Peel Urges Producers to Rethink Cattle Production Decisions 

If you are a cattle producer, then you are on the receiving end of record high cattle prices. Cash prices are strong across all classes of cattle. Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist Derrell Peel said this may mean its time for producers to rethink their management decisions. 


"High prices doesn't guarantee high profits, but it certainly makes it easier, it gives you a better chance for that," Peel said. "What it does it really allows producers to focus on the cost side of that revenue equation. Markets are going to be there for the foreseeable future, we're going to have good prices, so what can we do to manage costs and production decision behind those costs to take advantage of this situation."


For the stocker end of the business, the biggest area of risk for producers is death loss, Peel said right now market risk is market risk is relatively less important, so producers need to being paying more energy into management.


"It might suggest some marginal changes in say your health management protocol," Peel said. "..If you use a temperature protocol, it might make sense to lower that a little bit, half a degree, you pull those animals a little sooner, you're going to spend a little bit more money on treatment costs, but what you are doing is changing the odds that animal either gets sick or dies."  

USDA Reports Out This Morning May Give Us More Direction on How Big Our Spring Planted Crops Really Are   

While attention following the release of the September round of supply and demand numbers is expected to focus on new-crop production estimates, global ending stocks projections could tell the real story- so says Darin Newsome with DTN.

The Oklahoma Pork Council will begin serving up pork dishes on opening day of the Oklahoma State Fair today in Oklahoma City.  Oklahoma Pork Council Executive Director Roy Lee Lindsey said offering pork at these events is a long standing tradition that fair goers have come to expect.


"I can't tell you how many people say I always come and get a pork chop sandwich at the state fair and we're really happy to continue to put that product out there for them," Lindsey said.


When looking at all the fair food options, Lindsey said this is also one of the healthiest options visitors will find. He said a pork chop sandwich because it is two lean pieces of pork loin and bun. They also offer fresh ground pork burgers and a pulled pork sandwiches as well.


This is a limited time offer. The Oklahoma Pork Council cooks up pork for the public at three events annually - the Oklahoma State Fair, Tulsa State Fair and the Oklahoma Youth Expo in March.

You can listen to a more extensive audio conversation with Lindsey by clicking here.  You can also watch our 'In the Field' segment promoting the Oklahoma Pork Council's activities at the Oklahoma State Fair.

Cold Front Start of a Long Fall Harvest, Anderson Says

A cold front across the northern cornbelt looks to be the start of wet trend across the midwest, making harvest more challenging for farmers. DTN Senior Ag Meteorologist Bryce Anderson said this week's freezing weather and rainfall will be a ongoing trend.


"The Pacific Ocean indictors there is more of a trend toward at least a weak El Nino for later this fall to develop," Anderson said. "When that is effect it relates to a higher than average rainfall total for much of the plains and midwest going into the fall season."


In a interview with Leslie Smith of the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network, Anderson said this is another indication much of the US is getting set for fall that is normal to above normal precipitation and temperatures running normal to below normal levels. This combination looks to bringing a challenge to harvest while impacting crop quality.


"The way things are shaping up this looks to be a fall comparable to the 2009 harvest," Anderson said. "During that fall, harvest really dragged out and there were numerous issues with crop quality, with very light grain. I don't think we're going to have quite that extreme of a scenario for this fall, but it is going be one where we will see some issues with grain weight not being quite the weight we would like to see there's going to be some moisture issues as well."  
 

Anderson said this weather pattern will have some news good news for the southern plains.  Click here to read more about the fall weather outlook.  

Farm Bureau Urges Congress to Bring Common Sense to Endangered Species Act

The Arkansas Farm Bureau and the American Farm Bureau Federation called for clear, cost-benefit analyses from regulatory agencies that enforce the Endangered Species Act. Since current rules account only for government expenditures, Arkansas Farm Bureau President Randy Veach said the often oppressive cost of ESA enforcement on the private sector gets ignored.


"If over-zealous enforcement of federal laws, such as the ESA, were to hinder, disrupt or further burden our farmers and ranchers, we will not be able to sustainably raise the crops and livestock necessary to feed the 7 billion people currently on our planet, much less the 9 billion projected by 2050," Veach said.


Veach spoke before the House Committee on Natural Resources in support of H.R. 4319, the Common Sense in Species Protection Act of 2014. The bill would require federal agencies to show full economic justification before placing any land under the protection of a critical habitat designation, which often severely restricts farming and ranching in the affected area.  Click here to read more about the concerns Arkansas Farm Bureau and University of Arkansas have with the Endangered Species Act.   

Coming up next week is the Heart of America Farm Show. The second annual event will be held September 18,19, and 20th at the Tulsa RV Ranch. Show Director Kevin Kite said this is much more than your typical farm show in offering a fun, family oriented event with a wide variety of activities.


Each day the Heart of America Farm Show is open 9 am - 5 pm with over 100 exhibitors representing anything ag-related from farm equipment to household items. The event will feature antique tractors from the Oklahoma Antique Tractor Association and Standing Tall Tractor Club. Kite said they will also have the northeast Oklahoma Gun Fighters and Re-Enactors walking around the grounds having shootouts.


During the three-day event there will be educational opportunities. Cattle dog demonstrations and seminars on farm and ranch security on how to protect your cattle and machinery from theft will held twice a day.


Saturday features a Consignment Auction for farm and industrial equipment starting at 9:30 am. The Oklahoma Farm Bureau will sponsor a Kid's Farm Safety Day Camp from 10:30 am to noon to teach youth ages 10 - 13 how to prevent accidents on the farm. A Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) Rodeo will be held Saturday night with a preshow featuring Native American Fancy Dancers and Li'l Rough Riders Mutton Bustin. The PRCA Rodeo starts at 7pm.
 
 

Click here to learn more about the upcoming Heart of America Farm Show.  

Cotton Confab, Canola Calibration and Cattle's Labor Day XXXV- ALL Things to Check Out Today

Some quick hits for you to check out on our calendar at the  Oklahoma Farm Report website:

There has been an exceptional amount of pesticide drift damage to crops this year in Southwest Oklahoma. Caddo County is seeing more damage this year than in past years.
Therefore, the program for the Fall Cotton Tour will focus on drift minimization when applying pesticides. The Carnegie Farmers COOP and Gin is sponsoring the event again this year and it will be held on the Merlin Schantz Farm- starting with registration at 8:00 AM this morning-  

Click or tap here for more details.

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The second of four Canola Calibration Clinics are being held today- this one in Kingfisher County at the Fairgrounds starting at 9:00 AM.  Josh Bushong with OSU Extension and Heath Sanders with the Great Plains Canola Association are teaming up to offer producers some hands on training to make sure the drills  you are using for canola this year are calibrated correctly- very important when you are putting a tiny seed like canola in the ground.

Click or tap here to learn more- there will also be a similar clinic tomorrow in Lahoma.

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Finally, we remind you of the Superior Livestock Labor Day XXXV sale- starting this morning at 9:00 AM Central Time.

There will be over 65,000 head of cattle selling at the sale today and tomorrow- with a good set of females that can come back to your ranch that will be selling tomorrow.

Click here for details about Labor Day XXXV- and head on over to Superior Click to Bid and check out the action.