Howdy Neighbors!

Here's your morning farm news headlines from the Director of Farm Programming for the Radio Oklahoma Network, Ron Hays. We are proud to have KIS Futures as a regular sponsor of our daily email update. KIS Futures provides Oklahoma Farmers & Ranchers with futures & options hedging services in the livestock and grain markets- Click here for the free market quote page they provide us for our website or call them at 1-800-256-2555- and their IPHONE App, which provides all electronic futures quotes is available at the App Store- click here for the KIS Futures App for your Iphone.

We are also excited to have as one of our sponsors for the daily email Producers Cooperative Oil Mill, with 64 years of progress through producer ownership. Call Brandon Winters at 405-232-7555 for more information on the oilseed crops they handle, including sunflowers and canola- and remember they post closing market prices for canola and sunflowers on the PCOM website- go there by clicking here.

And we salute our longest running email sponsor- Midwest Farm Shows, producer of the recent Tulsa Farm Show.. Click here for the Midwest Farm Show main website to learn more about their lineup of shows around the country, including the Southern Plains Farm Show April 7-9, 2011 in Oklahoma City.

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 this morning's Farm news from Ron Hays on RON.

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One measure that Farm Bureau is very pleased to see moving is HB 1249, which would remove the exemption under current trespass law that allows owners to retrieve animals by entering someone's property without permission. HB 1249, authored by Rep. Wade Rousselot, passed the House March 3 with an overwhelming 80 to 11 vote.
"This legislation will strengthen our no trespassing laws," said Mike Spradling, Oklahoma Farm Bureau president. "Protecting private property rights, including strong no trespassing laws, have long been a priority of Farm Bureau members."
The bill will remedy an abuse of the current exemption, which provided criminals the opportunity to enter private property under the guise of retrieving stray animals and instead stealing animals.

Another measure that Norvell talked with Merckx about is HB 1044 by Rep. George Faught, Muskogee. This would change how state agencies issue rules, specifically dealing with fee increases. State legislature must approve any fee increase before implementing fee. For example, water well permit fees cannot be increased without legislative approval. This measure has passed the House.

Click on the LINK below for our full rundown with Tyler Norvell of the Public Policy team at the Oklahoma Farm Bureau.

Click here for our top webstory this morning with Tyler Norvell of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau.

The legislation, which is cosponsored by 39 of the 46 members of the Agriculture Committee, is necessary to address the negative economic consequences of the ruling posed by the case National Cotton Council v. EPA (6th Cir. 2009). Under the court ruling, pesticide users would have to obtain a duplicative permit under the Clean Water Act (CWA) by April 9, 2011 or be subject to a fine of up to $37,500 per day per violation.
The next step in the legislative process will be for the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to consider the bill as it is the committee of primary jurisdiction.

Click on the LINK below for more on this measure- including comments from both Oklahoma Congressman and Chairman of the House Ag Committee, Frank Lucas, as well as his ranking member Collin Peterson of Minnesota.

Click here for more on the passage by the House Ag Committee of Clarification Legislation Regarding the Clean Water Act and FIFRA

"The ethanol tax credit is bad economic policy, bad energy policy and bad environmental policy. The $6 billion we waste every year on corporate welfare should instead stay in taxpayers' pockets where it can be used to spur innovation, stimulate growth and create jobs. I'm hopeful my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will take a stand against business-as-usual special interest giveaways and eliminate this wasteful and harmful subsidy," Dr. Coburn said.

Meanwhile, the Renewable Fuels Association- a pro ethanol group- has quickly issued a statement decrying the amendment offered by our junior Oklahoma Senator. Bob Dineen is CEO of the RFA- and he is credited for this statement- "At a time of rapidly rising gas prices which threaten a fragile American economic recovery, it makes no sense to deprive Americans of a lower cost choice at the gas pump or to stop America's investment in an American-made, job-creating alternative to foreign oil. If recharging our economy is a top fiscal and economic priority for these Senators then Job One should be redirecting the $1 billion a day we spend on foreign oil back into the U.S. economy. Ethanol is part of the solution, not the problem."

Click here for our full story on this amendment that could end a major subsidy for Ethanol- which includes a link to the GAO study that is critical of the VEETC subsidy.

"With 78,500 miles of rivers and streams throughout Oklahoma, it's hard to imagine how effective water quality monitoring is even possible. That distance equates to about three times the circumference of the earth. But Oklahomans, determined to improve water quality, have found the recipe for success. Blend federal, state and local conservation partners, add local farmers, ranchers and producers, and mix well. This combination has yielded impressive results.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) received funding for a water quality initiative in the Illinois River Sub-Basin and Eucha-Spavinaw Watershed in northeastern Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas. The purpose of the funding is to improve water quality within the project area (which includes Lake Tenkiller, Lake Eucha and Lake Spavinaw in Oklahoma).

Through conservation partners and agencies offering funded programs, a significant reduction in Non Point Source pollution occurred in the project area targeted by the funding.

Read more about this success and others that have made Oklahoma the envy of the country in the quality conservation partnerships that have been built in the state.

The future direction of farm policy was also a hot topic, with the process of writing a new 2012 farm bill in the very early stages. OG&SP leaders would like to see a bill that provides effective risk management tools to offset the ongoing decline in public support for traditional programs and one that actually works like a safety net, providing funding when they need it rather than when they don't.

Future ag research and extension funding, a push to get languishing trade agreements moving forward and opposition to environmental over-regulation were also a focus of their many meetings.

We have more on their travels to DC on our website- and their Communications Director, Candace Krebs, has produced a top notch six page overview (complete with pictures) of their time in Washington with lawmakers, regulators, and those who would like to influence farm policy. Click on the LINK below for more.

Click here to jump to our coverage of the OGSP and their travels to our Nation's Capitol.

Domestic animal agriculture remains the largest consumer of U.S. soybeans, accounting for about 98 percent of the domestic supply of U.S. soybean meal. Because soybean meal makes up a significant portion of animal feed, the United Soybean Board (USB) and soybean checkoff work to maintain domestic demand for U.S. soybeans by supporting organizations such as the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). In 2010, this support helped the U.S. livestock industry achieve strong export numbers for U.S. pork and beef, according to USMEF.

"The downturn in the economy has lowered the consumption of meat in the United States," explains Jim Schriver, soybean farmer from Montpelier, Ind., and chair of the USB domestic marketing program. "We, as the soybean industry, feel the responsibility to help our number one customer, animal agriculture, move the meat offshore. We do this through our alliances and significant soybean checkoff funding with organizations such as USMEF."

Click here for more on the Soybean industry's investment into the USMEF and how that helps sell more US meat and as a result- more US soybeans globally.

The Hall-Coyote Hills Ranch website explains their philosophy of being a seedstock producer- "EVERY CUSTOMER COUNTS- from the largest of cattle producers, to the individual with only a handful of cows, we firmly believe that every producer, no matter the size, has a place in the beef cattle industry. We strive to produce Limousin genetics that are bred to perform in what some would call less than ideal conditions. You will find genetics that represent some of the breed's most popular proven sires as well as some of the new sires. You will find fullbloods, purebreds and Lim-Flex all performing under similar conditions. Today's Limousin cattle offer improved fleshing ability, maternal characteristics, reproductive traits, temperaments and marbling. You will find good, affordable cattle worth the money at Hall/CHR. "

Click on the LINK below for more information on the sale and a link to their website where you can download a catalog for Saturday's sale.

Click here for more on the Hall-Coyote Hills Ranch Bull and Female Sale Coming Saturday, March 12.

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

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- showing RECORD HIGH Cash Cattle Trade on Wednesday at $118 per hundredweight!