Yesterday, more than 220 agriculture, wildlife, and conservation organizations from across the country sent a letter urging the House and Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittees to protect farm bill conservation funding in fiscal year 2018. The groups, called upon Congress to respect the funding decisions made by the Agriculture Committees during the rigorous 2014 Farm Bill process by rejecting any funding cuts to farm bill conservation programs through the appropriations process.


The letter underscores the importance of leaving funding intact for key farm bill conservation programs, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), and the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP).

"These programs provide the tools and resources that independent family farmers and ranchers need to effectively conserve water, protect and enhance soil, and maintain productive and profitable operations," said Greg Fogel, NSAC Policy Director. "In years past, appropriators have used backdoor tactics to cut mandatory funding from critical conservation programs, resulting in thousands of eligible producers being turned away by USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). At a time when American producers are already facing extreme economic hardship, it is more critical than ever that they have access to financial and technical assistance programs that can help them to become more resilient and profitable in the long-term."

To learn more about why these groups are advocating for the preservation of current budget allotments for conservation programs in the Farm Bill, continue reading the full story, by clicking here.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has placed a time for debate and a vote for the confirmation of Agriculture Secretary Nominee Sonny Perdue. The vote is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. April 24th, after what's expected to be a couple of hours of debate. Senate Leader McConnell added it to the schedule as a unanimous consent request.

The schedule puts to rest any speculation a vote could be held yet this week, as the Senate is stuck in a political battle over Supreme Court Justice nominee Neil Gorsuch. The vote is scheduled for the first day back for the Senate following a two-week recess. The vote comes 13 weeks after Perdue was nominated by President Donald Trump.

Earlier this week, Senator James Lankford, met with the cabinet nominee to get better acquainted and to vet Perdue's positions on policies that could have significant impacts on the state's industry and economic outlook.

"Our conversation primarily focused on the wildfires in NW Oklahoma that effected Beaver, Harper, and Woodward Counties," stated Sen. Lankford. "I want to start the conversation now, so that on day one, Secretary Perdue can be prepared to assist Oklahomans with relief. I know Sonny will serve as a great advocate for the agricultural community, and I look forward to his confirmation in the days ahead."

Jump to the original statement from Lankford's office about his meeting with USDA Secretary nominee Sonny Perdue, by clicking here.

Erin Borror is an economist with the US Meat Export Federation. She met with me this past weekend during the Texas and Southwest Cattle Raisers Convention in San Antonio, where she told me, right now... our beef exports are really doing very well.


"Exports just took off in the second half of last year, but it took a while to get that momentum going," she said. "And now, that's carried on with exports running up double digits to the start of this year."


This momentum behind beef demand on the export market, she says, is being driven by Asian consumers who Borror suggests are "rediscovering" US beef. In particular, chilled beef products have become very popular in both Korea and Japan where they've increased their imports of these products by up to 50 percent.


"Korea has been amazing and kind of firing on all fronts," Borror stated. "Where our real focus is in Korea as well as Japan, is on retail. We're doing everything we can to build further shelf space for chilled US beef at retail."


Listen to Borror speak with me about what's behind the strong demand for US beef in Asian markets right now, on yesterday's Beef Buzz - click here.

According to Dr. James Rogers, of the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, farmers in Oklahoma "have learned to overcome some of the winter forage shortfalls by shifting some of our late summer/early fall forage growth to winter by creating stockpile forage."

He suggests "the same process can be used to help overcome the summer forage slump," but adds the disclaimer, "it takes a little planning and management." He says to begin by developing an appropriate long-term carrying capacity for your operation.

"As you flow from winter into spring, rainfall will increase, temperatures will warm, and you will experience an abundance of fresh, high quality forage. The majority of warm-season perennial forage growth will occur by July 1. If you are in a grazing rotation, it may be hard to rotate fast enough to top all of your paddocks before they start getting ahead of you. Is this a mistake? Is this something to worry about? No, graze them after July 1 as summer stockpile. If you have a spring calving herd, the breeding season is at the very end and bulls are coming out at this point in the year. Cow nutritional demand is decreasing, and the increase in forage maturity at this point in the year should not be a problem. Forage growth and grazing rotations will be slowing down. If your summer stockpile is an introduced forage such as bermudagrass, you may wish to stay in these paddocks longer to remove the excess growth from summer; then, follow up with nitrogen (N) fertilizer to stimulate fall growth for winter stockpile grazing. If your summer stockpile is nativegrass, you will want to allow the nativegrass time to rest prior to frost in order to replenish carbohydrate reserves for spring growth."

Rogers insists forage management is a forward-looking process. His advice - "think about your operation as one forage system that flows from one season to the next, but keep in mind that management in one season influences the production of the next." Click here to read Roger's complete article for the full spectrum of his tips and advice on how to effectively manage a stockpiled forage system on your operation.

As we continue to highlight this year's Oklahoma FFA District Stars, I'd like to introduce you to Kohl Murray of the Perkins-Tryon FFA Chapter who is competing as the Central District's Star in Ag Placement.

"I work for two family farm operations, Murray Farms which became a Centennial Farm in 2013 and F4 Farms, which began in 1923," Murray said adding that, "both of them are a crop and cow/calf operation."

In order to be successful at his job, Murray has had to become very familiar with the new technologies that are becoming standard for operating today's modernized equipment as well as the constantly evolving varieties of seed he is responsible for sewing.

Through FFA and the relationships he's made though, Murray says he has drawn from the advice of many trusted mentors and developed the skills necessary to be successful.

"FFA has taught me a lot. It sort of guided me in what I wanted to do in the future," he said. "I know for sure I wouldn't be here if it hadn't been for ag teachers, or parents or anyone that's helped me get here."

You can read more about Murray and his experiences as a member of the FFA, or listen to my interview with him, by clicking here.

American Farm Bureau Senior Director of Congressional Relations Pat Wolff, addressed agriculture's need for sweeping tax reform in a hearing before the House Agriculture Committee, yesterday, implying it necessary for farmers to have the  freedom to both grow and adapt quickly to changes beyond their control.

"Running a farm or ranch business is challenging under the best of circumstances," Wolff said. "Farmers and ranchers need a tax code that recognizes the unique financial challenges that impact them."

Wolff urged Congress to create and retain tax policies that support high-risk, capital-intensive businesses like farms and ranches. Farm Bureau supports many of the provisions in the House's proposed blueprint for tax reform, including reduced income tax rates, reduced capital gains taxes, immediate business expensing, and estate tax repeal. But, Wolff explained, the plan can be improved by reinstating benefits like the deduction for business interest expense and guaranteeing the continuation of stepped-up basis, cash accounting and like-kind exchanges.


To learn more about Wolff's testimony to congressional members and the stance of AFBF on the issue of comprehensive tax reform, click here.

In Case You Missed It - Josh Gaskamp of the Noble Foundation, joined me in studio last week to discuss the feral hog problem plaguing farmers across Oklahoma. With feral swine extermination being one of his specialties, Gaskamp explained to me the ongoing work being done to bring the hog situation under control. You can watch the video of our conversation that aired last Saturday on KWTV News 9, by clicking here.

According to Gaskamp, hogs cause more than $1.5 billion annually in agricultural damage.

In an effort to help reign in the damage of wild hogs, the Noble Foundation is training producers to deal with hog population on and around their land. The most common tactic he recommends though in getting rid of hogs, is trapping.


"There are a whole host of different control strategies that a land owner has at their disposal," he said. "But we often tell producers the most effective one is trapping."