In Farm Bureau ArFB promotes Wood Autumn Wood of Cabot has been promoted to membership marketing specialist at Arkansas Farm Bureau, where she will be responsible for managing and expanding marketing strategies to promote membership development. Wood’s new duties also include assisting with the Wood coordination of county membership drives and developing a marketing plan to promote ArFB’s ValuePlus and SavingsPlus member benefits programs. Wood began her career at ArFB in April 1999 as a district claims manager assistant with the insurance companies. She assumed the position of Organization and Member Programs (OMP) assistant within ArFB in November 2009. In that role she provided support for the vice president
Taylor McNeel (left) of Vilonia was elected president of the National FFA Organization Oct. 31 at the 88th National FFA Convention and Expo. In her new role, the junior agriculture business student at Southern Arkansas University, will travel more than 100,000 miles this year to interact with FFA members, teachers, business leaders, government officials and others. McNeel won the 2014 State Collegiate Farm Bureau Discussion Meet and was president of Arkansas FFA. and director of OMP. A native of Hazen, Wood attended the ESS College of Business and the Executive Secretarial School in Dallas and graduated with an associate degree in 1996. OMP Vice President Chuck Tucker said Wood has demonstrated an enthusiasm and special skillset in promoting the organization’s member benefits programs. “Autumn will provide fresh energy to Farm Bureau’s ValuePlus and SavingsPlus member benefits programs,” he said.
Congressman Bruce Westerman visited Derek and Carlee Helms’ dairy farm in Clark County Nov. 12. Derek discussed his dairy and row crop farm and shared some of the challenges of being a dairy farmer when there are few dairies in the state. Derek also sells deer corn to individuals in the community, and managed to sell a few to the congressman before he left.
FFA photo
www.arfb.com
In Arkansas $10,000 given to veterans’ program The Farm Credit cooperatives of Arkansas have donated $10,000 to the Arkansas Homegrown by Heroes program in support of Arkansas veterans. Arkansas has adopted the national Homegrown by Heroes branding program that enables farmer veterans to market their local agricultural products by labeling them as veteran-produced.
STEVE EDDINGTON photo
A Publication of Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation
November 20, 2015 • Vol. 18, No. 22
Gov. Asa Hutchinson declared November to be Arkansas Soybean Month to recognize and honor the impact the soybean industry has on our state. In the 2015 growing season, Arkansas farmers harvested 160 million bushels of soybeans worth $2 billion, which secured the state’s rank as 10th in the nation in soybean production. ered, including bee hives and equipment, honeybee biology and behavior, seasonal colony management and more. In addition to learning how to harvest honey and beeswax, participants will learn about relevant laws governing beekeeping in Arkansas. The course is open to everyone, and no prior experience with bees is necessary. “Because there is a lot of information to absorb, participants should plan to attend all three class sessions,” Zawislak said. “Each week, we’ll build on what we have
Beekeeping classes offered Arkansans who want to learn beekeeping are invited to attend free classes upcoming in Springdale and Monticello. The Complete Beekeeping Short Course will be taught one evening a week for three consecutive weeks by Jon Zawislak, extension apiculturist for the University of Arkansas. A wide range of topics will be cov-
KEN MOORE photo
KEITH SUTTON photo
CLAY CO. FB photo
KEITH SUTTON photo
The program was formally launched by Gov. Asa Hutchinson in July and is administered by the Arkansas Agriculture Department. Farm Credit’s gift will assist with participant signage, product stickers and promotion of the program among Arkansas veterans. “Farm Credit appreciates the service and commitment made by military members and is proud to support the Homegrown by Heroes program in our state,” said CEO Greg Cole of AgHeritage Farm Credit Services. “According to the Farmer Veteran Coalition, only 16 percent of America’s population lives in rural areas, yet 40 percent of the men and women serving in the U.S. military come from rural communities. There’s a connection between veterans and farming, and Farm Credit hopes the Homegrown by Heroes program provides Arkansas farmer veterans with an advantage in the marketplace.”
The ArFB State Resolutions Committee met Nov. 4-5 in North Little Rock to consolidate county policy proposals into formal recommendations for consideration by voting delegates at next month’s state convention. The committee is made up of 76 county and state Farm Bureau leaders. ArFB Vice President Rich Hillman, pictured here, led the meeting’s general session.
Carlos Alatriste at Edwards Food Giant in Little Rock stocks turkeys for sale this holiday season. This year’s average price of frozen turkey is $1.09 per pound, down from $1.13 last year, according to Farm Bureau’s price survey of classic items found on Thanksgiving dinner tables. Turkey supplies remain good despite a bird flu outbreak that killed 8 million turkeys last winter.
Clay County Farm Bureau’s board of directors recently voted to donate $2,500 to help purchase grain bin extrication equipment for the county’s Rescue Task Force. Agency manager Cliff Gifford (right) presented the check to Jeff Wolfenbarger, president of the Clay County Emergency Task Force. learned in the previous classes.” The Springdale course will next be held at the Northwest Technical Institute, 709 Old Missouri Road. The class will meet from 6-9 p.m. Jan. 25, Feb. 1 and Feb. 8. The Monticello course will be at the UAM Agriculture Building at the corner of Scrogin Drive and Stadium Drive. The class will meet 6-9 p.m. Feb. 15, 22 and 29. The courses are free, but participants must register for each. To attend the Springdale course, contact the Washington County Cooperative Extension Office at 479-444-1755. To attend the Monticello course, contact the Drew County Cooperative Extension Office at 870-460-6270. New Polk County 4-H home For Polk County’s 4-H supporters, a happy ending has provided a new beginning. In October, more than 100 friends of 4-H and its parent organization, the Cooperative Extension Service, took part in a dedication of a new 4-H building standing on the site where a tornado ripped the old one down in 2009. The building lay in ruins for two years before the community could afford the first steps toward rebuilding. “After five years of volunteer labor, donations, grants and lots of blood, sweat and tears, the Polk County Extension Educational Center opened its doors,” said Carla Vaught, Polk County extension staff chair. Rebuilding began in 2010 with assistance from the New York Says Thank You
Elsewhere
BRYAN PISTOLE photo
New game teaches about pollinators “The Buzz,” a new interactive educational game, was just released by the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture. Available on the My American Farm educational site (myamericanfarm.org), the free game allows children to explore pollinator habitats and teaches them to correctly label the parts of a bee and butterfly. The game was developed for kindergarten through second-grade
At North Logan Co. FB’s annual meeting in Subiaco last month, Joe Siebenmorgan (second from left) of Scranton was recognized for 60 years of dedicated service to the county and Arkansas Farm Bureau. A plaque was presented by (left to right) agency manager Keith Eichenberger, Vice President Joe Don Koenigseder and President Johnny Spellins.
LINCOLN FFA photo
organization from New York City. The relief organization was on the ground to help the city rebuild, in addition to the giving the 4-H building a kick-start. Funds to build and furnish the building were donated. The only public money used was $20,000 of general improvement funds through state Rep. Nate Bell of Mena by way of Western Arkansas Planning and Development. “More than $115,000 was raised for the effort,” Vaught said. “Many hours of labor and supplies were donated by local craftsmen.” The education center will offer classroom space for all program areas covered by the Polk County Extension Service. It includes a full demonstration kitchen, table seating for 60 people and theater seating for up to 100.
They’re working together to feed less-fortunate Arkansans during Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Lincoln FFA chapter in Washington County posted this photo on its Facebook page Nov. 16 with a message that said, “Thank you to Washington County Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers for donating food to our holiday food drive!” students. The Buzz players travel to Pollinatorville and discover the important role bees and butterflies play in food production through a series of educational and fun challenges. Players sort items to identify which pollinators live, work and eat in various areas. The Buzz can be played in the classroom or at home. A supporting lesson plan, My Butterfly Book, will help young readers explore the pollination process as they develop their own book. An activity sheet, Build a Pollinator, is also available. Strawberry initiative boosts industry Strawberry production in the U.S. is getting a significant boost thanks to two years of work by agricultural research and extension personnel who teamed up with growers across the nation to explore new ways to invigorate the industry. The results are available in a 36-page e-book, Success in the Field: Accomplishments of Phase II of the National Strawberry Sustainability Initiative 2014-2015, a PDF available for free downloading at strawberry.uark.edu. The e-book covers the second phase of the National Strawberry Sustainability Initiative, which began in 2013 as a public-private partnership. The NSSI was comprised of 26 projects in 13 states with the support of $4 million in grants from the Walmart Foundation. The program
was managed nationally by the Center for Agricultural and Rural Sustainability of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “As growers have observed, learned, tested, adapted and implemented production information and technology provided by the NSSI and its 26 projects, a change has begun to ripple throughout the strawberry industry,” said Curt Rom, a UA horticulture professor who directed the strawberry initiative. “The impact of the NSSI has been strong and immediate. The outcomes of this program will be felt for years to come.” Part of the initiative, “Growing Strawberries: A Public-Private Partnership,” addressed the growing interest in revitalizing the fruit industry in Arkansas, especially strawberry production in Washington and Boone counties. The project used a unique public-private partnership between the Division of Agriculture in Fayetteville, North Arkansas College in Harrison and strawberry growers in both counties. This project equipped farmers with the technology and information needed to grow strawberries smarter and enabled extension agents and educators to continue to inform future growers about sustainable strawberry production in Arkansas and the surrounding area. Editor Keith Sutton
keith.sutton@arfb.com
In the Market As of November 17, 2015 Soybean prices remain near lows After a bearish U.S. Department of Agriculture supply-and-demand report on Nov. 10, soybeans are stuck near the bottom of their recent trading range. With the U.S. production outlook improving and export sales remaining slow, it has been difficult finding support for higher prices. There remains some optimism for higher prices, but it could take some time for markets to recover given the current situation. Soybean prices remain vulnerable, as the market faces pressure from numerous fronts: uncertainty surrounding China, weak overall U.S. export sales and large South American production. All these factors could impact U.S. soybean prices not only this year but also for the 2016-17 crop. One of the biggest factors to watch this fall will be U.S. soybean exports. Exports account for almost half the total soybean use in the U.S., and more than half of all U.S. soybean exports are destined for China. That means every fourth row of soybeans produced in the U.S. will be used in China. You might remember earlier this fall the stock market saw sharp losses following turmoil in China’s stock market. Those markets have recovered, but there remains concern as to whether Chinese policy changes will continue to support the market longer term. So far in this marketing year, actual U.S. exports to China are up 6.9 percent from where they were this time last year. However, total commitments, sales plus exports, are down 30 percent from year-ago levels. This is concerning because, historically, after the first of November, China soybean sales begin to slow and by March become virtually non-existent. This means sales to China will need to strengthen between now and the end of the year
if the U.S. is to reach its current export forecast. Overall, the USDA is expecting exports to strengthen in the coming months as they increased the export forecast some 40 million bushels in this month’s supply-and-demand report. This will be challenging for the U.S. to reach because total commitments as a share of the forecast are at their lowest level since 2011. Currently, total commitments account for 62 percent of the export forecast compared to the last three years, which ranged from 73 to 76 percent. With the current weakening in prices, exports should begin to strengthen. Watch for reports of large sales in coming days as these may cause rallies in the market and pricing opportunities for producers. Moreover, if reports fail to meet expectations, prices are likely to fall below support at $8.50. The importance of large export sales over the next couple of weeks can’t be overstated as they are necessary for prices to hold current support levels. As the dollar continues to strengthen and Brazil is forecast for another record crop, the U.S. will need to get additional export sales before the South American harvest begins in February. Over the past five years, the U.S. has seen its global market share erode as Brazil has taken over as the largest exporter of soybeans in the world. One of the biggest challenges facing the soybean market from a price perspective in the near term is the near record amount of soybeans Brazil is forecast to use between October and January. During this four-month period, the USDA forecasts Brazil will use some 17.4 million MT of soybeans. This is up 3 million MT from last year and the second highest use on record. Given Brazil’s reported soybean crush yearto-date, most of this use, 16.7 million MT, should go to crush, which would be a record amount for the last four months of the year. Assuming this level of crush, Brazil soybean exports would be just 700,000 MT over the period, down 75 percent from last year and 80 percent from the five-year average. It
is unlikely Brazil will crush this many soybeans. Since the beginning of this year, Brazil reports crush down 12.4 percent from last year. It is more likely Brazil’s soybean exports will be stronger than currently forecast, and stocks will be higher at the end of the year. Both scenarios would be bearish for soybean prices. Overall, in the short term, the soybean market will hinge on U.S. exports. If export sales strengthen in the coming weeks, prices should see marginal strength. Longer term, everything will hinge on Brazil, size of production and export competition. With the current supply prospects and global demand, soybeans are likely to stay in their recent trading range between $8.50 and $8.75. For prices to make a run back at resistance near $9, which should be considered a good price for soybeans, there will need to be issues with the Brazilian crop or major strengthening in China demand. At the same time, if China demand shows signs of weakening, the bottom could quickly fall out of this market. South Africa, U.S. sign veterinary protocol on poultry trade South African officials say they have signed a veterinary protocol agreement with the U.S., which will allow the U.S. to resume shipments of 65,000 MT of poultry per year. The lingering issue has increased in focus after the U.S. warned South Africa it would suspend the country’s benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act Dec. 31 unless the trade frictions between the two were resolved. South African officials also said the two sides are on track to resolve beef and pork trade issues.
CONTACT • Matt King 501-228-1297, matt.king@arfb.com.