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 Southern Plains Farm Show in Oklahoma City April 19-21, 2007, as well as the Tulsa Farm Show held each December. Check out details of both of these exciting shows at the official website of Midwest Farm Shows by clicking here.

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Importantly, some of the larger winter wheat areas got much needed rain- Garfield, Kingfisher, Custer and Washita Counties all got nice rains which should really push the 2007 wheat crop along.

We have linked the current weather page of the Oklahoma Mesonet below- to get to the rainfall totals- go the side menu on the left- click on "Current Weather" selection then on "Rainfall" tab and then you have choices like rainfall for today, rainfall for yesterday and then there is a table which allows you to view rainfall over an extended period. Rain remains in the forecast into the weekend which is most welcome by those of us in the agricultural arena.

Click here for the latest rainfall totals from the Oklahoma Mesonet.

Also this weekend is the 130th annual meeting of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association- going on in Ft. Worth. TSCRA represents mostly Texas cattle producers- but still have a few hundred Oklahoma producers and currently have one investigator still located in the state to work on cattle and ranch theft.

Next week, the spring conference of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association will be happening in Washington. Attendees will hear from Ag Secretary Mike Johanns, House Ag Committee Chairman Collin Peterson and National Security Council Director Allan Hubbard among others.

Finally, Oklahoma Farm Bureau will be loading up and traveling to Washington as well for their annual 2007 Congressional Action Tour. OFB President Steve Kouplen and OFB Vice President Bob Drake will be leading the group as they meet with USDA as well as the Oklahoma Congressional delegation. The group leaves Oklahoma on Sunday.

Allen says that the ability to provide a positive message to school age children about our multi billion dollar ag industry here in the state is an excellent return for the dollars that many ag groups and organizations provide to augment the Ag in the Classroom monies out of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture budget. We have linked our conversation with Susan below about AITC efforts here in Oklahoma.

One recognition that was well deserved was handed out Wednesday to Dosia and Paul Jackson, who nurtured the Ag in the Classroom efforts at the very beginning of these efforts in the state- and who have helped make a day like Wednesday possible because of their pioneer efforts in this program. Speaking of Paul, Dosia tells us that he is starting to get some strength back from his long battle with infection that has lingered since last fall. He currently has a couple of more weeks still to go at a special care facility in Oklahoma City before he hopes to get back home to Apache. Keep on praying for recovery for this Oklahoma Ag Hall of Famer and one of the nicest folks you would ever hope to know.

Click here to listen to Ron visit with Susan Allen of the Beef Council on Ag in the Classroom!

CEO of the NCBA, Terry Stokes, says that his group did not oppose the proposed rule- but raised some caution flags to USDA, including the fact that so many of the Canadian cases of BSE have come after the Canadian feed ban was supposed to be in place. They also worry about the USDA plan if a Canadian cow enters this country and then is tested positive for BSE- he says they want to make sure that any Canadian cases of BSE stay Canadian cases- not reflect on the US cattle industry.

R-Calf is flat out opposed to any cattle imports from Canada- that's the been a major priority for them since they were organized. Current CEO is also doubling as their Washington lobbyist right now- and Bill Bullard says that R-Calf thinks there is more evidence now to not allow Canadian older cattle in now than there was ever a few months ago. You can hear Terry and Bill with Ron on today's Beef Buzz by clicking below.

Check out today's Beef Buzz from the Radio Oklahoma Network!!!

Senator Saxby Chambliss once again stepped out in opposition to Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley's plan to place a 250-thousand dollar hard cap on farm payments. That plan - an amendment offered by Grassley and North Dakota Democrat Byron Dorgan - was under study as part of the budget debate. But word is Grassley and Dorgan have now withdrawn the proposed cap.

According to Chambliss - it’s the Agriculture Committee’s responsibility to address proposed farm program payment limitations - concurrent with other critical agriculture policy options during the farm bill reauthorization process - not during the budget debate. As for the present farm bill - Chambliss says there’s a general overwhelming consensus all across America that the 2002 farm bill is working exactly the way farmers and ranchers wanted it to work - in that it’s been a very market-oriented farm bill. He says any changes to current law would only remove the certainty agriculture producers and their bankers have been accustomed to over the life of the 2002 farm bill.

In a telephone news conference with ag reporters, Peterson says "I think this might be our last chance. If we can't can't get it here, I don't know where we are going to get it." He adds that ag disaster aid should have been addressed by the Republican majority in the last Congress.

Meanwhile, Committee Ranking Republican Bob Goodlatte issued the following statement yesterday afternoon regarding the Democrats' Iraq War bill, which outlines a timeline for withdrawal from Iraq, expected to be voted on today in the U.S. House of Representatives:
"If the stale rhetoric and blatant vote-buying issued by the Democrats to get votes for this bill is indicative of how business as usual will be in the House of Representatives for the next two years, then the American people should brace themselves for a long two years. Unable to garner enough votes for their flawed Iraq withdrawal timeline, the Democrats have thrown in everything but the kitchen sink in attempt to influence colleagues to vote for this bill in exchange for funding for unrelated items such as agriculture disaster assistance. Do not be fooled: this vote is about Iraq and the Democrats' misguided judgment about U.S. military strategy in this volatile region. I believe that our strategy in Iraq should be evaluated and adjusted, but the Democrat response is the wrong response. "

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