In Farm Bureau Veterans 4 Ag Summit Arkansas Farm Bureau will join Arkansas veterans, the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs, the Arkansas Agriculture Department and other agriculture leaders at the Cooper Alumni Center at Arkansas State University for the inaugural Veterans 4 Ag Summit on Friday, Oct. 6 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. The Summit is designed to educate and prepare military veterans for potential careers in agriculture. As Arkansas’ largest industry, with an economic contribution of $20 billion annually, agriculture presents many possible opportunities for Arkansas’ 225,000 veterans. At the Summit, leaders in both agriculture and veteran’s affairs will participate in panel discussions focused on how to get started in agriculture and why veterans are a great fit for careers in the industry. In addition, a showcase of agriculture and veteran’s organizations will provide attendees with networking opportunities and the chance to speak to industry partners one-on-one.
The Delta School in Wilson has a state-of-the-art garden classroom that allows all levels of learners to participate in the school garden initiative. It teaches students essential life skills and supports academic learning through hands-on classes in an organic garden. The garden classroom goes hand-in-hand with the school’s mission, which is to nourish every child’s strengths so each child is able to form healthy relationships, discover meaningful work, and make unique contributions to the world. New John Deere member discount Arkansas Farm Bureau and John Deere announced a new benefit that will give Farm Bureau members special access to the John Deere’s GreenFleet™ Loyalty Rewards program, providing members with a free two-year Platinum 2 membership. “We’re extremely pleased to add this valuable rewards program from a legendary company to our growing list of member The Brian and Lee Ann Davis family of Mammoth Spring was recognized as the 2017 Fulton County Farm Family of the Year at the Sept. 12 county Farm Bureau annual meeting at the Fulton County Fairgrounds.
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benefits,” said Arkansas Farm Bureau President Randy Veach. “John Deere is synonymous with American agriculture, which is why we’re excited to team up with them to offer great savings to our members.” Along with valuable equipment discounts, GreenFleet Loyalty Rewards Platinum members are eligible for special parts savings, Home & Workshop Products discounts, and other members-only
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A Publication of Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation
September 29, 2017 • Vol. 20, No. 19
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Sept. 23 was Ag Appreciation Day in Stone County. The Stone Co. FB participated by having a booth at the appreciation day celebration which was held at the Stone County Fairgrounds in Mountain View. those who cultivate, harvest, transform, enrich and build upon the land.” This new member discount program will enhance the existing relationship between John Deere and Farm Bureau, and continue to strengthen the company’s support of America’s farmers and ranchers. Farm Bureau members in participating states are eligible. To learn more visit JohnDeere.com/FarmBureau. Once the registration is complete, the member will receive their GreenFleet member number and can instantly access program benefits. Members can simply purchase online at
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promotions. Normally, a customer must initially purchase two pieces of qualifying equipment within 12 months to reach Platinum status. Farm Bureau members will automatically qualify for this status by signing up through JohnDeere.com/ FarmBureau and they will receive the following benefits: Equipment Discounts – Savings on everything from mowers to tractors to Gator™ Utility Vehicles purchased at your authorized John Deere dealer; Special Parts Savings – Money-saving parts coupons and offers to help keep your equipment at its best; Home & Workshop Product Discounts – A 10-percent discount off MSRP on eligible John Deere tools and workshop equipment – air compressors, generators, pressure washers and more; Exclusive Member Promotions – New exclusive offers and promotions delivered to your email inbox, along with insider tips and great ideas for enhancing your equipment experience. “John Deere is committed to the success of customers whose work is linked to the land. Together with Farm Bureau, we are strengthening our agricultural communities and building for the future.” said Steve Geick, John Deere Director Ag Industry Relations US/Canada. “The GreenFleet Loyalty Rewards program for Farm Bureau members is John Deere’s way of rewarding
To celebrate September as rice month, the Clay County Women’s Committee hosted a rice tasting event featuring 2016-2017 Miss Arkansas Rice Madison Gibson. She handed out copies of her rice recipe and answered questions about the importance of rice in Arkansas.
On Rice Day, Sept. 11. Jeff Rutledge, Arkansas Rice Council Vice Chairman, announced at a press conference at the Arkansas Food Bank that the Arkansas rice industry donated more than 152,000 pounds of rice to the food bank. The rice will be distributed to all 75 counties in Arkansas to feed hungry Arkansas families.
4-H student Julie Griffin gave a presentation to the members of Benton Co. FB concerning consumer economics on Sept. 14 at the Benton Co. FB annual meeting at the fairgrounds in Bentonville. JohnDeere.com/BuyOnline or by visiting a local John Deere dealer. Expanded role for Williams Amanda Williams has been named Education & Foundation Coordinator for the Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation. Williams previously served as Safety Coordinator at Arkansas Farm Bureau for the past six years. In her expanded role, Williams will primarily be responsible for educational activities, scheduling and conducting programs under the Director of Education and Outreach and for assisting with all work in the Ag in the Classroom program, which is offered to the 76 county Farm Bureaus, schools and other organizations. She will also be responsible for coordinating the daily activities of the new Arkansas Farm Foundation. Launched earlier this year, the Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit fundraising arm dedicated to supporting agriculture education, research, disaster relief Williams and potential litigation. Williams will work within Farm Bureau to grow the foundation and develop and implement fundraising activities. She will also work to ensure legal compliance, evaluate grant applications, prepare reports on Foundation efforts for the Arkansas Farm Bureau board, work to advertise and promote the Foundation and
help develop new sources of capital. “We’re excited for Amanda to take on this new challenge,” said Warren Carter, executive vice president for ARFB. “She has proven to be a strong leader for our safety education efforts and she has a deep understanding of our mission and the needs of our members and county offices. The Arkansas Farm Bureau Foundation is a critical part of how we will support and encourage Arkansas agriculture for years to come and we believe Amanda will help the Foundation reach its full potential.” Williams is a 2005 graduate of Arkansas State University, where she completed a bachelor’s degree in ag business. She lives in Vilonia with her husband and son.
Ag Hall solicits nominations The Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame is seeking nominations from the public for its next class. The nomination deadline is Nov. 1. The Agriculture Hall of Fame recognizes Arkansans who are or have contributed significantly to the state’s largest industry, while spotlighting their contributions to the state’s economic development. Since its first class was selected in 1987, a total of 158 men and women have been inducted. The Farm Bureau Center in Little Rock houses the Agriculture Hall of Fame, which is sponsored by the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and Arkansas Farm Bureau. Additional information and online nomination forms are available at www. arkansasaghalloffame.org. Forms can also be requested by calling Cindra Bell at 501228-1609. The induction ceremony for the next class will be March 2, 2018 in Little Rock. Crawford releases Dicamba statement Congressman Rick Crawford (AR-1) released the following statement Sept. 11 after the Arkansas Dicamba Task Force provided its recommendations. “I would like to applaud the University of Arkansas research team as a nationally renowned and universally respected team of professionals, and I fully support their efforts as they work to provide the very best information and recommendations to Arkansas farmers day in and day out,” Congressman Crawford said. “At the federal level, I will work with my colleagues to
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In Arkansas
Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge spoke on Sept. 12 at the Prairie Co. FB annual meeting about the work of the Attorney General’s office to advocate for and protect the agriculture industry in our state. minimize the potential for federal agencies to negatively impact farmers and ranchers with unnecessary and costly regulatory burdens. As demonstrated by the strong work of the University of Arkansas research team, the Arkansas Plant Board, and the Dicamba Task Force, solutions to these issues are best left to the states whenever possible.” For dicamba updates, visit bit.ly/2xFBLBP
Elsewhere Sustainable agriculture sesson plans American Farm Bureau is now providing free sustainable agriculture lesson plans. The lesson plans are now available for grades 9-12. The lessons were developed to assist educators and increase students’ knowledge about the social, economic, environmental and production components of sustainable farming and ranching in the 21st century. At the end of each lesson, students will complete an online learning experience that corresponds with the
respective lesson plan. There are five lessons and each include one PDF and a PowerPoint. To download the lesson plans visit www.agfoundation. org/sustainability
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Editor Keith Sutton
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In the Market As of Sept. 27, 2017 Report defends farm programs A comprehensive study by Brandon Willis, a lawyer, academic and former administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency, examined the implications of the Heritage Foundation recommendations to eliminate the farm bill’s safety net, deeply cut and phase out crop insurance, make unilateral concessions in the context of the World Trade Organization and repeal U.S. domestic trade laws. He called the report flawed because it “selectively uses data” to draw certain conclusions. NAFTA 2.0 talks update The chief U.S. North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiator said talks are progressing at a rapid pace, despite a lack of final U.S. proposals in several contentious areas. “We’ve been working very hard, so I don’t see a problem,” John Melle, assistant U.S. trade representative for the Western Hemisphere, said. “We’re moving across the board, so it’s very ambitious.” On Sept. 24, Canada’s chief NAFTA negotiator, Steve Verheul, said he did not expect the U.S. to make any proposals in Ottawa on sensitive areas. The Ottawabased round finished this week, and the three countries have four more rounds scheduled this year in the hopes of reaching a deal by December. Chinese bean imports up China imported nearly 8.448 MMT of soybeans in August, a 10.12-percent gain from a year ago. Brazil supplied 6.079 MMT of this business, followed by Argentina at 1.379 MMT and Uruguay at 762,941 MT. But next month’s data should reflect more of a shift to U.S. supplies if daily sales announcements are any indication. From January through August, China has brought in more than 63.337 MMT of the oilseed,
a 15.85-percent gain from a year ago. Brazil has made up 58.3 percent of these shipments, while the U.S. has supplied 31.2 percent. WTO to probe ag tariffs The World Trade Organization granted the Trump administration’s request to investigate whether Chinese trade policies violate international trade rules during a Sept. 22 meeting in Geneva. Over the next year, the WTO will evaluate U.S. allegations that China imposed “impermissible” restrictions on farm imports, failed to provide sufficient information about its import quantities and didn’t disclose changes to those import quotas. Should the WTO rule China’s tariff-rate quotas policies violate international rules, Beijing could be forced to accept increased amounts of U.S. grain imports or face retaliation from Washington. Dicamba comments sought During its regularly scheduled quarterly meeting, the Arkansas State Plant Board voted to approve regulatory changes for the application of products labeled for agricultural use that contain dicamba in Arkansas. The regulatory changes will prohibit the use in Arkansas between April 16 and Oct. 31. The regulations include exemptions for the use of dicamba in pastures, rangeland, turf, ornamental, direct injection for forestry and home use. The approved regulations are closely aligned with the recommendations from the Dicamba Task Force and the Plant Board’s Pesticide Committee. The board’s regulatory changes concerning the use of dicamba will now be subject to a 30-day public comment period, which will be followed by a public hearing that will be held on Nov. 8. Following the public comment and public hearing period, the final proposed rule will be forwarded to the Executive Subcommittee of the Arkansas Legislative Council for final rule approval. Senators push for more funding of ag export promotion programs A group of lawmakers has introduced bipartisan legislation that would double
funding over the course of five years for two of USDA’s export promotion programs: the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Program. The measure was introduced by Senators Joe Donnely (D-Ind.), Angus King (I-Maine), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Susan Collins (R-Maine). “As American farmers and ranchers are struggling with historically low commodity prices, maintaining and strengthening U.S. trade relationships around the world is critical to the survival and profitability of the agricultural community,” Ernst said, adding that these programs have “proven to be effective in expanding foreign markets for American agricultural goods.” Japan’s commodity use up Corn made up 46.6 percent of Japan’s feed rations in July, or roughly 863,768 MT of corn. This was down 0.2 points from July but up 0.4 points from a year ago. Sorghum made up 2.1 percent of its rations, down 0.4 points from a year ago, while wheat and barley usage were each up 0.1 points from a year ago at 1.9 percent and 3.6 percent, respectively. U.S. may close Havana embassy The United States is considering closing its embassy in Havana in response to alleged sonic attacks on U.S. personnel in Cuba. “We have it under evaluation,” Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told Face the Nation. At least 21 employees have suffered mysterious health issues, including hearing loss, nausea, headaches, dizziness and mild traumatic brain injuries.
CONTACT
Matt King 501-228-1297, matt.king@arfb.com