May 20
The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Environmental Stewardship Program today released revisions to its Version 3 evaluation tool, integrating the latest scientific updates from the Ruminant Farm Systems (RuFaS) model that powers FARM ES Version 3. “FARM Environmental Stewardship continues to adapt as science and technology advance within the dairy sector,” said Nicole …
May 20
Smithfield Foods has awarded more than $280,000 in Impact Grant funding to 12 nonprofit organizations working to strengthen communities where Smithfield employees live and work. These grants build on the more than $24 million Smithfield invested in 2025 to strengthen communities nationwide, including donating more than 16 million servings of protein to neighbors experiencing food …
May 20
Ashley McKeon, a seasoned agriculture and sustainability executive, will lead the Soil Health Institute into its next decade. McKeon, who previously led regenerative agriculture strategy for Cargill in Washington, D.C., will assume the role on June 1, 2026. She will work alongside Founding President and CEO Dr. C. Wayne Honeycutt during a brief transition period …
May 20
The Oklahoma agricultural education community is mourning the loss of one of its most dedicated and influential champions, Jackie “Jack” Dean Staats. Born December 15, 1951, Staats dedicated nearly five decades of his life to shaping the future of agricultural youth, serving as a high school instructor, the State FFA Advisor, and a university educator. …
May 20
American Farmland Trust has launched a new podcast focused on the challenges farmers and ranchers face whentransitioning land from one generation to the next. LANDED features succession stories of both young and elder producers and focuses on how they plan for the future of their land. “We hope that this new series will reach farmers and ranchers across the country, as well as urban and suburban people who may not understand the challenges facing …
May 20
The calendar says late May, but Oklahoma’s recent weather has been acting a bit confused. According to State Climatologist Gary McManus, a recent unseasonable stretch felt much closer to December than late spring, but hopefully, more rainfall is on the way. Shifting back to the current season, the primary concern for Oklahoma agriculture is the …
May 20
In today’s Beef Buzz, senior farm and ranch broadcaster Ron Hays speaks with Dr. Jeff Goodwin, who explains how the beef industry is working to answer sustainability questions through research, collaboration, and data-driven tools designed to benefit producers across the supply chain. Hays and Dr. Goodwin talked at the 2026 General Assembly Meeting of the …
May 20
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) publishes weekly “Commitment of Traders” (COT) data on the positions of index funds and hedge funds in agricultural futures markets (Figure 1). The changes in these speculative futures positions have near term value in explaining fluctuations in ICE cotton futures. For roughly two years, the hedge fund (or “non-commercial” or …
May 20
The deadline to register to vote or update a voter registration for the June 16 Election is Friday, May 22. Secretary of the State Election Board Paul Ziriax said individuals can register online, in person, or by mail. Online – To register using the Online Voter Registration System, the applicant must have a current and valid Oklahoma …
May 20
Edmond Bonjour has received the Distinguished Achievement Award in Extension from the Southwestern Branch of the Entomological Society of America for his leadership and the impact of his work in entomology. The award recognizes those who have demonstrated excellent performance through program creativity, impact, achievement and delivery. A senior Extension specialist with Oklahoma State University Extension and director …
