In Farm Bureau YF&R teacher’s grants The Arkansas Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee has developed $500 “Life Is Better On the Farm” grants for classroom teachers. Through these grants, the committee hopes to help promote ag literacy in K-12 classrooms across the state and offer financial support to innovative agricultural education projects. The grants can serve as resources for teachers who want to bring agricultural education into their everyday curriculum or enhance their current agricultural education lessons. Seven grants will be awarded this school year. Projects may be, but are not limited to, agriculture teaching units, classroom presentations, farm-themed field trips and farm field days. Applications are due Oct. 17. For more information, go to www.arfb. com, then click on Get Involved, Young Farmers & Ranchers and Teacher Grant. AFBF seeks support for dairy farmers Against a backdrop of plummeting
Dr. Xueyan Sha (right), associate professor at the University of Arkansas, discussed the rice breeding program at the Arkansas Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart as guests toured the facility during the Arkansas Rice Expo. More than 1,000 people from throughout the state attended the Aug. 10 expo to celebrate the rice industry and the beginning of the 2016 rice harvest. farm-level milk prices and farm cash receipts for milk sales, American Farm Bureau Federation has asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide emergency assistance for the nation’s dairy farmers. In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, AFBF President Zippy Duvall said AFBF supports a recent request from 61 members of Congress asking USDA to provide emergency assistance. Duvall
Ned Ray Purtle of Hope (left) was recognized Aug. 12 at the State Livestock Association annual meeting for his many years of service to the organization. Purtle is retiring as chairman of the board after serving in the position since 1997. Sen. Bruce Maloch of Magnolia (right) presented Purtle a Senate citation recognizing his work and will succeed Purtle as chairman.
KEITH SUTTON photo
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noted the U.S. all-milk price fell to $14.50 per hundredweight in May, the lowest level since 2009. In addition, he told the USDA, dairy farm cash receipts from milk sales have fallen $16 billion since the record highs of 2014. “The decline in dairy farm revenue has led many dairy farm families to exit the industry,” Duvall said. “In 2015 we lost 1,225 dairy farms, many of those small dairy farm operations where the average
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A Publication of Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation
August 26, 2016 • Vol. 19, No. 17
More than 170 members attended Greene Co. FB’s annual meeting Aug. 9 in Paragould. Guest speakers included U.S. Congressman Rick Crawford, State Rep. Joe Jett and Arkansas FFA Secretary Foster Thompson. County President Terry Don Norwood (left) recognized the Jimmy Pat Blackburn family as Greene County’s Farm Family of the Year.
In Arkansas
disadvantaged or have limited resources to become successful growers of produce. Organizers say the program will have a positive economic impact on the community.
$481K for recruiting farmers The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded nearly a half million dollars to an east Arkansas project aimed at supporting new farmers and ranchers. On Aug. 17, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $17.8 million for 37 projects as part of the USDA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program. The Arkansas Land and Community Development Corporation in Brinkley received $481,080 in funding. The program aims to recruit 120 farmers and ranchers who are socially
Bad bugs hit Randolph County Randolph County has been added to sites where the emerald ash borer, an invasive beetle that feeds on and kills ash trees, has been found. Prior to 2016, the insect was confirmed in Bradley, Calhoun, Clark, Columbia, Dallas, Hot Spring, Nevada, Ouachita, Union and Saline counties.
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KEITH SUTTON photo
KEITH SUTTON photo
Farmer of the Year contest American Farm Bureau Federation is partnering with the Farmers’ Almanac to find three farmers or ranchers to be recognized as “Farmers’ Almanac Farmer of the Year.” Sarah Brown Dirkes, AFBF’s external relations director, said, “How you’re innovative, how you support your community and how you’re an inspiration to others and a true leader in agriculture are key factors.” Nominations must be submitted online by Jan. 31. For more information, visit www.FarmersAlmanac.com/ FarmeroftheYear.
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herd size is fewer than 200 milking cows.”
Libby Thornhill, Miss Cross County Rice for 2016, spoke to guests at Cross Co. FB’s annual meeting about her rice promotion activities this year. The meeting, held Aug. 9 at the Technology Center of the Delta in Wynne, also included scholarship presentations and an introduction of Cross County’s 2016 Farm Family of the Year, Stacy Family Farms.
The Sara House in Corning, which provides services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, was the recent recipient of a $500 Outdoor Classroom Garden MiniGrant. Clay Co. FB Women’s Committee member Susan Hancock (second from left) presented the check to directors Alice and Dewayne Crouse (right) and board member Pat Miller (left).
Those who attended the Arkansas Rice Expo in Stuttgart Aug. 10 heard insights about agricultural issues from (left to right) Congressman Rick Crawford, Congressman Bruce Westerman and Sen. John Boozman. The congressional delegation discussed a variety of topics, from restoring trade with Cuba to the 2018 Farm Bill. An emerald ash borer quarantine was established in Sept. 2014 by the Arkansas State Plant Board. The 25-county area encompassed counties with confirmed emerald ash borer sites, as well as buffer counties around those areas. The new confirmation in Randolph County is adjacent to a known infested county in Missouri. An expansion of the quarantine area is possible and will depend upon insect trap findings and a meeting of the plant board. The goal of the federal quarantine is to limit the spread of the insect caused by long-distance movement of ash trees by humans. Quarantined items (which cannot be transported outside the quarantine area) include firewood of all hardwood species and the following ash items: nursery stock, green lumber with bark attached and other material—living, dead, cut or fallen—including logs, pulpwood, stumps, roots, branches, mulch and composted/uncomposted chips 1 inch or greater. Firewood is the only quarantined item that relates to all hardwood. All other quarantined items are relative to ash only. For more details, visit the plant board website at plantboard.arkansas.gov. Rice board appointments Joe Christian of Jonesboro, secretary/ treasurer of the Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation, has been reappointed to the Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Board by Gov. Asa Hutchinson. His appointment will expire June 30, 2018. Also reappointed to the board for two-
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Record rice, corn yields expected Arkansas could see new records in corn yield and rice production this year, according to the August monthly production report from the National Agricultural Statistics Service. However, “NASS will continue to refine its estimates of harvested acres, yield and production for the remainder of the year with the next update being Sept. 12,” said Scott Stiles, extension economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. The Aug. 12 report projected a record corn yield of 189 bushels per acre, which would be eight bushels an acre more than last year’s state average yield, Stiles said. The U.S. average corn yield was pegged at 175.1 bushels this month, also a record. Yield data from field samples and farmer surveys were collected between July 25 and Aug. 8. Approximately 22,100 producers were interviewed during the survey period and asked questions about probable yield. These growers will continue to be surveyed throughout the growing season to provide indications of average yields, Stiles said. For more information about crop production, contact your county extension
England rice farmer Dow Brantley (right) will be featured in a unique video project from the folks at P.F. Chang’s restaurants. The documentary-style video will highlight the story behind the Arkansas-grown grain that is integral to many dishes featured on P.F. Chang’s menu. The video will debut this September in celebration and support of National Rice Month.
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year terms were Jay Coker of Stuttgart, Bryan Moery of Wynne and Roger Pohlner of Fisher.
On Aug. 9, UA’s new $8.6 million Foundation Seed Facility at Stuttgart’s Rice Research and Extension Center was dedicated. The center will make rice, soybean and wheat foundation seeds available to seed companies. Ribbon cutters were (left to right) Dr. Glen Bathke, Dr. Richard Roeder, Bryan Moery, UA Trustee Mark Waldrip, Dr. Mark Cochran, Dr. Donald Bobbitt and Dr. Chuck Wilson. office or visit www.uaex.edu. Agritourism association survey Attention agritourism operators. Interest in forming a statewide agritourism association is being expressed among a group of operators in Arkansas. The Cooperative Extension Service has been asked to provide technical assistance to this group, including sharing information about the effort with agritourism operators around the state and providing guidance on best practices related to nonprofit development. A brief survey has been developed to gauge interest in this effort. By responding to the survey, your contact information will be provided to the steering committee of agritourism operators leading this effort. To participate, go to: https:// uaex.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/ SV_0kQPNcWSFUAhYHz. Direct questions to Stacey McCullough, 501-671-2078, smccullough@uaex.edu.
Elsewhere Post your rice photos USA Rice is asking its members to snap a picture of what’s happening on their farms and post it on their social media channels with the hashtag #ThinkRice. These images will be entered into a September National Rice Month contest
hosted by USA Rice that will run from now until Oct. 1. The purpose of the contest is to bridge the gap between farmers and consumers and help the public to think of rice before they see it on supermarket shelves, so the next time they think rice, they also think of the men and women who work hard yearround to produce rice in the United States. Even though harvest is on everyone’s minds now, photo entries are not limited to this phase of rice production. Members also can post images that were taken earlier this year during any stage of the production process, wildlife on the rice farm, family farming photos, milling operations, etc. Multiple entries are accepted as long as they all contain the hashtag #ThinkRice. USA Rice will compile these pictures and post them on the official USA Rice Facebook page and ask the public to like their favorite rice photo. The person who submitted the image with the most likes will win a free registration to the 2016 USA Rice Outlook Conference in Memphis Dec. 7-9. Rice “swag bag” prizes also will be awarded for other outstanding entries. Members can post their photos with the hashtag #ThinkRice on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. Not active on social media? You can still enter to win. Email a favorite photo you’ve taken to cklem@usarice.com. Editor Keith Sutton
keith.sutton@arfb.com
In the Market As of August 24, 2016
Deere lays off 145 John Deere Company plans to put around 145 production employees on indefinite layoff at Waterloo Works and Davenport Works in Iowa, spokesman Ken Golden said. At Waterloo, layoffs are effective Sept. 23, affecting around 115 employees. Around 30 employees at Davenport will be laid off effective Sept. 30. “Deere continues to adjust the size of the company’s production workforce to meet market demand for products manufactured at each of its factories,” Golden said. Bayer, Monsanto talks advance Bayer and Monsanto are reportedly on track to reach an agreement in the next two weeks, as the CEOs have met several times, with price differences narrowing, according to Bloomberg. Progress on issues includes the purchase price and termination fee. Bayer CEO Werner Baumann and his U.S. counterpart Hugh Grant have had a series of constructive meetings in recent weeks, Bloomberg reported. Bayer, based in Leverkusen, Germany, has been examining Monsanto’s financial accounts as it weighs a new offer. Monsanto in July rejected Bayer’s improved $55 billion bid, describing the $125-a-share proposal as “financially inadequate.” An agreement would end months of back and forth that followed Bayer’s initial offer in May. ChemChina deal cleared A U.S. national security panel cleared ChemChina’s $43 billion takeover of Swiss pesticides and seeds group Syngenta, the companies said, boosting chances the largest foreign acquisition ever by a Chinese company will go through. Syngenta did not disclose whether it had made concessions to secure approval. The deal is still subject to antitrust and other regulatory reviews.
Cattle on Feed Report Friday’s Cattle on Feed Report came in slightly negative compared to expectations, but a negative report was factored into prices last week. That doesn’t mean prices will rebound this week, however, as the beef market will be in focus. On Aug. 19, Choice values softened 79 cents, and movement slowed to 112 loads. That signals retailers have secured Labor Day features. More fish from Brazil In its latest report, “Feeding Nemo – Turning Brazil’s Economic Turmoil into Seafood Business Opportunities,” Rabobank forecasts that Brazil’s tilapia output will increase by 10 percent per year to 2020, reaching production of 490,000 tons, reports Seafood Source. In addition, the country’s yearly production of its native freshwater species, tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) is expected to reach 330,000 tons over the same period of time. Rabobank has identified the nascent potential for aquaculture growth in the country. However, for now, Brazil’s aquaculture output trails China, India, Indonesia, Norway, Chile and Ecuador due to multiple challenges. “A combination of red tape and insufficient supportive legislation, infrastructure and investments by both the domestic industry and multinational seafood groups, as well as – until recently – a highly overvalued currency which rendered imports very competitive throughout most of the past decade have discouraged the development of the sector,” said the report. Despite these challenges, tilapia production in the country is particularly earmarked for expansion due to its feed conversion rate of 1.4, according to Embrapa and the Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock. And given its low capital and tech input requirements, Rabobank estimates that small and medium-sized tilapia farmers in the country can realize 20-percent profit margins, reports Seafood Source. Trump team talks trade, labor Eleven groups representing farmers,
seed companies and other players in the sector met for the first time with Donald Trump’s top agricultural advisers in Washington Aug. 22 to make recommendations on policy, following a similar meeting with representatives of rival Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in June. Agricultural trade, labor, crop insurance and food safety were among the topics discussed at the meeting with farm groups, which included Charles Herbster, national chairman of Trump’s agricultural advisory committee, and Sam Clovis, Trump’s chief policy advisor, participants told Reuters. On Aug. 23, Trump named 64 people to his agricultural advisory committee, including six U.S. governors, a former U.S. Department of Agriculture secretary, the chairmen of the U.S. House and Senate agriculture committees and Arkansas attorney general Leslie Rutledge. Pre-harvest sorghum sprouting The rain last week caused much of Arkansas’ grain sorghum to sprout in the head. The extent of damage is still to be seen, but based on the limited acres that were planted this year (40,000), extension wheat and feed grains agronomist Jason Kelley expects a majority of the acres will be impacted. Early planted fields, April through midMay, are most impacted by the rains, and approximately 80 percent of our grain sorghum was planted during this time period. Many farmers are wondering, “Will my grain be marketable?” Grain sorghum that is exported will follow current grain-grading guidelines. If damaged kernels (including sprout damage) are greater than 15 percent of the grain, the sample would be classified as sample grade (poor quality), and the grain price would be heavily discounted or the grain would be rejected.
CONTACT • Matt King 501-228-1297, matt.king@arfb.com.
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES TOUR OF VIRGINIA
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rkansas Farm Bureau’s Board of Directors and Environmental Issues Committee traveled to Virginia Aug. 17-20 to see how expanded water-quality regulations are affecting farmers and ranchers. Specifically, the committee group wanted to understand how the Chesapeake Bay TMDL (total maximum daily load) is affecting the region and what that might mean for the Mississippi River Basin. The group visited several livestock and row-crop operations, and also had a question-andanswer session with the leaders and staff of the Virginia Farm Bureau. • photos by STEVE EDDINGTON •
Members of the ArFB state board and environmental issues tour gathered around to hear about farming practices at Engel Family Farms in Hanover, Va.
The group toured Monticello, the home and farm of President Thomas Jefferson, in Charlottesville, Va. Monticello encompassed nearly 5,000 acres and occupied Jefferson’s attention for more than 50 years. Jefferson considered himself a farmer by profession and was continually searching for more progressive ways to work his plantations. Soil conservation was one of his particular passions. Board members (l-r) Gene Pharr, Terry Dabbs and Jon Carroll tour the old grist mill on the McCormick Farm in Steeles Tavern, Va.
Margaret Ransone, owner of Bevans Oyster Company, explains the oyster harvest to members of the state board.
Right: While visiting the Yeocomico River, a tributary of Chesapeake Bay, ArFB Vice President Rich Hillman (left) talks to board member Jon Carroll, while Joe Thrash gets insight from Va. Farm Bureau’s Wilmer Stoneman. Far right: ArFB President Randy Veach looks at a marker commemorating the work of Cyrus McCormick, who created the first mechanical reaper.
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES TOUR OF VIRGINIA
Left: A statue honoring Virginia’s farmers greeted visitors at the Virginia Farm Bureau. The 6-foot, 3-inch bronze statue represents Virginia farmers and those across the U.S. who help feed and clothe the world. Above: A welcoming picnic was held at Dry Valley Farm. The meal was catered by Hethwood Market, owned by Scott Sink, vice president of Virginia Farm Bureau.
Dairy farmers Stacey and Casey Phillips detail their multigenerational farm in Radford, Va. The 120-animal dairy covers almost 400 acres and was a recipient of the Virginia Clean Water Farm Award.
State board member Dan Wright takes a picture of the tallest grain silos in Virginia while touring the Cave View Dairy Farm in Weyers Cave.