Applying Lessons Learned in 2012 Could Make a Big Difference in the 2013 Crop, Edwards Says 

Dr. Jeff Edwards, OSU Extension small grains specialist, said there are a number of lessons learned from this year to be applied to next year's crop.

Speaking with us at the Oklahoma Wheat Commission's 2012 Wheat Review at Redlands Community College in El Reno, Edwards said there are a number of things producers should be considering as we approach the planting season, but one item more than all the rest should take center stage.

"The main thing people need to be focusing on right now is going out and pulling soil samples. Not only to monitor soil pH, but to look at the amount of nitrate nitrogen there available in the soil profile. That's going to have a value to you of about 60 to 65 cents per pound. That's a really good return on investment for spending a little time out there with a soil probe."

Edwards said there were a few surprises in the 2012 crop, most notably some changes in diseases. He said those changes will have an impact on variety selections.

"We had a shift in the stripe rust race that we were dealing with and that kind of caught us by surprise. We weren't expecting that. Some of our newer varieties, Armor, Everest, Pete, Garrison, got hit by stripe rust and it kind of caught us off guard.

"So, I think one of the questions going into 2013 that producers must ask themselves is 'Am I willing to spray a fungicide?' because that's going to have a huge effect on the variety you choose to plant this fall. If you're not willing to spray a fungicide, then there are several varieties you just need to avoid. If you are willing to apply a fungicide, if that's something you want to keep on the table as an option, then we have a lot more choices out there and you can go with one of these varieties that will still yield very well as long as you protect that flag leaf with a fungicide."

You can hear our full interview with Jeff Edwards by clicking here.

FSA Offers Assistance for Producers Affected by Recent Wildfires 

Francie Tolle, executive director for Oklahoma Farm Service Agency (FSA), announced farms and ranches suffering severe damage by recent wildfires may be eligible for assistance under the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP).

"Assistance is available to restoring or replace permanent fences damaged during the devastating wildfires," said Tolle. "I encourage everyone who had fences damaged or destroyed to visit their local FSA office and learn more about ECP before repairs are started."

The ECP provides cost-share assistance to affected producers at a rate not to exceed 75 percent of the eligible cost of restoration measures. Producers will need to contact the local FSA office for a review of their situation before repairs begin.

FSA also has an Emergency Loan Program available at a 2.25 percent interest rate to assist producers Tolle noted. An expedited loan process has been approved to process these loans that involving feed losses such as hay destroyed by the wildfires.

For more information and a link to the FSA website, please click here.

Continuing Drought Forces Cattle Producers to Revisit Difficult Marketing Decisions

In the Cow/Calf Corner of this week's extension newsletter, OSU Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist Derrell Peel says as drought conditions deepen, some cattle producers are experiencing déjà vu.

Oklahoma pasture and range conditions are deteriorating rapidly and some producers are facing decisions that are a bitter flashback to last year. However, conditions so far are nowhere near as severe as last year with the possible exception of the western tier and Panhandle counties where conditions never recovered much from last year. This is borne out in the most recent range and pasture conditions where 24 percent of the state is rated very poor compared to 57 percent at this time last year. Last year 86 percent of the state was rated poor or very poor at the end of July compared to 64 percent this year. However, just four weeks ago only 22 percent of Oklahoma range and pasture was rated poor to very poor, so the jump to 64 percent shows just how fast conditions are deteriorating.

Similarly, the production and marketing decisions for cattle producers have so far not been as challenging as last year. I have recently received several anecdotal reports of producers selling or moving cattle due to lack of forage but nothing compared to a year ago. In the last four weeks since July 4, total receipts of feeder cattle at the seven federally reported Oklahoma cattle auctions are down 40 percent from the same period one year ago. This amounts to some 64,000 head fewer feeder cattle marketed in the last month compared to one year ago. The decrease in cow sales is even more dramatic. Auction receipts of cows in the last four weeks are down 77 percent from last year. The fact that total Oklahoma cow numbers are down would explain some decrease in cow sales but the decrease this year clearly indicates that if herd liquidation in Oklahoma is occurring this year, it is at a significantly smaller rate than last year.   

Click here for more of Derrell Peel's analysis of how cattle producers are changing strategy to handle this year's drought.

President, Administration Increase Executive Branch Drought Response

As communities across the country struggle with the impacts of one of the worst droughts in decades, President Obama is committed to ensuring that his Administration is doing everything it can help the farmers, ranchers, small businesses, and communities being impacted.

To respond to immediate needs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other federal agencies are using their existing authorities wherever possible to address the hardships arising from the lack of water, feed, and forage. Within the last month, USDA has opened the Conservation Reserve Program to emergency haying and grazing, has lowered the borrower interest rate for emergency loans, and has called on crop insurance companies to provide more flexibility to farmers.   The Department of the Interior has provided additional grazing flexibility on federal lands and the Small Business Administration is working to help with access to investment capital and credit in affected communities.

The White House announced several new measures to help those impacted by the drought, including providing additional assistance for livestock and crop producers, increasing the capacity for lending to small businesses, and waiving certain requirements on trucks helping to provide relief. 

To view a synopsis of relief measures by various agencies, click here.  

You can also check out the President's comments made to the Rural Council yesterday in the White House- click here for that. 

Wheat Foods Council Tackles Misperceptions About Effect of Gluten in the Diet

Wheat is getting a bad rap in some circles with the growing popularity of the gluten-free diet. Judi Adams of the Wheat Foods Council says disseminating the truth about gluten and positive role wheat products play in a healthy diet is one of her organizations priorities for the coming year.

Speaking at the 2012 Wheat Review conducted by the Oklahoma Wheat Commission, Adams said, "The Wheat Foods Council's role is to really help improve consumers' perception of wheat products so they will consume more, theoretically. And we think it does work. Once we get all the old wives' tales put behind them and show them what science really says about wheat, they're more likely to eat it."

Gluten is, of course, a hot-button issue of late for some people, Adams said and "people are getting this misperception about the wheat that they eat today is different than it was 50 years ago. And, at this point in time, there's no proof to that. Nobody's done the research to show that it's any different, that it's not as good as it used to be so we're trying to get those two messages out."

She said gluten in wheat is a very serious issue for the small percentage of people who do suffer from celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, but that's only about seven percent of the population. Even so, she said, about 30 to 40 percent of the population is looking for gluten-free products.

You can read more about the work of the Wheat Foods Council and listen to our interview with Judi Adams by clicking here.

Citing Record Drought, Senators Ask EPA to Adjust Corn Ethanol Mandate

With the record drought spreading across major cropland of the continental United States causing the corn harvest to shrink and prices to spike, 25 U.S. senators urged EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to use her existing waiver authority as soon as possible to adjust the corn-ethanol mandate for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

"As stressful weather conditions continue to push corn yields lower and prices upward, the economic ramifications for consumers, livestock and poultry producers, food manufacturers and foodservice providers will become more severe," the senators wrote in a letter to Jackson. "We ask you to adjust the corn grain-ethanol mandate of the RFS to reflect this natural disaster and these new market conditions. Doing so will help to ease supply concerns and provide relief from high corn prices."

The letter cites U.S. Department of Agriculture data that recently rated only 23 percent of the corn crop as good to excellent and 50 percent as poor to very poor because of persistent extreme heat and drought.

Click here for more, and a complete list of the Senators who signed the letter to Lisa Jackson. 

This N That- Oklahoma Board of Ag Okays OYE Funds, Ag Leadership Golf Tournament Set and Coburn Town Halls Added

The regular monthly board meeting of the Oklahoma State Board of Agriculture was held at the ranch and pecan operation of Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Mike Spradling on Tuesday afternoon- and among the business items considered by the board was the dispersing of funds authorized by the State Legislature earlier this year. One of the items approved on Tuesday that had drawn some criticism was a one time two million dollar earmark for the Oklahoma Youth Expo.  The Board also gave the okay to a much smaller, recurring level of support to the Tulsa State Fair Junior Livestock Show, as well as money to help in the operation of the Oklahoma Ag Leadership Program that is operated by the Division of Agriculture at Oklahoma State University.  

Speaking of the OALP- the alumni group of that program, Ag Leadership Oklahoma (ALO) is planning a golf tournament in Stillwater later this month and the President of the Alumni group is Hope Pjesky- she asked if I might share a quick word from her to you- "Agricultural Leadership of Oklahoma (ALO) and the Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Program (OALP) need your help!  The ALO Golf Scramble to benefit OALP is two weeks away on Wednesday, August 22nd before the Welcome Dinner for the new OALP class and registrations and sponsorship are due in one week on August 15.  We REALLY need teams.  If you play golf or know someone who plays golf we need you.  Please contact companies that you do business with, banks, attorneys, accountants, insurance agents, equipment dealers, input suppliers, places where you market your products, your employer, organizations you are involved in, etc. and see if they would be willing to sponsor a team or the tournament. Click here for more details about the tournament planned for August 22. 

Senator Tom Coburn's ears may have been burning as his name was brought up in the report made by Tim Bartram of the Oklahoma Wheat Growers Association on Tuesday to the regular board meeting of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission- Bartram says his group has been urging our Junior Senator to back off his attacks on the Market Access Program that helps promote US farm products into the global marketplace.  While, even as he was talking about this with the Commission, my email dings and there are details of more Senator Coburn Town Hall meetings this month- he's been holding several this week in eastern Oklahoma venues- next Monday- he has a day of meetings planned for north central Oklahoma- pretty good wheat country.  For those of you in either eastern Oklahoma or in the north central part of the state- your chance to interact with Dr. Coburn is coming up- details on our website are on our calendar page- click here for that.