Tulsa County OSU Extension Center

We hope you enjoy the latest FCS Newsletter!

Family and Consumer Sciences News: Strengthening Oklahoma Families OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2026

“It Starts With What Goes in the Cow”

WHAT'S REALLY IN THE FEED BUNK?

Nutrition is one of the biggest pieces of managing a productive beef herd — but knowing what you're feeding is only part of the equation.

The OSU Extension Master Cattleman Series will spend multiple sessions looking at beef cattle nutrition, including:

🥩 Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle
🌾 Supplementing Beef Cows
🐂 Supplements & Feeding Calves and Stocker Cattle
🌱 Nutritive Value of Feeds
🌾 Alternative Feeds
💊 Vitamin & Mineral Nutrition of Grazing Cattle

We'll also spend time looking at grazing management, hay production, storage and feeding, soil fertility and year-round forage production.

Because nutrition doesn't happen in isolation — it starts with understanding the animal, the feed resources available and how those pieces fit together.

Whether you're feeding cows through the winter, managing growing cattle or trying to make better use of the forage resources you already have, there's a lot to take away from this portion of the series.

🎓 2026–2027 OSU Extension Master Cattleman Series

📅 November 17, 2026 – April 27, 2027
📍 Tulsa County OSU Extension Office
💰 $250 individual | $300 couple
📝 Registration deadline: November 2

📞 Questions? Hannah Hough — 918-746-3725

Registration is currently open!

🌾 Green Country Pesticide Conference | November 5, 2026

Need pesticide continuing education hours? The Green Country Pesticide Conference is coming up Thursday, November 5, at the Nowata County Fairgrounds.

This year’s program will cover a variety of timely pesticide and w**d-management topics, including:

🌱 Wheat Herbicide Considerations
🌱 Season-Long W**d Control
🌱 Sprayer Nozzle Technology
🌱 Herbicide Economics
🌱 Difficult W**d Control

5 credit hours are being offered for private applicators, ag plant, and research, pending ODAFF approval.

📅 Thursday, November 5, 2026
📍 Nowata County Fairgrounds
612 E. Roxy, Nowata, OK 74048
🕚 Registration & lunch: 11:00 AM
🕛 Program: Noon–5:00 PM
💲 $20 — pay at the door by cash or check

Pre-registration is required by October 28.
📞 Call 918-273-3345 to register.

🍽️ RSVP is required for the complimentary lunch, so be sure to get registered before the deadline!

The Green Country Pesticide Conference is hosted by OSU Extension educators serving Nowata, Rogers, Tulsa and Washington Counties, providing research-based education to help Oklahoma applicators make informed decisions in the field.

📌 Save the date and register early!

This month’s issue has plenty of timely information for Northeast Oklahoma livestock producers, including:

🐄 October beef cow herd management tips — from weaning and pregnancy checking to fall calving, winter supplementation and preparing cows for the months ahead.

🧂 Trace minerals for calves — a look at what the research says about organic trace minerals during preconditioning and why minerals are a tool in the toolbox, not a silver bullet.

🌱 Fall pasture w**d control — what to be scouting for now, why timing matters, and how grazing management, forage competition and fertility all fit into the bigger picture of w**d management.

📚 The 2026–27 Master Cattleman Series — the new Tulsa County series begins in November, with registration closing November 2.

📅 Plus, upcoming pesticide CEU opportunities and other Tulsa County OSU Extension programs.

There’s a lot happening this time of year, and October is a good month to take a look at where things stand and make a plan for the months ahead.

What are you working on right now — weaning, fall pasture management, getting ready for winter, or something else? Drop a comment and let us know what’s happening on your operation this time of year. 👇

📖 Read the October issue of Tulsa Co. Ag News: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/e15c4b8ada.html

— Hannah Hough
Tulsa County OSU Extension Agriculture Educator

Online Flipbook Created with the Heyzine flipbook maker

When you think about your support system, who comes to mind? Maybe you have a friend who always helps you see the positives in a situation, or a grandparent who you turn to when you have a bad day. Those people are part of your support system. A support system is a network of people who provide you with emotional and practical help. It means you have people that you can rely on. A good support system can help you achieve things you thought were impossible, lower your stress, and increase your self-esteem! You want the right people to be there to help and cheer for you through life. To build your support team, here are some helpful tips:
• Focus on the relationships that offer the most positive but truthful advice and grow those.
• Try new activities alone or in groups to introduce you to fresh faces who may provide a positive influence and keep growing your support.

“Your Cow Herd Is Only as Good as the Decisions Behind It”

THE NEXT CALF CROP STARTS WITH THE DECISIONS YOU MAKE TODAY.

Genetics and reproduction are at the heart of a productive cow-calf operation — and they're getting plenty of attention in the 2026–2027 OSU Extension Master Cattleman Series.

Throughout the series, we'll dig into topics such as:

🐂 Body Condition Scoring
🧬 Choosing a Calving Season
🐮 Calving Time Management
🧬 Effective Mating & Crossbreeding Systems
🐄 Development of Replacement Heifers
🐂 Management Considerations for Bulls

The series also includes a hands-on Calving Simulator Workshop designed to give participants an opportunity to work through calving scenarios in a practical setting.

These aren't just terms in a textbook. These are decisions that influence reproductive performance, herd development and the calves that ultimately leave your ranch.

If you're looking to strengthen your understanding of the reproductive side of your operation, this is one of the areas you'll want to be part of.

🎓 2026–2027 OSU Extension Master Cattleman Series
📅 November 17, 2026 – April 27, 2027
📍 Tulsa County OSU Extension Office
💰 $250 individual | $300 couple
📝 Register by November 2

You don't have to live in Tulsa County to attend.

📞 Hannah Hough | Tulsa County Ag Educator
918-746-3725

🐂 Registration is open!

🐂 WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE A MASTER CATTLEMAN?

It takes more than knowing how to work cattle.

The OSU Extension Master Cattleman Program is designed to give beef cattle producers a well-rounded look at the many pieces that contribute to a successful cattle operation — from the cow herd and forage base to marketing and financial management.

During the 2026–2027 Tulsa County series, we'll cover topics including:

🔹 Genetics & reproduction
🔹 Nutrition & supplementation
🔹 Grazing and forage management
🔹 Hay production, storage & feeding
🔹 Herd health & Beef Quality Assurance
🔹 Internal & external parasites
🔹 Beef marketing & value-added opportunities
🔹 Industry issues & market outlook
🔹 Ranch business planning & financial performance
🔹 Crossbreeding, replacement heifers & bull management
🔹 Cost of production

There are also hands-on and elective learning opportunities, including a calving simulator workshop and a workshop focused on soil fertility and year-round forage production.

This isn't a one-night cattle class. It's a comprehensive series designed to help producers build knowledge they can put to work on their own operation.

📅 November 17, 2026 – April 27, 2027
📍 Tulsa County OSU Extension Office
💰 $250 individual | $300 couple
📝 Registration deadline: November 2

You do not have to live in Tulsa County to participate!

📞 Questions: Hannah Hough, Tulsa County Ag Educator — 918-746-3725

Registration is open now!

☕🌱 INTERNATIONAL COFFEE DAY | October 1

For most of us, coffee is a morning ritual. For millions of people around the world, it’s also a crop, a livelihood and a major global agricultural commodity.

So what does agriculture have to do with that cup of coffee sitting beside you?

Pretty much everything.

Coffee comes from plants in the genus Coffea, primarily Arabica (Coffea arabica) and Robusta (Coffea canephora). These are perennial evergreen plants that thrive in tropical climates, generally within the belt between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.

And that familiar coffee “bean”? It’s actually a seed.

Coffee plants produce fragrant white flowers that develop into fruits commonly called coffee cherries. Inside each cherry are typically two seeds—the green coffee beans that will eventually be processed, roasted and ground.

But getting from flowering plant to coffee cup involves a surprisingly complex agricultural system.

🌿 Production: Coffee is grown under a wide range of conditions, from smallholder farms to large commercial operations. Variety selection, elevation, temperature, rainfall, soil fertility, shade management and plant health all influence production and quality.

🦠 Pest & disease management: Coffee producers contend with insects and diseases such as the coffee berry borer and coffee leaf rust. Plant genetics, cultural practices, biological controls and other integrated approaches are important tools in protecting the crop.

🍒 Harvest & processing: Coffee cherries must be harvested at the appropriate stage of ripeness. Depending on the production system and market, cherries may be processed using different methods—including washed, natural or honey processing—which can influence the characteristics of the finished coffee.

🔥 Roasting: The green seed bears little resemblance to the dark, aromatic coffee bean we recognize. Roasting triggers a complex series of chemical reactions that develop the color, aroma and flavors associated with coffee.

🌎 Global agriculture: Coffee is produced in more than 70 countries and supports the livelihoods of millions of farming households. Brazil, Vietnam and Colombia are among the world's leading producers.

And just like any other agricultural commodity, coffee production is influenced by weather, markets, genetics, pests, disease, input costs and changing production conditions. Agricultural research plays an important role in helping producers address those challenges.

That morning cup represents far more than caffeine. It represents plants, soils, weather, biology, management, labor, processing, transportation and markets—all connected through agriculture.

So on October 1, as you reach for that first cup, take a second to appreciate the agricultural system behind it. ☕🌱

Happy International Coffee Day from OSU Extension!

Research-based education connects agriculture, communities and the food and products we use every day.