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AROUND INDIANA
Applicants sought for ACE Ambassador program —By Kathleen M. Dutro Public Relations Team The deadline for applications for Indiana Farm Bureau’s is ACE USA Ambassador program is Feb. 3 – just a few days after most readers will receive this issue of The Hoosier Farmer. Indiana Farm Bureau’s Women’s Leadership Committee is looking for two
couples or individuals to act as ambassadors to another state. This year’s ambassadors will travel to Michigan sometime this summer. The ACE (Agricultural Cultural Exchange) program is open to any current voting IFB member. Expenses including travel, hotel rooms, meals and tips for up to five days are covered. ACE USA ambassadors
travel annually to different areas of the country to promote greater understanding of agriculture, people, family life and cultures. After the selected members return from their trip, they are expected to give presentations at Farm Bureau meetings and to community groups throughout the state. Last year’s ambassadors were Joni Naylor Doig of
Rush County and Matt and Allison Walsh, Newton County. Selection for the ambassador program will be based on an application, letters of recommendation and, for finalists, an interview in March. Interested members can download the application from the IFB website,
www.infarmbureau.org, under “Programs – WLC info and activities,” or by calling the Organizational Development Team at 317692-7830. More information is also available from Meggie Foster, coordinator of women’s programs, 317692-7183, mfoster@infarmbureau.org. Applications are due to the home office by 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 3.
CountryMark to offer CNG fueling infrastructure —From CountryMark Indiana-based CountryMark announced on Jan. 22 that it plans to add Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to its lineup of Americanmade transportation fuels. “Our mission is to produce and supply marketleading energy products and services,” said CountryMark President and CEO Charlie Smith. “As we look at future Midwestern transportation fuel needs, we feel confident it will include CNG, and we and our branded dealers are excited about building the CNG infrastructure needed to bring this reliable and domestically produced fuel to the marketplace in the most convenient and cost-effec-
tive manner possible.” Today, there are more than 100 CountryMarkbranded fueling stations in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky. “Our branded dealers work very closely with enduser customers to understand their transportation fuel needs,” said Jon Lantz, CountryMark vice president of marketing. “Based on conversations with a variety of Midwestern fleet managers, we see a sustainable and growing demand for CNG, especially among highmileage fleet customers. However, for many small and medium-size fleets, installing private CNG fueling infrastructure may not make economic sense. In these
situations, CountryMark and our branded dealers can use our business-to-business fueling expertise to make CNG available to the public in the most convenient and costeffective manner possible.” “Many fleets will still need diesel fuel and/or gasoline,” said Lantz. “Multiple fuels will better meet the needs of fleets transitioning to dedicated CNG vehicles, fleets that have invested in dual fuel or bi-fuel vehicles and fleets that are maintaining their traditional gasoline and diesel vehicles. CountryMark’s goal will be to provide the public with convenient, one-stopshop fueling.” Fleets seeking alternative fueling stations to fill natural gas, bifuel or dual-fuel
Purdue Extension publications explain U.S. ag policy issues Purdue University agricultural economist Roman Keeney is producing a series of publications to help farmers better understand changing U.S. agricultural policy. The free publications are under the series title of “APEX,” an acronym for “Ag Policy Explained,” and they delve into ag policy issues and how they affect the agricultural economy. The first publication, The End of the Direct Payment Era in U.S. Farm Policy, ex-
plains why direct payments to farmers likely will end with enactment of a new five-year farm bill and how the elimination might affect the agricultural economy as other support programs are created. Initial topics of the other publications also will focus on farm bill issues, including agricultural risk and policy, farm bill budget and baseline, farm bill eligibility and payment limits. The series later will cover other policy
topics of importance to agriculture such as immigration, renewable fuels, animal welfare and local issues. All of the publications in the series will be available online at Purdue Extension’s The Education Store, www. the-education-store.com. The End of the Direct Payment Era can be found by searching for publication number EC-774-W or by the name of the publication.
vehicles, should contact CountryMark’s CNG fuel manager, Jennifer Karras, to discuss where CountryMarkbranded CNG fueling sites
can most benefit their fleet operations. Karras can be reached at (800) 808-3170, extension 8203, or Jennifer. Karras@CountryMark.com.
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ID # 8000002053 must be mentioned at time of reservation. #8000002053 must be mentioned time of reservation. For IDreservations call:at877.670.7088
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Calendar of Events January 30
District 7 women’s Statehouse trip. ID #8000002053 must be mentioned at time of reservation.
February 3, 4 12-15 18, 19
Campaign Management School, Indianapolis. National Farm Machinery Show, Louisville, Ky. IFB board of directors meeting, Indianapolis.
March 4-7 7, 8 25
Farm Bureau leader trip, Washington, D.C. IFB Spring Conference, Indianapolis. District 1 spring meeting.
January 29, 2014
For reservations call: 877.670.7088
ID #8000002053 must be mentioned at time of reservation.
For reservations call: 877.670.7088 www.thehoosierfarmer.com