Last week, sisters Kathleen Maher and Mary White of Dickson, Okla. were honored by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture as Significant Women in Oklahoma Agriculture. Kathleen and Mary grew up on their family's farm in Dickson where they learned early on to be good stewards of the land and their family name. They've managed over the years and through the transition of generations to keep the farm that served as the early backdrop of their bringing up into the ag industry, in the family.

Mary and husband Keith White have about 150 acres of Bermuda sod in their Washita Valley Sod, Inc. business. They also farm with Kathleen in addition to Mary and Kathleen's brother Sean on the family property. There, they raise cow-calf retained stockers and hair sheep. Their operation also includes pecans, small grains winter pasture, haylage and Bermuda and Crabgrass hay.

The 2018 World Meat Congress concluded Friday with sessions focused on consumer trends and education, as well as an in-depth look at cutting-edge technologies reshaping meat production around the world. The 22nd World Meat Congress was held in Dallas May 31 and June 1. Hosted by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) and the International Meat Secretariat (IMS), the event drew about 700 participants from more than 40 countries.

Friday's keynote speaker was best-selling author Jeff Fromm, whose books include Marketing to Millennials, Millennials with Kids and Marketing to Gen Z. Fromm is also a partner at Barkley, a company that assists with establishment and enhancement of brands and helps businesses identify emerging consumer trends.

Fromm told the audience that food has become more than just a category of products consumers buy and enjoy - it is also a means of expression.

"How many of you used to have fashion as the thing that drove you, as a young person, to sort of express yourself?" he asked. "Today's modern consumer expresses themselves through food. Discretionary purchases on food have increased at a dramatic rate, at a time when discretionary purchases on fashion haven't. So they are trading 'category: fashion' for 'category: food' as a way to express themselves."

Fromm said farmers and ranchers, and those in meat processing and merchandising, absolutely must better connect with consumers by sharing details of the story behind their products.
"Today's consumer is a 'pro-sumer,' which means they are going to co-create their story and it's about 'Brand Me,'" Fromm explained. "And the reality is, that consumer has a lot of expectations. They expect to have a seat at the table. And if you've heard in the past that it's just about being transparent, our research suggests that's going to get you a 'C' on your report card. In 'Tomorrowland,' you're going to have to offer proof that the story you are living is real - which is a step beyond transparency."

Following Fromm were several panels looking forward in the Meat Business- read more by clicking or tapping here. 

You can also read about the opening session last Thursday at the Meat Congress by clicking or tapping here as trade dominated the conversation- the opening session featured U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and his peers from Canada and Argentina- and came amid the backdrop of tariffs being announced by the Trump Administration against the EU, Canada and Mexico for steel and aluminum exports. 

 

Dr. Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University Emeritus Extension Animal Scientist, reminds producers that when it comes to handling cattle in hot weather, common sense is always key.


"Summer is rapidly approaching!! The breeding season is underway. Producers that are engaged in artificial insemination as a method of breeding cows and heifers need to be aware of the impact that handling cattle in summertime temperatures and humidity can have on reproductive success. Research, at Oklahoma State University in the 1980's, found that cattle heat stressed shortly after breeding had substantially higher embryo loss than cattle that were left in more pleasant environments. In those experiments, the average core body temperature of the heat stressed cows was increased by a mere 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Rough handling of excitable cattle in hot weather can further impact body temperature and therefore reproductive performance.


"Research data has been reported by Dr. Mader at the University of Nebraska research station near Concord, Nebraska. He found that moving yearling cattle just a small distance (2000 feet) during mild summer temperatures (80 degrees F.) could change the core body temperature by as much as 1.4 degrees F. This indicates that body temperatures of excited, stressed cattle being worked in hotter temperatures could rise to important levels. This is where common sense enters the equation. 


"During hot weather, cattle should be worked before 8:00 am, if possible. Certainly all cattle working must be complete by about 10:00 am. While it may seem to make sense to work cattle near sun down, they may need at least 6 hours of night cooling before enough heat is dissipated to cool down from an extremely hot day."