In Farm Bureau Dairy contest winners named Sarah Bunch of Batesville (Independence Co.) and Abigail Sanders of Clarksville (Johnson Co.) were winners at the 56th annual Arkansas Dairy Foods Contest held June 5. Bunch, 16, daughter of Cindy Bunch, took first in the Main Dish competition with “Swiss Cheese Pie.” Sanders, 15, daughter of Gerald and Sondy Sanders, took first in the Party Idea competition with “Frozen Arkansas.” Winners received $150. Judges placed contestants based on recipe, use of dairy products, originality, availability of ingredients and serving technique. Arkansas Farm Bureau, Southwest Dairy Museum and Arkansas Dairy Cooperative Association sponsored the event. In the Main Dish competition, Carley Allen of Ozone (Johnson Co.) took second with “Hot Poppin’ Pockets.” Violet Mefford of Jasper
Sarah Eberwein (right), a senior at Ridgefield Christian School in Jonesboro, learns to draw blood from St. Bernard Medical Center phlebotomy supervisor Tammy Dunigan. The exercise was part of the Medical Applications of Science for Health (M*A*S*H) camp held June 3-14 at UAMS Northeast in Jonesboro. These camps, sponsored by Arkansas Farm Bureau, will be held in 28 communities throughout the state this summer. (Newton Co.) took third with “Cows in the Tater Patch.” Alexandria Hunter of Arkadelphia (Clark Co.) took fourth with “White Chicken Lasagna Rolls.” In the Party Ideas competition, Natalie Gohman of Russellville (Pope Co.) took second with “Nutty Chocolate Pie.” MaKayla Mosley of Clinton (Van Buren Co.) took third with “Buffalo Chicken Cupcakes.” Thane Stidham of Alma (Crawford
ArFB Executive VP Ewell Welch (right) was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Arkansas FFA at its convention June 6 at Camp Couchdale. With Welch is state FFA Advisor Marion Fletcher and Alice Eason of the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas. ArFB’s Warren Carter and Chuck Tucker received honorary state FFA degrees at the ceremony.
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Co.) took fourth with “Raspberry Cheesecake Cups.” O&L Conference: July 22-23 “True North” is the theme for the 63rd annual Officers and Leaders Conference July 22 and 23 at the Hot Springs Convention Center. Registration will begin at 10:30 a.m. Monday, and the opening general session entertainment will begin at 1 p.m. Workshops will highlight the
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A Publication of Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation
June 21, 2013 • Vol. 16, No. 12
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Jennifer Caraway (seated) with the 4-States Fair Ag Learning Center taught students about livestock at the 4-H Back to Nature event held at the Nash/Turner farm near Texarkana on June 13. More than 160 at-risk kids attended the event, which was sponsored in part by Miller Co. Farm Bureau.
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Tuesday morning program, with the conference concluding with a Tuesday noon luncheon. In addition to President Randy Veach’s summer address, University of Arkansas System President Dr. Donald Bobbitt, followed by noted author V. J. Smith, will be speaking during the Monday afternoon general session. Tuesday morning attendees will have the opportunity to participate in three of eight workshops. Speaking at this year’s closing luncheon will be former professional football player Keith Jackson, whose career was highlighted by six Pro Bowl appearances while playing for the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins and then concluding with a year at the Green Bay Packers and a win of Super Bowl XXXI. There will be a $10 charge per ticket to the Tuesday luncheon to help better determine how many meals to order. ArFB has wasted several thousand dollars annually in unused meals and hopes the nominal fee will encourage those who request tickets to use them. Money from luncheon ticket sales will be contributed to a fund to help farmers and ranchers affected by recent storm devastation. Contact Rhonda Whitley at rhonda.whitley@ arfb.com or 501-228-1275 to order
On May 24, at high school graduation ceremonies in Fordyce, Dallas Co. FB agency manager Reed Camp (left) presented $1,000 county scholarships to Fordyce High School seniors Josh Barham and Elizabeth Smith. Austin Ford of Sparkman also received a scholarship.
At a recent ceremony, Howard Co. FB President Dennis Ritchie (left) presented the county’s $1,000 scholarship to Nashville High School graduate Jacob Slaton. Slaton will attend Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, where he will pursue a degree in wildlife & conservation/ forestry management.
tickets no later than July 10. Rooms are available in the Farm Bureau block at the Arlington Hotel by calling 800-643-1502. Be sure to request the Farm Bureau rate. Keep in mind the hotels may release your rooms for both Sunday and Monday nights if the reservation is made for Sunday night but is not used. Reservations not cancelled by June 21 may be charged to county Farm Bureaus.
Conference in Hot Springs. The winner will be announced in December, at ArFB’s annual meeting in Little Rock. The winner will receive a $35,000 GM gift card, which can be used toward the purchase of any GM vehicle at Stanley Wood Chevrolet in Batesville. Applications are available at www.arfb.com/get-involved/ young_fr/achievement/. For more information, contact Harry Willems at 501-228-1247.
YF&R award deadline near Applications for the 2013 Young Farmers & Ranchers Achievement Award Contest are due by July 15. The Achievement Award recognizes Arkansas farmers and ranchers, between the ages of 18 and 35, who have excelled in their agricultural operations and exhibited outstanding leadership abilities. Competitors must be Farm Bureau members, involved in production agriculture full-time, with a majority of their income subject to normal risks. They will be judged on a combination of farming operation growth and financial progress; leadership within and outside Farm Bureau; excellence in operation management and scope; and self-initiative displayed throughout the development of their operation. Three finalists will be announced July 22 at ArFB’s Officers & Leaders
In Arkansas Vaccination fees to end On June 6, the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission voted to end the $2.50 per head fee paid to veterinarians for vaccinating calves for brucellosis, effective July 1. This action was taken as a cost-saving feature for the overall program. Funds for paying this fee are generated by the $1 per head fee paid by producers on all cattle sold in the state. These funds have been shrinking due to fewer cattle being marketed. Veterinarians will still have access to the vaccine and can still perform vaccinations, but will no longer receive compensation from the commission. On-farm vaccinations also will still be performed by ALPC personnel.
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Delta Green Forum The Delta Citizens Alliance will host its third annual Delta Green Community Forum on June 28 at the East Arkansas Community College in Forrest City. The goal of the event is to provide Delta farmers, community-based organizations, community leaders and residents insight into the development and use of green strategies, products, practices, policies and energy sources that support the achievement of longterm economic goals. The forum’s keynote speaker will be Sumesh Arora, vice president of Innovate Mississippi and the director of Strategic Biomass Solutions. He also represents Mississippi on the international Governors’ Biofuels Coalition and has helped attract more than $550 million in advanced biofuels projects to the state. There also will be panel presentations on Defining Renewable Energy and Green Jobs; Pathways between Policy and Renewable Energy Adaptation; Sustainable Agriculture for Arkansas’ Future; Renewable Technology; and Model Community Projects. The event is funded, in part, by the Foundation, alt.Consulting and the Arkansas Wildlife Federation. To register, visit https://sites.google.com/
On June 5, at the State Capitol in Little Rock, Gov. Mike Beebe signed a proclamation declaring June to be Arkansas Dairy Month. Attending were ArFB dairy foods contest finalists (left to right) Violet Mefford of Jasper, Thane Stidham of Alma, Natalie Gohman of Russellville and Sarah Bunch of Batesville. site/deltagreencommunityforum/Registration. Forest products expo The 2013 Southwest Forest Products Expo will be Aug. 23–24 at the Hot Springs Convention Center. The event, which is sponsored by the Arkansas Timber Producers Association, is an equipment and services show for logging contractors, crew members, forestry professionals and others interested in growing and harvesting trees. It also will feature workshops on “Selling Your Timber” and “Best Management Practices.” Admission is $5, but children younger than 16 get in free. For complete details, visit www. arkloggers.com/magazine/.
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Elsewhere
On June 13, ArFB state board member Johnny Loftin (second from left), NRCS conservationist Mike Sullivan and Sherrel Johnson (right) with the Union Co. Water Conservation Board listened as Union Power Plant manager Tom Burger (left) discussed Ouachita River facilities that enable industrial customers to convert to surface water usage and halt drawdown of Sparta Aquifer resources.
Better sorghum seeds The United Sorghum Checkoff Program has announced a new partnership with Chromatin, a Chicagobased seed developer. The five-year venture will be jointly funded for $1 million and will seek to develop new higher-yielding and more-advanced grain sorghum hybrids for farmers. “The Sorghum Checkoff is committed to increasing producer profitability, and we are excited to partner with a company like Chromatin that is also completely focused on sorghum and committed to enhancing the quality and yield of grain
sorghum,” said Stewart Weaver, an Arkansas farmer who leads the checkoff. “This type of program exemplifies the role a national checkoff can play in utilizing producer dollars to make a difference in the sorghum industry.” Nominate influential vets This September, Bovine Veterinarian magazine will celebrate 20 years of serving the veterinary community. In recognition, the publication will compile and publish a list of the 20 most influential beef and dairy veterinarians, nominated by their peers and clients, over that time period. Nominees must be involved in beef or dairy veterinary medicine, and can be private practitioners, university faculty, consultants, government employees, industry researchers or technical-services specialists. The list will include veterinarians whose work during the past 20 years has had significant impact on veterinary science, beef and dairy health, industry issues or producer profitability. Nominations should include the veterinarian’s name, affiliation (clinic, company, university, etc.) and location, and a brief description of the nominee’s contributions. Send nominations to jmaday@vancepublishing.com. Editor Keith Sutton
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In the Market As of June 19, 2013
Grain markets anxiously awaiting acreage report While 2013 got off to a slow start, producers were able to catch up quickly, planting just under half of the nation’s corn crop in a week. This efficiency has made the weekly USDA reports look much better in recent weeks, which in turn has weakened grain prices ahead of the June 28 acreage report. At the time of this writing, estimates are for corn acreage to be down around 2 million acres. Unless the number is significantly more than this, the market is unlikely to get more than a near-term bounce from this number. While the acerage report will have an impact, it will also be interesting to see what USDA suggests for yield in its July supply and demand report. In June, yield was reduced 1.5 bushels. While it is still very early in the season, speculation is that yield will be between 150 and 155 bushels, given the lateness of the crop. So, will the USDA continue to lower yield in July, or will they wait until August for a better indication of crop conditions? It is very likely the USDA will wait, and if the crop experiences favorable growing conditions in the coming weeks, the Acreage Report may offer the last good pricing opportunity of the season. (Private estimates range from $4 to $7.) One final thought on corn: as adjustments are made to production, keep in mind the USDA is currently forecasting an 800 million bushel increase in feed use, which will be where they will begin cuts if the crop shrinks. This “padding” will allow large cuts in production to have a minimal impact on stocks. Soybeans continue to be a wild card in the acreage report as declining corn, cotton and rice acres should lead to more soybeans. How much is the big question. As of the time of this writing, just over 1
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During one week in May, roughly 43 percent of U.S. corn was planted. This pushes tasseling two to four weeks later than usual for much of the Midwest.
million more acres of soybeans are expected in the acreage report. Yield potential for soybeans is still good, and additional production would be welcomed by the livestock industry as stocks are currently forecast at 265 million bushels, or just 29.6 days of use. The bulk of any increase in soybean production would go into stocks, as there is limited potential to increase crush and exports. Typically, one would expect to see exports adjusted higher. However, there will be additional soybean supplies in Brazil this fall, which may hinder the U.S. ability to increase exports. The increase in acreage is likely to move prices closer to the USDA price. Currently, the market is trading just under $13, while the midpoint of the USDA price is $10.75. (Private estimates range from less than $9 to $12.) As mentioned earlier, rice and cotton acres are expected to be lower than initially forecast as rains delayed and, in some instances, prevented planting across much of the Delta. According to the USDA crop progress report, there were a number of acres of cotton planted (between May 35th and May 45th , ie after July 1).
While the USDA has already factored in some of this decline in cotton, there is likely to be additional acreage reduction, which may cause another run in prices. Unfortunately, global fundamentals remain weak, making these gains unsustainable. As for rice, a number of acres were planted past the optimal date or were flown on, which raises some concern over the yield potential of this year’s crop. The market has already begun to factor in some of this as prices rallied for much of the first half of June. While the acreage report may provide some support to rice prices, the market will likely be more reactive to weather events and how they affect the crop as we move through the growing season.
Contact • Brandy Carroll 501-228-1268, brandy.carroll@arfb.com. • Matt King 501-228-1297, matt.king@arfb.com. • Bruce Tencleve 501-228-1856, bruce.tencleve@arfb.com.