Oklahoma Wheat Commission Becomes Quasi - State Entity, Brings Changes

The first of July ushered in a new era for the Oklahoma Wheat Commission, transitioning from being a state agency to becoming a quasi-governmental agency. OWC Executive Director Mike Schulte said the intention is to make the entity more efficient and effective for wheat producers.


The OWC was established in 1965 with the intent of the founders to make decisions for Oklahoma wheat producers in addressing market development, research and promotion. Schulte said the commission has been successful in many of those areas, but over time they have found their structure was very different from a lot of state government agencies. With a staff of three people and with changes in technology and reporting, Schulte said the commission felt they would be better suited in being a quasi-governmental/private entity.


"That would allow us to operate like a governmental municipality, that would still allow us to be tied to the state, but would allow the wheat producer board of directors to be making those financial decisions, like they were in 1965, which is what the intent of our legislation was," Schulte said.


Becoming a quasi -state agency this brings several changes. In the past, the Governor made the appointments for the Oklahoma Wheat Commission board. Schulte said now those appointments will be made by the state Secretary of Agriculture. The Oklahoma Wheat Commission's annual budget will be reviewed by the Commissioner of Agriculture at the end of each fiscal year.


The Oklahoma Wheat Commission's website has also seen some changes. The new web address is okwheat.org and Schulte looks for the commission to make more additions to the website in the coming months. The website will have more information about the wheat industry, including what's going on with Oklahoma State University Extension wheat programs.  Schulte said this is part of the long term vision of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission.  Click or tap here to listen to the full interview.

This weekend- we are excited to have Mike Schulte joining us for our In the Field segment that will be seen on KWTV, News9 on Saturday morning around 6:40 AM.    

Pork Continues to be the Fastest-Growing Protein in Foodservice

With a growth rate outpacing all other meats, pork continues to be the fastest-growing protein in foodservice since 2011. According to Technomic, Inc.'s 2015 Volumetric Assessment of Pork in Foodservice, pork's popularity in the food industry continues to grow.


The study showed that total pork sold through foodservice outlets reached a record 9.8 billion pounds, reflecting a volume increase of 533 million pounds over 2013 when the survey was last conducted. Gaining momentum, this number is slightly higher than the 462 million-pound growth experienced from 2011 to 2013. The 2.6 percent pork category increase in 2015 outpaced the protein growth average of 0.7 percent and the total foodservice industry growth of 1.2 percent.


"We are pleased to see the continued growth of pork in foodservice," said Derrick Sleezer, president of the National Pork Board and a producer from Cherokee, Iowa. "The volumetric study shows that even during a time period when we saw record-high pork prices and low inventories, pork continued to be the strongest performer in the foodservice industry, underscoring pork's growing popularity."
 

Click here to read more about what is driving demand for pork.

Rural Fire Department Funding Available Through Oklahoma Forestry Services

Rural fire departments across the state are encouraged to apply now for the 2015 Rural Fire Defense 80/20 Reimbursement Grant program. Grants are available for equipment purchases or fire station construction. Fire departments in towns with a population of less than 10,000 are eligible to receive a grant and can apply through Oklahoma Forestry Services by September 1.


The grants provide reimbursement of up to 80% of the total amount of the project, with fire departments receiving reimbursement after the purchase or construction costs have been paid. A total of $200,000 is available for the program this year and will be awarded in each of Oklahoma's 11 rural fire districts in October. Departments can receive up to $30,000 for fire department construction and up to $20,000 for fire equipment purchases.


"Our rural fire departments do an excellent job and we are pleased to have some funding to help them get what they need to fight fire," said State Forester George Geissler. "We only wish we had more funds to assist more departments." 

Click here to read more about these grants funded by the Oklahoma legislature and administered by Oklahoma Forestry Services.

Relationship with Vet Prepares Producers for Change in Regulations

Contributed by Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation Livestock Consultant Bryan Nichols


Noble Foundation consultants have always encouraged producers to have relationships with their local veterinarians. A veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) is necessary so the best decisions and practices can be put in place to maintain a healthy herd. Key elements of a VCPR include that the veterinarian engage with the client (i.e., the producer or caretaker) to assume responsibility for making clinical judgments about patient (i.e., animal) health, have sufficient knowledge of the animal by conducting examinations and/or visits to the facility where the animal is managed, and provide any necessary follow-up evaluation or care. Also included in this relationship is an agreement by the client to follow the veterinarian's instructions.


Most producers are probably aware of the need for a VCPR since it is already required to purchase certain medications. However, many medications have been available over the counter for use by producers as a means of therapeutic treatment and growth promotion. Much of this is changing. On June 3, 2015, the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) final rule was issued. This includes Guidance 213, which was finalized in December 2013. Guidance 213 gives detailed information regarding the definition of "medically important" antibiotics, a process for updating product labels and the data required for companies to obtain approval of any new therapeutic uses. The important date to remember is Jan. 1, 2017. This is the deadline by which drug sponsors must withdraw approved production uses, and veterinary oversight will be required for drugs that are deemed "medically important." Remember, the label is the law. Regarding a VFD, not even a veterinarian is allowed to prescribe extra-label use of an in-feed antibiotic. An example of this is chlortetracycline (CTC). In the past, CTC has been labeled for increased rate of weight gain and improved feed efficiency, and it could be purchased without a veterinarian's consent. It is widely used in mineral mixes. As soon as the label is changed, with the deadline date being Jan. 1, 2017, CTC can no longer be used for growth promotion; its in-feed use for therapeutic purposes, such as anaplasmosis, will have to be authorized by a veterinarian through a VFD. Chlortetracycline is just one example. Ask your veterinarian about others that may affect your operation.  Click here to read more about these changes. 
 

Farmers Markets Delight Picky People

Fresh and flavorful fruits and vegetables are rolling into farmers markets across Oklahoma.


National Farmers Market Week is this week (through the 8th) and our state's markets are ready for buyers who demand the best produce local farmers can grow.


Over 70 farmers markets are registered with the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF). Registration gives the markets the advantage of being listed on the state's website at www.okgrown.com in addition to distributing recipe cards and OK Grown bags.


Registered market managers are eligible to apply for grant funds to promote specialty crops. A total of $55,000 was shared by 23 markets this year to entice buyers to try fruits, nuts and vegetables.  It's estimated farmer's markets in Oklahoma bring in more than $1 million in sales.  Click here to read more about the benefits of farmer's markets.

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.

DuPont Pioneer Advances Next Generation of Corn Products

DuPont Pioneer announced Tuesday that it will advance its new line-up of corn offerings to stewarded on-farm trials in 2016 as newly branded, Pioneer® brand Qrome™ products. The high-yielding corn products, previously identified on the research and development pipeline as event DP 4114, will be equipped with proven insect protection and strong agronomics to deliver maximum on-farm performance.


"The new line-up of Pioneer® brand Qrome™ corn products help deliver improved yields and the strength of pyramided insect protection to a wider array of hybrid platforms," said Steve Reno, DuPont Pioneer vice president and regional business director for the United States and Canada. "By advancing Qrome™ products from the research test phase to on-farm trials, we will be able to demonstrate to growers the value that these products will bring to every acre of their own fields."


The foundation of the Qrome™ product line is event DP 4114 - a transgenic event that includes a molecular stack of proven Bt proteins from the Herculex® 1 and Herculex® RW traits, and is highly compatible with Pioneer® brand corn germplasm across a wide range of hybrid platforms.
 

Click here to read more about Pioneer® brand hybrids containing Qrome™ product technology.  

Bee Health Impacted by Parasites Using Flowers as a Parking Place- and Pollinator Links for Those Looking for a FFA Speech Topic

There are folks who want to blame ag chemicals for the death of bees all over the country- but research from the University of California-Riverside says one health challenge for bees are the flowers they may be pollinating.  

A team of researchers has determined there that flowers can pose a grave danger to bees by providing a platform of parasites to visiting bees.  

"Flowers are hotspots for parasite spread between and within pollinator populations," said Peter Graystock, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Entomology at the University of California, Riverside and a member of the research team. "Both the flower and bee species play a role in how likely parasite dispersal will occur."

This research suggests that bumblebees can be carriers of parasites that are deadly for honey bees- and that the bumblebees will leave those bad parasites behind on flowers they visit- and that honey bees follow and that's where the grave danger comes in.  

Click here to read the full research article from the UC-Riverside website.

Now- I know that there are FFA members and Ag Teachers and Moms and Dads and others who are always looking for that next speech topic to consider- the subject of the importance of Pollinators, the worries of society of not enough bees to do their work and how to protect bees all are things you might want to explore.   

Here's a couple of links that may help get you started:

Bayer Crop Science has a Bee Health Website- full of stories on bees and how to keep them healthy.  The company says on their website "The Bayer Bee Care Program was established to find solutions to bee health challenges. The program brings Bayer's extensive bee health experience and knowledge under one coordinated platform. Bayer has proudly dedicated 25 years to ensuring the protection of bees."

USDA's webpages on Bee Health and Colony Collapse.

EPA has dedicated web resources to Pollinators as well- of course their focus is on Pollinators and Pesticides.

Monsanto has web resources on Bee Health- saying that "Part of our commitment to preserving the environment includes protecting the health of honey bees."

And Monsanto mentions the Honey Bee Health Coalition- coordinated by the Keystone Foundation- another place to do some good research.  

Finally- for an environmental organization perspective on the Bee issue- here's the webpage on bees from the NRDC- the Natural Resources Defense Council. 

This is not a new topic- but yet the amount of new research and information that continues to flow on this subject makes it a potentially good one to tackle.

And for all of you that aren't looking for a speech topic- these are still some darn good places to check out- because bee health is essential to helping farmers and ranchers feed the nine billion by 2050 that we keep talking about.