Subject: Oklahoma's Farm News Update
From: Ron Hays <ronphays@cox.net>
Date: 3/30/2017 6:39 AM
To: rph@ronhays.com



 
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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!  
 
   
Finished cattle prices 
slipped lower Wednesday on FedCattleExchange.com - 1,898 cattle were sold with prices down $2.18 from a week ago- weighted average price was $131.17. Pens from Oklahoma and Texas went for $126 to $129.25- click here to see their complete market results.
 
 
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 futuresclick or tap 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 on Wednesday, March 29th.
  
  
Futures Wrap:  
Our Daily Market Wrapup from the Radio Oklahoma Network - analyzing the Futures Markets from the previous Day.
  
Feeder Cattle Recap:  
The National Daily Feeder & Stocker Cattle Summary- as prepared by USDA.
  
Slaughter Cattle Recap: 
The National Daily Slaughter Cattle Summary- as prepared by the USDA.
  
TCFA Feedlot Recap:  
Finally, here is the Daily Volume and Price Summary from the Texas Cattle Feeders Association.
  


  
Our Oklahoma Farm Report Team!!!!
  
Ron Hays, Senior Farm Director and Editor

Carson Horn, Associate Farm Director and Editor
  
Pam Arterburn, Calendar and Template Manager
  
Dave Lanning, Markets and Production

Oklahoma's Latest Farm and Ranch News

 
Your Update from Ron Hays of RON
   Thursday, March 30, 2017
Howdy Neighbors! 

Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update. 
 
Featured Story:
JurgyMiami's Mushroom Man Virgil Jurgensmeyer Honored by Governor for Outstanding Achievement in Agriculture

During Ag Day at the State Capitol yesterday, Governor Mary Fallin honored the accomplishments of Virgil Jurgensmeyer, with the Governor's Outstanding Achievement in Agriculture Award. To listen to the Governor's congratulatory remarks to Jurgensmeyer and the other award recipients, click here.


Jurgensmeyer resides in Miami, Okla. where he works as CEO of his family owned and operated mushroom farm, J&M Farms, which he founded with his brother Joe and business partner Darrell McLain in 1979 after growing tired of the corporate climate working for Ralston Purina where he first learned the business of fungiculture. Today, the company is solely owned by the Jurgensmeyer family and with the help of hundreds of employees, J&M Farms produces more than 27 million pounds of white button, Crimini and Portabella mushrooms annually.


 Our own Carson Horn attended the ceremony and spoke with Jurgensmeyer's three sons Curtis, Pat and Terry, who accepted the award on their father's behalf while he was unable to make yesterday's event.


"He was very humbled to receive it," Curtis said. "I think his first comment was, 'They must have made a mistake,' that he didn't deserve it. But we're proud of him."


Among his many achievements outside his own business, Jurgensmeyer has played a very active role in the state's agricultural community, serving as a member of many boards and associations including the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association, the Mushroom Growers Association, the Mushroom Council and the State Board of Agriculture.


By winning this award, Jurgensmeyer will join other exceptional agriculturalists of the state, with an automatic induction into the Oklahoma Agriculture Hall of Fame.


Click here to listen to Carson's interview with Jurgensmeyer's three sons after accepting the award on their father's behalf.

Sponsor Spotlight


The Oklahoma Farm Bureau - a grassroots organization that has for its Mission Statement- Improving the Lives of Rural Oklahomans."  Farm Bureau, as the state's largest general farm organization, is active at the State Capitol fighting for the best interests of its members and working with other groups to make certain that the interests of rural Oklahoma are protected.  Click here for their website to learn more about the organization and how it can benefit you to be a part of Farm Bureau.

WashingtonStuffInside the DC Beltway- Pruitt Meets With Aggies, Sonny Waits for Pat and Committee and Senator Lankford Talking Trade 
 
Oklahoma Farm Bureau has a great group of Oklahomans in Washington this week- and one of their highlights of the trip came yesterday as the some 60 Farm Bureau folks spent time at the EPA with new Administrator Scott Pruitt, our former Attorney General- Pruitt joked with the group- telling them "You know what's wonderful? You all are spending time at the EPA and you're still smiling!"

The group cheered Pruitt as he talked about rescinding the WOTUS rule- and he also told the OkFB members that he wants the EPA to protect our air and water- but that it must be done based on the law- not the agenda of activists.

Here's the group that met at EPA yesterday morning:



Meanwhile- EPA's Pruitt will have more smiling faces to meet with today- as he speaks to the Spring Legislative Conference of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

It's Day Two of the "Sonny Watch" as the Senate Ag Committee will try to find ninety seconds to have a confirmation vote for Sonny Perdue to be become our next US Secretary of Agriculture.  Senator Pat Roberts- chair of the Committee, hoping to have an impromptu meeting this morning after a Senate Floor Vote- when they do vote- Perdue will be approved by the Committee easily- and then we wait and see if Senate Leadership will be able to find an hour or two between now and next Friday to get a confirmation vote for the USDA post.

If it doesn't happen next week- we are talking end of April because of the two week recess for Easter that Congress has planned- what???- you don't recess from your job for Easter for 2 weeks??? 

Finally- we are told that Senator James Lankford will be meeting today with Robert Lightizer- who was selected to be the USTR in the Trump Administration- we have a few minutes promised us on the phone after that conversation is had by the Senator and the Ambassador- Lankford met with that Oklahoma Farm Bureau group yesterday- and among the comments he made to them- he says that tax reform is coming- and he is hopeful that will include complete repeal of the Death Tax.



Since the devastation of the wildfires that scorched Northwestern Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association's charitable arm, the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Foundation, has been working hard to raise relief funding for farmers and ranchers affected by this catastrophe.


With the last details being coordinated in these relief efforts, the Foundation's coordinator, Jeff Jaronek says the process to begin distributing the funds that have been donated for those in need, is ready to begin.


"We've received donations literally from all over the country and 100% of donations will be paid out directly to affected ranchers," Jaronek said. "Donations are still coming in, but it's time to start the distribution process."


The distribution process starts with a simple application. All producers affected by the fires are encouraged to apply by the deadline May 1, 2017. Documentation should be attached to completed applications, such as; USDA-FSA Form 578, USDA-FSA program applications, receipts for veterinary care, receipts/estimates for fence repair, receipts for special feed purchase, etc.
To get your copy of the application for fire relief funding, or to make a donation to the ongoing collection, click here.
EQIPTargeted EQIP Initiatives Now Available- Application Deadline is April 21st
 

The USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) invites farmers and ranchers to visit their local NRCS field office and apply for participation in conservation initiatives designed to restore landscapes, improve wildlife habitat and increase energy efficiency. Applications are due April 21, 2017.

 
Part of NRCS's flagship conservation program, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the four initiatives are:

Joint Chief's Landscape Restoration Partnership

Lesser Prairie Chicken Initiative

Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW) for Monarch Butterfly

On-Farm Energy Initiative


Details of all of these programs can be read about by clicking or tapping here.




Sponsor Spotlight


The Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association is the trusted voice of the Oklahoma Cattle Industry.  With headquarters in Oklahoma City, the OCA has a regular presence at the State Capitol to protect and defend the interests of cattlemen and cattlewomen.
 
Their Vision Statement explains the highest priority of the organization- "Leadership that serves, strengthens and advocates for the Oklahoma cattle industry."
 
To learn more about the OCA and how you can be a part of this forward-looking group of cattle producers, . For more information-click here for their website call 405-235-4391.
 

The Brazilian meat industry continues to struggle as an investigation into the corruption of 33 public sanitary inspectors and 21 meat processing plants was announced earlier this month. Extension Beef Cattle Specialist Dr. Glynn Tonsor says this situation could present an opportunity for the US beef industry to gain some of the international market share as the investigation persists.


"This is an opportunity I suspect the US will fully recognize and when you have growing production at home, we have a volume opportunity to seize that," Tonsor strategized, adding that this could also parlay into Australia's low volume situation as they deal with ongoing drought conditions.


"That is an immense opportunity for the US to continue to go on this robust export front," he insinuated alluding to the remarkably strong demand that's kept the US been industry afloat this year. "Frankly, I think we have to if we're going to keep this demand story going forward."


Listen to Tonsor and I explore the opportunities presented by Brazil's situation to expand US global market share, on yesterday's Beef Buzz - click here.
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.

 


In celebration of its 20th Anniversary, the Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center, or FAPC, will promote its milestone by participating in the Made in Oklahoma Day activities at OSU this next week on April 5th.


"Since its inception in 1997, FAPC has assisted more than 1,000 Oklahoma clients through 3,000 technical and business projects," said Roy Escoubas, FAPC director. "Working side-by-side with Made in Oklahoma companies to support Made in Oklahoma Month is a great way to honor this achievement and celebrate 20 years of adding value to Oklahoma."


The focus is to promote more Made in Oklahoma companies, offer their products into campus dining locations and catering services, and introduce the companies and products to OSU students, faculty and staff.


FAPC will have a booth at MIO Day at OSU to distribute 20-year themed cupcakes to attendees along with other companies representing the Made in Oklahoma Coalition that will distribute complimentary samples of products including meat, desserts, beverages and condiments.

For more details on FAPC's participation in MIO Day at OSU this year during the facility's 20th anniversary, click here.

R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard and his group welcomed two pieces of legislation that were reintroduced to the Senate earlier this week that Bullard says would  impart accountability and transparency to the beef checkoff program, which he refers to as the "cattle tax," and would eliminate cross-subsidization of the program and its beneficiaries.


"The bipartisan bill, S. 741, will end that conflict of interest by prohibiting lobbying groups from contracting with the program," said Bullard adding, "However, we think the best solution is the voluntary bill, S. 740, that allows producers to vote freely with their pocketbooks regarding whether they are individually satisfied with the checkoff's performance."


Bullard added further criticism to the program, disenchanted with changes to the board's makeup of representation.
Earlier this year the U.S. Department of Agriculture initiated a rulemaking to reapportion the board by reducing the number of board seats for the domestic cattle industry by two and increasing the number of seats for importers by one.


"This outcome isn't what U.S. cattle producers bargained for when the checkoff was first started in the late 80s," Bullard concluded.

To get the full story behind Bullard's take on SB 740 and 741, you can read the original release from R-CALF, by clicking or tapping here.

Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, P & K Equipment, American Farmers & Ranchers, Livestock Exchange at the Oklahoma National Stockyards, AlltechOklahoma Farm BureauStillwater Milling Company, Oklahoma AgCreditthe Oklahoma Cattlemens Association, 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!

 

 

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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