In Farm Bureau New Ag Hall of Fame inductees The Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame will induct five individuals whose leadership and service have brought distinction to the state’s largest industry. The newest class includes James R. (Jim) Baker of Conway, longtime manager of the Lewis Livestock Company, past chairman of the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission and a former administrator of the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture; James Bibler of Russellville, former owner of Bibler Brothers Lumber Company, past chairman of the Arkansas Forestry Commission and former president of the Arkansas Forestry Association; the late Billie R. Nix of Ash Flat, owner and operator of the Ash Flat Livestock Auction for 50 years and longtime officer with the Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association; the late Bruce Oakley of El Paso, who built a business from a single dump truck from which he hauled lime fertilizer in 1968 to a diversified commod-
More than 100 Arkansas Farm Bureau leaders from throughout the state posed for a photo on the Capitol steps Feb. 10 during Farmer’s Day at the Capitol. Speaker of the House Jeremy Gillam and Senate President Pro Tempore Jonathan Dismang addressed the group at lunch, updating them on the major issues of the session. After lunch, leaders met with legislators to talk about ag issues. Both the House and Senate honored the group with resolutions. ity trading, distribution and transportation company based in North Little Rock with $1.3 billion in sales in 2014; and Blytheville farmer John Ed Regenold, chairman of the Armorel Planting Company and former chairman of the Arkansas State Highway Commission. “To consider the accomplishments of these gentlemen who have been selected to the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame is to see the outcome of hard work, foresight and ingenuity,” said Butch Calhoun of Des Arc, chairman of the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame and former Arkansas On Feb. 9, the ArFB State Women’s Committee donated $4,000 to Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) in Little Rock to purchase food for families of children staying at the facility. Attending were (l to r) Women’s Committee Vice Chair Peggy Miller; Chair Janice Marsh; Katie Choate, executive director of RMHC; and RMHC Development Director Emily Piechocki.
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Secretary of Agriculture. “The impact they made on their communities, on agriculture in our state and the lives of so many of those associated with their successes is incalculable. The group will be honored at the 27th annual induction luncheon set for 11:30 a.m. March 6 at Little Rock’s Embassy Suites Hotel. Luncheon tickets are $35 each and are available by calling 501-228-1470 or emailing aghalloffame@arfb.com. Ag safety week Across the country, Farm Bureaus are
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A Publication of Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation
February 27, 2015 • Vol. 18, No. 4
KEITH SUTTON photo
KEITH SUTTON photo
Arkansas Farm Bureau was one of the sponsors of the Arkansas State University Agribusiness Conference Feb. 11 in Jonesboro. Hundreds of farmers, agribusiness professionals, educators and students attended the event, now in its 21st year, which included sessions focusing on the agricultural economy, commodity market outlook and farm business transition planning.
On Feb. 4 in Colt (St. Francis County), Dr. Archie Flanders (standing), assistant professor of agricultural economics at UA’s Northeast Research and Extension Center in Keiser, presented “Making Decisions for the 2014 Farm Bill,” a workshop designed to aid farmers in using a web-based decision tool. Twenty local producers attended.
increase any ATV rider’s safety. For example, users can “get dressed to ride,” using helmets, safety glasses, long sleeves, gloves, long pants and boots with heels to reduce the risk of injury. ATV drivers shouldn’t carry passengers, either, and should only ride ATVs of a size that fits the operator. One must be age 16 to ride an adult ATV (over 90ccs) in Arkansas. It’s important to operate at safe speeds as well, especially when turning or near hazards. Most injuries are caused from overturned ATVs. Stay off public streets and highways as the law requires.
It’s especially important for ATV users to take an approved rider’s training course. The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service provides these through the ATV Safety Institute’s 4-H ATV RiderCourse. The agency has trained 24 county agents and state faculty as licensed instructors. For more information, visit www.uaex.edu and select the ATV Safety link, phone 501671-2059 or contact your local Cooperative Extension Office. Arkansas Farm Bureau has two fulltime safety coordinators on staff who offer 14 different safety and informational programs, including ATV safety, free of charge. “The safety coordinators at Arkansas Farm Bureau are dedicated to educating Arkansans about safety concerns,” said safety coordinator Amanda Williams. “We not only offer ATV safety programs, but programs on farm and tractor safety, distracted driving prevention, drinking and driving prevention, and more.” For more information, visit the “Education and Youth” section of Arkansas Farm Bureau’s website, www.arfb.com.
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making safety a top priority this spring through the Agricultural Safety Awareness Program (ASAP). As a part of ASAP, March 1-7 has been designated as Agricultural Safety Awareness Week. This year’s theme, “Ride Like a Pro… Wherever You Go,” will focus on ATV safety and helmet use. All-terrain vehicles are used on most farms and ranches in Arkansas, but despite the availability of good safety equipment and training programs, injuries and fatalities involving ATV operators happen much too frequently. According to the latest figures from the Consumer Product Safety Commission: • There are 804 ATV-related deaths nationally on average. • Fifty-six percent of these deaths occur in May through September. • One-third of these deaths occur on paved surfaces. • Arkansas averages 12 ATV-related deaths per year, and three of these are children under 16. • According to the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Trauma Department, 101 of their admissions in 2014 were ATV related. “It doesn’t take very big investments of time or money to make a big difference in the level of safety on most farms,” said Jason Kaufman, safety coordinator for Arkansas Farm Bureau. “ATV safety is a big part of farm safety because so many farms use these vehicles for work and recreation.” Many simple, inexpensive tips can
Madison County Judge Frank Weaver (seated) signed a proclamation declaring Feb. 16-20 to be Farm Bureau Week in the county. Attending the ceremony in Huntsville were (left to right) county board member Don Day, Secretary Jeremy Miller, President George Anderson Jr., County Extension Agent Darrin Henderson and board members Barbara and Larry Owens.
White Co. FB leaders met with Sen. Jonathan Dismang of Beebe (left) and Rep. Jeremy Gillam of Judsonia Feb. 3 at the State Capitol in Little Rock to discuss agricultural issues of concern to Farm Bureau members. Topics discussed included strengthening metal theft laws, grain dealing and warehousing safeguards, and more.
Become an AgVocate Help tell the stories of Arkansas Farmers and Ranchers by becoming an Arkansas AgVocate. AgVocates share information, news and facts that relate to agriculture, such as blog posts, articles, fun facts and more using social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. After signing up, AgVocates will
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receive prepared content to share to their social networks. It’s as simple as clicking the “share” button within the email you receive, which will automatically post the status updates to the social networks selected. By sharing content and generating traffic, participants earn points in contests for prizes from companies like Petit Jean Meats, Riceland and Wal-Mart. In-depth information can be found at www.arfb.com/get-involved/agvocates or by emailing agvocates@arfb.com. Dairy foods contest The 58th Annual Arkansas Dairy Foods Contest will be June 3 in Little Rock. Students enrolled in 4-H or in fourth through 12th grades and living in Arkansas may enter. This includes home-schooled students. For entry information and contest guidelines, contact your county Farm Bureau office or your county Cooperative Extension Service office. The forms also can be found at www.arfb.com. Click on Get Involved, then Contests & Promotions. Entries must be received by May 8.
In a ceremony attended by ArFB’s board of directors and guests, Gov. Asa Hutchinson issued a proclamation declaring Feb. 10 to be “Farmers’ Day at the Capitol, 2015” in Arkansas. Hutchinson said, “I encourage my fellow citizens to recognize the contributions of the farmers, ranchers and foresters to the state and to the nation.” Kanis Road in Little Rock, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. March 5. Attending will be some of the most committed buyers of local produce in central Arkansas. They’ll talk about their process of buying directly from farmers. Other speakers will include farmers who are marketing value-added products and selling to retail outlets through online markets. Food safety updates will be provided, along with information about individual farmer SNAP programs; Department of Agriculture Arkansas Grown and Arkansas
In Arkansas Homegrown Profits workshop The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service and the Arkansas Farmers Market Association are partnering to present “Homegrown Profits 2015: Tapping into Rising Markets.” The workshop will be held at Farm Bureau Center, 10720
Made programs; farm-to-school programs throughout the state; growing in high tunnels; and the rollout of training to assist grant applicants when submitting applications for USDA’s Farmers Market Promotion Program and Local Food Promotion Program grants. Pre-registration at http://forms.uaex. edu/registrations/HP2015.asp is required to ensure available materials and food. Space is limited. Register as soon as possible to guarantee your spot. There is no charge for the workshop. Lunch will be provided at $10 per person.
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Elsewhere
On Feb. 12, Pulaski Co. FB donated food to the Dorcas House in Little Rock, a shelter for women and children who need crisis services. Attending were (l to r) Pulaski Co. FB First Vice President Fred Nickerson, President Pam Bredlow, Dorcas House Recovery Associate Cathy Brown and FB board members Claude Bonner and Donna Bemis.
Dallas Co. FB recently donated a hay probe drill to the local Cooperative Extension Service office, which can be used to gather samples for testing forage quality. In attendance (left to right) were Dallas Co. FB board members Richard Walker, Andy Taylor, Ted Owens, Greg Erwin (president), Gordon Greene and Jim Barham and agency manager Reed Camp.
Mid-South Farm and Gin Show Want to see the latest farm equipment and technology? Plan to attend the 63rd Annual Mid-South Farm and Gin Show, Feb. 27-28 at the Cook Convention Center, 255 N. Main St. in Memphis, Tenn. More than 400 exhibitors from 40 states will be on hand showcasing the latest technology and innovations available in agriculture. Show hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 27 and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.. Feb. 28. Those planning to attend are encouraged to pre-register online by clicking on the “attendee registration” button on the show’s website, www.farmandginshow.com. Attendees also can download the show’s mobile app, available from iTunes and the Android app store. Editor Keith Sutton
keith.sutton@arfb.com
In the Market As of February 25, 2015 More bearish cattle reports Traders in the cattle market expected the February Cattle on Feed report to be bullish and provide some much-needed support to the market. Unfortunately, the report failed to provide the bullish news the market had hoped for. Cattle on feed was up very slightly from a year ago at 10.711 million head, compared to expectations this would be lower. Placements were only down 11 percent from a year ago, compared to the expected 12.7 percent decline. In addition to the Cattle on Feed Report, the USDA also released its Cold Storage report, which put stocks of beef in cold storage at the end of January up 14.4 percent from a year ago. A month earlier they were up only 1.1 percent. In addition to beef, frozen stocks of pork, chicken and turkey were also up significantly from the month before. This is likely related to slowing exports because of the labor problem at West Coast ports. Drone rules out for comment The Federal Aviation Administration released its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on the commercial use of unmanned aircraft systems. Staff continues to review the NPRM. Here are a few highlights. Unmanned aircraft must weigh less than 55 pounds; visual line of sight only; small unmanned aircraft may not operate over any persons not directly involved in the operation; may use visual observer but not required; maximum altitude of 500 feet above ground level. For a full list of the rules, visit www.faa.gov/uas/.
Deal reached at West Coast ports The difficult contract negotiations between the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which lumbered for more than nine months, came to an end last week. The negotiations led to a slowdown at the ports that was costing meat processors more than $40 million per week in export business, the North American Meat Institute has estimated. At one point, there were more than 32 ships waiting to dock at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The concern of the meat industry is that the slowdown may have lasting effects as meat processors in Chile, Australia and the European Union moved in during the slowdown and supplied typical U.S. markets. A Cargill vice president testified to Congress that even after the port dispute is resolved, it would take at least a month to re-establish the normal pace for Cargill’s chilled pork shipments to the “high value markets of Japan and Korea.” Other markets will take three to four months. Road to Brazil’s largest port cleared The main access road to Brazil’s Port of Santos was reportedly cleared early this morning as truckers blocking the road dispersed. But other roads across the country remained blocked by truckers protesting increased fuel taxes and tolls. The weeklong protests crippled highway transportation, curbing grain movement to ports and fuel shipments to some farmers waiting to harvest soybeans. USDA forecasts lower crop acres in 2015 The USDA released its first official view of the 2015 crop last week at the Outlook Conference in Washington, D.C. These numbers are based on trends and do not have any survey
data to support them. In this report, the USDA forecasts total cropland to decline by 4.7 million acres to 278.8 million acres in 2015. The USDA-forecast corn acres of 89 million acres is near the middle to upper end of current private estimates and compares to 90.6 million acres in 2014. Probably the most bullish estimate the USDA released was the soybean acreage forecast of 83.5 million acres, which compares to 83.7 million planted in 2014 and private estimates as high as 88.03 million. The USDA is forecasting rice acreage at 2.9 million acres in 2015. That’s down slightly from last year. Given the recent declines in prices, we could see this move even lower as other crops may be more profitable for producers. Japan’s Abe likely to address U.S. House Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe conveyed the wish that he would like to address the U.S. House of Representatives when he met recently with a delegation of U.S. lawmakers. House Speaker John Boehner and other congressional leaders are positive about Abe’s wish. Abe’s visit, expected in late April or early May, is likely to be an occasion for the two sides to celebrate progress in negotiations on an Asia-Pacific free-trade deal known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership and a revision to their defense guidelines.
CONTACT • Matt King 501-228-1297, matt.king@arfb.com.
2015 YF&R CONFERENCE
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ore than 275 members and their families from throughout the state attended Arkansas Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ranchers & Collegiate Conference Feb. 20-21 at the Marriott Hotel in Little Rock. Attendees participated in workshops on farm practices, animal nutrition, social media, ag education and more, and heard inspirational speeches by ArFB President Randy Veach and guest speakers. There were farm business sessions and a wide variety of fun children’s activities.
• photos by KEITH SUTTON •
Lindsey Mitchell with SAU’s Collegiate Farm Bureau was interviewed for an upcoming edition of Farm Bureau Update by ArFB PR staff members Robert Potter (right) and Ken Moore.
Above: Youngsters participating in the tractor and wheelbarrow races provided some humorous moments when interviewed by ArFB state board member Caleb Plyler of Hope who served as master of ceremonies. Above right: Dr. Donna Graham, UA professor of agricultural and extension educations, gave a talk on building a résumé to a large group of interested attendees. Right: On Friday night, the big bounce houses set up in the hotel ballroom provided fun galore for the kids Right: Lots of Farm Bureau kids left the races with big trophies and even bigger smiles. Bottom right: Kevin Glaubius, director of nutrition at Vitaferm, gave a workshop on animal nutrition, antibiotics and minerals.
Above: ArFB President Randy Veach spoke at Saturday’s luncheon, emphasizing the importance of young farmers and ranchers being active in the affairs of Farm Bureau on local, state and national levels. Farm Bureau Press Insert — Vol. 18, No. 4
Right: State YF&R Committee members posed for a photo between events. Far right: ArFB social media coordinator Mollie Dykes told collegiate Farm Bureau members how to search for ag internships and career opportunities.
2015 YF&R CONFERENCE
Left: Mason Strayhorn, a sophomore at ASU-Beebe, beat five other competitors to win the state Collegiate Farm Bureau Discussion Meet held following Saturday’s luncheon. Above: Family members cheered while wheelbarrow racers sped along the indoor course to the finish line.
Above: The keynote speaker at Friday night’s dinner was National Football League official Walt Coleman of Little Rock. Farm Bureau Press Insert — Vol. 18, No. 4
Above: These smiling folks from Jackson County were among the many YF&R and collegiate members who attended from all parts of Arkansas. Left: The tractor races provided fast-paced fun and excitement for girls and boys alike.