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The selection of the Grand Champions has always been a highlight since the Oklahoma Youth Expo was organized about twelve years ago- and this one was more elaborate than ever.  Complete with pyrotechnics- the young men and ladies who were showing the breed champions were introduced- coming out of the limousine- greeted by spotlights, a red carpet and the cheers of the crowd.  

Once the preliminaries were complete- the final drive for the four market divisions cranked up- and here are your four Grand Champions for 2015:

Grand Champion Steer- Gatlin Goodson of Shattuck FFA- winning with the Champion Chianina- Details of the Steer show available here.

Grand Champion Barrow- Garrison Straka, Canadian County 4-H- Garrison had the Hamp Champ and his barrow was declared the best of some 2.700 shown over the three days.  Details of the Barrow Show are Available Here.

Grand Champion Market Lamb- Shown by Lydia Straka of El Reno 4-H- she won with the Hampshire Market Lamb Champ.  Details of the Market Lambs available here.

and Finally- the Grand Champion Market Wether Goat- Kami Oller, Garber FFA winning with her Champion Division Four Goat. Your details on the Market Goat Show Available Here.  

A total of 211 animals will be sold this afternoon at the 2015 Sale of Champions- these four animals will sell first- in the order listed above. Click here for your copy of the complete sale order in a PDF.

Tyler Norvell told the audience during the Grand Champion Selection last night that the business community and other supporters of the OYE have a million dollars in hand to pay the premiums on these top winners of the OYE Market Division Shows- including a hundred thousand dollars to be paid for the Grand Champion Steer.  

 Oklahoma Farm Bureau to ODAFF- Shut Down Feral Hog Movement Now

The state's largest farm organization is calling upon the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry to immediately enact emergency rules to stop the movement of wild hogs in Oklahoma.

"We believe ODAFF has the regulatory authority to take immediate action today to stop movement of these feral swine," said Tom Buchanan, president of Oklahoma Farm Bureau.  "ODAFF should take action by using their emergency rulemaking power.  We must stop the transportation of these wild hogs.  Our multibillion-dollar agriculture industry is at risk from disease spread by and damage caused by these feral hogs."

The call for action by Farm Bureau was prompted by an incident this week where a Broken Bow resident was arrested on complaints of moving 117 feral hogs from Texas into Oklahoma.  More than 50 percent of the feral swine involved in this case tested positive for pseudorabies.  

The feral swine had also been treated with sustained-release oxy-tetracycline as well as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent. One of the drugs used to treat the feral hogs before transport is not approved for use in swine.   

Anderson Offers Spring Commodity Price Outlook

With the start of spring, there has been a spring rally in the markets. In this weekend's edition of SUNUP, Oklahoma State University Grain Marketing Specialist Kim Anderson said in recent week's there has been a 39 cent price increase in wheat. It has retracted a bit, so he just hopes this rally keeps going.


The U.S. dollar index relative to other currencies continues to strengthen. Anderson said the index has increased another three percent in recent weeks, which is negative for grain prices due to exports. Meanwhile, oil prices are down 16 percent, gas prices are lower, along with corn prices being down five percent, soybean prices are down seven percent and wheat prices are up around four percent.


In looking at the commodity price outlook at harvest, Anderson said forward contracted prices for corn are $3.95 for the December contract.   He said the basis around the state is at (-.45) to (-.20), except in the Panhandle where the basis is (+.20). Anderson said forward contract corn is at $3.50 - $3.75 for much of the state with the Panhandle at $4.15 a bushel.


Anderson offers the harvest price outlook for sorghum, soybeans, wheat, canola, as well as the short term price outlook with the U.S. Department of Agriculture planting intentions report released on March 31.  Click here to read or to listen to more analysis from Kim Anderson.  

Young Farmers Still Concerned About Adequate Land

Finding and securing adequate land to grow crops and raise animals was once again the top challenge identified in the American Farm Bureau Federation's annual outlook survey of participants in the Young Farmers & Ranchers program. That challenge was identified by 29 percent of respondents, followed by government regulations, which was identified by 13 percent of the respondents.


"For young people who want to begin farming or ranching or expand an established farm or ranch, securing adequate land remains their top challenge," said Jon Hegeman, AFBF's national YF&R Committee chair and a farmer from Alabama. "Another major challenge is coping with burdensome government regulations."


Other issues ranked as top concerns by young farmers and ranchers included the willingness of parents to turn over the reins, 10 percent; overall profitability, 10 percent; taxes and the availability of water, both 7 percent; and urbanization and the availability of ag financing, each coming in at 5 percent.


The 23rd annual YF&R survey revealed that 84 percent of those surveyed are more optimistic about farming and ranching than they were five years ago. Last year, 91 percent of those surveyed said they were more optimistic about farming compared to five years ago.


To read more about respondents outlook for the future of agriculture, connecting with consumers and the use of social media, click here.  

New App Helps Producers Identify and Reduce Lameness in Beef Cattle

In partnership with Zinpro, the Beef Cattle Institute at Kansas State University has recently released the Step-Up mobile application. It's a new educational training tool for identifying and managing beef cattle lameness that can be downloaded to your smartphone or to your tablet. BCI Director and veterinarian Dr. Dan Thomson said cattle lameness costs producers significantly every year and this app has a lot to offer producers to help them get around those problems.


"First of all it has pictures and it has language to show producers what different lameness is and how it presents itself," Thomson said. "Whether its an environmental lameness like foot rot or toe abscess, if it's a nutritional deal such laminitis from soluble carbohydrate intake or if it infectious, we can take a look at how it presents itself. So it really gives the producer and veterinarian a tool to look at different lameness and then match up what's going on in their operation with the pictures and videos as far as the locomotion scoring and the severity of the lameness and then helps them make a diagnosis."


Thomson believes this app can helpful to anyone interested in maintaining the health of your beef cattle herd. He said the target audience is veterinarians, producers and extension educators in helping them make a diagnosis. 

Click here to learn more about the Step-Up app and where to download it.  

Award winning broadcast journalist Jerry Bohnen has spent years learning and understanding how to cover the energy business here in the southern plains- Click here to subscribe to his daily update of top Energy News.

USDA Expands Efforts in Oklahoma to Address Rural Poverty

Oklahoma and Puerto Rico has joined 20 states in receiving targeted assistance to address rural poverty. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack Thursday announced the expansion of the USDA StrikeForce Initiative for Rural Growth and Opportunity to address chronic rural poverty in 32 identified counties in Oklahoma and the entire island of Puerto Rico. The announcement brings StrikeForce assistance to 880 counties, parishes, colonias, boroughs and tribal reservations across 21 states and Puerto Rico.


"USDA's first priority is to build the rural economy. With 85 percent of our country's persistent poverty counties in rural areas, our commitment is especially deep in these communities." said Secretary Vilsack. "The results from StrikeForce efforts to date demonstrate that partnership models are the key in building rural economies by creating jobs, building homes, feeding kids, assisting farmers, and conserving natural resources."


In 2010, Secretary Vilsack established USDA's StrikeForce Initiative for Rural Growth and Opportunity to address the specific challenges associated with rural poverty. Using data from the National Census, USDA state based leadership identified specific rural areas enduring the worst chronic poverty in need of StrikeForce attention. StrikeForce teams have facilitated collaboration with more than 500 community partners and public entities to bring targeted assistance to these areas.


To read more about the StrikeForce efforts to stimulate chronic rural economies, click here.  

This N That- Pollard Sale Tomorrow, Come Say Howdy in Ardmore and Peanut Expo Set for Next Week

The Pollard Farms have their Performance Genetics Annual Bull Sale set for tomorrow at 12:30 PM at the Farm in Waukomis, Oklahoma.

Barry and Roxanne Pollard are offering some of the best genetics in the Angus breed on Saturday- and will be featuring 85 Home Raised, Service Age Angus Bulls.

Details are available on their website- click here and check this tremendous sale out- they have both the catalog available there as well as videos of the sale offering.  

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It's not too late to make plans to jump in the pickup and head for Ardmore tomorrow morning and the 2015 Texoma Cattlemen's Conference.   

We will be moderating the 2015 edition of this conference being put on by the Noble Foundation folks- and the agenda is simply amazing.  You can review highlights of the day long event by clicking here. 

We'll be starting the program at 9:00 AM- I hope you will make plans to attend- and if you are a part of the audience- be sure and come up and say howdy!

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Our friend of many years- Mike Kubicek- will be wrapping up his career as the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Peanut Commission this coming week at this spring's Peanut Expo at Quartz Mountain Resort which overlooks Pond Altus Lugert (with 10% of the normal water level- the word Pond is more accurate than Lake these days).

The Expo is considered the state's premier industry meeting drawing participants from across the southern U.S. peanut belt. 

This year's conference will acknowledge the "Golden Anniversary" of the Oklahoma Peanut Commission and the final Expo for retiring Executive Director Mike Kubicek. The OPC earlier announced former OSU Extension Specialist Dr. Ron Sholar as Kubicek's replacement.

More details are available here.