President Obama Unveils Climate Action Plan 

President Barack Obama unveiled his plan to address climate change Tuesday. A White House fact sheet on the President's climate action plan states that by taking an all-of-the-above approach to develop homegrown energy and steady, responsible steps to cut carbon pollution - we can protect the health of our children and begin to slow the effects of climate change so we leave a cleaner, more stable environment for future generations. The President's plan builds on efforts already underway in states and communities across the country to cut carbon pollution. In addition - the President says his plan will spark innovation across a wide variety of energy technologies, help American families cut energy waste and step up our global efforts to lead on climate change.

According to the fact sheet, here are a few examples of actions called fore in the plan:  

* Cut Carbon Pollution in America - In 2012, U.S. carbon pollution from the energy sector fell to the lowest level in two decades even as the economy continued to grow. To build on this progress, the Obama Administration is putting in place tough new rules to cut carbon pollution-just like we have for other toxins like mercury and arsenic -so we protect the health of our children and move our economy toward American-made clean energy sources that will create good jobs and lower home energy bills.

* Directs EPA to work closely with states, industry and other stakeholder to establish carbon pollution standards for both new and existing power plants;

* Makes up to $8 billion in loan guarantee authority available for a wide array of advanced fossil energy and efficiency projects to support investments in innovative technologies;

* Directs DOI to permit enough renewables project-like wind and solar - on public lands by 2020 to power more than 6 million homes; designates the first-ever hydropower project for priority permitting; and sets a new goal to install 100 megawatts of renewables on federally assisted housing by 2020; while maintaining the commitment to deploy renewables on military installations.

Click here to read more.  

AFT, Ethanol Groups Applaud Obama's Climate Change Plans 

In response to President Obama's announcement on climate change today, several groups including the American Farmland Trust, the Renewable Fuels Association, and the Advanced Ethanol Council applauded the President's plans.

"Our food production system remains extremely vulnerable to climate change, with farmers and ranchers facing more frequent severe weather events," AFT President Jon Scholl said. "However, agriculture has tremendous capacity to both mitigate and adapt to climate change through good conservation practices."  (Click here for more from Jon Scholl.)  

"The advanced ethanol industry stands behind the Obama Administration in their effort to address climate change," said Advanced Ethanol Council Executive Director Brooke Coleman. "The President is right to identify the Renewable Fuel Standard and existing federal regulations as critical to the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector.  (Click here for more of Coleman's statement.)

Bob Dinneen, president of the Renewable Fuels Association said, "There is perhaps no better example of a proven successful climate change energy policy than the Renewable Fuel Standard. President Obama has been a strong supporter of this program, which has helped reduce this country's dependence on environmentally hazardous petroleum while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40 to 50 percent when directly compared to gasoline.  (You can read more from Bob Dinneen by clicking here.)

Oklahoma Ag Groups Thank Congressmen for Their Work on Farm Bill

A collection of Oklahoma agricultural leaders and groups issued the following statement after the House of Representatives voted down the 2013 farm bill:

Oklahoma agriculture would like to thank U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas and Ranking Member Collin Peterson for their efforts in crafting and presenting H.R. 1947, The Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management (FARRM) Act of 2013. We would also like to thank Oklahoma Representatives Tom Cole, James Lankford and Markwayne Mullin for their support of the FARRM Act.

The leadership and passion of Chairman Lucas were exemplary, and the work of this group of leaders to support a key Oklahoma economic driver was outstanding. While we are disappointed in the outcome, we are encouraged by such strong representation from our Oklahoma Representatives.

We also want to convey our thanks to Chairman Lucas's Agriculture Committee staff for their superior work. Without them, H.R. 1947 would not have made it to a floor vote. We are proud of their dedicated efforts on our behalf.

You can read more of the statement and a list of all the letter's signers by clicking here.

Oklahoma Wheat Harvest Impresses Israeli Trade Team

The Oklahoma Wheat Commission has had three trade teams visiting the state this harvest season. The third team, from Israel, is in Oklahoma this week. I caught up with them in a field near Minco Monday afternoon.

Accompanying the group was Goris van Lit with U.S. Wheat Associates out of Rotterdam, the Netherlands. He says the Israelis have been long-time customers of U.S. Wheat.

"The potential is there for almost 50 years, 60 years. They are a very faithful customer of U.S. wheat. And, I would say, until the year 2000 it was almost uniquely it was U.S. wheat they were grinding. Then we got competition coming out of the Black Sea countries. So we have to fight a little bit harder to beat that competition when it's possible. We are in a competitive market, but we still sell quite a good volume of wheat to Israel."

The Israelis use U.S. wheat for a wide variety of breads, van Lit said. They produce a lot of European-style raised breads with the hard red winter wheat from the Southern Plains and they use some soft wheat for Arab-style pita breads.

I also spoke with the group's host in Oklahoma, Oklahoma Wheat Commission Executive Director Mike Schulte.  You can read more and listen to my interviews with Goris van Lit and Schulte by clicking here.

 

NCBA Educates Capitol Hill on Antibiotic Use in Livestock

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) today gave an overview to more than 70 congressional staff members on antibiotics used in food producing animals as part of NCBA's "Beef 101" educational series.

"Beef 101" is an educational program for members of Congress and their staff, developed to continually educate those on Capitol Hill on issues important to the beef industry. Today's session featured a presentation by Dr. Mike Apley, DVM, PhD, a clinical pharmacologist with Kansas State University, who discussed with attendees the judicious use of antibiotics in the beef industry as one of the critical tools to prevent the spread of disease and maintain a healthy herd.

"The goal of producers is to manage cattle to avoid infectious diseases. Antibiotics are a valuable resource for treating both human and animal diseases," Apley said. "Farmers and ranchers work with veterinarians to implement comprehensive herd-health management plans, and it's important for veterinarians and producers to have the ability to best manage herd health and raise healthy cattle, which ultimately means a safe food supply."

Click here for more of this story.

 

Dave Sparks Asks, 'How Hot is Too Hot?' for Livestock

Dave Sparks DVM, Oklahoma State University Area Extension Veterinarian, writes in the latest Cow-Calf Newsletter:

All good stockmen are aware that heat stress can be a problem in livestock as the summer heats up, but not all are aware that other factors can enter the equation besides the thermometer reading. These same factors can be dangerous to the people that handle the livestock as well, but we can do things that help to compensate for the danger. When our bodies cannot dissipate heat adequately to maintain a normal body temperature we retreat to the air conditioner, drink more water, or go to the shade. These options may not be available to our livestock.One factor that affects the danger level for heat stress greatly is humidity. As shown in the accompanying table, temperature levels that may not pose a threat at lower humidity levels can become dangerous as humidity rises.   Livestock can enter the critical zone at 90 °F if the relative humidity is high enough.   We can't do much to change the humidity, but we can avoid other problems that may have an additive effect.

Lack of shade can also make a big difference in heat stress. As ruminants, it is normal for cattle to ingest large quantities of forage and then rest and digest. The heat of fermentation produced in the rumen must be eliminated and a shady place to rest is important.   As an experiment, place a thermometer in a shady place and another nearby but just outside the shade on a hot day and note the dramatic difference. Remember that any time the ambient temperature exceeds body temperature the cattle cannot dissipate heat and their body temperature rises. 

Click here to read more from Dave Sparks.

 

Landowners This N That- Wheat Harvest Report, Big Iron and Finger Pointing Deluxe

Harvest is slowly wrapping up in the SW portion of the state. The custom crews have moved north and those still cutting are producers using their own combines. Many producers opted to harvest their own wheat this year due to the condition of the crop and insurance issues because it would not have been feasible to hire custom crews. Therefore harvest will continue on into the weekend and beyond in some areas of SW Oklahoma. 

Meanwhile, harvset has begun in the Oklahoma Panhandle, with this latest report from the Oklahoma Wheat Commission including a report from Hooker.  Click here for the latest report on the 2013 Winter Wheat Harvest courtesy of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission, part of our WheatWatch2013 Coverage.

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On this last Wednesday of June, we remind you to check out the Big Iron weekly no reserve equipment auction.  A total of 267 items to be sold today- one of the featured sellers today is Arnet/Enid New Holland.  You can call Mike Wolfe at 580-320-2718 to find out how you can easily buy or sell on Big Iron.Com- or go to their website to check out the complete offering of this week's sale- click here to do just exactly that.

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Since last Thursday- more than one Senator has assumed the Holier than Thou position over their House counterparts in gving advice to House Leadership when it comes to regrouping and figuring out how to pass a five year farm bill.  The Finger Pointer in Chief is Senate Ag Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, who used MSNBC as her latest bully pulpit to lecture the House regarding the failure to pass the House Ag Committee's Farm Bill last week. Staebnow says she will not pass another one year extension of the 2008 law- you get no savings and no reform if you do that- so she calls that unacceptable.

Click here for the video of Chairwoman Stabenow on MSNBC to hear her thoughts on where we should be going from here.