Farm Bureau Press for Dec. 3

Arkansas Farm Bureau President Randy Veach of Manila addressed members and leaders Nov. 28 at ArFB’s 84thAnnual Convention in Hot Springs. Veach spoke about the conference theme, “Empower Your Grassroots,” encouraging our farmers and ranchers to feel empowered to make a difference for those involved with Agriculture.

ArFB 84thConvention Recap

and strengthening career and agricultural education.

Veach continues as ArFB leader Randy Veach and Rich Hillman will continue as president and vice president, respectively, of Arkansas Farm Bureau following their re-election Nov. 30 (during the final day of the organization’s 84th annual convention at the Hot Springs Convention Center).

Board action later resulted in the reelection of Joe Christian of Jonesboro as secretary/treasurer.

The voting delegates re-elected seven board members to two-year terms. They include: Christian; Rusty Smith, Des Arc; Jeremy Miller, Huntsville; Dan Wright, Waldron; Tom Jones, Pottsville; Terry Dabbs, Stuttgart and Caleb Plyler, Hope.

Voting delegates also addressed a wide range of federal and state policy issues including measured support for Gov.Hutchinson’s plan to reorganize the Arkansas Agriculture Department; strengthening of right-to-farm laws; expanded funding for farm-to-market roads; increased funding for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture; pesticide use in Arkansas;

Friend of Farm Bureau awards Arkansas Farm Bureau highlighted the state’s U.S. congressional delegation Nov. 28 with its Friend of Farm Bureau Award during the opening session of the organization’s 84th Annual Conference.

U.S. Sens. John Boozman and Tom Cotton, and Reps. Rick Crawford (District 1), French Hill (District 2), Steve Womack (District 3) and Bruce Westerman (District 4) all were recognized for the prestigious award.

Dana Stewart of White Co. (middle) received the Stanley E. Reed Leadership Award at Arkansas Farm Bureau’s 84th Annual Convention in Hot Springs on Nov. 28.

Charlene Reed (right), Stanley Reed’s widow, and Farm Bureau President Randy Veach presented Stewart with the award.

MADDISON STONE photo

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Taken into consideration are the number of bills and individual authors or co-sponsors, the leadership role they take on Farm Bureau priority issues and their accessibility to Farm Bureau leaders and members. This year, all six members of the delegation earned this special recognition, reflecting their efforts to protect the interests of agriculture in Arkansas.

Stanley E. Reed Leadership Award Dana Stewart was the 2018 recipient of the Stanley E. Reed Leadership Award from the Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation. Stewart accepted the award

KIETH SUTTON photo

A Publication of Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation

December 3, 2018 • Vol. 21, No. 22

Stone is top Farm Bureau county Stone County has been named the state’s top county Farm Bureau organization for 2018, receivingthe organization’s President’s Award. “It feels good,” said Stone County Farm Bureau President Larry Smith. “A lot of hard work went into this. It’s nice to win it.”

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

The other finalists for the President’s Award included Cross, Conway, St. Francis and White counties.

The Membership Retention Award went to Prairie County. This award goes to the county with the highest membership retention percentage in the state. Prairie County had a retention rate of 96.54 percent. Prairie County Agency Manager Bobby Lott and county board member Robert Petter received the award from Arkansas Farm Bureau President Randy Veach.

Ag education awards Arkansas Farm Bureau recognized Chad Mooney of Clinton High School as its Outstanding Ag Educator. Beebe

Stone Co. Farm Bureau was named the state’s top county Farm Bureau organization. The county’s president Larry Smith (middle) accepted the award from ArFB President Randy Veach (left) and Vice President Rich Hillman.

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Arkansas. She and her husband Joshua have two children, Jewel, 8, and Henry, 5.

KIETH SUTTON photo

Nov. 28 from Arkansas Farm Bureau President Randy Veach and Charlene Reed, widow of ArFB’s late president presented the award.

Stewart, 36, has served on ArFB’s State Women’s Leadership Committee.

She served as a member of the inaugural President’s Leadership Council and will serve as vice president of the White County Farm Bureau board of directors in 2019. She serves as executive director of the White County Community Foundation.

“Humbling, grateful and excited” is how Stewart described her feelings upon receiving the award.

“Stanley Reed had such a legacy that he left upon agriculture in Arkansas. Just to receive this award in his name certainly makes an impact on me. I’m just so grateful to be recognized for it,” Stewart said.

The Stanley E. Reed Leadership Award was established to honor the memory of the late Arkansas Farm Bureau president and is awarded to an active member, 36 to 45 years of age, for outstanding leadership within their county Farm Bureau and community. It is intended to honor a county leader who has demonstrated the leadership qualities that were evident in Stanley Reed’s life and will help lead Farm Bureau into the future.

Stewart’s passion is advocating for agriculture. She’s a fifth-generation rancher in Step Rock raising Gelbvieh and Balancer cattle.

Stewart earned a degree in agricultural communications from the University of

Chad Mooney (middle) of Clinton High School was recognized as ArFB’s Outstanding Ag Educator.

ArFB President Randy Veach (left) and Vice President Rich Hillman presented Mooney Nov. 29 during the convention’s closing session.

High School’s Zeb Prothro earned the Outstanding New Ag Educator Award, and Greenbrier High School grabbed the top spot as the Outstanding Ag Education Program.

The Outstanding Ag Educator award recognizes a high school agriculture education instructor for efforts in teaching young people about agriculture, leadership and involvement in the National FFA Organization. The Clinton High School program includes 260 students in ag education and FFA. Among his numerous accomplishments, Mooney planned and implemented the addition of a horticulture program that included adding an additional teacher and a greenhouse.

He also oversaw the addition of an animal science facility that includes 30 livestock pens, a show ring, goat and lamb walker, and cattle working facilities that provide hands-on practice for animal science classes. He’s also had 10 students take electricity classes and become master electricians.

Prothro earned the top New Ag Educator Award for his work at Beebe High School where he has 290 students involved. “I enjoy making the classroom, shop and laboratory experiences competitive. All of my students grind and compete daily with each other,” Prothro said. “Enthusiasm and competition are expectations in my class.”

Greenbrier High School was recognized for its popular ag education program that has 402 student participants.

The program teachers include Rodney Wiedower, Becca Spinks and Troy Weatherly. The Greenbrier program is

described as “a true well-rounded program that consistently turns out excellent students into their community.”

KEITH SUTTON photo

ArFB honors women leaders The Women’s Leadership Committee from Benton County is the Outstanding County Women’s Program for 2018.

Committee Chairwoman Brenda Patton accepted the award for. “My heart was just pounding,” said Patton. “These ladies have worked so hard. Anytime I call or text and say ‘can we do this,’ they say, ‘oh yes, sure, what do you want me to do.’ I’m just really proud of all they’ve accomplished this year.”

Each year, Arkansas Farm Bureau honors the county Women’s Leadership Committee that exhibits exemplary support of its county organization, activities and goals. Farm Bureau women help accomplish the organization’s mission by working with local schools and educating children about agriculture and where people get their food, fiber and fuel.

From a variety of Ag in the Classroom activities to informing people about the safety and affordability of our food, the women of Farm Bureau enthusiastically represent the organization by telling the farming and ranching story.

Barbara Sutton of Miller County Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee

USDA Under Secretary of Trade and Agricultural Affiars, Ted McKinney made a special address to members in attendance of ArFB’s closing session at the 84th Annual Convention. McKinney gave updates on trade to the farmers and ranchers in the audience and held a Q&A at the end of his talk.

MADDISON STONE photo

MADDISON STONE photo

received the Arkansas Farm Bureau Women’s Diamond Award, which honors a county Farm Bureau leader whose volunteer efforts are above and beyond the norm. She and her husband, Donald, run a cow-calf operation.

Sutton has been a leader and actively involved in Miller County Farm Bureau, the Cooperative Extension Service and

Barbara Sutton Chair Miller Co. Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee received the ArFB Women’s Diamond Award Nov. 29 at the Women’s Leadership Luncheon.

Austin Kennon of Stone Co. won the YF&R Discussion Meet at the ArFB 84th Annual Convention. The four finalists that competed in the discussion were Matt Shekels of Boone Co., Jenna Martin of Cross Co. and Rachel Barry of Washington Co.

other ag organizations for 50 years. The 78-year-old’s passion is educating youth about agriculture.

“I was surprised,” said Sutton, who teared up discussing the award. “If you look around, you’ll see all of the wonderful gray-haired people I have worked with (for so long). My main thing is with the kids coming up today, they need us. We just need to look at our young ones and give them the same opportunity to be involved in agriculture.”

YF&R Discussion Meet Austin Kennon of Mountain View won the Young Farmers & Ranchers Discussion Meet. Kennon will now compete in January at the American Farm Bureau Federation conference in New Orleans.

“It was pretty exciting,” Kennon said about the event. “I enjoyed the process of the discussion meet more than the winning part.”

The event provides a forum for young farm leaders to demonstrate their verbal and problem-solving presentation skills while they discuss their views on issues affecting agriculture. There were 13 competitors in the discussion meet.

Kennon, 34, won $7,000 courtesy of Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Co. He is a vo-ag teacher at Mountain View High School. Kennon raises 25-30 club goats for 4-H youths to raise.

Editor Maddison Stewart Stone maddison.stewart@arfb.com

In the Market Farm Bill deal reached House and Senate leadership on the congressional ag committees announced last week that they had reached an agreement in principle on the next Farm Bill. The statement said they are working to finalize legal and report language and a score from the Congressional Budget Office. Details on the bill have not yet been released. The prior bill expired on Sept. 30, and passage of a new bill is a top priority for Farm Bureau. The bill is of the utmost importance to farmers planning for the 2019 crop.

Soybeans Soybeans moved to their highest level since August in reaction to news that President Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping had agreed on a 90-day truce in the ongoing trade conflict between the two nations. The White House released a statement that China has agreed to purchase a “not yet agreed upon, but very substantial amount of agriculture, energy, industrial, and other products from the United States.” Currently, however, negative market fundamentals will continue to limit the upside potential.

Exports are down significantly, and it will take time to work through the supplies, even if China starts buying again. The Brazilian crop is also looking to be large, perhaps even a record-setting yield.

However, there is growing evidence that the negative news has largely been built in to prices at these levels.

Rice Rice futures are still trending higher, but the failure of January to move above resistance at $11 means that the movement is mostly sideways at this point. A close above $11 would open the market to a retest of the October high of $11.28 1/2. Having said that, there is little in the fundamental situation to inspire the market. Harvest was slow, but is essentially complete at this point. Disappointing weekly export sales of 16,000 metric tons were a marketing year low.

KEITH SUTTON photo

As of December 3, 2018

Anne L. Idsal, Region 6 Administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency, addressed convention attendees Nov. 28 during the opening general session at the 84th Annual Convention.

Corn Corn futures showed strength last week, rebounding from eight-week lows, and also got a boost from news that the U.S. and China have called a truce in the ongoing trade war. Weekly exports of 49.9 million bushels for the week ended Nov. 22 was well above trade expectations.

Commitments are now 16.1 percent ahead of a year ago, on pace with the five-year average. The South American crop is shaping up to provide significant competition in the months to come, however.

Cotton Cotton futures opened the week with strong gains, also on the weekend news that the U.S. and China have called a truce in the trade war. China is historically an important customer for U.S. cotton, and news that they could re-enter the market was met with enthusiasm as nearby March retested resistance at 82 cents. Last week’s exports were 176,800 bales, above expectations and the four-week average.

USDA reported the crop was 70 percent harvested as of Nov. 25, which is slightly behind the year-year average pace of 77 percent.

Livestock Livestock markets have been on a wild ride over the past few weeks. Hogs stand to benefit significantly from the resumption of trade with China. China is traditionally an important customer, and with a worsening African Swine Fever problem, China could re-enter the market in a big way. Wholesale prices, however, are disappointing, but possibly putting in a seasonal low.

Cattle futures have been stronger this week on cash market prices and positive news in the November Cattle-on-Feed report. October placements were below expectations, coming in at 93.9 percent of the year ago total. The total inventory was 103.2 percent of a year earlier, the largest inventory in seven years.

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

The 84th

ANNUAL ArFB CONVENTION

A

rkansas Farm Bureau’s 84th Annual Convention took place Nov. 28-30 at the Hot Springs Convention Center. Roughly 1,000 members from throughout the state showed up to attend educational conferences, hear from noted speakers and determine Farm Bureau positions on issues important to agriculture and rural Arkansas. The conference theme was “Empower Your Grassroots.” photos by KEITH SUTTON and MADDISON STONE

This group of conference attendees from Jackson County Farm Bureau posed for a photo between sessions. At top right, Davis Smith, State 4-H Officer from Mississippi County, sang the national anthem to start the first general session on Nov. 28.

Stephanie Payne with I’m Alive 2 Thrive was the keynote speaker at the 2018 Women’s Luncheon. Payne talked about her life experiences and exactly what “Empower Your Grassroots” means to her.

Benton Co. Women’s Leadership Committee was named Oustanding Women’s Program. Brenda Patton, accepted the award on behalf of her county from ArFB President Randy Veach (left) and Vice President Rich Hillman.

There were a number of special conferences at the 84th Annual Convention.

Members attended conferences to learn more about empowering engagement, education, leadership and communication. There were also workshops that covered livestock, rowcrop and specialty crop procedures.

84th ANNUAL ArFB CONVENTION

During the Nov. 30 business session, voting delegates voted on important policy benefiting Arkansas agriculture. Also, during the meeting Randy Veach of Manila and Rich Hillman of Carlisle were re-elected as president and vice president, respectively of Arkansas Farm Bureau. Board action later resulted in the election of Joe Christian of Jonesboro as secretary/treasurer.

ArFB hosted its third convention trade show featuring numerous vendors that will help meet the needs of members.

Prairie County Farm Bureau received the Membership Acquisition and Retention Award. Robert Petter (left center) and Agency Manager Bobby Lott (right center) accepted the award from ArFB President Randy Veach (left) and Vice President Rich Hillman.

To see more photos from the ArFB 84th Annual Convention, visit bit.ly/empowerFBphotos