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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Oklahoma's latest farm and ranch news
Your Update from Ron Hays of RON for Tuesday June 30, 2009
A
service of Johnston Enterprises, American Farmers & Ranchers and
Midwest Farm Shows!
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-- Francie Tolle Selected by Obama Administration to Serve as
Oklahoma State Director of the Farm Service Agency of USDA
-- State Representative Ryan McMullen Selected as State Rural
Development Director for USDA
-- Oklahoma Wheat Harvest 95% Done- So Says Mike Schulte with the
Oklahoma Wheat Commission
-- Our State Statistician Calls Wheat Harvest 89% Done
-- Back from the Cap and Trade Battles- Congressman Frank Lucas Has
Town Hall Meetings Today and Tomorrow
-- Tyson to Push to Collect Court Costs Against South Dakota Rancher,
Who Beat Them in Court, But Then Lost.
-- Winter Canola Harvest Much Happier Time This Season for Southwest
Oklahoma Wheat Producer
-- 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! 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. | |
Francie Tolle Selected by Obama Administration to Serve as Oklahoma State Director of the Farm Service Agency of USDA ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Obama
Administration today announced that Francie Tolle will serve as Oklahoma
State Executive Director for the Farm Service Agency at the USDA. It had
been widely anticipated that Tolle would be selected for this position in
the new Administration. A quick news release from AFR came on Monday
shortly after the USDA news release came to our email inbox- click
here to read comments from Terry Detrick on the capabilities of
Francie Tolle to tackle this job.
Tolle is currently the Legislative Policy Analyst for American Farmers and Ranchers, as well as co-owner of Tolle Farms in Deer Creek, Oklahoma. She previously served as the Director of Development at the Oklahoma State University Foundation, Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Tolle worked with the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture Food and Forestry as the State Director of Agritourism, and also held the position of Executive Director with the Oklahoma Wheat Grower's Association. She is a graduate of the Oklahoma Ag Leadership Program and has participated in American Farm Bureau competitions. Tolle holds an MBA from Cameron University and a Bachelor of Science from Oklahoma State University. The vetting process within the new Administration finally concluded this past week for Tolle, as well as Ryan McMullen (New State Rural Development Director- see story below) and more than two dozen other state level appointments around the country. We have more on the Tolle appointment to the FSA position that will have her located in Stillwater- click on the link below. | |
State Representative Ryan McMullen Selected as State Rural Development Director for USDA ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Obama
Administration today announced that State Representative Ryan McMullen
will serve as Oklahoma State Director for Rural Development at the USDA.
Since 2004 McMullen has been a state representative in Oklahoma where he represents southwestern and central regions of the state. During his time as a state representative, his policy and legislative efforts have focused on agricultural and rural economic development issues. Previously, McMullen worked with the El Reno Chamber of Commerce and Development Corporation as Executive Director. He has broadcast radio experience and is familiar with rural economic issues throughout Oklahoma. McMullen holds a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics from Oklahoma State University. We have more on this nomination- click on the link below to check it out. Click here for more on Ryan McMullen's selection as Rural Development Director for USDA in Oklahoma | |
Oklahoma Wheat Harvest 95% Done- So Says Mike Schulte with the Oklahoma Wheat Commission ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed Richards
with the Radio Oklahoma Network talked with Mike Schulte at midday Monday-
and the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission says we are in
the 95% neighborhood as far as harvest being done across the state.
Schulte says there are still a few spots in Alfalfa and Garfield Counties where harvest is still going- and we are probably around 60 to 70 percent done on the dryland wheat in the Panhandle. Click on our link below and we will take you to our Harvest Update page- with both the Mike Schulte audio that you can click on and here, as well as some pictures from Cimarron County- with dryland wheat harvest rolling in that part of the Panhandle. Click here for latest on the Oklahoma Wheat Harvest 2009- in both sound and in pictures. | |
Our State Statistician Calls Wheat Harvest 89% Done ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The folks at
NASS in Oklahoma City are calling wheat harvest not quite as far along as
Mike Schulte believes it is- but still shows in the home stretch at 89%
complete as of Sunday. They have been watching the temps around the state.
Last Friday, Oklahoma Mesonet Stations recorded triple digit temperatures
at 23 locations. The highest temperature was recorded in Fairview and
Grandfield at 106 degrees. Extremely hot and dry conditions have left
Oklahoma in desperate need of precipitation.
Checking on the row crops- "Extremely hot and dry weather began taking its toll on most of the State's row crops, with conditions rated in the mostly good to fair range. Corn silking increased 21 points from the previous week to reach 35 percent, six points behind normal. By week's end, Sorghum planted was at 81 percent, while sorghum emerged increased to 50 percent, 15 percentage points behind normal. Virtually all the State's soybean seedbeds were prepared. Soybeans planted reached 92 percent, while soybeans emerged increased to 82 percent, both well ahead of normal. Eight percent of soybeans had reached the blooming stage of development. Peanuts pegging reached 11 percent, 33 points behind normal. Planting for Cotton was essentially completed by week's end. Ninety percent of cotton had emerged, while cotton squaring increased to 18 percent, both behind the five-year average." The abundant moisture in some parts of the state over the last couple of months have put our pastures in pretty good shape- however they are not immune to the heat. "Due to the extremely hot and dry weather pasture and range conditions decreased slightly and rated mostly in the good to fair range. Additional moisture is needed to maintain optimal pasture and range conditions." | |
Back from the Cap and Trade Battles- Congressman Frank Lucas Has Town Hall Meetings Today and Tomorrow ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Congressman
Frank Lucas will be holding town hall meetings in Lincoln, Payne, and
Logan counties today and tomorrow. All residents of these locations are
invited to attend a meeting and express their opinions. Lucas will be
discussing current events in Washington, taking questions about issues
important to constituents of the Third Congressional District, and asking
for opinions and input on legislation currently before Congress.
The meetings today start at 8:30 AM in Guthrie, then move to Cushing, Perkins and Stillwater. The July first meetings will include stops in Meeker, Prague, Stroud and Chandler. We have more on the details of the meeting listed in the calendar section of our website- click on the link below for that rundown of all either locations where you can catch up with the top Republican on the House Ag Committee, Third District Congressman Frank Lucas. | |
Tyson to Push to Collect Court Costs Against South Dakota Rancher, Who Beat Them in Court, But Then Lost. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Over the
weekend, R-Calf USA called on Tyson Meats to back away from demanding
court costs against South Dakota rancher Herman Schumacher, saying that
would be the moral response to a very difficult situation. In response to
R-CALF USA's request that Tyson Fresh Meats (Tyson) immediately withdraw
its judgment against South Dakota rancher and cattle feeder Herman
Schumacher, as well as withdraw its legal action to seize Schumacher's
home, Tyson Foods Executive Vice President-Corporate Affairs Archie
Schaffer informed R-CALF USA on Monday afternoon that Tyson intends to
donate the proceeds extracted from Schumacher to local food banks in South
Dakota.
"Only in the ivory tower boardroom of a multibillion dollar company, where corporate executives are completely disconnected from cattle producers and food consumers, could a strategy like this be concocted," said R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard. "To reverse its tarnished image, it is my opinion that Tyson has now decided to use money extracted from Schumacher to help feed other farmers and ranchers who are facing economic disaster largely because Tyson and other meatpackers engage in practices that federal fact-finding jurors have found to be unlawful. Bullard contends that Tyson should call off the dogs and back away from
demanding the court costs. He calls it a higher moral standard that Tyson
could have stepped up and claimed- but that they have shown they have no
desire to be a good neighbor to cattle producers around the country with
this move. Click here for more on the Tuesday Beef Buzz about the Herman Schumacher case against Tyson. | |
Winter Canola Harvest Much Happier Time This Season for Southwest Oklahoma Wheat Producer ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Alan Mindemann
of Apache has been busy harvesting a good-yielding crop of winter canola.
He is particularly satisfied because his 2009 winter wheat crop has been a
failure. Months of severe drought, late-spring freezes and hail storms all
combined to make the 2008-09 Southern Plains winter wheat crop the
smallest one since 1955. "Unlike wheat, canola has a large taproot that
grows deep into the soil to find moisture," Mindemann said. "Canola
started out growing in cold climates. The freeze cut back its growth, but
it just started regrowth with more branches and seedpods. This 130 acre
field will yield 1,000-1,200 pounds per acre of seed. My 790 acres of
canola probably will average 800-900 pounds of seed per acre this year."
Mindemann explained his field of canola northwest of Apache is surrounded
by fields filled with failed wheat.
"This has been a long, trying year," Mindemann said. "We planted the canola early in September and we didn't have enough moisture then. Wheat really struggled with the dry weather all winter. Canola's large taproot helped the crop find moisture deep in the soil, farther down than wheat could. Although the late spring freezes really slowed down the canola's maturity, about the only real damage was making the harvest later. The freeze actually made the canola plants thicker by growing more lateral branches and seed pods." We have more on this positive turn of events for this Caddo County producer- click on the link below to learn more about how canola has worked out very well indeed for him in 2009. Click here for more on Alan Mindemann's 2009 Canola Harvest- versus a Failed Wheat Crop. | |
Our thanks to Midwest Farms Shows, PCOM, P & K Equipment/P & K Wind Energy, Johnston Enterprises, AFR and KIS Futures for their support of our daily Farm News Update. For your convenience, we have our sponsors' websites linked here- just click on their name to jump to their website- check their sites 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. | |
Looking at our Agricultural Markets... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You might call
the Monday cattle market at the Oklahoma City stockyards a red hot mama.
With 11,500 head being sold, our market reporter tells us "Feeder steers
and heifers steady to 2.00 higher. Demand very good for feeder cattle, as
second grade cattle selling with very little discount to number one grade.
Steer and heifer calves steady to 2.00 higher on a light test. Cattle
futures sharply higher and grains closing lower." Those five to six
hundred pound steer calves brought $102 to $113 while the seven to eight
hundred pound steer yearlings cleared from $96.50 to $104. Click
here for the complete Oklahoma National Stockyards report as provided
by Jerry Alexander and his team at the USDA office at the stockyards.
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: | |
God Bless! You can reach us at the following: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email: ron@oklahomafarmreport.com
phone: 405-473-6144
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