OALP Class Hears from HSUS in D.C.; Class Member Chris Hitch Speaks His Mind 

Class 16 of the Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Program is visiting Washington, D.C. this week. I spoke with class member Chris Hitch, a beef and pork producer from Guymon, after the group heard from Paul Shapiro, vice president of farm animal protection with the Humane Society of the United States. I asked Hitch about his reaction to Shapiro's presentation given HSUS's dislike for animal agriculture.

"Well, Mr. Shapiro is a pretty polished guy. He shows up in a nice suit and everything and talks very professionally. He's very astute and the way he words everything is very, very specific. He doesn't lie, but I don't think he really tells the truth," Hitch said.

"To give you an idea, Paul is a vegan and formed a radical group back in high school which is still active today. Their one and only goal is the complete abolition of all animal agriculture and promoting a vegan lifestyle. So, that's just background. That's where he comes from.

"I call him a liar. Basically, they claim, they being HSUS, that they don't really want to abolish animal agriculture. They just want it... 'We take everything from these animals so we might as well give them the best life they can have while they're alive.' But, when you get right down to what they're asking us to do a lot of times it is, basically, cost prohibitive, production prohibitive to do what they're asking.

"And we asked him, 'Is there anything we can do to get you off our back?' And he say, 'Well, society's values change over time, so our values are going to change over time.' So, the answer is 'No.' It's a moving target."

Click here to read for more from Chris Hitch, or to listen to our extended conversation.  

Consumers Define Quality When it Comes to Making Beef Purchasing Decisions 

It doesn't really matter how cattlemen define quality says Texas A&M University Meat Science Professor Jeff Savell. What matters, he says, is how beef consumers define it, enjoy it, and come back to purchase more.

"We always talk about palatability being flavor, juiciness and tenderness. I've spent my whole career in the tenderness area looking at how we can increase tenderness, but sometimes we forget that flavor is that big driver, too.

In fact, the 2011 Beef Quality Audit found that flavor is the number one driver of quality since most beef is tender, but marbling plays a key role.

"Without question, marbling plays a great role in both tenderness and flavor... It's a pretty good proxy for delivering good eating satisfaction and things like that, especially as we go across major grades. You start going from the high end, prime, down to top choice, low choice and select and down even to the standard grade."

You can read more or see the video version of this story on our website by clicking here.

 

Ed Crall Honored for Sugar Creek Restoration Work

Ed Crall, Caddo County Conservation District Project Coordinator has been honored by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for his contributions in restoring the Sugar Creek Watershed. John Mueller, Acting State Conservationist for NRCS made the presentation to Crall at the recent Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts' 75th Annual Meeting in Oklahoma City. Mueller said, "Ed Crall is being honored for "Standing in the Gap." The Standing in the Gap Award is given annually to a person who has bridged the gap between NRCS, Landowners, and Conservation Districts, and has made significant conservation progress through hard work and innovation.

Mueller also said, "The Sugar Creek Watershed restoration is a Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI Project). Mr. Crall has worked hard to secure funding from the NRCS national office to support the priorities of the Conservation District and help farmers and ranchers address critical erosion concerns adjacent to the stream. Over $1.5 million dollars of restoration work has taken place in the Sugar Creek Watershed." His work has resulted in the Oklahoma Conservation Commission and NRCS being able to effectively supplement the initial efforts of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Click here to read more.

 

FSA Reminds Producers of Important March 15 Deadline for 2013 NAP Coverage

Francie Tolle, executive director of USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Oklahoma would like to remind producers that they have until Friday, March 15, 2013 to sign-up for the 2013 Non-insured Assistance Program (NAP) coverage for spring and summer planted crops. This deadline applies to warm season grasses intended for grazing as well as spring and summer planted crops such as: forage sorghum, peas, soybeans, sunflowers, pumpkins, melons and all other spring and summer planted specialty crops grown for food or fiber where they are not insurable.

NAP covers losses caused by damaging weather conditions. Producers receive a payment when the loss is in excess of 50 percent. Losses are generally determined by the percentage of loss compared to the producer's Actual Production History (APH). Eligible production losses are paid at 55 percent of the established value for the crop. 

You can read more by clicking here.

 

Bill Gates, Carlos Slim and Mexican Dignitaries Get Demo of OSU's Greenseeker at New Mexican Bioscience Facility

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center inaugurated a new $25 million research complex at its headquarters in El Batan, Mexico. The new advanced bioscience research facilities, 45 kilometers (20 miles) from Mexico City, marked its grand opening to a crowd of more than 100 invited guests.

The event was attended by Bill Gates, Carlos Slim, Lic. Enrique Martínez y Martínez, Mexican Secretary of Agriculture and leader of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA), and Dr. Eruviel Ávila Villegas, Governor of the State of Mexico.

Gates and the other attendees watched a demonstration of the new GreenSeeker handheld crop sensor that was developed at OSU and is now marketed by Trimble.

Click here to read the rest of this story.

 

David Anderson Asks- Who is Gonna Rebuild Those Mama Cow Herds?

David Anderson of Texas AgriLife believes the day is coming when the question of who will step up and start holding back heifers- adding to the US Beef Cow Herd- will become relevant. It's not a matter of If but rather of When.

Anderson says everyone understands that while the drought has drastically cut into the beef cow herd numbers in both Oklahoma and Texas- at some point the drought will end- grass will be growing again- and at point- the question becomes- who will rebuild the Mama Cow herds in these two states that have traditionally been the two largest beef cow states in the US?

He says some of the older producers who have gotten out because of the drought will likely not be back- but the market will provide an incentive for cattle producers who want to step up and add to their beef cow herds.

You'll find more of this story on our website.  Click here to go there.

 

This N That- In the Field, USDA Numbers, Hall Coyote and Jampacked Week Ahead

Newcastle Ag Education teacher Brandon Morgan is going to join us "In the Field" this Saturday morning on News9, KWTV in Oklahoma City- he helps us paint a preview picture for the 2013 Oklahoma Youth Expo- the OYE kicks off next weekend and it is shaping up to be a dandy! Click here for the OYE website to check out the latest info just ahead of the animals and young people arriving in Oklahoma City.

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Uncle Sam releases the latest Crop Production and World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates from USDA at 11:00 AM central time this morning- DTN says in a thumbnail preview that "creative accounting it takes to keep domestic corn and soybean ending stocks and ending stocks to use aboce certain levels. Globally, it is all about South American production estimates."

We will have details of the report (and reaction) middle of the day on our website- click over to our front page to check it out.

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The Hall-Coyote Hills Ranch, Mostly Black Black, All Polled Bull Sale happens tomorrow- Saturday, March 9, 2013 at the ranch, Chattanooga, Oklahoma.

Selling 96 Black ~ 1 Red ~ All Polled
Limousin & Lim-Flex Cattle

7 Fall Yearling Purebred Bulls. Lots 1-7
66 Fall Yearling Lim-Flex & Percentage Bulls. Lots 8-72
24 Y earling Lim-Flex & Percentage Bulls. Lots 73-97
84 Homo Black * 75 Homo Polled * 66 Double Homo
5% discount with purchase of five or more bulls; 10% on 10 or more bulls  

For more information, click here and jump over to where you will find the full sale catalog with details of this high quality offering.