From: Ron Hays [ron@oklahomafarmreport.ccsend.com] on behalf of Ron Hays [ron@oklahomafarmreport.com]
Sent: Wednesday, November 25, 2009 4:59 AM
To: ron@oklahomafarmreport.com
Subject: Oklahoma's Farm News Update
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Oklahoma's latest farm and ranch news
Your Update from Ron Hays of RON for Wednesday November 25, 2009
A service of Producers Cooperative Oil Mill, Midwest Farm Shows and KIS Futures!
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-- Straight Ahead- Turkey Day and More
-- Energy Independence? The Answer May Be Blowing in the Wind!
-- Bio-Oil and Biochar May be Future of Corn Stover
-- Good Wheat Meeting Coming to El Reno on Pearl Harbor Day
-- The Shorthorn Piece of the US Beef Puzzle
-- Give Thanks- Part One
-- Give Thanks Part Two
-- 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 springtime Southern Plains Farm Show, as well as the December 2009 Tulsa Farm Show. Click here for more information on the Tulsa Show, coming up December 10,11 and 12, 2009.

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.


Straight Ahead- Turkey Day and More
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We will not be having a daily email either tomorrow or Friday- so this is our chance to wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday- refer to the bottom of this email to reflect on the blessings we count at Thanksgiving with some interesting thoughts that email friends have shared with us. If any major events do unfold in the next few days on the farm news scene- we will have coverage on our website- www.OklahomaFarmReport.Com.

We do have a guest lined up for this coming Saturday morning for our In the Field segment as seen by KWTV, News9 in Oklahoma City. Jamey Allen of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture will be our guest, as we talk about some of the latest efforts in the Ag in the Classroom program- and especially one new idea that is "working out" great in teaching kids more about where their food comes from. In the Field on News9 airs around 6:40 AM.
The SUNUP folks have their second week of spotlighting Oklahoma 4-H as the youth development organization celebrates a 100 years here in the state. SUNUP is seen Saturday mornings as well on OETA.

Markets will be closed on Thursday- and the ag futures will have a short trading session on Friday- closing the open outcry at 12 noon for both the livestock and grain futures.Most livestock auction barns will be taking the balance of the week off- so call to confirm if a sale is on or off before you bring any critters into the loading pens to take them to town.

One thing that we are very thankful for is YOU. We have been reporting on the agricultural news scene in Oklahoma since 1977- and our listeners on radio, viewers on TV and now readers of our Email, Webstories and even our Tweets make this long time calling a joy. Every day is different- every day is the chance to help many of you find more profitable and efficient ways to farm or ranch- or perhaps to celebrate our youth through 4-H and FFA- or maybe have a laugh or two along the way. I don't say it as often as I should- but your interest in what we report is very much appreciated- and it's my hope that we can always do our best in covering the world of farming, ranching and other aspects of agriculture and rural living in a way that is useful to you.


Energy Independence? The Answer May Be Blowing in the Wind!
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Oklahoma's Secretary of Energy, Bobby Wegener, is excited about the upcoming 2009 Oklahoma Wind Energy Conference that will be held in downtown Oklahoma City on December second and third. He says the future for the state of Oklahoma in the wind energy business is bright, if we stay engaged in moving the stumbling blocks that are now in place as we move from a coal generated electrical grid in this country to one that takes advantage of the wind as a key component.

Wednesday is the Early Bird Registration deadline for the Conference- you can call 1-800-203-5494 for information and we have the link to the Wind Energy Conference website as a part of our webstory that has the full audio conversation that we have had this week with Secretary Wegener. That link is below.

Researchers believe that Oklahoma could be the second largest generator of wind power in the decades to come for the United States, but that will depend upon getting the transmission lines in place to allow that to happen. Transmission issues, environmental issues and landowner rights issues will all be covered at this 2009 gathering- and we discuss these issues and more with Wegener in our conversation that we have available for you to listen to.

Landowner issues are a concern- we had one farmer from Noble County drop us an email, saying that land owners have to be really careful in this arena. He writes "take a poll of the landowners where these wind farms would have to be built & see what that gives you. Sounded good to us in the Noble County area until we took a closer look at them. No Corporation Commission oversight, mostly foreign ownership & the liability issues if they are abandoned. Some signed up over a year ago with absolutely no activity of any kind since. Leases weren't such a hot deal either."

Land owners are where the wind energy begins- and watching out for your rights as a land owner is important- but the only person who will really care as much as they should is you. If your have land on a windy ridge here in the southern plains- you may want to get to this conference and learn all you can about how to protect yourself in these negotiations.

Click here for Secretary Bobby Wegener's take on a variety of subjects related to the wind energy arena for the state of Oklahoma.


Bio-Oil and Biochar May be Future of Corn Stover
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Researchers around the world are trying to economically convert cellulosic biomass such as corn stover into "cellulosic ethanol." But Agricultural Research Service scientists have found that it might be more cost-effective, energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable to use corn stover for generating an energy-rich oil called bio-oil and for making biochar to enrich soils and sequester carbon.

The research, under-written by the National Corn Growers Association, suggests it could be more cost-effective to produce bio-oil through a distributed network of small pyrolyzers and then transport the crude bio-oil to central refining plants to make "green gasoline," rather than transporting bulky stover to a large centralized cellulosic ethanol plant. Researchers found that the bio-oil captured 70 percent of the total energy input, and the energy density of the bio-oil was five to 16 times the energy density of the feedstock.

Also, the research indicates that about 18 percent of the feedstock was converted into bio-char, which contains most of the mineral nutrients in the corn residues. Using biochar as a soil amendment would return those nutrients to the soil, reduce leaching of other nutrients, help build soil organic matter and sequester carbon. These benefits would help mitigate the adverse environmental effects of harvesting stover for fuel production.


Good Wheat Meeting Coming to El Reno on Pearl Harbor Day
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Brad Tipton of the Canadian County Extension office has assembled a first rate winter meeting for wheat producers to be a part of- he writes to us that "There are currently some huge issues confronting wheat growers, which are of growing concern. Topping the list would be herbicide resistant weed problems that are currently being found in many wheat fields."

"Dr. Joe Armstrong, OSU Weed Science Extension Specialist, has sampled and found ryegrass resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides in 20 fields throughout our county. This is shocking and very sobering news for wheat production profitability when one considers the tremendous amount of dockage wheat growers took at the grain elevators during last summer's wheat harvest infested with winter grassy weed seed.

"Dr. Armstrong will discuss the results of a Canadian County study and offer potential suggestions to head off a looming herbicide resistant ryegrass disaster. He will talk about an ACCase inhibiting herbicide called Axial XL, which has a different chemical mode of action on winter grassy weed problems and exactly why growers need to take action now."

Besides Armstrong, they have lined up Dr. Jeff Edwards and Dr. Brian Arnall from OSU to address some key issues beyond the weed problems that may face the 2010 crop. Click on the link below to jump to our calendar listing for this meeting- you do need to call and RSVP if you want to attend- but Brad says come one, come all.

Click here for more on the Canadian County Wheat Production meeting on December 7 in El Reno


The Shorthorn Piece of the US Beef Puzzle
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One of the three British Beef Breeds that were most popular in the first half of the 20th century was the Shorthorn breed- and while they are the smallest in U.S. numbers of the three British breeds today (compared to Angus and Hereford), they still have a loyal following.

Friend and broadcast colleague Andy Vance of the Buckeye Ag Radio Network talked to Dr. Bert Moore about his first year of service as Executive Secretary of the American Shorthorn Association and what role Shorthorn cattle can play in the commercial beef industry. Vance caught up with Moore as the Grand Champion Bull of the breed was being selected at the 2009 NAILE in Louisville, Ky.

Click on the link below for this Beef Buzz, as heard on great radio stations all across the state on the Radio Oklahoma Network.

Click here to catch our Beef Buzz with Shorthorn Executive Bert Moore


Give Thanks- Part One
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Fred Schmedt, who was on staff in the Ag Division at the Noble Foundation for many years responded to my request for some Thanksgiving Thoughts- and he has a "mini" devotional ready to go for his Thursday guests and family as they gather- and I am delighted that he is allowing me to share it with you. Fred writes:

"Our celebration of Thanksgiving has evolved from a combination of harvest fests, being thankful for bountiful crops, and giving thanks to God for all our many blessings. Thanksgiving is in many ways a Farmers Holiday. It comes at a time in the fall to reflect on the past growing season and to look forward to the new year.
"I am very grateful to live in a country that celebrates being thankful for the blessings that are poured out upon us as a country and as individuals. I am most thankful for the personal relationship that is offered everyone by God through His Son that He sent to this earth some 2000 years ago.

Fred concludes with these words from the Psalmist who describes so very well what we do in feeding and clothing the world- "He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate- bringing forth food from the earth:
He makes wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart."
Thanks Fred for sharing these thoughts with us all.


Give Thanks Part Two
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The Becker family from Kansas also offered a remembrance of an early Thanksgiving they shared as a family as they served their country. Mike writes "Our second Thanksgiving Dinner together in 1972 was at the mess hall in Hanau Germany. I was on "Commanders of Quarters" duty that day. My wife, 1 year old daughter and my mother, who had flow to Germany to visit, and I went to eat a very will prepared meal by the Army cooks. The meal ticket was a less than $2.00 for each adult. That daughter is now married and living in Canada with her Canadian husband and their 7 children. Mom is no longer with us, she died of cancer 3 years ago. But God is Good and we are indeed THANKFUL."

He brings us a reminder- that many friends and neighbors will be far from home- in harm's way or much closer to being in harm's way than we are here in Oklahoma. Remember our men and women who serve this country this Thanksgiving- say a prayer for their safety and say a prayer that our nation's leaders do NOT take lightly their safety as they are the front line in the WAR on Terror.

Finally, I have quoted before from a tiny book written decades ago by a gentleman by the name of Samuel Guard. The book is a series of prayers for all the seasons- it's called "The Farmer Gives Thanks." I like the way one of his prayers related to the fall season ends up and I wanted to share it with you today- and on through this Thanksgiving holiday 2009. He says simply "Make our hearts big enough to receive thy bounty in constant thanksgiving."

My wish for you and yours this Thanksgiving is that you look for the blessings- and count them all in "constant thanksgiving."


Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, PCOM, P & K Equipment/ P & K Wind Energy, Johnston Enterprises, AFR and KIS Futures for their support of our daily Farm News Update. For your convenience, we have our sponsors' websites linked here- just click on their name to jump to their website- check their sites 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!
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We've had requests to include Canola prices for your convenience here- and we will be doing so on a regular basis. Current cash price for Canola is $8.20 per bushel, while the 2010 New Crop contracts for Canola are now available are $8.40 per bushel- delivered to local participating elevators that are working with PCOM.

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:
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phone: 405-473-6144
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