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Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

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OKFB's Tom Buchanan Tells Senate Committee EPA Wants WOTUS to Regulate Areas That Don't Look a Bit Like Water

 

Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Tom Buchanan testified before a subcommittee of the Environment and Public Works Committee on Tuesday afternoon in Washington, telling members of the Committee that the EPA Clean Water Rule now being challenged in the Federal Courts system is a rule that shows the Agency's disregard for small business, farmers and ranchers and their ability to be a productive part of American society.

Buchanan told the Committee that in regards to WOTUS "After carefully studying the proposed rule, we at Farm Bureau concluded that the rule's vague and broad language would define "waters of the United States" to include countless land areas that are common in and around farm fields and ranches across the countryside. These are areas that don't look a bit like water. They look like land, and they are farmed, but by defining them as "waters of the U.S." the rule would make it illegal to farm, build a fence, cut trees, build a house, or do most anything else there without first asking permission of the federal government and navigating a costly and complex permitting regime."

 

Buchanan added that Farm Bureau believes that EPA violated Federal law in how they promoted WOTUS during the public comment period. "EPA also engaged in an extraordinary social media campaign aimed at a different audience-the broader public. That campaign consisted almost entirely of non-substantive platitudes about the importance of clean water-which no one disputes. It used simplistic blogs, tweets and You Tube videos to generate purported "support" for the rule among well-intended people who have absolutely no idea what the rule would actually do or what it will cost. EPA later claimed "public" support for the rule, even though the vast majority of those who actually read the rule- state and local governments, businesses, and organizations representing virtually every segment of the U.S. economy-vehemently opposed it."

Oklahoma AgCredit serves rural Oklahoma communities and agriculture with loans and financial services. Providing loans for rural property, farm and ranch land, country homes, livestock, equipment and operating costs is all we do.

 

We are the state's largest agricultural lending cooperative, serving 60 Oklahoma Counties.  To learn more about Oklahoma AgCredit, click here for our website or call 866-245-3633.

Oklahoma Senate Passes Cattle Theft Bill

 

On Tuesday, April 12, the Oklahoma Senate passed HB 2504, without any 'no' votes. HB 2504 addresses cattle theft. 

"OCA is very grateful to Representative John Pfeiffer and Senator Ron Justice for the carrying the bill," said Charlie Swanson, President of the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association (OCA). "This bill is another step in the right direction to help curb cattle theft in Oklahoma." 

The bill sets the financial penalty at three times the value of the stolen cattle and very clearly codifies that each animal can be a separate felony penalty. According to Swanson, OCA is grateful to all OCA members who called into their House and Senate members encouraging them to vote 'yes' on this important bill. 

 

Click here to read more about HB 2504.

USDA Expands Safety-Net for Dairy Operations Adding Next-Generation Family Members

 

On Tuesday, April 12, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that dairy farms participating in the Margin Protection Program (MPP) can now update their production history when an eligible family member joins the operation. The voluntary program, established by the 2014 Farm Bill, protects participating dairy producers when the margin - the difference between the price of milk and feed costs - falls below levels of protection selected by the applicant.

"This change not only helps to strengthen a family dairy operation, it also helps new dairy farmers get started in the family business, while ensuring that safety net coverage remains available for these growing farms," said Secretary Vilsack. "When children, grandchildren or their spouses become part of a dairy operation that is enrolled in MPP, the production from the dairy cows they bring with them into the business can now be protected. By strengthening the farm safety net, expanding credit options and growing domestic and foreign markets, USDA is committed to helping American farming operations remain successful."

 

Click here to learn more about the USDA's efforts to protect dairy farmers.

OERB Cleaning Up Site 15,000 As the Journey to Restore Every Abandoned Well in Oklahoma Continues

 
The Oklahoma Energy Resources Board is one of those true success stories that was initially created at the request of the state's oil and gas industry by the State Legislature. They saw a need to address abandoned well sites and the industry advocated being taxed by the government to fix the problems statewide. The OERB was the agency created- established in 1994. The agency, now led by Executive Director Mindy Stitt has quietly offered a service to landowners that is free and cleans up, in many cases, messes that are decades old.

This week, the agency is announcing that they have reached a milestone, with the 15,000th well site clean up underway. Site 15,000 is located in the Oklahoma City metro, just east of the Bricktown Fire Station (also built on an OERB-restored site) on Reno Ave. and will be developed into a new OKC hotel. Stitt says that about $20,000 will be used to restore this site.

I talked with Mindy about well site 15,000- and more importantly what the impact has been over the past twenty years plus as OERB has worked- usually in the country- rehabilitating land one well site at a time.  You can read more about the OERB mission and journey- and hear our full conversation with Mindy Stitt by clicking here.

 

Lowered Demand Estimates Result in Decreased Projected Corn Price

 

With corn overall demand estimates lowered by 24 million bushels and U.S. corn ending stocks raised by 25 million bushels, farmers can expect about slightly less per bushel according U.S. Department of Agriculture reports released today. While production estimates were unchanged from March and the report indicates increased demand for ethanol, those gains are more than offset by a major increase in feed and residual demand.

"U.S. corn farmers have indicated their intention to grow another bountiful crop in 2016 and, if the weather proves favorable, we may see a large corn supply after harvest," said National Corn Growers Association President Chip Bowling, a farmer from Maryland. "At NCGA, we work to apply the same expertise and and dedication shown by our members to our efforts to create and grow demand for our crop. America's farmers sustainably produce a corn crop that can feed and fuel the world. Working together, we can create the opportunities necessary to maximize the potential of this great resource and build a solid future for our farm families as well."

TSCRA's Richard Thorpe Ready to Speak Up for Beef Industry

 

Newly elected TSCRA President Richard Thorpe is not only a cattle rancher - he's also an emergency room doctor - and it's his medical expertise that's made him an ideal spokesperson for nutrition issues concerning the beef industry for several years.


In his new role, Thorpe will be speaking out on a number of issues affecting cattle producers, including private property rights, the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the EPA's clean water rule- otherwise known as WOTUS.


Click here to hear Thorpe's comments about each of these topics during the latest Beef Buzz.

This N That- Fed Cattle Review, Rainfall Cometh and OKC Farm Show Set to Start Tomorrow

 

According to Ed Czerwein of the USDA Market news office in Amarillo, prices for feedlot finished cattle was little changed this past week for cattle actually sold in cash trade.

He reports "The weekly weighted average cash steer price for the five areas, which includes Texas, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas and Iowa/Minnesota feeding areas, was only $.07 higher at $133.90 and compared to $133.83 the previous week.

"The five area total cash volume was 82,000 head compared to 70,000 head the previous week. The three biggest states for cash volume were Nebraska at 29,000 head, Kansas at 24,000 head and Iowa/Minnesota at 18,000 head. All three together totaled 86 percent of the cash volume for the five areas.

"Five area formula sales totaled 156,000 head with Texas at 70,000, Kansas at 38,000 head and Nebraska at 27,000 head. The five area formula price was $216.06 compared to $220.10 the previous week. Many of the formulas are based off of the previous cash sales, so they normally lag a little behind in the up and down movements compared to the cash sales."

Click here to read his full report- and for a chance to hear his comments about the cash and formula cattle markets.

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The indications are still there for significant rainfall this coming weekend- Jed Castles with News9, KWTV in Oklahoma City has a nine day forecast map shows the chances of rain this weekend look really excellent in central and western parts of the state:



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It appears that Thursday and Friday will be great days to check out the 2016 edition of the Oklahoma City Farm Show at State Fair Park in OKC- admission and parking are free- and show hours this year are the same as in all of the years that Midwest Farm Shows has operated the event- 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Thursday and Friday and 9-4 on Saturday.

Stop by the Cox Building and say HOWDY to us during the show- and register for the Preifert Round Pen that we will once again give away on Saturday afternoon- if rain should wash out the final performance of Scott Daily's training- we will shoot to draw the name of the winner around 2:00 PM- and notify the winner to come and pick up his prize that afternoon. 

For more details about the 2016 OKC Farm Show- click here.

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