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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Oklahoma's latest farm and ranch news
Your Update from Ron Hays of RON for Monday March 7, 2011
A
service of Johnston Enterprises, P & K Equipment/ P & K Wind
Energy and American Farmers & Ranchers Mutual Insurance
Company!
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-- From the 2011 Commodity Classic- Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas
Opens Their General Session Talking Farm Bill Timeline
-- On the Same Stage- Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack Preaches the
Importance of Agriculture to Overall Economy
-- Joint Statement from the Four Groups Hosting Commodity Classic on
the Budget Issues Facing the US
-- Senator Pat Roberts Assembling All Star Minority Staff for Senate
Ag Committee
-- Wheat Now Past First Hollow Stem in Central Oklahoma- That and
More in PASS Newsletter
-- 2011 Spring Planted Crops Must be Insured by March 15
-- Former CBOT Trader Talking Market Strategy Today in
Chickasha
-- 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! We invite you to listen to us on great radio stations across the
region on the Radio Oklahoma Network weekdays- if you missed this
morning's Farm News - or you are in an area where you can't hear it- click
here for our Listen to Ron webpage where you can hear the latest Farm
news from Ron Hays on RON. | |
From the 2011 Commodity Classic- Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas Opens Their General Session Talking Farm Bill Timeline ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The new
Chairman of the House Ag Committee, Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas,
presented his plan for developing the 2012 Farm Bill to attendees at the
2011 Commodity Classic in Tampa, Florida on Friday morning. Congressman
Lucas entertained the crowd with a few details of his farm roots-
including the chores that he expected to have assigned to him when he
arrives home to the farm in Roger Mills County from Florida by his wife,
Lynda
Lucas told the audience that he will chair hearings on Thursday of this week with featured witness Lisa Jackson of the Environmental Protection Agency- saying it would be the first of many oversight hearings as they examined what he calls an "assault on agriculture" that EPA has been conducting. He promises he will ask of Ms. Jackson, are you following the law in promoting all of the many regulations aimed at agriculture? He also questioned the direction of the USDA, saying that organic and local farmers markets are important- but that should not be centerstage at USDA to the detriment of traditional production agriculture. Click on the LINK below to read more of the Congressman's comments to
the Commodity Classic- and we also have the audio of the full speech on
that page as well. Click here for more on Frank Lucas and his speech at Commodity Classic on Friday in Tampa | |
On the Same Stage- Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack Preaches the Importance of Agriculture to Overall Economy ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The setting
was not quite a brush arbor- and no one passed the offering plate- but US
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack was in his revival mode on Friday at
the 2011 Commodity Classic, as he spoke to leaders of the four commodity
groups that come together for this event- the National Sorghum Producers,
National Association of Wheat Growers, the American Soybean Association
and the National Corn Growers Association.
Vilsack, slapping the podium, offered a passionate defense of biofuels
and proclaimed that agriculture could show the rest of the America out of
the economic desert that they have been wandering around in- only if they
would take notice. He also forcefully reiterated the administration's commitment to expand use of biofuels and, to the delight of his audience, railed against those who blame increased use of corn-based ethanol for higher food prices, calling the food versus fuel argument "irritating." | |
Joint Statement from the Four Groups Hosting Commodity Classic on the Budget Issues Facing the US ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On the final
day of the Commodity Classic, the four groups that make up the event
joined together in a common statement that has been attributed to the
three Presidents and the one Chairman of the groups involved. The four leaders include: National Association of Wheat Growers President Jerry McReynolds, a wheat producer from Woodston, Kan. National Corn Growers Association President Bart Schott, a corn grower from Kulm, N.D. American Soybean Association President Alan Kemper, soybean farmer from Lafayette, Ind. and National Sorghum Producers Chairman Gerald Simonsen, a sorghum grower from Ruskin, Neb. The four groups jointly state: "We note that agriculture made a down payment in cutting spending when
the Department of Agriculture directed $4 billion in savings under the
Standard Reinsurance Agreement for federal crop insurance toward deficit
reduction. We believe any further reduction in discretionary spending
should recognize and reflect this contribution. We would also note that
agriculture-related programs represent less than one-half of one percent
of the federal budget. | |
Senator Pat Roberts Assembling All Star Minority Staff for Senate Ag Committee ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Two well known
staffers for two of the farm groups with the best reputations inside the
Washington beltway are leaving those organizations and going to work for
the Republicans on the Senate Ag Committee, even as the Committee is
gearing up to work on the 2012 farm bill. These staffers will join people
like former Undersecretary of Agriculture Jim Miller who has joined Kent
Conrad's personal staff to work on the 2012 Farm Bill as well.
First, we heard in Tampa at the Commodity Classic that Tara Smith, policy analyst for the American Farm Bureau, is leaving for a slot with Senator Roberts on the Senate Ag Committee. Smith has worked closely with Mary Kay Thatcher on public policy, and in talking with Mary Kay at the Commodity Classic, you can tell she has really mixed feelings in losing Tara off of her staff. Meanwhile, word came Friday evening from Colin Woodall at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association that Gregg Doud, Chief Economist for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association for almost a decade, is breaking camp and moving his tent over to the Senate Ag Committee as well. Colin writes "After giving over eight years of service to NCBA, Gregg Doud is leaving the DC office to take a position on the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee. Gregg will be serving under Ranking Republican Member Pat Roberts from Kansas - Gregg's home state Senator. As Senior Professional Staff, Gregg will be covering livestock, trade, CFTC, food aid, and dairy policy for the Committee, and he will be instrumental in writing the 2012 Farm Bill. Senator Roberts is a great friend of the cattle industry, and this is a great opportunity for Gregg to help shape future ag policy for this country." | |
Wheat Now Past First Hollow Stem in Central Oklahoma- That and More in PASS Newsletter ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Many varieties
of wheat are almost at- or now past the first follow stem point of
development in two central Oklahoma locations- Stillwater and El Reno.
Dr. Jeff Edwards, in the latest PASS newsletter, offers this advice- "Remember that to check in your own fields, you must check in a non-grazed area of wheat of the same variety and with the same planting date as the field in question. Split open stems and if 1.5 cm of hollow stem is present (about the diameter of a dime) the field is at first hollow stem and it is time to remove cattle." Several other articles are in the latest issue of the Plant and Soil Sciences Department Newsletter- and you can click on the LINK below to learn more about what's in the Newsletter and to download your own copy in PDF of the newsletter. | |
2011 Spring Planted Crops Must be Insured by March 15 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Francie Tolle,
executive director of USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Oklahoma would
like to remind producers that they have until Tuesday March 15, 2011 to
sign-up for the 2011 Non-insured Assistance Program (NAP) coverage for
spring planted crops. This deadline applies to the following spring
planted crops: 2011 forage sorghum, oats, potatoes, soybeans, sunflowers
and all spring planted specialty crops grown for food.
NAP covers losses caused by damaging weather conditions. Producers
receive a payment when the loss is in excess of 50 percent. Losses are
generally determined by the percentage of loss compared to the producer's
Actual Production History (APH). Eligible production losses are paid at 55
percent of the established value for the crop. "Producers who currently have NAP coverage or who are interested in coverage are encouraged to keep accurate production records," said Tolle. NAP coverage is only available for crops not covered under the Federal Crop Insurance program. Producers are reminded about the requirement for FCIC insurance or NAP coverage on all crops in order to remain eligible for the agency's Disaster Assistance Programs such as SURE, LFP, TAP, and ELAP. Click here for more information on this and other FSA programs from an Oklahoma perspective | |
Former CBOT Trader Talking Market Strategy Today in Chickasha ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Oklahoma crop
producers who want to learn more about marketing and contracting, should
plan to attend the Cotton and Grain Marketing Seminar, March 7, in
Chickasha, Oklahoma. The even will be held from 9 to 11:30 am at the
Canadian Valley Technology Center. No registration fee is required.
Mark Gold is the special guest who will lead the seminar. Mark is a former 20 year member of the Chicago Board of Trade where he was a pit trader and floor broker. As managing partner of Top Third Ag Marketing, Mark can be heard daily on numerous radio programs. In addition, Mark is a regular guest analyst on U.S. Farm Report and Ag Day TV. Mark's daily audio grain marketing comments are featured on AgWeb. "This meeting is focused more on contracting, futures prices, and
hedging, we're expecting a large attendance of producers," said Dennis
Crawford, Ag Business Management Coordinator for the Canadian Valley
Technology Center. "This meeting will include a blend of topics that
should be of interest to anyone who wants to learn about the new marketing
trends and opportunities." | |
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. | |
Let's Check the Markets! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 $10.30
per bushel- as of the close of business yesterday, while the 2011 New Crop
contracts for Canola are now available are $10.95 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: | |
God Bless! You can reach us at the following: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email: ron@oklahomafarmreport.com
phone: 405-473-6144
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