The nation's corn harvest has pushed ahead of the five-year average this week according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. With 59 percent of the crop harvested as of Sunday, ranging from 93 percent of the Tennessee crop to 25 percent of Colorado, total progress moved ahead of the five-year average by five percentage points.


"As corn farmers continue to work diligently, pushing harvest forward, the general understanding of the 2015 corn crop continues to deepen," said National Corn Growers Association President Chip Bowling, a grower from Maryland. "At this time, the national average yield is estimated to be the second-largest on record. While a decreased forecast for harvested acres balances the added production, America's corn farmers clearly produce an abundance. At NCGA, we continuously work to grow demand for this sustainable crop as our nation's farmers work hard to get it in the bins."


Sorghum harvest was 61 percent complete. That was well ahead of five-year average of 52.


Soybean harvest was 62 percent complete, eight points ahead of the five-year average. The soybean crop condition was steady with last week, with 64 percent in good to excellent condition.


Cotton harvest was 31 percent complete. That's near the five-year average. Cotton bolls opening was at 94 percent, ahead of the five-year average of 89.


Winter wheat planting reached 76 percent complete. That's near the average of 77. Forty-nine percent of the crop has emerged. That also in line with the five-year average.


Click here for the full national crop progress report.

With the Oklahoma weather pattern stuck in the dry mode- Oklahoma wheat farmers were still able to made good progress in planting the 2016 wheat crop this past week- planting thirteen percent of the expected acres and pushing the total planted total to date to 78 percent of the winter wheat crop- tracking even with the five year average.  USDA reports 49 percent of the crop has emerged. That's down 15 points from last year. Canola planting reached 87 percent. That's down eight points from last year. The canola crop was 60 percent emerged. That's eight points behind last year.

Both wheat and canola that has been planted in the state desperately needs the rain that is predicted to arrive later in the week.


Oklahoma's corn harvest reached 82 percent. That's six points ahead of last year, but six points behind normal. Sorghum harvest was 58 percent complete. That's seven points ahead of normal. Peanut harvest was 45 percent complete. That's 12 points ahead last year and normal. Soybeans were 26 percent harvested. That's four point ahead of last year. Cotton harvest was five percent complete. That's down two points from last year. Click here for the full Oklahoma report.


Winter wheat seeding and fall harvest continued across much of Texas this past week. USDA reports the state's winter wheat planting was 63 percent complete. That's behind the five-year average of 67. Thirty-five percent of the crop has emerged. Corn was 75 percent harvested. That's nine points behind average. Soybeans were 75 percent harvested. That's four points behind average. Sorghum harvest was 74 percent complete. That's tracking normal progress. Peanuts were 34 percent harvested. That's behind the five-year average of 45. Cotton harvest was 28 percent complete. That's three points ahead of average. Click here for the full Texas report.


Warm, dry weather prevailed across Kansas, providing good harvest conditions. USDA reports winter wheat planting 82 percent complete. That's near the five year average of 84. Fifty-one percent of the crop has emerged. Corn harvest was 85 percent complete. That's seven points ahead of average. Soybean harvest was 51 percent complete.   That's near the five-year average. Sorghum harvest was 52 percent complete. That's 17 points ahead of average. Cotton harvest was 11 percent complete. Click here for the full Kansas report. 

Cattlemen saw a historically great year for cattle prices in 2014. Returns to cow-calf producers were over $500 per head. That trend looked like it would repeat itself in 2015. The market appeared strong for the first half of the year, then came the cattle market collapse of August, September and early October. Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist Dr. Derrell Peel said fundamentally little has changed from 2014 to 2015.  We talked to Dr. Peel this past week at the Angus Boot Camp and his comments are featured in this edition of the Beef Buzz.


"Those things really haven't changed," Peel said. "You know, feedlot placements the last six months or so has actually been significantly down from a year ago. The ones we had, we never seem to move out of the feedlots. That's what created the problem. But underneath it all, even though feeder supplies are beginning to grow here in the last part of 2015, they'll grow some more in 2016."


Meanwhile, herd expansion will also continue to take place. Peel said the size of calf crops will begin to moderate for 2015 and 2016 and heifer retention will continue. He said this is going to be a relatively slow process of rebuilding feeder supplies, where supply becomes an issue from a price standpoint.


In looking at the price outlook for the remainder of the year, Peel said it's difficult to know where prices are going. He said the next two to three weeks will be harder to predict than where prices are headed in 2016 or 2017. Right now the market is going through a transition period.


"I think the next two weeks are really critical in terms of verifying whether or not we've cleaned up our mess right now," Peel said. "You know, beyond that, there are expectations of a significant rally in prices in the fourth quarter."


Peel is optimistic about the prices for the rest of the year.  Click or tap here to listen to today's Beef Buzz.

The Oklahoma FFA Association will once again be strongly represented in the 49 program areas that make up the National Proficiency Awards that will be selected and recognized at the 88th National Convention of the FFA. Over the last three years, Oklahoma has amassed twenty national titles in the Proficiency contest- the most of any state in the country. In 2014, five Oklahoma FFA members won national titles, Oklahoma claimed seven in 2013 and eight in 2012.

In 2015, Oklahoma has the fifth most finalists of any state- with Reighly Blakley of Oologah looking to add her third National Proficiency Award to her resume- this one in the Beef Production, Entrepreneurship category. She has previously won a national title in 2014 and in 2012. Blake Goss of Leedey FFA is also a past National Proficiency Award winner from 2013. 

Our coverage in the days ahead of the National FFA Convention and Expo is sponsored in part by ITC Great Plains- your Energy Superhighway- as well as by the Oklahoma FFA Alumni Association and the Oklahoma FFA Association.

We have the list of the 15 finalists from Oklahoma that will competing next week in the Proficiency Award contests- click here to see the full list of the FFA members involved and the area they will be competing in.
  

Eat a different kind of fat and fewer carbohydrates. Or is it the other way around? Over the last 40 years, consumers have been led one way or the other, which begs the question: Where's the protein?


"Starting almost a half century ago, protein was basically ignored," according to Shalene McNeill, executive director of nutrition research for the beef checkoff. "Although its benefits to the human diet are indisputable, in the past, it often has been left out of the discussion when it comes to the three macronutrients."


When the 1977 Dietary Goals for the United States were published by the U.S. Senate's Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs, protein was indeed the forgotten macronutrient. Eat less fat, sugar and salt, the report urged, and more carbohydrates. The American public took admonitions about the need to eat less fat to heart, replacing those fat calories with carbohydrates - and now, concerns about human health, particularly overweight and obesity, are at peak levels.


This leads to the question: What would happen if the optimal amount of protein in the diet was re-examined? The benefits of protein have never been in question, McNeill asserts, and have been established in research that began in the first part of the 20th century. This research demonstrated that amino acids, the basic building blocks of protein, are used by the body to make protein that support many bodily functions, including growth, transport and storage of nutrients, repair of body tissues in the muscles, bones, skin and hair, and removal of all kinds of waste deposits. Amino acids are also a source of energy for the body.


Importantly, research also has shown that not all proteins are the same.  Click here to read more about the important role of animal-based proteins.

In a community-wide effort to support the future of agriculture and to help solve the world's most pressing food issues, Bayer CropScience is celebrating Agriculture Literacy Week Oct. 19-23. Bayer CropScience sites across the country will engage with local communities to provide hands on learning opportunities for students and stakeholders. The company seeks to increase the public awareness to the power of modern agriculture and the critical role technology will play in food production to help meet the needs of a growing population.


Societal and environmental changes within the next 30 years will severely test our ability to produce enough food to satisfy a growing world population. During this time, global food demand is expected to increase 60 percent and we must meet this demand using the same or fewer arable acres that we have today, and in the face of a shrinking water supply, evolving pest pressures and a changing climate. Innovation in agriculture is imperative but innovation can only be achieved with an agriculturally literate population that is enthusiastic about developing solutions that can address future food challenges.


"Bayer is committed to improving agricultural literacy among students and the general public for two very important reasons," said Jim Blome, president and CEO of Bayer CropScience LP. "There is a disconnect between non-agriculture audiences and modern agricultural production that often leads to an unnecessary misunderstanding of our industry and farming practices. There is also a shortage of young talent needed to fill agriculture jobs, particularly in STEM fields, that will create the innovation necessary to feed the more than 9 billion people that will inhabit our planet by 2050."

Click here to read more about agriculture-focused community service activities.

The word from Ed Czerwein of the USDA Market News Office in Amarillo is that boxed beef prices continue to recover from the collapse- up over eight dollars a hundred from this past Friday back to the previous Friday. 

The higher prices are happening, in part, due to falling volume. You can review the full analysis that Ed has provided to us that is on our website by clicking here- we have his written commentary as well as his audio overview as well that make up our report on the wholesale beef market.

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The greatest fire danger in Oklahoma appears to be in southeastern Oklahoma- which is also where the highest level of drought can be found.  But- all of southern Oklahoma is in significant fire danger right now- and the Forestry folks at ODAFF are getting things in place to be ready if a bad fire cranks up.

"We are pre-positioning aircraft and firefighters to be ready for any new fires," said George Geissler, Oklahoma State Forester. "We have opened a portable air tanker base at Ardmore so that heavy tankers can be closer to assist with fires in Oklahoma, as well as Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana. Fire activity has definitely picked up in the four-state region."

A CL415 bombardier super scooper arrived in Ardmore Monday, joining other available air resources from the Oklahoma National Guard.  The Ardmore tanker base will serve as a regional asset, allowing retardant planes a quicker reload and return time as they work to battle blazes.

You can read more about these efforts to be ready- just in case- by clicking here.

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One good antidote to fire and drought- is a good dose of rain- and it seems like some of the drier areas of Oklahoma and Texas are in store for some heavy rains by the latter part of this week. 

Our friend Bryce Anderson of DTN posted on Twitter the latest updated QPF rain forecast map for the country this morning- and both Texas and Oklahoma are more red than ever- that is good as it means potentially heavier rainfall in the works- here's the map-




Alan Crone with the News on 6 offers some play by play of what is headed our way to make the map above a reality- "A strong looking pacific trough is developing off the west coast today.  This system will dive across the southwestern U.S. and eject eastward while weakening Thursday.   A mid-length trough will develop across the northern plains and move eastward by the end of the week.   These two troughs will essentially phase to influence the southern and central plains with a good chance for showers and storms Friday.   Low level trajectory also supports an increase in low level and mid-level moisture before the system arrives.   This should result in the chance for some moderate rainfall rates Friday.   Another southern stream disturbance should also approach the area by the 2nd half of the weekend resulting in increasing storm chances Saturday into part of Sunday."

Remember that Alan is writing with a northeast Oklahoma perspective- and while Green Country will not get the heaviest rains- they are expecting some- and the hope is that the areas that now classified as being once again in drought in southern Oklahoma will get a REALLY GOOD SHOT of precipitation.

Prayers are going up- and it's not even Wednesday night prayer meeting yet!