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Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update. 
 

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Harvest Waits as Warm Moist Air Keeps Combines Idle  

The stress level for wheat and canola farmers in Oklahoma is rising as they wait on the wheat in their fields to have a moisture levels low enough to allow harvest.

Storms last night made for a long evening in several north central counties- with the report of a tornado in Garfield County, power out this morning in the town of Carrier and a BNSF train derailment there- that may have been caused by that tornado.

A lot of western Oklahoma had temps 90 degrees or better on Wednesday- and for areas that can stay dry, have some wind and those temps- the wheat will be ready quickly. 

Since Monday morning- much of the winter wheat belt in Oklahoma has not gotten all that much rain- as you can see from the Mesonet 3 day rainfall snapshot.




Looking ahead- the chances of rain remain- and that means harvest prospects are best in those pockets that are missed by the rain and storms.

Dr. Garey Fox of OSU Picks Up Half Million Dollar Grant for Riparian Buffer Research

JBS's Cameron Bruett Says Defining Sustainability is Critical to Beef Industry

Sustainability in the beef industry continues to be a hot topic among today's consumers. Cameron Bruett, head of corporate affairs for JBS, says the problem lies in not having a clear and consistent definition of sustainability as it relates to beef production.


Bruett is the immediate past president of the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, an initiative to make all aspects of the beef value chain are environmentally sound, socially responsible and economically viable. He says the group has been working on defining the term "sustainability" and then sharing it with the marketplace "whether that be in the form of verified sustainable beef or be that in the form of just marketing materials through NCBA and companies like mine, so we have this common understanding of what sustainability truly means."


Bruett says the answer doesn't lie in a certain production system or hormone-free/antibiotic-free labels.


"This is shorthand that marketers are using to attract primarily millennial consumers," he says. "It doesn't necessarily relate to sustainability. 


"But in the absence of a well-understood, consumer-driven message around sustainability, it serves as the de facto or the shorthand."


When it comes to talking about antibiotic use in cattle, Bruett says the industry has unfortunately shifted from talking about responsible and judicious use to just "free or not free." 


"My reticence is that the debate has shifted into an area that I don't think is conducive to animal health and public health," he says. "It's conducive to marketing; it's conducive to sales; it's not conducive to the overall benefit of the industry from a human or animal health perspective."


Listen to more of Bruett's comments on sustainability in the beef industry during the latest Beef Buzz.

DuPont Pioneer and John Deere Help Growers to See More Green

DuPont Pioneer is offering an incentive for growers to try the Encirca Yield Nitrogen Management Service this summer to enhance their in-season nitrogen monitoring and management. The offer is free for growers who have enabled JDLink Connect to their John Deere Operations Center account in their newer model John Deere agricultural equipment and have approved connectivity with Encirca services.


"We believe growers who try this no-risk offer will see value of the data-driven insights from Encirca services and the John Deere Operations Center to make more informed decisions about critical crop inputs and equipment optimization," said Eric Boeck, DuPont Pioneer marketing director for Encirca services. "Dynamic management of their operation through the growing season can help growers see more green at harvest through higher yields and lower input costs." 


The promotion includes a free nitrogen evaluation by an Encirca certified services agent of about 100 acres of a grower's cropland, real-time computer monitoring of nitrogen levels on those acres through the 2016 growing season, and a one-on-one review of nitrogen plans with respect to final yields in the fall. Encirca services are driven by strong agronomic expertise, proprietary soil analysis and classifications, advanced crop modeling and an exclusive hyper-local weather network.


"John Deere is excited about this offer from Pioneer because it helps expand the value of JDLink Connect and the John Deere Operations Center beyond the convenience of data connectivity and the value of job optimization solutions," said Kevin Very, business solutions manager, John Deere. "When growers opt to share their data with Encirca services and the John Deere Operations Center, they open a whole new set of advanced management insights. Encirca services enable such insights as variable rate fertilizer prescriptions available as crops are being harvested. This means more efficient deployment of equipment and labor."

Click here to learn more about taking advantage of this incentive.

Top Chefs On Capitol Hill To Urge Congress To Act Now To Reduce Food Waste

National food policy organization, Food Policy Action Education Fund (FPA-EF) and its co-founder chef Tom Colicchio were walking the halls of Congress Wednesday with our nation's top chefs and food waste advocates for a day of action on Capitol Hill to educate lawmakers on food waste reduction in the American food system. Advocates used data and insights from Rethink Food Waste Through Economics and Data's (ReFED) Roadmap to Reduce U.S. Food Waste, released in March, to push for common sense action that can be taken now to address this urgent and very solvable problem.


"Food waste is a more than $200 billion dollar problem in America. It hurts the economy, our environment and our people," said Colicchio, food advocate, FPA-EF co-founder and "Top Chef" head judge. "As chefs, it's in our best interest to make sure safe, edible product does not go unused. We are here to help Congress understand that it's in our country's best interest to do the same. I am happy that so many chefs and leading experts are here with me today to help drive positive, bipartisan change."


A staggering 40 percent of the food produced in the U.S. is never eaten. This waste and loss imposes burdensome costs on our environment, businesses, government and taxpayers. America spends 1.3% of its GDP growing, processing and transporting food that goes to waste. Meanwhile, as more than 60 million tons of food is thrown out, one in seven Americans is food insecure. FPA-EF views this challenge as a call for America to do better and is working with chefs and leading advocates across the country to help raise awareness and promote food waste reduction.


Last year USDA/EPA issued a nationwide target to reduce U.S. food waste by 50% in 2030. ReFED's Roadmap shows an achievable path to a 20% reduction of food waste within a decade through 27 cost-effective, feasible, and scalable solutions that could be implemented today to generate thousands of new jobs, bolster the economy, and divert 13 million tons from landfills and on-farm losses. 

Read more about the group's efforts to reduce food waste.

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EPA, Army Corps of Engineers Violate Law, Oppress Farmers Farm Bureau Tells Congress

The Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers have violated their own regulations and effectively invented new ones in enforcing the Clean Water Act, the American Farm Bureau Federation said Tuesday.


Don Parrish, senior director of congressional relations at AFBF, told the Senate Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water and Wildlife that the Army Corps' novel interpretations of environmental law are threatening the very livelihoods of ordinary, middle-class Americans who happen to farm for a living.


"Based on what we see in California, it is clear that the expansions in jurisdiction over land and water features on the farm are already happening," Parrish told the subcommittee. "Most ordinary farming activities conducted in areas under jurisdiction will require permits if and when the Corps chooses to demand them. And when they demand permits, delays and costs will mount until most farmers simply give up. Congress needs to step in and give farmers some real certainty so they can plan their farming operations and protect the environment at the same time."


Parrish's testimony also included a detailed analysis of recent Army Corps actions by Judy Gallaway, an environmental scientist and California Farm Bureau member who has consulted on numerous discussions between local farmers and the Corps. The Army Corps interprets and executes environmental regulations that are largely determined by the EPA.

Click here to read the numerous examples of EPA and Army Corps mismanagement Parrish cited during the hearing and find a link to Parrish's testimony.

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