Extreme Wildfire Danger Expected Across Oklahoma 

I's going to be very windy across much of the southern great plains today- including all of Oklahoma as well as the Texas Panhandle- and Meteorologist Alan Crone from the News on 6 writes this morning in his blog- "very strong winds are likely today across the state with 20 to 35 mph winds common across eastern OK and winds from 30 to near 50 mph located across the central and western part of the state.  High wind warnings are posted across the high plains of Texas, the panhandles, and a high wind watch is posted for western OK.  Wind advisories are hoisted into the central portion of the state.  The fire danger will be extremely high this afternoon as the dry line sweeps eastward and dry air moves into western OK.  Blowing dust will also be a major issue for western OK but its unclear how far east the dust will move. "  

In anticipation of this- a fire weather watch has been issued for southwest Oklahoma, but Oklahoma Forestry Services, a Division of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, wants the public to be aware that exceptional to extreme drought conditions mean fire danger is high statewide. Burn bans have been declared in a number of counties across the state.

"Drought conditions coupled with periods of strong, gusty winds and minimal precipitation mean that fire danger is continuing to escalate across the state," said George Geissler, Oklahoma State Forester. "We ask all Oklahomans to be extra careful when doing any activity which could spark a wildfire."

Associate State Climatologist Gary McManus says fire dangers will be extreme throughout the day Wednesday with low relative humidities and winds gusting to over 50 miles per hour.

Outdoor burning is discouraged and citizens are asked to report any new fires or suspicious smoke to the closest fire department. Safety of the firefighters and public is of the utmost concern and, with this week's weather forecast, one of the main threats for firefighters will be rapid spread of any fire start.

For a current list of bans, as well as a link to the burn ban resolutions, click here.  

NACD's Gene Schmidt Urges Cooperation in Comments on EPA Draft "319" Grant Guidance 

In comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Association of Conservation Districts President Gene Schmidt stressed that the federal role in water resources management should be one of cooperation. The comments are in response to EPA's most recent draft guidance to states and territories on awarding § 319 grants under the Clean Water Act for implementing Nonpoint Source management programs. Conservation  districts use the § 319 NPS Program to increase the utilization of agricultural best management practices such as buffer strips, conservation tillage, and nutrient management, as well as to implement low impact development and storm-water management practices to protect urban water quality.

When it comes to EPA's treatment of Total Maximum Daily Loads and the § 319 NPS program, efforts addressing impairments should be locally-led. "The best way to promote and implement conservation is through locally-led efforts," said Schmidt. "Many states are already successfully leveraging non-federal money, along with Farm Bill conservation program funding and § 319 grant funding, to achieve significant water resource goals."

NACD supports the EPA's proposal to remove procedural requirements in deference to locally-led conservation efforts and to encourage local-level innovation. The association also endorses EPA's increased focus on coordination with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as well as the agency's efforts through the National Water Quality Initiative to target highest priority areas and to nurture community-based actions on watershed scales. 

You can read more by clicking here.

Checkoff Helps Bring 45 New Soy-Based Products to Marketplace

Soybeans are a very versatile crop that can help meet the world's needs for food, feed, fuel - and 45 new products brought to the marketplace this year with the help of the soy checkoff.

"These 45 products represent 45 new ways of enhancing the market for our soybeans," says Russ Carpenter, a soy checkoff farmer-leader from Trumansburg, N.Y. "All of the products the checkoff helped develop this year and in past years, including some that we can use on our farms, come together to create a valuable market for our soy."

The checkoff provides funding to manufacturers of industrial and consumer products to research, develop and commercialize new products that contain soy. Partnerships like these have helped bring hundreds of new soy products to the marketplace, dramatically increasing demand for U.S. soy oil in the process.

This year's list includes new additions to some popular soy-based product categories, such as foam, candle wax and elevator fluids. But it also includes products in some completely new categories like paintballs, gel mattress filling and nail-polish remover.

Click here for more, including a list of the 45 new products.

AFR State Committee Conducts Policy Focus Group

The American Farmers & Ranchers 2012 Policy Committee convened in Oklahoma City Dec. 6 to discuss proposed changes and additions to the organization's policy.

Representatives from an array of entities presented to the committee, including the Organization of Rural Oklahoma Schools, Oklahoma Career and Technology Education, the Oklahoma State School Boards Association, the Oklahoma Conservation Commission, Oklahoma Secretary of Environment, and the Oklahoma Water Resources Board. The group will hear from additional speakers and consider local and county resolutions at subsequent meetings.

Topics of this year's discussion included private property rights, farm bill programs funding, water resources and conservation and disaster and drought relief for Oklahoma agricultural producers. 

Policies formed, altered or approved during the committee meetings and then adopted by member delegates during the 2013 AFR State Convention Feb. 22-23 will govern AFR legislative efforts through the next year.

You can read more by clicking here.

 

Glenn Selk Says Changing Feeding Schedules Can Make Calving a Whole Lot Easier

Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University Emeritus Extension Animal Scientist, writes in the latest Cow-Calf Newsletter about a little known trick to make calving season go a little smoother.

Cow-calf producers have always wished for the calves to be born in daylight. If cows go into labor in daylight, it is easier to see the cows and it is easier to get help if extra assistance is required to help with the delivery.

The easiest and most practical method of inhibiting nighttime calving at present is by feeding cows at night; the physiological mechanism is unknown, but some hormonal effect may be involved. Although some cows will still give birth in the middle of the night, the percentage of cows calving in the daylight will increase if the feeding activity is done late in the day. Research has shown that cows fed at, or after dusk will have a 2 or 3 to 1 ratio of calves born in daylight versus those born at night.

This year will provide an extra challenge for some producers. Those that need to stretch the hay supplies as much as possible may choose to limit access to the hay. Limiting the time to 4 to 6 hours per day that cows have access to the big round bales (in bale feeders) has been shown to improve hay feeding efficiency. However, limited access to the hay may be difficult to accomplish with "nighttime feeding". If the cows are turned in with the hay at dusk, they must be removed from the hay at 10:00 pm to midnight-in the dark. This is neither easy, nor convenient to accomplish.

Glenn has worked out more convenient solution which you can read about on our webpage.  Click here to go there.

 

R-CALF Says Pending Importation of Brazilian Pork Will Expose U.S. to Risk of FMD

The following is an opinion piece published by R-CALF USA.

Last January, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) granted approval to six Catarina, Brazil, meatpacking plants owned by five firms to export raw pork to the United States. Today, industry news reports indicate that raw pork will be imported into the United States from Catarina, beginning in March 2013.

Imported raw pork contaminated with foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is believed to have caused the devastating FMD outbreak that occurred in the United Kingdom in 2001. The last U.S. outbreak of FMD occurred near Montebello, California, in 1929, and was caused by meat scraps unloaded off a tourist ship from Argentina.

According to Iowa State University, swine are a "special concern" for FMD because they are more susceptible to the disease than other species of livestock. The United Kingdom also identifies pork meat from FMD affected countries, especially bone-in pork or with lymph glands attached, as bearing a higher risk for transmitting the disease.

Brazil is not a country recognized as FMD free by either the U.S. or the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), yet both the U.S. and the OIE claim that Santa Catarina, the second most southern state in Brazil, is free of the disease.

To read more of this editorial from R-CALF, click here.

 

This N That- Beef Battalion Report, Crop Insurance Numbers and Oklahoma Wheat Commission Meets

We had told you in recent days about the fund raising on behalf of the Beef Battalion and their steak for troops efforts.  A calf was sold and resold multiple times on Monday at the Oklahoma National Stockyards in Oklahoma City- and when the action and the bidders were done- a total of $45,969 was raised for the Beef Battalion!  Congrats to all who worked hard on this project to raise money that will go to say "thanks you" to the men and women and their families who serve us all in the US military. Robert York of National Livestock Credit has especially worked hard on this- and I know he appreciates the great support given by the folks on Monday for this project. 

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The latest crop insurance numbers were released yesterday- and as of December 17- slightly more than $8.7 billion has been paid out in indemnities to farmers from crop insurance they had for the 2012 crop season. It's hard to say how far along in the process we are in getting claims and filed and paid- but expectations are that we will see well north of ten billion dollars paid out because of the 2012 drought conditions across a wide swath of the country.

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The final regular meeting for 2012 of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission is set for this morning at 9 AM- the meeting is set for the Wheat Commission Offices, 3800 N. Classen Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK. The meeting will be held in the 2nd floor boardroom. Click here for their finalized agenda.