NASDA Members Say "Withdraw" to EPA's Waters of the U.S. Rule

At the Annual Meeting of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), NASDA Members unanimously called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and US Army Corps of Engineers to withdraw the proposed Waters of the U.S. Rule. The action item, submitted by North Dakota Commissioner of Agriculture Doug Goehring, also urges the EPA and US Army Corps of Engineers to collaborate with state departments of agriculture and other stakeholders on the appropriate scope of federal Clean Water Act jurisdiction.


"As it stands, this proposed rule dramatically expands EPA's jurisdiction and creates too much uncertainty for our farmers and ranchers. This rule must be withdrawn," said NASDA CEO Dr. Barbara Glenn. "It is critical that the agencies engage state regulators and stakeholders to work together to find a path forward before the agencies move towards implementation or further rulemaking."


NASDA previously submitted comments expressing concerns about the highly controversial Interpretive Rule for Agricultural Conservation Practices.


"Conservation and environmental protection are among our members' chief responsibilities as state regulatory agencies. We feel the agencies' proposals will dissuade the use of critical conservation practices needed to preserve American farmland," said Glenn.


NASDA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit association which represents the elected and appointed commissioners, secretaries, and directors of the departments of agriculture in all fifty states and four U.S. territories. 

Wheat and canola planting was in full swing this past week across Oklahoma. In the weekly crop progress report from the US Department of Agriculture 14 percent of the state's wheat crop was planted by the end of week, ahead of seven percent last year at this time. Canola planting was seven percent complete, well ahead of the five-year average.

Corn and sorghum harvest was underway, although progress was slowed due to recent rains. The state's corn crop rated in 73 percent good to fair condition with 69 percent mature. Sixteen percent of the corn was harvested by Sunday, 28 points behind normal. Sorghum rated 79 percent good to fair with coloring 82 percent complete, 51 percent mature and 11 percent has been harvested. Soybeans rated 85 percent good to fair with 19 percent dropping leaves by week's end. Peanut condition was holding steady with 93 percent in good to fair condition with 31 percent mature. Cotton in the southwest district was developing slowly due to recent rains. Condition remained at 85 percent good to fair with 51 percent of cotton bolls opening.  Click Here for the full Oklahoma report.

Rainfall across Texas slowed harvest and field activities. Rainfall from trace amount up to six inches was recorded this past week. Corn harvest reached 59 percent complete and soybean harvest reached 35 percent complete. Sorghum harvest gained only one point over a week ago reaching 66 percent complete. Cool temperates also slowed cotton harvest with harvest 15 percent complete. Wheat seeding and field preparations were active throughout the state. Wheat planting was at 8 percent complete, well behind a year ago. Click Here for the full Texas report.

A cold front brought cooler than normal temperatures and rain across northern Kansas this past week. Light frost was reported in the north central and northwest. Rainfall totals up to two inches were reported in the northern half of the state. Corn harvest reached 18 percent complete Sunday. Sorghum harvest was just getting started with harvest two percent complete. Winter wheat planting reached five percent which was equal to last year and the five-year average.  Click Here for the full Kansas Report.

Click Here for the National Crop Progress Report.- it includes the first report of national Corn Harvest progress for this 2014 growing season.

Leading US Grain Exporter Cargill sued a unit of Syngenta AG in a Louisiana state court over the weekend for damages stemming from China's rejection of genetically modified US corn, which Cargill said cost the company more than $90 million.


Minnesota-based Cargill accuses Syngenta of exposing the grain trader to losses by selling the seeds to American farmers before the Swiss company had secured approval from China.


The Agrisure Viptera corn variety known as MIR 162 can be found throughout the US corn supply, effectively closing the lucrative Chinese market to US supplies, the lawsuit said.


Cargill is suing Syngenta for negligence; knowing, reckless or willful misconduct and unfair trade practices.


The lawsuit seeks to hold Syngenta responsible for "deliberate, knowing and continuing contamination of the US corn supply with a product that it understood all along would substantially impair the US grain industry's ability to sell corn and other commodities to buyers in China," according to Cargill's filing.


Since November, China has rejected imports of hundreds of thousands of tons of US corn, including from vessels loaded by Cargill in Louisiana, due to the presence of the MIR 162 trait, according to the lawsuit.


In April, Cargill said the rejection of US corn shipments by China had contributed to a 28 percent drop in its earnings for the quarter ended February 28.  Click here to read more about this pending lawsuit.

 
 

Genomics Key to Long Term Vision of Beef Production

The American Hereford Association has its eyes on producing the right animal for producers today's beef industry. I interviewed AHA Chief Operating Officer and Director of Breed Improvement Dr. Jack Ward about the association's vision for the future. Ward said before their breed improvement meetings or before giving a presentation he talks about the challenges the beef industry will have in having the world population double by 2050.   Producers will be challenged to do this as more land comes out of agricultural production.


"If we're going to be able to sustain this growth and we are going to feed this population we got to do it through technology and becoming more efficient," Ward said. "So, today I would tell you we have the tools in place with the continued growth with the performance programs that the breed associations have, registry programs, and then finally the biggest component is the DNA component in looking at these cattle genetically."  


In making changes to cattle and in turn to the beef they produce will take time, especially in comparing cattle to chickens and hogs that mature at a young age and also have a much shorter gestation cycle. Ward said simply the cattle industry can not make generation turns as quickly. 


In recent years the American Hereford Association among other breed associations have been using EPDs and genomics together as genetic selection tools.  Click here to learn about these advances in genomics.
  

Wine Proudly Made From Oklahoma-Grown Grapes

One of the vineyards from which Canadian River Winery buys Oklahoma-grown grapes sent stickers for its wine bottles that say, "Proudly Made from Oklahoma-Grown Grapes."


"Once the sticker was approved by the Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement (ABLE), we thought it would be a great addition to our wine bottles as many Oklahoma Wine consumers don't know where the grapes or in some cases wine concentrates in the bottle came from," said Gene Clifton, owner of Canadian River Winery in Lexington, Okla.


The United States Tax and Trade Bureau establishes American Viticulture Areas (AVA). To use Oklahoma AVA on the bottle of wine, it must be 75 percent made from Oklahoma-grown grapes. There is a $10,000 fine for those who deceptively use the Oklahoma AVA when the wine was made from concentrate or grapes from some other state or country.


Many people do not know that at the end of the 19th century, Oklahoma was the fourth largest grape-growing state in the United States - thanks primarily to the European settlers who made Oklahoma their home. That all ended with statehood in 1907. Now, a very young grape and wine industry has begun anew. 

Click here to learn more about Oklahoma's grape and wine industry recently valued at $98.5 million. 

Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist, writes in the latest Cow/Calf Corner newsletter

Cash prices for most classes of feeder cattle pushed higher last week in Oklahoma and other markets. Both calf and feeder prices advanced counter-seasonally with feeder prices reaching new record levels at several weights. 700-800 pound steer prices typically decrease by an average of 1.1 percent from the July seasonal peak to September. In contrast, 700-800 pound steer prices this year have increased 4.7 percent from the July average compared to the first half of September average price of $230/cwt. in Oklahoma. 500-600 pound steer prices usually drop about 3.4 percent between the July seasonal peak and September. This year, 500-600 pound steer prices in the first half of September have increased more than 3.5 percent over the July monthly average to about $260/cwt.    The strong market uptrend that has been in place for over a year has apparently not slowed yet.


What should we expect for calf and feeder prices this fall? If the market trend of recent months should slow considerably, seasonal price patterns might be expressed, at least to some degree, for the remainder of the year. Assuming stable markets at current prices, 700-800 pound steer prices would be expected to fall about 2.7 percent as an average seasonal decline from September to November. That would suggest 700-800 pound steer prices would decline to roughly $224/cwt. prior to Thanksgiving. This is close to what Feeder futures are suggesting using average Oklahoma City basis. Continuation of the uptrend would mean prices higher than this level.  

Click here to read Peel's outlook for calf prices and his price predictions for the rest of the fall.
 

This N That- MIssissippi Play Expo in Enid; Heart of America Farm Show Starts Thursday south of Tulsa and McAlester Set for Special Cow Sale

The Mississippi Lime Play has become an area of heightened interest for the oil and gas industry! Enid, OK has become a major hub for those who are returning to explore this formation.

The Mississippi Play Oil & Gas Expo will give the opportunity for the oil and gas industry to come together. This is a one day event- set for tomorrow- Wednesday, September 17, 2014 at the Chisholm Trail Expo Center in the Coliseum.   

They have a website that has additional information- click or tap here to jump over there. 

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Coming up this Thursday through Saturday is the Heart of America Farm Show. The second annual event will be held at the Tulsa RV Ranch, south of Tulsa on US 75. Show Director Kevin Kite said this is much more than your typical farm show in offering a fun, family oriented event with a wide variety of activities.


Each day the Heart of America Farm Show is open 9 am - 5 pm with over 100 exhibitors representing anything ag-related from farm equipment to household items. The event will feature antique tractors from the Oklahoma Antique Tractor Association and Standing Tall Tractor Club. Kite said they will also have the northeast Oklahoma Gun Fighters and Re-Enactors walking around the grounds having shootouts.


During the three-day event there will be educational opportunities. Cattle dog demonstrations and seminars on farm and ranch security on how to protect your cattle and machinery from theft will held twice a day. 

Our own Leslie Smith talked with Kevin Kite a few days back- click or tap here to jump over to that interview to learn more about this year's Heart of America Farm Show.   

I plan to be at our Oklahoma Farm Report/Radio Oklahoma Ag Network booth on Friday- and Leslie will be there to greet you on Saturday.

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This coming Saturday- our friends at the McAlester Union Stockyards will be holding  another Special Replacement Cow and Bull Sale- starting at 12 Noon.                                                                                                                                              
They will be selling over 750 head of Bred Cows, Pairs, Bred Heifers, Open Heifers and Bulls.

For more information, you can give Julie Grant a call at 918-423-2834- click or tap here to see the expected lineup of animals that will be on offer.