First Public Meeting for 2013 Farm Bill Conference Committee Announced 

House and Senate Agriculture Committee leaders announced that the first public meeting for the 2013 Farm Bill conference committee will be held next week on Wednesday, October 30 at 1:00 p.m. ET in room 1100 of the Longworth House Office Building (the Ways and Means Committee Room). The agenda for the meeting of conferees will include opening statements and discussion of H.R. 2642, The Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013.

The House conferees include: Republicans--Frank D. Lucas, Steve King, Randy Neugebauer, Mike Rogers, K. Michael Conaway, Glenn Thompson, Austin Scott, Rick Crawford, Marthy Roby, Kristi Noem, Jeff Denham, Rodney Davis, Steve Southerland, Ed Royce, Tom Marino, Dave Camp, and Sam Johnson.

Democrats--Collin Peterson, Mike McIntyre, Jim Costa, Tim Walz, Kurt Schrader, Jim McGovern, Suzan DelBene, Gloria Negrete McLeod, Filemon Vela, Marcia Fudge, Eliot Engel, and Sandy Levin.

The Senate conferees include: Democrats--Debbie Stabenow, Patrick Leahy, Tom Harkin, Max Baucus, Sherrod Brown, Amy Klobuchar, and Michael Bennet.

Republicans--Thad Cochran, Pat Roberts, Saxby Chambliss, John Boozman, and John Hoeven.

Inhofe: Approval of State Conservation Plan for LPC a Victory for Oklahoma 

U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, praised the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for approving the Lesser Prairie-Chicken (LPC) five-state conservation plan and encouraged FWS Director Dan Ashe to expeditiously approve the Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances (CCAA) associated with the LPC conservation plan. The plan was submitted by Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico.

"Fish and Wildlife's decision to approve the five-state, range-wide conservation plan is an important step towards ensuring the Lesser Prairie-Chicken is not listed under the Endangered Species Act," said Inhofe. "It is vital to maintain the conservation efforts at the state level. Despite our lengthy battle to reach this outcome, we continued to pursue approval of the plan because state-driven, voluntary conservation is the most effective way to protect the species. I thank Director Dan Ashe and Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Director Richard Hatcher for working with me and other members throughout the process. A listing could harm Oklahoma's farmers and ranchers, our booming energy industry, and the future development of infrastructure in our state. It is my hope that the CCAAs associated with the LPC listing will also be approved in the near future to ensure that the industries that support our state's economy and our landowners throughout Western Oklahoma are not threatened by a possible listing." 

Click here to read more background on this story.
 

FSA Reminds Producers of Reporting Requirement for Crops Covered by NAP

Acreage Reporting is required for any crop that has Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) coverage - 15 calendar days before the onset of harvest or grazing of the specific crop acreage being reported.

Producers should contact their local FSA county office if they are uncertain about reporting deadlines. In order to meet FSA program eligibility requirements, producers must submit timely acreage reports. Reports filed after the established deadlines must meet certain requirements to be accepted and will be charged late fees.
 

A complete directory of Oklahoma FSA offices is located at: OK FSA Offices; or at www.fsa.usda.gov/ok. 
 

WRRDA Sails Through House on 417-3 Vote- Next Up- House Senate Conference

The US House of Representatives came together Wednesday and overwhelmingly approved legislation to fund water projects such as port expansions and flood-prevention efforts across the country.


The first Water Resources Development Act to clear the House since 2007 did so on a 417-3 vote, with opposition from just one Democrat (Rep. Collin Peterson of Minnesota) and two Republicans (Reps. Jim Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin and Walter Jones of North Carolina). According to supporters- WRRDA brings unprecedented reform through cutting the red tape of federal regulation and clearing the path for increased efficiency and competition in our nation's water infrastructure system.


There is still work on the measure that lies ahead, with a few key differences to be worked out between the House bill and the Senate's version of WRDA.


Congressman Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma's Second District was one of those who voted in favor of H.R. 3080. "Our water infrastructure is linked to the health of our economy," said Congressman Mullin. "If we do not have adequate infrastructure, we cannot move our commerce and we cannot protect our jobs. Oklahoma's water infrastructure alone plays a critical role in global competition. With the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS), Oklahoma is connected to the rest of the nation and the world."  A significant part of the MKARNS that is in Oklahoma lies within the second Congressional District.


Among the Agricultural groups that are supportive of the measure is the American Soybean Association. The ASA congratulated House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee leadership following its passage.


"ASA welcomes tonight's passage of the WRRDA bill and commends Chairman Shuster and Ranking member Rahall, as well as Subcommittee Chairman Gibbs and Ranking Member Bishop, for their persistence and support in the process of addressing our waterways infrastructure," said ASA President Danny Murphy, a soybean farmer from Canton, Miss. "As tonight's vote illustrates, this bill enjoys broad bipartisan support in the House, as it does in the Senate and within the administration. With that in mind, we call on the House and the Senate to convene the conference committee as soon as possible so that a final bill can be passed and sent to President Obama before the end of this year."

Read more about the ASA's support of WRRDA and more on the passage of the measure by clicking here. 

Checkoff Changes Marketing Direction in FY14

Millennials and other beef consumers can now see and hear the tantalizing sights and sounds of "Beef. It's What's for Dinner" messages without putting down their mobile devices or leaving the comfort of their keyboards and social-media circles.

That's thanks to a Sept. 25 decision by the 20-member Beef Promotion Operating Committee to make a major shift in strategic direction for the checkoff's promotion and marketing efforts. Beginning this month, digital marketing will lead the way in sharing beef's message about nutrition, health and research and creating a forum for consumers to publically share and celebrate their love for beef.

In recognition of the importance of marketing via electronic devices -- such as smartphones, tablets, cell phones, computers and consoles - the committee approved the shift from an print and radio campaign to digital marketing via multi-media beef messages on email, blogs and social networks.

"Digital marketing allows us to be extremely selective about who receives our messaging, using technology called 'geo-targeting,'" says Polly Ruhland, Beef Board CEO. "Because your every online twitch can be tracked, digital marketing experts (like checkoff contractor staff and the checkoff's new digital marketing agency) know a great deal about you: your favorite food, clothing and widgets, your hobbies, your hometown, your family, your friends."

Click here to read more of this story.  

Public TV Series Highlights Farmers' Conservation Work in Ogallala Region

The thirsty soils of the central plains are seeing less precipitation, putting at risk the Ogallala Aquifer, a vital underground water supply for agriculture and municipal use.

"It's the water source for the bread basket of the United States," said Harold Grall, a farmer in Moore County, Texas, who recognizes this aquifer's importance and uses conservation to use water wisely.

Grall's story and other farmers like him were recently highlighted in "This American Land," a national public television series. His story was aired in a segment of the show's first episode titled "Critical Aquifer." 

The episode highlights farmers in the region, who use conservation to minimize water use and prevent it from drying up in the future.

You can watch the episode on our website or read more of this story by clicking here.
 

This N That- Ag in the Classroom Contests Open, Superior Select Sale Begins 9 AM and Deadly Swine Virus Traced Back to China 

The Oklahoma Ag Day Contests that are conducted by the Ag in the Classroom folks at the Oklahoma Department of Ag in cooperation with OSU Extension and Private Supporters are now open for entries.  There are a total of six different categories that children from Kindergarten to 8th grade can participate in.   

Categories include Coloring, Bulletin Board, Poster, Storyboard, Essay and Video Contests.

Deadline to enter is the end of the calendar year  on December 31st- click here for all the details about the 2014 Ag Day Contests.

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The one and only sale by Superior Video Livestock this year that features replacement females gets underway at 9:00 AM central time this morning.

The Superior Select Female Sale will feature 10,000 ladies from all across the country that can go to work in your beef cattle herd.

Bred Heifers, Bred Cows, Cow-Calf Pairs and replacement Heifers will be offered.

Click here for details- the sale will be happening on RFD-TV on DISH and DirecTV as well as on SuperiorClickToBid.Com.

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Veterinary scientists at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech believe they have traced the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus outbreak to China. The PED virus that's been spreading in U.S. hog farms since May has been through three strains - all related to Chinese strains of PEDV. China experienced a PEDV outbreak nearly three-years ago.

Oklahoma has been right in the middle of the PEDV outbreak, with the second most cases of the disease reported in the US- behind Iowa. The latest numbers from Uncle Sam show that Iowa has had 203 positive cases of PEDV, while Oklahoma has had 174 cases to date and North Carolina is third with 117 cases reported.

Click here to read more about the work to trace PEDV back to its roots, which apparently are in China.