From: Ron Hays [ron@oklahomafarmreport.ccsend.com] on behalf of Ron Hays [ron@oklahomafarmreport.com]
Sent: Monday, January 24, 2011 7:33 AM
To: Hays, Ron
Subject: Oklahoma's Farm News Update
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Oklahoma's latest farm and ranch news
Your Update from Ron Hays of RON for Monday January 24, 2011
A service of Johnston Enterprises, P & K Equipment/ P & K Wind Energy and American Farmers & Ranchers Mutual Insurance Company!
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-- Leah Lyon of Ada Wins 2011 Oklahoma Beef Cook-Off
-- Wheat Growers Hedge Their Bets- Say they Support a Multi-Legged Farm Safety Net for Next Farm Bill
-- A Bear Sighting Friday Afternoon- the Latest Cattle on Feed Count from USDA
-- Animal Husbandry- More Money for the Wheat Commission and Chicken Litter Education Among the Hundreds of Bills Waiting for the 2011 Oklahoma State Legislature
-- Prescribed Burning Workshop Set for Tomorrow in Ardmore
-- E15 Gets EPA Blessing
-- All Ag Chemicals Are EVIL- Environmental Groups Sue EPA
-- Let's Check the Markets!

Howdy Neighbors!

Here's your morning farm news headlines from the Director of Farm Programming for the Radio Oklahoma Network, Ron Hays. We are pleased to have American Farmers & Ranchers Mutual Insurance Company as a regular sponsor of our daily update- click here to go to their AFR web site to learn more about their efforts to serve rural America!

It is also great to have as an annual sponsor on our daily email Johnston Enterprises- proud to be serving agriculture across Oklahoma and around the world since 1893. One of the great success stories of the Johnston brand is Wrangler Bermudagrass- the most widely planted true cold-tolerant seeded forage bermudagrass in the United States. For more on Johnston Enterprises- click here for their website that features their grain, ports and seed business!

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Leah Lyon of Ada Wins 2011 Oklahoma Beef Cook-Off
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The 2011 Oklahoma Beef Cook-Off was held at the Oklahoma City Home and Garden Show on Saturday- and the Overall winner of the Cook-Off was Leah Lyon of Ada, Oklahoma. Leah won with her recipe "Steak Florentine Orzo with Warm Bacon-Tomato Vinaigrette." She first was declared the winner in the "World of Beef:Entree" category and then the overall winner, receiving $1,000 for her best recipe of the Cook-Off.

The other category winners included Jane and Mandy Ozment of Purcell, who won in the "Kid Pleasers" category with Peachy Sweet Chipotle Beef Quesadillas and Kimberly Stipe of Bethany who won the "Small Plates Big Tastes " category with a Spicy Mango Tenderloin Salad.

The Oklahoma Beef Cookoff was produced by the Oklahoma Cattle Women on behalf of the Oklahoma Beef Council using Beef Checkoff monies.

Click on our LINK below for more on the Cook Off- including the winning recipe- it was really smelling great as Leah prepared it on Saturday afternoon as hundreds of folks were walking by at the Oklahoma City Home and Garden Show.

Clcik here for more on the Oklahoma Beef Cook-Off and Check out the Winning Recipe!


Wheat Growers Hedge Their Bets- Say they Support a Multi-Legged Farm Safety Net for Next Farm Bill
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The National Association of Wheat Growers approved several policy positions at their winter board meeting this past week in Washington. Some of the major areas covered by the NAWG Board included the following:

"NAWG supports the policy that if federal agriculture programs are subject to budget cuts to achieve deficit reduction, then the same percentage of cut should apply to all federal government programs."

"NAWG supports multiple safety-net programs in the next farm bill. We recognize different production areas of the country rely on a variety of farm programs to provide a multi-legged safety net."

"NAWG supports the development of "third generation" crop insurance products whereby input cost volatility or an energy index is incorporated to provide enhanced risk management options for producers. Wider swings in fertilizer and fuel cost may reduce that true value of harvest price insurance calculations."

"NAWG supports the government maximizing the premium subsidy for the crop insurance program at a 70 percent coverage level."

Click on the LINK below for more from the Wheat Industry Meetings- including comments from David Schemm, President of the Kansas Wheat Growers, who also chairs the Domestic Policy Committee for the national organization.

Click here for more on the policy developed this past week by the National Association of Wheat Growers


A Bear Sighting Friday Afternoon- the Latest Cattle on Feed Count from USDA
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USDA reported on Friday the number of cattle placed on feed during December and total cattle on feed Jan. 1 at slightly higher rates than the average market analyst estimate. Tom Leffler with Leffler Commodities told our Ed Richards that this was clearly a report with several negative numbers. Tom's comments are featured in today's Beef Buzz.

Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.5 million head on January 1, 2011. The inventory was 5 percent above January 1, 2010. The inventory included 7.18 million steers and steer calves, up 4 percent from the previous year. This group accounted for 62 percent of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 4.26 million head, up 5 percent from 2010.

Placements in feedlots during December totaled 1.80 million, 16 percent above 2009 and well above trade expectations. Net placements were 1.73 million head. During December, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 480,000, 600-699 pounds were 495,000, 700-799 pounds were 440,000, and 800 pounds and greater were 380,000.

Click here for the full details and analysis of the Friday Cattle on Feed Report.


Animal Husbandry- More Money for the Wheat Commission and Chicken Litter Education Among the Hundreds of Bills Waiting for the 2011 Oklahoma State Legislature
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Scott Dewald of the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association has done a great job of identifying about 40 bills that have a direct tie back to agriculture and livestock that have been submitted for consideration by the 2011 State Legislature. Scott adds that while several of these measures will be hot topics- the real action to watch will be in the area of taxation. There are perhaps 500 measures in that category- and Scott opines that many of these measures have "the potential of having devastating effects" on cattle producers and others involved in farming and ranching.

We have picked out three from Scott's list that we wanted to spotlight for you this morning. The first is HB1471, by Rep. Don Armes, R-Faxon, modifies the definition of "animal husbandry" under the Oklahoma Agricultural Code to mean the branch of agriculture science concerned in the appearance, breeding, care, feeding, housing, hygiene, sanitation, training and marketing of livestock and exotic livestock. It directs the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry to maintain a registry of reproductive service businesses and establishes criteria to be registered as such a business. The bill requires prescription drugs in services provided by a registered reproductive services business to be prescribed and dispensed on the order of a licensed veterinarian who has an existing veterinarian-client-patient relationship, and it requires the drugs to be administered in accordance with the Oklahoma Veterinary Practice Act. It provides definitions for "animal husbandry," "exotic livestock," "livestock" and "reproductive service business" under the Veterinary Practice Act. The measure clarifies that acts of animal husbandry include hoof care and acts that may be performed by a registered reproductive services business. It clarifies that the act does not prohibit acts of agricultural education instructors or students while engaged in such education. This measure may well be modified, depending on how negotiations go between livestock groups and the Vet Board.

Another measure to watch has both a House and Senate bill number to follow. HB1472, by Rep. Don Armes, R-Faxon, increases from 1 and one-half cents to 2 cents the per-bushel fee on wheat marketed by wheat producers in the state and sold through commercial channels. The Senate version- SB0169, by Sen. David Myers, R-Ponca City, has matching language.

Finally, there are several bills related to the poultry industry and especially the handling of chicken litter. SB0092, by Sen. Ron Justice, R-Chickasha and Rep. Don Armes, R-Faxon, requires poultry waste applicators to attend educational courses on poultry waste handling and management. It specifies that current and new poultry feeding operators and waste applicators must receive at least nine hours of training in the first year and additional training as specified in rules set forth by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.

Click here for the State Legislative Homepage, which can point you to a listing of all measures that have been introduced for the upcoming session.


Prescribed Burning Workshop Set for Tomorrow in Ardmore
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The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation will host an educational workshop on the benefits and proper use of burning for habitat control and land management.

The Prescribed Burning Workshop, which is open to the public, will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 25, at the Noble Foundation Kruse Auditorium.

"Prescribed burning is a useful tool in land resource management, but it must be used in a safe and proper manner to be effective," said Ken Gee, senior wildlife research. "This workshop is designed to introduce participants to the various aspects of burning, instruct them on how to conduct a safe burn and give them some hands-on experience."

Click on the LINK below for more on this event- one of many education events that the Noble Foundation offers on an ongoing basis.

Click here for more on the Prescribed Burning Workshop Planned for Tuesday in Ardmore.


E15 Gets EPA Blessing
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Friday waived a limitation on selling gasoline that contains more than 10 percent ethanol for model year (MY) 2001 through 2006 passenger vehicles, including cars, SUVs, and light pickup trucks. The waiver applies to fuel that contains up to 15 percent ethanol - known as E15. EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson made the decision after a review of the Department of Energy's thorough testing and other available data on E15's effect on emissions from MY 2001 through 2006 cars and light trucks.

Agricultural groups that support ethanol are expressing delight. "The announcement by EPA this morning is welcome news," said National Corn Growers Association Chairman Darrin Ihnen, a South Dakota corn grower. "We have worked closely with EPA during this process and are pleased to see they also realized what our industry has known for a long time: the use of higher blends of ethanol in vehicles is safe."

Livestock groups are less than thrilled- and that includes the Texas Cattle Feeders Association- the group that represents feedlots in Oklahoma, New Mexico as well as in Texas. They state in their newsletter that went out Friday afternoon "TCFA has opposed allowing the permitted level of ethanol to be increased above the previous level of 10%. With crop yield concerns and increasing world demand already driving feedgrain prices higher, this is not the time to open the door for the biofuels industry to increase its government-subsidized consumption of corn."

Click here to see a bunch of the comments made by ethanol supporting groups regarding E15 being okayed for use in many older vehicles by the EPA.


All Ag Chemicals Are EVIL- Environmental Groups Sue EPA
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The Center for Biological Diversity and the Pesticide Action Network North America have filed what they believe is - the most comprehensive legal action ever brought under the Endangered Species Act. The organizations are suing the Environmental Protection Agency for its alleged failure to consult with federal wildlife agencies regarding the impact of pesticides to endangered and threatened species.

Kansas Corn Growers Exec Jere White said this lawsuit is broader in magnitude than most other environmental lawsuits against EPA. White believes that "This is more of an assault on modern agriculture than it is about protection of endangered species."

The lawsuit includes a 360 page list of every conceivable ag chemical used and every conceivable species threatened. Jere White adds that this legal action could drag nearly every farmer in the country into the debate regarding endangered species.

In the case of Oklahoma- here are the species listed by these groups that they say ag chemicals are possibly causing harm to:
Gray bat
Indiana bat
Ozark big-eared bat
Black-capped vireo
Piping plover
Red-cockaded woodpecker
Leopard darter
Ozark cavefish
Ouachita rock pocketbook
Scaleshell mussel
Winged mapleleaf
American burying beetle

Clcik here for the full news release and links to a map that shows all endangered species by state and the full legal action filed against EPA


Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, PCOM, P & K Equipment/ P & K Wind Energy, Johnston Enterprises, American Farmers & Ranchers, KIS Futures and Big Iron Online Auctions 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- FREE!

We also invite you to check out our website at the link below to check out an archive of these daily emails, audio reports and top farm news story links from around the globe.

Click here to check out WWW.OklahomaFarmReport.Com


Let's Check the Markets!
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We've had requests to include Canola prices for your convenience here- and we will be doing so on a regular basis. Current cash price for Canola is $9.95 per bushel- as of the close of business yesterday, while the 2011 New Crop contracts for Canola are now available are $10.50 per bushel- delivered to local participating elevators that are working with PCOM.

Here are some links we will leave in place on an ongoing basis- Click on the name of the report to go to that link:
Our Daily Market Wrapup from the Radio Oklahoma Network with Ed Richards and Tom Leffler- analyzing the Futures Markets from the previous Day-
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.
Previous Day's Wheat Market Recap- Two Pager From The Kansas City Board of Trade looks at all three US Wheat Futures Exchanges with extra info on Hard Red Winter Wheat and the why of that day's market.
Daily Oklahoma Cash Grain Prices- As Reported by the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture. <
The National Daily Feeder & Stocker Cattle Summary- as prepared by USDA.
The National Daily Slaughter Cattle Summary- as prepared by USDA.
Finally, Here is the Daily Volume and Price Summary from the Texas Cattle Feeders Association.



God Bless! You can reach us at the following:
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phone: 405-473-6144
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