Oklahoma legislators are in the midst of more than a hundred interim studies, and Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays caught up with Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association’s Executive Vice President, Michael Kelsey to talk about the ones that may impact cattle producers.

Kelsey listed several interim studies that OCA is watching including some concerning water, taxes – namely one related to ad valorem tax, cattle theft, and an interesting one that was just completed regarding type two diabetes in Oklahoma and how beef can be beneficial to those suffering from it.

“Representative [Clay] Staires, of Skiatook, wanted to look at how much type 2 diabetes is costing the state of Oklahoma, and potential solutions that we are already good at,” Kelsey explained. “We are good at the beef industry here in Oklahoma, so if people could incorporate beef into their diets appropriately, could that be positive towards type 2 diabetes?”

He detailed how water would be a big issue in the upcoming Winter Policy Meeting, with plans to tweak the current policy to reflect a landowner’s perspective better. Alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar, specific to tax policy will also be topics of discussion.

“As landowners, we have roles in those types of alternative energy,” Kelsey said. “Discussions can be quite emotional for both of those as far as for and against. I’m not talking about the property rights piece of it, although that is a very important piece of both solar and wind, but tax policy will be in the discussion.”

The electricity transmission line proposed to cross northern Oklahoma as green energy makes its way eastward across the state is also on OCA’s radar. “This one has a lot of moving parts and pieces and challenges to it. Our interest is eminent domain, and how it impacts landowners in that structure. We are very involved in that one and watching it closely,” Kelsey said. “I know there has been a bill on the federal level that has been filed, but hasn’t been passed, that would not allow the federal government to use eminent domain for transmission lines and some of those types of things.”

He finished by saying that the lame-duck situation in Washington at this time will likely put that decision off until sometime beyond January 2025.

The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR at the top of the story for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.

The post OCA’s Michael Kelsey Reviews Oklahoma Legislative Interim Studies That Could Impact Cattlemen first appeared on Oklahoma Farm Report.

Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster, Ron Hays, is talking with National Cattlemen’s Association executive director of government affairs, Kent Bacus, about the case for extending the death tax exemption. This is part two of Ron’s conversation with Bacus concerning the tax study that NCBA conducted over the course of a year and a half, and the findings were just recently released. Part one of the conversation can be found here.

With the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act set to expire at the end of 2025, NCBA collected this survey data to better understand how key tax provisions, such as Death Tax relief and business deductions, impact family-owned cattle operations. The study revealed some great cases to be made regarding the need to extend the exemptions on the death tax.

Of the 1200 individuals who responded to NCBA’s survey, one-third had to pay the estate tax. Of that number, 35 percent had paid it more than once. Bacus said, “Talk about getting kicked when you are down. You are having to deal with the loss of a loved one, and the government shows us with a big tax bill.”

Also concerning is that while the current estate tax relief is set to expire at the end of 2025, sixty-one percent of survey respondents indicated that they would be impacted if the estate tax threshold was reduced back to $5 million per individual or $10 million per couple.

“That really speaks a lot to the increase in land values and property values all around,” Bacus said. “We are asset-rich, and cash-poor. You find that throughout agriculture, but especially when you look at the cattle sector. It is a big concern for our industry, and it will definitely be a top priority. We want to see that thing repealed. The Death Tax kills family businesses. It is not a part of a pro-growth economy. If anything, it does more to destroy first and second-generation businesses than anything else in the tax code. It is something that NCBA strongly opposes.”

Bacus knows that their goal won’t be easy to accomplish because while many decision-makers on Capitol Hill have a notion of what the estate tax is, a lot haven’t had to deal with it personally.

“They don’t know the personal impact that these provisions have on our producers,” Bacus said. “That is why education and advocacy is going to be so important. Half of the current Congress wasn’t here the last time they had to vote on this tax code. We have a lot of ground to cover with these elected officials and their staff members in the year that we have before our deadline.”

Bacus revealed that the Biden Administration was for increasing the estate tax, and he is hopeful that the Harris Administration would not continue that legacy should they win the November election.

“Unfortunately, there are also Republicans saying that we have both a spending and revenue problem,” Bacus admitted. “Revenue problem is code for tax increases. It is uncomfortable to hear members of Congress, regardless of their Party, advocating for tax increases.”

He emphasized the importance of asking politicians for their views on taxes, small businesses, and the tools they believe are needed to foster a pro-growth economy that will help family-owned cattle operations when they are asking for support.

“We need a tax code that empowers small businesses, gives the owners the freedom to make investments in their operations, and hire people in their communities,” Bacus stated. “When you look at the economic pressures in rural America, having a sound tax code that encourages growth is something that everybody should support. So, it is important for us to make sure that our elected officials understand exactly how these letters and numbers of the tax code affect the real men and women who are growing our food and fiber, and raising our cattle.”

The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.

The post NCBA’s Kent Bacus: The Case to Extend the Death Tax Exemption first appeared on Oklahoma Farm Report.

Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster, Ron Hays, is talking with National Cattlemen’s Association executive director of government affairs, Kent Bacus, about the tax study that NCBA recently released.

With the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act set to expire at the end of 2025, NCBA collected survey data to better understand how key tax provisions, such as Death Tax relief and business deductions, impact family-owned cattle operations.

“This tax survey report is a reflection of our grassroots network from across the country,” Bacus said. “What we found was very revealing. As we started to dig into this, we really learned about how some of these tools are used and how important they are to cattle producers.

The respondents to the tax survey indicated that 99% operated family-owned farms or ranches and 64% were third-generation cattle producers or greater. Additionally, the survey showed strong support for provisions such as the 1031 Like-Kind Exchange, Section 179 Expensing, Bonus Depreciation, and Section 199A Small Business Deduction. The data also showed that a quarter of respondents spend more than $10,000 annually for tax preparation, filing, and potential audits, all expenses that only add further pressure to agricultural operations.

“We are going to use this data in our advocacy and education efforts with Congress over the next year, before the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is set to expire,” Bacus stated.

He explained that the 199A Small Business Deduction, which more than half of the respondents considered to be very important to their business, is a deduction from taxable ordinary income. It is useful for farms and ranches that are not corporations and have income from sales through a cooperative or other similar businesses.

The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.

The post The Future of Family-Owned Farms: NCBA’s Kent Bacus on the Critical Role of Tax Relief Measures first appeared on Oklahoma Farm Report.

Recently, the Noble Research Institute announced the release of a free educational program for livestock producers for which they partnered with Certified Angus Beef. The program introduces the six soil health principles and how they work with the ecosystem processes. Land Stewardship, set to launch in November 2024, will be accessible worldwide entirely online and self-paced to meet the needs of busy farmers and ranchers.

Farm Director KC Sheperd caught up with Noble Research Institute Public Relations Specialist Kim Leaston. According to Leaston, the partnership with CAB highlights the organizations’ shared dedication to supporting producers in caring for the land and grazing livestock in the best way possible to ensure better production, improve the environment, and provide a better future for their communities around the country.

“The course is intended to build the foundation of what regenerative agriculture is, and then they will learn how the six soil health principles work together with the ecosystem processes,” Leaston said.

She added that the biggest benefit to producers who take the course will be being able to take a free course in the foundations of regenerative agriculture. Noble also offers advanced courses for producers who want to delve deeper.

In addition to this course, the Noble Research Institute has also partnered with ranch managing consultants Ranching For Profit (RFP) to launch the Noble Profitability Essentials and the Business of Grazing courses.

Interested producers can sign up for a course at Noble.org. Leaston explained, “On the top, righthand side of your screen, click Find A Course. There you can find all the available courses, and their locations, dates, and times.”

The Noble Research Institute launched its first classes in 2023 with Noble Land Essentials and Noble Grazing Essentials. “We have been very busy working on courses that are filling in those gaps that producers need. Helping them build up their soil health, manage their grazing, and making sure that they are profitable,” Leaston added. “Keep an eye out for our next online course to be announced in December.”

The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.

The post Boost Your Farm’s Sustainability: Free Program by Noble Research & Certified Angus Beef first appeared on Oklahoma Farm Report.

Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays featured comments from Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Market Economist Dr. Derrell Peel about the current state of drought in the Southern Plains and how it affects producers.

For almost a year, meteorologists have anticipated the arrival of a La Nina weather system, but as rain continued to fall, many began to doubt. “I believe it is here. We are locked into an extremely dry pattern in the Southern Plains right now,” Dr. Peel said.

With decent years, weather-wise, in 2023 and 2024, hay supplies are good in Oklahoma for the time being; however, Kansas may not be in as good shape.

According to Dr. Peel, drying conditions are expected at this time of year, so the biggest concern now is water supply. “A lot of stock ponds in the area are low, not critically low, yet, but we typically don’t replenish stock ponds during winter so that will be a source of concern for producers as we go into the winter.”

Winter wheat for grazing is also a source of concern. While some producers put the seed in the ground dry and are hoping for rain to bring it up, others are waiting for moisture to begin planting. According to the latest USDA Crop Progress report, Oklahoma is behind on wheat planting as compared to last year and the average of the past five years.

“There is some wheat that is up, but it isn’t growing very fast,” Dr. Peel said. “It’s going to have to have moisture very soon to continue making progress. All in all, our window for optimal winter wheat grazing is passing.”

With timely rainfall, winter wheat grazing is still possible at this time, but it will be delayed and likely a shortened grazing season.

Despite the dry conditions, the cattle market continues to shine. “The market is still based on tightening numbers,” Dr. Peel said. “If the cow herd continues to get smaller in 2024, we will go into 2025 with an even smaller calf crop next year.”

Dr. Peel said that the biggest question people have been asking is when herd rebuilding will begin. He said, “We don’t see any indication of it, yet. We might see some at the end of the year, but in any event, nothing is going to change anytime soon. We are going to continue to see a tight supply situation that will continue to support cattle prices at an elevated level.”

The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.

The post Dr. Derrell Peel Sees “Extremely Dry Pattern in the Southern Plains” Impacting Cattle Producers first appeared on Oklahoma Farm Report.

Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays caught up with Dakota Moss, Livestock Risk Services President, to discuss LRP and potential alternatives that may fit some producers’ needs better as the year’s final quarter brings increasingly dry conditions.

As they plan their strategies going forward, producers have to consider how many animals their forage will last and for how long.

“Here at Livestock Risk Services, we specialize in Livestock Risk Protection,” Moss said. “If someone is looking to take cattle all the way to March and May next year on wheat pasture, they need to look at some different options compared to LRP.”

When cattle are put on an LRP policy, a producer must own the cattle to within sixty days of the end of the policy. For example, cattle in an LRP policy set to expire on May 28 cannot be marketed until March 29th, sixty days prior to the end of the policy period.

“For a producer wanting wheat pasture calves this fall, LRP may not be an option,” Moss stated. “Because if they run out of forage or if the wheat doesn’t even come up, they may be better off talking to a broker about hedging or puts or calls options and use those more flexible strategies. LRP is a great tool, but once you put those cattle on that policy, you can’t get out of it until it expires.”

If cattle on an LRP policy do have to be marketed prematurely, their coverage is voided and the full premium is still owed. Moss suggests that you carefully consider your production options this fall and winter before utilizing LRP on stocker cattle you may have on your place.

A good use of LRP is to put a floor of protection under baby calves, even before birth. Moss said, “There are so many unknowns between right now and the fall of 2025. We saw the September feeder contracts start trading today on the board, so we will start seeing LRP prices for September and October of next year over the next thirty to sixty days.”

He urged producers to look hard at covering next year’s calf crop now before they even hit the ground. Late August numbers, which is as far as can be anticipated for unborn calves at this time, show coverage for a 599-pound calf to be $1,560 with a $60 premium per head.

“With the uncertainty of the world right now and the volatility in the cattle market that is so impacted by our economy, make sure you are using the tools at hand to secure that profit margin for next year,” Moss concluded.

The services of Livestock Risk Services can be accessed at livestockriskservices.com, and while their home office is in the Oklahoma City Stockyards, agents have the state well covered. Livestock Risk Services agents are also licensed in nearly the entire continental United States.

The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR at the top of the story for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.

The post Strategies for Cattle Producers Facing Dry Conditions: Timely Advice from Livestock Risk Services first appeared on Oklahoma Farm Report.

Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster, Ron Hays, visited with the President of Certified Angus Beef, John Stika, about domestic beef demand and the taste and quality that CAB brings to the table.

“I think we are all probably very pleased with the position that beef in general is in at the moment,” Stika said. “Grade is pretty good. Probably, the biggest question I continue to get especially from the production sector is, ‘Where are we at with consumer demand?’”

To answer that question, Stika said there is clearly a craving for high-quality beef.

“We continue to see our Certified Angus Beef sales remain extremely strong,” Stika said. “Some of the best months in our history are being experienced right now.”

Due to rising beef costs, more ground beef consumption was noted than higher-end items; however, Stika said the demand is still there for those more expensive cuts of beef.

“Consumers continue to tell us that flavor and taste is what they are looking for,” Stika said. “We are going to learn again as we did during the economic downturn that the purchasing decision on beef is the price in relation to value decision. It is not just a price decision alone.”

When it comes to marketing to consumers, Stika said it is important to communicate the value that sets CAB apart from other products at the grocery store.

“If it is not certified, it is not the best,” Stika said.

From an advertising standpoint, Stika said CAB utilizes digital media in a targeted manner to give consumers that extra push to purchase Certified Angus Beef.

“A big portion of our budget is also dedicated to education,” Stika said. “Education lasts a long time, and if we can teach those who are representing our brand through restaurant tours and when communicating with consumers to tell the brand’s story in a way that really encourages consumers to purchase the product, then over the long hall, that is what has been a big part of our success.”

The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.

The post Certified Angus Beef: John Stika on the Flavor, Quality, and Consumer Demand that Sets It Apart first appeared on Oklahoma Farm Report.

Express Ranches’ Premier Bull Sale will be held on October 7, 2024, at the ranch in Yukon, Oklahoma. Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays caught up with Kevin Hafner, the Vice President for Operations for the ranch to talk about the upcoming sale and the 225 elite Angus and Hereford bulls being offered.

Express Ranches is an active participant in every phase of the beef production process and has fed as many as 50,000 head of cattle per year and owns an interest in the 30,000 head capacity Xcel Feedyard near Watonga, Oklahoma. The addition of the historic UU Bar Ranch located just outside of Cimarron, New Mexico, added over 164,000 acres of high-altitude rangeland to Express Ranches. A production unit of commercial cows and calves plus 4,000 to 5,000 yearlings have allowed the testing of Express genetics under these semi-arid conditions that are not unlike that experienced by many of its commercial customers.

“We have a nice selection this year, including a couple of new up-and-coming sire lines that we are excited about,” Hafner said. “More than half of the offering will qualify for use on a heifer, which is important now with the rebuilding phase that we are dealing with. They still carry a lot of high-growth and will work on cows after you’ve used them on a set of heifers.”

 Hefner tries to get to know the producers buying bulls to get a feel for what his herd base is and what his goals are. “That’s one of the things that I’m proud that we are able to do, is get those customers and have long-standing relationships. We have a vested interest in their product as they do ours,” Hafter admitted. “We find out what they want, then tailor to their needs with the type and kind and try to do the best job we can to match those cattle up with our customers.”

Hafner admitted that sorting through all of the expected progeny differences (EPDs) information is daunting, but they work through the numbers daily to exemplify the things that are important to their customers.

“You narrow it down,” he said. “A guy that is merchandising those calves as yearlings will think maximum growth is important, but we can’t forget the maternal side of the equation to because they will be getting some replacement heifers out of that crop. We try to get that bull that jumps through a lot of hoops. We try to work through that quandary of numbers to make it easier for them with some baseline numbers that they can work with.”

He said that it has been fun to watch the genetics improve in cow herds over the past 10 to 15 years. “The genomics side of this thing has been phenomenal as far as producing cattle that will grow and gain efficiently, to be able to predict calving ease, and carcass quality. Carcass weights have continued to rise, and we attribute that to genetics.”

He emphasized the importance of requiring fewer cattle to feed more people in today’s world. “We try to watch both sides of the business and be cognizant of where it is headed,” he commented. “But we can’t forget that mother cow. That is the basis for these commercial guys that these cows breed easily, calve easy, and produce calves that grow pounds.”

More information about the sale and the sale catalog can be found at expressranches.com.

The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR at the top of the story for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.

The post Discover Top Sire Lines at Express Ranches’ Fall Bull Sale – October 7th, 2024 first appeared on Oklahoma Farm Report.

Recently, a friendly Beef Cook-Off was held at the British Embassy between the U.S. and the U.K. in an attempt to convince the British to offer access to U.S. Beef in the British market. Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster, Ron Hays, caught up with National Cattlemen’s Beef Association executive director of government affairs, Kent Bacus, who was involved with the competition.

“Right now, we don’t have a lot of exposure, there,” Bacus said. “We’re limited to only a few menus at London steakhouses. We see the U.K. as not only a good place to sell high-quality beef but to backfill some unmet demand within their market.”

According to Bacus, the U.K. is a culture that likes beef, which holds a traditional place at their tables. Currently, they use their domestic product and some Irish imports.

“I think we could grow beef demand and target some under-represented areas,” said Bacus. “However, building trust with those consumers will take time because we have had very little access.”

Marketing to a hesitant consumer base isn’t unusual for the NCBA team, as they have already won over Japan and Korea in similar situations.

Bacus said that 85% of U.S. beef stays within its borders, but it is important to reach foreign markets with the remaining 15%. Currently, most of it is sold across Asia and Latin America, adding $400 – $450 per head.

“We think it is very important for the United States to continue to advocate for increased market access around the world,” he stated. “It’s important that we can sell our beef overseas.”

He added that over the past few years, the U.S. government has stepped back from actively pursuing market access. “When it comes to removing tariff barriers, the U.S. government has been fairly absent. We really need to get back into the game and expand that market access across the world. We need the U.S. government to take an active role in setting these global standards for trade.”

Like so many Americans, Bacus is hoping for change with the next administration. He said, “We need to make sure it is the U.S. government that is helping lead these discussions because, in our absence, China and the European Union have stepped forward. That’s not good when you are talking about science-based food production. We need the U.S. to take the lead and continue to advocate.”

The U.S.’s leadership in foreign markets benefits cattle producers by increasing market reach and foreign demand for U.S. beef.

The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR at the top of the story for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.

The post NCBA Seeks Market Access for Quality Beef Through British Embassy Cook-Off first appeared on Oklahoma Farm Report.

In this BeefBuzz, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays talks to Kansas State Associate Professor and Beef Extension Veterinarian Dr. AJ Tarpoff about weaning strategies for calves.

One strategy Dr. Tarpoff referred to as a hard wean. He explained this method by saying, “At a single point in time, we separate mom and calf. From that point in time, they remain separated, and that calf will be managed with its cohorts.”

Producers with good, solid structure fences have less stressful options for weaning. With fence line weaning, the calves can be separated into lots adjacent to their mothers and be introduced to their own water tank, and feed bunk while their mothers are just across the fence. The mothers and calves will gradually drift away from one another in their own times.

In a two-stage weaning strategy, early planning is more important. Nose flaps would be clipped into the nostrils of the calves to interfere with their ability to nurse. “Essentially, this method separates the mom from the calf nutritionally before physical separation,” Dr. Tarpoff explained.

He mentioned another low-stress weaning strategy. “Maybe you aren’t set up to do any of these individually, but anything you do will be a benefit,” he commented. “What I mean is an introduction to the environment. If you start feeding the entire herd in the weaning location and the mama cow is bringing the calf into the weaning area, she introduces her calf to the water tank and the feed bunk. That is a low-stress strategy that is easy to accomplish in a lot of different scenarios.”

In this situation, the mothers would be removed rather than the calves and the calves would already be in a familiar environment.

Dr. Tarpoff says that the time is now to begin preparing calves for weaning. “It is time to prepare our spring-born calves for the next transition, whether that be to a grower, a feedlot, or the auction barn,” he said. “It’s up to us to plan ahead and ensure that everything is in place to prepare these animals for the next production stage to the best of our abilities.”

He plans his entire year around weaning. He said it is important to consider short- and long-term plans for how you will wean your calves. Long term, means how long you will hold the calves in a preconditioning situation, so now is the time to consult with a veterinarian about preweaning vaccination schedules.

“Prior to weaning is also a great time to deworm these animals to make sure that we clean out any of those efficiency-robbing internal parasites,” Dr. Tarpoff said. “After deworming, those calves will be better prepared to make the most of their ration so that they may gain up to their potential.”

The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR at the top of the story for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.

The post Weaning Strategies for Calves: Insights from K-State’s Dr. AJ Tarpoff first appeared on Oklahoma Farm Report.