Michael Kelsey, executive vice president of the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association joined me over the weekend on my 'In the Field' segment on KWTV-News9, to talk about exactly how the proposed Oklahoma State Beef Checkoff referendum came about, and how the voting process deciding its outcome actually works.

"Title II of state law is very clear on how this process for a commodity to work through to achieve a state checkoff is conducted," Kelsey began. "In that process, a petition is required for signatures of ten percent of the producers of the particular commodity and an organization has to carry that petition process forward."


The OCA did just that earlier this year, and on June 14th, was granted authorization from the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture to carry out a referendum in which eligible producers in the state could vote on whether or not to approve the establishment of a state beef checkoff program.

In the latest crop progress report released Monday, October 30, 2017, the United States Department of Agriculture rated the US corn crop condition unchanged from a week ago, at 66 percent good to excellent, 23 percent fair and 11 percent poor to very poor. Corn is 54 percent harvested across the nation, up from 38 percent a week ago and still well behind the average of 72 percent. The US soybean crop has reach 83 percent harvested, up from 70 percent last week and just behind the average of 84. Pasture and rangeland for the US rates have declined some this week, rated now at 9 percent very poor, 16 poor, 35 fair, 35 good and 5 excellent. For the complete USDA Crop Progress report, click here.


According to the weekly crop progress report from USDA, Oklahoma winter wheat planted reached 83 percent, down 8 points from normal. Winter wheat emerged reached 70 percent, down 5 points from normal. Canola planted reached 95 percent, down 3 points from normal. Canola emerged reached 77 percent, down 8 points from normal. Corn harvested reached 84 percent, down 7 points from normal. Sorghum mature reached 95 percent, down 2 points from normal. Sorghum harvested reached 59 percent, down 12 points from normal. Cotton harvested reached 32 percent, down 3 points from the previous year but up 1 point from normal. Conditions of pasture and range were rated at 82 percent fair to good. To view the complete Oklahoma Crop Progress and Condition Report, click here.


In Kansas, winter wheat condition rated 4 percent very poor, 8 poor, 33 fair, 48 good, and 7 excellent. Winter wheat planted was 84 percent, behind 91 last year and 93 for the five-year average. Emerged was 57 percent, behind 73 last year and 75 average. Corn harvested was 78 percent, behind 92 last year and 89 average. Sorghum mature was 95 percent, near 98 last year, and equal to average. Harvested was 44 percent, well behind 69 last year, and behind 60 average. To view the complete Kansas Crop Progress and Condition Report, click here.


In Texas, winter wheat planted is rated this week at 79 percent complete, compared to 74 last year and 77 the average. Winter wheat emerged has reached 65 percent, behind last year by 4 and the average by 3. Currently, corn harvested is up 5 points this week from last at 88 percent complete, on par with the average. Cotton harvested is at 37 percent, ahead of the average by 2. Cotton's condition is rated 46 good to excellent, 36 fair, 18 poor to very poor. Sorghum in the state has reached 97 percent mature, ahead of last year and the average by 3. Meanwhile, 82 percent of the state's sorghum crop has been harvested, ahead of the average by 4. To view the complete Texas Crop Progress and Condition Report, click here.

The latest numbers compiled by the US Meat Export Federation shows the continued success in the export markets for both US beef and pork. According to the October report, beef exports this year from January to August are up by ten percent in volume at 823,000 mt. and 16 percent in value at $4.65 billion compared to the first eight months of 2016. Thad Lively, senior vice president for the USMEF, says with these numbers in mind, the attitudes of USMEF members going into their annual strategy meeting in Tucson, Arizona this week should be very positive. But, he also knows there will be an air of uncertainty about the future there as well.


"No question about it, there's going to be a lot of talk that relates directly back to the Trump Administration's trade agenda," Lively said. "We've heard a lot of talk from the President on the possibility of pulling out of NAFTA. I'm sure members are going to want to know where we're headed on trade."


Understandably, Lively says the White House's rhetoric has made people nervous, wondering if an exit from one of the most lucrative trade deals for American agriculture could truly come to pass. This has in turned spurred those in the trade industry to start thinking about what options are available if the Administration seriously considers taking such action. So, while trade conditions are currently performing exceptionally well, Lively says the overall momentum of US trade is on a slow trend of diminishment as long as uncertainty remains regarding the future of NAFTA and other agreements like KORUS and promised bilateral deals in lieu of the Trans-Pacific Partnership.


"We see our position in the Japanese market in particular falling behind as a result of the negotiations that Japan has had with our leading competitors, Australia and the EU," he said. "I think there are a lot of questions about the future and where we're going to go especially in this whole area of market access. I'm sure that will be at the top of a lot of people's minds."


Listen to Lively and I discuss the export market's exceptional performance this year and concerns over how to maintain that momentum, on yesterday's Beef Buzz - click here.

I caught up with Owasso FFA Advisor Jonathon Holloway during the 2017 National FFA Convention in Indianapolis this past week. Holloway was named the National Association of Agricultural Educators' Outstanding Teacher of the Year.

Holloway says receiving the award is very humbling but insists there are many ag-ed teachers throughout the state and nation that will never received the recognition they truly deserve for a job well done in their own local programs.

For twelve years, Holloway has instructed student in agricultural education. He got his start in Calera, Oklahoma working under longtime veteran Gerald Parks, as a student teacher and then alongside him for two years after graduating college. From there, he moved to Owasso where he says he's had the opportunity to learn from his long-serving teaching partner there, Mr. Scott Nemecek.

"I feel very humbled by that honor," Holloway said. "People say time flies when you're having fun and I guess that's what's happened. I've been very blessed to have two great teaching partner which I would credit all of my success to."

Frist as a student and now as a teacher, Holloway has seen the FFA change with the times to meet trends within the industry and society. But, while the organization is constantly evolving, he says it has never lost its moral compass.

"We make sure we don't get too far from our roots, making sure we don't lose touch with our foundation in agriculture," Holloway said. "Without the 1.2 percent of our population that's directly involved with production agriculture - we wouldn't be able to eat. We have to recognize our role in that."

Special thanks to ITC, the Oklahoma FFA Association and the Oklahoma FFA Alumni Association for their sponsorship of this year's National FFA Convention coverage.

Click over to the Blue/Green Gazette on our website, to read more about Holloway and listen to our complete conversation.

This is no time to be looking a gift horse in the mouth, says Dr. Derrell Peel about the performance of feeder cattle markets, currently.

Peel's article in this week's Cow/Calf Corner newsletter examines the current situation of the cattle market, which Peel believes can be very lucrative for producers from all segments of the beef industry, that take advantage while the getting is good.

"Calf prices have dropped very little this fall from summer levels...much less than the normal seasonal decline. Oklahoma calf prices this October are about 27 percent higher than this time last year," writes Peel. "Cow-calf producers are selling weaned calves for $150 to $200 per head more than last year."

In addition, heavy feeder cattle prices have not declined seasonally this fall as normal, but rather have increased.

According to Peel, an increase in heavy feeder price relative to stocker price is a signal to stocker producers to put more weight on cattle in the country.

Right now, Peel says the markets are suggesting a rare margin opportunity for winter grazing.

"Stocker producers, and cow-calf producers with potential to retain weaned calves as stockers, should pencil out the opportunities depending on beginning weight and expected timing and weight of later sales," he advises, crediting strong demand for making this opportunity possible in the first place. "Demand is strong in both domestic and international markets, with year to date exports up over 14 percent. Strong demand is the key to allowing all sectors of the industry to have decent margins simultaneously and will be the key as beef production continues to grow in 2018."

Click here to read Peel's full analysis of the current market situation allowing all segments of the beef industry to turn a profit right now.

The Commissioners of the Oklahoma Land Office will be hosting their final school land lease auction for the year, in Shawnee today.

The event will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the Gordon Cooper Technology Center and feature tracks of land throughout Pottawatomie, Lincoln, Oklahoma, Cleveland and Garvin counties.

An agricultural lease is usually for a five-year lease term. The lease can be used for crop production, grazing, hunting, recreation or a combination of these uses.

 
Minimum bids are listed for each tract. Detailed lists are available from the CLO at (405) 521-4000 or 1-888-355-2637. The information is also available on line by clicking here.

 

For a look at this year's brochure, click here.

 

While you're at it, get a head start on next month and check out the calendar page on our website to see what's happening this November on the ag scene.