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Oklahoma Agriculture and the Beef Cattle Industry Mourns the Loss of Richard Gebhart This Past Saturday

The current President of the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association, Richard Gebhart, died Saturday morning in a Tulsa hospital after a lengthy illness. Gebhart, who was in his second year as President of the OCA, was also serving as the Treasurer of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and the Vice Chairman of the Oklahoma Beef Council. These three groups have now released statements about Colonel Gebhart and his impact on their organizations and and the beef cattle industry in general:


"Richard's impact on each of us is far greater than words can describe. He was a tireless worker on behalf of U.S. cattlemen. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time." Forrest Roberts, Chief Executive Officer, National Cattlemen's Beef Association


"We mourn Richard's passing, the man we called Colonel, but we celebrate his life with his family and friends and the blessing he was to all of us. As a retired Colonel, US Army , he was a mentor to so many and a unique leaders with great vision and an intelligence and skill set of immense depth and breadth that is impossible to replace, but most importantly he was a wonderful friend who challenged and inspired each of us. He led with a servant heart and loved the cattle industry and always worked to its betterment. His passing requires all of us who served the industry to step up to another level and make him proud. We express our deepest condolences and his prayers to his family and his friends." Heather Buckmaster, Executive Director, Oklahoma Beef Council


"It is with sad and heavy hearts that we say goodbye to OCA President Richard Gebhart. Richard was a strong leader, a devoted family man and a true friend. Our prayers are for his family especially his wife Susan and his daughters and their families during this difficult time. Colonel Gebhart lived the fullest of what we all hold dear - God, family, country, the land and the cattle industry.   He approached all things with dedication to learning, respect for all input and commitment to the betterment of the world around him. While he will be sorely missed, we honor his legacy by dedicating ourselves to continuing the highest standards that he held for himself and his industry." Michael Kelsey, Executive Vice President, Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association


Details are pending for the Memorial service to celebrate the life of Richard Gebhart on Thursday. 

More on this story- including the Saturday statement from the family and some of our remembrances of Richard and links to previous stories that he was featured in can be seen by clicking here.

EPA Releases Proposed RFS Volume Requirements and Gets Mixed Reviews

The Environmental Protection Agency released Friday its Proposed Rule to establish the volume requirements for the Renewable Fuel Standard, including the volume requirements for biomass-based diesel for 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017.

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry said, "Tremendous progress is being made toward commercial-scale production of advanced biofuels that are creating home-grown American energy. Unfortunately, today's announcement falls short of accomplishing the goals laid out in the Renewable Fuel Standard. These proposed figures only extend uncertainty in America's renewable fuels sector, which creates hundreds of thousands of jobs across the country. While EPA's proposal does allow for modest growth in the industry over time, these standards do nothing to stop Big Oil's unfair advantage at the gas pump. I will continue to fight against Renewable Fuel Standard targets that keep American biofuel producers from being able to fairly compete." 

House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Collin Peterson Friday said the Renewable Fuels Standards (RFS) released by the EPA will set back production of domestic renewable fuels and hurts the rural economy. "I had hoped that the long period of time EPA took to make these announcements meant that they would get it right and follow the path set by Congress. Unfortunately, it was a mistake to think the EPA could administer this program without screwing it up and this is yet another misguided announcement from the Agency."  Click here to read more from Congressman Peterson.  

National Corn Growers Association Chip Bowling responded by saying, "Once again, the EPA has chosen to ignore the law by cutting the corn ethanol obligation 3.75 billion gallons from 2014 to 2016. This represents nearly a billion and a half bushels in lost corn demand. The only beneficiary of the EPA's decision is Big Oil, which has continuously sought to undermine the development of clean, renewable fuels. Unfortunately, the EPA's gift to Big Oil comes at the expense of family farmers, American consumers and the air we breathe."  Click here to read more NCGA.  

American Soybean Association responded by saying,"The volumes proposed by EPA are certainly an improvement over the previous proposal, which would have set the Biomass-based Diesel requirements at 1.28 billion gallons for 2014 and 2015. The increases proposed by EPA will provide some benefit and certainty to the domestic biodiesel industry and to soybean growers who supply much of the feedstock. However, the proposed volumes do not fully recognize or capitalize on the capacity and further growth potential of U.S. biodiesel."  Click here to read more from ASA.  

Click here to read more from Growth Energy.

Click here to read more from American Farm Bureau.  

NAWG Comments on USDA 'Actively Engaged' Proposed Rule

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a proposed rule on March 26 that would make changes in determining whether a farmer is "actively engaged" in a farming operation for purposes of farm program eligibility, as was required in the 2014 Farm Bill. The comment period for the USDA proposed actively-engaged rule closed on Tuesday. The National Association of Wheat Growers submitted comments in a letter seeking answers to questions that have been raised about applicability of the rule.


NAWG reiterated the importance of ensuring that, while there are certainly some bad actors who may illegally seek farm program payments, USDA continues to be cautious about imposing restrictions on eligibility so that individuals who are legitimately and actively participating in a farming operation aren't excluded. Additionally, as the structure of farming operations varies across the country and across types of commodities produced, USDA must provide flexibility for local and state FSA officials in making eligibility determinations.


The proposed rule also included a provision seeking comment about whether the regulation should exempt family farming operations, despite specific language in the 2014 Farm Bill requiring USDA to exempt family farms. NAWG is very concerned about this request for feedback and, as such, the letter asks whether the department intends to remove this exclusion in the future.
 

Click here to read NAWG's letter, what they would like to see, plus see the other comments on the proposal.  

Secretary Vilsack Announces Additional 800,000 Acres Dedicated to Conservation Reserve Program

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Friday that an additional 800,000 acres of highly environmentally sensitive land may be enrolled in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) under certain wetland and wildlife initiatives that provide multiple benefits on the same land.


The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will accept new offers to participate in CRP under a general signup to be held Dec. 1, 2015, through Feb. 26, 2016. Eligible existing program participants with contracts expiring Sept. 30, 2015, will be granted an option for one-year extensions. Farmers and ranchers interested in removing sensitive land from agricultural production and planting grasses or trees to reduce soil erosion, improve water quality and restore wildlife habitat are encouraged to enroll. Secretary Vilsack made the announcement during a speech delivered at the Ducks Unlimited National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.


"For 30 years, the Conservation Reserve Program has supported farmers and ranchers as they continue to be good stewards of land and water. This initiative has helped farmers and ranchers prevent more than 8 billion tons of soil from eroding, reduce nitrogen and phosphorous runoff relative to cropland by 95 and 85 percent respectively, and even sequester 43 million tons of greenhouse gases annually, equal to taking 8 million cars off the road," said Vilsack. "This has been one of most successful conservation programs in the history of the country, and today's announcement keeps that momentum moving forward."


The voluntary Conservation Reserve Program allows USDA to contract with agricultural producers so that environmentally sensitive land is conserved. The contract duration is between 10 and 15 years.  Click here to read more about CRP.  

USDA Reminds Farmers to Certify Conservation Compliance by June 1 Deadline

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds farmers to file a Highly Erodible Land Conservation and Wetland Conservation Certification form (AD-1026) with their local USDA Service Center by TODAY. The 2014 Farm Bill requires producers to have the form on file in order to remain eligible, or to become eligible for crop insurance premium support.


Many farmers already have a certification form on file since it's required for participation in most USDA programs including marketing assistance loans, farm storage facility loans and disaster assistance. However, farmers who only participate in the federal crop insurance program must now file a certification form to receive crop insurance premium support. These producers might include specialty crop farmers who may not participate in other USDA programs.


"USDA is making every effort possible to get the word out about this new Farm Bill provision," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "We've deployed a variety of informational documents and online resources including fact sheets, frequently asked questions and brochures to help farmers understand what they need to do. We've also conducted informational meetings and training sessions for nearly 6,000 stakeholders across the country. We want to make sure that those who are required to act do so by the June 1 deadline. We want all eligible producers to be able to maintain their ability to protect their operations with affordable crop insurance."
 

Click here to read more on conservation compliance.   

Beef producers care about heat stress adaptability in their cattle, out of concern for their comfort as well as economics.


That is why the American Angus Association's research priorities committee set a high priority on learning more about heat tolerance in cattle. The Angus Foundation funded the white paper as part of its commitment to further research initiatives.


The comprehensive literature review and analysis by Dr. Megan M. Rolf, Oklahoma State University assistant professor and state beef extension specialist, "Genetic Basis for Heat Tolerance in Cattle," is available by clicking here.


Rolf breaks down heat stress from the basics of normal dissipation of heat that maintains comfort to environmental risk factors that contribute to heat stress such as the temperature humidity index (THI) and individual traits such as hide color, ability to shed winter hair coat, temperament and respiratory health. 

  

Click here to read more about why planning ahead for heat stress mitigation can improve performance and well-being of the animal.

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.

OCA's Michael Kelsey Says Oklahoma Considering State Beef Checkoff

Increasing the national beef checkoff assessment might be a tougher sell in today's political climate in Washington D.C. compared to when it was first put into place in the 1980s. Political consultant Chandler Keys thinks it would be dangerous to reopen the 1985 Beef Promotion Act and has advised cattlemen to think of another route to increase funding for promotion, education and research. In last Thursday's Beef Buzz, he recommends cattle states work to pass a state beef checkoff into law to supplement the current federal beef checkoff.


Some states have already done that- including our neighbor to the south, Texas. With authorization from the state legislature, Oklahoma is also looking at that as an option as well. Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association Executive Vice President Mike Kelsey said they have begun meeting with those entities and organizations involved. He said right now they are trying to refine what they would present to the countryside to cattle producers in regards to the assessment level, what the state checkoff would be able to do and how the assessment would be collected. He is hoping to be able to present a petition outlining those aspects in the near future for Oklahoma to consider, but a lot needs to happen between now and then. The timeline is very flexible, so at the very earliest there could be state vote in the spring of 2016. Kelsey that would be pretty aggressive in getting that accomplished.


Agricultural groups are also starting their planning and preparations for the 'Right to Farm' initiative that will on the ballot in November 2016 to be voted on by the citizens of our state. At that time, there will also be a Presidential election, along with state Senate and House races as well. Kelsey said it's time for agriculture to pull together in a "Vote Yes" campaign. In addressing cattle producers, he said it's time to gear up to vote.


"We need 'yes' votes, so first and foremost be prepared to go to the ballot box and vote 'yes'," Kelsey said.  


Click here to to listen to Kelsey on this latest Beef Buzz as he discusses the concept of a state beef checkoff.