Sep 14
After a 103-degree day of competitive bid-calling in southwestern Oklahoma, 10 auctioneers have advanced to the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship. The qualifiers, led by champion Troy Robinett, Decatur, Texas, will next compete in the semifinals, to be held at Cattlemen’s Livestock Market, Galt, Calif., in June. No stranger to the winner’s circle, Robinett was named …
Sep 14
Federal and state animal health officials have confirmed the first equine case of New World screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) in the United States this century. The detection, officially verified by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) on September 9, 2026, involved a working ranch horse in Presidio County, Texas, marking a significant escalation …
Sep 14
Recent highly publicized plans to allow up to an additional 300,000 metric tons (661 million pounds) of beef imports tariff-free have received much attention and have been the subject of considerable misinformation and disinformation. Reasonable and useful discussion about beef trade policy is appropriate when it is based on valid information rather than mistaken information …
Sep 14
In today’s Beef Buzz, senior farm and ranch broadcaster Ron Hays speaks with Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association Executive Vice President Michael Kelsey about the latest conditions facing Oklahoma cattle producers, the New World screwworm situation and upcoming beef promotion efforts. Wagyu Association Moves to Oklahoma City Kelsey says the American Wagyu Association has moved its headquarters …
Sep 14
The dairy checkoff has awarded 12 academic scholarships to students pursuing degrees with a focus on dairy and demonstrating strong potential as future industry leaders. The National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (NDB), through Dairy Management Inc. – which manages the national dairy checkoff – annually awards $2,500 scholarships to 11 students. In addition, the …
Sep 14
Persistent drought, excessive heat, and lagging rainfall continue to drive elevated wildfire danger across Oklahoma, highlighted by the active 3,000-acre Gracemont Fire in Caddo County, which remains at 0% containment under management by the US Wildland Fire Service. According to the latest Fire Situation Report from the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food & Forestry (ODAFF) …
Sep 14
Rainfall brought welcome relief to portions of the Texas High Plains this week, but for much of the region’s dryland cotton, the moisture likely came too late to significantly improve yield prospects. Irrigated fields that received meaningful rainfall stand to benefit more as producers work to finish a crop that has endured prolonged drought and …
Sep 14
US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined Federal Highway Administrator Sean McMaster, Oklahoma Secretary of Transportation and Executive Director of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation Tim Gatz, and state and local leaders in Marshall County on Thursday to celebrate the groundbreaking of the $409 million Roosevelt Bridge Project replacing the more than 80-year-old section of US-70 …
Sep 14
Russell, Kelli, Jean Ribert Francois, Madison Harris, and Mykel Taylor write in Southern Ag Today: Depending on their vantage point, people define “good farming” in a myriad of ways, from profitability and production yields to conservation and innovation. To better understand how Southern producers think about good farming, we surveyed farmers across Alabama about their …
Sep 14
As harvest season approaches for Oklahoma agricultural producers they face heightened risks of machinery fires and rapid-moving field blazes fueled by dry conditions, crop residue, and high winds. During an educational webinar hosted by the University of Illinois Agricultural Safety and Health Program, experts shared surveillance data and critical prevention strategies aimed at keeping producers …
