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We
invite you to listen to us on great radio stations
across the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network
weekdays- if you missed this morning's Farm News - or
you are in an area where you can't hear it- click here for this
morning's Farm news
from Ron Hays on RON.
Let's
Check the Markets!
Today's
First Look:
mornings
with cash and futures reviewed- includes where the Cash
Cattle market stands, the latest Feeder Cattle Markets
Etc.
Each afternoon we are posting a recap of that day's
markets as analyzed by Justin Lewis of KIS
futures- click
here for the report posted yesterday afternoon
around 3:30 PM.
Okla
Cash Grain:
Daily
Oklahoma Cash Grain Prices- as
reported by the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture. The
most recent report from the Department is for last
Wednesday, 12-23.
Futures
Wrap:
Feeder
Cattle Recap:
Slaughter
Cattle Recap:
TCFA
Feedlot Recap:
Our Oklahoma Farm Report
Team!!!!
Ron Hays, Senior Editor and
Writer
Pam Arterburn, Calendar and
Template Manager
Dave Lanning, Markets and
Production
Leslie Smith, Editor and
Contributor
| |
Oklahoma's
Latest Farm and Ranch News
Presented
by
Your
Update from Ron Hays of RON
Monday, December 28,
2015 |
Howdy
Neighbors!
Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch
news update.
| |
 Welcome
to Oklahoma Weather- Blizzards, Snow, Sleet, Ice,
Rain, Floods and More
The
weather folks around the country have been naming
winter storms for the last couple of years- and
they are calling the storm we are currently in the
middle of Goliath- and it definitely is a BIG
one.
The
status of Interstate 40 tells the tale in our
region pretty well- Closed in parts of New Mexico,
much of the Texas Panhandle- especially in the
eastern parts of the Texas Panhandle across the
state line into Oklahoma- and then an icy mess
from Clinton and Weatherford into El Reno and
Yukon- and then being mentioned in the Flood
warnings of eastern Oklahoma and western
Arkansas.
The
number of folks without power is huge- Jed Castles
with News9 tweeted in the 5 AM hour that almost
140,000 Oklahomans are without power this morning-
47,000 for OG&E, 49,000 for PSO(Tulsa region)
and about 39,000 for the Oklahoma Association of
Electric Coops. If you are trying to travel this
morning- watch out for downed power lines as the
sustained northerly winds and sleet and ice are
causing massive worries.
Snow
and sleet continues in some of western Oklahoma
this morning- more so in Central and Eastern parts
of the state- here is a snowfall map just posted
by News9 in Oklahoma City this morning.
In
eastern Oklahoma- the worry is FLOODING- Twenty
three Oklahoma counties and seven Arkansas
counties that fall under the Tulsa National
Weather Service office are in a Flood warning til
the early morning Tuesday- and that means a lot of
ranchers are moving cattle around trying to keep
them out of dangerous flood waters.
Dr.
Ron Elliot emailed us overnight about the
rainfall totals in the east- and pointed out that
the Tahlequah rainfall of 11.58 inches as of early
this morning is more than the total December
rainfall for that Mesonet location for the last
four years COMBINED (2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014).
And-
earlier this morning- we saw a graphic from the
Tulsa NWS showing the disaster floating down the
Illinois River- the expected crest earlier this
morning was expected to be 29 feet- that is
16 feet ABOVE flood stage. Truly
historic in the worst kind of way.
If
you want to follow precipitation totals for the
state- here is the link to
the 3 day rainfall totals- keep in mind much of
the moisture that has fallen in the west is of the
frozen kind- so it is not counted until it thaws.
Our
TV stations, News9 in OKC and News on 6 in Tulsa are good
sources to keep checking as they are both going
wall to wall to track Goliath and the damage
coming out of the storm, frozen or floating.
|
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|
Glenn
Selk Offers Ideas on Feed Needs of Beef Cows As
Storm Rages and Moves On
Dr.
Glenn Selk says cattle producers have a major
challenge with the storm we are facing right now-
as your cattle need much higher levels of energy
because of the cold and wet conditions they are
facing. Dr. Selk tells us
that the major effect of cold on nutrient
requirement of cows is increased need for energy.
To determine magnitude of cold, lower critical
temperature for beef cows must first be estimated.
For cows with a dry winter hair coat the lower
critical temperature is considered to be 32
degrees F. In general, researchers have used the
rule of thumb that cows' energy requirements
increase 1% for each degree the wind chill is
below the 32 degree lower critical
temperature. The problem really becomes
when you add cold weather to wet conditions-
exactly what we are facing this
morning. For each degree under 59 degrees-
you have to figure two percent more feed to offset
the energy being lost by the cow or steer.
Earlier this morning- the wind chill in
McAlester was 28- which means a 31 degree
difference between 59 and 28- thus a 62% increase
in the amount of feed needed to offset the energy
being lost by that bovine. Dr. Selk says
you probably can't increase feed levels that much
instantly- so you will need to feed more than
normal for several days after the cold and wet
weather event to help the animal recover lost body
condition from Goliath. For more on Dr.
Selk's calculations- dry and cold or wet and
cold- click here to read
more about energy requirements of beef cattle.
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USDA
2015 Results: Building a Stronger Rural America
through Partnership, Progress and
Promise
This
year, millions of rural businesses and families
were positively impacted by U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA)
investments in their communities. U.S.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack
released a list of USDA's top achievements in
2015, demonstrating USDA's efforts to help farmers
and ranchers bring their products to tables
domestically and abroad, build critical
infrastructure in America's rural areas, conserve
our nation's natural resources through
long-lasting partnerships, and continuously work
toward improving the lives of all Americans.
"Since 2009, USDA has focused
significant and targeted investments in America's
rural communities to bring transformative change.
Last year, those investments blossomed across the
United States with substantial results in the
burgeoning bio-economy, an exploding local and
regional food system, unparalleled investments in
renewable energy, improved nutrition interventions
for young people, historic partnerships in
conservation and greenhouse gas reduction, and
major contributions in rural infrastructure, among
some. Even with challenges in 2015, including an
unprecedented animal disease outbreak and lower
commodity prices, America's rural communities have
proven once again that we are a nation of makers,
creators and innovators, and our economy and
security are stronger because of it. As we look to
2016, USDA will continue to seek out new and
innovative ways to expand opportunity for
America's farming families and rural communities,"
said Vilsack. USDA invites all
Americans to take a look back at 2015 through our
archived In Case You Missed It series. Posted
weekly, the In Case You Missed It report tells the
stories of rural Americans who are working to meet
ever-changing challenges, paving the way to
empower future leaders to meet the world's growing
food, fuel and fiber needs, and continuously
adapting and evolving to ensure American
agriculture remains a leader throughout the world.
Here is a list of USDA's top outcomes
in 2015 that cover trade, nutrition, climate
change, global food security, conservation,
energy, food safety, rural development, research
and civil rights. Click here for the full
report. |
Insurance
Exec Explains How Free Market System Would be
Impossible Without Insurance
Insurance is an indispensable tool in
today's agricultural world, but how many people
know the story behind insurance?
Taylor Millard, vice president of
claims for FarmAssure, recently wrote a paper
detailing the history of the insurance
industry. In it (an excerpt of which appears
below), he makes a strong case that our successful
free market system would not be possible without
insurance.
"Imagine the port of London in the early
1700s where merchants were purchasing and shipping
goods all over the world. If the ship on which a
merchant's goods were being transported sunk to
the bottom of the ocean, all was lost.
Notwithstanding inherent value, accounting for the
perils of 16th century maritime voyages drove up
the price of goods to levels beyond the purchasing
power of consumers.
"For this reason, a
group of visionaries at Lloyds Coffee House began
to absorb the risk and insure the cargo and ships.
For a fee or premium, a merchant could buy a
policy for that cargo to protect against loss at
sea. This was a fundamental shift in international
trade and made Great Britain and newly minted
trading partner, America, wealthy nations. This
paradigm shift allowed the creation of the
merchant class and when conservatively navigated,
the conditions for individuals to amass
wealth."
You can read more of Taylor's story or listen
to his recent conversation with Radio Oklahoma's
Jim Apel by clicking
here. |
|
US
Hog Herd at Record Levels as 2015 Wraps
Up
Two
years after Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea killed 7
million piglets and drove up pork prices, hog
farmers have rebuilt their herds. The quarterly
USDA Hogs and Pigs report released on Wednesday
says there are a record 68.3 million hogs on the
farm, "the highest inventory of all hogs and pigs
since quarterly U.S. estimates began in 1988." The
hog census counted 62.3 million head being fed for
slaughter, also the highest quarterly total since
1988.
Farmers are slowing down herd
expansion in the face of softening hog prices.
They say fewer sows will give birth from December
through February than same period a year earlier.
The fall pig crop, at 30.3 million head, was 1
percent smaller than fall 2014.
Other
key findings in the report were
Of the
68.3 million hogs and pigs, 62.3 million were
market hogs, while 6.00 million were kept for
breeding.
From September through
November 2015, U.S. hog and pig producers weaned a
record high average of 10.53 pigs per litter.
U.S. hog producers intend to have 2.84
million sows farrow between December 2015 and
February 2016, and 2.85 million sows farrow
between March and May 2016.
You
can hear comments from both Dr. Ron
Plain of the University of
Missouri and Steve Meyer
with EMI Analytics in an audio
overview of the report by clicking
here.
|
|
Sponsor
Spotlight
We are pleased to have American Farmers &
Ranchers Mutual Insurance Company as a regular sponsor
of our daily update. On both the state and
national levels, full-time staff members serve as
a "watchdog" for family agriculture producers,
mutual insurance company members and life company
members.
Click here to go to their
AFR website
to learn more
about their efforts to serve rural
America!
And- we want to remind you that
AFR is sponsoring a Farm and Ranch Forum at the
2016 AgriFest in Enid on Friday, January
8th. Click here for more
information- and plan on
attending!
|
Video
Highlights California Farmer's Struggles With
Federal Regulators on Water
Issues
A
new video produced by the American Farm
Bureau Federation highlights the
struggles a California farm family has encountered
with federal water regulations. The video also
illustrates how the climate regarding water
regulations will likely become much worse and
encompass the entire nation under the
widely-reviled Waters of the U.S.
rule. As the enforcer of water
regulations, the Army Corps of Engineers has told
fourth-generation tree, vine and wheat grower
John Duarte, a member of Farm
Bureau in California, that he broke the law simply
by plowing his land in rural Tehama County,
California. Experts say that under the EPA's WOTUS
rule, the same type of regulatory enforcement
could become commonplace, threatening farmers
across the nation. EPA has said that farmers have
no need to worry about the rule because normal
farming is exempt from regulation, but what's
happening to the Duarte family shows how the EPA
and the Corps work around that
exemption. "The Corps and EPA aren't
trying to micromanage farmers. They're trying to
stop farmers," Duarte said. "They're trying to
turn our farm land into habitat preservation.
They're simply trying to chase us off of our
land." Duarte decided to take his case
to court, which was met by a counter-suit from the
U.S. Justice Department, seeking millions of
dollars in penalties, basically for plowing his
field, according to Tony Francois, an attorney
with the Pacific Legal
Foundation, which is representing
Duarte. Click here to watch
the AFBF video or for
additional information about the Duarte
case.
|
|
Want to
Have the Latest Energy News Delivered to Your
Inbox Daily? 
Award
winning broadcast journalist Jerry
Bohnen has spent years learning and
understanding how to cover the energy business
here in the southern plains- Click here to subscribe to his
daily update of top Energy
News.
|
Oklahoma
Ag Leadership Alums Can be Matched by Noble
Foundation With Contribution Before January
First
If
you are an alum of the Oklahoma Ag
Leadership Program- I wanted to put my
OALP Advisory Board hat on for a moment and remind
you of how you are able to double your money that
you give to the Program through the generosity of
the Noble Foundation. The Noble Challenge,
which has helped to fund OALP for many years is
back for 2015- and the Noble folks are offering a
match up to $20,000 for every dollar contributed
by an Alum to the program.
Traditionally we see a lot of the match
come in these last few days of December- but DO
NOT put it off- we need your support NOW and it
needs to be in by midnight, December
31st.. It has been my personal goal
in recent years to see at least half of our alums
give something back to the program. Whether
you give a little or a lot- your support is part
of what makes OALP one of the best Leadership
development programs in
agriculture. How do you
give??? Well, we asked OALP Director
Edmond Bonjour to explain that to
us- and here are his suggestions: "Checks
made payable to OSU Foundation/OALP can be sent to
Edmond Bonjour, 127 Noble Research Center,
Stillwater, OK 74078 and must be postmarked by
Dec. 31. Donations can be given
with credit card by calling the OSU Foundation at
1-800-622-4678 and designate
your gift for the Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership
Fund 21-35700 or online at https://www.osugiving.com where you
will have to: 1) click on the "Give" button, 2)
click the orange "Search here", 3) type 21-35700
or Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Fund in the
search box, 4) click the orange "GIVE" after the
name and description of the fund, and 5) enter the
amount and other billing information. We
appreciate your
support!" |
|
Our thanks
to Midwest Farms Shows ,
P & K Equipment,
American Farmers &
Ranchers,
KIS
Futures ,
Croplan by
Winfield, Stillwater Milling Company, Farm Assure, Pioneer Cellular, National Livestock Credit
Corporation and the Oklahoma Cattlemen's
Association for their support of our
daily Farm News Update. For your convenience, we
have our sponsors' websites linked here- just
click on their name to jump to their website-
check their sites out and let these folks know you
appreciate the support of this daily email, as
their sponsorship helps us keep this arriving in
your inbox on a regular basis- at NO Charge!
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
God Bless!
You can reach us at the following:
phone: 405-473-6144
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Oklahoma
Farm Bureau is Proud to be the Presenting Sponsor
of the Ron Hays Daily Farm and Ranch News
Email
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