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Scouts on the eastern leg of the Pro Farmer Midwest Crop Tour saw a crop that grew larger as they moved west from Indiana into Illinois on Tuesday.

Indiana's corn yields, while variable, averaged 185 bushels per acre, compared to 167.4 last year and the 141.2 bpa three-year average. Indiana soybeans averaged 1220.8 pods in a 3-foot-by-3-foot square, higher than last year's 1185 and the three-year average of 1118.7. The corn number was met with some skepticism by those tweeting from the Bloomington, Illinois report session last night as one observer said he would believe the 185 number when he saw the actual harvest results. 

Scouts on the western tour,including Radio Oklahoma Ag Network's Leslie Smith, saw a Nebraska corn yield that was great in some places and average in others. The state's average yield, including irrigated and non-irrigated land, was 163.7 bpa, a Nebraska record. Last year, the average was 154.9 bpa. The three-year average was 146.8 bpa, so the 2014 tour has looked at a crop over eleven percent bigger than the three year average.

The record corn yield for Nebraska did surprise Smith, who tells us "For me it was a surprise, because the fields I have been in looked about average at best.  Again this proves one picture, tweet or route does not give you a good indication of the crop out there.  It is often said the Pro Farmer Tour is simply pulling a lot of samples out of one big field, so the yield estimate is so much bigger than one field, county or region."  She adds that she detected some surprise in her conversation with Chip Flory on Tuesday evening as they recaped the Nebraska survey of the 2014 tour.  Flory calls it "pretty remarkable considering the growing season."

You can hear Leslie talking at length with Chip Flory about the Nebraska results here- and our webstory also includes an excellent comparison of 2014 versus 2013 by Leslie and a link over to DTN for a good overview of both the east and west legs of the tour.

You can continue to follow the blow by blow (or field by field) view of the 2014 Tour on Twitter- hashtag to follow is #pftour14.  And to keep up with Leslie Smith- her handle is @ruralleslie.

USDA Seeks Input on Revisions to Beef Grading Standards

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking public input on possible revisions to the U.S. Standards for Grades of Carcass Beef to adjust for recent improvements and trends in animal raising and feeding. AMS is also seeking input on a review of beef instrument grading.


When beef is voluntarily graded, the official grade may consist of a quality grade, a yield grade, or both. The quality grades principally refer to the characteristics of marbling and maturity and are intended to identify differences in the flavor and satisfaction of eating cooked beef. The principal official USDA quality grades for young cattle and carcasses are Prime, Choice, Select, and Standard. Significant changes (such as grass fed versus grain fed feeding regimens, instrument grading, management, and export requirements) have taken place in the beef industry since the current grade standards were adopted in 1997. 

AMS is seeking input from cattle producers, food processors, the public and other sources before revising the grades to better reflect the characteristics of meat that is available for Americans to purchase. The bottom line- is the beef grading system still providing information most important to end users?

Read more by going to our website here- the comment period continues through November 13, 2014.

Expecting Fewest July Cattle Placements Ever in This Friday's Report- Rich Nelson with Allendale

This coming Friday is our regular monthly USDA Cattle on Feed Report. According to Rich Nelson with Allendale, "July Placements are expected to be 6.4% lower than last year. This would be the lowest July placement since the history of the current data series (1996). USDA's cattle feeding margin ended the month with a strong $170 per head profit on outgoing cattle (10 months in a row). Corn averaged $4.16 in Western Kansas in July ($4.68 in June, $3.73 in July 2013). July placements help supply the December through March slaughter period.

"Allendale anticipates a Marketing total 6.4% lower than July 2013. There was no calendar day adjustment for this particular month.

"Total Cattle on Feed as of August 1 now totals 2.2% under last year. That is a slight increase over the July 1 total of 2.4% under last year."

Nelson also offers us the Allendale view on the companion Cold Storage Report- also out on Friday afternoon: Allendale "projects a 513 million lb. total pork stock level for the end of July. The five year average is 496 million lbs. for the end of July. Our estimate represents a decrease of 25 million lb. from the previous month. The five year average month to month change for July is a 33 million lb. decrease. Beef stocks, at 342 million lbs., are below the five year average of 434. This month's number represents a 16 million lb. drawdown from the previous month. The five year average change is a 4 million lb. decrease."

USDA Announces $25 Million for Agri Entrepreneurs for Value-Added Efforts- Five Grants Come to Oklahoma

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack highlighted on Tuesday the importance of rural entrepreneurs to the U.S. economy and announced investments to help rural businesses grow, diversify and create jobs. Secretary Vilsack says that USDA is investing $25 million to help 247 businesses nationwide expand their operations and create new products to market.

Five of those grants have been awarded to entities in Oklahoma- about $600,000 will be funneled to those projects.

For example, Red Rock Premium Beef LLC will be receiving $48,415 to aid in their development of their natural beef processing business. Rural Development funds will be used as working capital to produce natural beef cuts and ground beef from natural beef cattle, process, deliver and market said beef.


Another of the Oklahoma based grants will be going to Six Mile Lane Winery, Inc. They will be receiving $133,365 under this grant program. Rural Development funds will be used to provide working capital for Coal Creek Vineyard and Winery in Tuttle, Grady County, Oklahoma.

To learn more about this program- click or tap here- that includes a link to the USDA website and state by state listing of all of the projects- including the other three Oklahoma grants. 

Angus Genetics Names Dan Moser as New President

The American Angus Association has announced that Dr. Dan Moser will become the new president of Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI) and Association director of performance programs, effective September first.

A unanimous selection of the AGI board of directors, Moser brings more than 15 years experience in genetic research and education to the Association's 25,000-plus members and their commercial partners. 
 

As AGI president and Association director of performance programs, Dr. Moser will oversee the organization's genetic research and development efforts, as well as further the advancement of genomic-enhanced selection tools and the weekly National Cattle Evaluation.

To learn more about Dr. Moser and this position that he will be undertaking on behalf of Angus breeders and those that use Angus bloodlines, click or tap here to read more. 

FTA with Colombia Helps Recapture Corn Market in This South American Country

The United States is on track to capture more than 95 percent of Colombia's 141 million bushel corn market this marketing year, which ends Aug. 31. This is a dramatic turn-around from 2013 exports of just 25 million bushels to that country. "The trend that we are seeing clearly illustrates both why the National Corn Growers Association's work in promoting trade agreements benefits U.S. corn farmers and the effectiveness of its work in collaboration with the U.S. Grains Council," said NCGA Trade Policy and Biotechnology Action Team Chair Jim Zimmerman, a farmer from Wisconsin. 

Colombia has traditionally been the biggest importer of U.S. corn in South America. In 2008, U.S. corn imports accounted for 80 percent of the Colombian corn market. However, due to tariff advantages, Colombian importers began switching to Argentina and Brazil to source their corn needs around 2009. By 2011, U.S. corn accounted for only 21 percent of that market. American exporters did not become competitive once again in this vital corn market until the U.S. - Colombia free trade agreement was implemented in 2012. 

Read more about this FTA success story here. 

This N That- Big Iron Auction Closes Begin at 10 and Monthly Oklahoma Wheat Commission Meeting Happens After Lunch

It's Wednesday- and that means the Big Iron folks will be busy closing out this week's auction items- all 256 of them- starting at 10 AM central time.     

Click Here for the complete rundown of what is being sold on this no reserve online sale this week.

If you'd like more information on buying and selling with Big Iron, call District Manager Mike Wolfe at 580-320-2718 and he can give you the full scoop.  You can also reach Mike via email by clicking here.

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The regular monthly board meeting of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission is set for this afternoon- starting at 1:30 PM in the second floor conference room in the Oklahoma Water Resources Board building on Classen- 3800 Classen to be exact in Oklahoma City.

We have the agenda for their meeting on our website- take a look at it here.

The Wheat Commission is helping host a special educational seminar on Thursday at the National Weather Service in Norman- besides several perspectives that will be offered on drought and Oklahoma agriculture- the annual Oklahoma Wheat Review of the drought damaged Oklahoma Wheat Crop will be a part of that all day meeting.  Details are also on our website- click or tap here to take a look.