Farm Bureau Press for Aug. 24

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Session II of the 2018 President’s Leadership Council met Aug. 10-11 at the Donald Tyson Center for Agricultural Science on the University of Arkansas campus. The session focused on improving participants’ communication capabilities, and the class heard from UA faculty, speakers from Tyson Foods, Walmart, Monsanto, KARK-TV, Farm Credit Western Arkansas and the Razorback Foundation. Attendees, posing in front of a statue of Don Tyson, were (l-r) Jeremy Bemis (Pulaski County), Nathan Hill (Howard County), Amanda Patton (Benton County), Chase Groves (Miller County), Jason Green (Bradley County), Julie Ann Campbell (Newton County), Maggie Jo Hansen (Washington County), Zach Tidwell (White County), Cameron Stone (Jefferson County), Kara Smith (Greene County), Robert Benedict (Baxter County), Trent Dabbs (Arkansas County), Kerry Hartness (Drew County), Adam Shea (Pulaski County), Kevin McKenzie (Lonoke County) and Stewart Warner (Crittenden County).

In Farm Bureau ArFB opposes issue 3

Arkansas Farm Bureau, the state’s largest agricultural advocacy organization, announced that it has joined the Arkansans for CommonSense Term Limits Coalition and will oppose Issue 3 on the November ballot.

Citing existing term limits that apply to members of the Arkansas General Assembly and current membershipdefined policy that opposes stricter term limits, Farm Bureau’s board of directors voted Wednesday afternoon to join the coalition.

“The term limits Arkansas’s citizens passed in 2014 are strict enough,” said Arkansas Farm Bureau President Randy Veach. “The thought that an out-of-state group can dump a half-million dollars in

Arkansas Farm Bureau hosted its 21st Agriculture Agencies Appreciation Luncheon Aug. 23 at the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock. At the luncheon, ArFB President Randy Veach addressed those in attendance to thank you state agencies for their work for Arkansas agriculture.

our state to push their national agenda is disturbing.”

The Issue 3 campaign would lead to virtually all existing legislators being forced to leave the General Assembly by

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A Publication of Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation

August 24, 2018 • Vol. 21, No. 17

In Arkansas Calhoun Co. 4-H team places in National 4-H Forestry Invitational The Calhoun County 4-H Forestry Team placed fourth overall at the annual 4-H National Forestry Invitational competition.

The competition was held in Weston, W.Va., July 29-Aug. 2. The Calhoun County team was one of 15 from states across the country. Each state was

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2022. “That means the influence of legislative staff, lobbyists and career bureaucrats will dramatically increase,” said Veach. “The impact would be felt especially hard in rural areas because of the time and smaller pool of people willing to run for public office.

The measure would also prohibit the legislature from addressing term limits in a future amendment proposal, an unprecedented restriction on legislative authority.

“As a matter of policy, we support lengthening the existing term of service eligible under current term limits law,” Veach said.

Farm Bureau will work to educate its membership on the dangers of Issue 3, and point out pitfalls created by the measure.

The Benton Co. FB Women’s Leadership Committee co-sponsored activities for the Novice Group at the American Junior South Central Regional Simmental Show. Pictured here, the Novice Group (ages 5-8) are taught what judges look for in choosing winners. In a guided activity, participants then judged three groups of cattle.

Poinsett Co. FB hosted Ag Day at the County Fair Aug. 17 for children in local schools. Those who attended got to pet live farm animals, learn about row-crop production, hear about the importance of honeybees as pollinators and (pictured here) learn about the many products available from beef cattle from Arkansas Beef Council Promotion Director Donette Spann.

represented by a single team, said Jaret Rushing, Calhoun County Extension staff chair.

The team included Mark Strickland, Evan Beaver, Tyree Morgan and Justin Lowery. Strickland had the sixth-highest

individual score and Beaver had the eighth-highest score.

“The team worked hard for two months preparing for this invitational,” Rushing said. “They did everything that I could have expected of them.”

Placement in the competition was based on the top three individual scores from each team in competitions including tree identification, volume determination/tree measurement, map reading, compass and pacing, and other tests of forestry skills.

The individual scores were combined with team scores in a forestry quiz bowl and forest evaluation competition to calculate team standings.

“I couldn’t be prouder of these guys,” Rushing said. “They represented their state well.”

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Elsewhere Twelve children modeled aprons they made in the annual “Sew with Cotton” contest Aug. 18 at the Grant Co. FB annual meeting at Sheridan Middle School. Posing with the children are Susan Thomason (left), family and consumer science agent with the Cooperative Extension Service and Peggy Thomas (right), Grant County Farm Bureau President.

FB Facebook Live webinar The American Farm Bureau Federation is hosting a Facebook Live webinar, Aug. 29, to help farmers and ranchers learn about available marketing options for managing price risk in these uncertain economic times for agriculture.

Bryan Doherty, vice president and

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senior market advisor for Stewart Peterson, an agricultural brokerage and advisory firm, will conduct the webinar and provide expertise on preparing for the expected and the unexpected in agricultural markets.

“Younger farmers and ranchers, as well as others who have less experience with challenged ag markets and marketing for risk management, are encouraged to participate,” said AFBF Chief Economist John Newton.

Visit AFBF’s Facebook event page at 6:30 p.m. Central on Aug. 29 to watch the webinar: bit.ly/ AFBFFacebookLiveWebinar.

If you have a question that you would like Doherty or Newton to answer during the webinar, share it on social media using the hashtag #AskFarmBureau.

Woodruff Co. FB agency manager Bobby Bowen (left) presented a Res-Q-Tube to the Augusta Fire Dept. on Aug. 21. Accepting were (l to r) Capt. Mike Peebles, Chief Terry Shadwick and firefighter Doug Osier. Res-Q-Tubes also were given to the McCrory and Hunter volunteer fire departments thanks to $12,630 in donations from local citizens and businesses. Res-Q-Tube maker GSI also donated one of the life-saving devices. Having a Res-Q-Tube on hand greatly increases the odds of a victim surviving a grain entrapment incident at a farm or grainary. business competition focused exclusively on rural entrepreneurs launching food and agriculture businesses.

Competitors are invited to submit

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Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge The American Farm Bureau Federation, in partnership with Farm Credit, opened online applications for its 2019 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge.

Entrepreneurs will compete for $145,000 in startup funds.

The competition provides an opportunity for individuals to showcase ideas and business innovations in agriculture. This is the fifth year of the Challenge, which is the first national

The Standridge family of Dennard was honored Aug. 21 at the Van Buren Co. Annual Meeting. The Standridges are the 2018 Van Buren Co. Farm Family of the Year, as well as the North Central District Farm Family of the Year. Pictured are Jared and Lacey Standridge with their three children, daughters Sydney, 13, and Shelby, 9, along with son, Sam, 11. The Standridges raise cattle.

Justin Rowland (standing left), FFA advisor and Vo-Ag instructor at Gurdon High School watches as student Devin Riley learns how to load harvested timber onto a log truck in the school’s Timber Harvesting Simulator trailer,Aug. 22.

The unit has two simulation programs that allow students to learn how to harvest timber and load logs onto trucks, preparing them for potential careers in the timber industry.

for-profit business ideas related to food and agriculture online at http://fb.org/ aginnovationchallenge by Sept. 24.

“Farm Bureau is proud to carry on our long tradition of strengthening the communities we live and farm in by encouraging new businesses across rural America,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “Starting a business takes faith, courage and creativity, but rural entrepreneurs face added challenges including limited access to broadband, high transportation costs and a lack of access to business networks. Startup funds provided through the Challenge will help entrepreneurs working in food and agriculture take their businesses to the next level.”

Ten semifinalist teams will be announced Nov. 9 and awarded $10,000.

The final four teams (selected from the 10 semifinalist teams) will be announced Dec. 5 and will receive an additional $5,000 and have all expenses paid to compete in a live pitch competition at AFBF’s 100th Annual Convention in New Orleans Jan. 13.

Visit bit.ly/AFBFInnovationChallenge to find the online application and more information.

Editor Maddison Stewart

maddison.stewart@arfb.com

In the Market As of August 23, 2018

Cotton Cotton futures have fallen to their lowest levels of the summer in recent trading. December has both technical and psychological resistance between 80 and 81 cents, but is building some resistance around 84 cents. Fifty-one percent of cotton acres in Texas and 33 percent of acres nation-wide are rated poor or very poor at this point, which could lead to higher than average abandonment. USDA is currently forecasting an increase in yield, however, of 911 pounds per acre across all cotton acres, with 10.139 million acres harvested, for total production of 19.235 million bales. Export sales for the current marketing year are up 36 percent from a year ago, which is providing some support.

Cotton farmers and other farmers with generic base should be considering their generic base reallocation and election of PLC or ARC for seed cotton. Texas A&M University has developed an online tool to help farmers with generic base make the best decisions for their individual farms, available here: https://www.afpc.tamu.edu/tools/ cotton-base Rice The August USDA Crop Production Report, the first survey-based report for the 2018 crop, projects production to be up 18 percent from a year ago.

Harvested acres of 2.803 million acres are projected to yield 7,523 pounds per acre, for a total production of 210.861 million hundredweight. Harvest is 15 percent complete across the U.S., but just kicking off in Arkansas. The August World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report shows U.S. ending stocks forecast to climb from 34.8 million cwt for the

2017-18 marketing year to 43.6 million for the 2018-19 marketing year. That is due mostly to the larger crop, as exports are expected to be 98 million cwt, up from 86.5 million during 2017-18. The average on-farm price is forecast to be $11.40-$12.40/cwt.

November futures have been volatile, taking nearly $2 off the market since Aug. 1, but are holding above support near $10. Resistance is building between $10.80-$10.90.

Soybeans Despite a slight decline in acreage, soybean production is expected to top 2017 thanks to a 2.5 bushel/acre increase in average yield. U.S. farmers are now forecast to harvest 4.586 billion bushels of soybeans. Futures have shown signs of bottoming and have been trending higher after finding support just above $8.26. The steep uptrend has flattened during the past week after the market plunged 50 cents Aug. 10 in reaction to the production report. The latest WASDE report shows an increase in domestic use over the previous market year and a slight decline in exports. The average farm price for the 2018 crop is forecast to be $7.65-$10.15.

Corn Corn futures have so far been unable to recover from the losses charted on Aug. 10 in reaction to the production report, but have seen support from better demand, both domestically and on the export market. An average yield of 178.4 bushels per acre harvested from 81.77 million acres is forecast — resulting in a crop of 14.586 billion bushels.

December has found support at $3.65 for the time being. The market has received some support from better demand, both domestically and on the export front. The latest WASDE shows ending stocks down from the 2017-18 marketing year, but up from the July projection at 1.684 billion bushels.

The average farm price estimate has dropped 20 cents on either end to $3.10-$4.10.

Dairy Starting Oct. 8, dairy farmers can purchase Dairy Revenue Protection, a new crop insurance product developed

by American Farm Bureau Federation and American Farm Bureau Insurance Services. The product provides insurance for the difference between the revenue guarantee and actual milk revenue if prices or revenues decline. It also provides a greater choice of price risk management features, providing the ability to protect the value of milk based on the value of cheese to fresh milk, protein or butterfat. Farmers can purchase Dairy Revenue Protection through an agent selling on behalf of an approved insurance provider.

Also, dairy farmers who haven’t yet enrolled in MPP can use USDA’s online decision tool to help them with potential enrollment decisions. Visit bit.ly/USDAdairyprograms for more information.

CONTACT Brandy Carroll 501-228-1268 brandy.carroll@arfb.com

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