Howdy Neighbors!

Here's your morning farm news headlines from the Director of Farm Programming for the Radio Oklahoma Network, Ron Hays. We are pleased 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!

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We have an audio overview that captured four of the answers that Vilsack gave to reporters gathered in Anaheim. Among the topics that we have audio on our website-
His defense of what the Administration is proposing on cutting farm program payments- specifically what they want to do regarding direct payments.
Give and Take with a Nebraska Farm Broadcaster discussing what former Secretary Mike Johanns said about the Toyota recall and Japan's slowness in dealing with the US on allowing more beef into their country- Vilsack says the Obama Administration is doing better than the Bush Administration in that they agree with those in the industry are willing to work with Japan on incremental progress.

Vilsack talked about the DOJ/USDA workshops that begin later this week in Ankeny, Iowa to look at Competition Issues within agriculture.
And Secretary Vilsack also answered a question about the shelving of the NAIS and where the agency is going to develop animal disease traceback in this country.

Click on the link below to join the News Conference and listen in to what the USDA Secretary is thinking on these key subjects that he was asked about in the Friday morning News Conference at the Commodity Classic.

Click here for the answers that Secretary Vilsack gave to reporters on the four subjects we mentioned above.

We asked Secretary Vilsack about the Obama Administration's intentions on the direction of this legacy Conservation program- and also asked about rental rates this go round- and if there will be adequate resources to attract the number of acres that USDA would like to bring in. Click on the Link at the bottom of this story to jump to our story on the website WWW.OklahomaFarmReport.Com and to be able to hear the Secretary's full response.

In addition, if you would like to hear the full address by Secretary Vilsack to the Commodity Classic where he emphasized exports as well as biotechnology, click here for the Agri-Pulse website and look on the left hand column of their front page where it says "SPECIAL UPDATE for Friday, March 5 - Audio of USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack's speech at Commodity Classic in Anaheim, CA." You can click on the arrow there and here one of the Secretary's first speeches to a "production agriculture" audience in the last several months.

Click here to head to our website and hear Secretary Tom Vilsack's comments on the CRP Program Signup that will kick off later in the spring.

"None of the varieties at our El Reno location are at first hollow stem. The wet conditions have really affected the growth of this site, however, and waterlogged wheat will have enough problems without extended grazing adding to the list of problems. So, this is one case where I would not graze until first hollow stem. If you have wheat in southwest OK that is not growing well due to wet feet, then it would probably be a good move to go ahead and look for a place to move the cattle whether you have reached first hollow stem or not.

"In the southern part of the state, OSU's Mark Gregory reported finding first hollow stem in early maturing varieties sown September 15 near Waurika. Temperatures across much of the state will hit 70 F today (Friday), so I expect the list of varieties at first hollow stem will expand significantly around the first of the week. We will keep you posted."

As part of the agreement, the United States has developed an Export Verification program for pork going to Russia. The verification program will provide a new veterinary certificate to ensure that U.S. pork exports meet specific Russian microbiological and tetracycline-group antibiotic residue requirements. U.S. plants that want to export to Russia must apply for approval with USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service.

National Pork Producers Council President Don Butler said our pork meets U.S. and international standards, so we did not see the need for the EV program. But the Russians wanted the program, and we wanted to get back in the market. Butler added we now need to get China to re-open its market to U.S. pork.

Click here for comments from the National Pork Producers Council on the USDA Friday Announcement

Developing on-farm safety solutions was one area of focus at the summit, which was hosted by the Beef Industry Food Safety Council (BIFSCo). Since its founding in 1997, BIFSCo has led the implementation of important post-harvest safety innovations. Bolstering safety at the pre-harvest level is the next step in advancing U.S. beef safety.
The citrus research is one of 13 safety studies funded by cattlemen in 2009. Lead researcher Todd Callaway with USDA's Agricultural Research Service found that dietary orange peel and pulp reduced Salmonella populations in the intestinal tract of sheep. Callaway expects the next phase of the study to yield similar results for reducing E. coli O157:H7.

"Research continues to find new ways beef producers can make the food chain even safer and reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses. This is important work, and it's why leaders from all segments of beef production gather at this summit each year to discuss the latest research, share their best practices and set goals for the future," said James O. Reagan, Ph.D., chairman of BIFSCo and senior vice president of research, education and innovation for the NCBA.
"We know that the number of beef recalls has declined in recent years, but the folks at this meeting remain committed to eliminating E. coli O157:H7 from the food supply," said Reagan.
The summit also included sessions about traceability, recall lessons and sub-primal interventions.

“NACD recognizes the importance of conserving wildlife habitat for all species, and our member conservation districts across the nation work with landowners every day to implement practices that improve wildlife habitat,” said NACD President Steve Robinson, a producer from Marysville, Ohio. “That said, the annual review process that is required for all candidate species leaves the status uncertain and subject to constant litigation.”

“Landowners and managers need regulatory certainty to conduct economically viable operations,” Robinson said. “Under these circumstances, it will be difficult for landowners to implement conservation knowing their actions could be invalidated at any time.”

Click here for more on this story as found on our website- WWW.OklahomaFarmReport.Com

Ken Holloway writes in the sale catalog for the upcoming sale "The Coyote Hills Ranch Annual Bull Sale offers some of the top Limousin and Lim-Flex bulls to be offered anywhere in the country. The bulls have been carefully selected and well developed here in the shortgrass country of southwest Oklahoma. All of the Coyote Hills Ranch and most of the Lance Hall cows run here on the ranch as well as several of the Brandon Rogers and Barton Limousin cows. Again, Bruce Lawrence of Anton, Texas, is a guest consignor and offers a stout set of bulls of similar bloodlines of our own program."

On offer will be 96 Black (all are polled) LIMOUSIN & LIM-FLEX BULLS. There will be a lot of information on each bull, including carcass and performance EPDs. For more information, you can click on the link below- or call Ken Holloway at 580-597-2419.

Click here for more information on the Hall-Coyote Hills Ranch Bull Sale- click here.

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.