in Blaine, Canadian, Grant, Harmon, Jackson, and Major counties. Applicants can sign up at their local USDA NRCS field service center.

Funding will be available to eligible landowners through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). NRCS will provide technical and financial assistance for implementing the core practice of Nutrient Management as well as supporting conservation practices to reduce GHG emissions associated with farming operations in the selected counties. Land and producer eligibility, adjusted gross income, and all other program criteria for participation must be met to participate. Agricultural lands are eligible for enrollment in the initiative.

You can read more about this program by clicking here.

Irrigated Cotton In Oklahoma Panhandle Does Well in 2012

Irrigated cotton in the Oklahoma Panhandle counties of Texas and Beaver had good yields at the end of the 2012 harvest, according to Dick Cooper, Plains Cotton Cooperative Assn.'s business developer for Northern Oklahoma and Kansas.

"Cotton producers in Texas and Beaver counties in Oklahoma had a good year with their irrigated cotton," he said. "Due to the drought, dry land cotton was all lost.

"In that area and southern Kansas, 70,000 bales of cotton were harvested on 51,000 acres. About 4,000 bales came from the two Oklahoma counties."

Farmers in that area are optimistic about producing cotton, he said.

"Cotton does better with less water than corn," he said. "There are plenty of smaller producing irrigation wells in the area yielding 3-400 gallons which isn't enough water capacity for corn. Farmers are using these wells for cotton production. Natural gas still is an economical fuel to run pumps on the larger producing wells and farmers are planting corn in those fields."

Click here for more.

 

This N That- Ottawa County Goes Primary, No Till Reminder and Old Man River Keeps Flowing

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated Ottawa County in Oklahoma as a primary natural disaster area due to damages and losses caused by the recent drought. Ottawa County was the only county in Oklahoma not so designated in an earlier announcement by the USDA. Click here for the release from USDA on this 77th Oklahoma county that makes it 100% of the counties in the state that are primary disaster areas.

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The Winter Conference of  No Till on the Plains is just 12 days away- and there is still time to register and attend- Keynote speaker Ray Archuleta, NRCS Conservation Agronomist and member of the Soil Quality Team, Greensboro, North Carolina, is passionate about soil health and a tremendous source of knowledge on improving soil health. The depth of his knowledge of the system will inspire and equip you with information to cope with the weather extremes of today. He kicks off the conference on the afternoon of January 29.  Click here for details about the conference and how to register.  

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Heavy rains over the weekend were a difference maker for Mississippi River shippers. That's according to Midwest Grain and Barge Vice President and General Manager Matt Zimmerman. He says the rain was widespread and delivered more moisture than expected. As such - water levels near Cape Girardeau, Missouri were on the rise.  

In addition to the rain - the Army Corps of Engineers finished the first phase of the rock removal project at Thebes, Illinois earlier than expected. The Corps removed 365 cubic yards of limestone from the channel - deepening the navigable area by two-feet. Commander of the Army Corps' Mississippi Valley Division Major General John Peabody says the success of the rock removal work - along with the recent and forecast rain - increases confidence an adequate channel can be sustained through the spring.  

According to the National Weather Service - the water level of the river at St. Louis today (Thursday) will be up nearly two-feet from last Wednesday. That will equal the highest level in almost a month. At Thebes - the water level had jumped nearly nine-feet over the weekend. SO- it looks like old man river may keep moving and remain a waterway for commerce up and down the center of the country.