As agriculturists our jobs haven’t changed much from generation to generation but the way we do them sure has! Our roles as providers of the nation’s food and fiber and stewards of the land remain the same but just as we rely on new technologies to become more efficient as producers, we find we now need to find new ways to use them to communicate with each other.
That’s why we have created this blog. Almost 60 percent of the population now depends on the internet for news and other information. The daily and weekly newspapers are still out there (and we still depend on them to reach thousands of Oklahomans) but for all of you who prefer the speed and convenience of electronic communications, this blog is for you.
Let us know what you think and please interact on this site with your thoughts and comments. We are counting on you to let us know what you think and suggest things and ideas that will improve this site and provide you with the information you are looking for.
Terry Peach, Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture
Posted by carson4575 on September 7, 2010
The 2010 Oklahoma Commissioners of the Land Office school land lease auctions begin next month. Terri Watkins, Director of Communications for the CLO notified us today that the brochure is available online.
Just go to their website at www.clo.ok.gov for a complete listing of properties statewide as well as dates and locations.
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Posted by carson4575 on September 7, 2010
Joe Neal Hampton
“Oklahoma has gotten the reputation of having problems with dockage and foreign material in our wheat and it has made it harder for us to sell to our domestic millers and international customers,” said Joe Neal Hampton, president and CEO of the OGFA. “Over the last two years Oklahoma producers had 68 percent more dockage than Kansas and 23.5 percent more than Texas.”
Even more shocking was the fact that Oklahoma wheat had 150 percent more foreign material than Kansas and 337 percent more than Texas.
That meant huge discounts for Oklahoma producers for this year’s harvest and some loads of wheat were actually rejected for too much dockage, he said. Dockage and foreign material is caused by material other than wheat being present. Cheat, rye grass, rescue grass, jointed goat grass and wild oats are the most common causes of dockage while rye is the most common foreign material.
“It’s up to growers to clean up their fields because commercial cleaners that can handle the volume we produce are not economically or physically feasible,” Hampton said. “The obvious answer is to rotate their crops and practice good weed control. There are also several good chemicals to control some the worst offenders and growers are encouraged to use them.”
Some alternative crops include canola, corn, soybeans, milo, and sesame, he said.
Many chemical companies and agribusiness retailers also maintain Certified Crop Advisors to assist producers in finding the best solution to their dirty wheat problems.
Producers should also make sure they are using high quality seed, Hampton said.
“Every extension agronomist at any southern plains land grand institution will tell you that one of the most important keys to success in growing good quality wheat is to start out with good quality seed,” he said. “Planting certified seed on as many acres as possible will consistently give a positive return on the investment.”
Hampton specifically advises farmers to begin avoiding varieties with Jagger parentage unless they are willing to apply a fungicide.
“Jagger varieties have lost resistance to strip rust which is becoming more prevalent in Oklahoma,” he said. “A fungicide will not only control various strains of rust, but it will generally improve test weights and yields.”
Want more information? Click here for more commentary and facts provided by Joe Neal Hampton.
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Posted by carson4575 on September 7, 2010
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the availability of funding under the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) to conduct feasibility studies for renewable energy systems for agriculture producers and rural small businesses.
“Renewable energy production represents a promising revenue source for America’s producers while meeting the nation’s need for new sources of renewable energy,” Vilsack said. “These grants will help encourage the development of viable renewable energy projects across the nation and help small business owners, farmers, ranchers and agriculture producers conduct feasibility studies that identify renewable energy opportunities.”
Eligible feasibility studies for renewable energy systems include projects that will produce energy from wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, hydro power and hydrogen-based sources. The energy to be produced includes heat, electricity or fuel. For all projects, the system must be located in a rural area, must be technically feasible and must be owned by the applicant. More information is available by visiting http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/BCP_ReapGrants.html .
Under this notice, USDA is making $3 million available to conduct feasibility studies. Grants are limited to $50,000 per study and the application deadline is October 5, 2010. The funding announced today is authorized under the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008. More information on how to apply for funding is available in the August 6, 2010 Federal Register, page 47525.
USDA, through its Rural Development mission area, administers and manages more than 40 housing, business and community infrastructure and facility programs through a national network of 6,100 employees located in the nation’s capital and 500 state and local offices. These programs are designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers and improve the quality of life in rural America. Rural Development has an existing portfolio of more than $142 billion in loans and loan guarantees.
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Posted by carson4575 on August 30, 2010
A walnut branch from an infected tree. Photo provided by Tennessee Dept. of Agriculture
The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry has issued an emergency quarantine on the importation of all walnut (Juglans spp.) and other regulated articles originating in areas infested with Thousand Cankers Disease (TCD) of walnut.
The insect-fungal pest complex that is lethal to walnut trees has been detected in at least 8 western states and recently confirmed in eastern Tennessee. The western states include Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Washington.
The quarantine prevents movement from infested areas of nursery stock, unprocessed lumber, logs, wood chips, mulch, firewood, and other products created from walnut trees. It does not include nut products. Oklahoma joins Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Michigan in establishing the TCD quarantine.
TCD is spread by the walnut twig beetle, a tiny insect that bores holes into walnut trees. The beetle carries a fungus that forms thousands of cankers under the bark of the host tree and kills a tree within 2-3 years after initial infection. Early symptoms include leaf yellowing, wilting, and tree crown thinning which are symptoms often confused with other pests and environmental factors.
Black walnut trees have been reported in nearly every county of Oklahoma, according to the ODAFF Forestry Services Division. Foresters said if TCD were to spread to our state and the region of native black walnut trees it will cause negative economic, ecological, and sociological effects.
Because control options are not known at this time, preventing the movement of walnut from infested areas into Oklahoma is the primary means of limiting the spread of TCD. The quarantine will restrict movement of walnut from known infested states and protect the black walnut in Oklahoma and its native range in eastern states.
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Posted by carson4575 on August 23, 2010
L to R: Secretary of Agriculture, Terry Peach; John Ward, Oklahoma Poultry Federation, Marvin Childers, President of the Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma Poultry Federation.
The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry (ODAFF) has been working in conjunction with the poultry industry and local municipalities to protect Oklahoma’s watersheds. In 1998 the Oklahoma legislature passed the Oklahoma Registered Poultry Feeding Operation (RPFO) Act. This act requires Poultry Operators to have mandated litter management training as well as an approved Animal Waste Management Plan (AWMP) and maintain records of poultry waste removed from or applied to the premises.
ODAFF has employed two soil scientists who have developed 863 (AWMP) plans for land owners over the past six years. Due to state budget cuts the funding for these two positions was no longer available. Therefore, The Poultry Federation, a non-profit group that supports the poultry industry in Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma has stepped forward with a $43,000 grant to keep these scientists in place.
“Those of us who work in the poultry industry are serious about our responsibility as environmental stewards and we value ODAFF’s efforts to make sure poultry litter is properly used,” said Marvin Childers, president of The Poultry Federation.
Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture, Terry Peach noted, “This grant is very similar to the grant provided by the City of Tulsa in the Eucha Spavinaw Watershed.” ODAFF has worked with the city of Tulsa and the Tulsa Metropolitan Utility Authority to employ a special master that oversees two employees that monitor water quality in the Tulsa area.
“We appreciate The Poultry Federation’s willingness to help us retain these important soil scientist positions,” said Terry Peach. “This is another example of how government and industry can work together to support responsible agricultural practices in our great state.”
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Posted by carson4575 on August 20, 2010
A little known venereal disease affecting cattle is costing Oklahoma cattlemen over $5.4 million each year prompting state lawmakers to pass regulations requiring testing of most breeding bulls when they are sold.
Trichomoniasis has caused huge economic losses throughout the nation and many western states had already adopted regulations requiring testing said Oklahoma Department of Agriculture staff veterinarian, Rod Hall. Oklahoma has required bulls from other states to be certified negative for the disease since 2008 and in-state testing is necessary to further reduce infection rates.
He said Oklahoma’s infection rate is likely similar to that of Texas where 3.5 percent of bulls tested this year have been positive for the disease. That would mean at least 3,000 Oklahoma bulls are currently carrying the disease and infecting cows.
“Cows that become infected by a carrier bull usually miscarry or abort in early pregnancy,” Hall said. “Many of our producers have small operations—most are under 25 head of cattle—and they don’t keep very good records. Many do not realize some of their cattle are only producing a live calf every 18 months instead of every 12 months.”
In herds with short breeding seasons, that is bulls are only with the cows over a period of about 60 days, losses can be much larger, he said. It is common to find about half of all cows bred to infected bulls to be found “open” or not pregnant, when checked for pregnancy.
He said several years ago when he was in private practice he had a client with a herd of about 1,200 cows that suffered a severe loss due to Trichomoniasis when his calf crop was 400 head fewer than normal.
With calf prices well over $1 per pound, that is a significant loss.
Oklahoma’s mandatory testing law becomes effective January 1 and will require all bulls sold in the state to be tested when their ownership changes. This includes sales between producers, auction markets, and bulls being leased, traded or loaned.
Hall said the only bulls that are exempt from the new rule are bulls under 24 months old that can be certified as virgin bulls, bulls that are going directly to slaughter and bulls that will be placed on feed for slaughter. Bulls testing positive for the disease can go to slaughter or be castrated
Infected cow herds can be managed to effectively be free of disease after the bull is removed, he said. ODAFF has been working with the Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association to bring state veterinarians up to date on the new regulations and best management practices for infected herds.
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Posted by carson4575 on August 10, 2010
Vendors beating the heat at the Chickasha Farmers Market
Temperatures are in triple digits and the grass isn’t growing right now but don’t forget about Farmers Markets across the state…there are still some delicious fruits and vegetables being offered. Today Blayne Arthur and I traveled to the Chickasha Farmers Market. By the time we arrived there weren’t any tomatoes left but peaches, cantaloupe, watermelons, sweet corn, okra (plenty of okra!) and several varieties of peppers were still offered.
The folks in Chickasha were extremely friendly and I was struck by the comments of one of the vendors. He said the Chickasha market was his favorite, “because all the people who come here, the vendors and the buyers, are all so friendly.”
The Chickasha market is open Tuesdays and Saturdays though most state Farmers Markets are open on Wednesdays and Saturdays–the two biggest days of the week for Farmers Markets in Oklahoma. Click here for a full list of markets that are in the Oklahoma Farmers Market program.
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Posted by carson4575 on August 10, 2010
The week began with heat advisories across the state and the high temperatures for the week occurring on Monday. Triple digit temperatures continued most of the week as did the heat advisories and excessive heat warnings. The average high temperatures for the week for all nine districts ranged from 97 to 100 degrees with heat indices much higher. As the heat continued so did the need for rainfall with the state averaging only 0.38 inches of rain. The highest rainfall for the state was 0.84 inches in the Southeast district. Field crops and pastures were starting to show signs of stress as a result of the hot and dry weather while grasshopper infestations further depleted available pasture. Topsoil and subsoil conditions were rated mostly in the adequate to short range. Topsoil rated very short increased by 13 points to 21 percent while 11 percent of subsoil was rated very short, up three points from the previous week. There were 6.5 days suitable for field work.
Small Grains: Virtually all wheat ground was plowed by week’s end and nine percent of wheat seedbeds were prepared. Ninety-two percent of rye was plowed by Sunday, and nine percent of rye seedbeds were prepared by week’s end. Oat seedbed preparation reached 18 percent complete, 13 points ahead of the previous year.
Row Crops: Despite the extreme heat and lack of precipitation most of the state’s row crops were rated in the good to fair range. Ninety-two percent of corn reached the dough stage by week’s end, 12 points ahead of the five-year average. Corn dented reached 65 percent complete, 21 points up from the previous week, while 19 percent of corn had matured. Sorghum headed reached 73 percent complete, 28 points ahead of the five-year average. Sorghum coloring reached 21 percent complete, six points ahead of normal. Soybeans in the blooming stage were at 75 percent by week’s end, a ten point increase from the week earlier, and seven points ahead of the five-year average. Soybeans setting pods reached 36 percent complete, a ten point increase from the week prior, but four points behind the five-year average. Peanuts pegging reached 93 percent complete by week’s end, and 55 percent of the plants were setting pods, 12 points below normal. Cotton squaring was virtually complete by Sunday, nine points ahead of the five-year average. Sixty-six percent of the cotton crop was setting bolls by week’s end, 15 points ahead of normal.
Miscellaneous Crops: Watermelon harvest reached 70 percent complete by week’s end, an increase of 18 points from the week prior.
Hay: The third cutting of alfalfa was 93 percent complete and 34 percent of the fourth cutting was completed by week’s end. The first cutting of other hay was virtually complete and 39 percent of the second cutting was completed by Sunday. Both alfalfa and other hay conditions continue to be rated mostly in the good to fair range.
Pasture and Range: The heat has affected the availability of pasture in some parts of the state, as have problems with grasshoppers. Overall, pasture and range conditions were rated mostly in the good to fair range, with only six percent rated excellent.
Livestock: The lack of pasture and the excessive heat have started to affect cattle and poultry in some areas. Livestock conditions rated mostly in the good to fair range with 10 percent rated excellent, overall. Prices for feeder steers less than 800 pounds averaged $115 per cwt. Prices for heifers less than 800 pounds averaged $109 per cwt.
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Posted by carson4575 on August 3, 2010
Statewide temperatures averaged nearly 85 degrees last week with only two districts receiving more than a half inch of average rainfall. Of the remaining seven districts, precipitation levels ranged from 0.05 to 0.46 inches. Most of Oklahoma was under an excessive heat warning or a heat advisory status last week as temperatures exceeded 100 degrees. The heat wave continued into the weekend and temperatures ranged from the upper 90’s to around 105 degrees with afternoon heat indices reaching 105 to 110 degrees. Field crops and pastures are starting to show signs of stress as a result of the hot and dry weather. Topsoil and subsoil conditions were rated mostly in the adequate to short range. Both topsoil and subsoil saw decreases in the adequate range with only 47 percent of topsoil rated adequate and only 62 percent of subsoil rated adequate. There were 6.6 days suitable for field work.
Small Grains: Ninety-four percent of wheat ground was plowed by week’s end. Ninety-one percent of rye was plowed by Sunday, six points ahead of the five-year average. Oats plowed was virtually complete by week’s end, 12 points ahead of normal.
Row Crops: In some areas of the State, the hot and dry weather has affected row crops. Eighty-nine percent of corn has reached the dough stage, a 25 point jump from the previous week, and 22 points ahead of the five-year average. Corn dented reached 44 percent complete by Sunday, 35 percent ahead of normal. Sorghum headed reached 60 percent complete, a four point increase from the week prior, and 29 points ahead of the five-year average. Sorghum coloring has reached 14 percent complete, six points ahead of normal. Soybeans in the blooming stage were 65 percent complete by week’s end, an eight point increase from the week earlier, and seven points ahead of the five-year average. Soybeans setting pods reached 26 percent, a ten point jump from the week prior, and only one point behind the five-year average. Peanuts pegging reached 89 percent complete by week’s end, four points behind normal and 53 percent of the plants were setting pods, seven points below normal. Cotton squaring reached 89 percent complete, six points ahead of normal. Fifty-one percent of the cotton crop was setting bolls by week’s end, 15 points ahead of the previous year and 14 points ahead of the five-year average.
Miscellaneous Crops: Watermelons harvested reached 52 percent complete by week’s end, an increase of three points from the week prior, but nine points behind normal.
Hay: The third cutting of alfalfa was 91 percent complete by week’s end. The first cutting of other hay reached 93 percent complete and 29 percent of the second cutting was complete by Sunday. Both alfalfa and other hay conditions continue to be rated mostly in the good to fair range despite the hot, dry weather.
Pasture and Range: Pasture and range conditions were rated mostly in the good to fair range, with 10 percent rated excellent.
Livestock: Livestock conditions rated mostly in the good to fair range with 12 percent rated excellent. Prices for feeder steers less than 800 pounds averaged $116 per cwt. Prices for heifers less than 800 pounds averaged $110 per cwt.
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Posted by carson4575 on August 3, 2010
Oklahoma’s Agricultural Statistics Services has released its first ever annual Oklahoma Hay Review. According to the report:
Oklahoma’s all hay acreage is forecast at 3.02 million, down 6 percent from 2009. Alfalfa hay, at 320,000 acres, is unchanged from last year. All other hay is forecast at 2.7 million acres, down 7 ercent from last year.
United States producers expect to harvest 59.7 million acres of all hay in 2010, down slightly from 2009. Alfalfa nd alfalfa mixtures are expected to total 20.7 million acres, down 2 percent from last year. Expected area for harvest for all other types of hay totals 38.9 million acres, up 1 percent from 2009.
Click here to read the report in full. (Click on Annual Hay Report.)
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