THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE NEW MEXICO FARM AND LIVESTOCK BUREAU®
Dan and Carol Kloss - Farm Family of the Year Page 1
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NMF&LB President’s Column TRACTOR SEAT DAYDREAMING
BY CRAIG OGDEN
Looking Forward
I hope everyone had a joyous Christmas and a good New Year. Honestly, it feels daunting that another year has already flown by. Last year we worked hard to improve our organization by doing a peer review, strategic planning for the future, and are still smoothing out the Issue Advisory Committees. There are still challenges, but the staff and the State Board are busy in their efforts to make our organization one, that I hope, you are proud to be associated with. I wish to thank all the staff for everything they have done last year. We are fortunate to have the staff we have, for they are in high demand. Ogden cont. on page 4
AFBF President’s Column BEYOND THE FENCEROWS
BY ZIPPY DUVALL
Driving the Future of Agriculture with Innovation
One hundred years ago, most farmers and rural Americans didn’t yet have electricity. Today, we are experimenting with self-driving tractors. Sixty years ago, the American farmer fed 26 people. Today, the average U.S. farm feeds 166 annually in the U.S. and abroad. Fifty years ago, many small family farmers milked 100 dairy-cow herds by hand. Today, a robotic milker can handle nearly twice that workload. The American farm is always adapting and improving thanks to innovation developed on and off the farm. Farmers are innovators—by nature and necessity. It’s in our blood to look for better ways to do things—to save precious time and Duvall cont. on page 4
NMF&LB CEO’s Column CHATTING WITH CHAD
BY CHAD SMITH
Planning for the Future
Happy New Year from New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau. We are excited to begin another year, working hard to “Strengthen and serve agriculture to enrich the lives of all New Mexicans.” This is New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau’s new mission statement. As previously reported, President Ogden appointed a committee earlier this year to work on developing a 3-5 year strategic plan. I am excited to announce that at the November Board of Directors re-organization meeting the strategic plan was approved. We should all be proud of the plan that will give us clear direction and guide your organization into the future. New Smith cont. on page 11
On the cover: The family of Dan and Carol Kloss, NMF&LB’s 2019 Farm Family of the Year.
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RS F E H B C F N A RA 2020 ERS & RM A F G OUN
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s d r a w A n o i t i t e p m Co The YF&R program helps young members shape their future and American agriculture through leadership development and personal growth opportunities. Three competitions enable members to showcase their leadership experience, communication skills and successful business plans as they compete against the best of the best from each state Farm Bureau.
As part of the YF&R competitions, the top four competitors in the Achievement Award, Discussion Meet and Excellence in Ag areas will receive:
1st
A new Ford vehicle (up to a
3rd
Case IH 40” Combination Roll Cabinet & Top Chest and
PLACE
PLACE
value of $35,000) and paid registration to the YF&R Leadership Conference in Louisville, KY courtesy of Ford.
$500 Case IH parts card, courtesy of Case IH plus $2,200 of Stanley Black & Decker merchandise (PROTO, DeWalt, Stanley, Lenox & Irwin), courtesy of Stanley Black & Decker.
2nd
Case IH Farmall 50A,
4th
Case IH 40” Combination Roll Cabinet & Top Chest and
PLACE
PLACE
courtesy of Case IH.
a $500 Case IH parts card, courtesy of Case IH.
Thank you to all of our sponsors:
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Ogden cont. from page 2 In December, I went to Washington, DC for the American Farm Bureau resolutions meeting. This is the time when all the state presidents review and combine resolutions submitted by our 50 states and Puerto Rico. Prior to this meeting, my wife, Teresa, and I had the distinct honor of participating in the Wreaths Across America event at the to Arlington National Cemetery. We joined an estimated 38,000 volunteers that laid 253,000 wreaths across the 624-acre cemetery. It was gratifying so see so many people there to show their respect and honor fallen military personnel. It was humbling once you got away from the crowd to walk among the granite headstones of so many people that gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we may enjoy the freedoms that we have today. I think we as citizens sometimes get complacent and take for granted the freedoms that we have. Low voter turn-out is an indication of that. We have another 30-day session coming up in Santa Fe soon where I urge you to use the rights given to you to stand up for things you believe in. Use your voice to contact your representatives and senators, keep informed of the issues and the bills that are being submitted. Something else that will be going on this year is the US 2020 Census. We all need to stand up and be counted. Census data can be used to establish state and local political districts even down to school boards. Also, the census is used to determine how money is allocated through federal programs. New Mexico is growing, especially in the south east corner so be counted! Until next time, do justly, love mercy, walk humbly.
Duvall cont. from page 2 resources. Over this centennial year at American Farm Bureau, we have celebrated the great strides we have taken together in agriculture, but more importantly we are looking to the future and how we can continue to grow stronger together. At Farm Bureau, we are tackling agriculture’s challenges from all sides. From the halls of Congress to the corporate board room, agriculture is taking a seat at the table. We are proud of our advocacy work and the accomplishments we have seen together. But we also know that some of the greatest forces for change are far from our nation’s capital. They are the small business owners and hard-working entrepreneurs across this country—men and women like you who are working every day to make tomorrow a little better. That’s why we are proud to host the Ag Innovation Challenge for the sixth year. Farm Bureau began this competition because we wanted to promote and support the businesses that are driving U.S. agriculture and rural communities forward. And this year’s 10 semi-finalists are doing just that. Let’s take a look at the exciting work these amazing men and women are already doing for their farms and communities. This year’s top contenders include innovators who have developed systems to increase sustainability by turning waste into biochar and recycling food waste into fertilizer. We have farmer entrepreneurs who found ways to market their personal innovations to reduce cost and increase profitability. Several of this year’s semi-finalists are harnessing technology to connect farmers with suppliers, equipment, workers, and even bees. What do all these unique businesses have in common? They have seen challenges as opportunities. I’m excited for the whole Farm Bureau family to have an opportunity to meet these entrepreneurs as they compete live at our Annual Convention in Austin. Thanks to our sponsors, each team has already been awarded $10,000, which will go a long way in supporting their growing businesses, and in January, they will compete for the chance to be the next Farm Bureau Entrepreneur of the Year. I hope you’ll be sure to come learn more about the exciting work these folks are doing and cheer them on as they help advance agriculture. As we kick off the next century of Farm Bureau, we all can shape the future of agriculture—through the policies we advocate for, the business decisions we make, and the calling we continue to answer. Together, we can take on the challenges facing our farms and ranches and find solutions that will take us through the next 100 years and beyond. Page 4
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Spindle Family
Farm Credit of New Mexico has been farmer and rancher owned for over a century. Year in and year out, we’ve provided financial services to family-owned businesses of all sizes, helping them grow and prosper. That’s the difference between being a bank and being customer owned. What can we do for you? farmcreditnm.com 1-800-451-5997
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NMF&LB Annual Meeting 2019 Part Business, Part Family Reunion
By Dalene Hodnett, NMF&LB Director of Communications and Media Relations From awards, to speakers, to dancing, New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau members had a great time as they gathered in Albuquerque, November 21-23, for their 102nd Annual Meeting. The Women’s Leadership and the Young Farmer’s and Rancher’s Programs met in advance of the conference as they readied their plan of work for the coming year. A lunch followed featuring Salena Zito as the keynote speaker. Zito is a Pittsburgh-based national political reporter for the Washington Examiner and the author of The Great Revolt; Inside the populist coalition shaping American politics. In 2016, she interviewed all 22 candidates on both sides of the aisle running for their party’s nomination for president and wrote in July of 2016 that Trump was likely going to win the presidency. She gave a fascinating talk about the politics surrounding the 2020 election and how the media in general was doing
Above, officers of the WLP discuss their plans for the coming year. Below left, Salena Zito, Below right, First Vice President Larry Reagan, President Craig Ogden, and CEO Chad Smith preside over the resolutions meeting. At bottom of page, Extension Veterinarian Dr. Wenzel discusses the Beef Quality Assurance program.
the American public a disservice by not interviewing citizens outside their own political bubble. The keynote speaker was followed by our Annual Business Session and adoption of policy. Friday morning started with breakout sessions addressing everything from agricultural use of produced water to traceability to hemp. While the breakout sessions were occurring, the YF&R discussion meets were winnowing 20 competitors down to a final four. There was $2,500 in prizes up for grabs as they discussed how to innovate new uses of agricultural products. After a great back-and-forth of ideas, Ty Mitchell of Artesia FFA won first, Delaney Johnson of Silver City FFA won second, Emma Montgomery of Artesia FFA was third and Tatum O’Toole of Deming came in fourth. Page 6
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The collegiate discussion meet was also held during the Annual Meeting and Dakota Belcher, a freshman at NMSU, was the winner. He earned a trip to Louisville where he’ll compete in a discussion meet at the Fusion Conference. During the luncheon we also honored our Teacher and Media Person of the Year. Cindy Lee is a science teacher at Snell Middle School in Bayard. For 26 years Cindy has taught about the careers available in the field of science, including those that involve agriculture. She does this through the practical examples of raising strawberries in a greenhouse and caring for chickens. The greenhouse and chicken coop were obtained from grants that she wrote Above, the YF&R discussion meet final four, and the winner Ty Mitchell with members of the YF&R committee. To the left, Dakota Belcher, the collegiate discussion meet winner. Lower left, Teacher of the Year awardee Cindy Lee and some of her students. Lower right, Troy Sauble standing in for our Media Person of the Year, Billy Donati. and received. Cindy takes advantage of opportunities to take her students to the Grant County Fair and has participated in yearly Ag Career events at NMSU and the Southern New Mexico State Fair in Las Cruces. She has attended many Ag in the Classroom workshops through her years of teaching, including a trip to Mexico and the National Ag in the Classroom Workshop when it was held in Albuquerque. Congratulations to this excellent teacher! Billy Donati was our Media Person of the Year. Unfortunately, the weather prevented him from attending, but Troy Sauble accepted the award in his honor. Billy is the owner and the voice of KRTN, Enchanted Air Radio
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based in Raton and serving Northeastern New Mexico and Southern Colorado. Billy and his staff go above and beyond when it comes to getting information out to the public, and that includes working with the local agricultural groups. His support of 4-H and FFA activities is well known and his live broadcast of the Colfax County Fair and Junior Livestock Sale is an annual event. KRTN has an open-door policy that leaders in the agriculture industry use to provide information and education to the listening public. Thanks to Billy for helping to spread the good word about agriculture! That evening we began the awards banquet by honoring some special Farm Bureau Financial services insurance agents. Kyle Emrick’s Rattler West agency was honored with the Raise the Steaks Award where we recognize agents who collected past due memberships. As a result, there were a total of 356 past due memberships renewed. Each agent that reached 100% receives a case of New Mexico grown steaks. We also recognized two FBFS agents, David Dominguez, the recipient of our Senior Agent of the Year award, and Sharon Luna, who was honored ast our Junior Agent of the Year. Since a lot of our membership is dependent on our agents, we’re happy to recognize these agents for their achievements in expanding their businesses. Winning our special Life Time Achievement Award was Larry Marshall, who for 45 years has done a wonderful job representing not just Farm Bureau Financial Services, but also his hometown of Dexter. Starting in April of 1974, Larry has a career’s worth of accomplishments. He is a member of the Million Dollar Round Table, was named life agent for the entire company in 2008 and currently employs 9 people. He and his wife of 25 years Trisha, have 4 children and 6 grandchildren. He hasn’t just taken care of his community’s insurance needs, he takes care of his community. We were happy to honor him for his dedication to both FBFS and NMF&LB. Speaking of dedication, NMF&LB would not survive without our valued volunteers. Deveri Matthews is one such volunteer and was recognized during the banquet for her devotion to ag awareness. Deveri married into
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a dairy family and she and her husband purchased a dairy in Portales 8 years ago. They have since acquired a second dairy and now milk over 5,000 head between the two. After joining Roosevelt County Farm Bureau at the invitation of a friend and fellow homeschool mom, she was introduced to Ag in the Classroom. She appreciated the bounty of resources and loved that they’re available to any and all at no cost. For the past 6 years she has coordinated trips to her dairy for local homeschool groups, and this year she hosted a petting zoo at her home. Living near a military community means many of local families have never stepped foot on a farm. Deveri notes that the joy and excitement the children and adults get from being up close to the animals is amazing. The parents ask so many questions and sometimes get more out of the trips than the children. Deveri says we are called to be good stewards of the land and she tries to give everyone she comes in contact with a positive out look on agriculture and a fresh perspective. Thanks to Deveri for your time and effort. Dan and Carol Kloss, long-time members of Socorro County Farm and Livestock Bureau, were honored as our Farm Family of the Year. Dan earned a Bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of New Mexico. He was then commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force in 1954. He then attended navigator school at Ellington Air Force Base in Houston. Carol spent two years at UNM before she and Dan were married in 1954. They followed the Airforce to Kaysville, Utah where Dan flew as a navigator in the Air Material Command. Their daughters Karen and Tracy were both born in Utah, before Dan separated from the air force. In 1958 Dan and Carol bought a twenty-acre farm in Corrales. It was in 1958 or 1959 they first joined the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau. In 1971 they traded the Corrales farm for a 100-acre farm in Lemitar, where they grew alfalfa. They eventually purchased more farms up and down the valley so that at one time the Klosses were farming 445 acres. The Klosses have been extremely active in the Socorro County Farm and Livestock Bureau hosting school tours and advocating for agriculture. Dan served as Socorro County’s president and vice president numerous times and both he and Carol have been continuous board members. Carol was also active in the Women’s Leadership Program. Dan and Carol say “There are two places where you can be around good people and acquire lifelong friends the Farm and Livestock Bureau, and your local church.” Congratulations to Dan and Carol Kloss the 2019 New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau Farm Family of the Year. The next morning, we enjoyed a great conversation with New Mexico native Clinton Griffiths. Clinton was as a 4-H member, chapter FFA President and Star State Farmer. Clinton’s greatest childhood memories involve showing cattle with guidance from his father who is a rancher and veterinarian. As the news anchor of AgDay TV, he shared with us an honest perspective of the future of agriculture. It was a great meeting and we hope you’ll join us next year.
A Special thank you to these sponsors that made the meeting possible:
New Mexico Beef Council Pattern Development Tri-State Generation Beasley Mitchell & Co, LLP Bayer U.S. – Crop Science USDA-NRCS Larry Marshall Insurance Ogden Farm & Cattle Company George & Mayra Jackson Corteva AgriScience – Logan McGarrah and Tyler Bowen Socorro County Farm & Livestock Bureau And these County Farm & Livestock Bureaus Dona Ana Grant Santa Fe Sandoval Page 9
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Women’s Leadership Program Offers Unique Items for Fundraising Raffle By Anita Hand, WLP Chair
From attendance at AFBF communications bootcamp, to hosting ag education events, the NMF&LB Women’s Leadership Program is always striving to expand awareness of New Mexico’s ag community and how farms and ranches are an integral part of our state’s culture and economy. To fund these efforts, we’re having a raffle for some beautiful hand crafted items. Tickets are $10 each and the drawing will be held on February 4th during AgFest. Please contact a member of the WLP to purchase a ticket or email Valerie Huerta at valerieh@nmflb.org. Thank you for your support!
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Lyle Logemann Elected to National FFA Office Lyle Logemann, a junior at Eastern New Mexico University, was recently elected as the Western Region Vice President for the National FFA Officer Team. Lyle is working on a degree in Agricultural Education and served most recently as the NM FFA State Secretary. Logemann is one of six new officers chosen from 44 finalists during the 92nd annual National FFA Convention held October 30 through November 2 in Indianapolis. “It’s a privilege to represent FFA on the national stage,” says Lyle. “I have been blessed with excellent mentors in my FFA career and hope to pay it forward during my year of service. I am excited about the opportunities to share the story of FFA and how it has changed the lives of countless members.” Graduating from Elida High School in 2018, Logemann’s advisor was Rod Savage who says that “Lyle’s strong suit lies in the realm of patriotism and preserving those ‘best traditions of our national life’ that E.M. Tiffany was refering to in our FFA Creed. “Lyle is New Mexico true,” says Jerrod Smith, State FFA Executive Secretary. “He is proud of where he comes from and is excited to represent our state well as he travels the country. Lyle worked hard this past year studying for the National Officer selection process while going to school at ENMU and working three jobs. I am excited for the growth that he will experience and the opportunities he will have to influence FFA members all across the country.”
Smith cont. from page 2 mission, vision and core values statements will lay the foundation while our goals, objectives and strategies will align to ensure we are fulfilling all aspects of the strategic plan. Your state staff met in December to define those objectives and strategies that will be employed to meet the goals of the plan. The team is excited at the opportunity to focus our efforts and ensure success of the plan. One of my goals to come out of this entire process and plan is to focus our resources. Rather than trying to be everywhere and do a lot of different things, I want to focus our efforts and do a few things that align strategically with the plan, and do them really well. We also have programs and committees whose work will also align to the strategic plan, ultimately complimenting the plan and helping the organization as a whole meet its goals and objectives. As we embark on a new year with a newly developed strategic plan, I want to thank you all for your support. Without our valuable members and volunteers the work we do would not be possible. Your staff at NMF&LB is dedicated and passionate about what we do and we hope that you will all share in this excitement. We look forward to sharing more with you as we develop and implement objectives and strategies that align with the vision given by the committee and board. Together we can make 2020 a success by ensuring all that we do aligns with our mission, vision, values and goals! We look forward to the future and working with you all to accomplish greatness for the greater good of agriculture and NMF&LB. Page 11
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Importance of Yearly Calving Interval and Calving Distribution for New Mexico Cow-Calf Operations By Craig Gifford, Extension Beef Cattle Specialist Calving Interval versus Calving Distribution Maintaining a yearly calving interval and optimizing when your cows calve during the calving season are two drivers of profitability in a beef operation. Maintaining a yearly calving interval is simply ensuring the cow calves every 365 days or fewer. In large pasture operations, essentially the only way to track yearly calving interval is to have a defined breeding season and check for pregnancy in the fall. If a cow does not maintain a yearly calving interval, her lifetime productivity is reduced. For example, a cow that is in the herd for 6 calving seasons but only calves every 430 days will have 1 fewer calf over those years than a cow that calves every 365 days (Table 1). Even if a yearly calving interval is maintained, it is important to know when the cow calves within that year. Cows only display estrus and can become pregnant approximately every 21 days. Thus, calving distribution is the number of cows calving in 21-day periods during the calving season. The start of the 21-day window (termed calving period) each year is when the third mature cow has calved or approximately 285 days after the previous year’s breeding season. Calving Distribution and Profitability The primary factor associated with calving distribution and profitability is weight; cows that calve earlier wean heavier calves. Several experiments have evaluated calf weaning weights from calves born in the first calving period through the third calving period as would be the case in a typical operation with a 3 month breeding season. Table 2 shows the average weight difference and range for each calving period, and essentially every cycle that a cow misses getting bred costs approximately 40 pounds in weaned calf value. It is important to consider that a cow who breeds and subsequently calves every year in the first calving period has the same yearly cost as a cow that calves in the third period, yet the former will wean on average a calf that is 80+ pounds heavier at weaning. An extended calving season (calving distribution) also leads to lack of uniformity in the calf crop, and highly variable lots often lead to discounts at sale. Puberty in heifers is largely driven by percent body weight relative to mature body weight. As heifers approach 60% of their mature body weight, they begin to cycle. As expected, heifers that are born after the first calving period are lighter and take longer to reach puberty. Interestingly, the potential reduction in pregnancy rate isn’t limited to getting heifers bred for the first time. Table 3 shows that heifers born after the first calving period may also exhibit reduced pregnancy rates after their first calf. Interestingly, the pre-calving weight was similar for heifers born in the first and second calving periods, yet the percent calving in the first period was reduced. Heifers born in the third calving period also displayed decreased pregnancy rates after their first calf. In addition, heifers that are born after the first calving period are more likely to be open earlier in their life and subsequently culled earlier than heifers born in the first calving period; thus, longevity is increased for heifers born in the first calving period. Work from Page 12
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the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center showed that heifers born in the first calving period will wean heavier calves for their first 6 calving seasons compared with heifers born in the second or third calving period. Selecting heifers that are born in the first calving period can impact profitability for over half a decade and on average they will wean 1 to 2 more calves in their lifetime than heifers born later in the calving season. Benchmarks and Altering Calving Distribution It is not realistic to expect 100% of your cow herd to calve in the first 21 days. However, a good target is to have approximately 70% calve in the first 21 days and just over 25% calving in the second calving period with very few cows calving in the third calving period. Table 4 demonstrates how calving distribution can influence total weaned pounds per 100 calving cows. If your calving distribution is more spread out over the calving period, then the first things to rule out are management factors like disease, dystocia, and body condition score of the herd. Consider moving to a defined breeding season and pull bulls after 3 months of breeding. Follow up the breeding season with pregnancy diagnosis at weaning. Finally, when selecting replacement heifers, try to choose heifers that were born in the first calving period and utilize calving date in your cull cow decision. If pasture size limits your ability to determine when calves are born, one option is to sort the lowest value calves at weaning and return those to the herd. Once they mother up, you can identify the cows that are producing the lowest value calves which are likely the late calves and you can then determine your culling options. References Lesmeister, J. L., P. J. Burfening, and R. L. Blackwell. 1973. Date of first calving in beef cows and subsequent calf production. J. Anim. Sci. 36:1–6. Cushman, R. A., L. K. Kill, R. N. Funston, E. M. Mousel, and G. A. Perry. 2013. Heifer calving date positively influences calf weaning weights through six parturitions. J. Anim. Sci. 91:4486–4491. doi:10.2527/jas.2013-6465 Funston, R.N., Musgrave, J.A., Meyer, T.L., Larson, D.M. 2012 Effect of calving distribution on beef cattle progeny performance. Journal of Animal Science 90:5118-5121. Funston, R. N., J. A. Musgrave, T. L. Meyer, and D. M. Larson. 2012. Effect of calving period on heifer progeny. Nebraska Beef Cattle Report. University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska; p. 18–19. Page 13
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Coping with Tough Times By Dalene Hodnett, Director of Communications and Media Relations Few in agriculture were surprised when the Centers for Disease Control released statistics showing American farmers and ranchers were twice as likely to take their own lives when compared to the general population. Although rarely discussed, depression and mental health concerns are prevalent in the ag community. Recently the issue has been getting the attention it deserves and several groups have joined a movement to bring resources and help to those in need. The American Farm Bureau Federation is partnering with Farm Credit and the National Farmers Union to offer rural resilience training to their members in order to overcome the stigma related to mental health concerns while connecting the ag community with available resources. “Farm Bureau is a family, and when a member is hurting, we all feel it and are eager to help,” says AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “But we may not always know how to spot the warning signs that someone is overwhelmed. This training program will help our members recognize the warning signs and empower them to get help for their friends, family, neighbors or even themselves.” According to AFBF, a national Morning Consult poll commissioned in April 2019, showed “A strong majority of farmers and farmworkers said financial issues (91%), farm or business problems (88%) and fear of losing the farm (87%) impact the mental health of farmers and ranchers, and nearly half of rural adults (48%) said they are personally experiencing more mental health challenges than they were a year ago.” Trade uncertainties, recent weather volatility and a string of bad market years has created greater levels of psychological distress for farmers and ranchers. Couple those factors with the feeling of failing the family farm and your business partners, who happen to be your relatives, the tension becomes insurmountable. And even if the men and women of the ag community are willing to ask for help, their remoteness and lack of access to mental health professionals can limit their attempts for consultation. That’s why Chad Smith, NMF&LB CEO, was interested in having his staff participate in the program. “Our staff members spend quite a deal of time in the field interacting with members. It is a perfect opportunity for them to recognize mental health issues and make resources available. Rural resilience training helps remove barriers that prevent our members from getting help and it’s a natural fit for our compassionate community.” While the rural resiliency training will be offered for the first time during the AFBF Annual Convention in Austin, resources may also be accessed here www.canr.msu.edu/managing_farm_stress/ which is MSU Extension’s “Managing Farm Stress” website. Additional resources include:
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-8255. The call is free and confidential, and the caller will be connected to a counselor in their area. • Crisis Text Line, text HOME to 741741 to be connected to a trained counselor 24/7. • Farm Aid Farmer Hotline, 1-800-327-6243. Staff will answer calls Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern time. Page 14
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New Mexico Agriculture - Building on our Strengths Resilience in New Mexico, a report produced by New Mexico First, in cooperation with New Mexico State University, emphasized that our state’s ag community needed a well-coordinated public relations campaign. Given the demographic shift in the state, and the resultant decrease in understanding of the value of ag, the New Mexico Agriculture awareness campaign was created with the goal of informing all ages while moving the political needle. A survey was commissioned and The Tarrance Group polled people across the state about their perceptions of agriculture. Images of ag families, pecans, chile, and cattle were used to gauge responses to ag messages regarding economic impact, jobs provided, and commodities produced. We found what we’ve always known, trust in farmers and ranchers is strong and people respect our state’s agricultural heritage. Additionally, they want to take action to maintain and grow New Mexico’s ag community. To encourage our consumers to learn about the diversity of our state’s ag production, we began running digital campaigns on various websites and Google searches. These are flashy images with a “Did You Know?” statement that provides a link to our website – www.newmexicoagriculture.com. The website offers concise and easy to understand messages designed to inform and influence consumers, voters and decision makers. Eventually the campaign will unite various agricultural organizations to create a collective impact, thus positively framing the industry and swaying public opinion in our favor. We look forward to growing this campaign and realizing its potential to benefit New Mexico’s farmers and ranchers.
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Winter 2020
2020 Legislative Outlook
By Tiffany Rivera, NMF&LB Director of Governmental Affairs The 2020 legislative session is only a few weeks away, this year the legislature will convene for thirty days to develop the State’s budget as well as to address the items worthy of making the Governor’s call. This session is especially important as it is the legislators’ last chance before the elections to show their constituents how they work for them and what they have accomplished for their districts. All 112 seats will be up for re-election in 2020. Over the past few years New Mexico has found itself with an unprecedented increase in state revenues which are directly attributable to the oil and gas industry. NM is currently projected to be the second largest oil producing state in the country in 2020. So, what does this mean and why is it important to the upcoming legislature? One third of the state’s general fund is generated by the oil and gas industry. That means when oil and gas are booming so is the state and its ability to access those increased revenues. The latest revenue projections provided by the legislative finance council indicate a $797 million increase in new money over last year. That’s $797 million dollars of additional money for the legislature to allocate to our reserves, healthcare, education, roads, infrastructure, etc. Historically oil production has proven to be cyclical, therefore a decline in production, and those extra revenues, is quite certain. I predict that during the upcoming session there will be a large movement by legislators to place a substantial amount of the “new money” into the reserve and rainy-day accounts. The reserve balance (aka the state’s savings account) for FY19 end are sitting at $1.83 billion which accounts for roughly 29% of recurring appropriations. The legislature often recommends building up this account in order to better protect the state during economic downfall. Senator Smith and Senator Cisneros of the Senate finance committee have been strong proponents in the legislature for building up the state’s reserve accounts and often highlight the importance of monitoring and restricting our spending as well as diversifying our revenue sources. Unfortunately, earlier this year Senator Carlos Cisneros passed away unexpectedly. We send our deepest condolences to his family; it is truly apparent that the legislature has lost one of its most seasoned and influential legislators and a true asset to the people of New Mexico. Cisneros was a large player in the development of HB2 The General Appropriations Act, which is also known as the state budget. Cisneros served as the Vice Chair of the Senate Finance Committee for many years. What Else Should We Expect? In terms of legislation, it is difficult at the moment to predict what may come up, as the Governor has not given many hints as to what might be included in her call. Of course, we anticipate more legislation directing and mandating the state to utilize more forms of green energy over oil and natural gas (We’ll see where the sustained funding comes for green energy when oil and gas are pushed out of the picture), emphasis on early childhood education programs, broadband access, tax issues/reform, recreational marijuana, pension reform for the Public Employees Retirement Association, methane regulations, and much, much more. Prefiling of legislation began December 16 and ends January 17, while the last day for introduction is February 5th. Member Engagement and Advocacy During the legislative session I look forward to working with many of you to progress the priorities and initiatives of NMF&LB, and the agriculture industry as a whole. Member engagement and interactions with legislators is extremely important and I plan to utilize our membership to its utmost potential. This is where you come in! Legislators enjoy talking and visiting with you all much more than they care to see us. If you are interested in coming to Santa Fe to help out please reach out to me. We will also be looking to utilize our newly formed Issue Advisory Committees. During the session I will host a Monday Morning Briefing call at 7:00 am for State Board Members and the Government Affairs Issue Advisory Committee. I will also provide Weekly Wrap Ups which will highlight the major items of the week, movement on relevant legislation, events, and items coming up the next week. These will be distributed via the Daily Dirt, if you’re not receiving that daily email please check with your regional representative. Events Mark your calendar for AgFest on February 4, at 6:00 pm at the Santa Fe Convention Center. This will be followed by our NMF&LB breakfast on February 5, at 7:00 am. Food and Farms Day at the Legislature will be on February 6, at the State Capitol at 8:00 am and the Roundhouse Feed will be on February 18, at 6:00 pm also at the State Capitol. Page 16
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New Mexico Farm & Ranch
Winter 2020
Your hopes. Their dreams. We’re in the business of protecting your todays and your tomorrrows. Let’s sit down and discuss how to plan for all you imagine. You talk and we’ll listen – face-to-face, the way we’ve done it for more than 80 years.
fbfs.com Farm Bureau Property & Casualty Insurance Company,* Western Agricultural Insurance Company,* Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company*/West Des Moines, IA. *Company providers of Farm Bureau Financial Services M206 (5-19)
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New Mexico Farm & Ranch
Winter 2020
Non-profit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Las Cruces, N.M. Permit No.2093
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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. A 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 Craig Ogden President, Loving Larry Reagan 1st Vice President, Ft. Sumner Boe Lopez 2nd Vice President, Springer Chad Smith Chief Executive Officer Page 18
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New Mexico Farm & Ranch
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Burl Brown, Des Moines Bud Deerman, La Mesa Crystal Diamond, Elephant Butte Jim Ellett, Hope Duane Frost, Claunch Travis Harris, San Antonio Don Hartman, Deming Gary Hathorn, Flora Vista Leon Hemann, McDonald John Jackson, Lake Arthur Deena Kinman, Elida Donald Martinez, El Rito Steve Myrick, Clovis Tommy Ortiz, Las Vegas Stewart Rooks, Gila Troy Sauble, Maxwell Casey Spradley, Cuba Tom Wilton, Ft. Sumner Anita Hand, Chair Women’s Leadership Committee Andy Ellett, Chair Young Farmer & Rancher Committee
REGIONAL DIRECTORS Benjie Segovia Valerie Huerta Director of Organization Tiffany Rivera Director of Governmental Affairs Traci Curry Director, Southern Region Ag in the Classroom Francisco Hatay Marketing Coordinator Dalene Hodnett Director of Communications and Media Relations Cecilia Diaz-Johnson Bookkeeper Theresa Widner Director of Membership Services Eva Hernandez Executive Assistant
Winter 2020