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 KIS Futures as a regular sponsor of our daily email update. KIS Futures provides Oklahoma Farmers & Ranchers with futures & options hedging services in the livestock and grain markets- Click here for the free market quote page they provide us for our website or call them at 1-800-256-2555.

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Premise ID, rules for spraying 2,4, D, Climate Change impacts, Liability on Agri-Tourism and a lot more were among the topics that were a part of the discussion in these area meetings held during August.

Once local and counties meet this fall to consider these and other issues then a state policy committee reviews the resolutions for consideration by delegates to the AFR Convention in February. Passage by the convention delegates then sets the stage for lobbying activities on the issues approved.

"We were extremely pleased with our meetings and the participation of all our county leadership represented," said Detrick. "There are many tough issues ahead of us as we go into the next legislative session and more immediate issues as Congress returns on September 8 to discuss climate change, clean water, health care and now antibiotics use in livestock."

We have more on these meetings- including a more complete list of the subjects covered that is found on our website- click on the link below to check it out.

Click here for more on the AFR Leadership Meetings Held in August

It has been reported that some producers are feeding cattle corn with higher levels of the mold caused toxin. Oklahoma State University animal nutritionists say this can cause health and fertility problems or even death if the levels are high enough.
"If present in sufficient concentration, aflatoxin can cause fertility problems in breeding animals including abortions," said Dr. David Lalman, OSU Animal Science professor. "It may also cause reduced feed consumption, weight loss, residues in meat and milk and can compromise the animal's immune system."

He also pointed out a Pennsylvania State University study that showed how specific levels of the aflatoxin could affect certain species. The report states that young animals can be affected when the mother is on a diet containing 20-40 ppb of its total dry ration and aflatoxin levels of 600 ppb or more can be fatal to young calves.

The bottom line is that if you have corn starting to dry down and approaching harvest- take a sample and get it tested- it could save you a tremendous amount of trouble later.

On the wheat side of the equation- Anderson says that the tipping point for this coming week will be $5.00, basis the Kansas City December contract. If we settle below that price point early next week- after the Labor Day- holiday- there could be another 25 to 30 cents down in the cash wheat market to endure.

Click on the link below- and you will jump to our webstory with audio from Austin and Kim Anderson to give you a taste of the SUNUP program for this weekend. We also have a rundown of the rest of the show in that story as well- go check it out and be watching Saturday morning on OETA.

Click here for a wheat and corn market outlook- plus the SUNUP Lineup for this Saturday

Of particular concern for the U.S. meat industry is the fact that the DPJ, in its role as the primary opposition party in recent years, has taken a relatively harder line against expanded access for beef imports from the United States. We look at this issue again on our end of the week Beef Buzz, as we hear from perhaps the most knowledgeable American meat industry official when it comes to dealing with Japan, the CEO and President of the US Meat Export Federation.

Click on the link below- and you can read more about what Phil Seng sees going forward in dealing with this new group of Japanese leaders- and you can hear his comments on these developments as he and the USMEF officers are in China, with a stop this week in South Korea and then early next week in Japan.

Click here for our Friday Beef Buzz with Phil Seng of the USMEF

The U.S. Department of Agriculture agreed to purchase up to $30 million of pork products, which will be used for various federal food programs. Secretary Vilsack, who heard from hundreds of hurting pork producers, today announced the pork purchase. USDA also is working to reopen pork export markets that closed in the wake of the H1N1 flu outbreak. This purchase was announced for Fiscal Year 2009- which means it will be happening before the end of September.

"The action by USDA to buy additional pork will benefit America's pork producers, the U.S. economy and the people who benefit from government food programs," said NPPC President Don Butler. "NPPC is extremely grateful to Secretary Vilsack for recognizing the plight of our producers and for taking action to help them."

Click on the link below for more on the NPPC reaction to the USDA intentions to purchase additional pork- as well as a look back to what the organization has also asked for in additional help for this struggling segment of US Agriculture.

Click here to read more of the NPPC reacting to the USDA Pork Purchase Announcement

Larry has made the life of hundreds of farm broadcasters a lot easier down through the years as he has served in a variety of roles within the office of Communications at USDA. He has been at USDA and has watched each Secretary of Agriculture perform his duties from Dr. Earl Butz in the 1970s to Tom Vilsack today. He has twice served as the Director of the Office of Communications during the transition of power from one political party to another. As he leaves USDA, he currently serves as Assistant Director.

Over the years, Larry has helped the electronic trade media covering the business of agriculture with access to all of USDA- and he has been a class act for all of the years that we have known him- stretching back over a majority of his USDA career. He has been invaluable. Some of you that don't know Larry personally have gotten to know his brother Garvin, who has returned to Oklahoma State University as the head of their Ag Communications office. Garvin has helped coordinate the rebirth of SUNUP- and is helping the Ag Com efforts at OSU enter this brave new world of cyberspace communications.
We will miss seeing Larry when we travel to Washington and enter the Whitten Building at USDA- the current occupants don't know how much they are losing as he hangs it up on September 30. I know he will keep busy and I suspect a lot of folks will be looking for his consulting services to tap into his vast knowledge of agriculture and USDA- so we will look forward to seeing Larry at different venues in the months ahead.

Larry, THANKS for your service!

We will not have an email this coming Monday, but will return with our daily dose of farm and ranch news Tuesday AM. Today was a busy email with lots of things to include- and already we have several things I expect will be a part of that Tuesday email- details of a Climate Change legislation study from Texas A&M that has the Republicans smiling, excellent fall planting ideas from Johnston Enterprises, as well as comments from Roy Lee Lindsey of the Oklahoma Pork Council on the USDA Pork Purchases here at the tail end of FY 2009 (He will be our guest on our In the Field Segment Saturday morning on KWTV News9).

Of course, the BIG event we mentioned happens Monday at the Express Ranch Sale Barn in Yukon as Express Ranches hold their annual Angus Production Sale, called the Big event. Some of the very best Angus genetics in the country will be offered on Monday by Express- and all of their heifers in the sale qualify for the Express Scholarship Program- a program where Bob Funk has handed out some $2.4 million in scholarships to youth from across the US and Canada. Click on the link below to jump the Express Ranches website- or you can call 405-350-0044 for last minute information.

Click here for the Express Ranch website to learn more about their 2009 edition of the Big Event.

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

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.
Previous Day's Wheat Market Recap- Two Pager From The Kansas City Board of Trade looks at all three US Wheat Futures Exchanges with extra info on Hard Red Winter Wheat and the why of that day's market.
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.