- Hello everyone and welcome to Sunup.

I'm Lyndall Stout.

It was quite a week in Oklahoma for wildfires on top of drought high winds for several days leading to lost homes and other structures with others narrowly missed.

With that in mind, we wanna talk about some guidance for disaster preparation and recovery when it comes to your finances and your property.

But first, some guidance from OSU extension, fire ecologist, John Weir.

- You know, we're at this time of year again where everything's starting to go dormant, drying out.

We're coming on, you know, the driest time of year, which doesn't seem like it 'cause we've been dry.

Most of Oklahoma's been dry most of the summer.

But again, this is definitely the time of year.

We need to start thinking about wildfires and about protecting homes, infrastructure buildings, different things like that from wildfire and making sure that we, we have things protected.

And especially this year with as dry as most of the state is also right now, again, a lot of fires popping up already.

A lot of burn bans already scattered around the state, around homes and outbuildings.

Again, make sure everything's mowed down short.

We pull back, trim a lot of the trees, any kind of trees or shrubbery that's up, that's up around that.

Think about any kind of flammable material that's stored around the house, such as cushions and stuff from, from lawn furniture, patio furniture that's out.

You may wanna take that stuff in.

Things that could be flammable, that embers could start fires, you know, that's the things you gotta think about.

And then start doing other things such as, you know, again, don't think about putting all your hay in one spot.

Spread the hay out around.

Think about good places to store hay, possibly in areas that are protected a little bit from cultivated fields from other areas that aren't flammable.

You know, and, and the biggest thing is, is have a plan.

Have, you know, think about what are we gonna do, you know, in case that fire happens.

How am I gonna get in touch with, with family members to make sure they're okay?

You know, what are we gonna do?

Where are we gonna meet at?

You know, have that plan in place about what are we gonna do about livestock that we have in there?

Where are they gonna go?

Where are they gonna be safe?

But we need to also make sure that we we're safe.

Don't ever try to get in front of that fire to do anything or stop.

'cause again, your, your life's not worth that.

And we, you know, we don't wanna put ourselves in those kind of dangers.

That's where we see people get hurt or even killed, is trying to go in there and, and risk something in front of that.

'cause again, especially with grass fires, they're moving very quickly, especially on days that we have big fires because it's really windy.

So that's pushing that fire really quick and getting out in front of it.

So don't ever get in front of those fires.

If you do get in a situation where there's a chance that you might get overtaken by the fire, make sure you remain in your vehicle.

The vehicle's the safest place to be, then let the fire pass and then you can assess the situation and do that.

The main thing is, is first and foremost, don't put yourself in those kind of situations where you're gonna be in front of danger.

The other thing that we need to, you know, also think about is, you know, kind of how do we prevent, you know, fires from happening on our property and around, you know, there's a lot of things that are kind of beyond our control.

You know, we see a lot of fires that get started off of highways and roads, so we need to be prepared for that kind of stuff.

But as we're working around our, our ranch and farm, you know, the thing that we need to think about is, you know, not doing activities such as grinding and welding and areas that have a lot of fuel and things like that.

You know, taking those safety precautions and doing that.

If you do have to do something like that, make sure you got somebody there to watch while you're act while, while you're actively doing those activities to watch for embers or watch for something to flare up and make sure you got some way to put that fire out.

If something does start, you know, maybe good to make sure that some of the roads or pasture roads that you've got are, are down so that any kind of exhaust, anything hot from a vehicle driving through those pastures isn't gonna cause any kind of problems.

So there, there's a lot of days where the weather is more conducive to big wildfires or really hot, flashy top wildfires, high wind days and things like that.

So those are days that you really need to be paying attention to what's going on.

Also, those are days you may want to, you know, think about, you know, staying close to home, you know, keep an eye on everything.

Just being prepared and being ready to react and respond.

If something was to come up for more information about preparing, you know, the ranching farm for wildfire, go to Oklahoma State extension website for fact sheets.

Also about management after web after a wildfire.

We have fact sheets and information about what to do after the, you know, post-fire type stuff.

So that stuff's available at the Oklahoma State Extension websites.

- Good morning everyone.

This is state climatologist Gary McManus with your Mesonet weather report.

Now hopefully you're getting rain where you're at and hopefully there's a lot more coming because we certainly need it, right?

Let's take a look at that last drought monitor map before the rain and see where we stood.

Well, we aren't in good shape were we, so we have lots of that D three extreme drought that's the red color across the state of Oklahoma on the newest drought monitor map.

It expanded down in southwestern and south central Oklahoma.

It also expanded over into southeast Oklahoma over into Arkansas and also expanded up in north central and northeast Oklahoma.

So basically an intensification across nearly all of the state.

So anywhere you are, except maybe for the far northwest and the Oklahoma panhandle, you're in drought of some kind.

Now one thing we saw was our sub-soil and our top soil moisture getting very, very short.

We take a look at the, the last map before the rainfall from the USDA and we see our sub soil moisture percent short to very short was up to 86%, which is up from 4% from last week.

And that's nearly the worst in the country.

You know, just Texas and Wyoming ahead of us.

So we really do need that moisture to, to be a little bit more moderate and soak down into the soil.

And of course the same map for the top soil moisture.

Obviously our top soil moisture was in really bad shape.

Again, 84% at short to very short before the rainfall.

Now hopefully these rainfall maps from the Mesonet have reset a little bit after this rain.

We can see the 90 day departure from normal rainfall map from the Mesonet, basically from August 1st through October.

And we can see deficits across much of the state from five to seven inches aimed as much as 10 inches up in northeast Oklahoma.

Very few surpluses on there, just basically up in far northwest Oklahoma and parts of the western half of the panhandle.

And this is a really nasty looking map, the consecutive days with less than a quarter inch of rainfall.

We did get up well over 30 days across much of the state and in some areas more than 70 days, close to 80 days up in parts of north central Oklahoma.

So we really did need that rainfall.

Hopefully, like I said, this map is completely reset over much of the state.

And remember it's not just precipitation, it's also temperatures that impact drought.

When we have above normal temperatures, we get that drought starting to intensify even more rapidly.

And that's exactly what we've seen over the last 90 days.

This graph of the statewide average maximum temperature departure from normal shows that at times we've been 10 to 15 degrees above normal for an extended period of time.

And remember, this graph is smooth so at times it's even been 20 to 25 degrees above normal, especially over the last week.

Now for the good news, as we look at our extended outlook from the climate prediction center for next week, we do see increased odds of below normal temperatures, or at least even near normal temperatures, which is better than those hot days we've been having.

And then also increased odds of above normal precipitation.

So not the, the rain that we're getting over the weekend should last into next week as well.

Okay, so we're getting rain finally.

Hopefully next week we'll have a better looking drought monitor map for you, anything that falls before Tuesday, Tuesday morning at 7:00 AM we'll go on next week's map.

So let's hope for some good changes on that map here in a few days.

That's it for this time.

We'll see you next time on the Mesonet weather report.

- We're joined now by Dr. Amy Hagerman, our ag policy specialist, to talk about some of the current conditions in Oklahoma and some of the resources that may be available to producers and landowners.

Amy, really some, some tough conditions all the way around right now when it comes to drought and the risk for fire.

- Yeah, we're certainly looking for rain across the state.

Dry conditions even occurring in the eastern half of our state that doesn't typically experience those sorts of conditions.

Very dry grass across the state.

You know, grazing conditions aren't great, so we're getting into hay a lot earlier and supplemental feeding a lot earlier than we would really like to see.

So for producers, it becomes really critical to look around and think about those impacts on your operation and start planning ahead for what you're going to do in the coming months.

- Like any widespread conditions or issues, when we talk about drought preparation is really key.

What kind of guidance do you and and your colleagues and extension have for our viewers?

- So first of all, it's just thinking about the damages of drought for your operation.

So there's really two things you can do to plan ahead.

The first is record keeping and the second is thinking about applying for these disaster programs.

On the record keeping side of things.

Keep great records about your cattle numbers or any of your livestock numbers, any kinds of sales that you have to have report to your crop insurance provider in a very timely manner.

Engage them in the conversation.

Early communication is key around any of these disaster programs.

Then in terms of the program side of things, thinking about what are the biggest damages that I'm expecting to see on my operation and are there any programs that can help counter some of those effects?

Also think proactively about conservation and the damages of drought on your land.

Talk to your extension educator, talk to your NRCS agent.

Find out what programs are currently available, bearing in mind that not all of them may be available right now and what kind of application process it is that you need to go through.

But again, that record keeping and those programs really go hand in hand.

So be really proactive about that.

- When we think about the drought conditions and as we've seen wildfires can pop up, obviously we've experienced them in years past.

What kind of message do you have at this time for for landowners and producers?

- So unfortunately, the kinds of conditions we've had this year have really led to a heightened wildfire risk.

This is something we need to watch very closely, but producers can be proactive as they think about their operation and how to prepare.

So OSU extension has a checklist to help people prepare for wildfire on their operation.

That will take you from your house and the things you can do around your house to help protect it to your equipment.

Putting in a gravel pad to park your equipment on thinking about your pastures and your cattle, how can you take advantage of bare areas or green wheat to put your cattle on in the case of a fire, have a plan ahead of time, think about evacuation and what you would need if you had to evacuate around a wildfire.

This and other wildfire resources can be used to be proactive so that you're more prepared and then you just hope you don't ever have to use those resources.

Also take care of your mental health.

That's a big one in this.

So the first little bit, you kind of have a wave of of grief and anguish around experiencing a disaster.

But the bigger thing is a couple of weeks later when all the activities have been done, when you've made it all the way through all the checklists and you're really living with the aftermath and you have time for those emotions to really hit, reach out to someone, talk to someone, identify who you trust to have that conversation with.

But definitely seek out resources as you deal with the stress after an event like this, whether it's drought or wildfire or flood or tornado or whatever it is.

So for those who have already experienced a fire, we go back to documentation first.

Make sure the area is safe to go back into.

Safety is always paramount in these situations.

Then make sure your documentation before the fire is backed up somewhere remotely so you can get onto your insurance, you can talk to your provider ahead of time.

So just be careful going back onto the operation document document and then in a really timely manner, talk to your farm service agency office, your insurance provider, and get that paperwork in the works.

It can take a while, especially if multiple people are affected by the fire.

So OSU extension actually has a lot of resources associated with preparedness recovery.

Also kind of that response part in the middle, how to safely navigate checking out the damage on your operation.

So go to our website and you'll find a wealth of resources available to prepare yourself better and then also to recover.

- Alright Amy, great information, thanks a lot and we'll see you again soon.

And for a link to the resources that Dr. Hagerman mentioned, go to sunup.okstate.edu.

A new artificial intelligence chat bot with all kinds of useful information is now up and running.

The OSU extension bot answers questions based on more than 400,000 extension publications, articles, and fact sheets, as well as content from different educational programs.

And it's all sourced exclusively from 30 different extension networks and the US Department of Agriculture.

The chat bot gives you unlimited access 24 7 to accurate and practical information in all areas, including agriculture and natural resources, gardening, health, nutrition, and family resilience.

Check out the extension chat bot by scanning the QR code on your screen or going to sunup.okstate.edu.

- Good morning Oklahoma and welcome to Cow-Calf Corner.

This week's topic is beef, is it the perfect dietary protein source?

It seems like an appropriate question as the debate continues to heat up at the federal level as we look at our next five years dietary guidelines for Americans as to how much beef is gonna be included in those guidelines.

So let's take a look at the facts.

Beef is very nutrient dense.

What does that mean exactly?

That relative to a small amount of calories, beef is very rich in nutrients.

There are certain things that beef packs in abundance.

Beef is highly digestible and humans are equipped with a digestive system that permits us to use all the nutrients available to us in beef.

Beef as research has shown, consumed on a daily basis is part of a heart healthy lifestyle and diet which can actually lower cholesterol of the fatty acids that are in beef, about half of them are monounsaturated fatty acids, same as what we would find in olive oil.

And as we compare beef as a source of nutrition to other potentials, let's say for example to plant proteins, plant proteins don't contain all the amino acids that are actually available to us in beef.

And in order to meet our nutritional requirements, we're gonna take in quite a few more calories.

For example, beef and a three ounce serving.

It's about 175 calories in which is gonna have a hundred percent of our daily needs of vitamin B12 while meeting about 50% of our daily requirements for zinc protein and selenium.

If we want to compare a three ounce serving of beef to chicken, we're gonna get the same amount of iron in that three ounce serving of beef that it would take eight ounce of chicken breast to actually give us.

So is beef the perfect nutritional source of protein?

I'll let you decide.

Our bottom line is that beef is a nutritional powerhouse and we as beef cattle producers can take pride in the fact that cows can turn fibrous plants into nutritious beef.

Thanks for joining us on cow calf corner - Talking cattle.

Now fall rains may make a dent in the drought, but we're certainly not out of the woods yet.

So we wanna talk about nutrition needs for your herd when it comes to vitamin A, sun ups, Elizabeth Hokit catches up with OSU extension beef cattle specialist Dr. Dave Lawman.

- We're here now with Dr. Dave Lawman.

And Dave, we've been dealing with some drought for quite some time now and that can have some pretty big effects on cattle.

So vitamin A deficiencies are one of those effects that that can have.

Tell us a little bit about that and why that's becoming an issue right now.

- Sure.

You know, we, we've talked about this before on Sunup, especially during dry periods and you know, here we are once again having a really dry fall and, and the bottom line on the vitamin A issue is that it's the number one important vitamin in beef cattle nutrition because we get in situations like this where frequently cattle can get deficient in vitamin A and that's, that's important.

Carotene or beta caroten actually is the form of vitamin A that's in the plant material generally goes with green lush forage.

So in the spring concentration of the precursor for vitamin A in forages abundant as the summer goes along and the forge dries up a little bit, the concentration declines.

We're in a hot dry environment like we've had here the last few months.

It declines rapidly and gets down near, near zero earlier in the year than it would.

So if cattle are grazing, standing forage, stockpiled, forage, if they're gonna be expected to graze standing forage through the winter as their primary forage source, you can bet that there's almost no vitamin A or precursor to vitamin A available.

Probably some of the most prominent symptoms would be early born calves, also stillborn calves is is pretty prominent sign of that issue.

And then just overall lack of immunity in the, in the cow herd as especially in the new calves.

And then, and then scour outbreaks.

- So obviously vitamin A deficiency can turn into a pretty big deal if we let that get too out of hand.

So how do producers know if they have a vitamin A deficiency?

- Well, first of all, I, you know, I'd say they, they just need to work with their nutritionist to shore up vitamin A supply, supplemental vitamin A to try to keep that from happening.

But if they're starting to see some of these symptoms, if they're, if they're concerned about it having other problems and they're not sure what the cause they need to contact the veterinarian and have that discussion with them.

But yes, the most of the veterinarians have the capability of testing for vitamin A, whether it be, you know, a liver sample, liver biopsy sample's, probably the best way to do it, that's, that's a little bit on the invasive side and a little more expensive.

But they can also take a blood sample and have it sent off for analysis and get a good idea of what the vitamin A concentration is in, in those cattle.

Once you get deficient in vitamin A, it's very difficult to climb out of that hole.

And so recent publication shows that it takes nearly three times, you have to feed about three times the vitamin A requirement for about a minimum of about 70 days in order to get those animals replenished.

And so as you, as you suggest, we just don't wanna let that happen in the first place if, if at all possible.

- So a lot of producers are already feeding hay right now, so how do they know how much vitamin A may be in that hay depending on when it was bailed?

- Yeah, I mean, and that is, that is the primary determining factor is how mature it is and how much, let's say heat, stress, sunlight and so on.

It, it has been exposed to green bright hay is gonna have the carotene, the betacarotene, the precursor to vitamin A in higher concentrations.

The later it was harvested, the drier the conditions, you know, later in the season, you know, those, those that type of hay, a lower quality hay is gonna have lower concentrations of vitamin A.

The other thing to consider even in the, the bright green hay is that the, the carotene concentration deteriorates over time.

And so the same goes in in with a bag of mineral.

The, the vitamin A supplement in that mineral gradually deteriorates over time.

And so you always want to try to keep your source of vitamin A fresh if you can.

- So we do have some rain in the forecast, which hopefully we get some of that.

But even if we do get rain, it's vitamin A deficiencies are still going to be an issue.

Right?

- Yeah, I, I mean in the standing forage, you know, they've already been depleted of carotene.

If it's senescent forage, in other words not, not, not growing any longer and turning brown, yeah it's gonna be low in vitamin A now a rain maybe even this time of year will still sort of freshen things up if you will.

The other thing is if we grow some wheat pasture, you know, and cattle have access to wheat pasture, of course that is green lush forage and generally speaking, vitamin A availability, the carotene availability and that material is not gonna be an issue.

- Yeah, and you guys do have fact sheets on vitamin A deficiencies, right?

- We do and and it lays out, you know, the requirements for the cattle.

It also gives you a table that shows you what vitamin a concentration you need to have in your supplement based on about how much mineral the cows are consuming and that kind of thing.

So I, I think it's very helpful.

- Alright Dave, thanks for the information and we'll all be hoping and praying for some of that rain.

- We certainly will.

- And for those fact sheets that he was talking about, just go to the Sunup website - Today I thought I'd share some healthy eating tips after you've had a chance to enjoy all of your Halloween candy.

Look for a variety of protein choices.

Try to choose lean or lowfat meat and poultry options such as pork loin, skinless chicken breast, or lean ground beef.

If you prefer seafood, try options that are high in Omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, trout, herring, and sardines.

If you prefer vegetarian protein options, try beans, peas, lentils, and nuts.

Look for a variety of grain choices.

Whole grain foods have the entire grain kernel intact while refined grains have the brand and germ removed.

Whole grain options include whole wheat, flour, oatmeal, and brown rice.

If you prefer products made from refined grains such as white rice, white flour, or white bread, check the ingredient statement to make sure that they've been enriched.

That is they have certain B vitamins and iron added back.

Look for a variety of vegetable choices.

They can be raw or cooked, fresh or frozen, canned or dried.

Look for a variety of dairy choices.

These include milk, yogurt, cheese, and lactose free milk.

They also include fortified soy, milk and yogurt.

Other types of foods to try are fermented foods such as miso, kombucha, kimchi, and keefer.

These foods can be sources of probiotics, which are living microorganisms that are crucial to gut health and may have additional health benefits.

For example, preliminary research has shown that increased levels of vitamins and antioxidant compounds are in some types of ferment foods.

Remember, learning a new eating habit or changing an old habit takes time.

So start slow and take steady steps.

So just a few tips for eating healthy.

For more information, please visit sunup, DO OK state.edu food.OKstate.edu.

- Finally today, some great momentum in Tulsa County in the form of flying confetti on the site where a new county extension office will go up.

OSU extension and OSU Tulsa leaders, along with county commissioners held a ceremonial groundbreaking this past week.

It will be built on the OSU Tulsa campus and construction could begin later next year.

That'll do it for our show this week.

Remember, you can see us anytime on our website and also follow us on YouTube streaming anytime at youtube.com/sunup tv.

I'm Lyndall Stout.

Have a nice week everyone.

And remember, Oklahoma Agriculture starts at Sunup.