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As the 2013 Cattle Industry Convention ramps up at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida, we had the opportunity to visit with the President of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, JD Alexander. Alexander is a cattle producer from Nebraska- and told us as we sat down to do this interview that he had not been home for a month, as he covered the country, representing cattle producers in his role as the NCBA President. 

Alexander says that the one common conversation that has come up- not just in the last few months- but really over the last year- has been the drought. He worries about how dry it is in his home country in Nebraska- but says that worry has been seen in the eyes and heard in the voices of cattle producers all across the United States. One of the worries that has surfaced is the ability to rebuild the US cattle numbers, which have been reduced by drought over the last couple of years, after being on the decline for several years before that. Alexander says that rebuilding the US cattle herd will be a huge challenge for everyone that stays in the business over the next few years. 

Click here to jump over to our webpage to read more and for a chance to hear our full conversation with JD Alexander.

We also have a report up this morning as an Ag Perspectives Podcast with Colin Woodall of the NCBA's Washington, DC office- focusing on the issue of School Lunch Guidelines and how they may well be the precursor to the next battle over dietary guidelines that will be developed in 2015.  Click here for this report- which includes a link from last September when we featured comments from Dayle Hayes when she was in Oklahoma when all of the furor over School Lunch guidelines was going hot and heavy.  Dayle will be here on Friday at the Convention, speaking in a Committee Session on Nutrional Guidelines and the School Lunch Guidelines will be a central theme of her presentation.

Attend Superior Livestock Auction's Profit Simplified Seminar Without Leaving Home 

Even if you couldn't make it to Tampa for this year's Cattle Industry Trade Show, you can still be part of Superior Livestock Auction's Profit Simplified Seminar.

The seminar will be broadcast live this Thursday(tomorrow) from Noon to 3 p.m. Central time on RFD-TV--channel 345 on DirecTV or channel 231 on Dish Network.

Presentations will include:

• Added Value Marketing -Tom Odle
• Feeder-Packer - Tom Brink
• Animal Health - Dr. Rick Ribbel
• Commercial Producer - Ken Griner
• Seedstock Operation - Donnell Brown
• Sustainability - Dr. Jude Capper 

More information is available from Superior Livestock at 1-800-422-2117

High Forage Value Gives Beef Producers More Options, Peel Says

One of the consequences of high priced grain for the beef cattle industry is the higher value put on forage than ever before. Oklahoma State University Livestock Market Economist Dr. Darrell Peel says this means producers need to approach their production of hay, pastures, and grass a little differently than they have in the past.

"We're so caught up on where cattle numbers are, where the drought has taken us, particularly the last two years. It's all very short-run-short being in the next one to three years kind of a time frame, but behind that is this fundamental change in grain prices in this country and crop values in this country makes forage take on a different role in the beef industry. We're already in that process. We're dealing with that as well, but it's something that will extend well beyond the immediate concerns of cattle numbers and the drought impact. So, I think that's an ongoing issue.

"What it means, ultimately, is this industry will try to do more things trying to use forage. That's the way we can stay as competitive in a world where grain is more expensive. Ultimately, it means things like higher placement weights for cattle going into the feedlot, reducing the time they spend in the feedlot a little bit. And that's the way, as a industry, we can use less grain."

Derrell joins me on the latest Beef Buzz.  Click here to read more or listen to our full conversation.

USDA Surveys Farmers' Planting Intentions for 2013

What are the top crops going to be for the 2013 growing season? The March Agricultural Survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will survey 82,000 U.S. farmers in March 2013 to determine their plans for the upcoming growing season.

"Each year, the agriculture industry eagerly awaits USDA's Prospective Plantings report, which provides the first survey-based estimates of U.S. farmers' planting intentions for the year," said Wilbert Hundl, Director of the NASS Oklahoma Field Office. "The March Agricultural Survey provides the factual data that underpins these projections, making it one of the most important surveys we conduct each year."

NASS will mail the survey questionnaire in late February, asking producers to provide information about the types of crops they intend to plant in 2013, how many acres they intend to plant and the amounts of grain and oilseed they store on their farms. NASS encourages producers to respond via the Internet but also welcomes mail or fax responses and offers the opportunity for a telephone or personal interview to those producers who did not respond by the deadline. 

You can read more by clicking here.

 

Men Ordered to Pay Restitution in Cattle Shooting Case

Two Broken Arrow men convicted of killing eight head of cattle with a bow and arrow in Rogers County were ordered last week to pay $85,000 in restitution to the victims.

Traton Tyler Vanderpool, 20, and Jared Wade Barlass, 21, were released Friday from the Oklahoma Department of Corrections RID program on  four years probation. In August 2011, Vanderpool and Barlass turned themselves in to authorities after a number of tips were received by Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) Special Ranger John Cummings and the Rogers County Sheriff's Department.

"We're glad to see that the victims of this senseless crime, the ranchers who lost their cattle including a young 4-H member who lost her show calf, will receive proper restitution from the persons responsible," said Cummings. "The amount of restitution ordered sends a clear message to would be criminals that stealing or killing livestock in Oklahoma will not be tolerated."

 

Oklahoma Farm Bureau Launches 2013 Growing Season Blog

The second annual Oklahoma Farm Bureau Harvest Watch blog season is set to start Feb. 11.

The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Harvest Watch blog website will feature regular updates from six farm families as they experience the everyday joys and disappointments of planting and harvesting a crop and feeding and caring for livestock. Updates will continue through the fall and conclude with harvest.

The six farm families, each represent a different region of Oklahoma, include Zach and Amy Harris, Hobart; Brandon and Carrie Webb, Canton; Matt and Lisa Graves, Gate; Kenneth and Debbie Fisher, Bristow; Brent and Myndi Bolen, Idabel; and Greg and Mary Leonard, Afton.

"We encourage teachers and their students to follow the regular updates on the website as a way to learn more about our modern agriculture production," said Mike Spradling, Oklahoma Farm Bureau president. 

Click here for more.

This N That-  Big Iron, CIC Tweets and Download Those Apps!

The next three weeks- the sales get bigger and bigger for Big Iron online auctions.  The sale that starts closing this morning at 10 AM central time features 170 items, while the sale next week has 349 items and then the one that follows that on February 20th currently has 633 items already- ALL kinds of agricultural equipment will be offered for this no reserve auction process- so click here and start sorting through to see what may be of interest to you over these next three Wednesday sales planned on Big Iron.

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We wanted to quickly remind you that we will be tweeting once again from the 2013 Cattle Industry Convention- starting this morning from Cattlemen's College.  Check out our tweets- follow us regulary or at least click here to see what we have coming out of Tampa the next couple of days.

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 Finally- the last couple of mornings in our email- we have directed you to our brand new APPs that are available for both the Apple and the Android platforms.  They are FREE and give you a way to get the latest farm news and hear audio from places like Tampa and the 2013 CIC when you are on the go.  Click here for our stories from earlier this week- and click on the platform of smartphone that you are using- and join us anytime and anywhere!!!