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In Farm Bureau New Ag Hall of Fame inductees
The Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame will induct six
individuals whose leader-ship and service have brought distinction
to the states largest industry segment.
The newest class includes the late W.H. (Bill) Caldwell of Rose
Bud, the late Hank Chamberlin of Monticello, poultry execu-tive
Gary C. George of Springdale, rice farmer David Hillman of Almyra,
long-time Cooperative Extension rice specialist Bobby Huey of
Newport and cattleman John Frank Pendergrass of Charleston.
The group will be honored at the 28th annual induction luncheon
set for 11:30 a.m. March 4 at Little Rocks Embassy Suites
Hotel.
Caldwell had his hand in many agricul-tural endeavors, operating
a dairy farm, a feed mill business, Caldwell & Sons Eggs and
Sidon Mountain Brangus Ranch. Under his guidance, his feed mill,
Caldwell Milling, grew to more than 100 employees and seven
locations around the state. It received numerous honors through
the
years, including Purinas Presidents Award for leading in sales.
Caldwell was also a community leader, playing a major role in the
formation of the town of Rose Bud, where he served on the town
council and as mayor.
Chamberlin founded what is now the School of Forestry and
Natural Resources at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, the
only forestry school in the state.
He launched the forestry program with a mere three students in
1945. He remained as head of the forestry school until 1972 and
continued teaching until 1980. The following year, he was selected
as a Fellow of the Society of American Foresters. In 1994, he was
an inaugural inductee in the Arkansas Foresters Hall of Fame.
George is chairman of the board of Georges Inc., leading a
family poultry
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Arkansas Farm Bureau leaders were on hand at the American Farm
Bureau Convention in Orlando to congratulate Zippy Duvall of
Georgia for being elected the new president of AFBF. (Left to
right) State board member Joe Christian, Scott Co. FB Vice
President Mike Richardson, ArFB President Randy Veach, Mississippi
Co. board member Benton Felts, Duvall, state board members Jon
Carroll and Terry Dabbs, and Greene Co. FB President Terry Norwood.
See more from the AFBF convention in this issue.
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Belated congratulations to Derek and Shannon
Haigwood of Newport who won ArFBs 2015
Young Farmers & Ranchers Achievement Award. Presi-
dent Randy Veach (left) and Vice President Rich
Hillman (right) presented the award at ArFBs state convention in
Little Rock
last month. The Haig-woods grow soybeans, rice,
corn and cotton on 3,130 acres near Newport.
January 22, 2016 Vol. 19, No. 2
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business started in the 1920s by his late grandfa-
ther, C.L. George. George was appointed president of Georges,
Inc. and its subsid-iaries in 1980 at the age of 30. In 1994, he
was named CEO. Under his leadership, the company grew to include
operations in multiple states and more than 4,700 employees. George
has held positions on the Poultry Federation, the American Egg
Board, the National Chicken Council, the Arkansas Industrial
Development Com-mission, the University of Arkansas Board of
Trustees, and the boards of Legacy National Bank and J.B. Hunt
Company.
Hillman, currently state representative for District 13, is one
of just 10 men to serve as president of the Arkansas Farm Bureau. A
rice farmer, he has served on the board of Producers Rice Mill, the
USDA Crop Advisory Committee (Rice) and the U.S.A. Rice Council
board. He is past chairman of the Arkansas Rice Research and
Promotion Board and served as a director for the Arkansas County
Con-servation District. In 1980, he was chosen Arkansas Outstanding
Young Farmer and, in 1984, he and his family were selected as North
Arkansas County Farm Family of the Year.
Huey spent 33 years with the Univer-sity of Arkansas Division of
Agriculture, including 20 years as a rice specialist at the
organizations experiment station in Stuttgart. During his long
career, Huey received numerous honors, including an
Extension Specialist of the Year Award, an Arkansas Farm Bureau
Service Award, John White Outstanding Extension Award and a Friend
of the Farmer Award from Riceland Foods Inc.
Pendergrass is a fifth-generation cattle farmer on Pendergrass
Ranch in Franklin County. As president of Pendergrass Cattle
Company, he has built one of the top beef herds in the state,
earning him recogni-tion as 2008 Arkansas Stocker of the Year by
the Arkansas Cattlemens Association and the 2008 National Stocker
Award from Beef magazine, representative of the top stocker herd in
the United States.
I am always amazed at the hard work and success that is
reflected by those elected to the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of
Fame, said Butch Calhoun of Des Arc, chairman of the Arkansas
Agriculture Hall of Fame and former Arkansas Secretary of
Agricul-ture. This group is a representation of the diversity and
achievement of our agricul-tural industry.
Luncheon tickets are $35 each. Indi-vidual tickets and tables of
10 are available by calling (501) 228-1470 or emailing
[email protected].
In ArkansasAgribusiness Conference, Feb. 10
Arkansas State Universitys annual Agribusiness Conference, now
in its 22nd year, is continuing its tradition of timely information
and education outreach to farmers and agribusiness professionals
and educators across the Mid-South.
This years conference on Feb. 10 will focus on the agricultural
economy, envi-ronmental law and regulation, business transition
planning, trade policy and the commodity market outlook. On-site
reg-istration will begin at 7:45 a.m. in A-States Fowler Center.
Lunch will be served in the Convocation Center at noon; afternoon
sessions will follow, ending at 4 p.m.
The morning general session will feature five speakers and a
panel discus-sion. Stan Miller, an attorney and partner with
ILP+McChain, Miller and Nissman, will discuss succession and
estate-planning
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Acclaimed real estate mogul and Shark Tank investor Barbara
Corcoran addressed farmers and ranchers at the closing session of
the AFBF Convention in Orlando. Corcoran, one of the most
successful entrepreneurs in the country, turned a $1,000 loan into
a $5 billion real estate business.
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Members of ArFBs state and county Womens Committees gathered for
a photo at the AFBF Convention in Orlando. Pictured (l to r) are
Roberta Golmon, Donna Bemis, Benita Drew, Peggy Miller, Janice
Marsh, Susan Bitely, Sarah Haller, Sarah Watkins, Angie Hodges,
Laurie Richardson, Sonya Harrell and Querita Faddis.
On Jan. 15, Judge Marilyn Edwards proclaimed Feb. 1-5 to be Farm
Bureau Week in Washington County. Attending the signing (l to r)
were Trae Autrey, Becky Selle, Herman Jones, Jill Jones, Judge
Edwards, Vince Mas-sanelli, Porter Smith, Lonnie Horn, Mike
Stewart, Mary Smith, LaJoyce Duncan, Clarence Duncan, Curtis Moore
and Barbara Horn.
Five-tour Afghanistan veteran and farmer Damon Helton (left) of
Lonsdale, ArFB Patriot Project manager Ross Dunn (center) and
Jeremy Allen of Bis-marck were featured speakers at a Patriot
Project workshop presented at the AFBF Convention in Orlando. Allen
mentors Helton, teaching him about agribusiness development. Dunn
helped pair Helton and Allen for the project.
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issues for agribusiness owners. Harrison Pittman, director of
the National Agricul-tural Law Center, will describe how the
regulation of crop agriculture is evolving and discuss other
environmental law is-sues. Bob Cummings, chief operating of-ficer
of the USA Rice Federation, will give an update on agricultural and
trade policy and how it is impacting the rice industry. David
Schweikhardt from Michigan State University will explain the
economics and politics of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and how it
will impact U.S. agriculture. Jason Henderson, director of
Extension at Purdue University, will review the agricul-tural
finance situation and the outlook for the farm economy.
The luncheon speaker, John Phipps, is a farmer and commentator
on the U.S. Farm Report, Americas longest-running farm television
program.
Afternoon special-interest sessions include an update on
Arkansas Depart-ment of Agriculture programs by the states
Agriculture Secretary Wes Ward, three speakers on commodity market
trends and three presentations on poultry and beef industry
issues.
Admission to the conference and luncheon is free, but
pre-registration is encouraged. Detailed conference informa-tion
and online registration are available at
AState.edu/Agriconference. You also can register by phoning
the
College of Agriculture & Technology at 870-972-3221 or
emailing [email protected].
Rice meeting coming upThe Arkansas Rice Council and Arkan-
sas Rice Farmers will hold their annual meeting and trade show
Feb. 5 at the Arkansas State University Convocation Center in
Jonesboro. U.S. Rep. Rick Craw-ford, Arkansas Agriculture Secretary
Wes Ward and USA Rice President and CEO Betsy Ward will start the
program, which will focus on research developments and policies
affecting the rice industry.
The Arkansas Rice Annual Meeting keeps our industry up to date
with the lat-est developments that will impact growing seasons in
2016 and beyond, Arkansas Rice Federation Executive Director Ben
Noble said. Well cover new farm bill policies and water issues, as
well farm programs and the growing role of women in
agriculture.
Women who grow rice or otherwise support their family farms will
get special focus this year, with a dedicated session highlighting
opportunities available to take a more active role in the
agriculture industry.
Steve Wildman Wilson with the
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will serve as the master of
ceremonies. The meeting begins with an industry trade show before
the main program.
To register, visit www.arkansasrice.org/annualmeeting/ or call
501-375-1100.
ElsewhereFarmland lessons online
The U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alli-ance recently announced that
four Farm-land lesson plans are available at
www.discoveringfarmland.com. The free science and social
studies-based lesson plans were created in partnership with
Discov-ery Education. Discovering Farmland provides high school
students, educators and parents with standards-aligned lesson plans
and interactive activities that explore concepts such as
sustainability, technology and science.
The new resources aim to stimulate thoughtful conversations
about the inno-vative use of technology on farms and how it has
transformed the industry, challenges farmers face such as weather
and growing conditions, common stereotypes around farmers and
ranchers, and market supply and demand.
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EditorKeith [email protected]
On Dec. 8, Evan Teague, Envi-ronmental and Regulatory Affairs
director for ArFB, received recogni-tion for his outstanding work
as a member of the Arkansas Unpaved Roads Working Group. This
Regional Directors Honor Award was pre-sented to Teague and other
members of the group by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast
Region director Cindy Dohner.
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State 4-H officers recently posed with leather briefcases
presented to them by Arkan-sas Farm Bureau in recognition of their
hard work. The officers are (l to r) Autumn Gregg (Washington Co.),
Alexandria Hunter (Clark Co.), Hope McAlee (White Co.), Travis
Clark (Faulkner Co.), Haley Burden (Benton Co.), Laurel Mayo
(Benton Co.) and Mary Alice Cole (Izard Co.).
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In the MarketAs of Jan. 19, 2016
Argentine wheat headed for the U.S.Two cargo ships loaded
with
Argentine wheat are set to arrive at a port in Wilmington, N.C.
next month, shipping data showed last week. Sharply lower wheat
prices thanks to a devalued Argentine peso and scrapped export
taxes have made it cheaper for users in that region of the country
to bring in supplies from South America than to transport grain
from other parts of the U.S.
Chinese GDP dropsChinas gross domestic product for
2015 came in at 6.9 percent, its slowest growth level in 25
years, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. This figure
was in line with expectations and the governments growth target of
around 7 percent. This compares to economic growth of 7.3 percent
in 2014. Confirmation of a major economic slowdown for the nation
keeps demand concerns close at hand.
Argentina eases soybean restrictionsArgentina has lowered trade
barriers
that had limited soybean imports, the government announced Jan.
18. This decision is aimed at increasing exports of soymeal and soy
oil at times in the harvest cycle when many of Brazils processing
plants usually sit idle due to a scarcity of supplies. Andres
Alcaraz, communications manager at the CIARA-CEC chamber of grain
exporting and soy crushing companies, said the policy shift likely
comes too late to impact milling this year, but he projects the
country will import 3.5 MMT of soybeans in early 2017.
FSA update: minimal acreage changesTotal U.S. corn planted
acreage
reported to USDAs Farm Service Agency stood at 85.143 million
acres as of Jan. 5 in the agencys final 2015 acreage update, up
slightly from 85.099 million acres reported in December. Soybean
planted acres were at 81.370 million (81.341
million in December), wheat at 52.746 million (52.722 million in
December) and upland cotton at 8.296 million (8.289 million in
December). There were also slight increases in the level of failed
and prevented planting acreage in the January release compared to
December as final data was incorporated by the agency.
Most equipment sales downRetail sales of 40- to 100-hp
tractors
fell by their largest amount in December 2015, with sales of
large equipment also reported down, according to information
released by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). Sales
of 40- to 100-hp tractors fell to 5,685 units in December, down
16.2 percent from Dec. 2014, the steepest decline on record,
according to AEM. Sales of 100-plus-hp tractors were down 34.5
percent in December at 2,186 units. Sales of tractors under 40 hp
were at 7,856 units, up 11.4 percent from Dec. 2014. For all of
2015, AEM said sales of 40- to 100-hp tractors were down 2.9
percent at 59,401 units, while sales of 100-plus-hp tractors
dropped 25.5 percent to 23,930 units. Sales of tractors under 40 hp
were at 118,348 units, up 8 percent.
Slight increase in soybean importsUSDAs ag attach in China says
it
expects the country to import 79 MMT of soybeans in 2015-16,
which would be a slight increase from a record 78.35 MMT the year
prior. The post explains that lower domestic production along with
rising demand for protein meal and vegetable oil would be somewhat
offset by relatively high carry-in bean stocks. The United States
soybean exports to China continue to be challenged by South
American soybeans, with total U.S. exports forecast at about 30
million tons in 2015-16, the attach said. The post left its Chinese
soybean crop peg at 11 MMT for 2015-16.
HPAI hits Indiana turkeysTen cases of highly pathogenic
avian
influenza (HPAI) have been confirmed in commercial turkey
operations in Dubois County, Ind. On Jan. 16, nine more commercial
turkey farms in the county tested positive for HPAI, besides the
initial case confirmed Jan. 15. State health officials say further
testing is
underway to determine the virus type. The initial case was
determined to be H7N8 HPAI. Just hours after USDA confirmed the new
case of HPAI, some countries had already put trade bans in place,
with several blocking poultry from the entire state.
Oil group files in courtThe Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is getting a surprising helper in the lawsuit filed
by ethanol backers over the agencys final Renewable Fuel Standard
(RFS) levels for 2014, 2015 and 2016: the American Fuel and
Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM). AFPM filed a motion to
intervene to support EPA in the challenge, saying it stands by EPAs
authority to reduce the RFS volumes compared to the ones laid out
in the 2007 energy law that boosted biofuel mandates.
Grain storage increasingU.S. on-farm storage capacity rose
to 13.235 billion bushels as of Dec. 1, 2015, up less than 1
percent from year-ago, while off-farm storage capacity rose 3
percent to 10.997 billion bushels as of Dec. 1, 2015, according to
USDAs National Ag Statistics Service.
Value of Brazilian ag exports downBrazil exported $88.2 billion
in
ag products in 2015, an 8.8-percent drop from 2014 levels
despite record-high sales of soybeans, corn, chicken, cellulose and
coffee. Falling commodity prices in Brazil were to blame, says
Foreign Agribusiness Relations Secretary Tatiana Palermo. The
country exported 1.995 billion bushels of soybeans, 1.138 billion
bushels of corn and 11.9 MMT of cellulose last year.
CONTACTMatt King 501-228-1297, [email protected]
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Farm Bureau Press Insert Vol. 19, No. 2
Grant and Heather Keenen of Washington County, winners of ArFBs
2015 Young Farmers & Ranchers Excellence in Agriculture Award,
gave a presentation during the opening rounds of the national
judging. Above, ArFB President Randy Veach proudly carried the
Arkansas state flag in the opening general session of the
convention.
The IDEAg Trade Show at the AFBF Annual Convention brought
together thousands of the countrys farmers and ranchers to view the
latest products from top agribusinesses.
Lance Reeve, senior risk
management consultant for
Nationwide Agribusiness
Insurance Co., gave a work-
shop presenta-tion on food
safety.
Scott Co. FB President Dan Wright (center, right), his wife
Belinda (to Dans right) and Baxter Co. Womens Committee chair
Roberta Golmon were checked in for the AFBF Conven-tion by ArFB
Public Policy assistant Catrinia Rojas.
The 97th Annual AMERICAN FARM BUREAU
CONVENTION
The 97th Annual Convention of the American Farm Bureau
Federation took place Jan. 8-13 in Orlando. The conference theme
was Farm Bureau: The Future of Agriculture. Arkansas Farm Bu-reau
was well represented at the event, with more than 150 delegates and
staff in attendance.
photos by STEVE EDDINGTON, GREGG PATTERSON
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Farm Bureau Press Insert Vol. 19, No. 2
Nearly 7,000 delegates from all 50 states and Puerto Rico
attended the conference to elect new leaders, participate in
educa-tional workshops and approve policies that will help
determine the future of agriculture
Bob Stallman graced the national convention stage as American
Farm Bureau president one final time. Stallman stepped aside after
serving 16 years in the position.
ArFBs 11 voting del-egates and 18 alternates, including state
board member Rusty Smith of Des Arc, voted on policy proposals in
the business session.
State Wom-ens Commit-
tee vice-chairwoman
Donna Bemis and husband
Tracey of Little Rock
attended the opening gen-
eral session.
97th ANNUAL AFBF CONVENTION
At left, Charlie Arnot, CEO for The Center for Food Integrity,
discussed the need for building trust through transpar-ency about
food production.At bottom left, Jake Haak of Gentry competed in the
first round of the national YF&R Discussion Meet.