Since Friday morning, we have had significant rainfall roll into Oklahoma- and apparently, much of Monday may be wet.  AND- the rest of the week has rain chances in the mix.

Up to this point- we are not talking drought busting totals- but amounts that could help rescue a winter wheat and winter canola crop in areas where it was slipping quickly into oblivion.

Cheyenne and Erick both have big rainfall totals- with a lot of that from last night- these storms included some damaging hail- daylight will help determine areas where these storms that came in from Texas had crops hurt by hail.  As we mentioned- as of 6:15 this morning- Cheyenne is looking at 3.66 inches of rain and Erick claims 2.70 inches of rainfall.  

Points east have had storms roll through- but not with the rainfall totals seen out closer to the Texas border.   However, the rainfall totals may pile up as the day wears on.

Click here for the Oklahoma Mesonet Rainfall Total Map that takes us back four days- and reflects what we have had rain-wise since last Thursday-Friday- it is is realtime link so the map will continue to be a rolling total for the four day snapshot.

Cattlemen's Beef Board Using Science to Fight Dietary Guidelines Proposal 

The head of the Cattlemen's Beef Board was in Oklahoma Thursday meeting with young cattle leaders through the Cattlemen's Leadership Academy. Chief Executive Officer Polly Ruhland discussed several topics including dietary guidelines and the battle the beef industry is facing. This includes red meat being reduced to a footnote in the advisory council's recommendations to the Secretaries of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Ruhland said it's important to remember that the final dietary recommendations have not come out.


"So, what the lean meat issue right now is, it was not included in the dietary guidelines report, but we still have a lot of opportunity, not in the checkoff, but in other policy groups to go to the departments of HHS and USDA and talk about meat in the diet," Ruhland said. "On the checkoff side, what we will be doing, is continuing to submit science-based comments in anticipation of these guidelines and helping folks understand the science behind inclusion of lean mean in a healthy diet."


While an average consumer doesn't have to follow or abide by these recommendations, government entities must follow the nation's dietary guidelines. Ruhland said these guidelines form the basis of all of the recommendations that medical professionals provide to their clientele. These guidelines also direct all of the government spending on food. This includes schools, the military, nursing homes and all of those public institutions that buy food.

I featured Ruhland on the Beef Buzz feature. Click or tap here to listen to today's Beef Buzz. 

USDA Expands Beef and Pork Trade with Mexico and Peru

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Friday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has recently reached agreements allowing U.S. beef and pork producers greater access to consumers in Mexico and Peru. The two agreements announced Friday will allow U.S. producers to export slaughter cattle to Mexico and expand access to consumer markets in Peru for U.S. fresh and chilled pork. The Secretary made the announcements during a meeting with producers in Des Moines, Iowa.


"Our priority at USDA is not only to open or reopen markets for our producers, but to help drive U.S. economic growth through trade by supporting and creating American jobs on and off the farm," said Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. "Mexico is an important market for U.S. cattle producers, with the potential to import $15 million of live U.S. cattle per year and we expect Peru's market could generate $5 million annually in additional pork sales."


The United States and Mexico reached an agreement that takes effect immediately and will allow U.S. producers to export slaughter cattle to Mexico for the first time in over a decade. The USDA has been working with Mexico since 2008 to reopen this market and the final agreement was reached between USDA Under Secretary Ed Avalos and Enrique Sanchez-Cruz with SAGARPA during meetings this week in Washington, DC. 

Similarly, USDA has conducted extensive negotiations with Peru's Servicio National De Sanidad Agraria (SENASA) since 2012 to expand access for U.S. fresh, chilled pork and pork products. USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service export library will be updated to the new export requirements for these pork and pork products exports. 

Click here to read more about these trade negotiations to eliminate trade barriers.  

Farm Credit Organizations Serving Oklahoma Donate Mobile Disaster Relief Unit

The state of Oklahoma's leading agricultural lenders will unveil a new disaster relief resource at the Oklahoma City Farm Show - a mobile unit that can provide shower and laundry facilities to victims and first responders following tornadoes, wildfires, floods and other rural disasters.


The $60,000 unit was donated by Denver-based CoBank and the five Farm Credit associations based in the state of Oklahoma to the Fellowship of Christian Farmers, a non-profit, nondenominational organization that promotes fellowship, mission work and relief efforts in agricultural communities. The unit will be based in Oklahoma and used for disaster response across the state as well as in Kansas, Arkansas, Colorado and New Mexico.


A ribbon cutting event will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, April 17, at the East entrance to the Cox Pavilion, State Fair Park.


"When disaster hits, access to fresh water for cleaning is often in short supply," said Dennis Schlagel, executive director of FCFI. "This new unit will make life easier for victims and relief workers, and help alleviate the human suffering that follows any disaster. We're deeply grateful for this generous contribution from Farm Credit." 

Click here to read more about this mobile disaster relief unit.

COTTON USA Respins 2015 Advertising Campaign

COTTON USA expands on the universal truth that everyone loves cotton in its new global advertising campaign. COTTON USA plans to inspire consumers through the integrated campaign, both in what they wear and how they wear it, and further spread the benefits of U.S. cotton to markets throughout the world. The campaign slogan, "I Love My Cotton," encourages consumers and brands alike to connect with the campaign, and inspires them to share their own reasons for loving cotton.


To demonstrate how U.S. cotton is a medium of personal expression through jeans, dress shirts and everything in between, COTTON USA cast five individuals from different corners of the globe, wearing cotton in different ways.


"These portraits reflect the authenticity and passion unique to COTTON USA: the singular mark that symbolizes purity of fiber, quality of fabric and responsibility for the planet," said Cotton Council International President Dahlen Hancock. 

Click here to read more about this COTTON USA campaign.  

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.

U.S. Merck Animal Health Creating Connections Through Educational Videos 

Merck Animal Health has released an educational video about cattle shipping and transportation as part of its CreatingConnections program - designed to help producers better understand cattle behavior and use that knowledge to help reduce stress, improve reproduction and foster stronger immune responses. The first video in the series presents a practical look at low-stress handling techniques that capitalize on beef cattle's natural behaviors. It also illustrates how to move cattle calmly from the feedyard pens, through the chute, onto the trailer and unloading at the packing plant - utilizing a philosophy based on communication with the animals.


"The CreatingConnections program and this video in particular are designed to expand the understanding of how human and cattle interactions affect animal health and well-being," said Paulo Loureiro, D.V.M., Merck Animal Health. "Through calm, confident movements, a handler creates a positive experience for the cattle, which builds trust. As a result, the cattle are easier to handle, diagnose and manage, which makes interactions safer for the animal and the handler." 

More details about Creating Connections is available here. 

EPA Finally Sets a Date for Release of RFS Volumes for 2015- Biofuel Proponents Cheer

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says it will issue its proposed Renewable Fuel Standard volume requirements for 2015 by June 1, and a final rule governing the volumes for 2014 and 2015 by Nov. 30.

The agreed-to-deadlines are part of a proposed settlement of a lawsuit filed in March by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) over EPA delays in setting the requirements. Although not required by the consent decree, EPA said it will also finalize the standards for 2016 this year.

"This schedule is consistent with EPA's commitment to get the RFS program back on track, while providing certainty to renewable fuels markets and promoting the long-term growth of renewable fuels," EPA said in a statement.

Both sides of the biofuel debate have expressed frustration over the inability of EPA to make a call on the Volume numbers.  With this announcement- the supporters of ethanol and biodiesel seemed pleased.

"No one has benefited from the delays in setting annual renewable volume obligations; and while we are sympathetic to the difficulty EPA faces in promulgating annual targets, the statute is clear about the volumes required and the agency simply has to do a better job moving forward," said Bob Dinneen, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association. "The consent agreement is a good start."

"Our producers have faced ambiguity for too long and today is welcome news that they are establishing a level of certainty with this announcement," said Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy, which represents major ethanol producers. "However, far more important than timing is that that the EPA establishes a final rule that moves our industry forward, and reflects the bipartisan vision Congress intended for the RFS."

More details of the EPA announcement and the timeline they are laying down are available here.