Fall Edition New Mexico Farm & Ranch

™ Volume 72, No. 9

® General Membership Fall Edition

New Mexico Beer Gaining in Popularity

by Dalene Hodnett, Director of Communications and Media Relations

nabbed a bronze medal for Marble Brewery.

Like many of New Mexico’s micro-breweries, the Santa Fe Brewing Company offers tours and tastings for aficionados.

Opened in 1988, they are the state’s oldest micro brewery.

They are also the driving force behind many popular beer festivals.

Just in Albuquerque alone there is the New Mexico Brew Fest, held on October 10, at Expo New Mexico, ABQ Beer Week, in the spring, and the Mountain West Brew Fest in Bernalillo over Labor Day weekend.

Now there is another venue for beer tourism, the New Mexico State Fair. Titled Reds, Whites and Brews, several breweries and the New Mexico Brewer’s Guild partnered with the New Mexico Department of Agriculture to offer pints of local beer to fairgoers.

A variety of New Mexico brewed beers. Photo courtesy of Santa Fe Brewing Company.

If you would like to enjoy this unique New Mexico defined as having an annual production Humulus lupulus neomexicanus. agricultural product you can find a map of less than 6 million barrels of beer per That mouthful is the scientific name of micro-breweries in your area here: year. Currently there are over 30 craft of the only hops varietal indigenous breweries in the state. From Farmington http://www.newmexico.org/ale-trail/ to the United States. Originally to Las Cruces, Abiquiu to Artesia found in northwestern New Mexico Hops growing at the seven acre Santa Fe you can find micro-breweries and southwestern Colorado, the Brewing Company hops farm near Taos. turning out award winning beers Neomexicanus hops requires very little with a local flair. In fact, New water compared to other varieties and Mexico craft beers are increasingly produces multiple cones per head, named as winners in prestigious increasing yield on less acreage. beer competitions.

These hops with their desirable Late last month at the Great apricot and citrus aroma are becoming American Beer Festival, Bosque more popular with micro-breweries.

Brewing Company was awarded So much so that New Mexico State University’s Agricultural Science Center a gold medal for its Acequia IPA and a Honey Chamomile Wheat in Farmington recently conducted brewed by Nexus Brewery won a studies on the viability of the hops as a silver. Another silver winner was commercial specialty crop.

Boxing Bear Brewing Co., which This is good news for New Mexico’s was honored for its Chocolate craft beer industry that is growing by Milk Stout, while an Imperial Red leaps and bounds. A craft brewery is Fall 2015

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money. In California they cost a lot more. In fact they are paying 6 times as much as what they were paying two years ago. That has a significant impact on a family budget.

IDEAS AND ELBOW GREASE

The President’s Column

By Michael S. White, President

More Expensive than Necessary Americans enjoy a food supply that is abundant, affordable overall and among the world’s safest, thanks in large part to the efficiency and productivity of America’s farm and ranch families. This has been an accomplishment for American Agriculture for many decades, but the task is becoming harder to accomplish due to events that are not in control of the producers.

Have you shopped for eggs lately, or seen the devastation of the Western forest fires? Both are cause for concern, and they’re tied to two different methods of radical movements. And they both have the same outcome of costing consumers more for agriculture’s end products.

Eggs are considerably more expensive than they were two years ago and most of that is due to the Humane Society of the United States. They successfully ran a campaign in California passing Proposition 2 in 2008 that gave egg producers until January 2015 to provide chickens room in their cages to stretch their wings and to turn around freely. Retrofitting farms was cost prohibitive so many egg farmers went out of business or changed to a free roaming system which runs the cost of production higher. Also in California in 2010 they passed a law AB1437 that required any eggs sold in California to be produced in facilities that abide by the rules of Proposition 2. California consumes 9 billion eggs annually, but only produces 5 billion; those other eggs have to come from somewhere else.

So due to California’s rules and marketing requirements egg producers across the country have had to retrofit their operations. This costs money, losing or increasing space causes decreased profits which costs the farmers money.

That is why your eggs now…cost more Farm & Ranch Page 2

And that is just one regulation. There are hundreds of regulations that increase the price of your food from rules about fertilizer application to licensing requirement for pesticides. Cumulatively, they have a serious impact on your grocery bill.

Extreme environmentalists with their radical agendas have also directly impacted your budget. Timber and paper products are more expensive since entire swaths of forests have been closed to logging in order to provide habitat for endangered species. Often times the science behind the habitat designation is flawed and the endangered species doesn’t even live there. Many times the forest has become so overgrown because it hasn’t been logged that the forests become tinderboxes waiting for disaster to occur. This results in catastrophic, deadly fires. It is estimated that the United States Department of Agriculture will spend over $700 million dollars this year fighting fires. These funds come directly from the department’s operational funds. Which takes away from day to day management of public lands, and compounds other management issues.

That’s a lot of tax payer dollars not being utilized for its intended purposes.

Another chunk of your tax dollars allocated for operational expenses for the US Fish and Wildlife Service is being diverted to legal fees fighting perpetual lawsuits. They find themselves under constant attack from the WildEarth Guardians, Defenders of Wildlife and the Center for Biological Diversity with regards to the endangered species.

Never ending lawsuits over the Mexican Gray Wolf, the Lesser Prairie Chicken and the New Mexico Meadow Jumping Mouse and many other species have cost the tax payer untold millions of dollars. Guess where that money is coming from?

You can see this marriage of animal rights activists and extreme environmentalists has cost all of us a great deal of money and there is no end in sight under today’s system. These are just two examples of the continuing over regulation of our entire country by over zealous organizations and by government.

Somewhere it must come to a head and I suppose it will be when the consumer decides that it hits their pocket book just a little too hard or when the producers are no longer around to feed them.

Hopefully it will be the former.

THE AG AGENDA

By Bob Stallman, President American Farm Bureau Federation -------------------------------------------

Good Times, Bad Times The last decade will almost certainly be remembered as a golden age of agriculture in the United States. High global demand, a cheap dollar and bumper crops meant farming and ranching did better than many other parts of the economy. It was a welcome rebound for farmers and ranchers, who have worked through a lot of tough times.

Those record highs in farm income may have tempted folks to spend money instead of socking it away. If farmers and ranchers were like many other Americans, they probably would have done just that.

But that’s not how most of us reacted.

Sure, we may have bought some new iron, but much of that was a reinvestment in the business and was replacing some very well-used equipment. As farmers, we know that lean times always come back.

USDA census numbers illustrate how farmers and ranchers have built our balance sheets. The department projects total U.S. farm equity will reach nearly $2.7 trillion by year’s end, up more than 20 percent from just $2.2 trillion in 2010.

Debt as a percentage of farm assets should fall from 11.8 percent to 10.9 percent, while total assets likely will top $3 trillion, up from $2.5 trillion five years ago. These are some of the best financial ratios for agriculture. Ever.

On the row crop side, we are bracing for what will clearly be tougher times. We know the sector as a whole will register a significant drop in income this year and, if the past is any indicator, very possibly in the next year or two.

USDA projects the nation’s net farm cash income will fall to $87.4 billion by year’s end, down more than a third from 2012’s $137.1 billion. Corn, once $7.63, is just over $3 a bushel now. Wheat, $9.50 a bushel a few years back, is now about $4.50. And the dollar? It’s stronger than Fall 2015

it’s been in years, which makes exports a lot harder to sell.

Even so, our ranching members who survived the worst of the western drought and fought through some of that $7 corn benefitted a couple of ways this past year.

Not only were beef supplies tighter, but low prices for grain and alfalfa meant feeding those cattle was a lot easier than before. Calves that were going for $150 per hundredweight five or so years ago were touching $300 this summer. Yet even here, clouds are gathering: Forecasters say this fall will likely see the biggest herd expansion we’ve seen in 25 years. Prices are bound to fall as a result.

We’ve no one and nothing to blame for any of this but our own success. Bumper crop on bumper crop makes for a challenging oversupply. The rest of the world, too, has increased production thanks in no small part to the genius of American agronomy.

The bright side is most of us with row crops have insurance to help us manage.

And unlike in decades past, the government no longer holds on to those huge mountains of grain. Given a weather event here or somewhere else around the world, grain prices can adjust rather than have us just watch tons of grain come back on the market and kill any price improvement.

We at Farm Bureau have celebrated successes with you and are prepared to face lean times as well. We are working on trying to contain unnecessary regulatory creep. We are working to lower barriers to trade of our products. We are working to promote the story of how good a job farmers and ranchers are doing in being good stewards of our land and our animals. We are working to help keep our members on the cutting edge of technology, as well as at the cutting edge of what the consumer wants.

From a financial standpoint, the next few years are probably going to be a lot different than things were over the past few. But Farm Bureau’s mission remains the same: “…to enhance and strengthen the lives of rural Americans and to build strong, prosperous agricultural communities.”

Save the Date!

New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau will host our Annual Meeting at the Embassy Suites in Albuquerque, November 19-20, 2015.

Fall 2015

Tio Ford

Farm Credit of New Mexico has been farmer and rancher owned since 1916.

Over the past 100 years, we’ve helped farmers and ranchers grow their businesses and provide for their families. We look forward to building on our mutual success in the century to come.

farmcreditnm.com 1-800-451-5997

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Sichlers Named State Fair Farm Family of the Year The Sichler family of San Antonio, New Mexico was honored by the State Fair as the Farm Family of the Year. Snake Ranch Farm Stores are family run businesses, owned and operated by Chris, Paula, and Steven Sichler. The Sichler’s farm, Snake Ranch consists of 650 acres near San Antonio where they grow hay crops, grain corn, melons, squash, tomatoes and cucumbers and their state-renowned chile. They grow four varieties - Esquina which is mild, Big Jim a medium chile, Sandia which is hot and the Sichler mix which is extra hot.

Chris is a fifth generation New Mexico farmer and Steven is the sixth generation. The family Pictured from left to right are Erica Trevino (daughter), Paula and Chris Sichler, Steven (son), has been farming in the and Janna Mills, the 2015 State Fair Queen. The Sichlers were honored during the State Fair.

Middle Rio Grande Valley since 1872.

Today, Snake Ranch is a very progressive farming operation using modern agricultural techniques to conserve soil and water. The farm land has been laser leveled and is serviced by cement lined ditches. In 2007 Snake Ranch began to move into drip irrigation on its row crops and today has over 170 acres in drip irrigation.

The Sichler’s produce markets Snake Ranch Farm Stores consists of two seasonal produce markets which open annually from August through October. Paula operates the San Antonio Market and the Los Lunas market is FREE Hearing Assessment for members and their managed by Steven. families Paula has been quoted as saying “What the farm means to my husband and I - it’s a way of life. Although not an Discount on Hearing Aids easy way, it is very rewarding. We love what we do, proStatewide Network of Hearing Professionals viding food for people and we feel it’s important for them 60 Day Trial Period to understand how vital agriculture really is.”

“The Sichlers are a wonderful example of a New 2 Year Minimum Manufacturer Warranty and Mexico farm family,” said Mike White, president of New Accidental Loss & Damage Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau. “Their family has farmed chile and vegetables for generations, they use FREE Batteries (1 box per aid, with purchase) modern techniques that conserve water and land resources, (One of your New Mexico Farm Bureau and they are very involved in their community. They are Member Benefits!) definitely deserving of this recognition.”

Schedule Your FREE Hearing Assessment Today call

(888)665-7898 toll free

www.clearvaluehearing.com

Better Hearing is Better Living!

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Calling All NMF&LB Families!

We need your help. NMF&LB will be celebrating 100 years starting in 2016. We need your historical photos of members, meetings and events for publication in our newsletter. To contribute, please send them to Dalene Hodnett, 2220 N. Telshor, Las Cruces, NM 88011, or scan them to daleneh@nmflb. org They will be treated kindly and returned. Thanks!

Fall 2015

Can We Lease Your Land for Our Solar Farms?

Do You Have Large Power Lines on Your Land? Lease to Us Today!

This depicits 3 phase power,notice the 3 conductors on the top of the power pole.

Large Power Lines on Your Property?? Lease Us Your Land!

We Will Up to Pay $1000/Acre/Year – 20 to 40 Yr. Lease We Require Large Tracts of Land (Over 125 Acres) w/ 3Phase Power for Our Solar Farms Large Land Tracts Needed – Land Cannot be in Flood Zone – Must Not Be Wetlands

Long Term Land Leases Needed-(20 – 40 Year Leases – Up to $1000/Acre/Year)

CALL (828)-817-5400 Visit our website at www.InnovativeSolarFarms.com Email Us – InnovativeSolarFarms@gmail.com Fall 2015

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Membership

BeneÞts

For more information visit us online at www.nmßb.org

Travel

On the Farm

Choice Hotels Go to www.choicehotels.com to view participating hotels.

Call (800) 258-2847 Discount code 00209720

Wyndham Hotel Group Up to 20% off the “Best Available Rate” at participating locations. Call (800) 364-6176 Discount 1000000506

Merchandise Sears

We make it easy to purchase the latest appliances for your home! Find product at sears.com. Email product/model numbers to fb@searshc.com for a quote. Include discount code CU069858 . Use credit card to purchase product

Animal Mortality Insurance Livestock shown at 4-H and FFA events by active club and chapter members are eligible! For more information, call (800) 843-9413 ext 3

Transportation Enterprise Rent-A-Car With the largest fleet in North America and a great selection of vehicles. We'll Pick You Up®. Visit www.enterprise.com and apply the code to receive discounts.

PIN NMF Discount code L34D077 Avis From premium SUV's to smart cars, we have the vehicle that fits your needs for up to 25% off. Go to www.avis.com to view our fleet. Call (800) 422-3809 Discount A298800

Offer NOT valid in stores or online at www.sears.com. Valid only through email.

Grainger Count on Grainger to provide the tools and supplies you need to get the job done! Discount account #855922068 Free freight shipping from www.grainger.com.

Need help placing an order? Call (877) 202-2594 or visit your local store.

Check out our membership benefits app for your smartphone. Search "FB Benefits"

BECAUSE MEMBERSHIP HAS ITS BENEFITS.

RETRIEVE YOUR PERSONAL AUTHORIZATION CERTIFICATE CODE AT FBADVANTAGE.COM TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE GREAT OFFERS! A GM $500 PRIVATE OFFER* FOR FARM BUREAU MEMBERS!

Offer available through 4/1/17. Available on all 2015 and 2016 Chevrolet, Buick and GMC vehicles. This offer available with all other offers, excluding discounted pricing (military, employee, dealership employee and supplier pricing). Only customers who have been active members of an eligible Farm Bureau for a minimum of 30 days will be eligible to receive a certificate. Certificates do expire and promotion is subject to change without notice. See dealer for complete details.

Email Theresa Widner for more information. theresaw@nmflb.org

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Members can save up to $2,000 on Cat® machines, including wheel loaders, skid steers, backhoes, excavators and more!

Farm Bureau members will receive a manufacturer's incentive discount of $300$500 depending on the tractor or implement acquired. Members should negotiate their best deal with their preferred Case IH dealer and then add the manufacturer's incentive discount to the bottom line. There is no limit Farm Bureau members will receive to the number of incentive discounts that a Farm Bureau member may use so long as a manufacturer’s incentive discount it's no more than one per unit acquired and of $200-$300. the acquisition(s) is/are made for their personal and/or business use.

Fall 2015

A Fishing Story

Guest Column by Aron Balok I have often said that I was built for the cold country. I don’t do well in the heat. I think that you can dress for the cold, but in the summer, you can only take off so much till ya reach a point where someone is going to call the cops! The one thing I do enjoy about the summer is fishing. The irony is not lost on me that someone who loves the cold and water lives where both are scarce.

While attending school at NMSU, fishing was one of the only hobbies that I could afford to indulge. Every spring I could be found at Caballo Lake, in my little 14 foot fiberglass boat, in search of any fish that might take a hook. If you have ever enjoyed a spring here in NM, you know about our lovely spring breezes, referred to in other parts of the world as “gales” or “hurricane force winds.” Big water scares me and big water plus wind REALLY scares me!

My plan was simple, like a commander of a force of inferior numbers, my plan was to run!

To do this, I needed a motor. The local want ads held the answer. For $25.00 I became the owner of an almost new (1950s), Montgomery Ward’s, 12 horse power “Sea King” outboard motor. Sure the carburetor was packed with dirt and it would take a hammer and a wooden block to free up the piston, but I loved it! It looked a little like a 1955 Studebaker and weighed almost as much!

The problem was that my little boat was never designed to have a motor on it that weighed that much, so with the motor and I both at the back of the boat, the front end scarcely got wet. This created a real problem, at only half throttle the waterline on the back of the boat was a half an inch below the stern. What I needed was a fishing buddy. Someone who fished, someone who could swim well enough to save me from drowning, and someone who could serve as ballast.

My friend Kevin fit the bill. So that spring we headed off to the lake to catch white bass. It was a little early in the season, so the water was a little too cold for them to really be biting, but we needed a break from school. We had only been on the water for about an hour, when I noticed that the wind had started to pick up. So had the fishing.

“Just a couple more, then we’ll go” I said. When I looked up again, I could see white caps rolling across the lake. Kevin pulled the anchor as I lowered the motor and began to crank…..and crank, and crank. This is when I learned why sailors are famous for their colorful language! By now the waves were big enough that the bow of the boat would dip below the water as we went down the back side of each wave.

I could tell by the expressions on their faces, that both Kevin and my dog “Fletch” were about to abandon ship and let “Captain Ahab” go down with his vessel when the old Sea King screamed to life. We turned and faced the angry waves and headed for the truck. As we would break over the top of a wave and crash into the next, a sheet of water would cover the whole boat. I beached the boat near the truck and we tried to pull it ashore, but had to bail about four inches of water out before we could move it.

As we sat in the truck with the heater going, trying to stave off hyperthermia, I told Kevin what a poor swimmer I was. His reply, “That’s why you were so motivated to keep us from sinking!”

Fall 2015

AN INSURANCE CAN SAVE THE DAY. A lot can change in a year. And those changes can create gaps in your insurance. That’s why you need a Farm Bureau SuperCheck to help ensure you have the coverage you need when you need it. With a SuperCheck, your Farm Bureau agent can help: Identify gaps in your insurance coverage Get the discounts you deserve Provide peace of mind Call your Farm Bureau agent to schedule a SuperCheck today.

www.fbfs.com/GoSuperCheck Auto l Home l Life l Health l Annuities l Farm & Ranch l Business Farm Bureau Property & Casualty Insurance Company,* Western Agricultural Insurance Company,* Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company*/ West Des Moines, IA. Health insurance policies are underwritten by an insurance company that is not affiliated with our companies. *Company providers of Farm Bureau Financial Services M150 (9-15)

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Thursday, November 19

New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau 2015 Annual Meeting, November 19-20 Embassy Suites, Albuquerque

10:00 am Early Registration 1:00 pm Women’s Meeting 2:00 pm President Mike White, Year in Review 2:30 pm William Bunce, NM Livestock Board 3:15 pm 2015 Legislative Outlook - Zach Riley and Chad Smith 3:45 pm Break 4:00 pm Round 1 Discussion Meet 4:30 pm Foundation Board Meeting

Friday, November 20

8:30 am Lyndy Phillips, The Humorous Side of Agriculture 9:00 am Silent Auction Begins 9:45 am Tiffany Lashmet, Texas A&M, Undercover Videos and Ag 10:45 am Break 11:00 am Discussion Meet 12:00 pm Luncheon Media Person of the Year

2:00 pm County Caucuses 3:00 pm Annual Business Session 4:00 pm Board of Directors Reorganization Meeting 6:30 pm 97th Annual Banquet Recognition of Outgoing & Incoming Board Members Volunteer of the Year Farm Family of the Year Distinguished Service to Ag 8:00 pm NMFLB Foundation “Fun”raiser and Teacher of the Year Recognition

Saturday, November 21

Don’t Forget!

YF&R needs your donation of non-perishable food for the Roadrunner Food Bank as they join Harvest for All to provide for New Mexico families in need.

AND Bring items for the Collegiate Farm Bureau Silent Auction.

7:00 am State Board and County President’s Meeting 8:30 am Adoption of Policy Resolutions

Hotel Information

Embassy Suites 1000 Woodward Place NE Make reservations by calling 505-245-7100

NMAITC - Where your seed money grows Ag Literacy!

NMF&LB 2015 Annual Meeting Registration Form

Name:______________________________________________________________________ Address:____________________________________________________________________ Email address:_______________________________________________________________ County:____________________________________Phone:___________________________ #___Early Registration $110 after Nov. 7 - $160 (One person - all inclusive) #___Child Registration $35 after Nov. 7 - $50 (age 6-15, under 6 are free)

#___High School/ Collegiate Farm Bureau Member $75 (CFB membership must be current) #___Additional Friday Night Annual Banquet tickets $45 (tickets are limited) #___Additional “Fun”raiser tickets for those not registered for the conference $10

Total Due:_______________Check #______________

or Bill County:______________________________

Mail to: NMF&LB 2220 N. Telshor Las Cruces, NM 88011

Questions?

Call Theresa Widner at 575-532-4703 or email theresaw@nmflb.org

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Fall 2015

FBFS.com

You can’t predict your future.

But we can help you protect it.

Contact your Farm Bureau agent to see how we can help safeguard your family’s future with life insurance and prepare you for a retirement that’s financially secure.

Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company*/West Des Moines, IA. *Company provider of Farm Bureau Financial Services LI158 (7-15)

Fall 2015

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Farm & Ranch Page 9 7/1/15 4:53 PM

Non-profit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Las Cruces, N.M. Permit No.2093

P.O. Box 20004 Las Cruces, NM 88004-9004

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NEW MEXICO FARM & LIVESTOCK BUREAU Since 1917 . . . a Leader in New Mexico

ISSN 0028-6192 2220 N. TELSHOR BLVD. • LAS CRUCES, NM 88011 575.532.4700 • FAX: 575.532.4710 PUBLISHER: New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau New Mexico Farm & Ranch is published monthly. Yearly subscription is $24.00.

New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau members receive a complimentary subscription with yearly dues.

U.S. Postage PAID, bulk rate, PERMIT #31, Las Cruces, NM 88001. FORWARDING/RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED, ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED. OFFICERS Michael White President, Dexter Craig Ogden 1st Vice President, Loving Larry Reagan 2nd Vice President, Ft. Sumner Farm & Ranch Page 10

Chad Smith Chief Executive Officer BOARD OF DIRECTORS Bud Deerman, La Mesa John Diamond, Elephant Butte Jim Ellett, Hope Duane Frost, Claunch Anita Hand, Datil Leon Hemann, McDonald Brad Houston, Roswell George Jackson, Lordsburg Janet Jarratt, Los Lunas Deena Kinman, Elida Matt Lansford, Clovis Boe Lopez, Springer Danielle Lowry, Albuquerque Donald Martinez, El Rito Tommy Ortiz, Las Vegas Troy Sauble, Maxwell Paula Sichler, San Antonio John Sweetser, Deming Jim Taylor, Albuquerque Tom Wilton, Ft. Sumner

REGIONAL DIRECTORS Joel Alderete, Roswell Benjie Segovia, Las Cruces Zach Riley, Albuquerque Valerie Huerta, Santa Cruz Theresa Widner Director of Membership Services Carmen Macias Comptroller Dalene Hodnett Director of Communications and Media Relations Traci Curry Southern Director, Ag in the Classroom Cheryl Butterfield Northern Director, Ag in the Classroom Anita Hand, Chair Women’s Leadership Committee Danielle Lowry, Chair Young Farmer & Rancher Committee Fall 2015