Address

212 N Weigle Ave

Watonga, OK 73772


Phone

(580) 623-5195


Email

Hagen Puentes

hagen.puentes@okstate.edu


Social Media

Facebook:

Blaine County OSU Extension

 

Ag News

July 2026 Edition
 
Close-up of a cow standing in a grassy pasture with other cattle in the background. Text reads ‘New World Screwworm: What you need to know,’ with the OSU Extension logo at the bottom.

Inspect. Protect. Report.

New World screwworm has been detected in Texas and New Mexico, but not in Oklahoma. Knowing the signs and reporting concerns quickly can help protect livestock, pets and wildlife across the state.

Awareness is one of the best tools we have.
READ ARTICLE
 
 
READ ARTICLE

New World Screwworm Confirmation: The Bad and the Good News


The shoe has finally dropped. For many months producers and markets have operated under the threat of New World Screwworm (NWS) coming into the U.S. Now that it’s here, we can get on with the reality of dealing with it.

Timely Topics

Theileria Orientalis in Oklahoma


Over the past few years, Theileria orientalis has been detected in cattle in Oklahoma. Early cases were primarily diagnosed in adult cattle. However, more recent cases in Oklahoma have been identified in stocker cattle. All cattle producers should be familiar with the clinical signs of this disease and observe their cattle daily for any signs of trouble. 
READ ARTICLE
Promotional flyer announcing that Oklahoma has been awarded the “You Make THE Difference” national initiative. The flyer features a background image of a county fair midway with rides and lights, along with a headshot of a workshop presenter. Text describes a workshop designed to help agricultural societies and fair boards strengthen fundraising, volunteer recruitment, board retention, and community engagement. Additional sections outline workshop benefits, post-workshop support, target audiences including fair board members, exhibition organizers, volunteers, community leaders, and sponsors, and reasons to attend. A QR code is included for registration, and the website YouMakeTheDifference.com is listed at the bottom.

For more information, click here

Promotional flyer for an Oklahoma State University Extension Summer Crop Demo Day. The flyer includes photos of agricultural field demonstrations, with groups of participants standing among crop plots and listening to a presenter in a field. The OSU Extension logo appears prominently. Text reads: “Summer Crop Demo Day,” “Hands-On In The Field,” and lists topics including corn, sorghum, alternative crops, sorghum sudan, soil, soil health, irrigation, and sprayers. The event will be held at the South Central Research Station in Chickasha on July 27, 2026. Registration information is provided at OklahomaCrops.com.

The event will give producers, crop consultants, agribusiness professionals, and others an opportunity to learn side-by-side from OSU Extension Specialists and take part in hands-on field demonstrations focused on summer crop production and management. Attendees will learn about and see demonstrations covering corn, sorghum, sorghum-sudan, alternative crops, soil pits, soil health, weed control irrigation and sprayers. The program is designed to provide practical information producers can use in their operations during the growing season and beyond.

Event Details

What: Summer Crop Demo Day presented by Oklahoma State University Extension

When: Monday, July 27, 2026 8:30 am

Where: South Central Research Station, Chickasha, Oklahoma

Registration: OklahomaCrops.com

For more information, visit OklahomaCrops.com.

Virtual Fencing:

A New Tool for

Grazing Management


Virtual fencing is rapidly moving from a new technology to a practical grazing management tool for livestock producers. The concept is simple: livestock wear a collar or device that uses GPS-based boundaries to create a “fence” without permanent wire.
Two cattle stand in a pasture with green grass in the foreground and dry grass in the background. A brown-and-white cow faces the camera in the front, while a black cow stands farther away. A faint wireframe overlay represents a virtual fence boundary rather than a physical fence.
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Think Like a Farmer: Youth Learn Swine Care


Extension Educator Ag/4-H Hagen Puentes traveled to Canton to teach youth about pork production and swine care. The lesson covered basic needs for pigs, including proper nutrition, water, shelter, and daily care, along with several interesting facts about pigs and pork production.


Following the discussion, participants took part in a hands-on activity where they designed and built their own model pig barns. During the activity, students were encouraged to think like farmers and ranchers by including all the essential elements needed to properly care for their pigs.


This interactive experience helped reinforce key concepts while allowing youth to apply what they learned in a creative and practical way.
Children and adults sit at several tables in a large community room, cutting and assembling paper crafts. Some participants work individually while others receive help from adults standing beside them. The room features carpeted floors, brick and painted w
Children and adults are seated at several tables throughout a large, open community room, working on paper craft projects using scissors, paper strips, and small supplies. An adult at the front table helps two children assemble their materials, while other
Children and adults sit at tables in a large, carpeted community room, working on paper activities and small white boxes, while informational handouts are spread on a table in the foreground; bookshelves, bulletin boards, and windows line the walls under a
 
 
 
A small reddish-brown calf with a white heart-shaped marking on its forehead stands in a field of dry tan grass, facing the camera. The background is filled with sparse, dormant vegetation, and no other animals or objects are visible.

OQBN: An Extension Success Story That Changed Calf Management and Increased Value for Producers


For more than two decades, the Oklahoma Quality Beef Network (OQBN) helped Oklahoma cow-calf producers capture added value for calves managed to meet the needs of stocker operators, feedyards, and ultimately beef consumers. This program will close following the final official OQBN-certified sales in spring 2026.


READ ARTICLE
Two people stand in a vegetable field with rows of mature cabbage plants in the foreground. Farm equipment, including green tractors and irrigation reels, is visible behind them, along with high tunnels and a red pickup truck. Text on the image identifies the speakers as “Josh Campbell, Assistant Extension Program Specialist, Beginning Farmers & Ranchers” and “Casey Hentges, Oklahoma Gardening Host, Associate Extension Specialist.”

Supporting Beginning Farmers: OSU Extension's New Apprenticeship Program


OSU Extension's Small Farmer and Rancher Specialist, Josh Campbell, shares details about a USDA-funded grant designed to support beginning agricultural entrepreneurs. Learn about Oklahoma's new two-year pilot farmer apprenticeship program, which connects aspiring growers with 10 specialty crop farm sites across the state for hands-on, experiential learning in diverse business models.
WATCH VIDEO
Two spotted spider mite on a green leaf

Spider Mites

David Hillock, Senior Extension Specialist for Consumer Horticulture and Statewide Master Gardener Coordinator


Spider mites can be real pests as the weather turns hot and dry. They often attack my marigolds each year, but they have rarely done significant damage and only once did I opt to control them, and even then it was only with a hard stream of water, which did the trick.
READ ARTICLE

Looking for the Latest OSU Wheat Variety Trial Results?


Our harvest results page is now live and will be updated throughout the season as data from trial locations across Oklahoma becomes available.
 

OSU’s annual Wheat Variety Trials provide producers with unbiased information on yield, quality and performance under Oklahoma conditions, helping support variety selection decisions for future growing seasons. Check back throughout harvest as additional locations are added.


https://extension.okstate.edu/programs/wheat-research-and-extension/latest-harvest-results

Through Your Lens Photo Winner - June 2026


Showcasing our June 2026 winner of the monthly Blaine County "Through Your Lens" photo contest. Photo "Harvest Time" by Kelsi Scheihing taken in Greenfield, OK.
June 2026 Blaine County "Through Your Lens" photo contest winner Kelsi Scheihing with her photo "Harvest Time" featuring A wide landscape image shows a green combine harvester moving across a golden wheat field, kicking up dust. In the distance, multiple wind turbines stand along the horizon. Dark storm clouds hang overhead while shafts of sunlight break through, creating dramatic lighting across the field.
 
An orange and white clock and calendar icon

Dates to Remember:


July 3: 4th of July Holiday (observed), Blaine County Courthouse and Extension Office Closed

July 27: Summer Crop Demo Day

July 28: Blaine County Fair Workshop Day, Foley Building, Blaine County Fairgrounds

August 10-15: You Make the Difference Tour

August 27-29: Blaine County Free Fair

September 7: Labor Day, Blaine County Courthouse and Extension Office Closed

September 17-27: Oklahoma State Fair

September 30: Watonga Lions Club Circus at the Fairgrounds

October 1-11: Tulsa State Fair

October 9-10: Watonga Cheese Festival

October 12: Columbus Day, Blaine County Courthouse and Extension Office Closed

Legal Disclosures

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication or program information or reasonable accommodation need to contact Hagen Puentes at (580) 623-5195 or hagen.puentes@okstate.edu at least two weeks prior to the event.


OSU is an Equal Employment Opportunity, E-Verify Employer.
 
 
 
 


Blaine County OSU Extension

Courthouse Basement

212 N Weigle Ave.

Watonga, OK 73772

(580) 623-5195
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Blaine County OSU Extension | 212 N Weigle Ave | Watonga, OK 73772 US

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