Rural Route April-May 2018

Rural Route WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION®’S

april | may 2018 • vol. 24 no. 2 | wfbf.com

YFA Chair Advocates for Young Leaders in Agriculture Page 18

The landscape is changing.

We have the roadmap.

Successful businesses look forward, not back. That’s why they turn to FS for next generation agronomy and energy solutions. We’re utilizing cloud-based information technology, while providing essential crop inputs and fuel management tools that point the way forward. FS is always discovering new ways to optimize operations and ensure our customers are ready for what’s next.

www.insightfs.com • www.conservfs.com

©2016 GROWMARK, Inc. A14175D

contents vol. 24 no. 2

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INSTITUTE TRIP

Leadership Institute graduates and WFBF Board visit D.C.

FEDERAL ISSUES

Updates on a variety of federal topics.

FIELDWATCH

Programs to help beekeepers and specialty crop farmers.

FFA FARM FORUM

Conference for high school juniors brings nearly 200 students.

CELEBRATING 100 YEARS

WFBF seeks memorabilia and stories from its first 100 years.

NATIONAL AG DAY

Members shared why they are #WIAgProud.

BRIAN PREDER

This year's YFA chair enjoys working with people.

MEMBER TESTIMONIALS

Members share money-saving stories.

OPINIONS

Opinions from Eckelberg, Holte, Truelsen, Duvall and Camp.

YFA MEMBERS IN RENO

Wisconsin YFA members travel to Reno for conference.

RURAL MUTUAL

Apps to help prepare for severe weather.

COVER PHOTO BY AMY ECKELBERG

ONLINE LIBRARY

Read our previous issues at wfbf.com/read.

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Rural Route WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION’S

EDITOR’S NOTE

T

o everything there is a season …

It was in high school choir when I was first introduced to the song, “Turn!

Turn! Turn! (to Everything There is a Season)” by The Byrds. I remember fondly belting out the melody as the altos and male voices churned in the background with the ‘turns.’

Now, knowing that these beautiful words were taken from the Bible's Ecclesiastes and originally recorded by many folk artists, I appreciate the diversity of the people it has touched. If you’ve never heard these words, I encourage you to look them up.

I think of the words during the seasonal changes especially in the spring. For example, the words, "a time to sow, a time to reap" make me smile when I imagine farmers eagerly waiting for spring planting.

This one is easy to grasp because it is so literal, but as I re-read the lyrics, I started seeing connections to what is in this issue of Rural Route.

The words, "a time to build up" reminds me of the cover story about Brian Preder, which is on page 18. Serving as this year’s

state Young Farmer and Agriculturist chair, Brian is spending his time building up the program and Farm Bureau’s future leaders.

With good seasons, also come bad. The best part of this song is the reminder that things balance out. "A time to break down," is the phrase after, "a time to build up."

Unfortunately, I connect this to what farmers are experiencing, especially our dairy farmers.

Wisconsin Farm Bureau President Jim Holte tackles this sensitive topic in his opinion column on page 25.

Recently, a group of Farm Bureau members returned from Washington, D.C. The words, "a time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together," reminds me of this experience. Often, we get frustrated with politics and the regulations that farmers face.

While in D.C. though, our members came together as a united group to represent all types of Wisconsin agriculture. You can read about the trip on pages 5-7.

As a member organization we can't forget about our on-going membership season. As the words say, "a time to gain," don’t forget to sign up a new member today. We now have the ability for new members to sign up at wfbf.com, so help us spread the word.

Read the latest membership update on page 39 and about the WFBF and Rural Mutual Insurance's new websites on page 44.

As we head into planting season, which turns into summer and then fall, remind yourself that to everything there is a season.

As you move through the seasons, literal and hypothetical, remember our purpose of promoting and advocating for agriculture.

Now ‘turn, turn, turn’ the pages and enjoy this issue of Rural Route.

Amy Eckelberg Rural Route Editor Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation

Editor Amy Eckelberg - 608.828.5706 Designer Lynn Siekmann -608.828.5707 Contributors Sarah Marketon - 608.828.5711 Marian Viney - 608.828.5721 Address of Publication Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation PO Box 5550 1241 John Q. Hammons Dr. Madison, WI 53705-0550 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation PO Box 5550 Madison, WI 53705-0550 Contact Information 608.836.5575 800.261.FARM (3276) wfbf.com info.demingway@wfbf.com WFBF Board of Directors Jim Holte, Elk Mound, (President) Don Radtke, Merrill, (Vice President) Dave Daniels, Union Grove Arch Morton Jr., Janesville Richard Gorder, Mineral Point Joe Bragger, Independence Kevin Krentz, Berlin Rosie Lisowe, Chilton Adam Kuczer, Pulaski Andrea Brossard, Burnett (Promotion and Education Committee Chair) Brian Preder, Weyauwega (YFA Committee Chair) Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation’s Rural Route (ISSN 1082-1368) (USPS 39940), the official publication of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, is published six times per year in February|March, April|May, June|July, August|September, October|November and December|January. Subscription of $5 is included in Farm Bureau dues. Periodical postage is paid at Madison, Wisconsin. All rights reserved. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or part without written consent.

For advertising rates and information: Wisconsin accounts contact Slack Attack at 608.222.7630 or barbara@slackattack.com.

National accounts contact Casey McNeal at 800.798.2691 ext. 334 or casey@iafalls.com.

For general inquiries, contact Amy Eckelberg at 608.828.5706 or aeckelberg@wfbf.com.

Rural Route

WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

Members Leave Nation’s Capital with Experiences to

REMEMBER N

By Amy Eckelberg

early 30 Wisconsin Farm Bureau members and staff traveled to Washington, D.C., during National Agriculture Week, March 19-23, to advocate for farmers. The trip marked the completion of the WFBF Leadership Institute, a year-long leadership development program available to voting Farm Bureau members.

Accompanied by the WFBF Board of Directors, the Leadership Institute graduates who participated in the D.C. trip were Pete Badtke, Ripon; Sean Beres, Waukesha; Shane Goplin, Osseo; Jack Herricks, Cashton; Reuben Hopp, Waupun; Paul Jarvis, Wautoma; Adam Jones, Wautoma; James Juedes, Ringle; Hallie Metcalf, Janesville; Carmen Montgomery, Argyle; Cassie Olson, Black River Falls; Julie Orth, Lancaster; and Heidi Pettis, Clintonville.

"It was a great learning opportunity. It allowed us to use all of the knowledge and training that we have received this past year and advocate for agriculture."

- Hallie Metcalf Rock County Farm Bureau member

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Members from western Wisconsin met with a staff member from Rep. Ron Kind's office to share their concerns on numerous agricultural topics.

To celebrate National Ag Day, WFBF Leadership Institute members and the WFBF Board shared why they are #WIAgProud on social media.

Prior to becoming lobbyists for the day, members visited administrative fees for underserved farmers and directing USDA American Farm Bureau, HumaneWatch and the Mexican to immediately reopen the program sign-up for 2018.

Embassy. They also visited the U.S. Environmental Protection The disaster package also removes the $20 million annual Agency where they met with EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to cap on all livestock insurance, including the Livestock Gross discuss the WOTUS rule and how farmers can better work with Margin-Dairy program. This allows a greater number of the agency. livestock farmers, including dairy, to participate in the program Despite a city shut down because of snow, members went that was previously limited due to the $20 million cap. to Capitol Hill on In addition to dairy, March 21. With low immigration reform, trade commodity prices across and the 2018 Farm Bill agriculture, especially were discussed. Members in dairy, members shared with lawmakers advocated for the state’s that immigration reform dairy farmers to have is the single largest issue some options for safety facing many farmers. net programs.

Without a viable solution Members supported for agriculture’s immigration changes included in needs, there will continue the disaster package to be massive challenges for dairy. This two-year for farmers. legislative package Another crucial issue includes several for Wisconsin agriculture reforms to the Margin is trade. Members asked Protection Program for Members from northeastern Wisconsin discussed topics they wanted to lawmakers for their cover in their legislative visit.

Dairy (MPP-Dairy) commitment in amplifying and offers more robust access to additional risk management support for international trade by at least maintaining the tools from USDA, such as the Livestock Gross Margin current funding level for the Market Access Program and the Program. The reforms to MPP-Dairy improve the program to Foreign Market Development Program in the farm bill. They make it a more workable safety net for dairy farmers while also also emphasized the need for trade discussions to continue improving the baseline in advance of consideration of the 2018 with NAFTA as well as other prospective nations for bilateral Farm Bill. agreements.

The MPP-Dairy reforms include raising the catastrophic Wisconsin ranks 12th among U.S. states in agricultural exports with $3.5 billion in agricultural products exported to 147 coverage level from $4 to $5 for the first tier of covered countries in 2017. Members emphasized that Wisconsin farmers production for all dairy farmers. The first-tier coverage also can compete and should be able to in a global market. was bumped up to include a farmer’s first five million pounds While the 2018 Farm Bill is far from completion, the of annual milk production (about 217 cows) instead of four Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s Farm Bill Committee priorities were million pounds. delivered to lawmakers. A list of some of these priorities is on Other changes include reducing the tier-one premium rates pages 10 and 11. by almost 70 percent, modifying the margin calculation to a Other issues discussed were wolves and modernization of monthly (from bi-monthly) basis, waiving the annual $100

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WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

While in Washington, D.C., Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s Board of Directors met with staff from the House Agriculture Committee to discuss 2018 Farm Bill priorities and immigration reform.

the Endangered Species Act, CERCLA, WOTUS and milk labeling.

While in Washington, D.C., Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s Board of Directors also met with staff from the House and Senate Agriculture Committees, as well as, House Judiciary Committee staff to discuss 2018 Farm Bill priorities and immigration reform.

In addition to meeting with Wisconsin’s congressional delegation, Farm Bureau members also toured George Washington’s Mount Vernon and enjoyed a night tour of the national monuments.

There’s no doubt graduates of the WFBF Leadership Institute class left D.C. with more than they arrived with: a wealth of knowledge and experiences they are not soon to forget.

For more information about the WFBF Leadership Institute, visit wfbf.com.

Wisconsin Farm Bureau members met with EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to discuss the WOTUS rule and how farmers can better work with the agency.

"The trip was a great experience to use the skills I have learned in the past year in the Leadership Institute class. I was able to talk to my representatives and tell them how laws and policies are impacting my farm. Developing this relationship is so important."

- Pete Badtke Green Lake County Farm Bureau president

Wisconsin farmers and agriculturists met with Sen. Ron Johnson (left) and Sen. Tammy Baldwin (right) while in Washington, D.C. APRIL | MAY 2018

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NEWS

Rural Mutual Recognizes Top Agents R ural Mutual Insurance Company recently recognized their 2017 top-producing agents at their annual Honors and Awards Banquet.

Mike Immel from the Big Lakes District was named Rural Mutual’s Agent of the Year. Mike was also recognized as the Company Top Performer in life lines and was also the personal lines leader for the Big Lakes District.

Rookie of the Year honors went to Kevin Bednarek from the

Mike Immel

Kevin Bednarek

Eastern Shore District.

The District of the Year honors was awarded to the David Meihak and the Lake and Woods District.

Chuck McDaniel from the Big Lakes District was the Company Top Performer in commercial lines.

Daryl Pulsfus from the Capitol District was the Company Top Performer in farm lines.

David Meihak

Chuck McDaniel

Daryl Pulsfus

Rural Landowners Should Check 2018 Tax Assessments T

he Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation urges rural landowners to check their property tax assessments this spring.

"Land on Wisconsin farms generally falls into one of five classifications," explained Paul Zimmerman, Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s Executive Director of Governmental Relations.

Agricultural Land is subject to the use value assessment law, and is further classified as Grades 1, 2 or 3, or pastureland.

Agricultural Forest is assessed at 50 percent of market value, this is a woodlot located on a parcel also containing agricultural land, or wooded land contiguous to a parcel entirely classified as agricultural land under the same ownership.

Productive Forest Land is a wooded area that does not meet qualifications as agricultural forest and is assessed at market value.

Undeveloped Land is a classification that encompasses wetlands, swamps and wasteland, all of which are assessed at 50 percent of market value.

Other encompasses the farmstead and farm buildings assessed at market value.

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"Farmers need to be aware of how the various types of land they own are classified in order to determine how assessments apply," Zimmerman said.

"Tax assessment statements for municipalities are typically issued in April and May to notify landowners of changes in property assessments," Zimmerman said. "If farmers have questions about their assessments, they should first talk with their assessor. They should also be aware of the appeals process available through their local Board of Review."

The Department of Revenue’s website (www.revenue.wi.gov) offers an Agricultural Assessment Guide, Use Value Guidelines for each municipality and a Property Assessment Appeal guide.

WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

Leopold Conservation AwardÂŽ Program Seeks Nominees S and County Foundation, Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association are accepting applications for the $10,000 Leopold Conservation Award, which honors Wisconsin farmers who demonstrate exemplary stewardship and management of natural resources.

Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the Leopold Conservation Award recognizes extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation. It inspires other landowners through these examples and provides a visible forum where farmers, ranchers and other private landowners are recognized as conservation leaders. In his influential 1949 book, "A Sand County Almanac," Leopold called for an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage, which he called "an evolutionary possibility and an ecological necessity."

"Being a good steward of the land is a large component of being a successful farmer," said Wisconsin Farm Bureau President Jim Holte. "The Leopold Conservation Award recognizes farmers who demonstrate a high standard of care for their soil, water and livestock. I encourage farmers to apply for this award to highlight how they protect and care for our resources."

"Dairy farmers have a long history of nurturing and protecting the natural resources within their care," said Patrick Geoghegan, WMMB senior vice president of marketing and industry relations. "The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and the Wisconsin dairy farm families we represent are proud to again sponsor the Leopold Conservation Award."

"Leopold Conservation Award nominees show that private land owners can be both profitable in their business and champions of the environment. The stewardship they have embraced is all the more necessary as increasing productivity is expected from every acre," said Jim VandenBrook, Wisconsin Land and Water executive director.

Applications must be postmarked by August 4, and mailed to Leopold Conservation Award, c/o Sand County Foundation, 131 W. Wilson St., Suite 610, Madison, WI 53711.

Nominations may be submitted on behalf of a landowner, or landowners may nominate themselves.

The award will be presented at the WFBF Annual Meeting in December.

The Leopold Conservation Award in Wisconsin is made possible through the generous support of the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, Compeer Financial, Alliant Energy Foundation, American Transmission Company, Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association, WE Energies Foundation and USDA NRCS. For complete application information, visit leopoldconservationaward.org/the-award/application-info.

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NEWS

Agriculture Updates on the Federal Level U nless you haven’t been reading the newspaper or watching the news, you’ve noticed that agriculture has been in the news on a national level.

Many agricultural items are being deliberated in the media and on Capitol Hill. These are some items being discussed at the federal level that should be on your radar.

WOTUS The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finalized a rule in June 2015 that significantly expanded the definition of "waters of the United States," also known as "navigable waters" under the Clean Water Act. This vastly expanded EPA’s and the Corps’ regulatory authority beyond the limits approved by Congress and affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court.

In January, the unanimous Supreme Court opinion in National Association of Manufacturers vs. Department of Defense found that cases involving the Clean Water Act belong in district courts. While this is considered a win for ag industries, the ruling has caused concern because it effectively lifts the Sixth Circuit nationwide stay of the 2015 WOTUS rule that protected millions of Americans from the crushing Obama-era regulation.

Without the Sixth Circuit nationwide stay, the only states still protected from the 2015 WOTUS rule are the 13 states shielded by the North Dakota Federal District Court’s ruling.

This sets a patchwork of regulations across the country, where some states would be subject to the 2015 WOTUS rule, while other states would be protected from the 2015 WOTUS rule.

To prevent this nightmare scenario that would threaten businesses and millions of American jobs, the EPA finalized a rule changing the applicability date of the 2015 WOTUS rule to 2020. The updated applicability date will provide the agency time to withdraw and rewrite the WOTUS rule without the threat of the 2015 rule going into effect; however, a lawsuit

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filed in the Southern District of New York by 11 state attorney generals to block the EPA’s applicability rule threatens the EPA’s work to create certainty for states and the business community while they withdraw and replace the WOTUS rule.

This is the first of what we anticipate will be many law suits filed by environmental groups and their allies. Should the District Court rule with the 11 attorney generals, the applicability rule would be halted and the 2015 WOTUS rule would go into effect in the 37 states not covered in the North Dakota stay.

EPA must maintain the ability to delay the 2015 WOTUS rule effective date to 2020.

CERCLA The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA) require facilities to report releases of hazardous substances that are equal to or greater than the reportable quantities within any 24hour period.

On December 18, 2008, EPA published a final rule that exempted most farms from certain release reporting requirements in CERCLA and EPCRA. Specifically, the rule exempted farms releasing hazardous substances (ammonia or hydrogen sulfide) from animal waste to the air above threshold levels from reporting under CERCLA. For EPCRA reporting, the rule exempted reporting of such releases if the farm had fewer animals than a large concentrated animal feeding operation.

In short, all farms were relieved from reporting hazardous substance air releases from animal waste under CERCLA, and only large CAFOs were subject to EPCRA reporting.

Some citizen groups challenged the validity of the final rule in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. On April 11, 2017, the Court struck down the final rule, eliminating the reporting exemptions for farms. EPA sought additional time from the Court to delay the effective date so that EPA could develop guidance materials to help farmers understand the reporting obligations.

On February 1, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued an order delaying the official mandate of its April 2017 ruling. This means that CERCLA/EPCRA reporting requirements for livestock and poultry producers stay until May 1, 2018.

The Fair Agricultural Reporting Methods (FARM Act) and ACRE Act were introduced on March 14. They will amend Section 103 of CERCLA to clarify that air emissions from animal waste at a farm are not applicable under this act and thus farmers do not need to report the emissions.

The FARM Act was included in the March omnibus package, these provisions now become permanent law.

WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

MILK LABELING Flexibility should be allowed in labeling fluid milk. This would allow labeling of cow milk as fat free, 99 percent fat free, as well as the traditional 1 percent, 2 percent to stay competitive with other beverages and product marketing strategies to best serve consumer demand.

For this milk fat labeling standard to be reconsidered, the topic must be submitted through the Federal Register to U.S. Food and Drug Administration demonstrating that there is significant interest from the public and stakeholders. These topics are considered every five years through the Dietary Guidelines.

IMMIGRATION American Farm Bureau supports inclusion of the AG Act in the DACA package (the SAF Act). The AG Act establishes a new H-2C program for agricultural workers. This program has many positive elements and represents a significant improvement compared with the existing H-2A program.

The SAF Act is broad legislation that addresses numerous issues within the context of comprehensive immigration reform. Wisconsin Farm Bureau is focused only on the AG Act and its ability to supply Wisconsin dairy, livestock and seasonal commodity farmers with a reliable workforce.

to draft language. Each chamber has its own unique challenges with strategy moving forward. We continue to advocate for the Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s 2018 Farm Bill priorities and ask for a timely farm bill hearing process.

Some of Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s priorities for the 2018 Farm Bill are: • Significant changes to the Margin Protection Program.

• Continue the current funding levels for Environmental Quality Incentives Program and Conservation Stewardship Program.

• Continue the current funding for the Market Access Program and the Foreign Market Development Program.

• Increase funding within Rural Development to be used for rural broadband distribution services.

• Changes to Livestock Gross Margin Program.

• Support Dairy Revenue Protection Insurance Product as an additional tool.

• Increase in funding for animal health and biosecurity measures based on concerns from the animal and livestock industry.

• Support the existing cross compliance between conservation funding and crop insurance/commodity programs.

• Keep the farm programs and the nutrition program together.

• Increase funds authorized for the Farm Service Agency loan guarantee programs while maintaining the current caps on individual amounts a farmer may be granted.

• Maintain current funding levels for agricultural research.

• Maintain current funding levels for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.

To stay informed on federal issues, visit wfbf.com/policy/ current-issues orfb.org/issues.

FARM BILL The House and Senate Agriculture Committees have held field hearings as well as committee meetings to hear priority issues from stakeholders and members of their respective committees. The House and Senate seem to be making significant progress on compiling language for a draft soon. At this time it is unclear if the House or the Senate will be the first APRIL | MAY 2018

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FieldWatch Connects Farmers, Beekeepers and Applicators F armers are committed to being good stewards of the land and good neighbors to those around them.

For many farmers, pesticide application is necessary to mitigate risk of crop damage and yield loss, but other farmers who raise specialty crops or have beehives are at risk of pesticide drift from neighboring fields. Preventing and reducing drift of pesticides onto specialty crops, organic fields or beehives is essential to preserving a positive relationship with neighbors.

FieldWatch®, Inc., is a nonprofit company that connects specialty crop farmers, beekeepers and pesticide applicators to ensure the applicators know where nearby specialty crops and beehives are located before applying pesticides to a field.

FieldWatch has two programs, DriftWatch™ and BeeCheck™ that are available, free of charge, for specialty crops growers and beekeepers, respectively, who can register the location of fields or hives using the Google Maps™ interface to show pesticide applicators where registered sites are.

In January 2011, Wisconsin joined the program and as of March 1, Wisconsin has 982 registered users who have mapped 1,181 sites that cover 20,146 acres.

The maps allow applicators to use registered information in ongoing stewardship efforts before they spray. It is important to note that these maps represent approximate positions of specialty crops and beehives submitted by the user and are not based on property lines.

These are free, voluntary mapping resources available to specialty crop growers, beekeepers and pesticide applicators.

This service is not intended for homeowners or sites less than one-half acre.

DriftWatch was started in 2009 after Red Gold® Tomatoes, a specialty crop company in Indiana, approached Purdue University and challenged them with opening lines of communication between pesticide applicators and specialty crop farmers who were frustrated with pesticide drift.

The programs are no longer operated by Purdue University, as FieldWatch was created in collaboration with interested agricultural stakeholders. The nonprofit is led by President and Chief Executive Officer Stephanie Regagnon who has experience in many sectors of the agriculture community including beef, biofuels and most recently in biologicals and honey bee stakeholder outreach with Monsanto.

"FieldWatch is such a great initiative because it showcases different sectors of ag coming together just to be good neighbors to each other," said Regagnon. "In agriculture, we have to use a combination of tools to be good stewards of the land and toward our neighbors – FieldWatch is one of those tools."

Today, DriftWatch is specifically designed for specialty crop growers to register the locations of their fields. There also is a feature that allows growers with honey bees to register both using the same program.

Beekeepers who do not have specialty crops are encouraged to use the BeeCheck program, which has features tailored toward the

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By Sarah Marketon

needs of beekeepers. Users can register a hive as private, so it is only visible to applicators who are registered in the FieldWatch system, not the public.

FieldWatch also has a variety of field signs available to registered users of DriftWatch or BeeCheck, that aid in awareness and communication as a visual reminder to applicators of nearby beehives or specialty crop sites.

While FieldWatch is the overall name of the company, it is also the name of the program that pesticide applicators can use to see registered DriftWatch and BeeCheck sites. An applicator can access the public map to gain access or they can choose to register to give the added value of drawing an alert area. Then he or she can select notification preferences that have an option for automated emails that signal newly approved sites in the area of the state that the applicator designates. Registered applicators can see beehives not visible to the public.

"FieldWatch helps us reduce the unknowns in and around a field like sensitive vegetation and beehives," said Matt Timm, Insight FS applicator. "We appreciate having an awareness of the field surroundings before we are onsite or in the process of spraying. As more data is entered into the program it becomes more useful to us as applicators."

While all these services are provided free of charge, FieldWatch offers a membership option for users or organizations. The same services and tools are available to all members regardless of free or paid membership, but by choosing a paid membership, users help financially support continued innovation and implementation of the non-profit’s programs.

Those who opt for a paid membership receive additional benefits such as recognition on the FieldWatch website, the opportunity to attend the annual FieldWatch member meeting and more.

Steps to register at fieldwatch.com: 1. Create an account: Select the appropriate account (DriftWatch, BeeCheck or FieldWatch) and fill in the online form.

2. Enter your specialty crop: locate the crop in the drop-down menu. If the specialty crop is not listed, select other. Enter the crop year for this crop, the current year will be the default option.

3. Add comment or URL: this is an optional step that allows you enter your website address or other helpful comments that may provide assistance to applicators.

4. Locate field or beehive: enter the address or ZIP code for the area you want to register and click ‘search.’ Navigate to specifically find your area.

5. Draw your field: click the center of the beehive location or outline the borders of the field. When you are finished, click ‘submit.’ Submitted sites are reviewed by the state’s department of agriculture and approved before appearing on the maps. *Note: There is a simple, annual site renewal process through DriftWatch or BeeCheck, that does not require you to redraw your sites.

WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

APRIL | MAY 2018

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NEARLY 200 ATTEND FFA FARM FORUM

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early 200 high school juniors from across Wisconsin attended Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s FFA Farm Forum in Wisconsin Rapids, February 16-17.

"This event is a great partnership between Wisconsin Farm Bureau and Wisconsin FFA," said Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation President Jim Holte. "Young ag leaders who attend this event participate in professional development activities and are able to network with their peers and Farm Bureau staff."

During the two-day event at Hotel Mead in Wisconsin Rapids, FFA members attended workshops on post-high school agricultural opportunities, social media, agricultural advocacy and leadership.

Joining Holte as keynote speakers at the event were Mariah Martin, UW-Madison Collegiate Farm Bureau member and Glen Schraufnagel, consultant for Cooperative Educational Service Agency 10.

The Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation sponsors FFA Farm Forum in cooperation with the Wisconsin Association of FFA. This Students from Wisconsin Heights FFA attended FFA Farm Forum: (from left) Charles Hull, Lane Evert, Brenda Rettenmund year’s FFA Farm Forum marked the 46th time the event has been and Bailey Gradel. hosted for Wisconsin youth.

The FFA Farm Forum is sponsored by

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for Farming’s Future (WFB Foundation)

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6 1. Glen Schraufnagel, CESA 10 consultant, shared how to jump start a career with an interactive presentation.

2. B eth Schaefer, District 8 Young Farmer and Agriculturist representative, talked with attendees about joining Farm Bureau after high school for continued leadership and personal development opportunities similar to FFA. 3. S tudents in the Ag in the Classroom breakout session participated in hands-on activities that they took back to their schools.

4. N early 200 FFA members attended FFA Farm Forum and gained advocacy and leadership skills through listening to keynote speakers and participating in breakout sessions.

5. UW-Madison Collegiate Farm Bureau member Mariah Martin gave her keynote address, 'Power Your Passion.'

6. C ampbellsport FFA member Brook Cooper took a photo with State FFA Vice President Amelia Hayden.

7. Friday night entertainment featured a cornhole tournament. Jacob and Lyndsi from the Tomah FFA Chapter were the winning duo. wfbf.com

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Ideas of stories to share: • Met spouse through Farm Bureau • Served on a Farm Bureau committee • Participated in a D.C. fly-in • Local Farm Bureau involvement • A unique experience that happened through Farm Bureau

sin Farm Bu n co

au re

What's your Farm Bureau story?

Share it here: http://bit.ly/SubmitFBStory

Wi s

Be a part of History...

Share your Farm Bureau story.

Cen

ten nia

The Centennial Committee is looking for Farm Bureau historical items. Do you have any of the following?

• Memorabilia • Signs • Photos • Any Farm Bureau item from 1920-1950 • Articles • Promotional items

Want to reach out to the Centennial Committee? Email wfbf100@wfbf.com.

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National Ag Day #WIAgProud

Wisconsin Farm Bureau members joined farmers and agriculturists across the nation to celebrate National Ag Day on Tuesday, March 20. Members who took a photo with the #WIAgProud sign and shared it on social media were entered into a drawing to win a Culver’s gift certificate. You can learn more about why Farm Bureau members are proud of their connection to agriculture by searching #WIAgProud on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Happy National Ag Day! I am #WIAgProud because it’s a family tradition. I am the sixth generation to be living and working on our farm, and wouldn’t trade it for the world.

- Jessica Noble

There are a lot of reasons as to why I am grateful for growing up the way I did on the farm. I learned many life lessons, got to spend time with family and met some amazing people throughout my journey so far! But today, I am #WIAgProud of my oversized dog, Buster!

Happy National Ag Day! - Tammy Wiedenbeck

I am #WIAgProud because it is a family tradition. In #Wisconsin, 96 percent of dairy farms are family owned. Riley Farms is proud to be part of an industry that helps feed the world! - Kaitlyn Riley

Ag in the Classroom Ag in the Classroom partnered with Riesterer & Schnell in Westfield to read the book of the year, "John Deere, That’s Who!" live on Facebook from the cab of a John Deere tractor.

As of March 28, Ag in the Classroom received 185 entries for the student contest. On National Ag Day, 37 volunteers read to 73 classrooms and reached more than 1,200 students. Volunteers also read Shaun Cooley's book "COOLBEAN the Soybean" to more than 300 students. The soybean books were donated by the Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board.

• More than 1,900 views • Students at Ave Maria Academy and Mineral Point Elementary School watched live • 15+ shares

APRIL | MAY 2018

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YFA Chair Advocates for Young Leaders in Agriculture

By Amy Eckelberg

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o say Brian Preder is a people person is an You Never Know Where the Path Will Lead understatement. That might be why he has found himself After graduating from Weyauwega-Fremont High School in a variety of management roles during his career and was he headed to UW-River Falls set to dive into his degrees of selected as chair of the state Young Farmer and Agriculturist dairy science and computer science. Yes, you read that right.

Committee.

Computer science.

The 34-year-old grew up on a farm in Weyauwaga in "It was during my first semester when I decided that Waupaca County. A typical farm-kid, his earliest memory is computer science was not for me. It was a simple decision when looking down the barn alley while his parents milked cows. He I was in my dorm room making a box bounce around a screen also remembers riding his bike down the barn ally and later, not for my Java programming class and glanced outside during the being able to keep up with his dad while stacking hay bales. beautiful spring weather. There was no way I was going to make "You learned very quickly how to have your fun, but still get it," Brian said with a laugh. "Not many people know I started the work done," Preder said. college pursing that degree."

Like many other farm kids, Brian was involved in During and after college Brian worked a variety of jobs 4-H and FFA. such as being a member of a custom harvesting crew and "The largest influence both organizations had on me was working at a local cheese plant doing everything from hooping leadership development and networking," he said. "It’s not to packaging cheese. In 2006, he graduated with a bachelor’s until you reflect on your involvement in 4-H and FFA that you realize the positive influence these organizations had on making you the person you are today."

Brian is responsible for Involvement in those youth groups bulls, facilities and staff at led Brian to show dairy cattle, which GENEX's Shawano location. fueled his love for working with animals and people.

"Showing dairy was a big part of my summers," he said. "There’s a sense of accomplishment that comes from the time spent training and preparing for the show."

Since the county fair was such a big part of his summers Brian gives back to the cause, serving as the milk house manager at the Waupaca County Fair.

This role allows him to still spend a week living the ‘fair life’ he enjoyed as a youth.

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WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

Brian works in Shawano as the Wisconsin production manager for GENEX.

degree in dairy science. After working back on the family farm for several years, he decided to take a job at a large dairy as a herd manager.

"I learned a lot about people management in that role," Brian said. "Yes, I was the herd manager, but ultimately I was making sure the crew was taken care of and had everything they needed."

Now you can find him working at GENEX in Shawano.

"I never thought I would end up working for an artificial insemination company in the production division," he said.

Brian is the Wisconsin production manager at GENEX where he oversees three areas and about 25 people. He is responsible for bulls, facilities and staff at the Shawano location, which also is the headquarters.

"I'm still involved in agriculture, just on a different side of the industry," said Brian. "Being responsible for bulls instead of cows has been a big change. It's a change that provides me challenges and opportunities to constantly learn. The best part though, is much like a dairy farm, every day is a little different."

The Farm Bureau Experience Brian explains his beginning in Farm Bureau as being ‘voluntold’ to join and participate in the YFA Discussion Meet.

"I had a few friends who were involved in or working for Farm Bureau and still are," he said. "They were pretty adamant I join and become involved and I’m glad I did."

A college friend signed him up as a member and after being asked to try the Discussion Meet by then District 7 YFA representative Adam Kuczer, he was officially involved.

"That same year I was elected as the YFA chair for Waupaca County and now here I am serving as state YFA chair," said Brian.

If you can imagine, Brian’s favorite part of being involved in Farm Bureau is meeting new people.

"I really love the networking opportunities that Farm Bureau gives me," he said. "Especially now that I am chair, I get to meet lots of young people from around the country involved in APRIL | MAY 2018

Brian talked with WFBF Board member Adam Kuczer following a legislative meeting in Washington, D.C.

agriculture. Where else will you get that chance?"

To Brian, YFA gives young agriculturists a chance to sit across a table with someone who has had "different experiences but the same passion."

Brian has participated in Ag Day at the Capitol and Washington, D.C., fly-ins and has served on the WFBF Dairy and Policy Development committees.

"Besides the networking, being represented on Capitol Hill is a great reason to join Farm Bureau," Brian said. In general, he appreciates that Farm Bureau is about its members.

"Farm Bureau is a membership organization so member recruitment is important. Specifically, the YFA program brings in young members with new ideas, which is exciting," he said.

In his role as state YFA chair Brian is on the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Board of Directors.

"In the board room, members are always considered first, which really impresses me," Brian said. "The membership’s best interest is always front-of-mind and since I represent YFA my role is to represent the young members in our organization."

Being involved in many volunteer groups through the years Brian admires those who volunteer time and effort toward a cause, which might be why he dedicates his spare time to a volunteer organization like Farm Bureau.

"Who I look up to is not one specific person; it’s a group of people," said Brian. "The people who stick out in my mind are the people who volunteer their time. These are the people who are willing to take time out of their day to make sure someone else can have fun, network or develop skills. These volunteers are who I look up to."

Brian will serve as the state YFA chair until the 2018 WFBF Annual Meeting in December when a new chair will assume the role and seat on the WFBF Board of Directors. After his time as YFA chair Brian plans to remain active in Farm Bureau and continue to advocate for young leaders in agriculture. To learn more about Wisconsin’s YFA program visit wfbf.com/ programs/young-farmer-and-agriculturist-program.

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19

Spring for these member benefits!

For complete details, visit wfbf.com/membership/member-benefits.

Rural Mutual Insurance Company

To find a Rural Mutual Insurance Company agent, visit ruralmutual.com or call 877.219.9550.

Farm Bureau members who are agricultural producers and patrons of their local FS cooperative are eligible to receive patronage when patronage is paid.

You can get more information about the services Farm Bureau Financial offers from your local Rural Insurance agent. Learn more at f bfs.com.

Deep discounts and free shipping.

Members receive an incentive discount ($300 to $500) when purchasing qualifying Case IH equipment from participating dealers.

Take advantage of Farm Bureau Bank’s FDIC-insured checking and savings accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, credit cards and vehicle and home loans. Visit farmbureaubank.com.

Wisconsin Farm Bureau members save up to 20% off published rates at participating Choice Hotels.

Travel safely. Save money on a your AAA membership.

Code WI07 Members qualify for a variety of discounts on new purchases. Visit wf bf.com to print your certificate and for details on models and discounts.

Wyndham Hotel Group

Accidental Death Policy • AgriVisor • Life Line Screening • Office Depot® • Avis • Budget • The Country Today • ScriptSave • $500 Reward Protection Program • AgriPlan Medical Reimbursement Program • John Deere

Visit wfbf.com to find out more about your membership benefits! *WFBF member benefits may be changed or discontinued at anytime without notice.*

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Wisconsin Farm Bureau members save up to 20% off published rates at participating Wyndham Hotels.

WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

Office Depot® and OfficeMax® Benefits Pay D id you know that Wisconsin Farm Bureau members can receive moneysaving discounts at Office Depot and OfficeMax on products and services?

Outagamie County Farm Bureau member Kelly Oudenhoven makes great use of the Office Depot discount member benefit.

Oudenhoven estimates that she saved more than $2,000 during December and January when printing materials for the county displays at the WFBF Annual Meeting and the AFBF Annual Convention.

"I didn’t use this member benefit very much until I dug a little deeper and realized what I could save," said Oudenhoven.

"Using the Office Depot discount on any printing project is a quarter of the cost compared to me printing it on our printer."

Oudenhoven farms with her father-in-law near De Pere where they manage 450 dairy cows and grow crops on 900 acres.

Married to Keith, the couple has three children.

Recently, Oudenhoven said that she had a tri-fold piece printed for Adventures in Dairyland, which is a five-week curriculum-based program that explains how cows came to America, the different dairy breeds, how cows make milk and it ends up in grocery stores.

For 600 copies it would have cost $200 but using the Office Depot discount it only cost $40.54.

Sharing this type of savings also helps with Farm Bureau member recruitment.

"I’ve even signed on several Farm Bureau members because of the Office Depot discount and the other Farm Bureau member benefits," said Oudenhoven. "I definitely recommend using the discount.

You can cover the Farm Bureau membership dues with the money saved on your first several printing projects."

Oudenhoven explained that even when purchasing supplies for the farm office, i.e., paper, tape, envelopes, etc., she generally saves about one-third using the Office Depot discount and reminds other members that you must use the discount card to get the incredible savings.

"You can print off a free discount card online and have it laminated at the local Office Depot store," explained Oudenhoven. "You also can use your card when ordering online."

To learn more about this member benefit, visit wfbf.com/ membership/member-benefits.

John Deere GreenFleet™ Program Helps Members Save W

hen Waupaca County Farm Bureau member Rick Nowak learned about the John Deere GreenFleet™ Loyalty Rewards program he decided to purchase a new piece of equipment.

“I ordered a new camo John Deere Gator and used the Farm Bureau member benefit GreenFleet™ Loyalty Rewards program to get the additional discount that Farm Bureau offers,” said Nowak. “This was $500 in savings.”

Nowak is the manager of a Nowak Properties LLC, which uses John Deere equipment in their logging business. He started purchasing land along the Wolf River in 1994, with the purpose of river land management, and managing forest properties.

“I took over as manager and run our business with two of my sons,” explained Nowak. “We log properties when weather and ice conditions permit because we need to cross the river for access. The timber is separated into three classes: pulp wood, hardwoods and veneers and bolts. We work with the Wisconsin DNR and certified forester consultants, along with many different area loggers.”

“This Farm Bureau member benefit really lends itself to cost savings of renewal parts and new purchases of needed APRIL | MAY 2018

equipment,” said Nowak.

Nowak plans on using the John Deere GreenFleet™ Loyalty Rewards program every time that he needs additional equipment or replacement parts.

“It’s hard to say how much we will save at this point, it depends on the business’s needs and requirements, however, it is nice to know that this type of cost saving program is available,” said Nowak. "It will definitely influence our buying decisions.”

Nowak worked with Steve Twardokus at Ballweg Implement in Beaver Dam, who informed him about the Farm Bureau John Deere member benefit and provided details about the GreenFleet™ Loyalty Rewards program.

Nowak “absolutely” recommends using the Farm Bureau member benefit John Deere GreenFleet™ Loyalty Rewards program.

“The sales staff at the dealership was fully aware of the Farm Bureau member benefit and the enrollment process was very easy,” added Nowak.

For more information about Farm Bureau member benefits, visit wfbf.com/membership/member-benefits. wfbf.com

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FIELD TO FOODBANK Every year, 40 percent of the food grown and produced in this country never makes it to someone’s table. The reasons why vary. From excess and imperfect crops, to shifting consumer eating habits, good food is too often left to rot in the field. In Wisconsin, it is estimated that at least 150 million pounds of food is bypassed annually.

L

ocal hunger-relief organizations like Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin and Feeding Wisconsin are working to capture unwanted crops and distribute them to children, families and seniors who struggle with hunger.

Since 2011, through the Field to Foodbank Program, Second Harvest Foodbank has navigated the challenges of the food chain to distribute healthy, nutritious food to those who can’t make ends meet.

Developed in partnership with the University of Wisconsin’s Institute of Sustainable Agriculture, Field to Foodbank is a three-prong program.

It includes: • Annual Pack: Food processors include Second Harvest in their annual pack plans. Second Harvest forecasts anticipated purchased product needs for the next year, and they purchase, at a set price, firstgrade canned vegetables.

• Fresh Produce Left Behind: Second Harvest works with growers to accept blemished, under-sized or excess yield produce that is good for human consumption and distributes it to people who can’t put nutritious food on their table.

• Grow to Donate: Second Harvest secures commitments from growers to plant, tend and harvest acres for donation.

Today, agricultural donors to programs like Field to Foodbank often incur thousands of dollars in costs per truckload for

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product that is donated. These costs include expenses related to harvesting, processing and transporting food to hunger-relief organizations. That’s where Feeding Wisconsin comes in.

Feeding Wisconsin is the statewide association of the Feeding America food banks that source, warehouse and provide food to more than 750 affiliated agencies and 1,000 local food programs throughout the state. One of the primary functions of Feeding Wisconsin is to work with national, state and local officials to ensure that the collective voice of those facing hunger in Wisconsin is heard.

Feeding Wisconsin is working with a bi-partisan coalition of elected officials to pass the Harvest for Hope Grant Pilot Program.

The program will match up to $250,000 per year for four years of funds raised by a statewide nonprofit food distribution organization chosen to be the grant administrator.

The goal of the grants is to raise awareness of existing agricultural donations and encourage donations by providing a small reimbursement as a donation incentive to growers. Recently, legislation to approve the pilot program was passed by the Wisconsin Assembly but did not pass in the Senate.

Thanks to the efforts of organizations throughout Wisconsin, there is hope for the more than 600,000 people.

For more information about the Field to Foodbank Program, visit SecondHarvestMadison.org/Field or FeedingWI.org for updates on the Harvest for Hope Grant Program.

WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

APRIL | MAY 2018

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OPINION

Women in Ag: Take a Seat at the Table A Message from WFBF's Amy Eckelberg

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get my storytelling abilities from my grandmother and mother. I couldn’t deny it even if I tried.

If you saw us sitting around the kitchen table you would know we were related not specifically by looks, but rather our abilities to tell stories that last much longer than they should, entertain and many cause a deep belly laugh or two.

I was fortunate to grow up with two extremely strong women in my life. Both tough as nails and too stubborn for their own good. I might regret putting that in black and white for them to read.

Whether they know it or not, these two women are strong leaders. They taught me to always have an opinion but also an open heart. I doubt they even realize I have been taking lessons from them.

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During County Leaders Week in March, I listened to a podcast about women and leadership co-hosted by Kirby Green and Lindsay Calvert from American Farm Bureau. This podcast was intriguing. It talked about women’s roles in agriculture and how we need to encourage women to take a seat at the table and be leaders.

Whether it’s a seat at the county Farm Bureau board table or your town board table, women can provide a diverse perspective and should be sought after by leadership. Lindsay stated women can have a seat at whatever table they want but will not always set out for the challenge unless given support from a colleague, spouse or friend.

This made me think about my upbringing and the mentors who encourage me. It also made me reflect on what I have seen along the countryside as far as women in leadership roles.

A few lessons I've learned: Working hard is for women and men.

While growing up on our farm, chores varied but my responsibility didn’t shy away because I was a girl. On our farm it was always all hands-on deck. Boy, girl, woman, man, you always put in 110 percent and helped with whatever was needed.

A woman’s perspective creates a strong and diverse environment.

Women, you know what I mean here.

I’m not going down the path of ‘the woman is always right.’ I am saying that

women can provide a different perspective if provided the chance to give it.

Empower those around you, especially women.

I love the looks when I tell people my mom has a nearly an all-women milking team. Depending on the season, she does have a full team of women. My mom creates a very inviting environment for woman laborers. As a leader, woman or not, encourage those around you.

You are not only a farmer’s wife. You are not just a farmer.

In Wisconsin, 31 percent of farmers are women. When I hear someone introduce themselves as a farmer’s wife, I am disappointed. Not because they are married to a farmer, but because they are not giving themselves credit. You aren’t only a wife. You are not only a laborer.

You are a woman with a role – be proud about it. Being proud also goes to the male farmers out there. You aren’t just a farmer. You’re a farmer! Be proud and own your role in feeding families.

It’s important to uplift each other as leaders, especially the women in the agricultural community. Kudos to you who serve on your county boards, committees and other areas. I encourage you to keep up the leadership but take it a step further and ask someone else to join.

Go get a seat at the table and if the head seat is open, sit there. I dare you.

Eckelberg is WFBF’s Executive Director of Public Relations.

WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

­­­It’s Together You Get Through Tough Times A Message from WFBF President Jim Holte

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hey say it’s hardest to write about the things that matter most. I’d say that’s true.

Agriculture and farmers, like myself, are what I have always known and cared about. It’s always a pleasure to write for you and to you in each issue of Rural Route.

I do my best to keep things positive.

In my opinion, we read too much negative news and I try to focus on the opportunities and possibilities. As I drafted this column it occurred to me that wasn’t an option. I can’t write positive words in a time when so many friends, Farm Bureau members and neighbors are struggling.

I grew up on a farm and wanted nothing more than to have the same lifestyle for my family. I started dairy farming in 1976. It was a good time to get into the business because dairy prices were climbing.

I farmed next to, but not financially with, my father. While I was an excited young farmer and wanted to purchase new things to help my business, my father cautioned me that bad times would come. He warned me not to act on my excitement by buying too many new pieces of equipment because he had learned the hard way that agriculture is cyclical.

For the most part, I listened to my father. It was those words of wisdom along with having some off-farm income that helped my family weather the challenges of the 1980s.

For some of you, my farming story

APRIL | MAY 2018

might be similar, or for some, the downturn of the 1980s might have changed the plan for your farm.

Things are getting tougher for farmers every day. I think it’s time to talk about the crisis facing our friends and families in the agricultural community.

The hardest part is that I want to tell you that everything is going to be OK. Things are going to turn around and fast, but they’re not. We’ve been here before.

It’s part of the complicated nature of our career choice with the ups, come downs.

I’ve been asked many times what Farm Bureau is doing about the hardships our farmers are experiencing. Unfortunately, Farm Bureau cannot change the commodity prices. I wish we could.

We are, however, having conversations and sharing that our farmers need help.

I have had numerous conversations with the lending community, specifically, on how they can assist with these challenging times. It is also essential to keep our elected officials in the loop, so they understand what’s happening on the front lines in Wisconsin agriculture.

The farming community is strong because we stick together when times are tough. The struggles on the farm can impact mental and physical health and we need to look out for one another right now.

If you need a different perspective of your situation, talk with your friends, family or the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection’s Farm Center. It can be hard to think clearly during stressful times.

Farmers sometimes struggle with asking for help. Now, is not the time for pride to get in the way of seeking assistance. The future of your family and farm depends on it.

Don’t forget to keep the conversation ongoing with your lender. Use the resources your local UW-Extension agent has for you. Pray with your religious leaders. Whatever person fits best with you and your situation, please act.

If you are involved in any sector of agriculture, you know where things are not good. Farm Bureau is helping however it can. Please promise me that you’ll help yourself as much as you can.

President of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation

since 2012, Holte is a grain and beef farmer from Elk Mound.

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OPINION

AFBF: A Longtime Champion for Trade A Message from AFBF's Stewart Truelsen

F

rom its beginning almost a century ago, the American Farm Bureau Federation has been a strong advocate for international trade. The organization’s first president, James R. Howard, wondered what it would be like if a ship could steam up to his Iowa farm, so he and his neighbors could sell their surplus corn on world markets. This was in 1922 and Howard contemplated how the corn could be made into mush to feed starving children in Russia.

Howard’s wish wouldn’t come true until 1959 when the St. Lawrence Seaway opened in the Upper Midwest, but Farm Bureau went ahead with programs to move surplus corn to Russia without the seaway.

In 1949, Farm Bureau’s international trade policy called for American leadership in the reduction of tariffs, import quotas, cartels, discriminatory practices and other barriers to the expansion of trade.

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A few years later, the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 was signed into law by President Dwight Eisenhower. The export law was better known as Public Law 480 and later as Food for Peace. What’s not well-known is that the idea for PL 480 came from a Farm Bureau trade specialist, Gwynn Garnett. Garnett served during the war as a tank commander and then as director of the food and agriculture division of the U.S. military government in Germany. After his service he joined the Farm Bureau staff and suggested the plan to distribute food to a wartorn world.

U.S. exports of farm commodities took off in the 1970s, rocketing 15 percent in fiscal year 1971 to a record $7.8 billion, or $50 billion in today’s dollars. In 1978, Farm Bureau sent a 15-member trade delegation to Geneva, Switzerland, to review multilateral trade negotiations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. When the Tokyo Round concluded the following year, agriculture was included in the final negotiations for the first time.

Farm Bureau persuaded President Ronald Reagan to end the grain embargo against the Soviet Union in 1981. Initially the embargo was implemented out of national security concerns by President Jimmy Carter. But the embargo proved ineffective and only served to stimulate crop production in South America.

Farm Bureau also pushed hard for elevating the diplomatic position of U.S. agricultural attaches, opening new U.S. trade offices and expanding the role of the Special Trade Representative, which became the U.S. Trade Representative,

a cabinet-level position in the executive branch. The office includes a chief agricultural negotiator.

When the World Trade Organization replaced the GATT, Farm Bureau continued to work closely with U.S. trade negotiators to reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers and expand agricultural trade.

Multilateral trade negotiations under the WTO have been stalled for some time, but Farm Bureau has actively supported efforts to achieve free trade agreements that were bilateral or multilateral with several countries involved.

One of these agreements was the North American Free Trade Agreement, implemented in 1994, which removed barriers to agricultural trade between the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Renegotiations for NAFTA began last August. Farm Bureau is seeking to protect the gains achieved in agricultural trade and the removal of remaining barriers.

Last year the U.S. ran a trade deficit of $566 billion overall with the rest of the world; however, we had a $21 billion trade surplus in agricultural products, and there has been an ag trade surplus every year since 1959.

It’s little wonder that the American Farm Bureau has always been focused on trade and determined to see markets expand. Exports have been the key driver of higher net farm income and have helped farmers build a strong American agriculture that benefits all of us.

Truelsen is a food and agriculture freelance writer and

a regular contributor to the Focus on Agriculture series.

WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

Building on NAFTA’s Success

A Message from AFBF President Zippy Duvall

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griculture will be keeping a close eye on the next rounds of the North American Free Trade Agreement renegotiation in Mexico City and Washington, D.C. For farmers and ranchers across the country, spring is a time of planning, planting and praying for a fruitful year. But if our leading export markets hang in the balance, a cloud of uncertainty hangs over a time that usually is filled with optimism and hope. The impact of U.S. withdrawal from NAFTA could be devastating for farms and ranches of all sizes.

Robust trade agreements boost farm prices and help sustain farms and ranches.

Twenty-five percent of American-grown products go to customers outside our borders, and in 2017 nearly a third of those exports went to our North American neighbors. Mexico and Canada are top export markets for all types of commodities—from grains to dairy, from poultry and livestock to fresh fruits and vegetables. NAFTA has been a real success story for U.S. agriculture, and it continues to be. Last year, ag exports to Canada and Mexico topped $39 billion— that’s $1 billion higher than in 2016.

While NAFTA has a track record of working for agriculture, we can’t be certain that we’ll keep those customers if we back out of the agreement or lose the gains we’ve made. You don’t have to look far to see how markets adjust when better deals come along. No company or industry is exempt from changes in the market. Companies that were once pillars of their industries have crumbled when they couldn’t keep up with the changes taking place around them. For example, there’s no longer a Woolworth’s in every downtown. You can’t get a phone

APRIL | MAY 2018

plan with MCI, and you can’t book a world-class flight on Pan-Am. But folks still have plenty of means to shop, communicate and travel. In the same way we’ve adjusted and taken our business elsewhere, our customers in Mexico and Canada will go to other countries for their soybeans, wheat, apples, poultry and much more, if trade with us no longer remains a good deal all around.

That’s not to say that we have a perfect trade agreement with NAFTA. We’ve seen a lot of change in the 20-plus years since it was signed, and agriculture would like to see modernizations that improve on the strong trade partnership with our neighbors. All our trade agreements must be based on scientific standards that advance innovation in our industry. Free trade involves give and take, and U.S. agriculture can’t do all the giving. That’s why we’re looking to these NAFTA talks to reduce tariffs and modernize sanitary rules. We have seen this kind of progress in other trade talks like the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and are confident we can get there again.

In the middle of these negotiations, I am reminded of a Bible verse in Ecclesiastes: "The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all." I often look to God’s Word for guidance on all kinds of issues. It’s amazing how much wisdom in the Bible applies to our business and professional lives, as well as our spiritual lives.

No matter how good a job we do in American agriculture, winning the 'race' is not guaranteed. We are not promised success. But all of us get our time and

chance to be successful, if we are smart enough to see the opportunity in front of us and act on it.

If the U.S. pulls out of NAFTA, our competitors around the world certainly will see their opportunity to swallow up the markets we would leave behind for the taking.

America’s farmers and ranchers are swift, strong, wise and learned. There’s nothing we can’t do, including feed our nation and much of the world. It’s up to us to make the right decisions to ensure we make the most of the opportunities we have.

We must remain in NAFTA and keep working to make it better, so America’s farmers and ranchers can continue the export growth we’ve seen in our closest markets.

President of the American Farm Bureau Federation, Duvall raises beef cattle, hay and poultry in Greshamville, Georgia.

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OPINION

Metal Tariffs Stoke Trade War Fears Guest Column by AgriVisor’s Joe Camp

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ecently, markets were riled on news that the U.S. would be placing new tariffs on metal imports. In March, traders were largely caught off guard when President Donald Trump signed an executive order taxing steel imports at 25 percent and aluminum at 10 percent.

Agriculture trade has the potential to be negatively impacted by the new tariffs if trading partners choose to retaliate in kind by taxing incoming U.S. grain shipments. But, the industry alternatively has a chance to benefit if the threat of trade wars spurs an update to the North

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American Free Trade Agreement or the formation of new trade pacts.

The economic principle of comparative advantage illustrates why free trade is a desired feature of the market. Without barriers to trade like quotas and tariffs, countries are left to specialize in the production of goods and services that tap into unique resources.

Free trade is the theoretically-desired state for economies actively engaged in international trade; however, it can be socially and politically infeasible for governments to allow trade to flow freely because of the disadvantages incurred by certain sectors of an economy. If economies specialize in capital-intensive production, labor-intensive sectors can suffer and vice versa.

The U.S. is the prime example of a country having a comparative advantage in capital-intensive industries. For example, the role of the dollar as international reserve currency allows the U.S. to specialize in financial intermediation at the cost of diminished resources devoted to labor-intensive manufacturing sectors.

At stake in ongoing talks regarding the re-negotiation of NAFTA are Canada and Mexico’s labor-intensive advantages at producing steel. Both trade partners are

top-four exporters of steel to the U.S. and both are top customers of the U.S. grain industry.

Canada and Mexico are exempt from the new metal tariffs if they remain participants in the NAFTA pact. The two countries may now be better incentivized to compromise on U.S.-urged concessions to the trade pact.

Other countries are looking to strike deals with the U.S. to gain an exemption from the metal tariffs. U.S. goods including U.S. grains could take on favorable treatment from importers in return for such a waiver on the steel and metal taxes.

Trade war fears have injected extra volatility into markets as of late, but haven’t been the big bear influence that many had expected the trade war fears to be. Market participants are convinced that deals will be struck, and retaliations avoided, leaving grains largely unaffected or maybe even better off, save the occasional small market shock that comes with related worries.

Camp is the risk management specialist for AgriVisor, one of WFBF’s member benefits.

WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

Up the Creek A column by Ken M. Blomberg

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early 35 Aprils ago, I wrote the following words in my journal, "Was going to take a ride tonight, but decided to hang around the house. What a lucky break! Two wood ducks flew over and headed towards the woods behind the house. I kept my eye on them and what do you know? The female has a nest 200 yards from my back door in a hollow oak tree." As I recall, I cringed as she flew into the small hole at 40 miles per hour.

For years, wood ducks used that same tree cavity, until the landowner hired loggers and cut the wooded portion of the property, including the duck’s dwelling.

Without older, hollow trees, the birds went elsewhere. Subsequently, our family purchased the woods behind the house, excavated two more ponds and over the years, erected six artificial nesting boxes along the creek and above the ponds. With the right ingredients, wood ducks returned.

At one time, the wood duck was one of the most abundant waterfowl species in North America. But, by the turn of the 20th century, market hunters, combined with widespread bottomland habitat destruction, nearly wiped out the species. Fortunately, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, spearheaded by hunters and conservationists, and later coupled with the installation of artificial APRIL | MAY 2018

nesting structures, dramatically reversed the bird’s demise and brought about a remarkable population recovery.

In 1937, employees of the U.S. Biological Survey erected hundreds of slab wood and rough-cut cypress board boxes throughout Illinois. One of those individuals was Arthur Hawkins, recognized as a pioneer and international leader in waterfowl research and management.

Hawkins, and renowned waterfowl expert, Frank Bellrose, recognized the great management potential of the boxes and thus, helped turn the corner on the extraordinary resurgence of the species.

I had the great fortune to meet and become a friend of Hawkins years ago, while researching an article on Aldo Leopold. I visited Hawkins several times, on his family’s wildlife refuge near Hugo, Minnesota.

One of Leopold’s first graduate students, Hawkins was a wealth of knowledge regarding his famous professor and of course, wood ducks and waterfowl. He was a founding father of the Minnesota based Wood Duck Society and had a half dozen nesting boxes in his front yard. Sitting at his kitchen table, I heard firsthand, of the birth of wood duck nesting boxes.

"The early slab wood boxes were so heavy that we had to use a crane to hoist them high enough up into the trees," he said.

They soon realized a lighter version would be more practical.

Hawkins died at age 92, while hiking at his refuge, looking for spring migrants, walking stick and binoculars in hand.

Described by many as the most beautiful of all waterfowl, the male wood duck, in its fall and winter multi-colored plumage,

sports a green head with white stripes along the face and crest, a white throat patch, chestnut breast, golden flanks and white belly. But it’s the iridescent dark green-blue back and wings, as well as his red bill and eyes that draw attention.

Each year in late March, or early April, wood ducks return to this stretch of the Wisconsin River valley to nest and rear their young. The hens lay between nine and 14 eggs. The day after the ducklings hatch in May, they use their sharp claws to climb to the nest entrance and jump to the ground. The tiny ducks can tumble from great heights without injury and make their way to water where they immediately swim and find food.

More than three decades ago, I watched a female wood duck fly full speed into a hole in an old oak tree behind the house. These days we watch in anticipation as another generation uses the nesting boxes we have placed in the woods out back. Last week, I checked the boxes, cleaning out old material and adding new sawdust as bedding. One box already contained five eggs, with no sign of the female. Eggs are laid a few at a time – so it may be a week before she begins incubation full time.

Then we’ll be watching and if we’re lucky, we’ll see what few people ever witness, baby ducklings leaving the nest.

Blomberg is a freelance writer and a

member of the Portage County Farm Bureau.

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WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

Farm Bureau Fruit Cocktail Torte Submitted by Peggy Wright, Monroe County Ingredients

• 11/2 c. flour • 11/2 c. sugar • 11/2 tsp. baking soda • 1/2 tsp. salt • 1 large can fruit cocktail, well drained • 2 eggs

Topping • 1/3 c. brown sugar • 3/4 c. nuts, chopped • 11/2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients.

2. Add fruit cocktail and eggs. Stir until all ingredients are well blended.

3. Put into greased 9 x 13 inch pan.

4. C ombine topping ingredients and sprinkle over dough.

5. B ake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes 6. S erve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Popover Pizza Submitted by Kathy Manske, Waupaca County Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef • 1 medium onion • 1 packet of dry spaghetti sauce mix

Instructions

• 8 oz. mozzarella cheese • 1 package refrigerated crescent rolls dough • Parmesan cheese to taste • Vegetables of your choosing

1. Brown ground beef in a skillet (drain if needed) and add onion.

2. Once cooked, add spaghetti sauce mix packet. Add other vegetables if desired.

3. Dump meat sauce in 9" x 13" pan and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top of it.

4. C over with uncooked crescent roll dough.

5. S prinkle with Parmesan cheese.

6. B ake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until done.

Want to see your recipes featured here?

You can submit your recipes one of two ways!

1. M ail your recipe (and a photo if you have one) to Wisconsin Farm Bureau Attn.: Farm Bureau Flavor PO Box 5550 Madison, WI 53705 2. F ill out the online submission form here: http://bit.ly/FBFlavor APRIL | MAY 2018

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Y L P P

A

TO LEARN

TO NETWORK

TO EXPAND

TO DISCOVER

TO CONNECT

TO ADVOCATE

TO GROW

Be a part of the 2019 Leadership Institute by applying today!

The WFBF Leadership Institute is a year-long leadership development program to help you become a strong and effective leader. With six different sessions, you can network with Farm Bureau members and industry leaders and take your personal and professional leadership development to the next level. This program is open to ALL Wisconsin Farm Bureau voting members.

wfbf.com/programs/leadership-institute

Applications due August 15

AG IN THE CLASSROOM

Wisconsin Teacher Receives National Recognition for Ag Literacy Work L

ivia Doyle, a fourth-grade teacher at Mineral Point Elementary School in Iowa County, was selected as one of eight teachers from across the nation to receive the 2018 Excellence in Teaching About Agriculture Award from the National Ag in the Classroom Organization (NAITCO).

NAITCO, USDA and Farm Credit partner to honor teachers from around the country for the innovative ways they use agricultural concepts to teach reading, writing, math, science, social studies, STEM, STEAM and more.

"Livia is everything you could ask for in a teacher and educator," said Darlene Arneson, Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s Ag in the Classroom Coordinator. "She lives and breathes agriculture and incorporates it when she can in her classroom and in everyday life."

Doyle earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from UW-Platteville with a minor in early childhood, inclusion (special education) and Spanish. She also earned her master’s degree in elementary education from UW-Platteville. She has taught in the Mineral Point School District since 2010.

"Livia has used agricultural resources, grants and opportunities to enhance her students’ lives in so many ways," Arneson added.

Doyle will be recognized at the 2018 National Ag in the Classroom Conference, June 26-29, in Portland, Maine.

For more information about Ag in the Classroom, contact Darlene Arneson at 608.828.5644.

Checking your Ag in the Classroom tool kit for spring and summer!

With spring and summer opportunities coming up, make sure you’ve checked your Ag in the Classroom resource tool kit for new and updated resources!

2018 Wisconsin Farm Facts, bookmarks and lesson plans g Today Readers come in six issues on topics A such as health, STEM, natural resources and others xpanded AFBFA Food and Farm Fact E resources including trivia cards, pencils, pocket guides and lessons is Business Called Agriculture (for third Th through fifth grade) and An Agricultural Career for You (middle and high school) student booklets and Educator Guides My American Farm - new games on the website and new bookmarks World of Corn activity books Fun Face tattoos in eight different images Soybean Science Kit activities or others from our 'Hands-on Activities' list Ag Mags - 14 different issues offered by AFBFA with five in Spanish ownload the Ag in the Classroom Snapshot D and put your county program information on the backside as a handout at events Check out the updated resource order form and book order form at wisagclassroom.org.

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WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

Come Fly with Ag in the Classroom this Summer Annual bus tour will make stops in western Wisconsin

Do you know someone who would benefit from a tour of farms and agribusinesses? Wisconsin Ag in the Classroom encourages you to share the Summer Bus Trip information with teachers, educators, volunteers and home school parents in your area.

This year’s tour will be held July 24-25 and will be based out of Arcadia.

The cost is $50 and opportunities for credit will be • Pilgrim’s Pride offered.

This annual tour is perfect for teachers of all grade levels and subject areas, volunteers who work with their Ag in the Classroom program, extension and 4-H staff and leaders and others who want to learn about Wisconsin agriculture.

The bus tour is limited to 50 participants so don’t delay in getting registered.

Tour stops include:

• Compeer Financial • Buck Country Grain • Arcadia High School Agriculture Department • Ecker's Apple Orchard

• Suncrest Gardens Farm • Northern Family Farms, LLP • Superior Fish/ Freshwater Family Farm • Harvest Home Farm • AMPI

To register wisagclassroom.org/ whats-new

Other Training Opportunities

Science-Focused Training

One-Day Training

Soybean Science Kit Training

Wednesday, June 20

West Madison Research Station, Madison

Monday, July 16

Tuesday, June 19

UW-Madison Biotechnology Center Join Ag in the Classroom and UW-Madison Biotechnology Outreach Director Tom Zinnen as we explore the strong connections of science and agriculture. The day will include a science lab at UW Biotrek and various stops on the agriculture campus.

This summer, several classroom opportunities will be offered for teachers and volunteers. At this one-day training you will get an overview of the resources available through Wisconsin Ag in the Classroom, National Ag in the Classroom, American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture and our commodity partners.

Comfort Suites, Portage

At this training you will learn how to organize, manage, promote and use the Soybean Science Kits. Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board has sponsored 74 kits for teachers, volunteers and county programs to use. Attend this session to learn more about this popular activity.

Further details and registration materials for summer trainings can be found under 'What's New' at wisagclassroom.org.

Erica Beilke, Wittenberg

Norma Larrabee Gabriel, Menomonie

Becky Hibicki, Ripon

Becky Salm, Newton

Terri Hamm, Waupaca

Kieler Farms; @farmrunfarm, Platteville

Rosita Slembarski, Knowlton

Send us YOUR Photos

Wisconsin Farm Bureau members live and work with beautiful landscapes and livestock. On this page we highlight those sights and special moments.

Please email your best photos (high resolution jpgs, 4x6 inches at 300 dpi) to Lsiekmann@wfbf.com or fill out an online submission form at: http://bit. ly/WFBFPictureThis. Due to the high volume of photos we receive, we are unable to publish every photo. Photos sent in may be used in other WFBF publications.

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WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

LEADERSHIP

Moegenburg Joins Promotion and Education Committee J

acki Moegenburg of Ozaukee County has been appointed to Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s Promotion and Education Committee by the state Board of Directors. She will fill out the term previously held

by George Mroch of Walworth County.

"Jacki’s passion for connecting people of all ages to agriculture makes her the perfect fit for the Promotion and Education Committee," Wisconsin Farm Bureau President Jim Holte said.

Jacki owns Roden Barnyard Adventures, an agritourism business based on her family’s dairy farm in West Bend. After graduating from UW-River Falls in 2013, Jacki found her spot back in the family business by opening the farm for tours to community members. She has a strong passion for agriculture and education and is excited to share her agricultural knowledge and farming lifestyle with all ages. Jacki and her husband, Brett, enjoy being able to raise their daughter, Gracelyn, around the family farm. Jacki will represent District 1, which includes the counties of Jefferson, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth, Washington and Waukesha.

The Promotion and Education Committee is a group of nine leaders who represent the nine Wisconsin Farm Bureau districts. Committee members develop, implement and promote projects and programs that build awareness and understanding of agriculture and provide leadership development for the agricultural community.

The committee’s chair, Andrea Brossard of Burnett, sits on the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Board of Directors as the program’s representative. Additional committee members include Vice-

Chair Darby Sampson of Melrose, Katie Roth of Platteville, Lynn Dickman of Plover, Rosalie Geiger of Reedsville, Katelin Steege of Hortonville and Kay Gilbertson of Elk Mound. The Promotion and Education Program is funded by the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation.

For more information about Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s Promotion and Education Program or committee, visit wfbf.com.

New App Makes it Easy to Advocate I n a proactive effort to bring farmers and ranchers into the mainstream conversation, U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance® (USFRA) recently launched engAGe, a communications app suppling farmers, ranchers and advocates a turnkey tool in sharing their story on social media.

With only 4,000 to 5,000 agriculturists on social media who post only three or more times per month about food and ag-related issues, this group has a small footprint in the digital media space compared to the anti-ag movement. This will empower more people to share stories by making it easy to do.

APRIL | MAY 2018

The app’s news feed allows users to publish stories and posts to their own social media networks. engAGe also encourages farmers and advocates to network with others, so if someone has a video, photo, link or story they want to share, it can be posted and distributed to the entire engAGe community.

To download: 1. Search "Dynamic Signal" in either iTunes or the Google Play store and download the free app.

2. Open the app and enter "engage" as the community code.

3. Create your individual account.

* For further instructions visit fooddialogues.com/engAGe. wfbf.com

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LEADERSHIP

YFA Members Travel to Reno W

isconsin Farm Bureau Young Farmer and Agriculturist members attended the 2018 American Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Conference in Reno, Nevada, February 16-19.

Wisconsin was well represented at the YF&R Conference. Front row (from The conference allowed members to participate left) Charisse Orth, Alison Wedig, Megan Lyons, Rosli Bragger and Tammy in a variety of workshops on engagement, family, Wiedenbeck. Back row (from left) Julie Wadzinski, Derek Orth, Melissa leadership, farm and technology and hear from Doyle, Sally Turpin, John Lyons and Brian Preder. outstanding keynote speakers including AFBF President Zippy Duvall, U.S. Farm Report host Tyne Morgan provided members the opportunity to learn more about and entertainer Mark Lindquist. Tours in and around Reno Nevada’s agriculture industry.

Conference attendees enjoyed a night with fellow YF&R members at the National Bowling Stadium in downtown Reno.

WFBF YFA committee members Sally Turpin (left) and Tammy Wiedenbeck (right) posed for a photo with Tyne Morgan (middle), host of the U.S. Farm Report. Tyne was a keynote speaker at the conference and discussed the 2018 agriculture outlook.

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Alison Wedig, a member of the Collegiate Farm Bureau at UW-Madison, represented Wisconsin in the Collegiate Farm Bureau Discussion Meet. The contest allows members to discuss issues affecting agriculture and develop viable solutions to the problem. Alison competed aith 59 other contestants from around the United States and made it to the Sweet 16 round.

Grant County members Derek and Charisse Orth serve as members of the American Farm Bureau YF&R Committee and helped organize the conference with fellow committee members.

WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

Gearing Up for Another Year of Membership Growth S ince it’s humble beginnings in May 1920, the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation has seen many changes.

Farm Bureau programs, policy initiatives, member services, organizational philosophy and structure – all have changed and evolved during the past century.

Yet, as the organization prepares to observe its centennial, one thing remains unchanged. Farm Bureau is all about membership.

Like most membership organizations, Farm Bureau’s strength is in numbers, and an active, growing membership is the key to Farm Bureau’s continued success as the "Voice of Agriculture®." Not only does membership growth build the financial strength of Farm Bureau at the state and county level, but increased membership builds Farm Bureau’s influence with legislators and policy makers in Madison and Washington, D.C. County Farm Bureaus are dependent on a strong and growing base of members who are willing to volunteer time to carry out county programs, take on leadership roles and provide input regarding issues that face Wisconsin farmers.

It’s often observed that the Farm Bureau year is like a big circle with various seasons, the winter meeting season, county fair food stand season, policy development season, fall annual meeting season and the list goes on.

Membership work, however, is a year-round project. The membership year begins with goal setting and membership planning, culminates with recruitment and retention efforts throughout the year and wraps up with last-minute membership contacts to help the county meet membership goals. And when you think it’s finished, the process starts over again.

1920

APRIL | MAY 2018

Farm Bureau membership recruitment and retention efforts are carried out by county Farm Bureau volunteers and Rural Mutual Insurance agents around the state. In support of these efforts, WFBF conducts regional membership kick-off meetings, assists counties in organizing membership drives or other events focusing on membership recruitment; produces and distributes membership materials for use by county volunteers and Rural Mutual agents; and provides a series of incentives and rewards to volunteers, agents and to county Farm Bureaus.

During the 2017 membership year, 268 Farm Bureau volunteers teamed up to sign a total of 885 new members into the organization. In addition, the Rural Mutual Insurance Agency Force signed up more than 3,500 new members.

Anyone can sign up a new Farm Bureau member, and Farm Bureau membership volunteers qualify for a $20 cash incentive for every new member signed. That’s right! Even if you’ve never signed a new member before, you qualify for the cash incentive simply by signing up a friend or neighbor.

2018

To sign up a member: 1. Direct them to sign up online at wfbf.com.

2. Download an application at wfbf.com/membership/join.

3. Request a hard copy membership application from the WFBF office.

wfbf.com

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BIG BEND ROAD TRACK & TRAIL LLC 262-662-1500 roadtrackandtrail.com - 10 min from Milwaukee

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WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

County Kernels Food Pantry Donation - Dane County

In December, members of the Dane County Farm Bureau board celebrated the holiday season at 1855 Saloon and Grill in Cottage Grove. In addition to a wonderful meal, white elephant gifts were exchanged and food donations were collected for the Badger Prairie Area Needs Network.

Book Donation - Pierce County

In January, Pierce County Farm Bureau donated a set of the Ag in the Classroom’s book of year from the past eight years to the Plum City Public Library. These books will be used to provide the public with an understanding of how their food is produced.

Girl Scouts Learn about Agriculture - Barron County

John Deere Book Event - Manitowoc County

On March 3, the Manitowoc County promotion and education committee hosted a John Deere event at Riesterer and Schnell near Chilton. More than 40 children and their parents enjoyed cheese, milk, cookies, goodie bags and tractors. The event was held to promote the book of the year and essay contest.

In January, Girl Scout Troop #3260 participated in an Ag in the Classroom activity led by Lisa Barta. Troop members learned about dairy farming and made ice cream in a bag, which the troop members enjoyed eating.

Foodbank Volunteering - District 3 Promotion and Education In January, District 3 members met in Madison for the Winter Promotion and Education meeting. Attendees enjoyed sharing ideas and made plans for the year. The meeting was followed by lunch at the Thirsty Goat and volunteering at the Second Harvest Foodbank. The staff at the food bank were impressed with the work ethic of these farm girls and how quickly they finished sorting pizzas and packaging potatoes.

APRIL | MAY 2018

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ggie nswers

BEN HUBER

Green County

The best part of Farm Bureau is being a part of a farmer-led, grassroots organization. Nothing beats influencing and educating others on the benefits, challenges and opportunities in agriculture. The Green County board of directors is a group of ag professionals providing education and value to our community.

We asked county Farm Bureau leaders: What is the best part about being a Farm Bureau member and serving on the county board of directors?

DAVID LEE SCHNEIDER CHRISTINA BENSON

Oconto County

As a farmer and rancher, I’m part of an awesome group that is dedicated to producing food and products for the growing population. I feel the spirit of familiarity and trust that exists between so many diverse farmers working together.

With my experiences and knowledge, skills, talents and time, I serve as a voice in support of farmers and ranchers in the area.

Lafayette County

The best part of being a Farm Bureau member is networking with others in the community. While serving on the county board of directors, I have enjoyed connecting with the consumer who might not see how agriculture impacts their daily lives.

MIKE HARMS

I’m proud to represent an organization that serves as a voice for farmers and helps share the positive stories of agriculture. The best part of being on the board is working with other members to promote agriculture.

Thank You to the Following WFB Foundation Donors: (Donations were made between January 26 and March 21, 2018

•• Scott and Valerie Gaffney - Leader Challenge Contributor •• Jim Holte in honor of Carl Casper's birthday •• John Arneson in memory of Jim Bradley •• Dale Beaty in memory of James Bradley •• Dan Paulson in memory of Shirley Daniels •• Beth Schaefer in memory of James Riehle •• Marathon County Farm Bureau in memory of Gene Christian •• Dan Paulson in memory of John A. Jaeckel •• Chippewa County Farm Bureau in memory of Mark A. Christenson •• Green Lake County Farm Bureau in memory of Roland Jahnke •• Jim Holte general contribution

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ADAM JONES

Lafayette County

$500

VALUE

Waushara County

I am helping the local farm community by giving them the support they need with local and state issues.

I enjoy serving on the local board because I can make a difference in the community I live in and keep it a great agricultural community to raise my son.

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REE CALL FOR A F UILDER TEGY B DIGITAL STRA E ANALYSIS WEBSIT

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608 4413644 ted.w@mwfbg.com WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

Please Join Us! Monday, September 10, 2018

21st Annual Golf Outing Fundraiser

Wisconsin Ag Open

"The Wisconsin Ag Open is a great opportunity to relax and spend time with friends from across the state before the busy harvest season."

"I attended the very first golf outing a number of years ago and have golfed ever since. It’s always a blast and is for a great cause."

Doug Rebout Rock County Farm Bureau President

Jim Holte Wisconsin Farm Bureau President

"We attend the Wisconsin Ag Open because Wisconsin Farm Bureau and Ag in the Classroom are supportive of the activities, educational resources and programs Wisconsin Beef Council provides. It’s a great way to work together to support Wisconsin agriculture."

John Freitag Wisconsin Beef Council Executive Director

Wisconsin Dells

Contact Darlene Arneson at darneson@wfbf.com or 608.828.5644 for more information.

APRIL | MAY 2018

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New Websites for Farm Bureau and Rural Mutual Wisconsin Farm Bureau

Wisconsin Farm Bureau recently redesigned its website.

This new website is mobile friendly and extremely easy to navigate. Current and prospective members can learn more about member benefits, programs, events and recent news. It also provides easy-to-complete forms for media and local affairs inquiries.

Many changes were made to WFBF’s blog section, where visitors will now be able to reach stories written by members about food, family, policy development and more. The website also features a section dedicated to current issues where members can learn more about what the organization is working on.

To see the new website visit wfbf.com.

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Rural Mutual Insurance Company

Rural Mutual was excited to unveil a newly-designed website with a new look and feel in March.

The new website has a built-in Learning Center that includes farm safety articles and news. It includes updates on insurance products and other important topics. The website is a great asset to agents and both current and prospective customers.

Another feature of the new website is the agent search feature. It is now easier than ever before to find an insurance agent.

To see the new website, visit RuralMutual.com (previously Ruralins.com).

WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

RURAL MUTUAL

Use Technology to Prepare for Severe Weather

By Chris Schlechta, Rural Mutual Safety and Loss Control Manager

S

pring time is finally at our door step. Along with the warmer weather and longer days comes the threat of severe weather. Every year wind, hail, tornadoes, lightning and floods cause millions of dollars in damage, injuries and fatalities.

In 2016, hazardous weather in Wisconsin caused 20 fatalities, 33 injuries and resulted in nearly $38 million dollars in damages.

Being prepared for the inevitable severe weather we will experience will ensure you are safe and better able to overcome whatever Mother Nature throws your way. Part of that preparedness is being informed and aware of changing conditions that may develop into severe weather.

Today, through technology we are better equipped to anticipate incoming weather and the severity. While great tools are available, they should never replace common sense to expect the unexpected. One tool I recommend is the app, 'Tornado– American Red Cross.'

This free app, available in the Google Play and iTunes stores, has saved me from driving into an EF-1 tornado crossing the highway a few miles ahead of me.

The app allows you to put in multiple locations to monitor for home, work, school, etc. It also can deliver alerts based on your global positioning system (GPS) location.

In addition to the severe weather monitoring, it also is a great source of preparedness information. Information in the app can

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be delivered in English or Spanish.

Another app I find useful is called 'RadarScope.' This is an advanced level paid app (starting at $9.99) that provides advanced features sets on wind speeds, storm intensities, lightning, hail, storm paths and more. You also can pay to upgrade the data feed from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to Allison House, which provides the same level of data used by professional storm chasers.

It’s important to note that every home and business should have a NOAA Weather Radio. This is an invaluable tool to know what is going on with weather expected in your area.

I caution people who rely on the outdoor warning sirens.

These sirens were never intended to warn people inside a building and are really a last resort warning to those outside.

Even then, you may not hear the sirens based on the winds or your distance from the sirens.

There also have been cases where the severe weather has impacted an area before the sirens were activated. Don’t bet your life on them.

Make sure you are ready for Mother Nature this year. Stay aware of the weather conditions and make sure you have a preparedness plan for home and work.

For related articles, visit RuralMutual.com/learningcenter.

WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

APRIL | MAY 2018

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WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION