Farm Bureau Press - December 7, 2012

In Farm Bureau

ArFB re-elects officers, board During the Nov. 30 business session of Arkansas Farm Bureau’s 78th Annual Convention,voting delegates from across the state re-elected Randy Veach of Manila (Mississippi Co.) and Rich Hillman of Carlisle (Lonoke Co.) to fifth terms as president and vice president, respectively.

Veach, 62, is ArFB’s tenth president since its creation in 1935. He farms cotton, soybeans, rice, wheat, corn and milo in the community of Lost Cane near Manila. He is a thirdgeneration farmer and farms with his son Brandon. His wife’s name is Thelma.

“I’m honored to continue serving this organization,” Veach said. “The office of president is a position of service, and I’m humbled by the opportunity to serve the people in the agricultural community. They are one of the great strengths of this state.”

Hillman, 49, is a fifth-generation

Those who attended ArFB’s annual convention in Hot Springs, including Vice President Rich Hillman (center) and President Randy Veach (right), enjoyed an inspirational medley of patriotic tunes sung by keynote speaker LaDonna Gatlin, sister of the legendary Gatlin Brothers and a Speaker’s Hall of Fame inductee. For more highlights from this year’s convention, see the special insert inside.

farmer. His main crops are rice, soybeans and wheat. He and his wife Tina have two children, Collin and Caroline.

“I’m appreciative Farm Bureau members saw fit to allow me to continue serving as vice president of this great organization,” he said.

Board action later resulted in the re-election of Tom Jones of Pottsville (Pope Co.) to a fourth term as State Rep. Jeremy Gillam (right) of Judsonia received this year’s Stanley E. Reed Leadership Award at the state convention Nov. 29. It was presented by ArFB President Randy Veach and Charlene Reed, widow of the late FB leader and award namesake.

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secretary/treasurer. Jones is a cattle and hay producer. His wife Jayne is vice president of development at Arkansas Tech University.

The voting delegates also re-elected seven board members to two-year terms. They include Joe Christian, Jonesboro (Craighead Co.); Terry Dabbs, Stuttgart (Arkansas Co.); Tom Jones, Pottsville (Pope Co.); Johnny Loftin, El Dorado (Union Co.);

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A Publication of Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation

December 7, 2012 • Vol. 15, No. 22

Stone is top Farm Bureau county Stone County is the state’s top county Farm Bureau organization.

ArFB President Randy Veach presented the President’s Award Nov. 29 to Stone Co. Farm Bureau President Leo Sutterfield at the state convention.

“Our county did a great job, and I’m proud of the leadership. It was a team effort,” Sutterfield said.

Counties competing for the President’s Award must earn a Gold Star in each of 10 categories and be a top scorer in their respective membership category. The 10 Gold Star categories are membership acquisition, organization, public relations, commodity services, governmental affairs, women’s and Young Farmers & Ranchers activities, member services, safety and youth.

The other finalists for the President’s Award were Cross,

Pike Co. FB board members posed for a photo at a recent meeting after learning Pike County was first in the state to meet its membership quota. Congratulations to all who helped the county reach this important annual milestone.

English teacher Andrea Crowell (right) of Shirley encouraged her seventh- and eighth-grade students to enter Van Buren Co. FB’s Ag in the Classroom essay contest. (From left) Matthew Paulin, Brayden Prater and Benton Berry won first, second and third place respectively.

Jackson, Independence and Benton counties.

information about each text, a suggested implementation plan and a scoring rubric for a final project.

To purchase, visit www.agfoundation. org.

New AFBFA curriculum The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has released “Feeding Minds – Cultivating Growth,” an educator resource that teaches young people to care for others, build healthy relationships and learn from their elders while living vicariously through the narratives of young farmers and ranchers. The guide is a turn-key resource for middle school teachers that includes standards-based lesson plans, take-home enrichment activities, supporting handouts, summarizing

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VAN BUREN CO FB photo

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Rusty Smith, Des Arc (Prairie Co.); Allen Stewart, Mena (Polk Co.); and Leo Sutterfield, Mt. View (Stone Co.).

Voting delegates also addressed a wide range of policy issues, including positions on environmental regulation, agricultural research, taxes, elected terms for county officials, private property rights, eminent domain and the upcoming farm bill.

Kaylie Stone of Gurdon received seven awards from ArFB President Randy Veach at the Arkansas Purple Circle Club recognition program Nov. 3 in Little Rock. Through the program, ArFB recognized 107 youngsters for exhibiting grand champion animals at the state fair.

Arkansas native and NFL great Keith Jackson was keynote speaker at the FFA Leadership Conference in Harrison on Nov. 14. In an inspiring talk, the 1996 Super Bowl champion challenged the 175 FFA members who attended to remember, “Now is your time.”

In Arkansas UofA joins Food Recovery Challenge The University of Arkansas is partnering with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reduce food waste as part of EPA’s national Food Recovery Challenge.

Universities in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Louisiana also are participating.

The goals of this voluntary program are to limit the 34 million tons of food wasted nationwide annually by reducing unnecessary consumption and increasing composting and donations to charity. By joining the Food Recovery Challenge, participating schools pledge to reduce food waste by 5 percent in one year. All universities are invited to join. For more information, visit www.epa.gov/ foodrecoverychallenge/.

Siebenmorgen: Friend of Farmers Terry Siebenmorgen, University Professor of Food Science and director of UofA’s Rice Processing Program, is the recipient of the Riceland Foods 2012 Friend of the Farmer award.

The presentation was made at the cooperative’s 92nd annual meeting in Stuttgart on Nov. 15.

Farm to School grants awarded The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded $4.6 million in inaugural Farm to School grants for 68 projects, spanning 37 states and the District of Columbia, to connect school cafeterias with local agricultural producers. Two Arkansas school systems — Fayetteville School District #1 and Lawrence County School District — are among the grant recipients.

The grants, administered

by USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service, will serve more than 3,200 schools and 1.75 million students, nearly half of whom live in rural communities. The money will help schools respond to the growing demand for locally sourced foods and increase market opportunities for producers and food businesses, including food processors,

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Siebenmorgen has worked in the field of rice research throughout his almost 30-year career, with an emphasis Siebenmorgen on how growing environment, drying, storage, processing and transportation affect rice quality.

His initiative led to the establishment of UofA’s Rice Processing Program, funded primarily by contributions from the industry.

In a ceremony at the state capitol on Nov. 1, Gov. Mike Beebe proclaimed November to be Arkansas Soybean Month. Attending were (l to r) Shannon Davis, Rusty Smith, Gary Sitzer, Keith Watkins, Gov. Beebe, Jim Carroll, Todd Allen, Thad Freeland and Wes Higginbotham. manufacturers and distributors.

Grants also will be used to support agriculture and nutrition education efforts, such as school gardens, field trips to local farms and cooking classes.

“When schools buy food from nearby producers, their purchasing power helps create local jobs and economic benefits, particularly in rural agricultural communities,” USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan said. “Evidence also suggests that when kids understand more about where food comes from and how it is produced, they are more likely to make healthy eating choices.”

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Elsewhere

Cody Gray of Hempstead Co. took first place in the 2012 YF&R Discussion Meet at ArFB’s annual convention. Gray, a vo-ag teacher for Emerson-Taylor Schools, won a Kawasaki 500 Mule and the use of a Kubota tractor for one year.

New smartphone app A new app developed by the United Soybean Board includes two calculators that help farmers plan for their next crop. One helps users determine whether the yield benefits of various input combinations justify the costs. The other uses the main maturity rates for a farmer’s region, the cost of soybean seed and an estimated price of the soybeans at the time of sale to determine an optimal seeding rate based on a percentage of return.

“This is a really easy way for farmers to get an idea about seeding rates for soybeans based on both the

cost of the seed and the price of the harvested grain,” said Seth Naeve, associate professor of agronomy and plant genetics at the University of Minnesota. “It’s a way for them to utilize that information together to provide them with a numerical suggestion for seeding rates.”

The Extreme Beans app is available for Apple iPhone and Android-enabled smartphones and other devices. Farmers can easily find it in their device’s app store by simply searching for the title.

Scientists map genome hog Scientists have mapped the domestic pig’s entire genome in a project that could enhance the animal’s use.

A study published in science journal Nature identified genes that could be linked with illnesses suffered by farmed pigs, providing a reference tool for selective breeding to increase their resistance to disease.

“This analysis helps understand the genetic mechanisms that enable high-quality pork production, feed efficiency and resistance to disease,” said Sonny Ramaswany, director of USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

“This knowledge can ultimately help producers breed high-quality swine, lower production costs and improve sustainability.”

Editor Keith Sutton

keith.sutton@arfb.com

In the Market As of Dec. 4, 2012:  Soybeans are in the midst of a

two-week rally, but it is questionable whether it will continue. South American weather and the ongoing Washington saga are counterbalance as traders are reluctant to go full bore with the “fiscal cliff” scenario hanging over their heads. Strong Chinese demand through the first quarter of 2013 should limit downside. China has been pursuing vegetable oil, which has sent palm oil higher while boosting soy oil.

South American weather is keeping the market anxious about crop prospects, which is also supportive.

Old crop January has hit resistance near $14.60, with an additional layer between $14.86 and $15.00.

November 2013 reached last month’s breakout level at $13.20 and could move higher at some point as the soybean/corn price ratio remains favorable to corn at 2.06. Pulling additional acreage to soybeans means price must rise relative to corn.  Corn rallied to resistance above

$7.60, but hasn’t had enough export demand to push through to the next level at $7.75. While Brazil’s old crop corn supplies were supposedly dwindling, they have maintained strong sales, and it appears this could continue through January 2013. On the opposite side of the corn, wet weather continues to hinder planting and crop development in Argentina.

This could push additional acreage toward soybeans. Technically, March futures remain in a sideward band with support at $7.10 to $7.15.

A close outside the band would indicate further movement in the direction of the breakout. New crop December is trading the same pattern, with resistance around $6.40 to $6.45 and support from $6.00 to $6.05.  2013 July Wheat continues

to make runs to the upside but

has been unable to move above resistance at $9.00. Fresh export demand from Egypt gave the market its latest push. That was amplified by the worsening crop conditions in the hard red wheat Plains area.

Upside potential is being limited by the ongoing “fiscal cliff” situation in Washington and an uncompetitive price. While the market could move higher, producers should consider initiating 2013 crop pricing with July above $8.75.  Cotton exports have provided

a boost, lifting price to the highest level in more than a month. Exports have exceeded 250,000 bales for the last four weeks. However, each upturn in the market turns the demand off. It now appears buyers back away when futures exceed 74 cents, with many traders suggesting 70 to 72 cents as the commercial buying level. As indicated previously, 80 million bales plus of stocks will limit upside potential, and it will take more than one year to correct this situation. 2013 planted acreage will decline with some areas, like the U.S., making big cuts; others will be slower to adjust. China continues to support its growers at a high level, which is essentially pushing mills to manmade fibers that are priced at about half the price of cotton.  January Rice futures extended the

recent upturn to resistance at $15.55 before losing momentum. China appears to be in a rice buying mood as they look to rebuild depleted stocks. (Sounds a little like what happened in cotton.) Thailand is supposedly working on a deal with China. Thailand has the supply, and if it works, China has the demand. Here in the U.S., mills are running at full capacity and growers are reluctant sellers. Technically, January futures have retracement objectives at $15.59 and $15.82.  Cattle. Live cattle futures have

retreated from recent highs and taken about $3 off the market.

Available supplies of marketready animals are sharply higher with show lists indicating a

40,000-animal increase over last week. Packers will use this as an opportunity to reduce bids and help their negative cutout margins. Feeder cattle futures are consolidating in an increasingly narrow range, with the first level of support at $144.25 and resistance just below $148.00.  Hog futures appear to be topping.

February recently set a new contract high at $88.25 and has since taken more than $2 off the market, charting a huge bearish reversal Dec. 3. Lower slaughter weights are a positive, but rapidly declining packer margins will likely have an impact on cash bids in the coming weeks.  Dairy. The uniform price in Federal Order 6 was $22.35 per hundredweight of milk at 3.5 percent butterfat for October.

This is $1.48 higher than the previous month and $0.56 per hundredweight higher compared with Oct. 2011. The announced price for Dec. Class I is $25.19, Class II is $12.67, and Class III is $14.63. Price for is up slightly, but lower input costs have not trickled down to the producer level. Class I utilization was 75.05 percent in Oct., 5.19 percent higher compared Sept. 2012 and 8.42 percent above Oct. 2011. The USDA estimates total U.S. milk production this Sept. was 15.71 billion pounds, a decrease of 0.5 percent from Sept. 2011 and a decrease of 1.2 percent compared with Aug. 2012. Total cheese output was 871 million pounds. Butter production was 136 million pounds.

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.

The 78th

ANNUAL ARFB CONVENTION

T

he 78th Annual Convention of Arkansas Farm Bureau took place Nov. 28-30 at the Hot Springs Convention Center. More than 1,100 members showed up to attend educational conferences, hear from noted speakers and determine Farm Bureau’s position on issues important to agriculture and rural Arkansas.

The conference was centered on the theme “Seeds of Change.” photos by Keith Sutton and Chris Wilson

Sara Loe of Hot Springs and fellow members of the President’s Leadership Council, Derek Helms and Matt Marsh, discussed the importance of involving new young leaders in Farm Bureau during the Nov. 29 general session.

Dan and Mikki Hosman of Jonesboro pose with their sons Cade, Hudson, Rhett and Wyn in the 2013 Chevy Silverado 1500 crew cab, 4X4 LTZ pickup they received as the Young Farmers & Ranchers Achievement Award winners. At top right, Leo Sutterfield, president of Stone Co. FB, accepts the President’s Award from Veach. At right, Victoria Maloch of Magnolia was one of 17 competitors in the YF&R Discussion Meet.

Meredith Williams of Searcy, Miss Arkansas Rice and president of Arkansas 4-H, sang several songs during the opening session of the convention.

Gov. Mike Beebe spoke to the 78th ArFB state convention, thanking ArFB leaders for a supportive relationship and saying, “There is a chemistry that exists between Farm Bureau and me.”

Farm Bureau Press Insert — Vol. 15, No. 22

Briana (left) and Caleb Plyler of Hope won the 2012 YF&R Excellence in Agriculture Award, which included a John Deere riding lawnmower presented by John Deere’s Andrew Week.

Cassie Davis of Prairie Grove accepted the Outstanding County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee award from ArFB President Randy Veach on behalf of Washington County, which earned the recognition for the fifth consecutive year.

78t h ANNUAL ARFB CONVENTION

Seen here presiding over the Nov. 30 business session, Randy Veach (left) and Rich Hillman (right) were re-elected to fifth terms as president and vice president, respectively, of ArFB. Tom Jones (second from right) was elected secretary/treasurer.

Above, Roseanne Stitcher (left) of Cave City and Renea Foster of Viola were named Sweepstakes Winners in ArFB’s Sew with Cotton Competition. They each took home $400 and a Husquvarna serger sewing machine for their achievements.

At left, Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Butch Calhoun addressed Farm Bureau members, discussing his office’s efforts to assist farmers and ranchers during this year’s drought.

At bottom left, President Veach treated the crowd to a Christmas carol sung with special guest LaDonna Gatlin.

Farm Bureau Press Insert — Vol. 15, No. 22