From: Ron Hays [ron@oklahomafarmreport.ccsend.com] on behalf of Ron Hays [ron@oklahomafarmreport.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 26, 2009 6:14 AM
To: ron@oklahomafarmreport.com
Subject: Oklahoma's Farm News Update
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oklahoma's latest farm and ranch news
Your Update from Ron Hays of RON for Tuesday May 26, 2009
A service of Producers Cooperative Oil Mill, Midwest Farm Shows and KIS Futures!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-- Organizers Against NAIS Feeling Their Oats at Listening Sessions
-- No Stress- Once You Learn the Ropes of Livestock Handling the Bud Williams Way
-- Goobers Can be A Good Crop on Some of Those Failed Wheat Acres in Southern Oklahoma
-- What's Under Monte's Hat???
-- Section 18 Crisis Emergency Exemption Allows Sesame Growers to Use Herbicide
-- Cattle on Feed Numbers Pretty Much As Expected Last Friday
-- What Folks are Saying About Animal ID
-- Let's Check the Markets!

Howdy Neighbors!

Here's your morning farm news headlines from the Director of Farm Programming for the Radio Oklahoma Network, Ron Hays. We are proud to have KIS Futures as a regular sponsor of our daily email update. KIS Futures provides Oklahoma Farmers & Ranchers with futures & options hedging services in the livestock and grain markets- Click here for the free market quote page they provide us for our website or call them at 1-800-256-2555.

We are also excited to have as one of our sponsors for the daily email Producers Cooperative Oil Mill, with 64 years of progress through producer ownership. Call Brandon Winters at 405-232-7555 for more information on the oilseed crops they handle, including sunflowers and canola- and remember they post closing market prices for canola and sunflowers on the PCOM website- go there by clicking here.
And we salute our longest running email sponsor- Midwest Farm Shows, producer of the recent Southern Plains Farm Show in Oklahoma City. Thanks to all of you who took part in this year's event! Check out details of both the Southern Plains Show and the Tulsa Farm Show at the official website of Midwest Farm Shows by clicking here.

If you have received this by someone forwarding it to you, you are welcome to subscribe and get this weekday update sent to you directly by clicking here.


Organizers Against NAIS Feeling Their Oats at Listening Sessions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is a coordinated effort to take out the NAIS program that would offer traceback within 48 hours in the case of a contagious livestock disease is discovered in the United States. This effort is taking full advantage of the Listening Sessions that are being held around the country by the USDA. One of the key groups that is making sure they have multiple calls for the end of NAIS, voluntary or mandatory, at each of the Listening Sessions is the Texas based Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance.

In talking with our colleague Stewart Doan of Agri-Pulse who covered the Louisville, Ky. USDA Listening Session regarding the NAIS this past Friday, it is evident that there is national coordination by groups opposed to NAIS, voluntary or mandatory. Some of these groups would be in favor of mandatory traceback for large animal operations- with an exemption for anyone holding a limited number of livestock. Other groups simply want NAIS to be abolished.

One of the groups in that second category is the group we are spotlighting today on our Beef Buzz as heard on radio stations across the state of Oklahoma- as well as being heard on our website. According to their website, "The National Animal Identification System ("NAIS") poses a serious threat to all farmers, ranchers, livestock owners, and companion-animal owners, whether they are organic or conventional, small or large, involved with animals for business or for pleasure. If it is made mandatory, every person with even one horse, cow, chicken, pig, goat, sheep, or virtually any other livestock animal on their premises will be required to register their homes and property into a database and subject their property and animals to government surveillance."

We have a special internet length Beef Buzz linked below for you that includes the full testimony offered by the Executive Director of FARFA, Judith McGeary, who lives on a small farm outside of Austin, Texas and is an attorney.

Click here for our Tuesday Beef Buzz looking at organized opposition to NAIS being seen at USDA's Listening Sessions on Animal ID


No Stress- Once You Learn the Ropes of Livestock Handling the Bud Williams Way
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bud Williams has been working at getting along with livestock for more than half a century. He was the lead off speaker on Friday at the Seeds for Success Grazing Conference, sponsored by East Central Oklahoma State College in Wilburton. About 75 were in attendance with several states represented.

Williams told the audience that it is his experience that animals want to cooperate with you- that if you handle them correctly, no canes or hotshots or anything else except your presence is needed to get them from point A to point B with a minimum of stress on both the animals as well as on you. One of the keys is to not to walk straight at the animals- but rather work your way closer to them gradually at an angle. Once you get close, you can move the livestock by simply using your position and giving the animals time to respond to where you are.

We talked with this legend in the livestock handling business. A lot of folks swear by his methods- and our story at www.OklahomaFarmReport.Com features an interview that we did with him on Friday after his morning presentation. Click on the link below to check that out.

Click here for more on Bud Williams and his comments in Wilburtion at the Seeds for Success Grazing Conference


Goobers Can be A Good Crop on Some of Those Failed Wheat Acres in Southern Oklahoma
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Executive Director of the Oklahoma Peanut Commission, Mike Kubicek, says that Spanish Peanuts are a good choice for farmers in southern Oklahoma that want a crop to come in behind some of the frozen out acres of wheat that have failed to produce a crop here in 2009. The window for planting Spanish varieties of peanuts in the state is now open and extends to around June 15.

Dr. Chad Godsey of OSU had said earlier this month that one crop to consider for planting on frozen out wheat acres are peanuts. Godsey says that for those in southern areas of Oklahoma with a sandy loam type soil- peanuts present an opportunity to grow a valuable crop on some of those failed acres- especially for those who still farm peanuts or have in the past.

We talked with Mike Kubicek about this and a lot more as it pertains to peanuts here in Oklahoma at the end of this past week- and we have that conversation linked below as a story on our website- click and check it out.

Click here for more on Peanut Possibilties for 2009 with Mike Kubicek of the Oklahoma Peanut Commission


What's Under Monte's Hat???
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One of the hardest things for folks that don't live on the farm to understand is the 24/7 nature of agriculture. When one of your critters is in trouble, you deal with it- night time, weekend or holiday. Our friend Monte Tucker has a great blog that offers a little perspective about life on the farm and ranch- and he has written a dandy blog entry about caring for a calf as he is reminded there are those who think animal agriculture is all about "factory farms."

Monte writes on May 25 in his blog called "What's Under My Hat":
The other evening I was making the rounds though my new mama cow pasture when I discovered a recently converted heifer who was learning to be a cow had gotten herself on the wrong side of a hot wire fence and her baby had not figured out how to get over there with her. The poor calf was badly de-hydrated and it wasn't the calf's fault or the mama cow's fault. It was my fault because I hadn't been doing my job of making sure my animals were cared for in the proper manner. Anyhow, no need playing a blame game, the situation I had at the time was a sick calf and a worried new mama cow. The calf was to the point it could not stand on it's own and nurse the cow that was licking it and trying to encourage it to stand.

Monte goes on to tell the story of doctoring the calf- and as he fights to save her life- he hears anti meat Carrie Underwood singing on the radio and he says "It's close to ten o'clock at night, I'm bent over hand milking a new cow while trying to keep her heifer calf alert and going and my local radio station is playing a song from a bunny hugging, Humane Society of the United States contributing, air head! I apologized to the cow and the calf for submitting them to the torture of her singing and I quit what I was doing and un-plugged that stinking radio!"

He offers this thoughts about the HSUS and more in the rest of this story- we have it linked for you below- and you may want to check back on Monte's blog from time to time- his comments are often a lot of fun and usually very insightful about life out in the country. (and Monte- you can turn the RADIO back on- we'll have a farm report in a few minutes!)

Click here for the full story of Dr. Monte and His Brand of Calf Care


Section 18 Crisis Emergency Exemption Allows Sesame Growers to Use Herbicide
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture, Terry Peach, received permission for state sesame growers to apply a restricted use herbicide, Dual Magnum®, as a pre-emergent. The chemical is an important tool for weed control but must be applied before the sesame plants emerge.

"Sesame production is increasing in Oklahoma with about 50,000 acres expected to be planted this year," he said. "Our growers have asked for this herbicide and we were pleased we were successful in receiving this exemption." Growers have only 15 days to apply and may begin using the chemical immediately. It is not effective against weeds that have already emerged.

One of the major problems in growing this drought tolerant crop has been the lack of weed control options in recent growing seasons. This crisis exemption is a good first step to helping Sesame become a reasonable spring crop choice for many producers in western parts of the state.


Cattle on Feed Numbers Pretty Much As Expected Last Friday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OSU Livestock Market Economist Dr. Derrell Peel says that reduced feedlot marketings and increased placements so far this year have brought cattle on feed inventories closer but still below year ago levels. That trend continued with the May Cattle on Feed report with April marketings 93 percent of last year and placements 104 of year ago levels. The May 1 on-feed total was 97 percent of this time last year.

Dr. Peel says that more important for the cattle trade is what happened over the last three or four days- the Memorial Day weekend, traditionally one of the largest outdoor grilling weekends of the year. In his weekly column he writes "Beef markets are waiting to see if the Memorial Day weekend lives up to expectations and hopes for seasonal beef demand. The boxed beef market has struggled to hold on the seasonal gains in boxed beef prices the past two weeks. Going into the holiday weekend, Choice boxed beef was just under $146/cwt, down from the high over $152/cwt in late April, but significantly higher than the $132/cwt low in late February. The Choice-Select Spread has widened somewhat seasonally, following last year's pattern and still less than has been typical historically. The current Choice-Select Spread is about $5/cwt.

"Total beef production is down 4.5 percent so far in 2009 compared to last year. The reasons for decreased production have changed in recent weeks. In the first quarter of the year, reduced cattle slaughter pulled beef production down despite sharply higher carcass weights. In recent weeks, slaughter has increased, as is typical of this time of year, but carcass weights have dropped to levels only slightly higher than a year ago.

Fed cattle followed the boxed beef market up and back down to the current level around $85/cwt. Improved boxed beef prices and slight improvement in by-product values have improved packer margins somewhat and might allow for a slight increase in fed prices relative to boxed beef but the key to fed prices will depend on boxed beef prices after the Memorial Day weekend. Feeder prices have also rallied seasonally this spring and have been helped by significant moisture in the southern plains the past month, which has greatly improved forage prospects well into the summer. It is not likely that feeder prices will increase much at this time of year and I look for them to hold mostly steady before dropping seasonally into the heat of summer. Of course, any significant threat to the corn crop would adversely impact feeder prices should a problem develop."

Click here for our story- including some audio comments with Dr. Peel on the Friday Cattle on Feed Numbers


What Folks are Saying About Animal ID
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was suggested to me by one of you folks that you wanted to hear what others in our Email family are thinking in relationship to Animal ID. I put that call out this past Friday before the weekend- and I have a couple of responses for you to share this morning. AND- I am interested in what you have to say on this subject as well- please email me and I will share your thoughts on this subject as well in the days ahead.

Roy Lee Lindsey of the Oklahoma Pork Council was one that offered his view on Animal ID: "There are many people who believe any animal ID program should be voluntary. There are also those who believe that the cost of an ID system keeps people from supporting a system. Premise Registration has been available for several years. It has been voluntary and it is FREE. The only information collected is very similar to what you could find in a phone book - name, address, phone number, and what types of livestock you have. It does NOT ask how many specific animals you have but only what species. Despite the fact that this FREE and VOLUNTARY program has been around for years, at present only 14% of Oklahoma's livestock producers have elected to participate. While there are a number of people who simply don't want any kind of system at all, the vast majority of opponents cite either the cost or that it should be voluntary. And yet our current free and voluntary system can't even get to 50% participation. With the limited participation in this voluntary program, it is very difficult to sell the idea that any type of voluntary program will ever work."

Beth objects to the current plan that is in place as she writes "My daughter keeps goats, both meat & dairy, for her 4H project. We are already subject to scrapies tags for identification. Why do we have to be a part of NAIS?
"As a land owner; I paid for the property, I pay property tax, and I pay income tax on the animals, grain, & hay sold from the property. Do I have a right to control my property? If yes, why do I have to give up control to the US Government? I don't mind having people know where my animals come from, I have nothing to hide and if my animals are sick I need to know. Thomas Jefferson said, "That government is best which governs the least, because its people discipline themselves." My problem with NAIS is the governments' ability to take total control of my property after I register a "premise ID". Why do I have to give them total access and control of my animals and property without any notification to me? Isn't that an invasion of my right to privacy and property ownership? If I say nothing, my freedoms are taken away. If I make waves and voice my dissent I am labeled a troublemaker or radical and my freedoms may still be taken away.

"If there was a way to redefine "premise ID" and what access the government has to me and mine, I probably wouldn't mind the hassle. Call me a conspiracy theorist if you want, but the more government control you have, the less independence and freedoms you have. Isn't freedom the basic idea behind the United States? Gerald R. Ford, who said, "A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have," in an address to a joint session of Congress on August 12, 1974. Maybe we should just leave government out of this or at the very least restrict what they can and cannot do with our property."


Our thanks to Midwest Farm Shows, Producers Cooperative Oil Mill and KIS Futures for their support of our daily Farm News Update. For your convenience, we have our sponsors' websites linked at the top of the email- check them out and let these folks know you appreciate the support of this daily email, as their sponsorship helps us keep this arriving in your inbox on a regular basis!

We also invite you to check out our website at the link below to check out an archive of these daily emails, audio reports and top farm news story links from around the globe.

Click here to check out WWW.OklahomaFarmReport.Com


Let's Check the Markets!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here are some links we will leave in place on an ongoing basis- Click on the name of the report to go to that link:
Our Daily Market Wrapup from the Radio Oklahoma Network with Ed Richards and Tom Leffler- analyzing the Futures Markets from the previous Day-
Ron on RON Markets as heard on K101 mornings with cash and futures reviewed- includes where the Cash Cattle market stands, the latest Feeder Cattle Markets Etc.
Previous Day's Wheat Market Recap- Two Pager From The Kansas City Board of Trade looks at all three US Wheat Futures Exchanges with extra info on Hard Red Winter Wheat and the why of that day's market.
Daily Oklahoma Cash Grain Prices- As Reported by the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture. <
The National Daily Feeder & Stocker Cattle Summary- as prepared by USDA.
The National Daily Slaughter Cattle Summary- as prepared by USDA.
Finally, Here is the Daily Volume and Price Summary from the Texas Cattle Feeders Association.



God Bless! You can reach us at the following:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
phone: 405-473-6144
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Forward email

Safe Unsubscribe
This email was sent to ronphays@cox.net by ron@oklahomafarmreport.com.

Oklahoma Farm Report | 10700 Whitehall Blvd | Oklahoma City | OK | 73162