~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Oklahoma's latest
farm and ranch news
Your Update from Ron
Hays of RON for Friday, September 16, 2011 A
service of Producers Cooperative Oil Mill, Midwest Farm Shows and KIS
Futures!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-- Great State Fair of Oklahoma Has Popped the Clutch and is
Underway!
-- Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Urges Movement
on Free Trade Agreements
-- Do Producers Have to Plant In Drought Conditions- and we have your
SUNUP preview
-- Taiwan Flour Mills Association to Sign Letter of Intent to
Purchase U.S. Wheat
-- Oklahoma Lawmakers Praise Tax Exemption for 4-H and FFA
Students
-- National Council of Farmer Cooperatives Proposes Two-Year
Moratorium on Regulations
-- OSU's Dr. Glenn Selk Suggests Being Pro-active in Marketing
Strategy
-- This Week's Legendary Restaurant- Isle of Capri!
-- 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 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. 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. | |
Great State Fair of Oklahoma Has Popped the Clutch and is Underway! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The cattle
barns are busy at State Fair Park in Oklahoma City as the 2011 edition of
the State Fair of Oklahoma began on Thursday- running through next
weekend. Several Junior shows are planned over the weekend- and both
Junior and Open shows are scheduled into next week- click here for our
calendar page and scroll through September to see what days your favorite
breed will be showing.
The Dairy breeds show happens next Tuesday- but before that- the dairy industry will be showcasing some of their products to consumers this weekend. The Dairy Farmers of America have a special promotion with the Bordens' Cow to Cone Contest on Sunday afternoon- we will be one of the judges sorting through the entries (code for tasting each yummy sample)- and the public will be invited to sample the entries as well and vote for "the People's Choice." Susan Allen of Dairymax tells us that she will also have some of the schools participating in Fuel Up to Play 60 in to pass out information about this program- and more information about how dairy can do a body good. Susan is our guest Saturday morning for our In the Field segment as seen on KWTV News9 in Oklahoma City- that will air about 6:40 AM- and you can hear our conversation with Susan about the Ice Cream contest and other dairy promotional efforts at the fair and ongoing by clicking here. Another segment of agriculture that is in a very public spot on the Fairgrounds- promoting their product and agriculture are the pork producers of the state. The Oklahoma Pork Chop Tent is open for business daily and will sell close to 10,000 sandwiches before it is all said and done. Nikki Snider of the Oklahoma Pork Council tells us that the favorite seems to be the pulled pork sandwich- but my favorite is the pork chop sandwich- oh sooo good with a splash of Head Country BarBQue sauce. We featured the Pork industry efforts in our September RON Value Book- both in Oklahoma City as well as at the soon to come Tulsa State Fair- in our article, Nikki tells us "People come into the booths that have never tried them pork before, and we have the opportunity to tell them about the industry and get them to try pork." | |
Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Urges Movement on Free Trade Agreements ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Members of the
Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) met with
officials at the United States Trade Representative's (USTR) office to
urge the administration to immediately send the pending trade agreements
with Colombia, Panama and South Korea to Congress for
ratification."The Texas beef industry has undergone an unprecedented year of bad weather including record-setting droughts and devastating wildfires," said Joe Parker Jr., rancher and TSCRA president. "One sure way to help the industry recover is to pass these trade agreements. Doing so will allow American products to finally gain ground in markets where our competitors have been capitalizing. These agreements will also create thousands of jobs that Americans desperately need without costing taxpayers a single dime." According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, for every $1 billion
worth of agricultural goods exported, approximately 8,000 jobs are
created. According to the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA),
the 3 pending agreements would generate nearly $2.5 billion in additional
exports and about 20,000 jobs. In an opinion-editorial article by former American Farm Bureau
President Dean Kleckner in the Washington Times, Kleckner also voices his
disappointment on the lack of urgency placed on the free trade agreements.
Kleckner states: Click here to read the rest of Mr. Kleckner's article with his opinion on the FTA's | |
Do Producers Have to Plant In Drought Conditions- and we have your SUNUP preview ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Grain
Marketing Specialist from Oklahoma State University Dr. Kim Anderson sat
down with Austin Moore to discuss the most recent changes with crops,
including wheat and canola, details of crop insurance and the drop in the
wheat prices. With a lot of changes this year due to drought, producers
need to pay attention to detail.When it comes to canola, Anderson says many producers are hoping to dust-in a canola crop and then follow with wheat. However, producers need to remember deadlines and dates. The final planting date for canola is October 10th and the acreage reportage date is Decemeber 15th. Anderson says for producers to get a loss claim on canola, it has to be after December 15th, which does not leave much time to go back with wheat. Of course the drought has cause a lot of confusion on what producers need to do and if they have to plant into drought conditions. Anderson says the ruling that has been submitted to Kansas City states that if a producer can document with National Weather Service data that a drought has occurred and is in progress during planting times, then they do not have to plant. Click on the LINK below to hear the rest of Austin Moore and Dr. Anderson's conversation on crops, crop insurance and current wheat prices- and to take a look at the SUNUP preview. SUNUP is the weekly TV program produced by the OSU Division of Ag Communications- and seen on OETA. Click here for more from Dr. Anderson and your SUNUP preview | |
Taiwan Flour Mills Association to Sign Letter of Intent to Purchase U.S. Wheat ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Taiwan
Flour Mills Association (TFMA) will sign a letter of intent to purchase up
to 62.5 million bushels (1.7 million metric tons) of U.S. wheat over two
years between 2012 and 2013 in Washington, DC, Sept. 20. The signing
ceremony at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center kicks off Taiwan's eighth
Agricultural Trade Goodwill Mission to the United States since 1998. TFMA
will then continue its part of the mission with visits to Kansas,
Oklahoma, South Dakota, Montana and Idaho to meet with state wheat
commission and government representatives before returning to Taiwan Oct.
4. U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) President Alan Tracy and TFMA Executive Director I-Tsung Chen will co-sign the letter. Tracy said the U.S. wheat industry is very pleased that TFMA is willing to make its intentions public. "The partnership between Taiwan's millers and U.S. wheat producers is enduring and very successful," Tracy said. "In fact, Western Wheat Associates, one of the legacy organizations to U.S. Wheat Associates, opened the first overseas marketing office in Taipei in 1966." TFMA imports wheat on behalf of all 26 Taiwanese flour mills and has purchased about 450 million bushels of U.S. wheat worth more than $2.5 billion since 1998. On average over the past five years, Taiwan has imported about 33 million bushels (910,000 metric tons) of U.S. wheat each year. That amount represents about 80 percent of its imported wheat needs. This includes an average of 20.1 million bushels of hard red spring (HRS), 8.8 million bushels of hard red winter (HRW) and 3.9 million bushels of soft white (SW). Heavy use of HRS reflects a need for strong gluten flour for breads, rolls and frozen dough products as well as for blending with HRW flour to make traditional Chinese flour foods and noodles. Soft white imports, including western white, help meet growing demand for cake, cookie and pastry flours. | |
Oklahoma Lawmakers Praise Tax Exemption for 4-H and FFA Students ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Three state
lawmakers praised a tax exemption that allows 4-H and FFA students to
receive tax-free cash awards at youth livestock competitions, many of
which are currently taking place around the state. State Rep. Steve Kouplen said checks received by students in competitive livestock shows can range from a few hundred dollars at local events to tens of thousands at national events. However, the cost of breeding, caring and showing the animals can easily exceed the prize money. "These young people work exceptionally hard and, even if they place in a competition, they don't make much money after expenses," Kouplen (D-Beggs) said. "If they do make money, it can go towards their college expenses." The current language, passed in Senate Bill 318 in the 2009 legislative session and signed into law by former Gov. Brad Henry, provides an income tax exemption for amounts under $600 awarded to students in livestock shows to help defer costs associated with these educational programs. Click here for more information on these tax breaks for Oklahoma youth | |
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives Proposes Two-Year Moratorium on Regulations ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The National
Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC) called on Congress to enact a
two-year moratorium on all discretionary, non-essential regulatory action
that would increase the cost of agricultural production and processing in
the United States. NCFC, the national organization representing over 2,500
farmer co-ops across the country, outlined its proposal in a letter to
House and Senate agriculture committee leadership. "A broad range of regulatory actions-both pending at federal agencies or in the pipeline and coming soon to a farm near you-have the potential to increase the costs and reduce the margins of co-ops and their farmer and rancher member-owners," said Chuck Conner, president and CEO of NCFC. "Whether the regulations deal with the environment, immigration and labor, food safety, or financial reform, they create an uncertainty that threatens to hold back investment and growth across the agricultural sector." "Make no mistake, this is a jobs and employment issue just as much as it is an agricultural policy issue," Conner continued. "Some 21 million jobs across the country are directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture. If our agricultural sector can preserve its competitiveness in the global marketplace, we can grow this number and be an important part of an economic recovery. However, if we are weighted down with costs imposed by regulations of doubtful value, we will lose market share to our competitors and undo the hard work of millions of Americans." The proposal calls for a two-year moratorium on these measures, although the it could end sooner if GDP and employment return to robust growth. This ensures that it remains in effect until the U.S. achieves a sustained, substantial economic recovery. It would apply only to what are known as "significant rules and guidance documents" that are subject to review by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of the White House Office of Management and Budget. Any legislation should also include a limited reach-back to capture rules that have been proposed, but have not yet taken effect. | |
OSU's Dr. Glenn Selk Suggests Being Pro-active in Marketing Strategy ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ According to
Dr. Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University Emeritus Extension Animal
Scientist, many Oklahoma commercial cow calf ranchers do a great job of
selecting, feeding, caring for, and taking to market top quality cattle,
yet do very little, if anything, about promoting the products they sell.
Perhaps most of us are not boastful by nature and hope that the quality of
the calves we raise will speak for themselves. Nonetheless, doesn't it
make sense that we would do everything in our power to assure that our
calves bring top dollar at market time? Recently I read of a commercial cow calf operator that "promotes" his calves. He is confident that his cattle are genetically sound and will perform well for the stocker operator or feedlot that purchases his calves. He pre-conditions the calves. They are properly vaccinated and weaned 45 days before he takes them to market. These management practices all have value to a potential buyer. Therefore, he makes certain that as many buyers as possible know when and where these calves will be offered for sale. This producer keeps track of all of the previous buyers of his calves. He makes an effort to locate and contact other potential buyers of his weight and breed of calves. Then he composes a short letter telling them that he will be bringing his calves to XYZ Livestock Market on a given sale date. He will include information on the number, weight, breed makeup, and sex of the calves. He will also tell when the steers were castrated, implanted, and when the calves were vaccinated and which products he used. He makes certain that the buyers know that the calves were weaned on a certain date and how they have been fed since weaning. He includes data on previous calves (that have been evaluated in programs such as the O-K Steer Feedout) or closeout data from past buyers that fed out his calves. In other words, he is telling potential customers that they can buy his calves with additional confidence about their performance and their health. Click here for more tips on marketing strategies from Dr. Selk | |
This Week's Legendary Restaurant- Isle of Capri! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you have
been serving customers for over sixty years- you have been doing something
right- and Isle of Capri fits the bill! Isle of Capri has been around
since 1950- serving southeast Oklahoma and beyond from Krebs, just down
the road from McAlester. Stephanie Fields is the Owner and Manager of Isle
of Capri- her Uncle was the original owner when things got started in
1950. "We have a variety of different items to choose from on the menu,"
says Fields. "And you get a salad, garlic bread, cheese platter, bowl of
spaghetti and ravioli's with every entrée that you order, which all comes
out family style." As this week's Legendary Restaurant of Oklahoma- you can get $50 worth of food for just $25- you can buy your voucher starting at 8:30 AM central by clicking here. And you can listen to a conversation that our Karolyn Bolay had with Stephanie Fields about the legacy of the Isle of Capri by clicking here. 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 $12.86
per bushel, while the 2012 New Crop contracts for Canola are now available
are $12.80 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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