According to the latest Oklahoma drought monitor report, exceptional drought remains at zero percent, unchanged from the start of the calendar year.

Extreme drought or worse has increased to 33.74 percent, up from 31.44 percent last week.

Severe drought or worse has increased to 58.66 percent, up from 52.37 percent last week.

Moderate drought or worse, increased to 78.62 percent, up from 70.97 percent last week.

Abnormally dry or worse have increased to 89.83 percent, up from 85.59 percent last week.

As for our neighbors, dry conditions continued across much of the South this week, while precipitation fell just along the western borders of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. Moderate to severe drought were expanded across portions of Texas, Oklahoma, and northern Arkansas, while moderate to severe drought were expanded in Louisiana and Mississippi.

Kansas Drought Monitor shows Moderate Drought expanding from 64.38% last week to 75.62% this week. Texas Drought ratings saw an increase from 55.12% a week ago to 66.69%.

Click here for the Kansas Drought Monitor Page and Click here for the Texas Drought Monitor Page.

National Livestock was founded in 1932 in Oklahoma City. National’s Marketing Division offers cattle for sale weekly at the Oklahoma National Stockyards in Oklahoma City. The Finance Division lends money to ranchers across several states for cattle production. The Grazing Division works with producers to place cattle for grazing on wheat or grass pastures. 



National also owns and operates other livestock marketing subsidiaries including Southern Oklahoma Livestock Auction in Ada, Oklahoma, OKC West Livestock Market in El Reno, Oklahoma, and the nation’s premier livestock video sale, Superior Livestock Auction. National offers customers many services custom made for today’s producer. To learn more, click here for the website or call the Oklahoma City office at 1-800-310-0220.

While attending the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays caught up with one of the four Oklahoma Star finalists, Larahmy Blakley, from the Oologah FFA Chapter. He specializes in Agricultural Production.

The American Star Farmer is awarded to the FFA member that demonstrates the top production agriculture supervised agricultural experience in the nation. The member must demonstrate outstanding achievement, active FFA participation, and an exemplary scholastic record.

In eighth grade, Blakley’s project began with beef and swine production projects comprised of 50 head of mama cows and two sows. Currently, his project has grown to 250 cows and 12 sows. Within his beef project, he has about 100 mama cows owned by other producers who pay him on a cost-of-production basis. He also feeds 250 head of stocker cattle for other producers through winters on the same basis of pay.

His swine operation is focused on show-quality pigs and the ones that don’t make the cut are used in his meat market SAE, which consists of retail cuts of beef and pork sold at farmers’ markets in the Tulsa area.

Our coverage of Oklahoma FFA engaged at the National FFA Convention is being powered again in 2024 by Oklahoma Farm Bureau. Watch for our stories and interviews from Indianapolis on our Website, Daily Email, our statewide Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and our Social Media Channels. Click here for the OKFB website to learn about how they are making a difference in the lives of Oklahomans. 

The America Stars will be announced Friday night in Indianapolis- We spotlighted Gage Slagell of Hydro Eakly and Rylee Smith of Oologah yestyerday in the email- and hope to have a story up in the Blue Green Gazette later today on our fourth Star- Allyson Arthur of Chickasha.

Debate Heats Up as New Proposed Dietary Guidelines Target Beef Consumption

New dietary guidelines are released every five years, and the preview report from the Advisory Committee on the next set of guidelines includes a surprising recommendation. Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster, Ron Hays is visiting with the Executive Director of Nutrition Research at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Dr. Shalene McNeill, about the new dietary guideline that asks people to reduce red meat consumption.

“It’s really shocking that the committee is disregarding the body of science and the everyday reality of the great job that beef is doing helping to keep us nourished,” McNeill said. “When I look at it as a dietician and a mom, I know that beef helps close nutrient gaps with the iron, zinc, and B vitamins we need. It just doesn’t make any sense to reduce beef in the diet any further.”

She said that Americans already eat a modest amount of beef and emphasized its importance in meeting nutritional needs.

“This committee works for five years on the next set of dietary guidelines, and they supposedly review the scientific evidence,” McNeill said. “One of the things we’ve been thinking a lot about is that they committed to making these guidelines practical, relevant, and achievable. At the end of the day, we see that they are recommending beans in place of red meat.”

This week on SUNUP, OSU Agriculture Economist John Michael Riley discusses the highs and lows of current grain and cotton markets.

He said that 73 percent of the nation’s winter wheat crop is in the ground which is right on schedule. In Oklahoma, only 55 percent of the crop is planted, which is notably behind schedule. The warmer and drier than usual conditions are to blame for Oklahoma’s delay as producers are hesitant to put the seed in the ground until they can see more favorable conditions in the forecast.

“Wheat prices have been on the decline for the past couple of weeks,” Riley said. “From late August through early October, prices had improved about ninety cents per bushel, but since the start of the month, we have dropped about forty cents off of that price at the future’s market.”

He added that the basis levels for wheat across the state are on par with where they normally are this time of year: about fifty cents behind the futures market in the eastern part of the state and about 60 to ninety cents behind in futures market in the western part of the state.

For the first in recent memory- the three Oklahoma FFA members representing the state in the national speech contests all made the Final four in their category

Cierra Collins of Frederick spoke in the Final Four of the Creed- Cierra placed fourth nationally in the 2024 Creed contest.

Cooper Kline of North Rock Creek made the final four in the Extemporaneous Contest- Cooper placed third nationally.

Here's the moment that Coy Davidson knew he was the National Champion in Prepared Public Speaking- which is the oldest of all of the contests that the National FFA operates (it's been around since 1930)

Davidson is a senior at Elgin and has been working on this speech for a year- and that hard work in research and practice paid off with this national title. He is the 11th Oklahoma FFA member to have won the National Prepared Speech Contest. Click here to read more and listen to our quick visit with Coy after he was named the National Champion in Prepared Public Speaking.

Two National Championships have been claimed in the Proficiency Awards thus far by Oklahoma Students.

One of the winners announced on Thursday was Titus Montgomery of the Red Oak FFA Chapter. He was named the National Champion in Agricultural Communications Entrepreneurship/Placement.

Titus has a weekly radio report called the Southeast Oklahoma Ag Report, which can be heard three times each weekday on The Mix 93.1 FM. Montgomery also started a podcast, “Brag on Ag,” which he produces on his own and is published on all major podcast listening apps. His Supervised Agricultural Experiences have provided him with skills in radio programming and production, advocacy and research, public speaking and writing, and even merchandising. Montgomery is a member of the Red Oak FFA Chapter in Oklahoma, and his FFA advisors are Troy Walker and Leland Walker. Click here for our story that includes out interview with Titus after he was named a National Champion.

The other Oklahoma winner announced on Thursday was Trinity Blosch of the Stillwater FFA Chapter. Trinity was named the National Champion Proficiency Award winner in Agriscience Research- Integrated Systems.

Blosch has a Supervised Agricultural Experience involving five years of research on social, environmental, and food systems. Over the years, Blosch has significantly progressed in the complexity of her projects. Her research has included evaluating consumer and student knowledge about food and agriculture and testing bioremediation products used in contaminated fresh water. Blosch is a member of the Stillwater FFA Chapter in Oklahoma, and her FFA advisors are Bailey Kliewer, Carl Nipper, and Robby Branscum. Click here for our story and interview with Trinity.

Mengya Wang has found a way to join her interests in both education and finance as an Oklahoma State University state Extension specialist in personal finance. She is also an assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science. Wang joined OSU in July 2024.

Wang’s primary focus areas include educating women about finances, teaching others about financial planning for retirement, and the economic aspects of aging.

“Financial planning is very important. I believe some people don’t have a solid financial plan because they simply don’t know how to do it,” Wang said. “I love working in Extension because of the outreach possibilities and helping people better understand the importance of financial planning. Through Extension, we have the opportunity to make connections with people and make their lives better.”

Wang said she enjoys conducting research and is interested in how people, particularly women, and caregivers, can apply the research findings to improve their lives.

McDonalds Pointing to Onions as the E Coli Problem

According to a story from AP- A California-based produce company was the source of fresh onions linked to a deadly E. coli food poisoning outbreak at McDonald’s, officials with the restaurant chain said Thursday. Meanwhile, other fast-food restaurants — including Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC and Burger King — pulled onions from some menus.



McDonald’s officials said that Taylor Farms, of Salinas, California, sent onions to one distribution facility, which led the fast-food chain to remove Quarter Pounder hamburgers from restaurants in several states. McDonald’s didn’t say which facility it was.

An outbreak tied to the burgers has sickened at least 49 people in 10 states, including a person who died, federal health officials have said. Investigators said they were focused on slivered onions as a potential source of the infections.