From: Ron Hays [ron@oklahomafarmreport.ccsend.com] on behalf of Ron Hays [ron@oklahomafarmreport.com]
Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2008 6:46 AM
To: ron@oklahomafarmreport.com
Subject: Oklahoma's Farm News Update
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Oklahoma's latest farm and ranch news
Your Update from Ron Hays of RON for Tuesday December 9, 2008!
A service of Johnston Enterprises, American Farmers & Ranchers and Midwest Farm Shows!
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-- Long and Short Lists Still Floating Around for Secretary of Agriculture
-- One Obama Transition Team Member Says It Should Be Department of Food and Agriculture
-- A Visit with AFR's Ray Wulf
-- A Big Shout Out to a brand new Canadian Okie- Jackson Munchuk!
-- Up the Beef Checkoff- Our Tuesday Beef Buzz with Tom Jones
-- AFR Speech Contest- and Calendar Reminders
-- This Thursday, Friday and Saturday- Check out the Private Treaty Bull Sale at Tulsa Farm Show.
-- Looking at our Agricultural Markets...

Howdy Neighbors!

Here's your morning farm news headlines from the Director of Farm Programming for the Radio Oklahoma Network, Ron Hays. We are proud to have American Farmers & Ranchers Mutual Insurance Company as a regular sponsor of our daily update- click here to go to their AFR web site to learn more about their efforts to serve rural America!

We are also pleased to have as a regular sponsor on our daily email Johnston Enterprises- proud to have served agriculture across Oklahoma and around the world since 1893. For more on Johnston Enterprises- click here for their website!
And we salute our longest running email sponsor- Midwest Farm Shows, producer of the annual Tulsa Farm Show scheduled for December 11-13 here in 2008, as well as the springtime Southern Plains Farm Show in Oklahoma City. Check out details of both of these exciting shows at the official website of Midwest Farm Shows by clicking here.

If you have received this by someone forwarding it to you, you are welcome to subscribe and get this weekday update sent to you directly by clicking here.


Long and Short Lists Still Floating Around for Secretary of Agriculture
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In talking with various folks inside the Washington scene- they are watching and waiting on word that might come from Chicago almost any time now regarding who might be the next Secretary of Agriculture- clearly one of the bottom feeder positions in the Obama cabinet in the minds of the President Elect's team that is preparing for January 20 and his move to the White House.

The Washington political newspaper "The Hill" has a list of eleven possible names that could be Secretary of Agriculture, while the Associated Press has a shorter list of a half dozen as of yesterday evening. One lawmaker that is on both lists and that some say is the frontrunner is Congressman John Salazar of the third district of Colorado. Salazar is a potato farmer and rancher from the San Luis Valley- and has just finished his second term in the US House- where he has been a part of the House Ag Committee.

The list of Washington watchers that have said that Salazar is a finalist include former Congressman Charles Stenholm, who has also been mentioned for the job, ag journalist Jim Wiesemeyer as well as the Agri-Pulse team that includes Sara Wyant and Stewart Doan. We have a link to the lists we mentioned from The Hill and from AP- click on it below.

Click here for the names being floated as we begin this week for Secretary of Agriculture


One Obama Transition Team Member Says It Should Be Department of Food and Agriculture
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Farm and commodity group representatives had their first formal meeting with President-elect Obama's agriculture transition team Monday. USDA review team co-chair Bart Chilton encouraged ag lobbyists to submit specifics on policy changes sought or issues that need to be addressed. Chilton also welcomed suggestions on things the incoming new administration could do immediately after taking office that would be beneficial to farmers.

According to a lobbyist who attended the meeting, the ag representatives voiced concerns about the slow pace of farm bill implementation, the state of the farm economy - including falling crop prices and high input costs - renewable energy and the Doha round trade negotiations.

Speaking on behalf of the Obama campaign, Marshall Matz, a principal in the Washington , DC law firm of Olsson Frank Weeda, suggested that the name of the department be changed to the Department of Food and Agriculture. Matz has been on some lists as a possible nominee by President Elect Obama to be his Secretary of Agriculture.


A Visit with AFR's Ray Wulf
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In the Podcast section of our website, we have an audio conversation that we conducted with Ray Wulf this past Saturday while we were both in Stillwater at the 64th Annual State Speech Finals for the organization. Ray is the CEO and President of the farm group and insurance company that changed their name from Oklahoma Farmers Union over the last couple of years.

The organization still has its roots in Oklahoma- as seen in the continuing commitment to young people involved in the state speech contest that culminated Saturday with the finals held at OSU. But they also are looking at a broader landscape as well, as we talked with Wulf about the insurance business that is now into 24 states.

Click on our link below to get the full interview which covers everything from the speech contest to farm bill informational meetings being held by the group to how the multi state plan is working to looking ahead into 2009.

Click here to jump to our Ag Persepctive Podcast with Ray Wulf of AFR.


A Big Shout Out to a brand new Canadian Okie- Jackson Munchuk!
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Former Oklahoma Farmers Union staffer Laura Johnston Monchuk and her husband Clint welcomed Jackson Frederick Monchuk to the world November 19 at Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. After leaving Oklahoma- Laura went to Washington and worked for the National Farmers Union as their Communications Director- met her husband Clint who was working in DC for a time for the Canadian government- fell for the Canadian and got married in downtown OKC and moved north of the border.

Jackson weighed 8 lbs and 6 oz and measured 21 inches. After the 30 hour labor, both mother and son are very, very tired but Clint says they're feeling great. Since bringing Jackson home, Laura says they've been very busy and "He's a lot of fun!"

One thing is for sure- that baby will be spoiled to death whenever his mom sings a lullaby- Laura has one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard.


Up the Beef Checkoff- Our Tuesday Beef Buzz with Tom Jones
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Arkansas Cow Calf producer Tom Jones has been in charge of the Cattlemen Beef Board's efforts to offer proposals to enhance the Beef Checkoff. He told the Arkansas Farm Bureau this past week about some of their decisions that will be offered to the full Beef Board- even though those recommendations were not to be made public until after the Beef Board reviewed the report later this month

Jones says at the top of the list of ideas they adopted is a call for an increase from a dollar to two dollars, with authority to eventually go to three dollars. Jones says the current committee does not want to up the checkoff to that level at this time- but wanted the Secretary of Agriculture to have that ability to call for a referendum for a further increase at some point in the future without having to go back to Congress and get permission again.

Jones also says that his committee is very satisfied with the idea of splitting where the checkoff goes- half kept by the state collecting the money and half to be remitted to the Cattlemen's Beef Board to be invested collectively with funds from across the country.

Click here to listen to our Tuesday Beef Buzz with CBB member Tom Jones on Porposing to Increasing the Beef Checkoff


AFR Speech Contest- and Calendar Reminders
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We have the AFR Speech Contest Results up on our website in the Blue and Green Gazette section. We invite you to follow the link and take a look at some great young people from our state.

There are a few more events happening between now and early next week before we see things pretty much shut down for the Christmas holiday season. That includes the Unwanted Pesticide Collection sites- one today in Morrison and one Thursday near Woodward. Go to the link below and review what's ahead on the calendar.

Click here for the Calendar Page found on WWW.OklahomaFarmReport.Com


This Thursday, Friday and Saturday- Check out the Private Treaty Bull Sale at Tulsa Farm Show.
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The Oklahoma Simmental Simbrah Association is pleased to once again hold an All Breed Private Treaty Bull Sale In Conjunction With The Tulsa Farm Show later this week, December 11, 12, 13, 2008 at the Quik Trip Center in Tulsa.

This sale will feature more than 40 service aged bulls that will include Simmental, Simm./Angus and Angus bulls. All bulls will have current breeding soundness exams and health certificates. since this is a Private Treaty sale- you pick out the bull you want, make your deal, Load and Go it is First Come, First Served!

We have the link to the Association's website linked below- or you can call Jeff White at 580-829-1337 for more information.

Click here for more on the the only Bull Sale at the Tulsa Farm Show- the Oklahoma Simmental Simbrah Private Treaty Bull Sale.


Our thanks to Midwest Farm Shows, American Farmers & Ranchers and Johnston Enterprises for their support of our daily Farm News Update. For your convenience, we have our sponsors' websites linked at the top of the email- check them out and let these folks know you appreciate the support of this daily email, as their sponsorship helps us keep this arriving in your inbox on a regular basis!

We also invite you to check out our website at the link below to check out an archive of these daily emails, audio reports and top farm news story links from around the globe.

Click here to check out WWW.OklahomaFarmReport.Com


Looking at our Agricultural Markets...
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Huge runs at both the Joplin and Oklahoma City markets yesterday came as feeder cattle and calf prices tumbled lower. At the Oklahoma National Stockyards, the total run was estimated at 14,000 head- with prices on yearlings $1 to $3 lower, while calves met weak demand and prices dropped $4 to $5. The market reporter wrote last night "Demand good for feeders and moderate for calves. Area wheat pastures in desperate need of rain and not expected to produce much grazing, making few places to go with calves. National Stockyards continues to see heavy runs of fall calves plus more than normal numbers of yearlings, some coming in from out of state." Click here for the full report from Oklahoma City's market for their Monday run.

Here are some links we will leave in place on an ongoing basis- Click on the name of the report to go to that link:
Our Daily Market Wrapup from the Radio Oklahoma Network with Ed Richards and Tom Leffler- analyzing the Futures Markets from the previous Day-
Ron on RON Markets as heard on K101 mornings with cash and futures reviewed- includes where the Cash Cattle market stands, the latest Feeder Cattle Markets Etc.
Daily Oklahoma Cash Grain Prices- As Reported by the Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture.
The National Daily Feeder & Stocker Cattle Summary- as prepared by USDA.
The National Daily Slaughter Cattle Summary- as prepared by USDA.
Finally, Here is the Daily Volume and Price Summary from the Texas Cattle Feeders Association.



God Bless! You can reach us at the following:
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phone: 405-473-6144
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