Oklahoma Farm Bureau Comes Out Strongly Opposed to WOTUS- As Does AFBF's YF&R 

Oklahoma Farm Bureau submitted comments Wednesday in response to the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposed rule to define "Waters of the United States" under the Clean Water Act.


The rule proposed by the EPA and Corps will affect a large number of OKFB members, said OKFB President Tom Buchanan.


"Oklahoma Farm Bureau's members engage in activities on land and water that often require a jurisdictional determination from the Corps before proceeding," said Buchanan. "Any change in CWA regulations that would change the scope of federal jurisdiction will have a substantial effect on our members' ability to finance and develop new projects or perform maintenance to maintain existing infrastructure and facilities." Buchanan talked briefly with OFB's Sam Knipp after a public meeting that Farm Bureau participated in with Congressman Mark Wayne Mullin this past week in McAlester. You can hear his comments by clicking on the LISTEN BAR below. 

Meanwhile, the American Farm Bureau's Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee have also submitted their comments on "WOTUS" and no surprise- they are strongly against the proposed rule from the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers.


The Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee outlined its key concerns regarding the Waters of the U.S. rule in formal comments submitted to the EPA.
 

"EPA keeps grasping for control over our farms and ranches," AFBF Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee Chair Jake Carter said. "Young farmers and ranchers are the future of American agriculture, and we take our role of protecting the land seriously. This proposal puts serious roadblocks in our way without any material improvements in water quality."

Click here to read more comments from Oklahoma Farm Bureau and the AFBF Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee.

Faces of Farming and Ranching Announced for 2015- Including Sowmomma

The U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA®) announced on Wednesday the winners of its second class of the Faces of Farming and Ranching program, after a nationwide search was concluded to help put real faces on agriculture for American consumers. Erin Brenneman (Iowa), Darrell Glaser (Texas), Jay Hill (N.M.), Thomas Titus (Ill.) and Carla Wardin (Mich.) were all named program winners. The class will be active participants in the national dialogue about food production to set the record straight. These farmers and ranchers will share their personal stories and experiences through consumer-facing public appearances, events, media interviews and social media. 


At the announcement of the five new Faces of Farming and Ranching, we talked with a couple of the new faces- including Iowa hog producer Erin Brenneman, who uses the Twitter handle "sowmomma." 
  

"I could not be more impressed with this year's new Faces of Farming and Ranching," said Nancy Kavazanjian, chairperson of USFRA and a Wisconsin farmer director with the United Soybean Board. "The first Faces of Farming and Ranching had a positive impact on consumers across the country and we are sure this new class also will see success as they connect with consumers and share their stories about how food gets from their farm or ranch to our plates. So many outstanding farmers and ranchers stepped forward and offered to be a consumer Face for USFRA. We are overwhelmed with amount of individuals who are willing to be a representative of the nation's agricultural community." 

Dedicated farmers and ranchers from across the nation submitted applications. This is the second time USFRA has sought farmers and ranchers to speak on behalf of the industry in this capacity.  You can hear our visit with sowmomma by clicking here.   

Peel Says Fall Calf and Yearling Market Stronger Than Normal

Cattle prices have had a great run in 2014.   Prices have reached unprecedented levels and it doesn't look like they will be coming down anytime soon. Normally the market would be experiencing seasonal pressure on calf and yearling prices this time of year, but that hasn't been the case this year. Oklahoma State University Livestock Market Economist Dr. Derrell Peel said there are a lot of folks chasing after the available cattle in auction barns this fall. He said there has seen some differentiation for weaned calves and unweaned calves.


"Obviously at these values unweaned calves are pretty risky from a buyer standpoint so there has been some differentiation values in those but in general we have see prices increase this fall as demand out stripes supply of cattle that's available," Peel said. 


Through the years there has been a pretty good premium for producers that precondition calves. Peel said that is still the case even at the stratospheric prices of the general cattle market.


"It appears we are going to get on percentage terms about a normal premium, at least that that's the indication so far," Peel said. "In dollars per head its actually a bigger premium when you think of the percentage at these price levels. But again from a seller's standpoint you might think well its going to be hard to get a premium when we are at record price levels. From a seller's standpoint that insurance you are getting with those precondition calves, knowing their health status is in good shape is worth a lot to them this year given the values that are on the line. It looks like these preconditioned calves are going to sell well this fall." 

Dr. Peel is optimistic producers will have access to good wheat pasture to put on some addition pounds of gain. Peel is our guest on the Beef Buzz- and you can click or tap here to read more about his outlook for wheat pasture.  

Eighth Straight Record for Certified Angus Beef

Certified Angus Beef has sold 882 million pounds of beef this past year. This becomes the branded beef program's eighth consecutive sales record for the CAB brand, which ended its fiscal year September 30th. CAB President John Stika gives credit to the brand's 17 thousand licensees who work to process, prepare and market the beef in 47 countries.


"What's impressive about the 8 year run and record annual sales every year is the fact it goes against what many would have been the case and honestly solidified the fact that consumers don't buy on price alone," Stika said. "They buy on the price-value relationship and thus far consumers have continued to communicate to us we aren't at the point yet where price exceeds value."


During that same period there was 400 - thousand head decline in the number of Angus influenced cattle available at the brand's 30 licensed packing plants across North America.


"Supply is clearly a big concern for our entire licensee base, it's one of the most popular questions we get," Stika said. "Is there going to be enough product for me to continue to grow my business? So we have been talking about supply for a long time already."


Harvest numbers are at the lowest level that Stika has seen in his 16 years with the company. Click here to read or to watch a video as Stika explains how CAB has been able increase the volume of CAB certified carcasses.  
 

Winfield 'Answer Plots' Off to a Good Start 

Winfield and their Croplan seed brand has established nine AnswerPlot locations for wheat and winter canola in the Southern Plains region. I visited with Winfield Solutions seed and agronomy advisor Justin Stejskal to talk about the Answer Plots.  Stejskal said the crops are off to a fair start.


"As far as stand established go we suffered the same issues some of the growers across the state struggled with," Stejskal said. "In between rains and less than ideal soil conditions as far as being a little too loose or not being able to get enough moisture to get it worked back down again."


Croplan has three Answer Plot demonstration sites in Oklahoma with one site for research only. There are also a couple more demonstration sites in Kansas. Stejskal said the wheat in all six sites looks very good at this time. Most of the canola sites got off to a good start, but some sites didn't get the stand they would have liked to have.


"A little thin, when it comes from a data standpoint we are going to struggle a little bit there," Stejskal said. "But for most part though we are pretty happy where we are right now."  

The public can view the demonstration sites.  Click here to learn more about the Answer Plots- including where they are in Okalhoma and southern Kansas.  

Cameron University's 27th Annual Beef Cattle Improvement Conference & OCA Fall Gathering

The Cameron University Department of Agriculture will host the 27th Annual Beef Cattle Improvement Conference in conjunction with the 2014 Fall Gathering of the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association on Thursday, November 20. Kip Lukasiewicz, DVM, will present the keynote address, "Stockmanship and Its Effect on Outcomes." The event starts at 6 p.m. in the McCasland Ballroom of the McMahon Centennial Complex. There is no charge to attend. For more information, call the Cameron University Department of Agriculture at 581-2275.


Lukasiewic's topic will cover the utilization of stockmanship, defined as the knowledgeable and skillful handling of livestock in a safe, efficient, effective, and low-stress manner, to enhance profitability of producers. Stockmanship includes working with the natural instincts of cattle to reduce animal stress and to improve health and performance. Specifics will include facility design including the Bud Box; proper use of equipment to gather, work and load cattle; and low stress handling of cattle to maximize animal performance.


"Stockmanship is a multi-faceted approach that can benefit all livestock producers," says Dr. Leon Fischer, Mary Dixie Mullin Endowed Chair in the Sciences and Chair, Department of Agriculture. "In sharing his expertise on this topic, Dr. Lukasiewic will relate how stockmanship has a significant impact on animal welfare, performance and quality of life." 


Click here to learn more about the upcoming Beef Cattle Improvement Conference.   

This N That- Oklahoma Farm Bureau Gearing Up for 2014 State Convention and Kudos to Express Ranches for Being ROV Best

About a thousand Oklahoma Farm Bureau members are expected to roll into T Town Friday through Sunday for the 2014 Annual Convention and Trade Show. 

Along the way- those Farm Bureau folks will be honoring high achievers within their organization, hearing from State Attorney General Scott Pruitt on Friday afternoon and from Senator Elect James Lankford Sunday morning- and in the middle, have the delegates work through about one hundred resolutions that the Resolutions are presenting- all coming up from the county level.

"Farming Our Future" is their 2014 theme- and you can see their full schedule by clicking here.

**********

At the first ever national Angus Means Business convention last week in Kansas City- the breed  recognized top honors in the 2013-2014 Roll of Victory (ROV) show season- and a common theme was quickly seen.  

The ROV Show Heifer of the Year was a tie between EXAR Winnie 5291; owned by Sydney Schnoor, Chowchilla, Calif.; and Cherry Knoll Pleasant Elsa, owned by Logan Alex Wright, Philippi, WV.

The ROV Show Bull of the Year was EXAR Blue Chip 1877B; owned by Express Ranches, Yukon, Okla.; Penner Harris, Mill Creek, Okla.; and Conley Cattle, Sulphur, Okla.

Recognized with top honors as the ROV Breeder of the Year was Express Ranches, Yukon, Okla.

The animals that have an EXAR in their name come from Express Ranches- so Bob Funk and company had the top female and top male in the major Angus shows across the country over the past year- and Express picks up Breeder of the Year honors along the way.

It was a team effort- and Oklahoma is ground zero for the best Angus genetics out there- and Express has led the way in that regard- Congrats to the Express Ranches!