In Farm Bureau
Poster contest winners Arkansas Farm Bureau has announced the winners of its annual safety poster contest. The theme this year was “Agricultural Safety: Your Best Investment.” The contest coincided with Ag Safety Awareness Week March 3-9 and was designed to increase awareness of potential hazards on farms and ranches. There are two categories in the statewide competition, with cash prizes of $100, $75 and $50 awarded to the top three winners in each category. In the first-through third-grade category, Olivia Heffley, a second-grade student at Deer Elementary in Newton County won first place. Olivia is the daughter of Travis and Loreshia Heffley of Pelsor. Emma Johnson, a third-grade student at Tuckerman Elementary in Jackson County and daughter of Jacky and Ginger Johnson of Newport, won second place.
In a ceremony Apr. 3, Lori Rooney (center), a family and consumer science teacher at South Side Bee Branch High School, was recognized as Arkansas Farm Bureau’s 2013 Ag in the Classroom Outstanding Teacher. Van Buren Co. FB President Andy Andregg (left) and Ag in the Classroom Committee member Cindy Wilson presented Rooney her plaque and $500 award. Farm Bureau established the award in 2006 to recognize teachers who have exemplary programs that integrate agricultural concepts into their curricula. Allie Bottoms, a third grader from S.C. Tucker Elementary in Yell County, was third. She is the daughter of Greg and Amber Bottoms of Danville. In the fourth through sixth grade category, Mallory Rials, a fifth-grade student at Albritton Elementary in Ashley County, won first place. Mallory is the daughter of John and Penny Rials of Hamburg. Rachel Belle Richardson, a fifth grader at S.C.
Jeremy Wesson (center), ArFB northeast area coordinator, presented Yeti coolers to Nancy Green (left) and Carl Looney in appreciation for their support of the Arkansas State University College of Agriculture benefit golf tournament. The tourney raises money for the Collegiate Farm Bureau and other student agriculture organizations.
keith sutton photo
www.arfb.com
Tucker Elementary and daughter of Robert and Jennifer Richardson of Plainview, won second place. Ethan Holte, a sixth-grade student at Greenland Middle School in Washington County was third. Ethan is the son of Diana Holte of Greenland. PD videoconference Arkansas Farm Bureau’s Executive Vice President Ewell Welch has
KEN MOORE photo
A Publication of Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation
April 12, 2013 • Vol. 16, No. 7
New AFBF website The American Farm Bureau Federation has launched a new “Farm Bureau Advantage!” website that outlines how AFBF has teamed up with leading businesses to provide members with substantial benefits on automobile purchases, car rentals, farm and business supplies, health care, hotels, mobile/cellular, online/Internet services and more. To learn more about leading companies offering special incentives that demonstrate their strong support for agriculture and rural America, visit the website at www.fbadvantage.com.
In Arkansas
Jana Crank (left), the Lafayette Co. FB Women’s Committee chair, served one of the many guests who attended dinner at the county’s March 9 Feral Hog Contest. Prizes were awarded for the largest sow, largest boar and most hogs brought to the AgriPlex in Lewisville.
Gifted and talented students at Newport Elementary School recently had the opportunity to witness the miracle of hatching eggs thanks to members of the Jackson Co. FB Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee who provided an incubator display to aid the students in their studies.
are encouraged to apply now for a $1,000 scholarship offered through the Nicky Hargrove Memorial scholarship fund. Each applicant must be an accepted or current student in a registered nursing program or a doctor of pharmacy program. The applicant or applicant’s parents must be a member of Arkansas Farm Bureau. Other criteria to be considered by the selection committee are the applicant’s community involvement and leadership abilities. The recipient will receive $1,000 and may reapply in subsequent years. The recipient will be notified July 10.
The family of Nicky Hargrove established the scholarship fund to honor Hargrove’s years of service to Arkansas Farm Bureau and all of Arkansas agriculture. Hargrove was a rice, soybean and wheat farmer from Stuttgart (Arkansas County). He served as president of Arkansas Farm Bureau from 1976-1986 and was inducted into the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame in 1999. Hargrove passed away in 2011 at the age of 79, and his family wanted to find a way to honor the people who cared for him throughout his years of illness while also ensuring his name is never forgotten. “Over the years of fighting lung cancer, heart problems, diabetes and lymphoma, some of the most important people to Nicky and his family were the registered nurses and pharmacists who participated in his care,” said Lori Dabbs, Hargrove’s daughter. “In honor of these special people and in memory of Nicky, a scholarship was established through the Stuttgart Memorial Hospital Foundation.” Scholarship applications can be requested by e-mailing lhdabbs@ cebridge.net. Applications, along with a resume, are due by June 15 and should be mailed to 1501 Granvue Dr., Stuttgart, AR 72160.
KEN MOORE photo
KEITH SUTTON photo
Scholarship fund seeks applicants Nursing and pharmacy students
JACKSON CO. FB photo
LAFAYETTE CO. FB photo
announced that July 18 will be the date for this year’s ArFB policy development videoconference. “This should allow ample opportunity for those counties that hold their county annual convention in August to conduct their county policy development process in advance of the annual convention,” he said. Additional details on the time and specific locations for the videoconference will be provided at a later date.
These members of Brinkley High School’s FFA program — (back row, l to r) Zack Thompson, Jake Adams and Cody Bennett, and (front row) Wade Davis and Robin Mulloy — were among more than 200 people who participated in ArFB’s grain bin safety training program at the Brinkley Convention Center on March 14.
Horticulture professor Dr. Curt Rom examined strawberries grown at UofA as part of the National Sustainable Strawberry Initiative. Walmart just donated $3 million to support the program aimed at producing fresher berries for consumers and an economic boost for local growers.
Value Added Ag Conference In these trying economic times, agribusiness owners are actively
JOHNSON co. fb photo
MRBI deadline approaching Farmers and landowners in portions of Arkansas, Jefferson, Lonoke and Prairie counties have until May 17 to submit applications to receive
Rodney Baker (standing), ArFB’s Director of Governmental Affairs, spoke to members of Johnson Co. FB’s board of directors at a legislative appreciation breakfast in Clarksville on March 16. Special guests included Rep. Betty Overbey and Sen. Gary Stubblefield.
KEITH SUTTON photo
seeking ways to diversify operations and maintain or increase profits. A good place to start is the National Value Added Ag Conference that will be held May 19-21 at Embassy Suites Northwest Arkansas in Rogers. The conference theme is “Local Economic Development Through Entrepreneurship.” Participants will have the opportunity to interact with innovative business owners, economic developers, industry stakeholders, academics and Farm Bureau staff from around the U.S. Topics will include rural entrepreneurship, adding value to agricultural products, agritourism and rural economic development, with speakers such as Joe Quinn, Wal-Mart Senior Director of Issue Management and Strategic Outreach, and Doug O’Brien, USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development. The conference runs from 5:30 p.m. on May 19 through 1:30 p.m. on May 21, but there will be a special afternoon session May 19 from 2-5 p.m. for Farm Bureau attendees to share and promote the work they are doing in their states on retail agriculture initiatives. For additional information, visit www.regonline.com/NVAAC2013.
On Apr. 9, Miller Co. FB President Barbara Sutton and members of the county board presented a check for $2,500 to Joan Cutler, head instructor at Runnin’ WJ Ranch in Texarkana. The donation will support the nonprofit’s therapeutic riding program for special students. financial assistance to implement conservation practices through the Bayou Meto/Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative. The ranking process will be completed by May 31. A complete list of approved practices, information about the project and a project area map are available at www.ar.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/ mrbi.html.
Elsewhere Animal well-being initiative Reaffirming their strong commitment to animal care and well-being, the National Pork Producers Council, National Pork Board, the dairy industry and the Center for Food Integrity — a not-for-profit corporation that builds consumer trust and confidence in today’s food system — have launched an initiative to encourage the immediate reporting of animal abuse, neglect, mishandling or harm. The “See It? Stop It!” initiative provides tools for farms to affirm that proper animal care is the responsibility of all employees, and animal abuse is not acceptable or tolerated. Farm workers will be encouraged to report abuse. “Animal well-being always has been the top priority of pork producers,” said NPPC President Randy Spronk, a producer from Edgerton, Minn. “The ‘See It? Stop It!’ initia-
tive confirms that commitment and is a way to let animal caretakers know it’s their moral responsibility to speak up to stop any animal abuse.” The initiative is an adjunct to the pork industry’s “We Care” program, which promotes pork producers’ long-standing commitment to responsible pork production and to continuous improvement in animal care, handling and transportation. It also bolsters the Pork Quality Assurance Plus program, which outlines best practices for proper animal care, and the Transport Quality Assurance program, which certifies people who transport hogs in proper care and handling methods. “I’ve been a pork producer for a long time, and I know for a fact that the overwhelming majority of producers and farm workers do what’s right for their animals every single day of the year,” Spronk said. “This initiative is more proof of that and of producers’ adherence to ethical principles, including protecting and promoting animal well-being.” Both the U.S. pork and dairy industries provided funding for the initiative. Additional information about it, including an employer checklist, guidance for integrating the initiative into existing animal well-being programs, posters for use in barns and guidance on employee training is available at www.SeeIt StopIt.org. Editor Keith Sutton
keith.sutton@arfb.com
In the Market As of April 10, 2013
USDA’s monthly supply/ demand report for SOYBEANS presented several adjustments following the higher-thananticipated quarterly stocks two weeks ago. Crush was increased 20 million bushels to 1.635 billion bushels, while exports were increased just 5 million bushels. Residual was reduced 25 million bushels. Those adjustments left ending stocks unchanged at 125 million bushels. Initial market reaction was negative. Old crop May reversed after moving above $14 to close lower. New crop November hit resistance at $12.50, setting up a potential retest of support around $12.20 to $12.25. From a technical perspective, there is substantial down potential. CORN numbers were adjusted in today’s report, but only a portion of the “bigger than expected stocks” showed up in projected ending stocks. Feed use was cut 150 million bushels, while ethanol use rose 50 million bushels, reflecting a slight upward creep in weekly use numbers. All in all, ending stocks were projected to be 125 million bushels higher, or a total of 757 million bushels. Market reaction was mixed following the report. At the end of the day, the market ended mostly higher. The possibility of the market moving to the stocks gap of $6.80 does not seem very promising, but it does exist. New crop December moved above resistance around $5.40, but remains in a longterm downtrend..
RICE was slightly weaker following the April report. USDA lowered domestic use 5 million cwt, with 4 million cwt coming from long grain. Projected ending stocks were increased a like amount. Overall demand for U.S. rice remains good. The question hanging over the Asian market is what Thailand is going to do with their huge stocks and how that will impact trade. COTTON shrugged off the upward adjustment in yield and production for 2012. An increase of 14 pounds in yield led to a 280,000-bale increase in production, which was largely offset by a quarter-million bale increase in exports. That left projected ending stocks unchanged at 4.2 million bales. World ending stocks moved back above 82.4 million bales, largely the result of adjusted beginning stocks in India. China is projected to hold 45.6 million bales of stocks, or 55 percent of the total. Their projected imports for the year increased by 1.5 million bales, accounting for a higher U.S. export projection. Cotton futures moved higher but will find recent highs to be stiff resistance. WHEAT was under selling pressure early, and the April reports offered little relief.
Changes in the U.S. numbers were minor, with feed use lowered 15 million bushels and a like amount added to projected ending stocks. World numbers resulted in an upward adjustment of 2.3 mmt in projected ending stocks, which now total 182.3 mmt. July futures have long-term trendline resistance at $7.25. Support is the $6.65 low that occurred following the March quarterly stocks report. June live CATTLE futures appear to have bottomed near $120 in mid-March. It has been difficult, however, to build much upward momentum. Weak beef prices and negative packer margins continue to limit the upside potential of the market. May feeders appear to have bottomed at the same time at $138.52. That market, too, has run out of steam and now has resistance between $147.75 and $147.85. June HOGS also bottomed in mid-March, but failed at the 38 percent retracement level of $92.66 on the subsequent rebound and have since fallen back below $90. The fundamental situation for hogs is not great. Cash markets are lackluster at best with packer margins in the red and product values disappointing.
Contact •Gene Martin (501) 228-1330, gene.martin@arfb.com. •Brandy Carroll (501) 228-1268, brandy.carroll@arfb.com. •Bruce Tencleve (501) 228-1856, bruce.tencleve@arfb.com. •Matt King (501) 228-1297, matt.king@arfb.com.