Oklahoma's Latest Farm
And Ranch News
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Your Update from Ron Hays of RON
Thursday, June 24, 2021
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Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update.
- Senate Ag Committee Hearing on Cattle Markets Features Sharp Divide Over Government Involvement in Mandating How Cattle Are Sold
- Wheat Harvest Continues Throughout the State- Okla Wheat Commission Estimates 65% Complete
- Supreme Court Ruling Upholds Private Property Rights
- USDA-Rural Development Investing Almost $2 Million In Rural Oklahoma
- With A Tick-Heavy Year In Our Midst, How To Best Prevent These Pests And Their Dangers
- Bob LeValley Shares Information On Feed Additives and Medicated Feeds
- Ag in the Classsroom Celebrating Pollinator Week with the World of Honeybees!
- New Southern Plains Podcast with Francie Tolle from the USDA Risk Management Agency in Kansas City
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Senate Ag Committee Hearing on Cattle Markets Features Sharp Divide Over Government Involvement in Mandating How Cattle Are Sold |
A much anticipated US Senate Ag Committee Hearing was held on
Wednesday- and it featured five witnesses- two cattle producers, two
livestock market economists and one social engineer. You also had
several Senators testifying as well during their five minutes allocated
for questions- and some of the highlights include:
Two Producers offered testimony- Justin Tupper represented
the US Cattlemen's Association and and wants government intervention in
the cattle markets now- his phrase that surfaced and resurfaced was the
lack of a Second Bidder in the cash cattle market.
Mark Gardiner of Ashland, Kansas
represented NCBA and was introduced by Kansas Senator Roger Marshall as
one who was an orginal founding member of US Premium Beef- an early
example of an Alternative Marketing Arrangement. Gardiner believes
supply and demand is at work in the cattle market- and that short term-
we will get our feedlots current and better balance cattle supplies with
processing capacity- and that will help drive cattle prices up- and
longer term- we will have more processing capacity and that will give
producers more leverage in price discovery- NO Government intervention
is wanted or needed is his bottom line.
You also had Dr. Glynn Tonsor of K-State and Dr. Dustin Aherin of Rabobank offering testimony(both Ag Conomists) and what I would call social engineer Dr.Mary Hendrickson of the University of Missouri weighing in as well.
You also had Senator Charles Grassley loudly calling for government
mandates for cash cattle markets- and you also had vegan Senator Cory
Booker citing The Jungle from Upton Sinclair in his comments on the need
to break up the Big Four Meat Packers and get the govenment involved in
multiple ways.
We wll be breaking down the Hearing and what was said in the days
ahead- including in the Beef Buzz that we will feature here in the email
tomorrow- but in the meantime- the Button below takes you to a Preview
Beef Buzz that aired on Wednesday morning-and the second button provides
links to the PDFs of the testimony of all five witnesses and the their
is a link to the video undere that second button
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Union Mutual
was chartered in 1938 to write property and casualty insurance in the
state of Oklahoma. Over the years, Union Mutual has maintained
the attitude that started the company and continue to be that company
that understands Oklahomans’ insurance needs when they contact any
member of the UMIC team.
In
poor economic times, in times when national insurance companies either
stopped writing or completely left the state, Union Mutual has been
there for Oklahomans. Today, Union Mutual writes insurance in all 77
counties of Oklahoma through almost 300 agency locations. These agents
provide prompt and reliable quotes for most lines of
insurance. Just recently, UMIC launched a new product in the
preferred market space that has seen unprecedented growth with our rural
customer base and falls in line with our Company mantra of “Protection
not Politics”, when meeting the needs of our consumers and agents.
Monica
Collison took over as CEO of Union Mutual in May of 2019. Under her
leadership and through the hard work of her Union team, the company has
continued to see positive results and productive growth with profit
throughout the state of Oklahoma. Union Mutual offers a wide
variety of coverage options for Oklahomans. For 82 years, Union Mutual
has led the way to protect all of Oklahoma.
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Wheat Harvest Continues Throughout the State- Oklahoma Wheat Commission Estimates 65% Complete |
Oklahoma
Wheat harvest continues across the state in all regions today. Rain
showers early Monday morning thru mid-morning hindered harvest progress
on Monday and Tuesday in several parts of Northern Oklahoma while other
regions had lighter amounts and were able to get back into the fields
yesterday. Early cuttings on the crop taken after the rains this week
are not showing any signs of major test weight loss or yield loss.
Overall crop quality continues to be favorable with test weight and
yield reports. Statewide test weight averages are extremely favorable
with most reporting 60 lbs./bu. and above.
Yields,
in most all regions, have been favorable ranging from the mid 30’s to
mid 60’s depending on variety, location and management plans. Some
producers with intensive management programs are reporting yields in the
mid 70’s to mid 80’s in parts of Northern Oklahoma. Protein reports
across the state are varying, with wide ranges in Southwest Oklahoma.
For the most part, we are hearing regional averages of 11.0% to 11.4%
In
Central Oklahoma we are seeing slightly lower proteins in the 10.5% to
11.1% range. Early reports on protein in Northern Oklahoma are ranging
across the board, with higher numbers being reported in the Northwestern
corridor where we had less rain from the Helena, Ringwood, Cherokee and
Alva regions earlier in the year. Averages along this corridor coming
in at 11.1% to 11.2%.
Currently we are calling the statewide average in Oklahoma for protein at 11.1% Harvest is estimated at 65% complete.
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Supreme Court Ruling Upholds Private Property Rights |
The
U.S. Supreme Court today delivered a victory for property owners when
it reversed a lower court’s decision regarding a California labor
regulation on farmers.
The
ruling said the regulation that allowed union organizers to come onto
private farms without permission in order to recruit agricultural
workers violated the constitutional rights of the farm owners when
California refused to compensate the property owners for the entry. The
regulation allowed union organizers to enter the private property for up
to three hours a day, 120 days a year.
The Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office led briefs in support of two California fruit farms that challenged the union regulation.
Oklahoma Solicitor General Mithun Mansinghani said the ruling is a major victory for farmers and all others who value their property rights.
“The
U.S. Supreme Court agreed with what we argued - private landowners have
the right to choose who can be on their property, and when that
property right is taken away, California must pay just compensation,”
Mansinghani said. “Protecting property rights is fundamental to the
Constitution. We applaud the U.S. Supreme Court and appreciate our
colleagues who fought with us.”
American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall also commented today regarding the U.S. Supreme Court ruling,
“The
American Farm Bureau appreciates the U.S. Supreme Court for reaffirming
private property rights, which are foundational to our nation and
critical to ensuring secure and well-managed farms. We hope this
decision sends a message to state regulators that it’s simply wrong to
give outsiders access to farms, where families live and work hard to
safeguard their animals and harvests.”
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For our farmers who have either- always have had cotton on their
farms- or those who have more recently have added the fiber crop to
their operations- we have a new daily report starting to be heard on
several of our Radio Stations- It's Called Cotton Talk- and we
appreciate the Oklahoma Cotton Council for their support in making this a
reality.
Click on the Button below to listen to our most recent report
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USDA-Rural Development Investing Almost $2 Million In Rural Oklahoma |
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Justin Maxson
today announced that USDA is investing $185 million to equip, rebuild,
and modernize essential services in rural areas of 32 states. The
investments will benefit 3 million rural residents.
A total of $1,997,067 is being invested in 21 projects in Oklahoma. Below are examples of investments:
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Oklahoma - The Atoka County Emergency Medical Services is receiving a
$215,300 grant to purchase two fully equipped ambulances to replace
ambulances that are worn out or in need of repair. These new ambulances
will allow them to provide improved services to their customers as well
as expand services to include communities they have not been able to
serve.
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Oklahoma - Bokoshe Public Schools is receiving a $29,300 grant to
purchase appliances for its kitchen. The purchase is comprised of a
commercial planetary floor mixer, a gas range/griddle, a proofing
cabinet, and a walk-in combination cooler. The new appliances will
replace outdated equipment.
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Oklahoma – The City of Chandler is receiving a $66,000 grant to
purchase a fire truck to replace its 43-year-old truck that requires
major engine repairs. The City of Chandler responds to all fire and
emergency needs with the city limits and the surrounding 160 square mile
radius.
“The
Biden-Harris Administration has made investing in infrastructure
improvements a priority,” Maxson said. “These loans and grants will help
rural communities invest in facilities and services that are vital to
all communities, such as schools, libraries, hospitals and health
clinics. They also will help rural communities continue to beat the
COVID-19 pandemic as America builds back better and stronger.”
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We invite you to listen to us on great radio stations across the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network weekdays-
if you missed this morning's Farm News -
or you are in an area where you can't hear it- click below for this
morning's Farm news from Ron Hays and KC Sheperd on RON.
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Sponsor Spotlight
Midwest Farm Shows is
proud to produce the two best Farm Shows in the State of Oklahoma
annually- the Tulsa Farm Show each December and the Oklahoma City Farm
Show each April.
They would like to thank all of you who participated in their 2021 Oklahoma City Farm Show.
The Tulsa Farm Show
is Oklahoma’s premier agricultural and ranching event which returns to
the River Spirit Expo (Expo Square) December, 9-10-11, 2021.
Now is the ideal time to contact the Midwest Farm Show Office at 507-437-7969 and book space at the 2021 Tulsa Farm Show. To learn more about the Tulsa Farm Show, click here.
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With A Tick-Heavy Year In Our Midst, How To Best Prevent These Pests And Their Dangers |
Tick
activity is on the rise in Oklahoma, thanks to recent humidity levels,
resulting in a favorable year for ticks and an unfortunate one for the
rest of us.
Associate Farm Director, KC Sheperd, caught up with Oklahoma State University professor of parasitology, Susan Little,
and she said, “In Oklahoma, activity by the Lone Star tick usually
peaks in May, but with all the rain we’ve had it slowed them up a
little. American dog ticks and Gulf Coast ticks are both active right
now, too.”
Little
said the extra humidity Oklahoma has experienced is prolonging the life
span of ticks and is providing ticks more time to find hosts to latch
onto in the environment.
Little
said should a tick latch onto a pet or person, the key action is to
remove it as quickly as possible. The sooner it is removed, the less
chance there is for the tick to have transmitted a disease, she added.
Many prevention methods are mentioned, and additional tick guidance is available online from OSU Extension.
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Bob LeValley Shares Information On Feed Additives and Medicated Feeds |
Bob LeValley,
Oklahoma Beef Quality Assurance Coordinator, shares information about
feed additives and medicated feeds. Read more of his comments
below.
The
term medicated feeds include feeds containing FDA approved medications
intended to be included in animal diets. This would include medications
such as chlortetracycline (CTC) use in mineral supplements fed to
control anaplasmosis, antibiotics used in concentrate feeds and
premixes, completed feeds and others. This might
be a good time of year for cow/calf producers to review the basics of
the VFD requirements. The FDA requires a Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD)
for all feed-use medically important antibiotics. If a cattle producer
needs to use one of these antibiotics, they must obtain a VFD from their
veterinarian.
Good
records are essential with VFD feeds as well as any medications to
ensure proper withdrawal periods are observed. All VFD feed records must
be kept, and available for inspection for two years, by the issuing
veterinarian, the cattle producer and the feed mill that distributed the
feed. Record keeping, either computer based or by hand, can be a useful
management tool. Records can be used to evaluate treatment
recommendations and help the veterinarian make adjustments based on
documented results.
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Ag in the Classsroom Celebrating Pollinator Week with the World of Honeybees! |
Its National Pollinator Week!
Pollinators
are essential for healthy ecosystems & agriculture but are in rapid
decline, so for this Week's Ag in the Classroom, we will focus on the
Wonderful World of Bees!
Honeybees
are very important to the farmer. Before any kind of plant can produce
fruit, its flowers must be pollinated. Every third bite you take would
not be there if not for the help of pollinators. Pollination is
necessary for the production of seeds and fruits in up to 80 percent of
the world's flowering plants. That includes 2/3 of the world's food
plants—fruits, many vegetables (or their seed crops) and even legumes
such as alfalfa and clover, which are fed as hay to the livestock we eat
as meat.
Pollination
is also important to the US economy. In the US, pollination by insects
contributes to $40 billion worth of products annually. Pollination by
honeybees alone is valued at $19 billion, 143 times the total value of
the honey produced by bees.
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New Southern Plains Podcast with Francie Tolle from the USDA Risk Management Agency in Kansas City |
A new episode of the Southern Plains Podcast is now available online.
In the latest episode hear from Francie Tolle,
Director of the Product Administration and Standards Division with the
USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) in Kansas City, Missouri. Francie
discusses the role RMA plays in helping producers manage risk (including
the risk caused by extreme weather events), the new Pandemic Cover Crop
Program (PCCP) and why it's important that soil health producers report
their cover crops to FSA.
You can check it out here.
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OKC
West is our Market Links Sponsor- they sell cattle three days a week-
Cows on Mondays, Stockers on Tuesday and Feeders on Wednesday- Call 405-262-8800 to learn more.
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Today's First Look:
Ron on RON Markets as heard on K101
mornings with cash and futures reviewed- includes where the Cash Cattle market stands, the latest Feeder Cattle Markets Etc.
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Wholesale Boxed Beef Prices
continues to fall fast and hard- Choice Beef was down $3.70 while Select
Beef was off another $4.34 on Wednesday, June 23rd.
Click on the Button below for the latest report from USDA Market News
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OKC West in El Reno held their
weekly calf and yearling markets on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week-
however, as of 5 AM this morning- USDA had not published their weekly
market report that we normally provide to you.
The button below does link to the USDA link for the market report-
so check it later and it will likely provide us a market report for OKC
West later in the day.
From Facebook- we do have a quick commentary from the week's sale from Manager Bill Barnhart- he writes "10,300
sold this week at OKC West. Another great sale at the auction this
week. Even after last week’s sharply higher trade feeder cattle
continued to surge ahead. Up this week 1.00-4.00. Lots of very nice
strings of yearlings were offered and sold to excellent demand. A few
fats traded at 125 in Nebraska otherwise not much to talk about
elsewhere. Packers are giving up some of their huge margins as choice
boxes continue to fall closing today at 312. Consumers are getting
gouged at the meat case. How long will they continue to buy product is
anybody’s guess."
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Each afternoon we are posting a recap of that day's markets as analyzed by Justin Lewis of KIS futures - click below for the latest update on the Livestock and Grain Futures Trade..
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Okla Cash Grain:
Daily Oklahoma Cash Grain Prices- as reported by the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture- The report available after the close of the Futures Trade for that day.
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Our Oklahoma Farm Report Team!!!!
Ron Hays, Senior Farm Director and Editor
KC Sheperd, Associate Farm Director and Editor
Dave Lanning, Markets and Production
Sam Knipp, Farm News Editor
Pam Arterburn, Calendar and Template Manager
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Rural Oklahoma is full of some of
the greatest success stories throughout the entire state and is the main
reason Oklahoma is on track to become a top 10 state.
The Road to Rural Prosperity
will dive into these stories each week, bringing you insight into the
great things happening in and to rural Oklahoma. We will bring you
stories covering rural life, agriculture, energy, healthcare, tourism,
and politics affecting rural America.
The Road to Rural Prosperity is here to tell stories about rural America, for rural America.
Host Ron Hays sits down with Sam Knipp,
who has been communicating to farmers and ranchers in Kansas and
Oklahoma as a farm broadcaster and ag journalist since the 1970s- Most
recently, he has been a part of the broadcast and journalism team for
the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network- but before that, Sam worked for farmers
and ranchers in Public Relations and Communications for the Kansas Farm
Bureau, Oklahoma Farm Bureau and the American Farmers and Ranchers. He's
a farm boy from western Kansas, who after over 40 years in service to
agriculture, is retiring July 2, 2021. Our conversation with Sam Knipp
is powered by Banc First.
To find out more about our full series of Podcasts on The Road to Rural Prosperity- click or tap here.
To hear this podcast, you can click here or tap below:
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Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, P & K Equipment, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Oklahoma Ag Mediation Program, Great Plains Kubota, Stillwater Milling Company, Oklahoma Cotton Council, National Livestock Credit Corporation, Oklahoma Beef Council, Oklahoma AgCredit, Union Mutual Insurance, the 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 invite you to check out our website at the link below too that
includes an archive of these daily emails, audio reports and top farm
news story links from around the globe.
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God Bless!
Reach Out To Us:
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Tim West
President/General Manager
Radio Oklahoma Ag Network
2401 Exchange Avenue,
Suite F
Oklahoma City, OK 73108
405.317.6361
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Ron Hays
Director of Farm Programming
Radio Oklahoma Ag Network
405.473.6144
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