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Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update. 
 

Featured Story:

Weekend of OYE to Catch You Up On- Links to Our Blue Green Gazette Stories  

 
There are already lots of results to report from the 2016 Oklahoma Youth Expo- and a busy week ahead at the World's Largest Junior Livestock Show.

We have multiple stories that we have posted in our Blue Green Gazette section of our website,OklahomaFarmReport.Com.

Those stories include: (Click on the Story Title to go Read More)

Kolton Baber of Big Pasture FFA Shows Supreme Champion Purebred Gilt with His York at 2016 OYE

 T K Fisher of Cleveland 4-H Named Grand Champion in Doe Showmanship at OYE

Abigail Jones of Hydro-Eakley 4-H Wins With Her AOB in OYE Futurity Heifer Show

 Sydney Bean of Newcastle FFA Shows Supreme Champion Breeding Doe at 2016 OYE

 Sierra Weathers of Hinton 4-H Shows Supreme Commercial Gilt at 2016 OYE

We also highlighted our video conversation with the Executive Director of the OYE, Tyler Norvell, that was seen on Saturday morning on KWTV News9- click here for that story that high some of the key highlights of the 2016 show:

The 101st Annual Stock Show

17,000 Entries from over 7,100 Youth

All 77 Counties Represented

$25 Million Dollar Impact on OKC Economy

Over a Million Dollars Back to 4-H and FFA Exhibitors in Prize Money, Scholarships and Premium Sale Dollars Before the Show is Done.

We have already posted over 400 photos to the 2016 Flickr Album for the 2016 OYE- click here to go and enjoy seeing the photos and getting a feel of the show to this point.

Our coverage of the 2016 OYE is supported by ITC, Your Energy Superhighway.  Click here to learn more about this great supporter of Oklahoma youth.

Check out the Monday happenings at the OYE by clicking or tapping here.

 

Showdown Week for GMO Labeling in the US Senate 

 

There are lots of moving parts in this GMO Labeling Bill story- some of the developments include:

Agri-Pulse is reporting this morning that "A compromise version of legislation to preempt state GMO labeling laws is likely to be released today, according to a source familiar with the negotiations.

Lincoln to Local Features State Senator Bryce Marlatt on Budget Woes Lawmakers Are Wrestling With

 

On a weekly basis, the Oklahoma Farm Bureau produces an update of what is going on at the Oklahoma Capitol called Lincoln to Local. The latest Lincoln to Local is out and features State Senator Bryce Marlatt, Republican from Enid.


Senator Marlatt discusses troubles at the state Capitol including the budget shortfall and education.

Click here to jump over to our website to check out the latest from Farm Bureau's Legislative Update.

FDA Responds to Industry Questions on the Revised VFD Rule

 
The Farm Foundation hosted 12 workshops across the nation last fall on the new policies and requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration concerning the use of medically-important antimicrobial drugs in food animals.


The workshops provided more than 500 livestock producers, veterinarians and feed suppliers the opportunity to learn about the new policies directly from senior officials of FDA and USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Participants also were able to voice their opinions and ask questions about the management challenges of implementation.


During the workshops, FDA officials were not able to respond to all the implementation questions. FDA has now responded to all those questions.

Our story on our website- available here- highlights some of the answers provided by FDA and has a link back to those answers provided by FDA

VFD is coming- it will go into effect January first of next year- and will impact most livestock producers in how they handle antimicrobial drugs that they use for their animals.

Beef Cattle Industry Continues to Make Beef Safety a Major Priority With $550 Million Dollar Investment Annually

 

Earlier in March, the beef cattle industry came together for the 2016 Edition of the Beef Industry Safety Summit in Austin, Texas. One of those involved again in 2016 was Kristina Butts of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. Butts is the NCBA's Executive Director of Legislative and Government Affairs in their Washington office.


The Beef Industry Safety Summit held in Austin was the 14th such gathering. At the first Summit in 2003, the beef industry affirmed its commitment to connect the safety links in the beef supply chain. Prior to that first meeting, individual industry segments had worked somewhat independently to address the safety issues relevant to their segment of the beef supply chain. At the 2003 Summit, the safety experts from all segments openly compared and shared research, best practices, mutual expectations, and perspectives on emerging safety concerns. And, organizers say that has been the goal each year since then.


Butts, in our latest Beef Buzz, says the 2016 edition of the Beef Summit focused on research as well as intervention strategies that can help keep consumers safe as they buy, prepare and serve beef to their families.

Click or tap to read more and listen to Kristina on the BIFSCO meeting held in Austin- including that $550 Million dollar figure she makes reference to when it comes to beef safety efforts on an annual basis.

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ICYMI- TSCRA Special Rangers Catch Man in the Act of Stealing Cattle

 

Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) Special Rangers Harold Dempsey and Dean Bohannon arrested a Guymon, Okla. man this past week after catching the suspect in the act of stealing cattle from a Dalhart, Texas livestock auction. Dempsey led the investigation and Bohannon assisted.

Dempsey said he was contacted by TSCRA Market Inspector Anita Prizilas concerning the suspected theft of two head of cattle from the Cattlemen's Livestock Commission in Dalhart, Texas. Prizilas told Dempsey the owner of the sale barn had been coming up short on head counts.

The investigation revealed the suspect, Dannie Talcott, 63, of Guymon, had been purchasing cattle over the internet from Cattlemen's Livestock Commission and shipping them to Preferred Beef, a packing plant in Booker, Texas. When Talcott would go pick up the cattle he bought from the Dalhart based livestock auction, he would load more cattle than he paid for.

Click here to read more- while these cattle were being stolen in Texas- it points out the need for a measure like the one now going through the State Legislature in Oklahoma City- the House passing HB 2504 last week that would make each animal stolen a felony count.

Tall Fescue Renovation School Coming to Northeast Oklahoma March 28th 

 

Tall fescue makes excellent perennial forage that can be used to fill the forage gap when warm-season grasses go dormant. Tall fescue is adapted to regions of greater rainfall such as eastern Oklahoma and the eastern states in the transition zone. Unfortunately, the dominant tall fescue (usually referred to as Kentucky 31) commonly used across the United States comes with one major problem: fescue toxicosis. Livestock grazing toxic tall fescue may have lowered animal production such as reduced weight gain, poor body condition, lowered reproductive rates and lowered milk production, and elevated body temperatures.

One of the best ways to push back on toxic tall fescue is to replace it with a newer variety of fescue.

If you want to know more about replacing your toxic tall fescue, help is at hand. The Alliance for Grassland Renewal will host a novel tall fescue renovation school from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., March 28, in Welch, Oklahoma. Novel tall fescue renovation schools offer a great way to find out how you can overcome animal productivity issues that come with grazing toxic tall fescue and learn about the benefits of replacing your pastures with one of the new varieties even if you think you are managing your toxic tall fescue.

More details are available here- many pastures in eastern Oklahoma are Fescue- and most have the problem of being toxic.  2016 might be the year to consider doing better.

Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, P & K Equipment,  American Farmers & Ranchers, Stillwater Milling Company, Oklahoma AgCredit,  the Oklahoma Cattlemens Association, Pioneer Cellular, Farm Assure and  KIS Futures 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!

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