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American Farmers & Ranchers/Oklahoma Farmers Union (AFR/OFU) wrapped up the organization's 109th annual state convention at the Embassy Suites & Conference Center in Norman on Saturday evening.  This year's convention theme was "Go, Gather, Grow."



"This year's convention theme represents who we are as a company and as an organization," said AFR/OFU President Terry Detrick. "We are a forward-looking organization that focuses on our team work, service to others and responsibility to the future." As the Convention concluded on Saturday night, Detrick talked with me- you can listen to our conversation by clicking here and jumping over to our Top Ag Story today on the website.



This year, the membership voted on three contested seats on the AFR/OFU Board of Directors-Northwest District Seat #1, Southeast District Seat #4 and At-large Seat #2.



In the race for the northwest district, incumbent Eric Bilderback, El Reno, was challenged by former Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Terry Peach, Mutual. Peach won the race for the northwest district and will begin his first three-year term as an AFR/OFU director.



In the race for the southeast district, incumbent Bob Holley, Nelson, was challenged by Lundy Kirk Kiger, Poteau. Holley won the race for the southeast district and will begin his second three-year term as an AFR/OFU director.



In the race for the at-large seat, incumbent Justin Cowan, Locust Grove, was challenged by Keith Swan, Nowata. Cowan won the at-large race and will begin his second three-year term as an AFR/OFU director.



In addition, AFR/OFU Secretary Paul Jackson, Ringling, ran unopposed and retains his current position for a new full three-year term. 

For more on the convention- click here.  

NFU Claims 82 Percent Success Rate in Passage of 2014 Farm Law 

Britanny Jablonsky, Director of Advocacy Communications for the National Farmers Union told members of the American Farmers and Ranchers/Oklahoma Farmers Union that NFU achieved an 82% success rate with the final passage of the 2014 Farm Bill. Jablonsky told the 109th annual meeting of the AFR/OFU that 17 of the NFU priorities were part of the final measure, with five others partially included and only 4 were not included.


She adds that as the Farm Bill Conference was finalized- five of six keys were achieved by the populist group- including:

Keep Permanent Law

Set Fixed Reference Prices

Achieve Mandatory Funding for the Energy Title

Oppose any changes in COOL Regulations as rewritten in May 2013

and Fund Farmers market and local foods programs.


The one key that NFU was lobbying for that was not in the final farm bill was the inclusion of a dairy stabilization program. 

Read more(and listen to our conversation with Brittany) about the NFU and one of their biggest bragging points coming out of the 2014 Farm Bill Conference Committee report- click here for our webstory for our interview and to read more.

Placements Jump in Latest USDA COF Report 

The number that stuck out like a sore thumb on Friday afternoon when Uncle Sam released the monthly cattle on feed report was the placement number- coming in well above January 0f 2013.  

Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.8 million head on February 1, 2014. The inventory was 3 percent below February 1, 2013. 

Placements in feedlots during January totaled 2.03 million, 9 percent above 2013. Net placements were 1.96 million head. During January, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 470,000, 600-699 pounds were 440,000, 700-799 pounds were 560,000, and 800 pounds and greater were 559,000.

Click here for one of two interviews we have for on the the Cattle on Feed Numbers- this one featuring comments with Tom Leffler of Leffler Commodities.

The other report we have comes from an interview we did on Saturday with OSU Livestock Market Economist Dr. Derrell Peel as he got ready to speak to the 109th Annual meeting of the AFR/OFU in Norman.  Click here for Dr. Peel's take on those placement numbers and the overall on feed numbers.

OALP Class 16 Learns about Different Kind of Farming--Crocs

Dr. James Trapp, associate director for cooperative extension at Oklahoma State University is traveling with Class 16 of the Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Program in South Africa. He files this report:

Crocodile farming appears to be one of the more profitable agricultural enterprises in South Africa. The cattle and crop farmers we talked to tell about the same story as Oklahoma farmers: times have been tough economically and it has been dry. But things sounded a little different on the crocodile farm we visited.

The OALP class visited the Inyoni crocodile farm north of Pretoria and learned the basics of crocodile ranching. The core products are crocodile hide and meat. But the farms also sell the crocodiles for hunting. Some farms are open for tourists to see the crocodiles and watch them being fed, but many do not allow tourists. Typically, the smaller farms focus on hides and tourism while the larger ones get into meat processing and sales.

You'll find Dr. Trapp's full report on our website by clicking here.

 

EPA Proposes Changes to Workforce Protection Standards

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Friday announced proposed changes to the agricultural Worker Protection Standards. This is the first time in 21 years that the rules and regulations concerning American farm workers and pesticide safety will be updated.

Among the proposed changes:

-- Increased frequency of mandatory trainings (from once every five years to annually) to inform farmworkers about the protections they are afforded under the rule, including restrictions on entering pesticide-treated fields and surrounding areas, decontamination supplies, access to information and use of personal protective equipment.

-- Expanded mandatory posting of no-entry signs for the most hazardous pesticides. No-entry buffer areas surrounding pesticide-treated fields will protect workers and others from exposure from pesticide overspray and fumes.

-- Measures to improve the states' ability to enforce compliance including requiring employers to keep records of application-specific pesticide information.

Click here for the rest of this story.

 

Gotta Rain to Have Forage- Gotta Have Forage to ReBuild US Beef Cow Herd- Derrell Peel

The first six weeks of 2014 have starrted off on the dry side of things- and that is a worry for OSU Extension Livestock Marketing Economist Dr. Derrell Peel, who says that Mother Nature will have to coorperate to allow beef cow herds to actually see some growth in numbers this year. Peel is our guest on today's Beef Buzz, as we look at the status of the US Beef Cow herd and whether the hopes of expansion will turn into the reality of more beef cow numbers in the southern plains when 2014 is done.

Peel tells me in the latest Beef Buzz that the market signals are there for cattlemen to expand the US beef cow herd, but those signals can only be acted on if forage supplies are adequate. Eastern Oklahoma ranchers are in a better position to add to their mama cow herd, while top soil moisture supplies are simply not there to allow a spurt of early season growth in native or improved pastures in central and western Oklahoma. It will take timely rains to overcome the moisture deficit.

Click here to listen to more from Derrell Peel.

American Farm Bureau's Bob Stallman Applauds 'Right to Grow' Program

Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, issued the following statement Friday:

"Now more than ever, it is imperative that American farmers have access to new technologies to continue to provide a safe, healthy and affordable food supply both domestically and internationally. While the U.S. regulatory system is built on predictability and ensuring that new technology is safe, we also recognize that our international customers are subject to their own regulatory systems. As such, it is important that U.S. exporters meet the needs of our export customers.

"In this vein, The American Farm Bureau Federation applauds the announcement between Syngenta and Gavilon Grain, LLC, concerning their agreement to ensure that farmers who are looking to plant new technologies have a reliable way to market their product. The 'Right to Grow' program will serve as a model to provide confidence for the American farmer that they will continue to have access to new technologies while meeting the needs of our international customers."