Farm Bureau Press for May 4

In Farm Bureau YF&R award finalists named The finalists in Arkansas Farm Bureau’s annual Young Farmer and Rancher Achievement Award and Excellence in Agriculture Award have been announced.

The awards honor young farmers and ranchers between the ages of 18-35 for the general excellence of their operations, their hard work and innovation.

The Young Farmers & Ranchers Achievement Award recognizes young farmers and ranchers in Arkansas who have excelled in their farming/ranching operations and exhibited outstanding leadership abilities. The award is designed for an individual or couple involved full-time in production agriculture with a majority of their income subject to normal production risks.

Achievement Award finalists: • David and Brittany Carwell of Cherry Valley (Cross County). The Carwells own B & D Land and Cattle, LLC., a beef cattle operation with 45 cow/ calf pairs. They also have B & D Genetics, LLC., a full service ruminant

ArFB President Randy Veach presented service awards to the member service representatives of Farm Bureau at the 2018 MSR Conference. Service awards were given for a range of five to 38 years of dedicated work to ArFB. Catherine Storz of the Jefferson Co. Farm Bureau Office was presented with an for 38 years of service at Farm Bureau. Storz was also presented with a Farm Bureau necklace. reproduction company, and Delta Livestock Diagnostics, Inc., which offers diagnostic testing for livestock producers nationwide.

• Chase and Krystal Groves of Garland City (Miller County). The Groves are involved in several agriculture businesses. They have a cattle operation and a custom fertilizer application and custom hay baling business. Chase is a founding member and owner of a genetics marketing company known as New Day Genetics. They have two children, Gentry and Cash.

• Tyler and Randi McDonald of Lewisville April 26 was Farm Friends Day at the Pauline Whitaker Animal Science Center at the University of Arkansas. More than 2,000 elementary school students and the general public attended the event. Washington Co. Farm Bureau members were a major part of the 160 volunteers teaching about the role ag plays in everyday life and how food is raised on the farm.

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(Lafayette County). The McDonalds have a poultry production business, a custom hay and sprigging operation, raise purebred Angus and commercial cattle and grow commercial pecans. They have three children.

The winner will receive a $35,000 cash prize and a trip in January to the 100th American Farm Bureau Convention in New Orleans to compete for the national award. The two runners-up will receive $5,000.

The Excellence in Agriculture Award recognizes young farmers and ranchers who actively contribute to and grow

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A Publication of Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation

May 4, 2018 • Vol. 21, No. 9

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KEN MOORE photo

Tucked away off highway 82 just east of the Texarkana city limits is Tom and Shannon Olson’s Turkey Creek Ranch, where you’ll find one of Arkansas’ more unique livestock herds, water buffalo. Find out why the Olsons chose these unique animals and see what local students are learning about them, bit.ly/olsonswb.

In Arkansas Farm Families of the Year named County winners for the 71st annual Arkansas Farm Family of the Year Program have been selected. The county winners will be visited by a set of judges to determine the eight district winners, to be announced June 20. They will be visited again by a different set of judges in July to determine a state winner, which will be announced Dec. 6 at the Farm Family of

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through their involvement in agriculture and Farm Bureau. The award is designed for an individual or couple who do not earn the majority of their income through farming.

Excellence in Agriculture finalists: • Tyler E. Davis of Ashdown (Little River County). Davis, market president for Diamond Bank, grew up on a cattle and row-crop farm in Little River County.

He operates a purebred Charolais and commercial cattle farm and raises show pigs for sale.

• Michael and Lauren Lee of Conway (Faulkner County). The Lee’s cattle business is a cow/calf operation that focuses on marketing beef directly to the consumer. Lauren is a financial consultant and Michael manages his family’s farm. They have two children, Mary Elliott and Adelaide Grace.

• Jared and Michelle Pass of Hartford (Crawford County). The Pass family owns and operates Pass Farms and Mountain View Ranch, a 200-acre farm where they raise cattle horses, chickens, goats and grow hay. Jared is a production supervisor for Simmons Foods and Michelle is a licensed therapist. They have two sons, Brody and Blaine, and one daughter, Bristol.

The winners of the state awards will be announced at the organization’s annual Officers & Leaders Conference at the Embassy Suites in Rogers, July 23-24.

Around 80 Young Farmers and Ranchers, and their children from six counties in southwest Arkansas enjoyed food, fellowship and fun April 27 at a Crawfish Boil at Jeremy and Traci Kitchens ranch near Lewisville in Lafayette County. The family activity continues to increase in number and has become an annual event.

Emily Bemis (left) with Pulaski Co. Farm Bureau introduced firstgraders at Daisy Bates Elementary in Little Rock to the organization’s new Book Barn. Loaded with dozens of books about farming and food. The Book Barn will travel to different Pulaski Co. schools. It was made possible by a grant from the Arkansas Farm Bureau Foundation.

Members of the Union Co. Water Conservation Board, local legislators and others involved in a program from 1997-2008 to save the sparta aquifer by using the Ouachita River were recognized by Gov. Asa Hutchinson and the Department of Environmental Quality as a finalist for ADEQ’s 2018 ENVY award for conservation and environmental stewardship. the Year luncheon in North Little Rock.

The county winners are: East Central District: Lee – Mark Hurt, Marianna; Lonoke – Isbell Family Farms, England; Monroe – Phllip Ferebee, Brinkley; Prairie – Casey and Leah Beth Skarda, Des Arc; Pulaski – Mike and Kelly Daniels, North Little Rock; St. Francis – Bart Haven, Forrest City; White – Shannon Feather, Higginson; Woodruff – Billy and Nancy Kyle, Augusta.

North Central District: Baxter – Vernon and Julie Fowler, Clarkridge; Cleburne – Chris and Lisa Davis, Pailey Defoor Farm, Drasco; Fulton – Lendal and Tammy Erby, Viola; Independence – Aaron Turner, Cord; Izard –Tim Finley, Sidney; Marion – William Blasdel, Flippin; Searcy – Brandon and Katrina McCallister, Marshall; Stone – Olen Wilson, Timbo; Van Buren – Jared and Lacey Standridge.

Northeast District: Clay – Mark and Michael Ahrent, Corning; Craighead – Terry and Paula Grimes, Grimes Farm Partnership, Bookland; Crittenden – Michael and Kelly Pouncey, Hughes; Cross – Derek Wood, Cherry Valley; Greene – Newberry Farm, Paragould; Jackson – WKW Partnership, Swifton; Lawrence – Mitch and Geta Bell, Saffell; Mississippi – Russ and Katie Thomason, Sandy Bayou Planting Company, Osceola; Poinsett – Brad and Jason Malone, Bono; Randolph – Redwine Angus Farm, Maynard.

Northwest District: Benton – Jeremy Jackson, Gentry; Boone – Carl Campbell, Harrison; Carroll – Kevan and Lynn Flowers, Oak Grove; Crawford – Tim and

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Agriculture leaders spoke at the meeting of the Tax Reform and Relief Legislative Task Force April 25 regarding the importance of agriculture tax exemptions and why they are critical for the state’s largest economic engine. For an update on Arkansas agriculture tax exemptions following meetings watch one of our latest videos here: bit.ly/ arfbtaxupdate.

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Beth Owen, Alma; Franklin – David and Sandra Morris, Cecil; Johnson – Michael Barr, Clarksville; Madison – Shannon and Melissa Fancher, Huntsville; Newton – Jake Moenning, Vendor; Sebastian – Lynn Strang, Lavaca; Washington – Jerry and Dyanna Moyer, Lincoln.

Southeast District: Arkansas, N. – Jordan and Ashley Maier, Stuttgart; Arkansas, S. – Dean and Tawana Watson, St. Charles; Ashley – Robert B. (Tate) Watt, Crossett; Chicot – Berkemeyer and Sons, Lake Village; Desha – James Dunnahoe, Tillar; Drew – Tony and Letica Adams, Monticello; Jefferson – Joshua J. Euseppi, Altheimer; Lincoln – Steve Scott, Star City; Phillips – Darrin Davis, Lexa.

Southwest District: Bradley – Wilson and Spurlock Farms, Hermitage; Calhoun – Josh and Shana Morris, Hampton; Hempstead – Jeff and Jane Collums, Hope; Lafayette – Mike and Polly Lee, Lewisville; Little River – Cowling Family Farms, Foreman; Miller – Jimmy and Crystal Hewitt, Cherokee Cattle Co., Fouke; Nevada – Todd Brown, Rosston; Union – Gary and Kristi Sewell, El Dorado.

Western District: Faulkner – Michael Lee, Conway; Logan – Mark Snow, Subiaco; Montgomery – Wednell Adams, Mount Ida; Perry – Jason and Christy Trantina, Bigelow; Polk – Matt and Jessica Debnar, Mena; Pope – Shawn and Gayla Boxnick, London; Yell – Lewayne and Mary Hold, Danville.

During Arkansas FFA’s 91st annual convention in Hot Springs the 2018-2019 Arkansas FFA State Officer team was elected and installed at the closing session.

Pictured (left to right): Zachary Andrews, Northwest District vice president, Camden Fairview, Raven Randolph, Reporter, Hillcrest, Dawsyn Smith, President, Newport, Grace Harris, Secretary, Horatio, Alex Slaughter, Southern District vice president, Lake Hamilton, Griffin Pryor, Eastern District vice president, Cabot.

West Central District: Clark – Wyndal Minton, Gurdon; Dallas – Lathan and Sandra Erwin, Fordyce; Garland – James Parker, Hot Springs; Grant – Shelby and JoAnn Taylor, Sheridan; Hot Spring – Mike and Jenny Lanier, Malvern; Howard – Randall and Kelly Pugh, Dierks; Saline – Damon Helton, Benton; Sevier – Walter John Marshall, Horatio.

“The Arkansas Farm Family of the Year program recognizes great farmers and ranchers each year,” said Randy Veach, president Arkansas Farm Bureau.

“These families are involved in noble and important work to provide food, fiber and shelter to the world.

“Congratulations to these great farm families. We are pleased to honor their success, stewardship and commitment to Arkansas agriculture.”

Sponsors of the Farm Family of the Year program are Arkansas Farm Bureau, the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas, and the three Farm Credit agencies that serve Arkansas: AgHeritage Farm Credit Services, Farm Credit of Western Arkansas and Midsouth Farm Credit. Additionally, support for the program is provided by the Arkansas Agriculture Department, Arkansas Department of Career Education, Arkansas Press Association, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture and the USDA’s Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Rural Development.

Elsewhere Farm Bureau hails publishing of food disclosure standard The following statement regarding the

proposed National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard may be attributed to American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall.

“The proposed National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard, published today by the Agriculture Department’s Agricultural Marketing Service, will give consumers a valuable resource for making informed decisions about food.

Just as important, USDA is doing this the right way, providing consumers access to information about their food purchases while also allowing farmers and ranchers to embrace the sustainable tools of modern agriculture.

“The proposed rule is based on sharing factual information, rather than emotional scare tactics. Science proves that GMOs are safe, and this national proposal strikes a much-needed balance compared to the chaos that would come from a patchwork of state-level labeling initiatives.

“America’s farmers and ranchers respect the need for consumer choice and we take immense pride in producing safe, healthful food. From both standpoints, this proposal is fair and ensures that food facts win the day over food hype. Bold leadership from Agriculture Secretary Perdue on this vital matter has helped ensure transparency and choice built on the clear foundation of sound science. We will further analyze the proposal and comment on areas that need improvement, but this proposal is a positive first step in a process that is important to farmers and consumers alike.”

Editor Maddison Stewart

maddison.stewart@arfb.com

In the Market Special edition.

Southern Timberland Owners: Are You Requiring $/Ton Bids for Your Timber Sales?

By: John Greene with FOREST2MARKET When a truckload of cut pine timber crosses a scale at a mill facility, it is the weight of the load itself — not the volume of timber on the truck — that is measured and ultimately purchased.

This is a standard practice in the US South that is oftentimes confusing to landowners, who have historically associated volume units of measure, i.e. MBF (thousand board feet) for sawtimber products and “cord” for pulpwood products, with the value of their timber. Unfortunately, when converting from a measure of volume to a measure of weight, variability in results is inevitable.

When timberland owners put a tract of timber up for sale, multiple dealers bid on the right to harvest that timber. Often, every dealer interested in harvesting the tract will submit a bid that estimates a different volume for each type of timber product since each uses different scaling practices (i.e., a different way of measuring trees and calculating log defects). This is necessary because trees on the stump cannot be weighed on a scale.

A variety of conversion methods are used to transfer standing timber volumes to weights. The most common of these are the Doyle and Scribner Log Rules, which provide a per-ton conversion factor for each specific diameter and length. The Doyle log rule is the most commonly used log rule in the Southeast, but it often underestimates volume on small logs and overestimates volume on large logs.

Although it is considered intermediate in accuracy, the Scribner rule tends to underestimate volume as well.

In most cases today, the ton (2,000 lbs.) has replaced both MBF and the cord as the industry standard for purchasing pine products in the Southeast. A ton is a consistent, objective measure (no matter the species, size of age class of the trees) and is used by most mills when purchasing wood. Timber estimation practices have adjusted as well and many times (but not always), timber cruises estimate timber in terms of weight, especially for pulpwood.

When landowners receive a bid in which volume is reported in MBF or cords, they must then convert those units to tons in order to gain an accurate understanding of what their timber is worth on the market. Unfortunately, when converting a pine sawtimber MBF price to a ton basis, different log rules affect the conversion.

The two conversions can result in very different prices. For example, a price of $350/MBF Doyle for a stand with an average diameter at breast height (DBH) of 14 inches may convert to around $38/ton, whereas a price of $335/MBF Scribner at the same DBH would convert to around $49/ ton. Without knowing the details, one might assume that the $350/MBF bid is the better offer. Once the likelihood of underestimation is understood, however, it is clear the $335/MBF price would yield considerably more profit for the seller.

One solution to this problem of inconsistency for timberland owners would be to require all potential buyers to submit their bids in dollars per ton ($/ton). This requirement can be made clear in the timber sales notice when it is published; doing so will remove any margin for conversion discrepancies.

At the very least, however, sellers should always be aware of what methods a buyer is using to determine the value of a stand of timber, and they should include this information in every contract. A solid understanding of how the different conversion methods relate

to each other is imperative and will help landowners make more informed sales decisions. Only then can landowners truly make like-kind price comparisons in assessing the value of their timber.

Are you planning a timber harvest?

Learn the value of your timber with Forest2Market’s Timber Owner Market Guide. Volume weighted average prices are reported for pine sawtimber, pine chip-n-saw, pine pulpwood, hardwood sawtimber and hardwood pulpwood for 39 local wood basins in the US South, and all pricing data is based on actual timber sales agreements.

To read more from FOREST2MARKET visit, www.forest2market.com.

CONTACT

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

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