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The Oklahoma National Stockyards will be hosting a special kind of auction this upcoming Monday, December 5, that will be an opportunity to give back to Oklahoma troops that have served overseas. The All American Beef Battalion will be auctioning off a heifer calf, donated by Bryan and Carrie Linn of Verden, at 11:00 a.m. and all money from the auction will be used to serve beef to troops and their families.

The All American Beef Battalion is a charity organization consisting of individuals and families that are part of the U.S. beef cattle industry and work to provide support for troops and their families. Some of the organizations main events are steak feeds where soldiers and family members are served a 16 to 18 ounce ribeye steak.

Robert York, President and CEO of National Livestock Credit Corp, is involved in the organization and has helped coordinate the sale at the stockyards. York says he believes this is a very worthwhile cause because it promotes U.S. beef while still honoring soldiers for their service.

A similiar auction was held last year and with the calf being sold multiple times, the organization raised over $27,000 and York says they hope to raise this much or more again this year. York also pointed out that 100% of the funds are used to purchase supplies and steaks because the All American Beef Battalion is a strictly volunteer organization.

You can also hear more from Robert York about the upcoming sale on December 5 at the OKC Stockyards by clicking on the LINK below. Or you can watch Robert York talk more about the All American Beef Battalion this Saturday, December 3, on our In the Field segment at 6:40 a.m. on KWTV News 9. 

Click here to listen to our conversation with Robert York and for a link to the All American Beef Battalion website.

Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts Leaders Praise Congressman Frank Lucas for Farm Bill Leadership 

Leaders of the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts (OACD) expressed appreciation to Congressman Frank Lucas, Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee for his continued leadership in attempting to craft a Farm Bill under difficult circumstances.

Joe Parker, President of the OACD said that the conservation districts in Oklahoma especially appreciate the nonpartisan, policy driven approach being taken by Mr. Lucas and his Senate counterpart, Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan in putting together language to continue the work of Conservation in America.

"Now that the smoke has cleared from the wreckage of the 'Super Committee' we want to express our appreciation and support for the work done so far by Chairman Lucas in attempting to draft a Farm Bill under extremely challenging circumstances," Parker said. "At a time when many of the folks in Washington seem to be more ideologically or politically driven it's refreshing to see folks on both sides of the isle working together on a major piece of legislation that in the end, effects every man, woman and child in the country. We feel both Chairman Lucas and Senator Stabenow deserve a big thank you for what they have tried to do and we want to encourage them to keep working together for an effective Farm Bill and a strong Conservation title."

Click here for more from OACD on the work on the 2012 Farm Bill.

OSU Extension Makes Use of New Cotton Technology 

Dr. Randy Boman, Oklahoma State University Extension cotton program director, has a new tool to use in helping Oklahoma cotton farmers grow the best cotton they can. It is a Lee weigh wagon. It is a cotton boll buggy fitted with integral digital scales which will enable the OSU Extension cotton specialists to work directly with producers with their equipment to conduct replicated large plot trials in the future.

"This can simplify some things such as planting and harvesting operations, as most of our small plot equipment is set for 40 inch rows," Boman said. "Farmers use different row widths to adjust to different types of crops grown in the same field. For instance, the Halsed brothers plant their cotton on a 36 inch row."

The weigh wagon was bought using grant funds from the Oklahoma Cotton Council with additional support from the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service and the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station.

"We want to thank all involved in helping the OSU Extension Center acquire this important tool to complement our existing equipment. It will be extensively used in the future," Boman said.

Click here for more on this new cotton technology being used by OSU.

National Cattlemen's Beef Association Pleased with Committee Support of Farm Dust Bill

The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011, voted in support of H.R. 1633, the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act of 2011. The legislation passed (33-16) through the full committee with bipartisan support and will head to the full House of Representatives for a vote. National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) Deputy Environmental Counsel Ashley Lyon said this "commonsense" legislation is gaining momentum and will receive bipartisan support when brought to a vote in the coming days.

"Allowing federal agencies to continue regulating farmers and ranchers to the point of no return is not something we will sit by and allow to happen," said Lyon. "We have to bring some accountability to regulatory agencies. They must be aware of the economic impact their actions are having on farm and ranch families throughout the country. We commend Congresswoman Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) for introducing this legislation and the original cosponsors Leonard Boswell (D-Iowa), Larry Kissell (D-N.C.) and Robert Hurt (R-Va.). We also commend members of Congress from both sides of the aisle for supporting this commonsense bill."

The Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act of 2011 would do multiple things to ensure clean air while also providing regulatory certainty for farm and ranch families, according to Lyon. She said the legislation recognizes that dust from agricultural activities has never been shown to have a health impact at ambient levels. 

Click here for more from NCBA on the Farm Dust Regulation Bill.

Oklahoma State University Endowed Scholarship Established in Honor of High School Ag Teacher

High school agriculture teachers often leave lasting impressions on their students. One particular relationship between a student and his teacher has resulted in a nearly $1 million scholarship endowment for agriculture student teachers within Oklahoma State University's Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.

Ben Grant, OSU graduate of animal science, recently donated $630,000 to create the William E. Brown Ag Ed Student Teacher Assistance Program, to honor his agriculture teacher. In addition to the initial gift, Grant gave another $200,000, which is available for a 1:1 match with the goal of reaching a $1 million endowment.

"Mr. Grant didn't want his name on it," said Rob Terry, agricultural education, communication and leadership department head. "He wanted to honor Mr. Brown because he said he owed him for his success."

Grant speaks highly of Brown, and is thankful he was encouraged to go on to college and come out a better farmer.

Click here for more on Ben Grant and the new endowment in ag education. 

USDA Announces Ranking Dates for Four Major Conservation Initiatives

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the ranking dates for the On-Farm Energy, Organic, Seasonal High Tunnel and Air Quality conservation initiatives. All four initiatives offer technical and financial assistance through the Natural Resources Conservation Service's (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program.

"Producers tell us they want to apply for these initiatives, but many want more time to make sure they choose the one that's right for their operation," Vilsack said. "Moving to multiple ranking dates for each initiative is going to make it easier for more producers to apply and help them get started with implementing the practices they need to benefit the natural resources on their operations."

NRCS accepts applications for financial assistance on a continuous basis throughout the year. There will be three ranking periods for the Organic, On-Farm Energy and Seasonal High Tunnel initiatives, all ending on February 3, March 30 and June 1, 2012. Ranking periods for the Air Quality Initiative end February 3 and March 30, 2012. At the end of a ranking period, NRCS ranks all submitted proposals for funding consideration. 

Click here for more specific information on each of these initiatives deadlines.

Oklahoma Hereford Association Meeting Tomorrow in Ardmore- Followed by their Native America Sale Saturday in Marietta 

The Oklahoma Hereford Association Annual Meeting & Dinner will be held tomorrow evening, Friday December 2, 2011 from 6-9 pm at the Ardmore Convention Center.

Following their session tomorrow night, the Hereford folks will next be headed to the Brooks Cattle Company in Marietta, Oklahoma for their ninth annual Herefords in Native America sale- which starts at noon on Saturday, December 3.  

Click here for the link to our auction listing  at OklahomaFarmReport.Com which includes a link over to the catalog of the offering on Saturday at the sale.