Howdy Neighbors!

Here's your morning farm news headlines from the Director of Farm Programming for the Radio Oklahoma Network, Ron Hays. We are proud to have KIS Futures as a regular sponsor of our daily email update. KIS Futures provides Oklahoma Farmers & Ranchers with futures & options hedging services in the livestock and grain markets- Click here for the free market quote page they provide us for our website or call them at 1-800-256-2555.

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One of those testifying at the hearing was Dr. Randall Singer, Associate Professor of Epidemiology Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota. His message to the members of Congress- healthy animals help ensure healthy food for consumers. The case he made is the centerpiece for today's Beef Buzz. The Beef Buzz is heard daily on great radio stations across Oklahoma and the southwest on the Radio Oklahoma Network. You can also check out the Beef Buzz regularly on our website- go to www.OklahomaFarmReport.Com and click on the Beef Buzz button found on the left hand side of any page on the site.

Dr. Singer told the Congressional Panel that "What we should be doing is determining which antibiotic uses minimize risks to human health while maxmizing animal health." He adds that antibiotics need to be considered and approved for use on a case by case basis- not a blanket ban as proposed by New York Congresswoman Louise Slaughter.

Click on the link below for more on this story- including the chance to hear Dr. Singer's plea to lawmakers to use sound science to determine which antibiotics can be used with the least amount of risk to human health.

Click here for our Beef Buzz showcasing Dr. Randall Singer testifying to Congress on Wednesday

Both the National Farmers Union and the American Farm Bureau are apparently on board with the Kyl-Lincoln plan. National Farmers Union is applauding the efforts of Senate Ag Chair Blanche Lincoln and Arizona Senator Jon Kyl to find a permanent solution to the current estate tax code. President Roger Johnson says NFU believes it is imperative that the estate tax exemption be four-million dollars per person and be indexed to inflation, provide for spousal transfers and include the stepped-up basis. NFU is promoting a slightly different level than the proposal of the two lawmakers, but Johnson says the Lincoln-Kyl language is a step in the right direction.

The American Farm Bureau Federation is also in support of the Lincoln-Kyl proposal. Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman sent a letter Wednesday to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid asking him to allow the Senate to consider the proposal. Stallman says estate taxes can hit farm families harder than other small business owners because 84-percent of farm assets are real estate-based. He says when estate taxes are due - surviving family members may be forced to sell land, buildings or equipment needed to keep their operations going if they don't have enough cash on hand.

Click here for more on the Death Tax Fix being pushed by these lawmakers.

In a formal letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA), R-CALF USA (Click here for the letter sent by R-Calf) requested that GIPSA resist any effort to extend the public comment period established in the agency's proposed rule titled "Implementation of Regulations Required Under Title XI of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008; Conduct in Violation of the Act," published at 75 Fed. Reg., 35338-354 (June 22, 2010).

Comments are due Aug. 23, 2010, and three groups - the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA), the American Meat Institute (AMI) and the National Pork Producers Council - already are requesting a 120-day extension beyond that date, and such an extension would effectively delay any opportunity for the publishing of a final rule until sometime in 2011.

R-Calf contends that "These three trade associations primarily represent the interests of the highly concentrated meatpacking industry and they essentially argue that the Proposed Rule addresses novel issues that they have not had adequate time to evaluate. However, these groups have long fought against some or all of the very reforms contained in the Proposed Rule and already have made up their minds regarding the Proposed Rule, and therefore, R-CALF USA argues that no delay is warranted."

Click here for more on this move by R-Calf to ask USDA to NOT extend the comment period for sweeping changes in marketing rules for the livestock industry.

Featured speakers include Andrea Hutchinson of the Chain Ranch, who has been active in social media and other venues in telling the beef cattle story to consumers- and exposing HSUS for their anti animal agriculture direction.

Also speaking this evening at the OGSP event is Heather Buckmaster of the Oklahoma Beef Council, as well as Dr. Derrell Peel, OSU Livestock Marketing Specialist. More details on the twilight meeting can be found in our calendar pages of the website, www.OKlahomaFarmReport.Com. Click on the link below to jump to grab those details.

Click here for more on the OGSP Meeting This Evening in El Reno.

California Farm Bureau Federation President Paul Wenger says the new law levels the playing field for egg producers - removing the threat they might move to neighboring states to get away from the higher production costs. Wenger says it was an easy thing to equalize.

Pacelle notes the law comes days after the HSUS deal with Ohio's governor to impose a moratorium on new battery cage facilities in Ohio - the nation's second largest egg production state - and he says it's all evidence of a national trend.

Click here for a blog post from Pacelle a few days ago crowing about this measure.

There is a chance for some rain and a few thunderstorms later today and into tonight. After that round of precipitation- things really start drying out, according to the National Weather Service.

In the Forecast discussion from the Norman National Weather Service office- they report "A PERSISTENT RIDGE IS EXPECTED TO LIMIT RAIN CHANCES FROM FRIDAY ONWARD. AS CALCULATED FROM THE CURRENT FORECAST. HEAT INDICES STAY BELOW 105 DEGREES FROM FRIDAY THROUGH THE NEXT WEEK. HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE LARGELY IN THE MID TO UPPER 90S, AND GRADUAL DRYING OF THE SOIL WILL SLOWLY BRING DEW POINTS/HEAT INDICES DOWN A LITTLE. HOWEVER-ANY AREAS THAT RECEIVE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF RAIN TONIGHT OR FRIDAY MAY SEE THE UNUSUALLY HIGH DEW POINTS AND HEAT INDICES RETURN AS THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE STRENGTHENS AGAIN THIS WEEKEND."

CLick here for our weather page of links on OklahomaFarmReport.Com- you can go from there to News9 and News on 6 weather- as well as links to the Mesonet and the NWS.

It was an excellent midweek market at OKC West in El Reno, with 6,140 cattle being reported sold and higher money reported by Tina and John of the Market News office out of Oklahoma City. Yearling steers were steady to $2 higher, while steer calves were called steady to $2 higher as well.

Five to six hundred pound steers cleared from $126.50 to $135, while 700 to 800 pound yearlings cleared from $112 to $117.25 . Click here for the full report as found on the USDA Market News website.

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.