Lucas Optimistic Gaps can be Bridged in Farm Bill Discussions 

Time is drawing perilously short for the passage of the 2013 Farm Bill before the end of the year. Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas says there certainly is a sense of urgency on his part and the four principle members of the Senate and House agriculture committees are due to meet Wednesday. He tells Mike Hergert of the Red River Farm Network that House members have made a number of proposals to break the logjam and he hopes his Senate colleagues will come to the meeting with some ideas of their own.

"I would anticipate in response to a number of suggestions that the House has made, I would hope that the Senate would have some suggestions back so that we can keep moving in that direction of narrowing down the choices and ultimately getting to some final policy decisions."

Lucas said the major sticking points revolve around three areas including nutrition, dairy and the commodity title. He said he believes the conferees are closing the gap in their differences on the nutrition title, but the path forward in regards to dairy and commodities is not as clear.

"You still have some philosophical differences in dairy-will there or will there not be supply management in the new proposed program. How long will that supply management be in place? I look forward to see what kind of suggestions will be offered by the other body in that regard.

"And, then, ultimately, when you get back to the commodity title the underlying question of how do you determine what acres can participate. Is it, as the Senate started with, the historic base on planted acres? Is it, as the Senate went to, using planted acres? Is it, as the House suggested, planted acres up to base? Just where do we come down on this?

"The Senate, at last discussion, was very focused on using historic base. I think, from a House perspective, my economist and I agree we can make that work. We can make planted acres up to base work, but that is one of those issues that is critically important to how the safety net functions and that's one of the things I hope to accomplish tomorrow is the firm decision about which way do we go."

Click here to listen to more from Frank Lucas and Mike Hergert.  

Vilsack Underscores Farm Bill Programs' Impact on Environment and Economy

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack joined Dale Hall, Chief Executive Officer of Ducks Unlimited, to highlight the value of public-private conservation efforts and the record conservation results achieved by producers, landowners and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) since 2009. Secretary Vilsack emphasized the critical need for Congress to pass a new Farm Bill to continue these efforts.

Across the nation, USDA works directly with farmers and ranchers to carry out conservation practices aimed at strengthening our nation's soil and water resources. USDA has partnered with more than 500,000 farmers, ranchers and landowners on these conservation projects since 2009 - a record number.

By protecting marginal cropland, preserving habitat and implementing environmentally-friendly production methods, these efforts preserve the ability of America's farmers and ranchers to continue producing an abundant food supply in the years to come. Conservation also strengthens outdoor recreation, which adds more than $640 billion every year to our economy.

The Farm Bill represents the nation's largest investment supporting the voluntary and successful conservation, restoration and management of America's working lands. 

Click here to read more. 

Rural Stakeholders in Dire Need of Quick Farm Bill Passage, Vilsack Says

At a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack once again urged the House and Senate farm bill conference committee to come to an agreement on their various differences quickly.

"These are obviously difficult issues, but, at the end of the day, we don't want to make perfect the enemy of the good. There are tremendous opportunities in this bill for reforms, for savings, for new opportunities in rural development and economic development, for new research opportunities, for an extension and commitment to conservation, for a support structure and system that is defensible to folks across the country. All of that is the result of a comprehensive approach. And what's being lost in the debate and the conversation on this bill and in this conference committee is the extraordinary good this bill could do to our country and to the economy in rural America."

Vilsack said it is imperative for the conferees to finish their work. He said that everyone from small town chambers of commerce to land grant universities rely on the farm bill and the knowledge of the programs they will be operating under for the next three to five years. Vilsack said that certainty among rural stakeholders is what is needed most and an understanding of what the rules will be.

Click here for the full story and for the audio from Tom Vilsack.  

 

As Winter Threatens, New Drugs Help Cattle Producers Stay Ahead of BRD and Parasites

Pastures are in better shape across the Southern Plains than they were a year ago, but as temperatures fluctuate wildly and begin to drop precipitously, disease pressures on cattle herds will mount. Most predominant among them at this time of year says Dr. Joe Dedrickson, director of field veterinary services for Merial, is BRD.

"The issue that we sometimes forget with BRD is that there are multiple agents. There are viruses and bacteria and they are a normal part of cattle. And, so, when we get into this time we add so many stresses on these calves. This is when we wean them. There may be castration and dehorning associated with that. Right now here in Kansas City, look at those temperatures. You're seeing that down in Oklahoma. We were down to 17 degrees last night and this weekend we're going to be at 70. All stresses make BRD an issue."

Dedrickson says BRD can be very costly to producers and that is why they need to stay ahead of the game.

"With the advent of the new class of drugs that we have available to us over the last couple of years, the macrolides, we're fortunate that, with Zactran, we have one of those. They have what the FDA calls a control label. So, if you're shipping these animals and putting them under that stress, you can give them medication like Zactran which will give you ten days of activity with injection on arrival. So, some of these new drugs really give us opportunities to manage BRD better."

Dedrickson joins me for the latest Beef Buzz.  Click here to listen in.

First Winter Storm Can Make Cattle Vulnerable to Nitrate Toxicity, Glenn Selk Says

Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University Emeritus Extension Animal Scientist writes in the latest Cow-Calf Newsletter:

Educators often speak of "a teachable moment." Sometimes the most lasting lessons are painful to learn. The predicted blast of winter weather for this week may provide another teachable moment for cow calf producers in the Southern Plains.   

Almost as predictable as the coming of the winter season will be the quickly spread horror story of the death of several cows from a herd that was fed "the good hay" for the first time after a winter storm. Ranchers that have harvested and stored potentially high nitrate forages such as forage sorghums, millets, sudangrass hybrids, and/or johnsongrass, need to be aware (not fearful) of the increased possibility of nitrate toxicity. This is especially true if the cows are fed this hay for the first time after a severe winter storm.   

Cattle can adapt (to a limited extent) to nitrate intake over time. However, cattlemen often will feed the higher quality forage sorghum type hays during a stressful, cold, wet winter storm. Cows may be especially hungry, because they have not gone out in the pasture grazing during the storm. They may be stressed and slightly weakened by the cold, wet conditions. This combination of events makes them even more vulnerable to nitrate toxicity.

Click here for the full story from Glenn Selk.

Whether Crossbreeding or Straightbreeding, Cattle Producers Must Have a Plan 

While crossbreeding advocates sit on one side of the aisle and straight breeding proponents sit on the other, it seems that there is one truth that they can all agree on says Bryce Schumann, CEO of the American Angus Association:

"Regardless of what technology you want to use or what breeding strategy you want to use, you need to have a plan to be successful in today's beef industry. Long gone are the days where just before turn-out time you decide what kind of bull you're going to use. You need to be planning ahead how you're going to market the offspring of those cattle and how you can take advantage of different market opportunities."

Dave Nichols of Nichols Farms in Bridgewater, Iowa, is a longtime champion of heterosis, but says cattlemen can't just use two or more breeds and expect an automatic advantage.

"The secret to crossbreeding is relatively simple: Number one, have a plan. Number two, utilize breeds that complement each other in this plan."

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

 

This N That- Big Iron, Herefords in Native America and the Big Chill

As we move into December- our first Big Iron December sale will be a good sized one- with over 600 items listed for sale- first items closing at 10 AM central time this morning. Vanoss School District is one of the featured sellers of today's auction- they have a couple of professional saws that have been used in class they are selling- a Roybi 9" Band Saw & Delta Radial Arm Saw Wood Working Equipment,   

Click here to go and review the entire lineup of sale items and to check out everything from these power saws to tractors, implements, combines and more. As always- you can call Mike Wolfe with Big Iron at 580-320-2718 to learn more about how to buy  and sell on Big Iron.

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This coming Friday and Saturday- Oklahoma Hereford Breeders are scheduled to gather in Ardmore and Marietta for their annual membership dinner meeting(in Ardmore) and then the annual Herefords in Native America sale on Saturday midday at the Brooks Cattle Company's sale facility in Marietta.

75 Registered Lots will be offered with top quality hereford Bulls and Females plus Commercial Females selling. 

Click here for more details- or call our friend Eddie Sims at 580-492-4590,

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The cold air is headed our way- and by Saturday morning- a lot of Oklahoma could be in the low teens down into single digits.  As we talked about yesterday- once we go below freezing sometime early tomorrow morning- we won't see 32 degrees again until  Tuesday or perhaps even Wednesday. 

As for Precipitation- this winter storm will affect the area with two waves of precipitation later this afternoon in the Panhandle and then into the body of the state Thursday and early Friday. The freezing rain in southeast Oklahoma could create an ice storm with 1/4 inch accumulation, and some areas could see significantly more. Two to five inches of snow are possible in Texas and Cimarron Counties. Most of Oklahoma will get at least a small amount of snow, sleet or ice before these two waves are finished with us.   

We have several maps to share with you on our website- click here to check them out.  We also have links to Alan Crone's latest weather blog from the News on 6 in Tulsa and the Winter Watch for the OKC NWS area as of 4 AM this morning.