From: Ron Hays [ron@oklahomafarmreport.ccsend.com] on behalf of Ron Hays [ron@oklahomafarmreport.com]
Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 6:42 AM
To: Hays, Ron
Subject: Oklahoma's Farm News Update
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Oklahoma's latest farm and ranch news
Your Update from Ron Hays of RON for Wednesday July 21, 2010
A service of Producers Cooperative Oil Mill, Midwest Farm Shows and KIS Futures!
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-- House Ag Committee Roasts GIPSA Over Proposed Livestock Marketing Rule
-- One of the Groups Mentioned at the Hearing- National Farmers Union
-- Cattle Inventory Report Coming Friday May Show Smallest US Cattle Herd Since 1973
-- Our Agritourism Venue of the Week- Chisholm Trail Heritage Center in Duncan
-- Weed-Free Hay Certification Program Launched in Oklahoma
-- MBA Grads Are Already Making a Difference as They Tell the Beef Story
-- Let's Check the Markets!

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. When you call them- ask them about their brand new Iphone App which provides futures quotes for your Iphone.

We are also excited to have as one of our sponsors for the daily email Producers Cooperative Oil Mill, with 64 years of progress through producer ownership. Call Brandon Winters at 405-232-7555 for more information on the oilseed crops they handle, including sunflowers and canola- and remember they post closing market prices for canola and sunflowers on the PCOM website- go there by clicking here.

And we salute our longest running email sponsor- Midwest Farm Shows, producer of the just concluded Southern Plains Farm Show, as well as the Tulsa Farm Show. Click here for more on the December 2010 Tulsa Farm Show, including information on how you can be an exhibitor.

If you have received this by someone forwarding it to you, you are welcome to subscribe and get this weekday update sent to you directly by clicking here.


House Ag Committee Roasts GIPSA Over Proposed Livestock Marketing Rule
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House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Chairman David Scott, D-Ga., held a hearing on Wednesday to review livestock and related U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs in advance of the 2012 Farm Bill. And the lawmakers had one thing primarily on their mind- the so called GIPSA rules. Starting with Subcommittee chair Scott and moving on from there- member after member roasted USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Edward Avalos as well as the Administrator for GIPSA, J Dudley Butler.

Calling the proposed marketing rules "the most significant changes in nearly a hundred years" when it comes to marketing of livestock, Subcommittee Chair Scott lamblasted the Obama Administration for drafting these rules as they claimed they were implementing the 2008 Farm Law- when in fact many of the controverisal parts of the GIPSA rule were discussed by the House Ag Committee during the writing of the bill and rejected as bad policy. Avalos defended the rule- saying it reflects what USDA Secretary Vilsack heard as he traveled the country listening to concerns of farmers and ranchers- and that they were designed to help "repopulate rural America."

Members also expressed outrage that USDA and GIPSA seemed to be fast tracking the rule- and demanded they rethink the 60 day comment period, indicating that members on both sides of the aisle want an extension to 120 days to further digest what all these rules may mean to livestock producers.
"Fair and transparent markets are necessary for orderly commerce between producers, packers, processors, retailers, and consumers. At the same time, we owe it to our constituents to ensure that the policy process is also fair and transparent so that the path of good intentions does not lead us to the land of unintended consequences. That's why today's hearing is important, but I'm also disappointed that that GIPSA rule comment period is only 60 days and will close before the USDA/DOJ workshops on this subject are completed. For this reason, 21 of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle joined me in requesting that the comment period be extended 120 days so that the USDA/DOJ workshops can be completed and a thorough analysis can be conducted by everybody wishing to comment on the rule," said Subcommittee Ranking Member Randy Neugebauer, R-Texas.

Click on the LINK below to jmp to our story on our website for more on this hearing- Chairman Peterson also was critical of the USDA rush to publish this rule- and you can hear the Q&A between Scott, Neugebauer and USDA's Avalos and Butler.
Lawmakers pushed for a pledge to extend the comment period- but Avalos only promised an answer soon.

Click here for more on the House Ag Subcommittee look at the Livestock Marketing Rules as proposed by GIPSA- including audio from the hearing.


One of the Groups Mentioned at the Hearing- National Farmers Union
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Since the USDA officials present already knew about the NFU position- I guess you could say the letter from NFU to USDA's Vilsack received "express delivery." National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson sent a letter to Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack Tuesday encouraging the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration to oppose extending the comment period for the proposed rule requiring USDA to improve fairness in livestock and poultry marketing.

Johnson says extending the comment period into the fall calf season will give packers leverage to offer lower prices to producers as a fear mechanism. He says USDA has given a sufficient amount of time to comment on the rule - and if the department deems it necessary to extend the comment time - it should be minimal and only to meet USDA's needs.

Also mentioned at the hearing on Tuesday was a letter sent by a "coalition" of groups that were organized by R-Calf USA- also opposing the extension of the comment period. The letter from these groups was sent directly to the head of GIPSA- Dudley Butler and we have a link to it below. Click on the link to read the arguments of those who do not want an extension- because as they say time's wasting to "begin the process of returning to independent livestock and poultry producers a properly functioning, competitive marketplace."

Click here for the letter from R-Calf and fifty plus other groups opposing an extension to the GIPSA Livestock Marketing Rules published in June


Cattle Inventory Report Coming Friday May Show Smallest US Cattle Herd Since 1973
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The Allendale folks have released their estimates for July 1 Cattle Inventory Report- to be released from USDA on Friday afternoon at 2 PM central time.

Allendale sees three key points coming from the twice annual cattle count-

Fourth year of slow contraction in the breeding herd continues.
Lowest July 1 total cattle herd since USDA started the July survey in 1973.
Lowest annual calf crop since 1950. Lower calf crop numbers will continue for next three years.

Alle ndale believes that USDA will project a total cattle herd of 101 million head in the US as of July 1, 2010. That includes 31.7 million beef cows and nine million dairy cows.
In both cases, improved productivity has meant that more meat and more milk per animal can be produced than in years past- so fewer animals have been needed to keep the meat and milk pipelines filled.


Our Agritourism Venue of the Week- Chisholm Trail Heritage Center in Duncan
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During the spring and first half of the summer- we have been featuring a different Agritourism venue on a weekly basis- both on the Radio Oklahoma Network as well as on News9 and News on 6 in Oklahoma City and Tulsa respectively. Our final spotlight of an Agritourism Venue comes this week as we feature the incredible Chisholm Trail Heritage Center in Duncan.

This world-class museum brings to life the Old West and the great cattle drives of the 19th century. Experience the IMAX-style theater, where visitors can feel and smell the intensity of a cattle drive and all its dangers. The life of Jesse Chisholm is told in the Campfire Theater, while the Youth Gallery provides an interactive opportunity to be a cowboy. Other attractions feature Western artists, numerous exhibits about the Chisholm Trail, and the largest bronze sculpture in Oklahoma. The museum recently opened the Garis Gallery of the American West- a 2,300 square-foot addition with an exceptional collection of Western Art.

Click on the LINK below for our story and the video of our TV spot seen in Oklahoma City and Tulsa this week featuring the Center. We also have links to the website of the center- and the website for the Agritourism efforts coordinated by the Tourism team in Oklahoma. With over 500 Agritourism venues in the state of Oklahoma- it truly is a Growing Adventure!

Click here for more on the Chisholm Trail Heritage Center- one of 500 Agritourism Venues in Oklahoma


Weed-Free Hay Certification Program Launched in Oklahoma
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State hay growers have not been able to sell hay or mulch to contractors working on federal construction projects because Oklahoma had no program to certify their products as "weed free" as required by law. That will change next week as a new certification process goes into effect.

Created by HB 1583 by State Senator, Ron Justice and State Representative, Eddie Fields, the Oklahoma Weed Free Certification Program will allow growers to have their hay meadows inspected up to 10 days before cutting. Jeannetta Cooper, Oklahoma Department of Agriculture Food and Forestry Consumer Protection Service coordinator, said if the inspector finds no evidence of noxious weeds, the producer will be able to receive certification, identification tags for the hay bales and a Transit Certificate if necessary.

More details on this program are in the story we have on our website- click on the LINK below for those details.

Click here for more info on the Weed Free Hay Program to be available in Oklahoma starting next week.


MBA Grads Are Already Making a Difference as They Tell the Beef Story
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There all kinds of folks connected to the beef industry that have signed up for the Masters in Beef Advocacy Program that Daren Williams shepherds. Williams is the Dean of the Beef Industry MBA Program- and he says large and small beef producers have stepped up to be a part of this proactive effort to communicate a positive story about raising cattle and producing beef for consumers here in the US and around the world.

Wiliiams is our guest once again on the Beef Buzz for our second part of a two par look at the Masters program. He says that the MBA program has a world of potential. "Since launching the MBA program in March, 2009, more than 3,000 students have enrolled and 1,500+ have completed the online courses. But more than numbers, you are making a difference! MBA grads have been actively involved in promotional efforts such as the "Give Thanks" and "I Heart Beef" campaigns, as well as working to correct misinformation about modern beef production's impact on the environment and beef's role in a healthy diet."

Click on the LINK below for this Beef Buzz- as heard on great radio stations around the state on the Radio Oklahoma Network. We also keep an archive of previous Beef Buzz shows on our website- simply click on the left hand side of any page on the Beef Buzz button and you will see the latest Beef Buzz shows- with links at the bottom for previous months of the program.

Click here for today's Beef Buzz- once again with Daren Williams of the NCBA on the MBA Program.


Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, PCOM, P & K Equipment/ P & K Wind Energy, Johnston Enterprises, American Farmers & Ranchers, KIS Futures and Big Iron Online Auctions 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- FREE!

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


Let's Check the Markets!
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We've had requests to include Canola prices for your convenience here- and we will be doing so on a regular basis. Current cash price for Canola is $7.60 per bushel, while the 2011 New Crop contracts for Canola are now available are $7.50 per bushel- delivered to local participating elevators that are working with PCOM.

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.



God Bless! You can reach us at the following:
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phone: 405-473-6144
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