Credit Conditions Remain Solid Despite Lower Farm Income 

Most agricultural bankers in the seven-state Tenth District reported solid credit conditions in the second quarter of 2014, but longer-term concerns about credit quality have begun to emerge, according of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's quarterly Survey of Agricultural Credit Conditions.


Although bankers reported very few past-due farm loans, loan repayment rates have weakened since last year, particularly in crop-producing regions. Credit standards, however, were little changed and bankers indicated funds were available to satisfy a sharp rise in loan demand.


Despite continued strength in the livestock sector, Tenth District farm income remained well below year-ago levels due to falling crop prices and poor winter wheat yields. Most bankers surveyed acknowledged a connection between the strength of the farm economy and Main Street business activity in rural communities. While half of survey respondents felt a strong farm economy was supporting further economic growth in their areas, 40 percent saw signs of weakness in the farm economy that was also dampening Main Street business activity.


Cropland values generally held at high levels while strong demand for high-quality pasture pushed ranchland values higher. Current trends in farmland values were expected to continue for the rest of the growing season with cropland values holding at high levels and ranchland values rising further.


Click here for the complete survey.  
 

OCA Prepares for 30th Annual Range Round-Up

The 30th Annual Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association (OCA) Range Round-Up is coming up Friday and Saturday August 22 and 23. This year's event is being partnered with Oklahoma Ford Dealers at the State Fairgrounds Jim Norick Arena in Oklahoma City. Performances will begin at 7:30 p.m each night. The annual event raises funds for charity. This marks the 18th year the selected charity has been the Children's Miracle Network. To date OCA has donated more than $441,500.00 to the Children's Hospital Foundation in Oklahoma City.  OCA Executive Vice President Michael Kelsey said they like to call the event 'Cowboys Helping Kids'.   


"It's a fantastic group of people, doctors, folks that are working with people who really need it and our committee has had an opportunity to tour and go up and see firsthand, its just a fantastic facility," Kelsey said. "It's such a great honor for us to be able partner with them."


The 30th Annual OCA Range Round-Up will feature 12 teams consisting of 16 ranches. This year's completing ranches include: Alfalfa County Land & Cattle, Cherokee, Okla; Buford Ranches, LLC, Welch, Okla.; Davison & Sons Cattle Co., Arnett, Okla.; Drummond Land & Cattle Co., Pawhuska, Okla; Gray G Bar Ranch, Grainola, Okla.; Hall Ranch, Comanche, Okla, Daube Cattle Co., Ardmore, Okla.; Hitch Ranch, Guymon, Okla.; McCoy Ranch, Ada, Okla.; Beebe Livestock, Ada, Okla.; Kelly Ranch, Marlow, Okla.; Bearce Ranch, Marlow, Okla.; Treadwell Land & Cattle Co., Frederick, Okla.; McPhail Land & Cattle, Snyder, Okla.; Sugarloaf Ranch, Duncan, Okla.; and 3C Cattle Co., Mill Creek, Okla. OCA Association Marketing Spokesperson Dallas Henderson said these cowboys will compete in events that mirror many ranch activities.

"They got six events that they will compete in from wild cow milking, team branding, team penning, stray gathering and a few others," Henderson said. "And it's events they do every day on their ranches... in gathering their cattle, going out and penning a few."  

Click here to read more about the OCA Range Roundup and how to get tickets.  Also be sure to watch Saturday's In the Field segment with Kelsey, Henderson and I on KWTV News9 during the Saturday morning news block around 6:40 am.

National Corn Growers Urge Farmers to Weigh in on WOTUS

The National Corn Growers Association is reminding farmers to submit their comments on 'Waters of the US'. proposal. NCGA has expressed concern that this rule could significantly expand the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act and creates more uncertainty as to what will be subject to federal regulation.


NCGA has many serious concerns regarding the impact the proposed rule could have on U.S. farmers. NCGA's concerns fall into four main areas:


-- Farmers will face tremendous uncertainty because of the way the rule defines what is a tributary and what is an adjacent water subject to the Clean Water Act.


-- The proposed rule represents a significant expansion of federal Clean Water Act jurisdiction relative to anything that has ever been covered in a previous rulemaking and contradicts two U.S. Supreme Court decisions.


-- The vast numbers of ditches that would be subject to federal jurisdiction.


-- Farmers will be required to obtain NPDES permits or face the threat of citizen action suits challenging the use of fertilizers and pesticides on or near drainage features that are made jurisdictional.


NCGA is urging farmers to contact EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy in making sure EPA hears from America's farmers. NCGA has a established a webpage to help farmers begin the process by clicking here. 

NCBA Says US Agriculture Can't Afford to Lose WOTUS Battle

It's really a battle over a single word that lies at the heart of the Clean Water Act that was passed by Congress back in the 1970's. That single word is "navigable" and its proven to be very troublesome to a lot of regulators that want more and more control. Basically it has been an ongoing battle since the Clean Water was created in 1972, what is the extent of the federal government's authority over water?


There are have been several attempts to remove the word navigable out of the definition of the 'Clean Waters of the US'. There was a legislative effort back 10 - 12 years ago. US Senator Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma and others blocked that effort at that time. In 2014 the effort has turned to regulating it out of existence. National Cattlemen's Beef Environmental Counsel Ashley McDonald its simply a battle agriculture can't afford to lose. 


"In Missouri alone, nearly 80,000 additional stream miles will be under the regulatory authority of EPA and the Corps. Logic and commonsense tells us that the surrounding land will also be regulated more than ever before," McDonald said.  "This rule just continues this administration's regulatory rampage and enough is enough. Farmers and ranchers are not confused and are well aware of this administration's blatant attempt to control every drop of water and every piece of private land in this country."

Click Here to read or listen to Thursday's Beef Buzz with McDonald.  NCBA and Missouri Cattlemen are appearing this week at the Missouri State Fair.  Click Here to read about their effort to educate producers and the public on regulatory expansion of the federal government.  

Drought Holding On Across Oklahoma

Drought continues to hold strong across Oklahoma after big improvement a week ago. The latest US Drought Monitor Map shows 2.25 percent of the state was in exceptional drought (D4), 16.12 was in extreme drought (D3), 48.39 was in severe drought, 71.08 was in moderate drought, 80.44 was abnormally dry and 19.56 percent does not have a drought ranking.


In the weekly map from the National Drought Mitigation Center there was some spread of the abnormally dry area in central Oklahoma and some intensification of drought to the southwest of Oklahoma City from Custer County down to Garvin County. There was also areas of severe drought (D2) that dropped to moderate drought (D1) in the northwest and the northeast.


In the weekly Oklahoma Climatological Survey Mesonet Ticker, State Climatologist Gary McManus said this phenomenon has become known at the National Weather Center as the "Norman Bubble", where Norman gets 9.8 inches of rain over the last 90 days while Oklahoma City receives 18 - 20 inches. He said parts of Cotton County only received 7.4 inches over that same period.

Click here for your 7-day weather outlook.  

Watch for Sorghum Midge in Late-Blooming Sorghum

Pest Alert by Tom A. Royer, Oklahoma State University Extension Entomologist

I noted high populations of sorghum midge adults actively swarming on some late blooming heads in my sorghum plots at the Cimarron Research and Extension Center in Perkins. Favorable climate and abundant Johnson grass may allow them to become a problem in late-planted sorghum this year.


Sorghum midge is a tiny fly, measuring less than 1/32 inches long. It has a reddish abdomen with one pair of grayish transparent wings. The female fly lays eggs in open florets and the maggots feed inside the developing seed. The contents of the seed are usually completely consumed. The lifecycle from egg to adult is completed in 14-16 days. Heads that have sorghum midge injury are referred as "blasted". The adults live for one day, but one female can lay 30-100 eggs.


Insecticide control: Scouting is essential to achieve effective control with an insecticide. Use a 10X magnifying hand lens to aid in identification. There are two ways to scout. One is to carefully move to a plant without disturbing it, quickly put a plastic bag over the head, and shake it vigorously. Remove the bag and contents and look for midges inside the plastic baggie. The other way is through direct observation; without disturbing the plant, look for small gnat-sized flies that are moving about the head or are laying eggs on flowers with extended anthers.

Click Here to learn more about the Sorghum Midge and management strategies from Tom Royer.

Biotech Approvals, Acceptance on Docket of Biotech Roundtable

The American Soybean Association (ASA) and the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) teamed up in Washington this week to bring together more than 100 farmers, researchers, leaders of agricultural organizations and federal officials to discuss the worldwide benefits of agricultural biotechnology, focusing on acceleration of government approval of biotech seed for soybeans and other crops.


This D.C. Biotechnology Roundtable is the latest in a series of forums ISA has organized to help advance a more science-based biotech approval process and to reinforce the proven safety of agricultural biotechnology, which farmers use to enhance the yields and quality of soybeans and other crops. 

Go over to our website here to read more about these latest biotech efforts to make this important technology once available to farmers around the world.