County fair season is here, and the Craig County Fair shows why these hometown traditions still matter in rural Oklahoma.

In this episode of Red Dirt and Round Bales, Dave Deken reflects on the start of Oklahoma fair season in Craig County, where livestock projects, 4-H and FFA exhibits, home goods, food, families, and premium sales all come together. The episode looks beyond the fun of fair week to the year-round work, responsibility, and community support that make county fairs such an important part of rural life.

Key takeaways:

Detailed timestamped rundown:

00:00–00:12 — Dave Deacon opens the episode from Oklahoma and introduces the topic: agriculture and rural life across the state.
00:12–00:30 — The episode begins with the realization that county fair season is approaching, even though many local fairs are still weeks away.
00:30–00:46 — The opening imagery sets the tone: wood shavings, calves rinsed before sunrise, and family recipes coming out of drawers.
00:46–01:09 — Dave places the listener in late July in northeast Oklahoma and identifies the Craig County Fair in Vinita as the start of Oklahoma’s fair season.
01:09–01:30 — The Craig County Fair is described as a week of livestock shows, 4-H and FFA projects, horse shows, ranch rodeos, exhibits, food, and families.
01:30–01:54 — The episode broadens the meaning of the fair, describing it as something a community reveals, not just something people attend.
01:54–02:10 — Dave acknowledges the joy of the fair — corn dogs, show barns, and fair lights — while pointing toward the deeper story behind it.
02:10–02:45 — The episode highlights the year-round labor behind fair entries: livestock training, jelly making, photography, quilting, gardening, and baking.
02:45–03:27 — The focus turns to young exhibitors and the responsibility they learn through feeding, brushing, training, and caring for animals in all kinds of weather.
03:27–04:14 — Dave describes the towns and families that gather at the fair and explains how county fairs put different kinds of rural work side by side.
04:14–04:38 — The premium sale is framed as a practical investment in youth — helping with feed, college, next year’s project, and confidence.
04:38–04:45 — The episode closes by directing listeners to learn more at the show website and promising another look at rural life and agriculture in Oklahoma.

Red Dirt And Round Bales website

Oklahoma’s space story did not begin with rockets. It began with open skies, small towns, military airfields, good schools and young people who looked up and believed distance was something they could cross.

In this episode of Red Dirt and Round Bales, Dave Deken traces Oklahoma’s connection to NASA through Gordon Cooper, Tom Stafford, Fred Haise, Stuart Roosa, Owen Garriott, William Pogue, Shannon Lucid, John Herrington and Jerrie Cobb. From Mercury and Apollo to Skylab, Mir and the International Space Station, this episode shows how Oklahoma grit helped shape spaceflight — and how the state’s aerospace legacy still supports jobs, classrooms and rural dreams today.

Top 10 takeaways

Timestamped rundown

00:00:00 — Dave Deken opens the episode with a look at agriculture and rural life in Oklahoma.
00:00:13 — The episode frames Oklahoma’s open skies as an invitation to dream bigger.
00:00:47 — Gordon Cooper of Shawnee is introduced, including his early love of flight and Mercury Seven selection.
00:01:33 — Cooper’s Faith 7 mission is highlighted, including his hand-flown re-entry.
00:01:46 — Tom Stafford of Weatherford enters the story through Gemini, Apollo 10 and Apollo-Soyuz.
00:02:35 — Fred Haise’s Oklahoma ties and Apollo 13 survival story are covered.
00:03:06 — Stuart Roosa’s Apollo 14 role and the Moon Trees connect space exploration back to the land.
00:03:36 — Owen Garriott and William Pogue show Oklahoma’s role in Skylab science and long-duration spaceflight.
00:04:22 — Shannon Lucid’s Bethany and University of Oklahoma roots lead into her five NASA missions and Mir stay.
00:04:55 — John Herrington’s historic flight as a Chickasaw astronaut aboard Endeavour is featured.
00:05:22 — Jerrie Cobb’s story is included as part of the women who proved they were capable before NASA opened the door.
00:05:48 — The episode connects Oklahoma’s astronaut history to today’s aerospace jobs and education.
00:06:31 — The closing ties Oklahoma towns to the stars above.
00:06:50 — Listener call-to-action: visit the show website for the full story.

Red Dirt And Round Bales website

Before Oklahoma became the 46th state, Theodore Roosevelt came west and found a place that matched the frontier spirit he loved. In this episode of Red Dirt and Round Bales, Dave Deken follows Roosevelt’s Oklahoma story from Rough Riders reunions and whistle-stop speeches to Frederick, Deep Red Creek, Jack “Catch-Em-Alive” Abernathy, Quanah Parker, and the famous 1905 wolf hunt.

The episode also looks at what Roosevelt’s visit left behind, including his role in designating the Wichita Forest and Game Preserve, now known as the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. It is a story about statehood, conservation, Southwest Oklahoma, and the moment a young, unfinished state found a president who believed in its future.

Key takeaways

Timestamped rundown

00:00–00:13 — Dave Deken opens the episode and frames it around agriculture, rural life, and Oklahoma.
00:13–01:19 — The episode sets up Theodore Roosevelt’s connection to pre-statehood Oklahoma, then divided into Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory.
01:20–01:56 — Roosevelt’s Rough Riders connection is introduced, including men from Oklahoma and Indian Territories who served with him.
01:57–02:09 — Roosevelt visits Oklahoma City in 1900 and tells the crowd he hopes to see Oklahoma become a state.
02:10–03:12 — The story moves to Roosevelt’s 1905 presidential trip by train through Indian Territory, including stops in Vinita, Muskogee, South McAlester, Atoka, Caddo, and Durant.
03:12–04:15 — Roosevelt arrives in Frederick and heads toward the Big Pasture and Deep Red Creek for a hunting trip with Jack Abernathy.
04:16–04:31 — Dave pauses to explain the deeper historical setting: tribal nations, ranching, politics, federal power, memory, and change.
04:32–05:00 — The wolf hunt becomes legend as Abernathy proves the stories Roosevelt had heard about him.
05:01–06:18 — Roosevelt’s conservation legacy is tied to the Wichita Forest and Game Preserve, now the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge.
06:18–07:03 — The episode connects Roosevelt’s Oklahoma affection to statehood, ending with his 1907 proclamation admitting Oklahoma to the Union.
07:04–07:35 — Dave closes with a reminder to learn more at the show website and wishes listeners a happy Fourth of July weekend.

Red Dirt And Round Bales website

Soybeans may be one of Oklahoma agriculture’s quieter crops, but they carry a lot of risk, timing, and opportunity for farmers willing to work with the season.

In this episode of Red Dirt and Round Bales, Dave Deken looks at how soybeans fit into Oklahoma’s farm country, especially behind wheat in double-crop systems. The episode explains why soybeans are different here than in the I-states, how heat and rain shape production decisions, and why practical research on planting dates, maturity groups, weeds, insects, and feral hog damage matters to Oklahoma producers.

Key takeaways:

Detailed timestamped rundown

00:00–01:05 — Oklahoma’s overlooked soybean story

Red Dirt And Round Bales website

Long before highways crossed Oklahoma, cattle trails carried money, risk, and history across Indian Territory.

In this episode of Red Dirt and Round Bales, Dave Deken follows the longhorn drives that moved north from Texas through present-day Oklahoma toward Kansas railheads. The episode explains why the Chisholm Trail and Western Trail mattered, how cowboys and Native nations fit into the story, and why the open-trail era faded as railroads, quarantine laws, barbed wire, blizzards, and land openings changed the rural landscape.

Key takeaways:

The end of the open range came through a combination of barbed wire, railroads, quarantine laws, the 1887 blizzard, and new farming settlements.


Timestamped rundown

00:00–00:13 — Opening

Red Dirt And Round Bales website

In Oklahoma, weather is never just small talk — it can shape crops, cattle, roads, fire risk, and rural safety in a matter of minutes.

In this episode of Red Dirt and Round Bales, Dave Deken takes listeners inside the Oklahoma Mesonet, the statewide weather monitoring network that has helped Oklahoma watch, learn, and prepare for more than 30 years. Built through a partnership between Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma, the Mesonet collects weather and soil data from stations across the state, giving farmers, ranchers, emergency managers, fire managers, teachers, and local communities information they can use close to home. The Oklahoma Mesonet is operated as a joint project of OU and OSU, with quality-assured observations reported every five minutes.

Key takeaways:

Timestamped rundown

00:00–01:15 — Dave Deken introduces the episode and frames the Oklahoma Mesonet as a quiet but powerful tool serving rural Oklahoma.
01:16–01:41 — The episode explains why weather in Oklahoma is more than small talk: it affects business, livelihoods, crops, cattle, roads, and safety.
01:42–02:30 — Dave introduces the Mesonet’s origin story, noting its 1994 commissioning and the unusual but important collaboration between Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma.
02:31–03:35 — The episode describes the network’s reach: 120 stations, at least one in every county, measuring air, soil, rain, wind, humidity, pressure, solar radiation, and more.
03:36–04:25 — Dave explains why the Mesonet is considered a gold-standard weather network: density, consistency, maintenance, calibration, and quality control.
04:26–05:15 — The episode highlights major Mesonet weather records, including Oklahoma’s all-time low temperature at Nowata, extreme wind at El Reno, and other remarkable heat, rainfall, and solar-radiation observations.
05:16–06:25 — The episode turns toward practical use: teachers, ranchers, farmers, emergency managers, and fire managers all use Mesonet data to make decisions.
06:26–07:38 — Dave reflects on the Mesonet as both science and public service, connecting universities, technicians, meteorologists, taxpayers, and landowners.
07:39–08:19 — The episode closes by placing the Mesonet in Oklahoma’s larger story of watching, learning, preparing, and helping one another.

Red Dirt And Round Bales website

Cotton tells one of Oklahoma agriculture’s most complicated stories: profit, hardship, family memory, and rural change all tied to the same white bolls.

In this episode of Red Dirt and Round Bales, Dave Deacon looks back at cotton’s deep roots in Oklahoma, from early production in the Choctaw Nation and the painful history of enslaved labor to tenant farming, boll weevils, Depression-era crop controls, mechanization, irrigation, and modern production. The episode connects the crop’s economic importance with the human cost carried by farm families, sharecroppers, gin towns, and rural communities.

Key takeaways:

Detailed timestamped rundown

Time

Segment

00:00

Dave Deacon opens the episode from Oklahoma and introduces the focus on agriculture and rural life.

00:13

The episode frames cotton as more than a crop in Oklahoma: it shaped money, hardship, communities, and rural identity.

00:47

Dave begins the history before statehood, noting early cotton production in the Choctaw Nation and the crop’s deep roots in Indian Territory.

01:03

The episode plainly addresses the role of enslaved African-Americans in pre-Civil War cotton production in what is now Oklahoma.

01:20

After the Civil War, cotton production slowed but returned by the 1870s as railroads, settlers, tenants, merchants, and towns expanded.

01:42

By statehood, cotton had become a widespread Oklahoma crop, with fields, gins, wagons, mule teams, and family labor defining rural life.

02:11

Dave shares a personal family connection through his grandmother, who picked cotton as a child on land later bought by the family.

02:45

The episode explains the yearly rhythm of cotton: planting, chopping weeds, watching weather and insects, harvesting, and hoping prices covered the bills.

03:00

Tenant farmers and sharecroppers are described as living on razor-thin margins, often moving season to season in search of better chances.

03:17

The boll weevil arrives around 1905 and begins changing cotton farming across the South and Oklahoma.

03:23

Dave explains how boll weevil damage worked inside the cotton boll, often hidden until the damage was already done.

03:46

World War I demand pushed cotton prices higher, encouraging Oklahoma farmers to plant more acres.

04:04

Cotton prices collapse after the boom, creating a painful cycle where indebted farmers planted more cotton, increasing supply and pushing prices lower.

04:25

The 1920s become cotton’s high-water mark in Oklahoma, with acreage peaking and the state rising near the top of national production.

04:49

The Great Depression, drought, and federal crop controls bring a reckoning, including major acreage reductions and families leaving the land.

05:07

Dave emphasizes that these were not just farm adjustments but human adjustments affecting gin towns, schools, and rural families.

05:25

Post-World War II mechanization changes cotton production as tractors, pickers, and strippers replace much of the hand labor.

05:47

Mechanization improves efficiency but reduces the need for labor, permanently changing rural communities.

06:02

Cotton production becomes more concentrated in southwest Oklahoma, where irrigation helps sustain the crop in dry years.

06:36

The episode explains the modern decline of cotton’s statewide dominance because of synthetic fibers, markets, costs, fewer farm families, and crop competition.

06:56

Dave brings the story to today’s cotton industry: improved seed, irrigation, pest control, research, harvest technology, gins, warehouses, and global markets.

07:15

The episode gives modern Oklahoma cotton production figures and connects today’s crop to the many layers of history behind it.

07:39

Dave closes with the central message: cotton has been valuable and cruel, a lifeline and a gamble.

08:08

The episode closes by directing listeners to RedDirtAndRoundBales.com for more on Oklahoma cotton history.

Red Dirt And Round Bales website

Oklahoma’s 2026 wheat crop came early, stressed, and uneven — but the story does not end with lower yields. In this episode of Red Dirt and Round Bales, Dave Deken talks with Oklahoma Wheat Commission Executive Director Mike Schulte about how drought after planting, late-season rain, and a fast-moving harvest shaped this year’s crop across western and central Oklahoma.

Mike also explains why wheat demand still matters, even in a tough production year. From miller interest to global grain stocks and the changing balance between wheat production and consumption, this episode looks at how an Oklahoma crop connects to dinner tables around the world — and why farmers keep moving even when the year does not go according to plan.

Key takeaways

Timestamped rundown

00:00–00:17 — Dave Deken opens the episode and introduces the theme of Oklahoma agriculture and rural life.
00:18–01:07 — The episode sets the scene for Oklahoma’s 2026 wheat crop: dry conditions, stress, an early finish, and a difficult year for producers.
01:07–01:34 — Mike Schulte explains that western Oklahoma saw very little moisture after planting, with rains arriving only shortly before harvest.
01:34–02:04 — Dave describes the usual Oklahoma wheat harvest rhythm, from the Red River northward, and explains how 2026 moved much faster than normal.
02:05–02:35 — The episode looks at the challenge of rain arriving at harvest instead of during the crop’s critical growing period.
02:35–03:06 — Mike says southwest Oklahoma was ready to cut two to three weeks early, with harvest expected to wrap up much sooner than in many normal years.
03:06–03:41 — Dave reflects on what “yield capability” really means for producers: fuel, seed, rent, operating notes, and the difference between getting ahead and getting by.
04:02–05:18 — Mike explains the market side, including miller interest, global wheat production, and the shift from production outpacing consumption to consumption outpacing production.
05:18–05:58 — Dave widens the lens, connecting Oklahoma wheat fields to global markets and families buying flour, bread, and other staple foods.
05:59–07:06 — The episode closes with a reflection on drought, early harvest, muddy finishes, market surprises, and the resilience of Oklahoma producers.
07:07–07:31 — Dave directs listeners to learn more about the 2026 Oklahoma wheat crop and the final crop update.

Red Dirt And Round Bales website

Oklahoma agriculture depends on roads, rails and one river system that quietly connects wheat country to the world.

In this episode, Dave Deken looks at the Tulsa Port of Catoosa and the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, the inland waterway that links Oklahoma commerce to the Mississippi River and Gulf shipping lanes. From wheat moving out to fertilizer moving in, this episode explains why a working port in a landlocked state matters to farmers, co-ops, grain handlers, truck drivers and rural communities.

Key takeaways:

Detailed timestamped rundown

00:00–00:40 — Dave Deken opens the episode and introduces the idea that some of Oklahoma’s most important roads are not made of asphalt. He sets up the episode around waterborne commerce and the surprising fact that Oklahoma has a working port.
00:41–01:36 — Dave introduces the Tulsa Port of Catoosa, located near the Verdigris River north of Tulsa. He explains that it is the head of navigation for the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System and describes its role in moving wheat, soybeans, fertilizer, steel, machinery and crop inputs toward the Mississippi River, the Gulf of Mexico and global markets.
01:37–02:51 — The episode turns to the history and engineering behind the system. Dave explains that the Arkansas River was not naturally dependable for freight traffic, so the dream of a working river required surveys, politics, engineering, public investment and persistence. He notes the system’s dedication in 1971 and describes the locks and dams that help freight move across hundreds of miles.
02:51–03:57 — Dave connects the port directly to wheat country. Wheat is framed not just as a crop, but as a way of life tied to planting, weather, harvest, elevators, test weights, protein and price boards. Once wheat leaves the field, the Port of Catoosa helps connect it to domestic and international markets.
03:57–04:49 — Dave explains why barge transportation matters for farm economics. Heavy bulk freight may move slowly by barge, but it can save money and reduce pressure when trucking, rail, diesel, fertilizer and commodity prices squeeze producers’ margins.
04:49–07:29 — The episode broadens from grain and fertilizer to the full supply chain behind Oklahoma commerce. Dave highlights the workers and industries connected to the port, including welders, tugboat operators, grain merchandisers, truck drivers, elevator hands, mechanics and warehouse crews. He closes by describing the Port of Catoosa and McClellan-Kerr as Oklahoma’s water road to the world.

Red Dirt And Round Bales website

Wild turkey numbers depend on more than nests — they depend on whether poults survive those first dangerous days after hatch.

Dave Deken visits with Mark Turner Ph.D., Oklahoma State University Extension wildlife specialist, about what Oklahoma landowners can do to support turkey brood survival. Turner explains why young poults need insects, usable cover, bare ground and the right plant structure to grow fast enough to escape predators and environmental stress.

Key takeaways:

Detailed timestamped rundown

00:00–01:12 — Dave Deken opens the episode from Oklahoma and sets the scene with a tom turkey in the pasture. He shifts the focus from adult birds to tiny poults, explaining that the future of the flock is decided in the grass during the first days after hatch. He introduces Mark Turner Ph.D., Oklahoma State University Extension wildlife specialist.
01:12–01:52 — Turner explains that a lot of turkey management attention has gone to nesting, and nesting still matters. But he says available data suggest nest survival has not fallen sharply enough to explain the full population decline. Instead, brood survival appears to be very low, making poult survival a key management focus.
01:52–02:57 — Dave expands on the point: a hen can successfully lay and hatch eggs, but if poults hatch into poor habitat, the year’s production can disappear quickly. He describes what poults need — bugs, overhead cover, bare ground and vegetation that is tall enough to hide them but open enough to move through.
02:57–04:14 — Turner explains why the first two weeks are so risky. Poults cannot yet roost in trees, so they and the hen remain on the ground. He outlines threats from mammalian predators, avian predators, rain, exposure and heat. He also explains why insects are crucial: poults need high-protein food to support rapid early growth.
04:14–04:59 — Dave closes by reminding listeners that every gobble began as a vulnerable poult in the grass. He points listeners to RedDirtAndRoundBales.com to learn more about increasing turkey habitat and bird numbers in Oklahoma.

Red Dirt And Round Bales website