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.

We are also excited to have as one of our sponsors for the daily email Producers Cooperative Oil Mill, with 64 years of progress through producer ownership. Call Brandon Winters at 405-232-7555 for more information on the oilseed crops they handle, including sunflowers and canola- and remember they post closing market prices for canola and sunflowers on the PCOM website- go there by clicking here.
And we salute our longest running email sponsor- Midwest Farm Shows, producer of the springtime Southern Plains Farm Show, as well as the December 2009 Tulsa Farm Show. Click here for more information on the Tulsa Show, coming up December 10,11 and 12, 2009.

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.

Oklahoma Third District Congressman Frank Lucas was one who was vocal in his opposition to the measure on the floor, offered this statement quickly after the vote: "Today the House rejected rushing a major piece of legislation through Congress.
"This will give the House the opportunity to take up this legislation in a more deliberative manner. The bill can be referred to the proper committees, including the Agriculture Committee. And, those committees can take the appropriate action.
"Then, the House can consider a better food safety reform bill."

However, that may not be the case as apparently the Democratic leadership will attempt to bring the bill up under regular rules today and get it passed, as it has far more than the 50% needed that voted in favor of it on Wednesday. The Rules Committee has vetted the bill and will report it as a "closed bill" which means there will still be no amendments permitted and this time, there will be one hour of debate before the vote.
The bill would give the FDA more food safety authority. However, facilities already regulated by USDA would be exempt from some of the FDA's extended powers, including exempting livestock operations from new on-farm inspection authority granted to FDA under the bill.

Also, proposed legislation that would ban the use of non-therapeutic antimicrobials in food-producing animals was not included in this food safety bill. Meat industry groups sent a letter a week ago to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), asking the antibiotic legislation be kept out of this broader food safety bill.
New York lawmaker Louise Slaughter has apparently been convinced to find another vehicle to attach her measure to, later in the fall.

Click here for an interesting commentary on the efforts of the key author of the Food Safety bill- John Dingell of Michigan.

On today's Beef Buzz, Robb gives us ideas about how cattle producers can accomplish this. He says to expand your thinking and consider more options in producing and marketing your cattle. He says that southern plains producers have a built in advantage over other parts of the country with the ability to run cattle on wheat pasture, when it is available. He adds that on the marketing side of things- it makes good sense to consider one of the many value added marketing programs that will return more dollars to your operation, if you are willing to invest the time required for the extra management needed for these programs to work.

Jim Robb adds that the market continues to pay producers to take calves to heavier weights, which is a result of higher feed grain costs of the last couple of years. If we do harvest a bumper corn crop, some of that incentive to put pounds of gain on with grass may be gone- but that for now, it remains in place.
Click on the link below for this next segment of an interview that we conducted with Jim Robb of the Livestock Market Information Center this past weekend.

Click here for more on beef cattle herd management as we Beef Buzz with Jim Robb of the LMIC

Over the last four days, the Oklahoma Mesonet shows much of the southern two thirds of the state has received at least an inch of rain, with locations in southern Grady County being clocked at more than five inches of precipitation, McCurtain County in far southeastern Oklahoma has over three inches at its reporing stations- the Oklahoma City area has in excess of four inches, much of southwestern Oklahoma has one to just over two inches reported and even the Panhandle has checked in at the one inch plus mark.

Missing the rain this week thus far are the east central and northeastern counties of the state, as well as the northern tier of counties on the Kansas line- they have received little to no rain from this system. Our meterologists from News9 tell me that we are in what they call a "northwestern flow" which allows these systems to sweep down and bring us summertime rain. By this evening, we will be getting drier- Friday lloks dry and then Saturday, another pulse in this flow may bring us more rain. Click on the link below for the 96 hour accumulation of rain from the Oklahoma Mesonet- it shows you exactly who has gotten how much.

Click here for the four day accumulation rainfall totals from the Oklahoma Mesonet.

Biomass conversion facilities and material owners or producers should contact their FSA state offices for more information. FSA will begin accepting applications from biomass facilities interested in participating in the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP).

Once an agreement is signed between FSA and a facility and funding through the program is provided, the facilities can begin accepting materials. Producers who sell these materials can apply for matching payments under the collection, harvest, storage and transportation (CHST) component of BCAP.
The matching CHST payments are paid at a rate of $1 for $1 per dry-ton equivalent received from a qualified biomass conversion facility, not to exceed $45 per dry- ton equivalent. A biomass owner is eligible to receive payments for two years. The purpose of the matching payments is to assist biomass producers with the CHST cost of delivering biomass to a qualified biomass conversion facility.

Click here for more on this program to help jumpstart the cellulosic ethanol industry.

The CEO of Growth Energy applauded the Administration for reinforcing its commitment to homegrown ethanol. Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis said - keeping the tariff on Brazilian ethanol will ensure the development of a domestic renewable fuel industry, which creates green collar jobs, reduces our dependence on foreign oil, strengthens our national security, and improves the environment.

Specifically- here is the what the Obama Administration said in regards to the "Brazilian Tariff."
"The Obama Administration is committed to developing our domestic biofuels industry, and to help the international market for biofuels grow. Biofuels are an important renewable energy resource, which will help diversify our energy matrix and reduce our dependence on imported oil."

"Regarding the U.S. tariff on Brazilian ethanol, the administration has no plans to change it."

Also underway today and continuing through midday on Friday is the 2009 Oklahoma 4-H Congress. This is the 88th annual renewal of this event- and hundreds of 4-Hers from all 77 Oklahoma Counties are involved.

For these end of the month events- as well as a ton of August events that are coming up- click on the link below and check out our calendar page listings. AND- please send us info on events that we don't have listed that your group has coming up in the days to come. We would love to include them for you.

Click here for the Calendar Section of our website- WWW.OklahomaFarmReport.Com

Former President of the OCA John Kane writes "He was a friend to everyone and an excellent example of everything that is good and real about people, the cattle business and Oklahoma." Rancher Chet Purvine also tells us about AJ by writing "A.J. was one in a million. It was obvious that he loved the cattle industry and the people who comprise it. He was so kind and always had time for anyone who needed him."

Joe Bogard adds "A.J. Smith demonstrated the kind of person that the world needs more of. He knew how to make you feel like you belonged and he was so easy to talk to and visit with. He was so knowledgeable and shared that knowledge without hesitation. He was someone that you could rely on without hesitation. I will miss his assistance at sales and I will miss even more his friendship."

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.