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 brand new website.

And we are proud to have P & K Equipment/ P & K Wind Energy as one of our regular sponsors of our daily email update. P & K is the premiere John Deere dealer in Oklahoma, with ten locations to serve you, and the P & K team are excited about their new Wind Power program, as they offer Endurance Wind Power wind turbines. Click here for more from the P&K website.

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Thompson talks with us about his getting established in the auctioneer profession, his view on the future of the business and even a bit of advice for the contestants that will compete for the right to take his place as World Livestock Auctioneer Champion.

The annual contest, now in its 47th year, is conducted and sponsored by Livestock Marketing Association (LMA), Kansas City, Mo. LMA is North America's largest membership organization dedicated to supporting, representing and communicating with and for the entire livestock marketing sector.
Thirty-two of the Championship semi-finalists qualified for the contest here through four WLAC qualifying contests, conducted by LMA from September - December 2009. The eight top-scoring contestants in each quarterfinal move on to compete here.
The 33rd contestant is the current International Auctioneer Champion, Paul Ramirez, Tucson, Ariz. LMA has traditionally given a "bye" into the WLAC semi-finals to the winner of the International contest, held at Canada's "Calgary Stampede."

Click here to jump to our Ag Perspectives Feature our website with Ty Thompson, World Livestock Auctioneer Champion for 2010.

"On average, test weights dropped a pound per bushel this week (62.8 to 61.9) (82.6 to 81.4), protein remained at 11.5% this week with a slight increase in shrunken and broken kernels. Preliminary mixograph testing (early 11.4% wheat protein composite) indicates a mix time of 3.5 minutes and a tolerance of 3 (0-6 scale). Flour characteristics included flour yield at 71.9% with absorption at over 59% (14% mb),. Preliminary bake test are pending.

"Harvest is projected to move rapidly over the next few days as temperature and wind increase and humidity decreases. Timely harvesting in many rain soaked areas is becoming more important as broadleaf weeds are now starting to appear in many fields. The trend has been a slight to moderate increase in protein as harvest has moved north and west and should be reflected in the next testing report."

One common factor that seems to be helping both our wheat prices, as well as winter canola prices are the rains that have been delaying planting in Canada. Planting delays have impacted both the spring wheat and canola crops in our neighbor nation to the north. That has been noted by the market and priced in- giving Oklahoma wheat and canola farmers better cash prices as we harvest both crops here in the southern plains.

You can see Kim's conversation with Clinton Griffiths tomorrow on SUNUP- or you can hear them right now by clicking on the LINK below. We also have the full rundown of the rest of the program on SUNUP as well- and we invite you to check that out, too.

Click here for more on the wheat market with Dr. Kim Anderson of OSU.

The venue we are featuring this week is Plymouth Valley Cellars and Vineyards near Fairview. Plymouth Valley Vineyards is a unique part of Oklahoma history. Surrounded by the beauty of the rolling Gloss Mountains and colorful gypsum formations, the Plymouth town site existed in the late 1800s. The vineyards offer a variety of Oklahoma items including premium Oklahoma grapes and wine, Oklahoma grape juices, "Made in Oklahoma" products, and more. Open daily from Noon to dark.

In 2006, the Oklahoma Farm Bureau named Dennis and Elaine Flaming Farm Family of the Year. That same year, the couple opened Plymouth Valley Cellars. The Flamings have been a farm family since they married in 1966 raising livestock, wheat and alfalfa.
You can go and see the TV spot for Plymouth Valley and get over to their website as well- if you click on the LINK below.

Click here for more on our Agritourism Venue of the Week- Plymouth Valley Cellars.

The NCBA says in their comments that "While we recognize and are supportive of the tremendous effort of the federal and state governments, industry and international organizations in South America to control and eradicate FMD, we remain concerned about the lack of ability to completely eradicate FMD in Brazil and the South American continent. We also appreciate APHIS' working to develop regionalization from a concept into a successful reality. NCBA is supportive of regionalization generally but strict and robust adherence to scientific analysis in all aspects (risk to animal health, economic analysis and environmental assessment) must be thoroughly followed. This is all the more important with contagious, difficult to control and economically devastating diseases such as FMD. FMD is considered the single largest animal-health threat for beef producers, and an outbreak in the U.S. would cost domestic beef producers an estimated ten to 34 billion dollars.

NCBA goes on to tell Uncle Sam that more risk analysis needs to be done to make sure that the US cattle industry is protected if any movement of the various products that USDA is proposing to allow in from the South American nation.
Click on the LINK below to read more of the concerns raised by NCBA this week as the US Government seems to be using this issue to appease the Brazilians over the US Cotton Subsidy case.

Click here for more on the NCBA comments on the FMD Disease Status in Brazil.

Much of the hearing was spent on Crop Insurance- and the hearing turned into a bipartisan rebuke of USDA's third and perhaps final draft Standard Reinsurance Agreement with the crop insurance industry. Kansas Republican Jerry Moran challenged USDA's authority to cap agent commissions under the new contract with crop insurance companies. Agriculture Under Secretary Jim Miller replied the limits are needed to protect taxpayers.

We have an audio report as a part of our web coverage of this hearing- which featured only witnesses from USDA. Click on the LINK below to read and hear more.

Click here for more on the Thursday hearing that looked mostly at Crop Insurance issues.

The US seems to be promising the Brazilians that cotton price supports for US Farmers will be reduced in 2012- even as the US government offers monies to support Brazil's cotton producers. It also puts on hold a final resolution until after the writing of the next farm law in 2012 or 2013.

Click on the link below for more on this story- as found on our website.

Click here for more from the USDA on this announcement from Brazil that they agree to the framework of a deal offered to defuse the Disupute settlement process.

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.