Summer looks like it’s officially here! 100 degree temperatures and 40 mile an hour winds sure makes it feel like summer! With this kind of weather, harvest is sure to get in full swing a day or two ahead. It looks like a lot of wheat, and maybe the lion’s share of it, will be harvested in the next few days or so. There is already plenty of combining going on in the south, and it looks like it’s going to happen tomorrow around Enid!
Even with harvest going on, the cattle market continues to be very good. Where the wheat is being cut, calves are not as much in demand as they might be north of here, but they are still bringing very good prices. The futures board is also holding ground fairly well, even with a day or two of down prices. Looking at the futures, one would have to think it’s going to be even better this fall!
What is going to happen in the future? It’s probably anyone’s guess, but one thing is for sure, it will be different than today! Gas prices going higher, housing going lower, plants closing and a cheap dollar are all things that would make the future seem a little gloomier. However, more people and money in the world, newer technology, more demand, less supply and a world wide economy should make things look brighter!
With so many people in the world now, and more coming every second, the food supply is a major concern. The United States is producing record amounts of beef, with less cattle, and even at higher prices, it’s still a bargain! It would be nice if the foreign markets would stick to what they say and take our beef, and if not, then maybe the U.S. shouldn’t take all the foreign money or products that come in. Trade is just that, trade between people, not one side getting everything.
The nation’s cattle herd has not been increasing these last several years, and with the weather patterns now, it doesn’t look like it will be increasing in the near future. New Mexico, Colorado, Texas and western Kansas are again facing a drought. There are already bred cows and pairs going to market, and without some substantial rain, there will be more. This is going to be a very hard hit to the ranchers in those areas who had just begun to try and build or save their herds from the last drought.
The American rancher is very few and far between, and there doesn’t seem to be many young folks willing to work that hard for a living. Beef comes from cows, and cows need to be taken care of out in the country. There sure appears to be too many people that think they’re too good to feed hay or flip hamburgers. If a person respected what kind of vehicles and jobs their grandparents and great-grandparents had and the work they had to do to provide a good living for their families, maybe there would be more Americans willing to do the work that needs done instead of letting someone else do it.
God Bless America!
NO SALES JUNE 10th OR JUNE 17th!
