Howdy Neighbors!

Here's your morning farm news headlines from the Director of Farm Programming for the Radio Oklahoma Network, Ron Hays. We are pleased to have American Farmers & Ranchers Mutual Insurance Company as a regular sponsor of our daily update- click here to go to their AFR web site to learn more about their efforts to serve rural America!

It is also great to have as an annual sponsor on our daily email Johnston Enterprises- proud to be serving agriculture across Oklahoma and around the world since 1893. For more on Johnston Enterprises- click here for their website!

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The President focused on three measures to boost biofuels production and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. First, EPA has issued a final rule to implement the renewable fuels standard of 36 billion gallons by 2022. Also, USDA has proposed a rule on the Biomass Crop Assistance Program that would provide financing to increase the conversion of biomass to bioenergy. And the President's Biofuels Interagency Working Group has released its first report which lays out a strategy to advance the development and commercialization of a sustainable biofuels industry.

EPA's final rule for implementation of the expanded Renewable Fuels Standard, among other provisions, sets mandatory blend levels for renewable fuels while implementing a framework for carbon emissions calculations that will be the basis for future carbon reductions from fuel.
According to EPA's modeling, corn-based ethanol achieves a 21% greenhouse gas reduction compared to gasoline when international indirect land use change is included. Without the land use consideration, corn-based ethanol achieves a 52% GHG reduction. Cellulosic ethanol achieves GHG reduction of 72-130% depending upon feedstock and conversion process. All GHG reductions for ethanol exceed those mandated by the RFS2.

Meanwhile, also on Wednesday afternoon, USDA has issued a proposed rule for the new Biomass Crop Assistance Program. Authorized by the Farm Bill, the rule is designed to ensure that a sufficiently large base of new, non-food, non-feed biomass crops is established in anticipation of future demand for renewable energy consumption. (guess you could call this the "Switchgrass Incentive Program.") The department says BCAP is intended to reduce the financial risk for farmers, ranchers and forest landowners by providing incentive payments to those who invest in the production, harvest, storage and transportation of new first-generation energy crops that displace hydrocarbon-based materials now used for heat, power and vehicle fuel.

Click here for more on the President's Rollout of Mutliple Ideas on the Green Energy Front.

The National Corn Growers Association also weighed in and their President, Daren Ihnen said “We're pleased the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognizes that corn ethanol provides a distinct advantage over conventional gasoline when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, with a reduction of more than 21 percent in some cases." The NCGA was less than thrilled with the clinging by the EPA to the concept of the international land use charge against grain based ethanol.

Bob Stallman of the American Farm Bureau said that his group is wanting to review all the details before passing judgment, adding “We will be analyzing the rule in its entirety, but we are optimistic about the overall direction of support it offers renewable fuels."

Click here for our webstory with the reactions from these groups and more on the announcements on biofuels from the Obama Administration on Wednesday.

Earlier this week, the President rolled out big cuts for these same programs- and Congressman Lucas says these proposals again face strong opposition on both sides of the aisle, especially in an election year

We talked budget and more with the Congressman from Roger Mills County. You can hear our full conversation by clicking on the link below- we have it both in our agricultural news listing as well as an Ag Perspectives Podcast that is a part of the set of programs we offer via Itunes.

Click here for our Wednesday conversation with Congressman Lucas as found on our website.

The reports are expected to feature Couric and will look at both meat and poultry production. A CBS production crew has filmed organic and conventional pork production systems, as well as a Pennsylvania organic turkey grower among other entities. The National Pork Board provided Liz Wagstrom, assistant vice president of science and technology for the Pork Checkoff to speak on behalf of the pork industry. CBS interviewed Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.), who has a bill pending in the U.S. House to control antimicrobial use in food-animal production. (We did a story last week on the cattle industry's take on those efforts- click here to jump there and hear from Colin Woodall on Congresswoman Slaughter.) Also in the mix is likely to be Ellen Silbergreld, of John Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Center for a Livable Future. Silbergeld has been a vocal opponent of modern poultry and livestock production practices.

The National Pork Producers Council is anticipating that the reports will be highly critical of animal agriculture and use of antibiotics by producers for their animals. Click on the link below for that Drovers story on the expectations of the industry regarding the story when it finally airs.

Click here for the Drovers Journal story on the upcoming CBS report on antibiotic use.

However, Vilsack seems to have a limited regard for the farmers in that country-as well as farmers back home here in the United States. He spoke of farmers who told the US leader that the US government has not done enough to help them- and the Secretary spoke of having to correct them by showing them great support that is right in the neighborhood. He compared the farmers of Afghanistan with those in the US- saying you have to "sometimes have to point things out to folks."

Click on the link below for more on this story and a chance to hear the Secretary and his comparison of how he thinks farmers act toward government in Afganistan as well as in the US.

Click here for the remarks by Secretary Tom Vilsack on

“We want everyone to understand the tremendous effort our producers extend every day to provide a safe, abundant food supply,” said Mike Spradling, OFB president. “We're excited about promoting the solid image of our producers. They truly work hard and deeply care for their livestock.” Spradling's comments are echoed in the ad campaign's theme: “Oklahoma Farm Bureau: Feeding and clothing the world, one farmer at a time.”

We are so very proud to be a part of the radio campaign that kicked off this week on the Radio Oklahoma Network. The radio announcements will be running several times on our 39 radio stations all across the state of Oklahoma (as well as stations just over the border in Missouri, Texas and New Mexico.) Click on the link below for the announcement that is being heard statewide.

Click here for the radio announcement that is a part of the image campaign for Oklahoma agriculture being run by the Oklahoma Farm Bureau.

The Messner Family will be selling 80 Hereford and 55 Angus bulls, 70 spring calving bred Herefords and Angus heifers with many of those to calve before sale day. EPD information is available, and Van tells us that they believe that the animals they will be selling this Saturday will work well in the cattle herds across the Southern Plains.

The Messners would love to have you join them on sale day- but if you can't, they will have their auction on DV Auctions, an internet based service where you can watch the sale real time and bid as well, real time. Click on the link below for our Calendar listing and it will take you to the DV website. From the there, click on the selection "Production Sales" and scroll down to the Messner listing on February 6th.

Click here for more on the Messner Ranch Production Sale coming to Slapout on February 6th.

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

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.