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In Farm BureauStallman to depart in January
American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman has
announced he will not seek re-election in January 2016 following 16
years at the helm of the nations largest, most influential general
farm organization. Stallman, a cattle and rice producer from
Columbus, Texas, is the 11th president during AFBFs almost 97-year
history.
It has been a tremendous honor to serve the nations Farm Bureau
mem-bers and represent agriculture and rural America, Stallman
said. After 16 years as AFBF president, six as Texas Farm Bureau
president and several more in other Farm Bureau roles, it is time
to hand over the reins of leadership a decision that is made easier
by knowing the great leader-ship and foundation that exist to
continue moving Farm Bureau forward. I am as optimistic as ever
about the future of American agriculture and Farm Bureau.
A new AFBF president will be elected to a two-year term at the
97th annual meet-
ing of voting delegates, Jan. 12, 2016, as part of the AFBF
Annual Convention and IDEAg Tradeshow in Orlando.
New learning kitFarm a Month: Where Does Our
Food Come From? is a new learning kit developed by the American
Farm Bureau
Foundation for Agriculture for pre-K to first-grade
students.
The Farm a Month kit provides an ex-citing way for teachers,
families and class-room volunteers to engage preschool and
elementary-aged students in agricultural-based lessons throughout
the year. The kit was developed with the goal of helping
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Greg Peterson of the Peterson Farm Brothers spoke to almost 500
Arkansas Farm Bureau leaders who attended the 67th Annual Officers
and Leaders Conference in Hot Springs July 21. Peterson and his
brothers produce parodies to popular songs to share their personal
agriculture stories and tell how things work on the Peterson Farm
in Kansas. He helped drive home the conference theme, #BeVocal,
stressing the need for all ArFB members to join the effort to
agvocate. The insert in this issue features additional conference
highlights.
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Eric Vest of Melbourne and Denver Reiley of Wiseman dissected a
pigs heart as part of
a learning exercise at White River Medical
Center in Batesville July 9. They were among
20 students from Independence, Izard,
Sharp and White counties who participated in
a M*A*S*H Camp to learn about medical
professions from local doctors, nurses and other
hospital staff.
July 31, 2015 Vol. 18, No. 14
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foster conversa-tions about where food and fiber
comes from.Premiere educational resources like
the Farm a Month kit are an outstanding jumping-off point for
young learners, said Julie Tesch, executive director of the
foundation. But there is nothing quite like meeting a farmer
face-to-face. We encour-age educators and parents to also contact
their local county Farm Bureau to connect with farmers and ranchers
in their area.
Farm a Month kits are equipped with 12 activities, each focusing
on a different commodity: maple syrup, popcorn, peach-es, pears,
apples, oranges, lettuce, grapes, cheese, pumpkins, turkeys and
cranberries. Suggested snacks and related books to read are
included for each activity.
A 24 x 36-inch map of the United States and reusable stickers
are included to re-inforce geography as students learn about where
different foods are produced. Each activity also includes a Meet a
Farmer feature, with stories about life on the farm from people
across the U.S.
The Farm a Month kit is available for purchase for $25 online at
http://bit.ly/FarmaMonth.
In Arkansas2015 Rice Expo
Gov. Asa Hutchinson will deliver the keynote address at this
years Arkansas Rice Expo, set for Aug. 7 in Stuttgart. The half-day
event opens at 8 a.m. at the Grand Prairie Center, 2709 U.S. 165.
There is no
cost to attend, and the event ends with a catfish lunch. Field
tours of research plots, food demonstrations and family fun are all
part of the expo, a salute by the University of Arkansas System
Division of Agricul-ture to rice production in Arkansas.
Arkansas is Americas No. 1 rice state, growing more than half of
the rice produced in the United States, said Mark Cochran, head of
the UA Systems Division of Agriculture. The Rice Expo is our
op-portunity to celebrate the successes of the farmers who make
agriculture the states largest industry and share some of the
ex-citing developments from our research and extension programs. We
also see the Rice
Expo as our open house an invitation for the community to meet
our research-ers and extension educators and see their work
firsthand.
This years event features breakout sessions that focus on such
issues as the implications of rice trade with Cuba, marketing rice
and managing barnyard grass. Expo-goers will get a look at the work
being done for the rice industry by division researchers, who will
be leading field tours. Attendees with problems in the garden or
landscape can take advan-tage of the plant disease clinic by
bringing samples for diagnosis. There will also be a feral hog
exhibit, food preservation clinic, equipment display, update on
crop applica-tion technologies, kids activities, cooking
demonstrations and rice recipe contest.
For more information, go to www.uaex.edu/rice-expo/.
School Garden of the YearThe Arkansas Agriculture Department
and Farm Credit say entries for the second annual Arkansas Grown
School Garden of the Year contest will be accepted until Aug. 31.
Applicants can be any Arkansas school, grades pre-K through 12,
that had a school garden open during the 2014-15 school year and
can provide documenta-tion through photos or video of its uses and
existence.
Farm Credit is providing funding for the following award
categories: Best Nutri-tion Education-Based Garden ($500), Best
Community Collaboration Award ($500),
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Marcie Garis, who owns Collins Round Mountain Orchard near
Mayflower with her husband Racy, examines peaches at the orchard
July 23. Disease has killed many of the Garis peach trees, making
continued operation unprofitable. The family has been forced to
close and sell the 100-acre property, a popular destination for 28
years for those wanting fruit and produce.
Mike Malone, president of the Northwest Arkansas Council, spoke
to more than 50 leaders about local issues as part of the July 9
Policy Development Kickoff meeting at the Washington County Farm
Bureau office in Fayetteville. Farm Bureau connected 14 regional
sites via videoconference that evening, officially kicking off the
organizations policy development
The week of July 13, three judges traveled more than 1,400 miles
to visit with the eight district finalists for the 69th Annual
Arkansas Farm Family of the Year Program. The Wilchman family of
Cleveland in Conway County (left to right: Charlotte, Benjamin and
Billy) is among those vying for top honors. The winner will be
announced at a Dec. 10 luncheon in North Little Rock.
Dr. John Clark, a professor of horticulture at the University of
Arkansas, described peach breeding efforts and recent Arkansas
variety releases during a UA System Division of Agriculture peach
field day July 16 at the Fruit Research Station in Clarksville.
More than 60 growers attended to learn the latest about the
breeding, physiology and culture of peaches.
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Best Environmental Education-Focused Garden ($500) and Overall
Winning Ar-kansas Grown School Garden of the Year Award
($1,500).
Submit applications online at
www.sur-veymonkey.com/s/ARKSCHOOLGARDEN .
Arkansas Mud DriveFarmers, duck hunters, birders and
conservationists are forming an alliance to strengthen Arkansass
economy by mak-ing more mud. Mud doesnt sound like a foundation for
strength, but in the right place and at the right time it can help
gen-erate more economic dollars for Arkansas. Through the Arkansas
Mud Drive, which officially kicked off July 17, farmers are being
asked to voluntarily flood their fields by closing water-control
structures within 14 days after harvest. This practice will keep
valuable sediments and nutrients in the fields, as well as provide
much-needed habitat for waterfowl and shorebirds.
The goal is to catch rainfall needed to support wildlife. If
structures arent closed, the soil that escapes a farm field after
harvest has nutrients bound to it that the farmer paid for.
Additionally, flood-ing fields after harvest allows weed seeds to
decompose or be consumed by birds, reducing herbicide costs in
spring.
There are plenty of duck hunters hop-ing to find more flooded
fields, so this is an opportunity to increase hunting opportunities
and farm income through leases. Additionally, bird-watchers seek
flooded fields starting in late summer for highly sought after
shorebirds. Trip-related
expenditures by wildlife-watchers are $35 million annually, so
more wildlife-watch-ing opportunities will certainly boost the
rural economy in farming areas. Fishing will improve, as keeping
the soil in the fields enhances water quality and increases
sportfish populations.
The Arkansas Mud Drive is also an opportunity for the youth of
Arkansas to learn more about farming and how these sectors can work
together to make Arkansas stronger and the water cleaner. Students
and youth groups have the op-portunity to win cash through the Mud
Drive by getting pledges from farmers or landowners, as well as by
answering a handful of educational questions. Pledges are due by
Aug. 28. A pledge form, plus youth competition questions and
instruc-tions, can be found on the Arkansas Asso-ciation of
Conservation Districts website at www.aracd.org.
ElsewhereFarmers Market Week
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has declared Aug. 2-8
National Farm-ers Market Week. Throughout the week, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture will celebrate thousands of our nations
farmers markets, the farmers and ranchers who make them possible
and the communities that host them.
National Farmers Market Week is a great opportunity for farmers
markets across the country to host special events to showcase all
the tremendous services they
provide, said Vilsack. Farmers markets play a key role in
developing local and regional food systems that support farmers and
help grow rural economies. They bring communities together,
connecting cities with the farms and providing Americans with
fresh, healthy food.
For more information, visit www.farm-ersmarketcoalition.org.
Farm Credit seeks nomineesDo you know an individual or group
whose leadership and vision are changing the future of
agriculture and rural America for the better? If so, Farm Credit
wants to hear from you. As it approaches the 100th anniversary of
its founding, the organiza-tion is searching for 100 leaders who
are positively shaping what is next for rural communities and
agriculture.
A panel of experts on rural matters will evaluate and help
select the top 100 honorees. Those chosen will be announced in
March 2016.
Farm Credit 100 Fresh Perspectives honorees will have the
opportunity to share their stories and inspire with their vision
throughout the Farm Credit centen-nial year in 2016 and beyond.
Addition-ally, 10 distinguished Farm Credit 100 Fresh Perspectives
honorees will receive a $10,000 award to help further their
contri-butions to thriving rural communities and agriculture.
Nominations will be accepted through Dec. 18. Rules and a
nomination form are available at www.farmcredit100.com. Editor
Keith [email protected]
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Arkansas FFA Association state officers Brian Hale (left) and
Konner Holland were among the hundreds who attended Arkansas Farm
Bureaus Officers and Leaders Conference in Hot Springs July 20-21.
Hale, from Lamar, is FFAs Northwestern District Vice President.
Holland, from Cabot, is the Eastern District Vice President.
Military personnel in Arkansas who serve the country by
defending it and feeding it can now add a Homegrown by Heroes,
Arkansas Grown label to agricultural products they sell. Army
engineer Rex Barnhill (left), a Lonoke County farmer, and Arkansas
Veterans Affairs Director Matt Snead helped unveil the new
initiative at the state capitol July 2.
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In the MarketAs of July 29, 2015
Sugar, dairy key TPP issuesAustralia said it would not sign
the
Trans-Pacific Partnership unless U.S. negotiators agree to more
U.S. sugar market access for Australian growers. Hoped-for final
talks are underway in Hawaii among 12 nations, including the U.S.
and Japan.
Dairy is also an issue at the TPP talks. The U.S., Canada and
Japan have to make concessions on dairy trade before the TPP can be
complet-ed, New Zealands agricultural trade envoy said.
Mike Petersen, a farmer who rep-resents the interests of New
Zealand agriculture, said the dairy part of the Trans-Pacific
Partnership negotia-tions was at an impasse. Meanwhile, U.S. milk
producers are eyeing more access to Japan and Canada to make up for
any extra imports into the U.S. from countries such as New
Zealand.
Record Argentine crushArgentina crushed a record 18.5
MMT of soybeans for the first half of 2015, up 0.9 percent from
2014, the countrys ag ministry reported Tues-day. Through June, soy
oil production totaled 3.6 MMT, up 3.5 percent from year-ago, while
soy meal produc-tion of 13.9 MMT was up 0.4 per-cent from year-ago
levels. Argentina expects 2014-15 oilseed production to notch a
record of 60.8 MMT. The country is the worlds top soy meal and soy
oil exporter.
New wheat procurement systemEgypt plans to switch to a new
system for domestic wheat procure-ment in April 2016 that
involves subsidizing farmers directly rather than subsidizing the
grain, according to Supply Minister Khaled Hanafi.
Previously, Egypt fixed a local pro-curement price for Egyptian
wheat that was above global prices to encourage production. But
this led to a smuggling business. Under the new system, the
government would pur-chase wheat at global prices instead of fixed
ones, and some farmlands or types of wheat may receive
prefer-ential treatment. Subsidies could be given in accordance
with land owner-ship, Hanafi explained, which would help the
government assess exactly how much farmland is dedicated to wheat
and would include farmers in the formal economy.
New terminal for Brazilian soy-beans
Two soybean cargoes carrying a net 54,700 MT of non-GMO
soy-beans have already shipped from a new terminal in northeast
Brazil known as Barras dos Coqueiros, and a third ship loaded with
27,800 MT of soybeans is currently anchored at the terminal in
Sergipe. The new soy terminal is only expected to export around
150,000 MT of soybeans this year, but is reflective of efforts to
increase capacity and lower costs for exporters in Brazil by
developing shipping routes closer to the Panama Canal.
Chinas market plunge impacting markets
Chinas Shanghai Composite dropped 8.5 percent to start the week,
its steepest percentage drop since Feb. 27, 2007. Fanning the
losses were fears that Chinas government is back-ing away from
additional stimulus efforts to bolster its economy. Disap-pointing
data to wrap up last week on manufacturing, and industrial profit
data to start this week that showed a decline in June after
increases in May and April, heightened expecta-tion China would
deploy additional actions. But the lack of moves helped spur the
declines in Chinese stocks. And it prompted more investors to
pile into gold futures, sending values back atop $1,100 per troy
ounce. Plus, it weighed down oil futures overnight given Chinas
huge appetite for crude oil.
Funds going back into ag commodities
Data from ETF Securities shows a small net inflow of fund money
back into agricultural commodities this year versus an outflow of
nearly 20 percent in 2014. Funds are thought to be returning to
agricultural commod-ities for the first time since 2012, as they
hope to take advantage of cheap prices, bullish demand and possible
crop damage due to El Nino. The trend has been tempered in the past
four weeks by the recent price drop for wheat and soybeans, but
analysts still expect a net inflow for 2015.
China imports record amount of South American soybeans in
June
Chinas soybean imports climbed to 8.09 MMT in June, its
second-highest monthly level behind 8.5 MMT in December. China
sourced 6.66 MMT of soybeans from Brazil and 1.17 MMT from
Argentina at an average price that was down $172 per MT from one
year ago. Chinas strong buys of South American supplies are likely
to continue as 7 MMT to 8 MMT have already been booked so far due
to lower prices for the fourth quarter, says Cheng Yunlong, an
analyst with COFCO Futures Co. Ltd. He says this will squeeze U.S.
exports to China. Brazil has extended its sales period this year
thanks to a record harvest.
CONTACT
Matt King 501-228-1297, [email protected].
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Above: ArFB President Randy Veach addressed the audience on
Monday about the importance of #BeVocal and how we have to tell our
agriculture stories. Above right: Heather Keenen of Washington
County Farm Bureau sang a beautiful rendition of the national
anthem. Right: Jeff Pitchford, ArFB Public Policy director, led a
workshop on the 90th General Assembly and how much was accomplished
for agriculture.
Arkansas Agriculture Secretary Wes Ward addressed the audience
during the first session to help equip them with the tools they
need to #BeVocal about Arkansas agricul-ture.
Right: Rich Hillman, Arkansas
Farm Bureau vice president, presided
over the opening general session and introduced
President Randy Veach.
Bottom right: Ken Brazil, an
engineer supervisor for the Arkansas
Natural Resources Commission,
discussed the State Water Plan and the
final rule review.
Above: Five representatives from Newton County were among 19
groups that showed up for county photos sent to their hometown
newspapers.
2015 O&L CONFERENCE
Arkansas Farm Bureaus 67th annual Officers and Lead-ers
Conference drew almost 500 members to the Hot Springs Convention
Center July 20-21. The theme was #BeVocal. A variety of workshops
focusing on important farm and ranch issues combined with key
speakers to produce a highly successful midsummer leaders
gathering. Highlights included the Presidents Address by Randy
Veach of Manila, an Arkansas Agriculture Department update from
Agriculture Secretary Wes Ward and a keynote address about
advocating for agriculture through social media by Greg Peterson,
one of the Peterson Farm Brothers well-known for their song
parodies about agriculture.
photos by Keith Sutton
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Left: Almost 500 members were in attendance to hear the keynote
speech by Greg Peterson of the Peterson Farm Brothers in Kansas.
Peterson showed several YouTube song parody vid-eos that made the
brothers known to millions.
Far left: Greene Co. FB President Terry Norwood and MSR Karen
Ellington told what their county has done to increase membership in
the Grow Farm Bureau workshop.Left: Chris DeClerk with Delta
Plastics presented a work-shop on the new pipe planner software
released by the company in 2014.
Left: ArFB PR Director Rob An-derson (pictured here) and social
media specialist Mollie Dykes pre-sented a work-shop on being a
better agvocate through social media.
Above: Many members stayed to visit with Greg Peterson after his
presentation, including young Huck Plyler who got the YouTube star
to autograph a T-shirt.
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