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The rains of this past weekend have arrived in time to benefit the 2015 Winter Canola crop- and Heath Sanders with the Great Plains Canola Association says that he expects fields of canola that are now flowering will likely flower for a longer period of time this spring because of the rain- "we should have enough time to let this crop go through its life cycle and make a crop."


Sanders talked with us at the variety plots at the Kingfisher County Fairgrounds- one of the stops for the 2015 Winter Canola Field Tours organized by OSU Extension. You can hear our full conversation and read more by clicking or tapping here.


Ironically, the OSU variety plot in Kingfisher was the poorest canola we saw in traveling from northwest Oklahoma City to Kingfisher, with the Roundup Ready varieties- including many of the varieties that are currently being used by farmers- having thin stands and not looking nearly as good as some of the newer varieties that were from the K-state breeding program, from European breeders like Limagrain and some of the experimentals from current seed suppliers like Croplan and Pioneer. Several fields along Northwest Highway in Canadian County were far more uniform and taller in height .


Sanders says the rains received will not finish this crop- but puts us on a track to have a successful pod set, which is essential for good yields when we harvest.  Speaking of harvest, Sanders says that if we can some additional rains and stay away from extremely hot temperatures- the crop will slow its pace back to a more normal development and could mean a very end of May- early June harvest for many canola producers.  

"Black Sunday" Start of Soil Conservation in America

April 14, 1935 saw sunny skies turn pitch black- but that darkness in southwest Kansas, the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles and western Oklahoma was the foundation for a  brighter future as forward thinking leaders called on Congress to respond- and provide farmers, ranchers and landowners with the conservation resources needed to stop enormous amounts of dirt moving through the air..  

This week marked the 80th Anniversary of "Black Sunday" (April 14, 1935) when blowing dust blasted the High Plains. Conservation groups came together to commemorate the anniversary of "Black Sunday" at the Oklahoma State Capitol.


Oklahoma State Conservationist Gary O'Neill said the Dust Bowl was attributed to the dry weather and to the poor soil conservation techniques used at the time. He said the region had seen 15 - 20 years of prolonged drought, a lot of ground was broken out of prairie grassland into farmland without proper conservation practices. In growing wheat in one of worst droughts this country had ever seen, he said there wasn't adequate ground cover and the bare soil was exposed to high winds and dry conditions, which lead to massive dust erosion.


"Black Sunday" was the start of a conservation movement. Congress created the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) as a permanent agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture just months after dirt was seen in Washington that came from Oklahoma- carried by the dust storm that slammed the Panhandle on April 14, 1935. Later came Conservation Districts and the partnership with private land owners.


Now 80 years later, Oklahoma continues to deal with severe drought, but the state has not seen the massive dust storms like the 1930's. O'Neill attributes that to farmers learning new techniques of farming, new equipment and the adoption of new technology. Click or tap here to read more or have the opportunity to listen to our full interview.    

House Committee Vote for Repeal of WOTUS, NCBA and PLC Give Thumbs Up

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association and the Public Lands Council applaud the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for sending a clear message to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers that the proposed Waters of the U.S. rule is an expansion of federal jurisdiction that strips rights from private property owners.


Passing the full Committee Wednesday by a vote of 36 to 22, H.R. 1732 Regulatory Integrity Protection Act of 2015 requires the EPA and Army Corps to withdraw the WOTUS proposal within 30 days. NCBA President Philip Ellis said cattlemen and women appreciate the Committee's efforts for moving legislation forward that addresses the problematic proposed rule.


"The subjective and ambiguous language of the proposed rule would significantly broaden the federal government's power to regulate waters and adjacent lands that convey water," said Ellis. "We also appreciate the legislation requiring the federal government to work with state and local governments, further protecting states' rights."


Click here to read more about what the bill also charges the agencies to do with developing a new proposed rule.  

House Ag Committee Holds Hearing on the Role of the Charitable Sector in Feeding the Hungry

The House Committee on Agriculture held a hearing on the vital role that the charitable sector plays in feeding vulnerable Americans. Men and women who work for and have received assistance from these organizations gave committee members a first-hand account of what is working and what is not working on the ground in their communities. They specifically addressed the partnership between government nutrition programs and charitable organizations that are dedicated to providing nutrition assistance and helping individuals rise out of poverty. This hearing is part of the committee's ongoing review of the Past, Present, and Future of SNAP, currently known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and formerly referred to as food stamps.


"Addressing the nutritional needs of Americans is not solely the responsibility of the government through SNAP," Chairman K. Michael Conaway said. "Recipients benefit from a strong partnership between the government and the charitable sector. Churches, food banks, and other local organizations are deeply rooted in their communities and often have more flexibility to meet the specific needs of individuals and families they serve. If we understand the complementary relationship between SNAP and these other organizations, it will help us all achieve the goal of improving the lives of those in need to move up the economic ladder."   


Written testimony provided by the witnesses from today's hearing is linked below. Click here for more information, including Chairman Conaway's opening statement and the archived webcast. 

Click here to read the testimony from the five witnesses, including Mr. Jonathan Webb, Director of Foundations and Community Outreach, Feed the Children of Edmond, Okla.

NCBA Finds Shrinking Window of Opportunity to Address Federal Tax Reform

As we get into mid-April, it's appropriate to address federal tax reform. National Cattlemen's Beef Association Associate Director of Legislative Affairs Kent Bacus specializes in tax policy. He said both the House and Senate have been working on tax reform in 2015.


"We've been working a lot on tax reform this year," Bacus said. "There's a lot of uncertainty in the tax code, it keeps expiring every year to two years and we really want more permanency, so we have been engaging, trying to get Congress to make our tax code more permanent and really representative of the 21st century needs that we have."  


Bacus said the House has already started their work on tax reform in voting to make section 179 - small business expensing permanent, as well as the conservation easement tax credit. He said the Senate has taken a different approach in soliciting comments in looking at a more comprehensive tax reform effort. 

Click here to read or to listen to this Beef Buzz feature to learn about the areas of tax reform NCBA will focus on.

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.

OSU Student Among Recipients of the 2015 Pork Industry Scholarships

An Oklahoma State University student will receive the top 2015 Pork Industry Scholarship. Kaylen Baker of Yukon is majoring in Animal Science and Ag Communications. Baker will receive the top scholarship of $5,000. She is among 21 college students around the United States to receive a pork checkoff scholarship as part of its strategy to develop the pork industry's human capital for the future. Recipients were selected based on scholastic merit, leadership activities, involvement in the pork production industry and future plans for a career in pork production.


"Developing the next generation of leaders in the pork industry is one of the top issues that the Pork Checkoff has identified as being critical for the industry's future. Finding new leaders also is part of our strategic plan," said Dale Norton, president of the National Pork Board and a pork producer from Bronson, Mich. "Our ongoing goal is to help ensure that there is a sustainable source of new leaders ready to take on the industry's charge of producing a safe, wholesome food product in a socially responsible way."


The 21 student recipients, who hail from 15 states and 15 universities, are majoring in nine different swine-related fields. Click here to read more about the 2015 Pork Industry Scholarship recipients.

Oklahoma City Farm Show Kicks Off Three Day Run This Morning- Come See Us!

The 2015 Oklahoma City Farm Show is ready to roll- as the show opens for it's three day run at 9:00 AM  this morning.

With the construction at State Fair Park- you will be finding some of your favorite vendors at different locations.  The old Travel and Transportation Building has been leveled- and some of the B-52 bomber parking lot is not there anymore, either. As a result, the vendors of that building have been relocated to the other buildings used- including the Hobby, Arts and Crafts building being jampacked.

The Horse Training and the Cattle Demonstrations will continue to be outside- but have been moved across the parking lot where they have been to the edge of the space available- right up against the construction that will result in a new Expo Building in a couple of years.

The Round Pen being used by Scott Daily is the Priefert Round Pen that we will be giving away at the end of the show on Saturday afternoon.  You can register either at the Horse Training Demo Area outside or inside in the Cox Building at the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network booth.   

Come by and say howdy- and tell us about your rain and water situation- I will be bouncing in and out of our booth all three days- Leslie Smith will be with us this morning til noon and then on Saturday much of the day.