Lots of stories were important to our farm and ranch community- but here are a half dozen stories that mattered to many in our region- they are in no particular order.
New World Screwworm in Mexico- Heading North
This story actually started in November of 2024, with the announcement by the Mexican government and the Tom Vilsack led USDA that New World Screwworm flies were active in southern Mexico. Secretary Vilsack passed the torch on the Screwworm to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins in early 2025- and she offered mutliple updates during the year- including one in Yukon, Oklahoma when she offered a NWS update at Express Ranches.
In June, Secretary Rollins traveled to south Texas to announce USDA’s five-pronged plan to combat the northward spread of NWS from Mexico into the United States.
The reality of New World Screwworm as a major threat to the US Beef Cattle Industry came into sharper focus in July, when on the final day of the Summer Cattle Industry Business Meeting in San Diego, USDA announced the discovery of New World Screwworm in Veracruz, Mexico, just 370 miles south of the US- Mexico border. Secretary Rollins, who had the previous month announced the re-opening of the US to Mexican Feeder Cattle, quickly closed trade down again.
In August, the Secretary joined with Texas Governor Abbott to meet with cattle and wildlife officials in Austin and announce updated details on the five point plan to aggressively push back on the pest. Secretary Rollins came to Yukon, Oklahoma this past week to provide an update to the plan unveiled in Austin just a few weeks earlier. Oklahoma Farm Report’s KC Sheperd and Ron Hays were in attendance for that industry and media update.
Perhaps the scariest moment in 2025 for the NWS story same later in September when the “closest yet detection of New World screwworm in Mexico was reported. The Mexican government confirmed on September 21st that an infected heifer had been found in Sabinas Hidalgo, Nuevo Leon, just 70 miles south of Laredo, Texas. That’s a dramatic jump from the previous margin of safety, which had been about 370 miles from the U.S. border. In response, Mexican officials activated emergency controls while the U.S. maintained the ban of imports of cattle, bison, and horses from Mexico. By Monday evening, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced on social media that USDA teams were already “boots on the ground” in Nuevo Leon, inspecting traps and releasing sterile flies to combat the pest. Industry leaders have praised the quick action, though they remain concerned. Colin Woodall, CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), acknowledged producers are worried but said he is hopeful: “Even though the fly is closer, we should not take our eye off the ball to make sure that the Mexican government is doing everything possible to be a good neighbor.”
Later cases in 2025 were further away from the US border- but the US Government has kept the border with Mexico closed for cattle imports into the US- and money has been found to start building a sterile fly facility in southern Texas. This story will continue to capture the industry’s attention in the new year.
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Cattle Prices Made History in 2025
This was another one of those year long stories- as we talked high prices all twelve months of 2025-
In January- KC Sheperd talked with Bob Rodenberger, a Stockman Oklahoma Livestock Marketing partner, who told her the sale in Apache ran 1,700 head with a strong market this week. “Fat cattle continue to sell at record highs on average,” Rodenberger said. “Last week, the weighted average on fat cattle was $2.02, and this week it was $2.08. There are instances up north where they sell fat cattle for $2.14 to $2.16. We are at another level than we were back in 2014 – ’15 which I swore that I wouldn’t live long enough to see the market that good again, but here we are.”
As we hit June- the markets were wild- we caught up with Cassie Fish of the Beef Read- ““Monumental” was the name of the latest issue of The Beef, a daily market column written by Cassandra Fish, a beef industry expert with Consolidated Beef Producers. Her column is read and relied on by thousands of industry professionals in more than thirty countries.
“We’ve never seen the cash fed cattle market rally this much,” Fish said. “We must be about up to about $30 per hundred weight depending on what market you use.” She recalled the $208 low in mid-April and compared it to where the markets stood at the time she talked to Hays: $232 in Kansas and Texas, and up to $244 in Western Nebraska. “That is an additional $7 to $10 higher, depending on whether you are going off the top or the average of last week. It’s hard to keep track of it all.”
Fast forward to August and our visit with Dr. Randy Blach of Cattlefax- At the Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting in San Diego, Randy Blach of CattleFax shared some big-picture insights, starting with a bold statement: “Best beef demand in 40 years.” He said it’s impressive that, even with per capita supply up by a pound or more and prices at record highs, “the consumer hasn’t said ‘uncle.’” Blach credited this strong demand as a major win for the beef industry in 2024. He also noted that the current consumer loyalty is a testament to beef’s value in the marketplace, even amid economic pressures.
A frequent guest on our daily Beef Buzz report is Dr. Derrell Peel In September- Peel spoke of the tightness of cattle supplies– “Cattle markets remain exceptionally strong, fueled by supply shortages and shifting marketing decisions. As Dr. Derrell Peel explained, “this is all about tight cattle supplies.”
October is when we had President Trump weighing in on cattle prices and they tumbled- one story which captured some of that drama featured industry consultant Nevil Speer who talked with us about President Donald Trump’s recent comments about beef prices, which sparked strong reactions across the cattle industry. Trump claimed that cattle ranchers were only “doing so well because I put tariffs on cattle coming into the United States,” and suggested beef prices were “a little bit too high.” Dr. Speer acknowledged the complexity of the issue, noting that Trump’s statement raises a basic but critical question: “The first thing I would want to ask him is, what does that even mean? Is the retail price too high by 10 cents, 20 cents, 30 cents?”
Speer argued that the notion of a “just right” beef price is misguided and dangerous when dictated by government officials. “There’s this implication that there is some price that is just right,” he said. “And then that ultimately leads to the question, who decides that? He warned that “this great economic principle of the knowledge problem,” emphasizing that “we never have enough knowledge to ultimately decide those things,” which leads to “all kinds of unintended consequences.”
Cattle Prices have rebounded at the end of the year- and 2026 is set to establish new records in the cattle and beef markets.
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One Big Beautiful Bill- A Big Deal for Farmers and Ranchers
The One Big Beautiful Bill (or OB3 for short) delivered tax savings and a new enhanced Federal Farm Safety Net- the President signed the bill on the Fourth of July and his Secretary of Ag Brooke Rollins praised the bill: “The One Big Beautiful Bill marks the start of a new golden age for America and American agriculture. This historic piece of legislation makes permanent the largest tax cuts in history.
“It provides immediate tax relief to farmers, ranchers, and rural Americans by increasing the small business expensing threshold and permanently extending the Small Business Deduction. Through the President’s leadership, the bill Makes Agriculture Great Again, bolsters the farm safety net, makes crop insurance more affordable, and protects two million family farms from the death tax.
“It puts American Farmers First by preventing countries such as China and Brazil from flooding our markets with biofuel feedstocks that compete with American grown soy, milo, and corn. It extends the 45Z clean fuel tax credit to enhance our domestic energy security.
“While expanding programs to support the farmers who feed, fuel, and clothe America, this legislation also tackles the fraud and waste that has run rampant in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The bill holds states accountable for their error rates, strengthens work requirements, and prevents illegal aliens from receiving SNAP.
An additional deep dive into the bill was provided to our farmers and ranchers via a conversation that Carli Devenport had with Dr. Amy Hagerman of OSU- check it out here.
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OSU Getting a State of the Art Veterinary Teaching Hospital Facility
In the spring of 2025- there was a major victory at the Oklahoma State Capitol for livestock producers wanting a reliable source of Veterinarians as the Legislature delivered on a major ask by Oklahoma State University– Oklahoma State University has received a historic $250 million state funding appropriation to support the construction of a new, state-of-the-art veterinary teaching hospital.
This critical investment — the largest state appropriation in university history — combined with $78 million allocated in 2023, marks a significant step forward in advancing the future of veterinary education, food security and public health in Oklahoma. The new 255,000-square-foot facility will replace the existing 145,376-square-foot veterinary hospital, which was built to serve 60 students but now supports more than 150. With this expansion, OSU will address one of the most urgent infrastructure needs in its veterinary program while expanding its ability to train the next generation of veterinarians.
Later in the summer- our KC Sheperd was at a special celebration on the OSU campus to highlight the $250 million dollar appropriation- she talked with Steve Thompson– “It is a great day in Stillwater,” Thompson said, reflecting on the journey. He explained that the project became a top priority for the Board of Regents last summer, with leaders working closely with OSU President Dr. Jim Hess and the Vet Med Authority Board. The effort involved hosting legislators on campus and a “full court press the entire spring at the state capitol” to secure the necessary funding.
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Twenty Year Old Poultry Lawsuit Comes Back to Life- and the Judge Rules at Year End
This is another January to December story- with the US District Judge Gregory Frizzell dusting off the twenty year old poultry lawsuit that was pushed by former Attorney General Drew Edmondson- he announced his initial findings almost twelve months ago- and Oklahoma Farm Bureau was not happy- “Oklahoma’s largest general farm organization, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, is expressing disappointment on a ruling by Federal Judge Frizzell from a case brought by former Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson in 2005 against multiple poultry companies. “Oklahoma Farm Bureau members are disappointed with the conclusion reached by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma today finding in favor of the state of Oklahoma and holding poultry companies liable for high phosphorous levels causing pollution in the Illinois River Watershed.
Fast forward to June- and we reported “A federal district judge ruled that the State of Oklahoma has sufficiently proven there has not been any substantive change in poultry litter pollution of the Illinois River Watershed (IRW) following trial. The ruling by Oklahoma Northern District Judge Gregory Frizzell included the finding that phosphorus from poultry waste continues to be a significant source of damage to the waters of the IRW and Lake Tenkiller.”
In the months following- the comments from Attorney General Drummond and Governor Stitt were frequent and harsh- Drummond calling the Governor a supporter of the Poultry companies and the Governor saying the AG and the Judge needed to come to their senses and dismiss the entire case. We talked to Governor Stitt mid December and you can hear his arguments by clicking here.
Just days later- the Federal Judge offered his final ruling– wanting to impose penalties on the companies and mandating a huge extra level of government oversight to lower phosphorus levels in the Illinois River Watershed. As we end the year- we wait to see if appeals will be filed by the poultry companies.
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Oklahoma FFA Shines in Indianapolis
Finally- a story that makes all of Oklahoma very proud- the achievements of two young men that represented Oklahoma at the 98th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis in October.
For the tenth time in the history of the FFA and the Future Farmers of America- an Oklahoma member has claimed the title of American Star Farmer- the oldest and original Star award. Ryder Klaassen of Hydro-Eakly heard his name called on stage in Lucas Oil Stadium Friday night as he was named the Star Farmer of America for 2025.
Klaassen’s SAE includes producing wheat, black-eyed peas, mungbeans, cotton, corn, and a beef cattle operation consisting of cow/calf, stocker, and show cattle programs. He farms 420 rented acres in a wheat-summer crop rotation, strategically choosing legumes like black-eyed peas and mungbeans to improve soil health, shorten the growing season, and provide winter pasture for his cattle. Klaassen has transitioned from relying on his parents’ advice to independently managing all production, marketing, and financial decisions, including securing specialty crop contracts with companies like Del Monte and international buyers.
During the final session on Saturday November first- Trey Myers of the Perkins- Tryon FFA chapter in central Oklahoma heard his name called to serve for the coming twelve months as the President of the FFA.
Myers is the ninth National President of the FFA that hails from Oklahoma in the almost 100 years of the National organization- the most recent one before Myers being Riley Pagett of Woodward in 2010-11. Myers now steps into the role of representing nearly one million American youth members, a transition he describes as humbling and intensely focused on the organization’s foundational value of service.
