~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Oklahoma's latest
farm and ranch news
Your Update from Ron
Hays of RON for Wednesday August 10, 2011 A
service of Johnston Enterprises, P & K Equipment/ P & K Wind
Energy and American Farmers & Ranchers Mutual Insurance
Company!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-- USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack Encourages Comments on Proposed Animal
Traceability Rule
-- Agricultural Organizations Have Mixed Reactions to USDA's Animal
Traceability Rule
-- Cotton Stands Showing Up in Oklahoma Despite Severe Drought
-- Subsoil Moisture an Important Consideration for Upcoming Wheat
Crop
-- New Farmers Markets Recorded Across the Country by USDA, including
Oklahoma
-- New Website Shows Impact of Practices on Corn Yields
-- Southern Plains Beef Symposium Coming- As is the Pollard Farms
Female Sale
-- 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
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outlet for Trimble GPS Guidance and Precision Agriculture Solutions- Call
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here for their website! We invite you to listen to us weekdays on the Radio Oklahoma Network
for the latest farm news and markets- if you missed today's Morning Farm
News (or in an area where you can't hear it) Click
here to listen to today's Morning Farm News with Ron on RON. | |
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack Encourages Comments on Proposed Animal Traceability Rule ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The U.S.
Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS) today issued a proposed rule to establish general regulations for
improving the traceability of U.S. livestock moving interstate when animal
disease events take place. Secretary Vilsack visited with media about the
proposed rule, as well as the 90 day comment period. Click on the LINK
below to hear our overview of the proposed rule with Secretary Tom
Vilsack.
"Through the past two years, I have listened carefully to stakeholders throughout the country about how to reach effective animal disease traceability in a transparent manner without additional burden," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "We are proposing a flexible approach in which states and tribes can develop systems for tracing animals that work best for them and for producers in their jurisdiction. This approach offers great flexibility at the state and local level and addresses gaps in our disease response efforts." Under the proposed rule, unless specifically exempted, livestock moved interstate would have to be officially identified and accompanied by an interstate certificate of veterinary inspection or other documentation, such as owner-shipper statements or brand certificates. The proposed rule encourages the use of low-cost technology and specifies approved forms of official identification for each species, such as metal eartags for cattle. However, recognizing the importance and prevalence of other identifications in certain regions, shipping and receiving states or tribes are permitted to agree upon alternative forms of identification such as brands or tattoos. | |
Agricultural Organizations Have Mixed Reactions to USDA's Animal Traceability Rule ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Agriculture
Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced a proposed rule regarding the
establishment of general regulations for improving the traceability of
U.S. livestock moving interstate when animal disease events take place.
Under the proposed rule, unless specifically exempted, livestock moved
interstate would have to be officially identified and accompanied by an
interstate certificate of veterinary inspection or other documentation,
such as owner-shipper statements or brand certificates. Secretary Vilsack stressed to the media the importance of the public commenting on this new rule. There will be a 90 day period for commenting, ending on November 9. However, many agricultural organizations are already voicing their opinions and comments on this new rule. While the Livestock Marketing Association and R-CALF USA are both skeptical of this proposed rule, other organizations, like the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and National Farmers Union, are both fairly pleased with the idea of a new program for animal traceability. The reactions and comments from the Livestock Marketing Association,
R-CALF USA, National Cattlement's Beef Association, National Farmers Union
and National Pork Producers Council can be found below.
National Cattlemen's Beef Association Click here to read the full reactions from these organizations | |
Cotton Stands Showing Up in Oklahoma Despite Severe Drought ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Neal
Stephenson has some dryland cotton he can harvest this year; even in the
middle of the worst drought Oklahoma has ever experienced.Farming in Woodward, Custer and Dewey Counties, Stephenson planted cotton for the first time in 2010. Wanting to add another money crop to his farming effort, he planted 1,300 acres of dryland cotton. Averaging 550 pounds of lint cotton per acre in 2010, he planted more this year, rotating with winter wheat. "I really like cotton," he said, "it is the only crop you can make any
money on." "Here in Dewey County, only four inches of rain has fallen on this
field since November, 2010," he said. "I planted FiberMax 1740 B2F here
May 4 this year." Click here to read more about current cotton stands in Oklahoma | |
Subsoil Moisture an Important Consideration for Upcoming Wheat Crop ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The record
temperatures and persistent drought conditions experienced this summer
have made it more important than usual to consider our subsoil moisture
status when developing a management strategy for the upcoming wheat crop.
One resource that can be utilized is the Mesonet soil moisture
information. This information paints a very bleak picture of our current
soil moisture condition, according to Jason Warren, Oklahoma State
University Plant and Soil Sciences Assistant Professor. However, we must
consider that these conditions do not necessarily represent the current
soil moisture in cropland. The Mesonet soil moisture is generally measured
under permanent grass. Therefore, these measurements better represent the
moisture conditions in our pastures and rangelands.
I was interested to see how cropland soil moisture compares to a nearby Mesonet site. Therefore, we collected soil samples to a depth of 4ft at OSU's Lake Carl Blackwell farm located approximately 15 miles west of Stillwater. Samples were collected from soils under a standing corn crop, wheat stubble, stubble invested with weeds (primarily crabgrass) and from the nearby Mesonet station. As expected the greatest amount of soil moisture was found below the wheat stubble. Much of this stored water is in the surface 16 inches of soil, especially when compared to the weed infested soil. The soil under the standing corn had the least soil moisture and was nearly identical to that found at the Mesonet station under permanent grass. Calculating the total volume of water in each of these situations we find 9.2, 8.3, 6.6, and 6.8 inches in the wheat stubble, weed invested, corn, and Mesonet soils, respectively. Although the difference between the weed invested soil and the clean stubble is only 1 inch of water, notice that the water is distributed near the surface in the wheat stubble were it is more easily available for crop utilization. Also realize that 1 inch of water transpired through a wheat crop will produce 5 bushels, making the difference in the amount of water found in the wheat stubble vs the corn equivalent to 12 bushels of wheat. Click here for more from Jason Warren on subsoil moisture conditions | |
New Farmers Markets Recorded Across the Country by USDA, including Oklahoma ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ More than
1,000 new farmers markets have been recorded across the country, according
to results released in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's 2011 National
Farmers Market Directory.The annual report indicates a total of 7,175 farmers markets operate throughout the United States as more farmers are marketing their products directly to consumers than ever before. Last year, the USDA reported that 6,132 markets were operating across the country. "The remarkable growth in farmers markets is an excellent indicator of the staying power of local and regional foods," said Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan. "These outlets provide economic benefits for producers to grow their businesses and also to communities by providing increased access to fresh fruits and vegetables and other foods. In short, they are a critical ingredient in our nation's food system." Updated market listings were submitted to USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service by farmers market managers on a voluntary, self-reported basis between April 18 and June 24, 2011, as part of USDA's annual outreach effort. USDA invited market managers to submit desired changes in their market's Directory profile as well as new market listings. Information in the Directory is also continually updated throughout the year in response to incoming requests. Click here to see a list of the top 10 states with most growth in farmers markets | |
New Website Shows Impact of Practices on Corn Yields ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ever since he
witnessed 300-bushel-per-acre corn more than 25 years ago, Fred Below,
Ph.D., has spent his career researching how other farmers can do it, too.
The years of groundbreaking information he's discovered about the specific
factors that affect crop yield are now available to the public at
www.7WondersOfCorn.com, which is linked below.Below, a professor of plant physiology in the Department of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois, has categorized the results of his research into seven management practices or "wonders" that can result in high yielding corn. His study helps growers answer the question of what the latest products and practices contribute to yield. Below's unique "omission plots" allowed him and his team to see the bushel impact when an individual "high tech" practice or input was added or subtracted, then compare it to other plots in which all "high tech" actions were in place in same plot. Replicated in various locations over various years, the results allowed Below to identify and rank those seven factors with the greatest impact on corn yield. The new 7WondersOfCorn.com website features separate video segments dedicated to each Wonder, narrated by Below himself; a "News" section about Below's real-world plots at the upcoming Farm Progress Show; a link to the 7WondersOfCorn Facebook page where growers can share their own photos and experiences; is easily navigable. | |
Southern Plains Beef Symposium Coming- As is the Pollard Farms Female Sale ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There are a
lot of calendar items we have listed on our web based calendar found at
www.OklahomaFarmReport.Com- one that we would like to spotlight this
morning is the Southern Plains Beef Symposium that happens this Saturday,
August 13 at the Ardmore Convention Center just off I-35 in this southern
Oklahoma city. Down thru the years, this has been perhaps the best one day
cattle industry meeting anywhere in the country- and the program looks
stronger than ever for 2011. Headliners include Dr. Frank Mitloehner from
University of California at Davis who will be talking cattle production
and our environmental footprint, Jim Robb of the Livestock Market
Information Center who will look at the current cattle market outlook and
several others who will focus a lot on the reality of survival of your
cattle herd during these drought conditions. Click
here for more details and info on registering for the great program, a
steak lunch and a chance to win the Priefert Cattle Chute that is the
grand door prize that will be given away on Saturday afternoon.
There are several legendary Angus herds who will be holding production sales at the end of the month- including the Pollard Farms who will be hosting their 14th Annual Production sale of top females on Sunday, August 28th at the farm in Waukomis. The sale offering will include Donor Dams, Heifer Calf Pregnancies, Spring E.T. Heifer Calf Prospects, Fall E.T. Yearling Heifers, Spring Bred Heifers, Spring Pairs and Fall Bred Cows & Heifers. Click here for more information and links both to the online sales catalog as well as the Pollard Farms website. As we mentioned- lotsa of other events are on our August calendar- Congressional town hall meetings, Farm Bureau August Area Meetings and many other informational as well as fun events to check out- click here for our calendar pages- and remember- you can find our calendar on our website by clicking on the calendar button on the left hand side of any page on our site. ALSO- email us your calendar items and we will get them included. | |
Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, PCOM, P & K Equipment/ P & K Wind Energy, Johnston Enterprises, American Farmers & Ranchers and KIS Futures 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 $12.10
per bushel- as of the close of business yesterday, while the 2012 New Crop
contracts for Canola are now available are $12.23 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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