Micheal Kelsey Returning Home as Top Hired Hand of Oklahoma Cattlemens Association 

"The executive committee of the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association is pleased to announce it has appointed Michael Kelsey to the Executive Vice-President position as a result of his seasoned and outstanding cattle industry leadership," said Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association, President, Mike Frey of Kingfisher, Oklahoma.

I spoke with Kesley on Friday afternoon as the announcement was made by the OCA.  You can hear that conversation by clicking here.   

"This has been a tough decision, to be honest, because Nebraska has been very good to us, our family.  The cattle industry is very much alive and thriving up here, albeit in a drought and with tough challenges, but these are good folks.  This has been a very difficult decision.

"Now, that being said, Oklahoma's my home and I am just so honored and so excited to be coming back to Oklahoma and in particular to the OCA." 

He said he is very excited to be joining the OCA at this point in its 60 year history because there is an influx of young people that want to get involved in the beef cattle business.  "There's going to be great opportunity to continue to develop that heritage based upon the incoming generation," he said.

Kelsey was raised on a commercial cow-calf ranch in Rush Springs, Oklahoma. He is a graduate of Oklahoma State University with a degree in Animal Science. He joins the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association with more than 14 years of experience in the cattle industry having served as the senior staff officer for the South Carolina Cattlemen's Association, the Oklahoma Beef Council and most recently as Executive Vice-President of the Nebraska Cattlemen Association. He and his wife Tonya have four children, Joshua, Caleb, Anna, and Chloe. 

You can read more of this story by clicking here.

United States Cattle on Feed Down 3 Percent in Latest Report- But Heavyweight Placements Are a Worry

The USDA's Cattle on Feed report released Friday showed the third smallest number of cattle on feed in the last eight years. 

However, Tom Leffler with Leffler Commodities says that the number that has jumped out at him was in the placements category- with numbers of 700-799 pound cattle and 800 pound animals and up were 19 to 20 percent above APril 2012 placements- and he sees that as a summertime bump in supplies.

Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.7 million head on May 1, 2013.

The inventory was 3 percent below May 1, 2012.

Placements in feedlots during April totaled 1.75 million, 15 percent above 2012. Net placements were 1.68 million head.

During April, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 375,000, 600-699 pounds were 270,000, 700-799 pounds were 455,000, and 800 pounds and greater were 650,000.

Marketings of fed cattle during April totaled 1.86 million, 2 percent above 2012.

Other disappearances totaled 69,000 during April, 12 percent below 2012.

Oklahoma Farm Report's Jim Apel spoke with Tom Leffler of Leffler Commodities after the report was released Friday afternoon. Click here to listen to that conversation or to find a link to the full Cattle on Feed report.

 

FSA Administrator Urges Producers to Enroll in DCP/ACRE

USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Juan M. Garcia today encouraged farmers and ranchers to enroll for the 2013 Direct and Counter-Cyclical Payment Program (DCP) or the Average Crop Revenue Election Program (ACRE) before the deadline. Producers who wait until the last minute to sign up could face increased waiting time in FSA county offices.

"We understand that producers have gotten busy, but they can't forget to visit their county office and sign up for DCP or ACRE," said Garcia. "Just as farmers and ranchers plan their spring plantings, producers should plan to schedule an appointment to visit their USDA Service Center at the earliest possible time. It's best to complete the paperwork now rather than to stand in line the day before the deadline," advised Garcia.

The sign-up for both programs began Feb. 19, 2013. The deadline to sign up for ACREis June 3, 2013. The DCP sign up period ends Aug. 2, 2013.

Click here to read more of this story.

Producers Should Guard Against Heat Stress in Cattle

Old Man Winter held on longer than usual this year, but now summertime temperatures are taking hold, providing ample reason for cattle producers to guard against heat stress in their herds.

Brian Freking, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Southeast District livestock specialist, said understanding and avoiding heat stress in cattle can be a valuable management tool in Oklahoma, where most areas of the state experience 70 or more days each year with temperatures that exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

"Cattle have an upper critical temperature that is approximately 20 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than humans," he said. "When we're uncomfortable at 80 degrees and feel hot at 90 degrees, cattle may well be in the danger zone for extreme heat stress."

The potentially bad news does not end there. Humidity is an additional stress that intensifies ambient temperature problems by making body heat dissipation more difficult. In other words, it can be tough to cool off in Oklahoma during the summer, for people and cattle.

Click here for more from Brian Freking on how to keep cattle cool.  

You can also read a related article about managing heat stress in horses by clicking here.

 

CropLife America Recognizes Endangered Species Day

CropLife America (CLA) joined millions around the world Friday to recognize Endangered Species Day and reflect on the crop protection industry's commitment to endangered species preservation. This year's Endangered Species Day comes following increased discussions in the scientific and legal communities on how best to simultaneously ensure the preservation of beneficial species, as well as our nation's most valued resources.
CLA also recognizes the technological and regulatory improvements that have been made in agriculture over the past several decades that allow farmers to grow a multitude of crops while serving as environmental stewards.

"CLA firmly believes in protecting endangered species, and today is a reminder of the myriad benefits that modern agriculture provides not only for farmers and ranchers, but also for the protection of endangered species," said Jay Vroom, CLA's president and CEO. "Modern technologies including seed treatments, improved irrigation and conservation tillage allow American farmers to continuously improve production, growing more food on less land and maintaining habitats for environmental protection."

You can read more of this story on our website by clicking here.

 

Dairy Farmers Applaud Congressional Ag Leaders, Environmentalists Pan Them

Reactions-both pro and con-to the Senate and House activity on a 2013 Farm Bill continued to trickle out of Washington.  Dairy farmers found a lot to like in the bills, but environmentalists on the other hand didn't find much they could appreciate.

The Dairy Farmers of America thanked agriculture committee members for their work on the bills and said, "Moving these bills to the floor is a huge step in the passage of a final Farm Bill that will help all of agriculture. Both of these bills contain significant and much-needed reform to dairy policy," said a statement released by the DFA.  (You can read their full statement by clicking here.)

The Environmental Working Group had nothing positive to say about the bills, calling both the House and the Senate versions budget busters.  EWG's Scott Faber said the bills were "nothing but bad news for the environment."  He was especially critical of any changes to the conservation title.  He said cuts in this area would "gut common-sense rules that protect water and wildlife."  (You can read Faber's full editorial by clicking here.)

This N That- Rainfall Piles Up and Glimpse 2020 

We have placed several maps on our website this morning- and they show that rainfall totals since last Wednesday have been pretty impressive for much of Oklahoma- except for those counties that continue to deal with exceptional drought. Little to no rain has fallen in the three or four southwestern Oklahoma counties that are int he worse drought category- and the same is true in the Oklahoma Panhandle.

Some other areas that have been called moderate to severe drought or abnormally dry in this past week's Drought Monitor have received goodly amounts of rainfall- and their designation could be changing this next week. Click here to check out several rainfall related maps we have gathered for you this Monday morning.

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We are at the 29th annual Alltech International Symposium- and this is week that will stretch your notions of what is possible to achieve in the world of agriculture through breeding, genetics, nutrition and more.  A couple of the names on the program that you may be familair with- Jude Capper and Frank Mitloenhner- are talking in one of the breakout sessions on carbon footprint and more. 

Click here for details about this year's event- the theme is Glimpse 2020.