Building a New Breed of Cattle Backwards- that's what the project known as Prime One is all about at West Texas A&M. This Texas Panhandle University is the home of Alpha, the cloned bull that is the result of DNA tissue that has come from a Prime Yield Grade One carcass discovered by researcher Dr. Ty Lawrence. Dr. Lawrence says that he saw two such carcasses in one night a few years ago as he watched carcasses roll by in front of him in a packing plant just outside of Amarillo. He likened it to being struck by lightning twice in one night.

Dr. Lawrence told the audience at the Southern Plains Beef Symposium this past Saturday that a carcass that grades both Prime as well as Yield Grade One is extremely rare- only about .04% of all slaughter cattle carcasses ever hit that combination of muscle and fat. At the Symposium, Dr. Lawrence talked with us about the research project that now has cloned cattle on the ground, along with their naturally born offspring- including a half dozen steers that will be fed out and examined for their carcass quality traits sometime next spring.

We asked Dr. Lawrence about the vision of this research effort and he says that the vision is "number one- can it work? As a scientist and specifically as a meat scientist, I am interested in the quality and the yield of red meat products in the very end. And so, this is a very unconventional approach." He adds that the vision is also about building a breed that could help ranchers raise a more valuable animal. "Can we build a breed of cattle, in which we could provide sires, semen, dams, embryos- and put those into your herd and shift the distribution to higher quality and higher yield simultaneously."

You can hear our conversation with Ty Lawrence and read more about the Prime One project by clicking or tapping here.

Rebuilding the U.S. beef cow herd is going to be a multi-year process. While the process started last year, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Market Economist Dr. Derrell Peel believes several more years of expansion will be needed. In 2014, there was a two percent increase in the U.S. beef cow herd and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's midyear cattle inventory report showed an increase of two and half percent. Peel said that shows herd expansion is actively underway and he expects the two and half percent increase to continue this fall, but expansion could accelerate even faster.


"I wouldn't be surprised to see a January one number that would imply 2015 beef herd expansion was three percent, perhaps three and a half percent, it could even be a little bit higher than that when it is all said and done, although that would be a big number," Peel said. "But, I think we're going to see pretty aggressive expansion in 2015, probably a pretty healthy pace again in 2016 and by then we maybe getting close to where we need to be and I think we'll begin to moderate that pace of expansion."


Peel is waiting to see a big year for herd expansion in 2015 and 2016, but expects the herd size will get to an ideal level by 2017 into 2018. In looking at prices, Peel anticipates price pressure will build over several months.


"I don't look for it to be a fast or a hard break in this market, certainly not in the rest of 2015, probably not even severely in 2016, certainly not through most of year," Peel said. "By 2017, I think we start to see a little more pressure."

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Friday announced that the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma will become the 52nd state agency to operate the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP). The program is part of USDA's efforts to improve the health and wellbeing of seniors, ensuring that all older Americans have access to healthy food.


"Seniors represent a particularly vulnerable demographic to food insecurity, with unique health, social, and nutrition challenges," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "This issue has a particular importance for seniors living in rural areas, as America's rural population is older than the nation overall and rural seniors experience higher poverty than seniors nationwide. The Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program is one way USDA is working to improve the health and wellbeing of older adults, ensuring that all older Americans have access to healthy food."


The program provides access to fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables to at least 800,000 low-income older Americans in 43 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and with the addition of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, eight Indian Tribal Organizations. In fiscal year 2014, SFMNP coupons for fresh produce were accepted by over 20,000 farmers at farmers markets, roadside stands and community supported agriculture programs.

Click here to read more about the important role of farmers markets in developing local and regional food systems

Dive in! Exploring the Science of Water and Food Production," is a new educational resource developed for students in sixth to eighth grade by the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture.


The "Dive in!" kit includes five lesson plans and is aligned to national learning standards. The kit is designed to develop 21st century competencies in students as they collaborate in learning groups, communicate key messages and use innovation to develop new solutions. Educators and classroom volunteers will find the kits engaging and easy to use.


Each lesson in the kit follows the problem-based learning method and is guided by a driving question related to natural resource production and management such as "Where does water come from?" and "How can we responsibly use water?"

Click here to read more "Dive In!" and learn how to order this educational resource.

  

American Farmers & Ranchers Women's Cooperative is set up for the third round of their statewide food drive. Set Aug. 1 - Sept. 30 the committee has partnered with the Plant a Row Campaign and DairyMax for the Back to School Milk Drive, both drives will be in cooperation with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma City and the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma.


The AFR Women's Committee has committed to a goal for AFR members to donate 50,000 meals throughout 2015, with more than 17,000 meals provided during the first two food drives held in January and May. The Plant A Row Campaign is a people-helping-people program encouraging members to go to their local nursery, garden supply store or other retailer and either purchase seed packets to donate or ask the retailers to donate any unsold seed packets, which will be given to the local food banks.


Milk is one of the most requested nutritious items requested by food banks but is rarely donated. Dairy products provide many health benefits including: strong bones, improved heart health, reduced risk of Type 2 Diabetes and lower blood pressure. Oklahoma is behind in its efforts of donating milk, with only 790 gallons given to families in need. With the Back to School Milk Drive members are encouraged to make cash donations to the Great American Milk Drive in order for their local schools to receive money to purchase a gallon of milk. The donations are distributed by zip code to the donor's local food bank. If you would like to donate to the Back to School Milk Drive visit: milklife.com/give.

For more information about how to get involved with Plant a Row and Back to School Milk Drive, click here.

Our Top Ag Story this morning came out of this past Saturday's Southern Plains Beef Symposium- and one of the other stories that we have posted thus far from the Ardmore gathering featured long time Carter County Extension Educator Leland McDaniel- one of the key players in the planning year after year of the Southern Plains Beef Symposium. This was the 25th annual event- and we talked with Leland about the concept of the meeting and how the meeting and the cattle industry in southern Oklahoma/Northern Texas has changed- check out his comments with us by clicking here.

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Francie Tolle is one of the most knowledgeable people I know when it comes to farm programs, disaster programs and more- and that has made her invaluable to Oklahoma farmers as she has served as the State Executive Director of the Farm Service Agency for Oklahoma.

This past Friday was her last day in that role- but she is staying with the US Department of Agriculture and moving away from a job that is appointed by the Administration that controls the White House.  Tolle is moving over to the Risk Management Agency and will be the new Regional Office Director at USDA Risk Management Agency covering Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico- she will be based in Oklahoma City in this new role.

Congrats Francie!

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Another of the non stop parade of horse shows wrapped up this past weekend at State Fair Park in Oklahoma City- this one featured young horsemen and ladies from across the US and from six foreign countries.  The American Quarter Horse Youth Association World Show offered a small taste of what State Fair Park will experience in November when the AQHA's World Show returns for their 2015 edition.

Our own Leslie Smith talked with AQHA Executive Vice President Craig Huffhines at the end of this past week about the Youth Show- click here to read more and to listen to Smith and Huffhines.

Huffhines, by the way, is still learning the AQHA ropes as he came over to the Horse Association, based in Amarillo, earlier in 2015 after serving 17 years with the American Hereford Association.