Gail Ellis

Hot and dry is the new normal as drought returns to impact Oklahoma agriculture

October 31, 2024 Gail Ellis

STILLWATER, Okla. – The latest drought monitor map from the Oklahoma Mesonet shows dry conditions intensifying, and 34 counties are currently under a burn ban. Drought is taking its toll on agricultural producers and two of the state’s largest commodities – cattle and wheat. Wheat grazing challenges Jimmy Kinder is one of three generations who…

Higher egg prices are the new normal

January 26, 2023 Gail Ellis

STILLWATER, Okla. – Record-high egg prices are making headlines right now, but when can consumers expect some relief? Oklahoma State University Extension specialists say several factors are to blame for the significant price spike, and the sticker shock is expected to continue through the first quarter of 2023. At this time in 2021, eggs were…

The wheat harvest drought was ugly for state farmers

August 11, 2022 Gail Ellis

STILLWATER – Oklahoma’s hard red winter wheat harvest is complete as farmers close the book on a season plagued by drought. Amanda de Oliveira Silva, Oklahoma State University Extension small grains specialist, said yields varied across the state depending on rainfall. Many fields in southwest Oklahoma were abandoned, and other dry areas reported anywhere from…

Organic or GMO? Experts explain different food definitions

January 13, 2022 Gail Ellis

STILLWATER – As Oklahomans start a new year with new nutrition goals and eating habits, they’re faced with an overwhelming amount of industry diet terms and food lingo. Experts from the Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center at Oklahoma State University clarified some of the most common references. Organic The difference between conventional…

Obtaining a safe water supply isn’t easy in rural areas

October 28, 2021 Gail Ellis

STILLWATER. – Clean and safe water for drinking and household use is one of life’s necessities, but some residents served by Oklahoma State University Extension struggle to access the vital resource. Rural water districts populate the Oklahoma landscape serving thousands, but what happens when the public utility is not readily available? A recent survey conducted…

Webworm, bagworm infestations differ

August 19, 2021 Gail Ellis

STILLWATER – In Rogers County, Billy Clark stood in his pecan orchard surveying the thousands of bagworm sacks hanging from tree branches. Bagworms and webworms are a common sight on trees and other plants in late summer, but why they are more prominent in certain years is a mystery. One is mostly harmless to host…

State fairs in Tulsa, OKC scheduled to return in ‘21

August 12, 2021 Gail Ellis

The Oklahoma State Fair and the Tulsa State Fair are two of the state’s trademark events that signal the end of summer. After both were canceled due to COVID-19 last year, organizers are excited to be back in action this September. Oklahoma State Fair, Sept. 16-26 The theme for this year’s fair is Back 2…

Wind turbine study shows the dangers to golden eagles

July 22, 2021 Gail Ellis

STILLWATER – Data compiled by an Oklahoma State University natural resource ecology and management professor is featured in a new study published in the journal Ecosphere on how wind turbines could reduce populations of some raptor species. Scott Loss, an associate professor in the OSU Ferguson College of Agriculture who specializes in avian ecology, contributed…