Howdy Neighbors!

Here's your morning farm news headlines from the Director of Farm Programming for the Radio Oklahoma Network, Ron Hays. Our email this morning is a service of Midwest Farm Shows, featuring the Tulsa Farm Show December 7-9, 2006 and the Southern Plains Farm Show in Oklahoma City April 19-21, 2007. Check out details of both of these exciting shows at the official website of Midwest Farm Shows by clicking here.

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The Democratic turnaround in the U.S. House means that only Dan Boren of the Second District will a part of the Majority in the House. All four of the Congressional incumbents easily won re-election with 60% or more of the vote going their way. And Lieutenant Governor Mary Fallon coasted to victory in the 5th Congressional District, taking the seat vacated by Ernest Istook as he ran unsuccessfully against Brad Henry.

Only one Republican won a statewide race yesterday, and that was Bob Anthony in the Corporation Commission race. Governor Henry proved to have coattails big enough to bring along Jari Askins who beat Todd Hiett for the Lt. Governor's office, as well as Lloyd Fields who ousted Brenda Reneau for the office of Labor Commissioner. The Askins win proves big for Henry and the Democrats, as Republicans did tighten up the State Senate numbers to the point of a tie.

The Republican Senators started the evening needing to take three seats to capture the Upper Chamber. They came as close as you can get, winning an open seat in District 12 and upsetting Sen. Daisy Lawler in Senate District 24. They came within 273 votes taking the open seat in District 26, which had they won would have given them complete numerical control.

One farmer who had won a special election earlier this year for the right to sit in the Senate chamber for about a week of the 2006 session, Mike Schulz of Altus, easily won election to a full Senate term in his race yesterday- one of the Republican seats gained here in 2006 by virtue of that special election to fill the seat of the late Senator Robert Kerr.

We talked to Lucas, who easily won re-election last night about 9 pm or so as the Democrats were in the process of winning enough seats to seize power in the House. We asked him about the most immediate issue of concern for Oklahoma farmers as we now face a rather uncertain lame duck session of Congress in the next few weeks- and that issue is Ag Disaster Aid. He told us that he's not certain if Congress will have the will to do anything more than just a Continuing Resolution to keep government open into early 2007- and head home to reorganize and start over in 2007. He's hopeful that the new Chairman of the House Ag Committee, almost certainly to be Colin Peterson of Minnesota, will help push Democratic leaders to work with Republicans and come up with some sort of Disaster Aid package here in the waning days of 2006. He does say that Congress is slated to return for the start of the Lame Duck session this coming Monday.

Regarding an extension of the current 2002 Farm Bill, as advocated by a variety of farm groups, including both Farm Bureau and Farmers Union, Lucas says he thinks that this change in power in Washington may make at least a one year extension more likely while the Democrats get organized after their win- they may not be fully prepared to write new policy from the ground up in the January-February time frame. He also had good things to say about Colin Peterson, saying he is very committed to conservation programs and obviously has a lot of program crop agriculture in his home district- much more so than Bob Goodlatte has in his district in Virginia. You can hear all of the visit with Congressman Lucas by clicking below on the link.

Click here to hear Ron talk with Congressman Lucas on his re-election and what's ahead.

The top two tiers of counties have had less than 40% of normal rainfall over the last two months- at a time when we badly need the moisture to germinate and establish the 2007 crop. It also means that these producers are missing out on wheat pasture income yet again this year.

Click below and take a look at a picture that tells a lot about why folks worry about how long of a drought cycle we might be entering at this time.

Click here for a map showing how dry we are.

The act requires calves raised for veal and pregnant pigs be given sufficient space to turn around and fully extend their limbs. Failure to provide adequate space for the majority of the day will be a Class 1 misdemeanor.

It's a victory for the Humane Society and other animal rights groups targeting the hog industry that is relatively small compared to major production areas of the country.

The one box in question contained cattle thymus, a ductless gland found near the throat. The thymus is not classified as a "risk" material by the Japanese- but documentation is needed for imports of this cattle part to be shipped into Japan.

Japanese officials say other beef imports will not be affected by the suspension of the Greeley plant. They will not be allowed to ship beef to Japan again until Japanese Health Ministry officials conduct inspections there at the plant.

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