Farm Bureau Press - October 17, 2014

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In Farm Bureau

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ArFB Convention Dec. 3-5 The 80th Arkansas Farm Bureau Convention is Dec. 3-5 at the Hot Springs Convention Center. This year’s theme is “Commitment, Community, Compassion.”

Registration starts Dec. 3 at 9:30 a.m. in the Grand Hall Lobby.

This year the Young Farmers & Ranchers Discussion Meet will be earlier,

ESPN Fan Hall of Famer Canaan Sandy (left), known to many as the “Number 1 Arkansas Razorback Fan,” opened the Sale of Champions at the Arkansas State Fair and Livestock Show by calling the Hogs with all those who attended. Sandy says his rise to fame started while showing a prize hog in the Jr. Livestock Auction several years ago. beginning at 10 a.m. Wednesday, followed by the first general session starting at 1 p.m. A number of special awards will be presented during this session, which will be highlighted with addresses by the governor-elect (invited) and weather historian Evelyn Browning-Garris. Leaders who are no longer with us will be honored and remembered during the memorial service.

Numerous conferences will be held Wednesday and Thursday to provide attendees with the latest information from Jeonghwan Park, assistant professor of aquaculture engineering at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, discussed the sizing and operation of paddlewheel circulators in split pond systems during UAPB’s Aquaculture/Fisheries Field Day Oct. 2. Scores of producers from around the state attended the educational event sponsored by Arkansas Farm

noted experts in their fields. Other events will include the Women’s Luncheon and Cotton Fashion Show, and the Sew with Cotton Contest. Again this year is the silent auction with proceeds providing for Ag in the Classroom programs. Connect Arkansas will be available both Wednesday and Thursday to assist with Internet training.

Thursday’s general session will be highlighted by awards presentations and addresses by ArFB President Randy Veach and comedian Jerry Carroll. Shuttle service will be provided from the Arlington, Austin and Embassy Hotels.

YF&R contest deadlines near Young Farmers & Ranchers from Arkansas who are interested in agriculture and active in Farm Bureau, but derive the majority of their income off the farm, are encouraged to participate in the 2014 YF&R Excellence in Agriculture contest.

The entry deadline is Nov. 7.

The winner receives a Polaris Ranger UTV and John Deere riding lawn mower.

Applications are available at www.arfb. com/get-involved/young_fr/excellence.

KEITH SUTTON photo

A Publication of Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation

October 17, 2014 • Vol. 17, No. 20

KEITH SUTTON photo

KEITH SUTTON photo

Jerry Quick, co-author of the Illinois Grain Code, spoke Sept. 25 at Farm Bureau Center in Little Rock about grain marketing laws and regulations used in other states. Among the 40 in attendance were farmers, state legislators, ag lenders and representatives of the Arkansas Agriculture Department, National Ag Law Center and UA Division of Agriculture.

More than 200 members attended Baxter Co. FB’s annual meeting and barbecue dinner Sept. 30 at the county fairgrounds. County president Elliott Golmon of Norfork presided over the ceremonies, which included a lively candidate’s forum that allowed those running for local and state offices to share their platforms with those in attendance.

FUSION Conference. Three national finalists will receive a Case IH Farmall 55A, along with a $2,500 cash prize and $500 in merchandise, courtesy of Stihl.

in the way Southern farmers handle risk management. Training sessions in Jonesboro, Forrest City and Dumas are planned to help producers adapt successfully.

The half-day crop insurance workshops are set for Nov. 11 in Jonesboro, Nov. 12 in Forrest City and Nov. 13 in Dumas. They will feature panel discussions with John Anderson of the American Farm Bureau Federation; Dave Goeller, risk management educator and grain producer from Nebraska; local producers and a representative from the National Crop Insurance Services. There is no cost to attend and lunch will be provided. To register visit http://forms.uaex.edu/economics/aciem.asp The event is being presented by the Southern Risk Management Education Center and the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

“These trainings are an opportunity for growers to learn more about the role that crop insurance can play in managing their farms’ risks,” said Ron Rainey, extension economist for UA’s Division of Agriculture and co-director for the Southern Risk Management Education Center.

In Arkansas Crop insurance workshops The 2014 farm bill brings big changes

KEN MOORE photo

CATTLEMEN’S BEEF BOARD photo

The Arkansas winner also receives an expenses-paid trip to represent the state at the American Farm Bureau annual convention in San Diego Jan. 10-12. The winner of the AFBF competition will get their choice of a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado or 2015 GMC Sierra, courtesy of GM, and paid registration to the 2015 AFBF FUSION Conference Feb. 13-16 in Nashville, Tenn. Three national finalists will receive a Case IH Farmall 45A, courtesy of Case IH, along with a $2,500 cash prize and $500 in merchandise, courtesy of Stihl.

Young Farmers & Ranchers also are encouraged to enter the annual YF&R Discussion Meet, which will be conducted at the Arkansas Farm Bureau convention Dec. 3 in Hot Springs. The entry deadline is Nov. 24. The winner receives use of any Kubota tractor for one year and their choice of a Kawasaki Mule or Honda 4x4 ATV. Those wishing to enter should contact their county Farm Bureau office or visit www.arfb.com/get-involved/ young_fr/discussion. Discussion questions and resources also can be found at this web address.

The Arkansas discussion meet winner also receives an expenses-paid trip to the AFBF convention to represent the state and compete in the national contest.

The winner will get their choice of a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado or 2014 GMC Sierra, and paid registration to the 2015 AFBF

UA Division of Agriculture faculty and the Cooperative Extension Service staff participated in a “Virtual Field Trip” from the Bono soybean farm of Shannon Davis (right) Sept. 30. The event was part of the Soybean Science Challenge sponsored by the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board and was broadcast to more than 400 students in 25 schools across the state.

Will Pohlman (center) from Prairie Grove recently was chosen to be a member of the 2015 National Beef Ambassador Team, along with (l to r) Kalyn McKibben (Oklahoma), Rachel Purdy (Wyoming), Alicia Smith (Texas) and Demi Snider (Ohio). Thirty contestants vied for a spot on this elite team of agriculture advocates funded by the American National CattleWomen.

Elsewhere “Farmland” on Hulu Academy Award-winning filmmaker James Moll’s feature-length documen-

ROBERT POTTER photo

At Lonoke Co. FB’s annual meeting Oct. 6, retiring Rep. Walls McCrary (left) was recognized for his commitment to agriculture and many years of dedicated service in the House of Representatives for District 14. Joining McCrary onstage at the Carlisle Civic Center were his wife Emma and Hal Hillman, treasurer and legislative committee member for Lonoke Co. FB.

KEITH SUTTON photo

tary, “Farmland,” is available to stream on the free, ad-supported Hulu and Hulu Plus subscription service. The show will be available exclusively on the platform through the end of October, allowing viewers to watch “Farmland” on their connected TVs, Blu-ray players, gaming consoles, laptops, tablets and mobile devices.

During its theatrical debut this year, “Farmland” was shown in more than 170 theaters across the United States. It will now be available digitally for the first time.

“Farmland” takes the viewer inside the world of farming for a firsthand glimpse into the lives of six young farmers and ranchers in their twenties. Through the personal stories of these people, viewers learn about their high-risk/high-reward jobs and passion for a way of life that has been passed down from generation to generation, yet continues to evolve.

“This is a film for anyone who eats,” said Moll. “It’s not what you’d expect. The world of farming is complex and often controversial, but the farmers themselves are some of the most hard-working and fascinating people I’ve ever met.”

“Farmland” was made with the support of the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance.

Check out the official trailer at farmlandfilm. com, and be sure to watch “Farmland” in its entirety on Hulu: www.hulu.com/farmland.

For the second year straight, Arkansas’ winter wheat farmers have set a state average yield record, getting 63 bushels per acre in 2014, one bushel per acre above the previous record, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service. Arkansas farmers harvested 395,000 acres of wheat, with total production at 24.89 million bushels, about 5 percent of the U.S. total.

FFA members hit all-time high FFA membership has experienced explosive growth throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands in the past year. Membership stands at an all-time high of 610,240 students, up from 579,678 in 2013. Membership increased by more than 30,500 during the 2013-14 school year. The number of new, local FFA chapters throughout the country grew to 7,665.

“FFA, through agricultural education, is preparing our youth to ensure the security of our country’s food, fiber and natural resources for years to come,” said Dr. Dwight Armstrong, CEO of the National FFA Organization. “Through real-world experiences, the nation’s agriculture teachers are helping students develop the technical knowledge, skills and problem-solving capabilities to be the industry’s leaders of tomorrow. FFA members will be tomorrow’s advocates for agriculture.”

USA Rice-DU conservation proposal On Oct. 1, the USA Rice Federation and Ducks Unlimited submitted their first national Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) proposal outlining the planning, design and installation of conservation practices on working rice lands across 380,000 acres.

Funding for the $33.7 million effort

includes $20 million from the National Resource Conservation Service and $13.7 million in matching funds from USA RiceDU Stewardship Partnership members.

“The participation both from companies and organizations that are part of the rice production supply chain and end users was significant,” said USA Rice President and CEO Betsy Ward. ”We appreciate the support of the 44 contributors to this effort and also want to thank those folks who worked tirelessly to put the RCPP proposal together.”

The RCPP, created in the 2014 Farm Bill, is a new conservation program under which qualified organizations may develop proposals that pair private contributions with existing federal conservation dollars and programs to create new conservation opportunities.

The USA Rice-DU plan is a unique, two-year proposal that preserves critical wildlife habitat and enhances water quality and irrigation efficiency while maintaining working rice lands on the landscape.

If approved by NCRS, the project will be offered in all rice producing counties in the six major rice producing states of Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas. Successful RCPP candidates will be notified the week of Nov. 17.

Editor Keith Sutton

keith.sutton@arfb.com

In the Market As of Oct. 17, 2014:

Crop prices up after bearish USDA report While last week’s U.S. Department of Agriculture report forecast larger production, the market has been on a technical rally this week. With most prices severely oversold, major crops have experienced strong gains over the past two weeks. Gains have been supported by wet weather that has slowed harvest in major growing areas and led to some concern about potential losses to yields this year. The question everyone is asking is, “Have the markets put in their harvest lows?

It is unlikely the market has already put in lows for this year. The report that came out Friday forecast corn stocks increasing to 2.081 billion bushels, up 845 million bushels from last year and 1.26 billion bushels from 2012-13. These sharp increases are the result of record yields this year, with corn yields currently forecast at 174.2 bushels per acre.

This yield pushed corn production to a record 14.475 billion bushels.

With ethanol demand plateauing due to the inability to blend higher than a 10-percent blend with gasoline, the corn market will need to find an additional demand market. While exports and feed demand have recovered from their 2012-13 lows, their increases are not enough to consume 14.475 billion bushels. Demand for corn this year will likely range between 13.6 and 13.9 billion bushels. USDA’s current forecast is 13.655 billion bushels. Demand could rise if export pace remains strong or if the rebuilding of the pig herd from PEDs occurs quicker than expected.

After seeing the lowest stocks estimate of modern time at 92 mil-

lion bushels in the September Stocks Report, the market saw little reaction from this low as it had its sight set on a bigger crop this year. In the report last week, the USDA forecast soybean yields at a record 47.1 bushels per acre nationally. While the yield pushed production closer to 4 billion bushels, stocks for this year declined after beginning stocks were decreased by 38 million bushels after the September report. While stocks were forecast lower, they are still forecast to be 358 million bushels higher than last year. Not only are stocks building in the U.S., but they are also building internationally. With large crops forecast in Brazil and Argentina, global soybean stocks are forecast to rise 24.28 million metric tons in 2014-15. This is a 36.3-percent increase year to year, as stocks-to-use is forecast to rise from 24.5 percent in 2013-14 to 31.8 percent in 2014-15. It remains likely that soybean prices could move sharply lower in the near future and again test support near $9. These recent gains should quickly evaporate as the weather improves and harvest reports again talk about strong yields.

Cattle prices remain volatile, fundamentals strong Cattle prices again look as though they may have put in a new top near $166. However, we have seen this market put in new highs every month since June. With each of these highs, the market sees a big sell-off, only to recover a couple of weeks later and put in new contract highs again. With no change in the fundamental picture and continued

strong cash prices, these losses are likely to turn around in the coming weeks. Cattle prices will continue to see losses limited as herd supplies remain at 60-year lows and high prices are preventing significant herd rebuilding.

USDA must comply with coming COOL ruling Officials from two major U.S. business groups are urging Congress to direct the secretary of agriculture to stand ready to rescind parts of the controversial country-of-origin meat labeling (COOL) rules before they trigger retaliatory trade measures from other countries. “We respectfully submit that it is essential that the U.S. government assure that there will be no period of knowing noncompliance with international trade obligations,” Aric Newhouse, senior vice president for the National Association of Manufacturers, and R. Bruce Josten, executive vice president for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, told Congress in an Oct. 14 letter. They said if the World Trade Organization (WTO) finds the latest U.S. version of COOL rules violates the U.S.’s international obligations as alleged by Canada and Mexico, then those countries — the U.S.’s two largest trading partners — could impose retaliatory trade sanctions before Congress is able to amend the relevant statute. Even the threat of such sanctions could lead to the loss of export markets by U.S. businesses, and it could take years to recover, they said. A WTO ruling on the COOL case is expected to be made public on or around Oct. 20.

CONTACT • Matt King 501-228-1297, matt.king@arfb.com.

2014 ARKANSAS STATE FAIR & LIVESTOCK SHOW

T

he 75th State Fair & Livestock Show kicked off Oct. 10 at the state fairgrounds in Little Rock. Arkansas Farm Bureau and agriculture were once again well represented at the annual festivities. Take a look at some of the people and events that made the 10-day event very special.

• photos by KEITH SUTTON •

Fourteen-year-old MacKenzie Morrison of Mountain Home showed the Grand Champion Market Steer. MacKenzie, a member of the Mountain Home 4-H and FFA, is the daughter of Blake and Tracy Morrison.

Above: Arkansas Farm Bureau’s booth in the Hall of Industry was a popular visiting place for many fair-goers, including this young man who stopped by to milk the Farm Bureau cow. Above right: A walk through the livestock area allowed visitors to see all sorts of farm animals, including this Angora rabbit Right: Stephanie Williams of Searcy won the Best of Show award in ArFB’s Rice Cooking Contest for her Creamy Rice and Beef Vegetable Soup recipe.

Right: Fourteenyear-old Madison McAllister of Ashdown showed the Grand Champion Pen of Broilers.

Madison is a member of the Ashdown FFA. Bottom right: Visitors to Farm Bureau’s Arts and Crafts Building saw dozens of winning entries in the photography contest.

Above: Judge Kandy Schminke of Van Horn, Iowa, critiqued the finalists in the Market Lamb competition. Expert judges from throughout the U.S. are important to the livestock show’s success.

Farm Bureau Press Insert — Vol.17 No.20

Right: Several members of ArFB’s board of directors, including (front row) Allen Stewart, Johnny Loftin and Randy Veach, were among the bidders at Friday’s Sale of Champions.

Far right: Seventeenyear-old Kinsey Watkins of Guy exhibited the Grand Champion Market Lamb at the Junior Livestock Auction. Vice President Rich Hillman purchased the animal for ArFB.

2014 S TAT E FA I R

Left: The Grand Champion Single Fryer Rabbit was shown by 11-year-old Brandon Beck of Greenbrier. Above: Arkansas Farm Bureau State Women’s Committee members served as judges for ArFB’s Rice Cooking Contest. Left to right: Janice Marsh, Angela Jones, Donna Bemis, Roberta Golmon, Sue Billiot and Sherry Felts.

Eleven-year-old Colby Daniell of Arkadelphia was named the Arkansas 4-H State Giant Watermelon Growing Champion for the second year in a row. His watermelon weighed 108 pounds.

Above: Fair food favorites included everything from fried peeps and peaches to quail lollipops and red velvet funnel cakes.

Farm Bureau Press Insert — Vol.17 No.20