In Farm Bureau Top young farmers, ranchers named Finalists for the 2013 Arkansas Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers (YF&R) Achievement Award were announced July 22 at the Officers & Leaders Conference in Hot Springs. They include: • Chris and Alechia Meador of Green Forest have a farming operation consisting of six chicken houses and 100 head of beef cattle. They have three children: Mason, 6, Jace, 4, and Cole, 2. • Scott and Cassie Davis of Prairie Grove own Davis Riverview Farms, a 160-head Holstein dairy operation on 450 acres. They have two daughters: Lily, 7, and Ella, 1, • Kris and Meredith Baker of Sherrill grow corn, soybeans, rice and wheat on 3,000 acres. ArFB’s YF&R Achievement Award recognizes farmers and ranchers age 18 to 35 for exemplary effort in farming and ranching, leadership and community involvement. Candidates are judged on a combination of farming operation growth and financial progress; leadership within
Randy Veach of Manila gave his President’s Address to a packed house at the 65th Annual Officers and Leaders Conference in Hot Springs on July 22. The theme of this year’s conference was True North. “Thankfully, we have Farm Bureau to help us identify the obstacles and then help us navigate through them as we each pursue true north,” said Veach. The insert in this issue features conference highlights. and outside Farm Bureau; excellence in operation management and scope; and self-initiative displayed throughout the development of their operation. The winning couple will be announced at ArFB’s annual convention Dec. 4-6 in Little Rock. They will receive a $35,000 GM gift card, which can be used toward
ArFB Executive Vice President Ewell Welch (center) recently was presented the Friend of 4-H award by Meredith Williams (left), president of Arkansas 4-H, and Tony Windham, 4-H Foundation board member. The award is given to individuals who have provided outstanding service and support to the Arkansas 4-H program.
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the purchase of any GM vehicle at Stanley Wood Chevrolet in Batesville. The winners also get an expense-paid trip to the 2014 American Farm Bureau Federation convention in San Antonio, where they will compete with YF&R Achievement Award winners from the other 49 states and Puerto Rico.
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A Publication of Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation
August 2, 2013 • Vol. 16, No. 15
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On July 18, county leaders at 11 locations around the state participated in ArFB’s policy development videoconference. Here, state board member Bruce Jackson (right) and Miller Co. FB board members listen as President Randy Veach describes the policy development process. Scholarship winners Arkansas Farm Bureau has announced the recipients of Farm Bureau Foundation scholarships for the 2013-14 academic year. Scholarship recipients all receive $2,250 for the school year, must be Arkansas residents, members of a Farm Bureau family and enrolled as juniors or seniors in a state-accredited university. They also must be pursuing an agriculturerelated degree. The scholarship recipients are: • Heather Applegate of Hope, a preveterinary medicine major at Southern Arkansas University (SAU). • Matthew Bean of Dardanelle, an animal science major at Arkansas Tech University (ATU).
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New ArFB app Arkansas Farm Bureau’s mobile app is now available for free in both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. The app provides tools that help ArFB members stay informed and make the most of their memberships. Users of the app have quick access to: News: ArFB has expanded the scope of its online news operation to offer more stories and more immediate reporting than ever before. The app is updated daily with local, state, national and international ag stories. Quotes: Commodity futures and cash market prices are updated every 10 minutes. The app’s unique interface is customizable and gives users the opportunity to select which prices they receive. Pick from corn, cotton, rice, grain sorghum, soybeans or wheat; cattle, Delmarva broilers, eggs, hogs or national turkeys. Member Benefits: The app provides handy access to ID numbers, discount details and everything else members need to take advantage of ArFB’s ValuePlus savings. Events: Keep your calendar updated with this compilation of ArFB’s most important statewide meetings and events. Weather: Location-specific weather reporting from Telvent DTN contains all the agro-meteorological metrics a farmer could need, plus a five-day forecast and radar. Alerts: Users receive notifications on urgent action items.
Sue Billiot recently visited with U.S. Senator Mark Pryor in his Washington D.C. office on behalf of the ArFB Women’s Committee. She and Pryor discussed the importance of passing the Senate’s bipartisan Farm Bill. This bill includes price protections for southern farmers and would provide certainty for Arkansas’ $17 billion agricultural industry.
On first and third Saturdays each month this summer, UofA graduate students like Angela Iglesias (left) and Keiddy UrreaRomero (right) are offering free plant disease diagnostic services and information about insects for gardeners at the Fayetteville Farmers’ Market.
On July 18, ArFB President Randy Veach (right) toured C&H Farms in Mt. Judea with farm owner Jason Henson. In recent months, ArFB and Veach have worked to counter inaccurate media information about the hog operation, so the farm can continue operating safely and legally in the Buffalo River watershed. • Kaitlyn Eubanks of Hot Springs, a preveterinary medicine major at ATU. • Diana Hackney of Dumas, an agricultural business major at University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM). • Timothy Hanney of DeQueen, an agricultural education major at SAU. • Tasha Jo Hopkins of Heber Springs, an animal science major at Arkansas State University (ASU). • Lindsey Mitchell of Sheridan, an agricultural business major at SAU. • Courtney Nickleson of Brinkley, a pre-veterinary medicine major at ASU. • Maggie Jo Pruitt of Harrison, an agricultural communications major at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. • Kayla Samples of Emerson, an agricultural education major at SAU. “Arkansas Farm Bureau has always been an advocate of higher education,” said President Randy Veach. “The future of Arkansas agriculture is dependent on the young adults who are pursuing agricultural careers, and supporting them has always been a priority for this organization.”
In Arkansas Field Day: Aug. 9 The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture will be hosting a Field Day/ Agriculture Appreciation Day on Aug. 9 in Walnut Ridge. The event is designed for both row-crop and livestock producers and will feature a keynote address by U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford.
Blackleg disease in Arkansas Blackleg disease, a bacterial infection that often occurs during drought, has claimed cattle in Lonoke and Sebastian counties. The causes of death were confirmed by the Arkansas Livestock & Poultry Commission. “With the dry conditions and the short supplies of forages, cattle are grazing closer to the ground,” said Tom Troxel, livestock expert with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. “When this occurs, it is common for cattle to ingest small soil particles that may contain the blackleg bacterium. The disease is easily and inexpensively prevented by a vaccine.” Blackleg usually affects young cattle between six months and two years of age, but it’s not unusual for adult cattle to die from the infection. “The bacteria can cause severe lameness, depression and fever, but the most common symptom is sudden death,” Troxel said. “Other outbreaks of blackleg have occurred following soil excavations, which suggests that disturbances to the ground may expose and activate blackleg bacterium.” The vaccine costs around 70-80 cents per dose. Some applications require two vaccinations, 4 to 6 weeks apart, to be effective. “If you compare the cost of the vaccination to the value of a calf — $650 to $750 — it makes perfect sense to vaccinate all calves,” he said. “The loss of one calf valued at $700 would pay for 1,000 doses of the vaccine.” Farmers asked to report rails The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) is asking farmers to report sightings of marsh birds called king rails. Why farmers? Because these secretive birds are most commonly observed by farmers riding on rice combines during harvest.
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The event will take place in two locations: a morning row-crop meeting will be at the Lawrence County Meeting Hall, and a morning livestock meeting will be at the U.S. Department of Agriculture building. U.S. Rep. Crawford will then address a joint meeting at the meeting hall before lunch. For more information about this event, contact the Lawrence or Randolph County Extension offices at 870-886-3741 or 870892-4504.
Joey, Lou and Carlee Jamison check the peach crop in their family orchard near Nashville July 19. This variety is “Majestic,” one of 34 different varieties they grow. Joey is a third-generation orchardist. His grandfather planted the first trees in Howard County in 1927. It’s been more than 50 years since a thorough survey of king rails has been carried out in Arkansas rice fields. To help with future research projects, and to estimate the king rail population, AGFC is hoping farmers will take time to report their observations to nongame migratory bird program coordinator Karen Rowe by phoning 877-873-4651 or emailing her at krowe@agfc.state.ar.us. Information needed includes the number of rails seen and their location, including, when possible, GPS coordinates, sectiontownship-range or the nearest road intersection. “If you cannot provide those details, please let us know the county of your observation,” said Rowe. A good birding field guide can teach you how to identify Arkansas rails, which not only include the king rail, but Virginia, sora, black and yellow rails as well. If you don’t have a bird book, contact Rowe, who can send you a simple guide to identifying king rails.
Elsewhere Smithsonian seeking farm stories In an effort to tell the story of how much agriculture has changed, the Smithsonian National Museum of American History is looking for help from farmers. Farmers are invited to share their
personal stories about the ways innovation and technology have helped to continually improve the industry at the American History Museum’s website, http:// americanhistory.si.edu/. Submitted stories could be included in a new multimedia exhibition, “American Enterprise,” scheduled to open in May 2015, or featured on the museum’s blog and social media sites. A few suggested themes include personal experiences, the effects of technology, or the roles of finance, competition, safety, animals, water or labor. The development of American agriculture will be demonstrated through objects such as road signs related to no-till production and organic farming, a 1920s Fordson tractor and a computer cow tag and reader unit to show the change in dairy farming from an intensive handlabor process to a modern computer-run operation. The United Soybean Board recently committed $1 million toward the project, and Sharon Covert with USB said it’s a great way to show agriculture’s drastic changes. “Sharing your stories and artifacts of agriculture’s transformations will allow the public to see incredible strides the industry has made in order to provide food, feed, fuel and fiber for the rest of the world,” she said. Editor Keith Sutton
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In the Market As of July 31, 2013
August crop report outlook On Aug. 12, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will release the next crop production report. In this report, the USDA is likely to begin adjusting yields, moving the crops closer to their final production numbers. While this year’s crops were planted much later than usual, weather over the last few weeks has provided crops with near-optimal growing conditions. With temperatures cooler than average, and good moisture across the major growing areas, many in the trade are expecting bumper crops this fall, which has led to declines in corn and soybean prices. Both corn and soybeans will very likely put their lows in early this year. With expectations for the corn crop continuing to grow, it’s likely to reach a point where production will not be able to meet those expectations. One of the big questions in this market is how much prevented planting will actually be realized when the final harvested acreage number comes in later this year. Reports continue to come in that growers have filed for prevented planting on millions of acres in the Midwest. However, there is little proof of this in the USDA’s current estimate. Unfortunately for growers, these adjustments will likely not come until October when yield numbers are more certain, thus having less of an impact on the overall balance sheet for corn. As for now, if the USDA decides to increase yield in
Crop Conditions (Good/Excellent) This Year Previous Year Corn Soybeans Rice Cotton Sorghum
62% 24% 63% 29% 69% 70% 45% 44% 47% 26%
the August report, expect prices to move closer to $4. If yield remains unchanged, this could be viewed as bullish and allow the market to move higher for a few days. Don’t forget to be looking at 2014 prices, as there is a lot of downside potential in this market, and as of this writing, the market was still above $5. For those who buy corn products, the lows over the next few weeks will provide an excellent opportunity to go ahead and contract some of your feed needs for this winter. The overall soybean crop looks very good right now. The August USDA report will show the results from the USDA’s resurveying of acreage following the June acreage report. These new numbers should be a welcome sign for this market as soybeans have declined sharply in recent weeks. While the new acreage number should help support prices, soybean prices remain about $2 above the USDA price estimate, which likely means there is additional room to fall. While stocks here in the United States are forecast to remain historically tight in 2013-14, global stocks are forecast to exceed 74 MMT, which will be a record level. If the South American crop meets its current forecast, soybean prices could likely
move into single digits this winter. Rice prices have strengthened in recent weeks as the forecast is for this year’s crop to be down. While cooler temperatures and showers during the last few weeks will likely help improve yields, this year’s crop will be short. The rice market remains the only market trading near the USDA price estimate of $15. While this market has some upside potential, expect increases to be limited by what our customers are willing to pay, particularly in the export market. Cotton prices will likely see little impact from this report. While there may be some minor adjustments made in U.S. cotton production, prices are unlikely to move out of their established trading range between 82 cents and 87.5 cents.
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
2013 O&L CONFERENCE
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rkansas Farm Bureau’s 65th annual Officers and Leaders Conference drew more than 500 members to the Hot Springs Convention Center July 22-23. Eight workshops focusing on issues important to farm and ranch leaders combined with key speakers to produce a highly successful midsummer leaders’ gathering. Highlights included the President’s Address by Randy Veach, the keynote speech by V.J. Smith, author of “The Richest Man in Town” and presentations by UofA President Dr. Donald Bobbitt and NFL football great Keith Jackson, founder of P.A.R.K. (Positive Atmosphere Reaches Kids). • photos by Lindsey Emerson, Gregg Patterson, Keith Sutton and Chris Wilson •
Matt Stell of Center Ridge opened the convention with a number of original songs.
Above: V.J. Smith, motivational speaker and author of “The Richest Man in Town,” gave the keynote address, a moving and funny story about his friend Marty, a Walmart cashier whose good will affected thousands of people across the country. Above right: Dean Gammill, Stone County Farm Bureau board member, led the crowd in singing the Star Spangled Banner. Right: Dr. Donald Bobbitt, president of the University of Arkansas System, talked about the changing nature of higher education and its implications for the state. Right: Rich Hillman, Arkansas Farm Bureau vice president, presided over the opening general session and introduced President Randy Veach. Bottom right: Dr. Lisa Washburn, assistant professor of health for the UofA Cooperative Extension Service, spoke in the Health & Wellness workshop.
Above: Seven representatives from Scott County were among 25 groups that showed up for county photos sent to their hometown newspapers.
Far left: President Randy Veach presented a memento to UofA’s Dr. Andrew Sharpley in honor of his being named “distinguished agriscience scientist” by the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation. Left: Keith Jackson, the event’s luncheon speaker, ran into his fourth-grade teacher, Ila Herndon, in the hallway. Herndon is a Faulkner Co. FB leader.
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Left: Chris Davidson with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Arkansas Ecological Services Field Office spoke in the Legislative Overview/Endangered Species workshop. Above: Kyle Moery, a Farm Bureau leader and row-crop farmer from Lonoke County, was interviewed by Ken Moore (right) with ArFB’s public relations staff.
Above: (From left) Dr. Lyndon Tate, vice president of Sebastian Co. FB, Dan Douglas, a member of the Benton Co. FB board and Rodney Baker, ArFB’s director of governmental affairs, enjoyed a chance to network between sessions.
Left: The Online Agvocacy workshop featured a panel discussion with (from left) Clark Co. FB President Derek Helms, Washington Co. FB Women’s Committee chairwoman Cassie Davis, ArFB publicrelations staffer Chris Wilson and (on screen) Will Gilmer, an Alabama dairy farmer.