APRIL 29, 2022 | VOLUME 25 | ISSUE 9
Farm Bureau Press A PEEK INSIDE
CONWAY TEACHER NAMED OUTSTANDING AG EDUCATOR Leslee Ann Tell of Clinton, an Advanced Nutrition and Dietetics instructor at Conway High School, has been named the 2022 Arkansas Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom Outstanding Teacher. Arkansas Farm Bureau established the award in 2006 to recognize teachers who have exemplary programs which integrate agricultural concepts into their curricula. Matt Jackson, Arkansas Farm Bureau’s Director of Education, presented the honor on April 18 to Tell at her school.
Scholarship Opportunities, Page 2
Tell received a check for $1,500. This Leslee Ann Tell summer she will attend the National Ag in the Classroom Conference in Sarasota Springs, New York as the state’s National Ag in the Classroom nominee.
NRCS Announces Funding to Establish and Improve Waterfowl Habitat in Arkansas, Page 3
“Mrs. Tell’s dedication to furthering the understanding of agriculture in a nonagriculture curriculum is outstanding,” said Jackson. “Her students develop an understanding of farm-to-fork through her class, and the hands-on learning with hydroponics drives home the different types of agriculture and how food gets to your plate.”
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Tell has been teaching Food Safety and Nutrition, Chemistry of Food, and Advanced Nutrition at the Career Center in Conway High for 12 years. She has been instrumental in bringing health-related opportunities to the school district and has received numerous recognitions for her work, including the American Farm Bureau Federation’s On the Farm STEM Scholarship Award for Professional Development in 2019 and the Ag Literacy in Action Award from the Readers to Eaters program in 2021.
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A PUBLICATION OF THE ARKANSAS FARM BUREAU FEDERATION
STEWART SELECTED FOR PARTNERS IN ADVOCACY LEADERSHIP CLASS Dana Stewart, president of White County Farm Bureau, has been as a member of the American Farm Bureau’s (AFBF) 11th Partners in Advocacy Leadership class. AFBF designed PAL to help agricultural leaders accelerate their engagement abilities and solidify their roles as advocates for agriculture.
The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is now accepting scholarship applications from students majoring in agriculture or an agriculture-related field at one of the following universities: Arkansas State University, Southern Arkansas University, any of the University of Arkansas System schools and Arkansas Tech University. Applications will be accepted through June 1 and can be found at bit.ly/DeptofAgScholarship. Scholarship recipients may receive up to $5,000 for the 2022-2023 academic year. Funding for the scholarships comes from civil penalties collected by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture.
Dana Stewart
Other members of the PAL class are: Heather Barnes, North Carolina; Seth Earl, Michigan; Jason Fellows, Idaho; Laura Haffner, Kansas; Rachel Harmann, Wisconsin; Eileen Jensen, New York; Russ Kohler, Utah; Ben Menges, Arizona; and Megan Richner, Missouri. “Advocating for agricultural issues benefits rural communities at the local, state and national levels,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “Today, more than ever before, it’s critical for farmers and ranchers to step forward with confidence as they promote issues important to those in the farm-to-consumer food chain.” PAL training involves four learning modules designed to develop specific advocacy skills while exploring components of leadership and its theories and philosophies. The modules build on one another over the two years of the program and include intense, in-person, hands-on training. PAL graduates emerge with the experience and confidence — in everything from legislative policy making and issues management to social media and media relations — to effectively engage all critical stakeholders. To be eligible for the PAL program, candidates must be between the ages of 30 and 45, with demonstrated leadership skills. The program is sponsored by AFBF, Farm Credit and Bayer CropScience. 2
ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ANNOUNCES SCHOLARSHIP
Recipients must have a minimum 2.5 GPA. Selections are based on academic achievements, character, leadership, career plans and financial need. Questions regarding the scholarship program can be directed to Amy Lyman at amy.lyman@agriculture. arkansas.gov.
FORESTERS FOR THE FUTURE SCHOLARSHIP NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Division and the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) recently announced that applications for the Foresters for the Future scholarship are now being accepted. The scholarship will provide $4,000 per semester for four years to an incoming freshman pursuing a forestry degree at UAM’s College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources. The scholarship program was established by Act 399 of the 2021 Regular Session of the Arkansas General Assembly. The underlying legislation, House Bill 1389, was sponsored by Rep. Ken Bragg and Sen. Ben Gilmore and was signed into law by Gov. Hutchinson on March 17, 2021. Applications will be accepted through June 15. Students interested in the scholarship can find more information on the UAM website. UAM and the Forestry Division hope the scholarship will entice students to pursue forestry as a career.
A PUBLICATION OF THE ARKANSAS FARM BUREAU FEDERATION
NRCS ANNOUNCES FUNDING TO ESTABLISH AND IMPROVE WATERFOWL HABITAT IN ARKANSAS The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Arkansas in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation will provide $2 million in fiscal year 2022 to benefit waterfowl through the implementation of Conservation Practice Standard (CPS) 646-Shallow Water Development and Management to counties within the Lower Mississippi Alluvial valley. The signup is aimed at providing habitat for wildlife such as shorebirds, waterfowl, wading birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians and other species that require shallow water for at least a part of their life cycle. Through this signup, NRCS can support the goals of agricultural producers and increase the critical benefits that CPS 646-Shallow Water Development and Management provides. Priority will be given to agricultural land units within a 10-mile buffer of conservation estates, wildlife management areas and national wildlife refuges. NRCS accepts program applications on a continuous basis but sets dates to batch and rank applications as funding allows. Farmers and landowners in Arkansas who submit applications to their local NRCS office by May 11 will be considered for this round of funding. The application deadline is May 11, however through Act Now, a streamlined application and contract approval approach, applications will be assessed and ranked as they are submitted to the field service center. Based on funds availability, application assessments with a ranking score of 75 points or greater will be preapproved immediately for funding. Producers are encouraged to apply at their earliest convenience.
Aquaculture Association | On April 14, Congressman Rick Crawford met in Lonoke with several Arkansas fish farmers and representatives from the National Aquaculture Association. Crawford was seeking their perspective on the COMPETES Act, new legislation that would impact the movement of animals within the United States. Rep. Crawford has been appointed to the conference committee that will resolve differences between the House and Senate versions of the act. As written, the COMPETES Act would have a severe impact on farmers’ ability to deliver fish. The American Farm Bureau and other organizations have expressed opposition to the language included in the act. Arkansas Appointee | University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Chancellor Laurence Alexander has been appointed by President Joe Biden as Chairman of the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development, which advises the U.S. Agency for International Development.
For more information, visit www.ar.nrcs.usda.gov or contact the local your local USDA Service Center.
Prairie Co. | More than 30 people attended a Measure the Candidate meeting April 13 hosted by Prairie County Farm Bureau. Board President Mason Sickel introduced the candidates for various offices who were in attendance, each of whom outlined their positions on various issues, including agricultural topics. A PUBLICATION OF THE ARKANSAS FARM BUREAU FEDERATION
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MARKET NEWS as of April 26, 2022 Contact Brandy Carroll 501-228-1268 brandy.carroll@arfb.com
Cattle The April Cattle on Feed report was bearish for prices and resulted in sharp losses to start the week. Released April 22, the report showed March feedlot placements of 99.6% of the year-ago total. Pre-report estimate ranged from 87-96% with an average of only 92.2%. The April 1 feedlot inventory was pegged at 101.7% of last year, while trade estimates averaged 100.4%. This indicates that supplies of marketready cattle will be more than adequate into fall. However, supplies of feeder cattle outside of feedlots is down sharply from last year, indicating placements will be down in the near-term. The June contract failed at resistance at $140 before turning lower Friday, while the October contract charted a bearish key reversal after setting a new contract high of $147.50. The market gapped lower on Monday and was not able to recover, charting losses of $3 or more across the board, giving the charts a very toppy look. October feeders have recovered somewhat in recent weeks, but strength in corn prices and delayed planting continue to be a factor. Support is at the contract low of $175.50. Hogs Hog futures are under pressure again after recovering a bit early in the month. Technically, June futures appear to have topped on March 31, charting a huge bearish reversal after setting a new contract high of $127.32½. The market has violated 4
long-term uptrending support this week, and need to hold above support at the $112 level. Wholesale pork prices are unchanged from a year ago, while the CME cash hog index is down around $4 from last year. Exports are down significantly, keeping a lid on prices. Cotton Cotton futures charts are looking like a top has been put in. The market set a new 11-year high on a frontmonth basis on April 14, before moving lower every day since. There has been pressure from losses in crude oil prices, and export sales have been weak as Covid lockdowns are increasing in China and that country has left the market for the time being. Arkansas cotton acres are expected climb 8% this year, to 520,000 acres, while the U.S. crop is pegged at 12.234 million acres, up 9% from a year ago. Production could be impacted by drought in the Southwest. Nationwide, cotton farmers have seeded 12% of the crop, which is on pace with the 5-year average of 11%. Corn Corn futures are still trending sharply higher, but recent technical action is giving the charts a toppy appearance. Resistance is at the new contract highs, which is $7.55 for December. The two major factors in the market are the war in Ukraine and U.S. planting progress. Nationwide, farmers have seeded 7% of the crop compared with a five-year average of 15%. Time is not critical yet, and farmers can plant the crop quickly with even a small window, but there are already reports of farmers exchanging corn seed for soybean seed. Nationwide, the crop is only expected to be down 4% from last year, with total acres pegged at 89.49 million, but if the weather doesn’t cooperate, it could be even smaller, as that is based upon a survey done in early
A PUBLICATION OF THE ARKANSAS FARM BUREAU FEDERATION
March. Rice Rice futures posted huge key reversal after moving to new contract highs last week. While the charts do look bearish, there has been little follow-through selling at this point. July needs to close above that high of $17.31½ to negate the bearish technical signal, while September needs to close above $17. Rice acres in the state are currently pegged at 1.191 million, of which 1.080 million are expected to be long grain, with 110,000 acres of medium grain. That is down 2% from last year’s crop. The U.S. crop is expected to be 3% smaller. However, slow planting progress could result in an even smaller crop than anticipated. As of April 24, Arkansas farmers had only seeded 14% of the crop, compared with 41% a year ago and a five-year average of 48%. With the final planting date for crop insurance coverage coming quickly, farmers will be faced with tough decisions in the next couple of weeks. Soybeans November beans continue to trend higher but are capped by resistance at the contract high of $15.55. 2022 is projected to be a record-setter for soybean production. The U.S. crop is pegged at almost 91 million acres, up 4% from last year. In Arkansas, farmers are expected to seed 3.25 million acres to soybeans. That’s 7% more acres than in 2021. Planting delays in corn are bearish for soybeans, as the current weather makes it likely that the size of the soybean crop will be even larger than current projections.
EDITOR Ashley Wallace ashley.wallace@arfb.com