OALP Hears From the Roslin Institute- Creator of Dolly the Cloned Sheep 

Say the name the Roslin Institute- and very few people in Oklahoma or anywhere in the US would have a clue about this animal agriculture oriented research organization. But mention the world famous cloned sheep by the name of Dolly- and many people remember at least some of that ewe's story. Dr. Patricia Hart of the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland spoke to Class XV of the Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Program during this current international travel experience- and described Dolly as one of many achievements that the organization has had over the years.


Dr. Hart says that they learned a tremendous amount about animal genomics and more as they worked on the cloning concept that resulted in creation of Dolly. They have now taken that knowledge and moved on to working on the Genetic Modification of animals involved in agriculture. Work is underway to move forward with a GMO pig as well as a cow. This last year, the Roslin Institute unveiled the progress made in a GMO chicken, designed to stop the spread of bird flu. Dr. Hart says the animal can still catch the disease, but it is no longer contagious from that bird because of the genetic work done by the scientists at Roslin.


Beyond this work, the Roslin Institute was a major player in research in BSE and the related disease, scrapie, in sheep. And they have had success in a multitude of other areas as well in the last few decades.


Dr. Hart says the work at the Roslin Institute centers around the substainability and productivity of food animals, and believes that quality of life for the animals is also very important.

You can hear Dr. Hart's full conversation with Ron Hays as well as access more stories and photos from the OALP by clicking here.

Vilsack Says President's Budget Shifts Money From Crop Insurance to Nutrition Assistance  
 

Click here to read more or see Vilsack's testimony before Congress. 

OSU's Derrell Peel Takes a Look at Cattle and Market Conditions Aound The State

Spring has not quite sprung in Oklahoma, though it is hard to tell since we have had very little you could call winter. Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist says it is acting more like spring with increasing temperatures and more wind. He analyzes the current condition of the state's livestock and what can be expected for the future:

Much of the state has received moisture recently and conditions are generally much better than this time last year. Stock pond water levels remain very low, however, in many places.

Wheat pasture, though it started late, has done very well this winter and so have the cattle grazing it. Most of the wheat varieties in Oklahoma are at or very near first hollow stem stage, which means that cattle must be removed immediately in order to preserve grain yields. I do not expect to see much market impact from a "wheat pasture run" for several of reasons. First, overall grazing numbers are fairly limited. Secondly, I suspect, though I do not have any data to confirm, that significant numbers of heifers are grazing wheat that will be retained for replacements and third, much of the wheat that is being grazed is intended for forage only and will be grazed out. 

Click here to read more of Peel's cattle market conditions. 

Grants Available For Lesser Prairie Chicken Conservation Projects

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Oklahoma announced that $893,000 is available to help farmers and ranchers implement conservation practices, as part of the Lesser Prairie Chicken Initiative (LPCI). The LPCI is a multistate effort to protect and enhance critical habitat for the Lesser Prairie Chicken.

The LPCI provides technical and financial assistance for the implementation of the core practices of wildlife management and prescribed grazing, which have been identified as key to habitat enhancement. Financial assistance is also available for a variety of supporting practices which will further enhance habitat within the range of the Lesser Prairie Chicken. Applications for the LPCI are accepted on a continuous basis, but only those applications received by March 2, 2012 will be considered for funding in 2012. The LPCI action area includes portions of Beaver, Beckham, Cimarron, Custer, Ellis, Dewey, Harper, Roger Mills, Texas, Woods, and Woodward Counties.

The LPCI is one of 15 Landscape Conservation Initiatives that address resource concerns of national importance by helping America's landowners implement voluntary conservation practices to protect water quality, improve wildlife habitat and enhance the long-term sustainability of producers' operations.

Click here to read more about the grant program and how to apply.

NCBA's Ashley Lyon Says More Work to be Done on Dust Regs

A sweeping overhaul to dust standards proposed last year under the direction of EPA administrator Lisa Jackson threatened devastating consequences to production agriculture and cattle producers. Leading the charge against the EPA's sweeping proposal was the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. Ashley Lyon, who specializes in regulatory issues in the NCBA's Washing, D.C., office, says some progress was made last year, but there is still more work to be done.

She said her group and others were unsuccessful in getting the regulations withdrawn by the EPA, but they played a key part in getting the House of Representatives to pass the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act. The act is still pending in the Senate, but it did slow the regulatory juggernaut.

"We saw this as a key piece of legislation to give farmers and ranchers permanent certainty that the EPA is not going to start regulating all across America all farm dust," she said. "We still have a lot of work to do to get it through the Senate and get it signed by the president who has threatened to veto it."

To read more of Lyon's comments on the EPA dust regs or to listen to her interview with Ron Hays, click here.

Finished Cattle and Boxed Beef Prices End the Week of February 18th Higher

According to Ed Czerwien, USDA Market News Office in Amarillo, Texas, last week choice boxed beef prices rose nearly $4.00 from the previous week, to 190.45. The choice/select spread ended up being $4.56 for the week ending Friday, February 17. Those numbers are based on 942 loads which was the smallest weekly spot sales during February. Czerwien says the export trade was also up last week.

The finished cattle trade was mostly $5.00 higher for the week Friday. There were instances of $6.00 higher trade. In the Southern Plains, cash cattle trade was mainly at the $129 mark with a few sales at $129.50.

He says the reduced kills the previous few weeks have helped packers improve the boxed beef cutouts and sales, which in turn supported higher cattle prices.

You can hear Ed Czerwien's full report by clicking here.

OALP on the Move- Visits Northern Ireland Apple Orchard and Tours Dublin- Interviews and Pics Online

Monday, February 20th  found Class XV of the Oklahoma Ag Leadership Program moving south- leaving Belfast, Northern Ireland first thing- and driving to close to the Republic of Ireland border before making their only farm stop in Northern Ireland at an Apple orchard, which featured a highly desired local Apple, the Bramley, and allowed the group the opportunity to interact with Dermot Morgan, the apple grower whose orchard we found ourselves in.

Morgan is not just staying with the tradional Bramley trees like many of his neighbors, but instead is going with a smaller tree that requires ongoing pruning to keep it the proper size and will allow him to up his yield per acre of Apples well above growing the tradiional, much larger trees. The larger trees take up a lot more space, and require the person picking the fruit to use a ladder.

Ron Hays continues the conversation with Dermot Morgan, his plans for his orchard and how he markets his unique apples.  You can hear that conversation by clicking here.  You can also access more of the group's pictures on FLICKR by clicking here.