Dear friends and family,

As we sit down to celebratory meals with family and friends this holiday season, let’s take a moment to give thanks for our food and think about where it comes from.

Consider these facts…

Today less than 1% of the U.S. population works in agriculture and only one-in-six Americans live in rural areas.

The average farmer feeds 144 people.

Cattle grazing more than doubles the U.S. land area that can be used to raise food.

America’s farmers and ranchers are proud of the role they play in raising food for our tables. Join me in giving thanks for the wholesome, affordable food supply raised in our country.

Visit http://tinyurl.com/thankfarmer to post your note of thanks and enter a contest to win
an Ideal Gift Collection of Omaha Steaks and Burgers.

PASS THIS MESSAGE ALONG TO THE FRIENDS AND FAMILY
YOU’RE THANKFUL FOR THIS HOLIDAY SEASON.

I had the opportunity to be a part of the 25 x 25 Climate Policy Impact Study Webinar presented by the University of Tennessee on Wednesday, November 11, 2009.  I am first to agree we must take steps to address climate change and discover all of the real sources of this issue.  My concern from listening Wednesday to the discussion is; how are we going to address World Hunger?  The comments were made that we would remove 7 to 10 million acres of wheat to corn production, plant 25-28 million acres of bio energy crops.  Another aspect of this plan is to put several million more acres in forest lands. The livestock sector of Agriculture will also be affected by this plan.  The goal is to lower the herd size of beef, dairy and swine production because of emissions.

 I hope as these studies move forward that we will have a more holistic approach.  Hunger has always been a challenge for this world.  I hope that while we are looking at ways to protect our environment (which I support 100%) we don’t create more hunger in Oklahoma, the United States of America and the world.

For the second consecutive year, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation has ranked as one of the top 10 scientific institutions for academic faculty in the United States.

“The Scientist” magazine recently announced the results of its annual “Best Places to Work in Academia” survey, and the Noble Foundation ranked No. 9 out of 94 institutions. This year’s ranking closely mirrors the Noble Foundation’s position (No. 8 out of 70 institutions) in 2008. Last year was the first time the organization participated in the survey.

“Even as these surveys draw more competition from around the country, the Noble Foundation remains at the elite level,” said Michael A. Cawley, president and chief executive officer of the Noble Foundation. “The results serve as a valuable benchmark against important peer institutions and illustrate the high level of scientific and agricultural research the Noble Foundation has achieved.”

Click here to read more.

I read a blog post today by Ana Kennedy, American Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers that completely summarizes our philosophy at the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry. 

 She writes: “There is room for all sizes and types of agriculture. Production methods may vary, but all farmers have the same goal and that is producing the best product they can.”

 We can never forget that our responsibilities to consumers involve providing good quality, wholesome and safe foods and other agricultural commodities.  Further, we must produce enough of those products to not only take care of our own citizens, but also to help our nation’s economic strength through foreign trade.

 Today more than ever agriculturists have to support one another no matter what they produce or how they produce it.  Going on the offensive against one product over another is counterproductive to our industry and will ultimately only serve to help those who oppose us.

 For example, groups who would like to see animal agriculture eliminated completely are quick to jump into arguments between traditional producers and producers of “organic” or “natural” meat and poultry products.  Their “divide and conquer” tactics can only work if we let them and it is in the best interest of our livelihoods and our nation not to let that happen.

 As Ana points out, in about 15 years the earth’s population is expected to be more than eight billion people.  To feed this population it’s going to take cooperation and acceptance from all producer groups.

 To read Ana’s post in it’s entirety, click here.

Hauntingly Healthy Halloween Recipes
Gobbly Goblin Granola Snack Mix
Recipe provided by www.dairymax.org

2 cups whole grain check square cereal (such as Whole Grain Chex ®)
2 cups honey-sweetened oat cereal (such as Honey Nut Cheerios ®)
2 ½ ounces (about 3 cups) pretzel sticks
½ cup sunflower seed kernels
½ cup dried cranberries, raisins or dried cherries
½ cup round, candy-coated pieces (such as M&M ® or Reese Pieces ®)
8 ounces reduced-fat Mozzarella and Cheddar cheese cubes

Mix cereals, pretzel sticks and sunflower seed kernels in a large bowl; set aside.

Toss with dried cranberries and your favorite Halloween candy such as M&Ms; store in an airtight container until ready to serve. Toss in cheese cubes just before serving.

Better Bones Brew

To break the chill of a typical Halloween night, serve our “bewitched” version of hot chocolate.
8 cups of low-fat chocolate milk (The official drink of Halloween!)
1 cup mini marshallows
Optional: green food coloring

Place chocolate milk in slow-cooker that will be your cauldron to warm and stir the “brew.”
Keep warm in a slow-cooker and top with marshmallow “ghosts” after the trick or treating is complete.
If you want to create a “swampy” color, add a few drops of green food coloring.

Scary Skeleton Builder

To make getting your 3-A-Day of Dairy delicious and scary, try making a “Petrified Eyeball Parfait.”

1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
4 large green grapes
8 M&Ms® candy pieces

Put your low-fat vanilla yogurt into your favorite bowl, then add the large green grapes that have been cut in half & stuffed with a M&M.

We had a bit of a mix-up Friday when posting this link to a video of a Nebraska cattle feeder giving her take on so called “factory farming.” This link should work without any problems. Enjoy the video here.

OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD, AND FORESTRY
Tomorrow a joint exercise between Oklahoma and Kansas officials will begin at 9 a.m. near Turpin, OK and Sitka, KS. The exercise will involve officials stopping vehicles transporting livestock or suspected of transporting livestock.

Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry animal health and law enforcement agents say people transporting livestock will be delayed as little as possible in the exercise. The exact locations of the exercises are three miles north of Turpin, OK on Highway 83 and the intersection of Highways 160 and 183 near Sitka, KS.

The Stop Animal Movement exercise will last approximately four hours.

In the exercise, Oklahoma and Kansas officials are trying to prevent an imagined outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease from affecting animals in their states. Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious disease of cattle, sheep, swine, goats, deer and other cloven-hooved animals that causes blisters on the mouth, teats and soft tissue of the feet. Infected animals have difficulty eating and walking. While it is painful for infected animals, it does not pose a significant threat to human health.

The exercise, titled SAMS-KO, or Stop Animal Movement Statewide KS-OK, is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Oklahoma and Kansas are members of the Multi-State Partnership for Security in Agriculture, a consortium of 13 states that work together to protect the food and agriculture sector by sharing information and building interstate response capabilities.

The partnership contracted with SES, inc. of Merriam, Kansas, to design and conduct the exercise to test the plans and coordination needed to successfully stop and screen livestock and livestock-related traffic involved in interstate commerce.

Foot-and-mouth disease was last identified in the United States in 1929. It is a primary concern for animal health officials because it could have potentially devastating economic consequences due to disrupted trade and lost investor confidence.

Recipe by Chef’s Requested

4 – 5 oz.Chef’s Requested Cubed Beef Steaks
2 whole eggs or 4 oz. pasteurized egg product
6 oz. Hiland milk or 4 oz. buttermilk
2 c. Shawnee’s Best flour
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder

Combine eggs (or egg product) and milk (or buttermilk). Mix well and set aside. Combine 1 cup flour, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Set up breading process in three stations: plain flour, egg wash and seasoned flour. Dip frozen cubed steaks in plain flour; press flour onto steaks to coat well. Dip into egg wash and turn a number of times to soak. Dip into seasoned flour; press flour onto steaks to coat well. For a thicker crust, repeat the egg wash and seasoned flour. Pan fry in hot oil or deep fry until done, approximately 6 minutes. Serve immediately.

Ingredients

1. 1-1/2 pounds ground beef
2. 4 medium baking potatoes (8 ounces each)
3. 1 tablespoon chili powder
4. 1/2 teaspoon salt
5. 1 can (15 ounces) hot chili beans, undrained
6. 1 cup shredded mild Cheddar cheese
7. Salt and pepper
8. 1/4 cup sliced green onions
9. 1/2 cup shredded mild Cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Pierce potatoes in several places. Microwave on HIGH 11 to 13 minutes or until tender, rearranging once. Let stand 5 minutes.
2. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add ground beef; cook 8 to 10 minutes, breaking into 3/4-inch crumbles and stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet with slotted spoon; pour off drippings. Return beef to skillet; stir in chili powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
3. Add beans and 1 cup cheese; cook and stir until heated through.
4. Cut a slit lengthwise in potatoes; fluff potatoes with fork. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. Spoon beef mixture evenly over potatoes; sprinkle with green onions and 1/2 cup cheese.

Don’t miss the bus! The Oklahoma Agritourism Program will roll through Southwest Oklahoma Thursday, November 5.

Registration has opened for the 2nd Oklahoma Agritourism Rolling Workshop set for November 5. Seating is limited for this unique workshop and bus tour. Seats can be reserved with early registration for $25. This is the second of a series of five (5) Rolling Agritourism Workshops to be held across the state.

This workshop experience, which is conducted by the Oklahoma Agritourism Program, combines the most popular features of past educational events – a bus tour and educational seminars. This environment is tailored to facilitating networking between agritourism attractions, stimulating idea development, and fostering partnership opportunities among peers.

Scoring Media Attention for Your Attraction is the featured topic for the fall Rolling Agritourism workshop. This educational session will focus on helping agritourism destinations develop their story, successfully pitch it to media outlets, and be prepared when the media arrives at their destination. Oklahoma Agritourism and Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department staff will also be on hand to highlight all the programs and services available through their respective departments.

The bus tour will feature TG Farms, the Chisholm Trail Heritage Center, Sooner J Ranch, Woods & Waters Winery, and Red Silo Productions. This lineup will give participants access to incredible ideas from two fall attractions, an outstanding Accredited Agritourism Winery, a working ranch and hunting lodge, as well as a farm and ranch attraction museum that would be a great partner in western heritage packages.

The Rolling Workshop will depart from TG Farms in Newcastle at 7:30 a.m., Thursday, November 5. All meals and materials are included. Call today to get your spot reserved for the workshop. Seating is limited!

Registration forms are available online here or by calling Abby Cash at (405) 522-5652.

Workshop: 7:30 a.m., Thursday, November 5
Price: $25 per person before November 1, $35 after
RSVP: 405-522-5652, abby.cash@oda.state.ok.us