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 welcome KIS Futures as a regular sponsor of our daily E-Mail. KIS Futures provides Oklahoma Farmers & Ranchers with futures & options hedging services in the livestock and grain markets- Click here for their website or call them at 1-800-256-2555.

We are proud to have National Livestock Credit Corporation as a regular sponsor of our daily email update. National Livestock Credit Corporation works diligently to provide unsurpassed service to their customers in the area of livestock financing. Check out the National Livestock Family of Services website by clicking here.
And our email this morning is also a service of Midwest Farm Shows, producer of the Tulsa Farm Show held each December, as well as the Southern Plains Farm Show in Oklahoma City coming up April 17, 18 and 19! Check out details of both of these exciting shows at the official website of Midwest Farm Shows by clicking here.

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Under the heading of giving young farmers and ranchers a leg up, OFB leaders support legislation proposed by Sen. David Myers to allow an established producer a tax credit for leasing agricultural land and equipment to a beginning producer. Immigration reform will also receive farmers' attention during the session. Rep. Shane Jett has filed a bill to created a guest worker program in the state.

We have our conversation with Lori Peterson linked below to give you a feel of how this general farm group leans on a number of major issues for 2008.

Click here to listen to Ron and Lori talk about Farm Bureau's agenda for the 2008 Legislative Session.

A briefing on the startup of that investigation was held yesterday with Kenneth Peterson of the FSIS speaking on behalf of the department. He says that the video apparently shows major violations of current law by the employees being recorded. He adds that the video leaves a lot of questions to be answered and that will be where the USDA investigation really begins.

Peterson says that USDA intends to talk with the Humane Society's investigators to marry up what is shown on the tape with other observations that aren't on tape. He says USDA has started discussions with the Humane Society - will look to get as much video as possible - and will ask to interview those investigators. We have comments with Kenneth Peterson on our first of February Beef Buzz heard on great radio stations around the state on the Radio Oklahoma Network- and available to be listened to on our website. We also have it linked for you below- take a listen!

Click here to listen to Ron with Kenneth Peterson on today's Beef Buzz from the Radio Oklahoma Network.

Scientists with the FAPC at OSU don't think we can test our way to safety. Instead, food microbiologists at FAPC believe the best way to eliminate bacterial pathogens is by effective intervention strategies in the live animal during the harvest process and by effective sanitation practices throughout the food chain. A large part of the work at the FAPC continues to focus on methods to eliminate contamination on the carcass during harvest and on fresh and ready-to-eat (RTE) products during processing.

Searching for improved methods for detection and elimination is a priority at the FAPC in combating food borne pathogens. The FAPC is working on upstream technologies and methods to introduce microbial interventions or antimicrobial agents or ingredients that are known to work. Reducing the incidence of all organisms on the product, including E. coli O157:H7, would reduce illnesses and not depend on the hit-or- miss issues of current testing programs.
Dr. Peter Muriana of the Center has written an excellent paper on this strategy of chasing down E- Coli in the gut and on the animal- and getting rid of it. We have a link to this paper below.

Click here for the commentary on raw meat products and E-Coli- written by Dr. Peter Muriana of OSU.

One of the five is Joseph Royer of Saturn Grill, located in the Nichols Hills area of northwest Oklahoma City. In the salute to the five celebrated chefs, the pork industry brags on Royer, saying "As a two-time National Taste of Elegance winner, Royer creates all menu items at Saturn Grill from scratch."

The Celebrated Chefs program highlights pork's variety among chefs, foodservice operators and distributors. Through industry speaking engagements, participation in operator workshops, cooking demonstrations and innovative menu development, Celebrated Chefs maintain a focus on pork as a customer-pleasing and profitable center-of- the-plate protein. The Celebrated Chefs will be featured in a Pork Checkoff-funded media tour in the spring.

Click here for the news release detailing all 5 Celebrated Chefs for 2008 as selected by the Pork Industry!

This conference is all about getting everybody concerned on the same page when it comes to moving the family farm down to the next generation. The brochure for the seminar says "Is the farm ready for the next generation? Are you anticipating transferring farm assets and management? Have you developed a deliberate, financially-sound plan for doing so? This conference is designed to help you and your family consider the many dimensions of a serious decision and make choices that are right for you."

While this event will be held in Pryor, east of Tulsa, it's open to anyone across our state and even folks from our neighboring states as well. Damona Doye is looking for a quick turnaround, as the deadline for registration is February 8, a week from today. The sessions themselves will be held February 18-19 with the followup coming March 3-4. We have the brochure linked that tells all about this unique seminar- click below to learn more.

Click here to learn more about Farm Transitions, all about passing of the farm to the next generation.

We start with number one:

1) World stocks at 30 year low; export origin holdings down 29 percent; stocks-to-use at historic low following poor crops in many countries

2) Import demand continues to rise in the face of record prices
a) Importers remove import restrictions and subsidize consumption
b) Global food use demand sets a new record

3) U.S. exports up 66 percent from last year. With 18 weeks left in the marketing year, exportable supplies are dwindling. As remaining supplies have been booked, prices responded positively

4) Exporters impose export restrictions
a) Ukraine/Russia/Argentina, among others, limit exports (Argentina will begin exporting again soon)
b) Canada/Australia selling only to "favored" buyers

5) U.S. winter wheat seedings below expectations.
a) Planted area increased for SW and SRW while HRW fell from last year. HRW entered dormancy in very dry conditions
b) HRS area is also expected to fall slightly, durum to rise. High protein supplies seen limited through 2008/09

6) Global plantings to rise. EU and Black Sea planted area up

7) Biofuel production strengthens competing crop prices globally.

a) Renewable Fuels Standard to increase corn used for ethanol from 86 MMT this year to 136 MMT in 2022, a 70 percent increase

8) Ocean freight rates falling from record highs

9) Dollar exchange rate plummets
a) Strengthens export position across commodities

10) 2008/09 beginning stocks at "bin bottoms."

Van will be offering 75 Hereford and 50 Angus bulls, complete with EPD information. He will also be selling a good group of spring calving females.

The phone number to call today or tomorrow morning for information is 580-837-5532. These are animals that are ready for your ranch operation, so head out to the sale Saturday midday- or contact Van regarding a bid via telephone.

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