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The U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance is celebrating just how far it has come over the past year. Holding their first annual meeting in Kansas City this week, the USFRA discussed their main goal, to give farmers and ranchers a voice, as well as discussing their future plans for 2012.

We talked with Hugh Whaley, General Manager for USFRA, about the growth of the organization saying that it has done exceptionally well at an organizational level. Starting with only 22 affiliates, USFRA now has 59 farmer and rancher led organization affiliates and has grown from no industry partners at all to 10 industry partners and 5 supporting partners.

The USFRA has also gained when it comes to their own board with now 19 board members when USFRA started with only nine. When it comes to the main mission of building consumer trust in today's agriculture, Whaley says they are really just getting the opportunity to get started. With their first public event, the Food Dialogues, held this past September, Whaley says they are going to use the momentum from that event as they move into 2012.

During the annual meeting, the Alliance board discussed budget issues for the coming year, heard from a public relations firm about plans for 2012, and held several breakout sessions in committees and task force meetings. Whaley says that one of the goals and plans for 2012 is they are hoping to get 250,000 farmers and ranchers trained to tell their agricultural story. 

Click here to listen to our conversation with Hugh Whaley of USFRA.

Wal-Mart's Decision for Choice Grade Beef Brings Changes to Beef Industry

The following is an analysis on the Wal-Mart announcement to carry Choice grade beef by Steve Meyer with the Daily Livestock Report. Also, click on the LINK below to hear from Erica Rosa-Sanko with the Livestock Market Information Center with her thoughts on the announcement by Wal-Mart and what it means to the cattle marketplace.

"Wal-Mart's recent announcement that it will begin carrying Choice grade beef in all of its 3800 U.S. stores will yet again change some key dynamics in the beef sector - from feeding practices all the way back through the seedstock sector.

When the number one food retailer in the country essentially changes the favored "brand" of a major product line, it matters - to both the newly adopted brand and the one that is removed from store shelves. We believe there are two primary reasons, in a broad sense, for Wal-Mart's change."

Click here for more from Steve Meyer and Erica Rosa-Sanko on this decision by Wal-Mart.

Tight Stocks and Strong Demand Continue for Corn Market

The U.S. corn market continues to be characterized by tight stocks and strong demand as farmers wrap up this year's harvest and look to next year's crop, according to economists with the American Farm Bureau Federation.

The Agriculture Department released its November crop report, showing a U.S. corn crop of 12.3 billion bushels, a 1 percent drop from the October estimate. USDA also forecasts a further tightening of corn supplies at 843 million bushels in its November report, compared to 866 million bushels in its October estimate.

Click here for more on the corn market from AFBF.

After some requests not to release the latest crop numbers this morning from USDA, it was indeed released on time. The Supply & Demand, Production and Ending Stock numbers are looked on as friendly overall. The corn and soybean production and yields came in lower than the month of October and lower than pre-report estimates. Corn production is at 12.31 billion bushels with a yied of 146.7 bpa, both those numbers below October and trade estimates. Soybeans were pegged at 3.046 billion with a yield of 41.3 bpa, both those numbers also lower than October and the trade estimates. We also saw a lowering of the wheat production by a total of 9 million from the last report.

Click here to listen to our conversation with Tom Leffler of Leffler Commodities on these numbers. 

Hay Shortage May Lead to More Foreign Materials in Hay

An extremely hot and dry summer has left cattle producers searching for hay to feed through the winter.

Truck after truck can be spotted on highways throughout the state bringing in hay from other areas. Daren Redfearn, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension forage specialist, has some tips for producers to consider when purchasing hay from regions outside the southern Great Plains.

"The current hay shortage has resulted in hay being harvested from some nontraditional areas, such as highway right-of-ways and old go-back fields," Redfearn said. "It is important for hay buyers to be aware of a couple of potential issues regarding foreign matter in this type of hay and hay from other sources, as well."  

Click here for more on this hay shortage from OSU Cooperative Extension.

Atrazine Benefits U.S. Consumers by up to $4.8 Billion Annually

U.S. consumers and society benefit from atrazine and other triazine herbicides by up to $4.8 billion per year, due to increased yield as well as decreased producer costs and reduced soil erosion, according to new studies released in Kansas City.

In addition, the U.S. economy benefits from atrazine and other triazine herbicides by as much as $22 billion over a five-year period.

Benefits to farmers and consumers from the triazine herbicides include increased corn, sorghum and sugar cane crop yields, lower weed-control costs, significantly reduced soil erosion and less carbon released into the atmosphere. Atrazine and the triazine herbicides account for as many as 48,000 American jobs in corn production alone.

Click here for more information on atrazine and the benefits of it.

Monsanto Spotlights America's Farmers This Thanksgiving

America's farm families have an amazing story to tell - and Monsanto is continuing its "America's Farmers" campaign to help them tell it. On Thanksgiving Day, Monsanto will launch the next wave of television commercials aimed at illustrating the important role of America's farm families and modern agriculture in meeting the needs of our growing world.

"This Thanksgiving, as people sit down to enjoy dinner with their family and friends, we hope to encourage them to take a moment and thank those who make it all possible - America's farm families," says spokesperson Jessica Simmons.

"As an agriculture company, Monsanto is proud to advocate on behalf of America's farmers as they work tirelessly to provide plentiful food, clothing and energy for our country and the world."

Click here for more from Monsanto on this Thanksgiving campaign.

OALP Alums Invited to Friday Night Reception During Oklahoma Farm Bureau Convention  

This Friday evening- alums of the Oklahoma Ag Leadership Program are invited to a reception at the 2011 Oklahoma Farm Bureau convention in downtown Oklahoma City. The reception is being planned by the ALO- Agriculture Leadership Oklahoma- the organization of OALP graduates from Class One forward.  The reception will be held in Room 1-2 on First Floor of Cox Convention center in downtown OKC. To learn more about the OALP class- and what the current class is up to this fall- click here for the OALP website. 

Gary McManus with a little corn and a lot of Weather 

Gary McManus with the Oklahoma Climatological Survey regularly writes an electronic column called the Mesonet Ticker. His latest effort from yesterday is much longer than usual- and we have decided to simply link to their site instead of recreating it on our website. 

This latest literary masterpiece is a really excellent review of the incredible range of weather we have experienced from January until now- record cold, heat, drought, tornadoes, hail and flooding.  To check out Gary's play by play of weather across the state- complete with several pictures and charts- click here.