Agriculture Secretary Reports Progress at the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade 

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack yesterday reported progress on a number of trade issues with China as a result of the 24th U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT), which wrapped up today in Beijing.

The JCCT is the highest level bilateral forum for the resolution of trade and investment issues between the United States and China. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker and U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman co-chaired the JCCT with China's Vice Premier Wang Yang.

"My discussions with Premier Li Keqiang and other Chinese leaders laid the groundwork for future cooperation related to our shared interests in food security, food safety, and sustainability, as well as the expansion of export opportunities for American farmers and ranchers," Vilsack said.

At the JCCT, a number of high-priority issues for agriculture were discussed, including access for beef and horticultural products, the approval process for biotechnology products, and import suspensions for four states related to avian influenza.

On beef access, the United States and China reached consensus to continued dialogue, with the intention to restore market access by the middle of 2014.

On biotechnology, the Secretary conveyed a need to streamline China's biotech approval process, and gave his commitment to begin implementation of a pilot program on the review of biotechnology products. China also agreed to discuss U.S. concerns regarding China's requirement for the use of viable seed in applications for biotechnology approvals.

Please click here to read the rest of the story on our website.  

Joint Wheat Growers and Sorghum Association Meeting Cancelled for 2013- Groups Will Try Again in 2014  

As you may recall- the second annual joint meeting of wheat and sorghum groups in the state of Oklahoma was planned for the first Friday in December.  It turned out to be an end of the week that had snow and sleet and ice and a meeting that was announced as being postponed with a new date to be announced shortly.  

Well, the  rescheduling of the joint meeting between the Oklahoma Wheat Growers Association and the Oklahoma Sorghum Association isn't in the cards for the year. With the year rapidly advancing to its end, officials from both groups say they couldn't find a suitable date that would work for both, but they will schedule a joint meeting again next year.

The Oklahoma Wheat Growers Association is required by its bylaws to have an annual meeting and it will take place at the Canadian County Fairgrounds on Jan. 21 at 5:30pm with a steak dinner. The program will conclude at 8 p.m. Speakers are still being finalized for the event.

 

Commodity Markets Post Schedule of Holiday Trading Hours

Futures markets have posted a lighter schedule for holiday trading.  Trade will close early today and continue through Christmas. 

The CBOT Grains and KC Wheat trade will stop at noon.  Minnesota wheat will close at 12:15 p.m.  All three grain markets will reopen for trade at 8:30 a.m. Thursday.

The CME Livestock trade will close at 12:45 p.m. today.  Livestock trade will reopen at 9:05 a.m. Thursday.

A similar schedule will be in place for New Year's Day.

Click here to find a complete list of all the electronic market closings and openings this holiday season. 

Cowboy Christmas Video Features Oklahoma Agriculture and OSU President Burns Hargis

Christmas greetings have been offered in this past weekend's SUNUP TV show from the Division of Agriculture at Oklahoma State University- and they were delivered in the of a poem voiced by the President of OSU, Burns Hargis. The segment was entitled "Cowboy Christmas."

The SUNUP program segments are also posted regularly on their YouTube channel- and the segment featuring President Hargis is already one of the most watched segments on their channel for all of 2013. As of December 23rd, over 12,500 had viewed the tribute to Oklahoma agriculture on YouTube.

We have the video posted on our webpage.  Click here to go there. 

Just How Do Santa's Reindeer Get the Job Done?

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

Have you ever wondered how Santa's reindeer can make that monumental journey on Christmas Eve? Let's look into some key facts about reindeer that may help us understand how they get Ole St. Nick on his appointed rounds over the world.   

First of all, historians report that reindeer have been domesticated by humans for over 5000 years. Since Santa himself is no spring chicken, we can assume that they have worked together for quite awhile. They should not have any trouble finding their way around. There is no need to worry about them getting lost.   

We do know that reindeer are ruminants. They are like cattle in this regard. They have four compartments to their stomach. Of course Santa gets them filled up with hay and moss before he leaves the North Pole, so they should have plenty of feed stored in the four compartments to make it all around the globe. Also, cattle nutritionists have known for years that hay digests more slowly than grain, therefore the big meal that the reindeer eat before the journey should last even longer. Or just like your mom says "It'll stick to their ribs!"

Click here for more of Glenn Selk's ruminations on Santa's reindeer.  

A Christmas Prayer from Samuel Guard

I have written before and shared with our long time readers of this daily communication some of the prayers that have come from a little book I was given back in the 1980s- it was a reprint by the Moorman Feed folks of a 1947 book entitled "The Farmer Gives Thanks" by a gentleman by the name of Samuel Guard.  Guard was a multi media farm journalist before we hardly had multiple mediums to choose from.  Sam was a writer for and eventually owned the Breeder Gazette. He worked as the head of PR for the American Farm Bureau and had a radio program on a radio station that he helped sign on- WLS radio in Chicago- the WLS standing for the World's Largest Store- which at the time was Sears Roebuck.   

This radio station was dedicated to farmers- and Sam was one of the early personalities on a program called the National Barn Dance. (all of this happening in the 1920s) 

Along the way- in his later life- he assembled a set of 56 prayers organized with the calendar and it was published in 1947.   

I wanted to share with you one of those prayers for the Christmas season- old language and all- as the truth of what was written then is still absolutely valid today- when someone writes about the "honest farm animals" he understands rural life in a very unique way.

So here tis-

"Lord of all, though born to earth a mere man-child, swaddled in the fodder of a manger and first heralded by angels to us keepers of sheep, we thank thee for another birthday of God right down here among us. 

"We tenants who presently have this earth of thine and every living thing that moveth in our keeping are profoundly blessed that thou didst choose as the birthplace of thy Son a stable, bedded sweetly with bright straw and warmed by the fresh breath of honest farm animals, with sore shoulders, distended udders and gentle voices.

"Make us ever better herdsmen so that all thy children may have meat with their bread.

"As we follow the Star, may we scatter seeds of good will so that peace may sprout all over the place.

"Amen."   (and I can only add- AMEN!!!!)  

Christmas 2013- My Thoughts and My Wish for You and Yours

It's early Tuesday morning on this Christmas Eve- and while there is no snow on the ground here in Central Oklahoma- we will start today with ice crystals on the grass that will hopefully disappear as we finally are promised by our weather folks a day above freezing- I am thankful for that as so many trees and bushes look weary after several days of thick ice encasing their limbs. 

As Christmas arrives in the Hays household- it has been a year unlike any I have experienced in my sixty years on this earth.  For most of my adult life- I have never lived near my parents- I left straight out of college for first Wichita and then Oklahoma City- and have hopefully earned citizenship as an Okie.   

That changed last year at the holidays as my Mom went to heaven- and then after several months of discussion- we convinced my Dad, who turned 90 on December 14th, to leave his Kentucky home and come live close to us.  

That has been a bittersweet blessing, as I have watched my dad in a glide path down as he nears the end of his time on this earth- the Ag Teacher and later Science Teacher and then full time farmer as he retired from teaching- the man who taught me about hard work, the love of the land and love of God. As we interact in person almost every day, I see and hear glimpses of the man that I knew as a child and teenager growing up in Kentucky.

On good days- I hear stories- most that I have already heard but several new ones along the way- and on bad days- Jan and I try to help him through his sorrow and confusion and his missing of his helpmate of 60 years.   

I was expected as I grew up- to be a part of the farm- to help with the chores- to be a part of raising our yearly tobacco crop and more.  But, my dad encouraged and allowed me to explore and stretch and figure out who I was and needed to be in life.  Church was part of the equation, farming was part of the equation as was first 4-H and then FFA and then early on I got interested in radio.  By the time I was a junior and senior in high school- I knew I wanted to somehow link my farm and radio passions together- and my Dad was an encourager.

Now, it's my turn to be the encourager to him.  Several of you have shared your stories of being care givers- and that has been a blessing- and the words shared have made the hard days easier. Thank you for that.

So- as we arrive at Christmas 2013- I want to say thanks to each of you that down through the years- in one way or another- have been an encourager to me.  By reading this daily email- you encourage me. By seeing us on the TV and hearing us on the radio and letting us know that what we say and report on is useful to you means all the world to me- it validates that road that started in Kentucky many Christmases ago.  

My prayer for you and yours this Christmas 2013- is that you savor the season with family and with friends- and that over the course of this past year- that you have grown a little closer to the Man who is the Reason for this Season.  If you don't know that Man or His Father- maybe Christmas 2013 is the perfect time to ask some questions and decide for yourself if the Son of God, Jesus, is who He says He is- and what role should He play in your life.  

If I can help- email me and we'll talk.

Merry Christmas!!!!!