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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Oklahoma's latest farm and ranch news
Your Update from Ron Hays of RON for Wednesday April 29,
2009 A
service of Producers Cooperative Oil Mill, KIS Futures and American
Farmers & Ranchers Mutual Insurance Company!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-- USDA's James Miller Says Guidance on Crops After Failed Wheat
Coming Soon
-- Congressman Frank Lucas Weighs in on FSA Clarification and
More
-- Jeremy Weichel named 2009 Oklahoma Star Farmer at State FFA
Convention
-- Rashele Blakley is your 2009 Oklahoma FFA Star in
Agribusiness!
-- Charlcey Vinyard of Altus Claims Oklahoma FFA Star in Ag Placement
Honors!
-- Governor Inks Conservation Bond Authorization- Oklahoma Ready to
Receive Fed Money for Dam Rehab
-- Thank You Oklahoma FFA
-- Let's Check the 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 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. 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. | |
USDA's James Miller Says Guidance on Crops After Failed Wheat Coming Soon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ James Miller,
Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Ag Services at USDA, says they
continue to work on "guidance" for the local USDA FSA offices in the
southern plains on planting a ghost crop behind a wheat crop that has been
destroyed because of drought and/or freeze.
At the National Association of Farm Broadcasters Washington Watch, Miller told us that it is a complicated issue- and that they are working on clarification for the local offices to share with farmers- and they hope it will be out soon. His exact words were "within the next few days." We talked last night at the State FFA Convention with Francie Tolle of the American Farmers & ranchers, who has identified a lot of the ins and outs of this complicated issue for us- and she says it would be better for them to get it right the first time- and take an extra day or so- rather than put something vague and meaningless out which would then require another clarification later. You can go back and read what Francie wrote for us on this subject earlier by clicking here. Click on our link below to hear our exclusive comments with Jim Miller at USDA headquarters as we talked with him during the NAFB's Washington Watch event. | |
Congressman Frank Lucas Weighs in on FSA Clarification and More ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As we headed
out of Washington midday Tuesday, we stopped for a quick visit at the
office of Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas, checking in with the top
Republican on the House Ag Committee about three issues. Issue number one
was the push by Congressman Lucas to encourage USDA to move quickly with
"guidance" to local FSA offices in the southern plains where farmers are
looking at their options after having their 2009 winter wheat crop zeroed
out by drought and freeze. Lucas says that while the Administration is
still trying to get people in place- that is no excuse for not getting
this information out to the country sooner rather than later.
Issue number two was the Swine Flu issue as it impacts livestock producers. Congressman Lucas joins the chorus of those who are calling on our trading partners to understand there is no connection between fresh pork produced in the US and this latest mutation of the Flu bug. Lucas also reminds folks that there is no indication that hogs can even catch this latest generation of the flu. Issue number three was the issue of Climate Change- as we talked about
the Democratic Leadership having trouble pulling together a workable plan
to push legislation forward this week. Lucas continues to worry that any
climate change legislation that might pop up from Congressman Waxman would
be detrimental to rural America and farmers and ranchers. | |
Jeremy Weichel named 2009 Oklahoma Star Farmer at State FFA Convention ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Managing two
herds of stocker steers. Cultivating a wheat crop. Maintaining a perfect
4.00 grade-point average. Cordell FFA member Jeremy Weichel finds himself
busy year-round. Weichel's passion for agriculture has earned him one of
Oklahoma FFA's highest honors: 2009 State Star in Agricultural Production.
His Supervised Agricultural Experience program was rated the best agricultural production program among the 684 FFA members who received the State FFA Degree during the 83rd State FFA Convention on April 29. With the honor, Weichel received the Governor's Trophy as well as a $2,000 cash award sponsored by Davis Farms of Guthrie, Farm Credit of East Central Oklahoma and Sirloin Club of Oklahoma. We have the video spotlighting Jeremy that we produced as part of the Stars Over Oklahoma program that was a part of the on stage celebration last night in downtown Oklahoma City- it's found on our website in our Blue Green Gazette section and a direct link to the Star Farmer Story is below- click on it and check out 2009 Star Farmer Jeremy Weichel. Click here to head to our story on the 2009 Star Farmer as found at WWW.OklahomaFarmReport.Com | |
Rashele Blakley is your 2009 Oklahoma FFA Star in Agribusiness! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For Oologah
FFA member Rashele Blakely, entrepreneurship has led to a wealth of
experience, knowledge and the 2009 State Star in Agribusiness award.
Rashele Blakley's entrepreneurial successes include operating her own
greenhouse as well as raising goats and cattle, and they have earned her
one of Oklahoma FFA's highest honors.
Blakley's Supervised Agricultural Experience program was rated the best agribusiness program among the 684 FFA members who received the State FFA Degree during the 83rd annual State FFA Convention on April 29. In addition to the honors, Blakley received the Governor's Trophy as well as a $2,000 cash award sponsored by Blue & Gold Sausage Co. Blakley said she attributes much of her success to her family and
Oklahoma FFA. "Being raised on a very diverse, fifth-generation farming
and ranching operation, I always had the feeling that I would somehow play
a part in the sixth generation and would help carry that tradition forward
in today's ever-changing world," Blakley said. "However, I did not realize
how much agricultural education and the FFA would benefit me in my quest
to achieve this goal." | |
Charlcey Vinyard of Altus Claims Oklahoma FFA Star in Ag Placement Honors! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We have
written quite a bit about this young lady this year- as back in March, she
had the Grand Champion Market Lamb at the Oklahoma Youth Expo (Click here
to go back and read about that $22,000 payday.) Last night, the latest
chapter in her story has her running across the FFA Convention stage as
she heard her name called out as the 2009 Oklahoma State Star in Ag
Placement.
Vinyard's Supervised Agricultural Experience program was rated the best in agricultural placement among the 684 FFA members who received the State FFA Degree during the 83rd annual State FFA Convention on April 29. In addition to this honor, Vinyard received the Governor's Trophy and a $2,000 cash award sponsored by the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives. Vinyard works on her family's farm, Vinyard Brothers Farms. She assists
the operation by helping with the irrigation system, marketing cotton and
controlling sheep and beef production. "My main thing is fiber crop
placement," Vinyard said. "I work alongside my dad in the cotton fields.
That is just something I am really passionate about. I'm happy to carry on
the fourth generation of our cotton farm, and it's just really exciting
that I've come to this point." | |
Governor Inks Conservation Bond Authorization- Oklahoma Ready to Receive Fed Money for Dam Rehab ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Conservation
leaders today praised Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry for his approval of the
$25 million Conservation bond. With the passage of this measure, the state
will begin the process of repairing the damage to the Oklahoma
conservation infrastructure caused by the devastating floods of 2007.
According to Clay Pope, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts, the approval of the Conservation Bond comes just in time to match new federal dollars being generated by the recently passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, better known as the Stimulus Plan. "Oklahoma is in line to receive over $14 million for flood control dam rehabilitation from the recently passed stimulus plan," Pope said. "To get these funds, however, we needed this bond to provide the state match to these federal dollars. With the approval of this bond we can now insure that these dollars come to our state to help us repair this damage to our flood control infrastructure. Read more on this bill signing and what it means for conservation in our state. | |
Thank You Oklahoma FFA ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Last night was
a very special experience for me, as the Oklahoma FFA Association honored
me with what they call their VIP Award. It is called the highest honor
that they will bestow upon an adult supporter of the organization. As with
so many of you that read this daily email, FFA has been a part of my life
literally all of my life. I was born the son of a Vo-Ag teacher in
Kentucky- and some of my earlier memories are following around behind the
FFA boys at the Kentucky State Fair. Later, I was in first 4-H and then
FFA as a teenager- and got to meet the first two farm broadcasters I
remember hearing on the radio because of my FFA achievements. (Native
Oklahoman Barney Arnold and Jack Crowner)
Later, as I became a farm radio broadcaster myself, first in Kansas and then in 1977 here in Oklahoma- FFA was one of those things that was a priority to cover. For several years early in my Oklahoma career, we would do interviews with Oklahoma FFA members that traveled to Kansas City and the National Convention. More than one of you have told me remembering how I interviewed you there in the facilities just off the main convention floor in Memorial Hall. Later, we started doing the annual Stars Over Oklahoma Presentation- and I am still trying to figure out what year in the 1980s that we began that tradition. The reason I have invested the time to report on the FFA is really
simple. It's not a dollar and cents issue as many of the other things we
talk about- but it is all about the future- and an optimistic view of
where we are going together in this effort to feed and clothe this country
and really the entire world. FFA equips young people for the days ahead-
and those that achieve are worthy and deserving of our applause and of any
spotlight we can throw on them. It's more than just fifteen minutes of
fame. The stories we tell of FFA youth illustrates the vigor of American
Agriculture- and our ability to embrace what's coming as we go there in
the context of where we have been. | |
Our thanks to KIS Futures, Producers Cooperative Oil Mill and AFR 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. | |
Let's Check the Markets! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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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