AUGUST 5, 2022 | VOLUME 25 | ISSUE 16
Farm Bureau Press A PEEK INSIDE
TOP YOUNG FARMERS & RANCHERS RECOGNIZED AT O&L CONFERENCE Brandon and Lauren Martin of Judsonia (White Co.) and Sara Beth Johnson of Hickory Plains (Lonoke Co.) earned the top Young Farmers & Ranchers awards during Arkansas Farm Bureau’s annual Officers & Leaders Conference at the John Q. Hammons Convention Center in Rogers. The awards honor young farmers and ranchers ages 18-35 for the general excellence of their operations and their hard work and innovation. With the YF&R Achievement Award, the Martins received a $35,000 cash prize and a trip to the 2023 American Farm Bureau Convention in Puerto Rico to compete for the national award. The Achievement Award recognizes young farmers and ranchers in Arkansas who have excelled in their farming/ranching operations and exhibited outstanding leadership abilities. The award is designed for an individual or
Sen. Boozman Presented Golden Plow Award, Page 2
Right to left are ArFB President Rich Hillman, Young Farmers & Ranchers Vice Chair Monica Paskewitz, Lauren and Brandon Martin with sons Braylen and Willie, YF&R Chair Reed Storey and ArFB Vice President Mike Freeze.
Guin Joins ArFB as District Director, Page 3
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Right to left are ArFB President Rich Hillman, Young Farmers & Ranchers Chair Reed Storey, Sara Beth Johnson, YF&R Vice Chair Monica Paskewitz and ArFB Vice President Mike Freeze.
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TOP YF&R HONORS Continued from page 1
couple involved in full-time production agriculture with a majority of their income subject to normal production risks. The Martins have six broiler houses, 55 head of commercial cows and a small herd of registered Hereford heifers. They also custom bale over 600 bales of hay a year on 65 acres. The couple have two sons, Braylen and Willie. Johnson received the YF&R Excellence in Agriculture Award, which recognizes the accomplishments of individuals or couples who do not earn the majority of their income through farming, but who are involved in farming and Arkansas Farm Bureau. They are evaluated on their understanding of agricultural issues, as well as leadership, achievements and involvement in Arkansas Farm Bureau and other organizations. As winner of the Excellence in Agriculture Award, she received $11,000 cash prize and a trip to the 2023 American Farm Bureau Convention to compete for the national award. Johnson is a content and social media specialist for Filament Ag, an agricultural marketing company. She and her husband, Colton, own and operate Flying Pig Cattle Co., where they have a commercial cow-calf herd, a goat herd and registered Miniature Herefords.
Jackson Co. Donation | Jackson County Farm Bureau Board President Drew Haigwood and Board Member Derek Haigwood recently presented a donation from the Jackson County Farm Bureau to the Sydney Claire Sutherland Foundation Scholarship Fund. Accepting the donation on the foundation's behalf is Kullen Poe. 2
SEN. BOOZMAN PRESENTED GOLDEN PLOW AWARD After two previous attempts were foiled by winter weather earlier this year, U.S. Sen. John Boozman of Arkansas was presented Friday with the Golden Plow Award at Arkansas Farm Bureau’s mid-summer Officers & Leaders conference in Rogers. The Golden Plow is the highest honor presented to a sitting member of Congress by the American Farm Bureau. Boozman is just the third Arkansan to earn the Golden Plow, following Sen. David Pryor (1989) and Sen. Blanche Lincoln (2008). American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall and ArFB President Rich Hillman presented the award. Boozman is ranking member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee. He is in his second term as senator after five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. The senator is a 10-time Friend of Farm Bureau, which is awarded to members of Congress who have supported Farm Bureau’s policy positions. “Sen. John Boozman is a champion for agriculture,” said Hillman, who nominated Boozman for the Golden Plow. “Our nation’s farmers and ranchers could not be better served than we are with John Boozman leading agriculture policy efforts in the U.S. Senate. He epitomizes the spirit of the Golden Plow Award. “The Senator’s best attribute is his ability to find consensus. He will always stand for what he believes, though part of being a leader is putting aside the small stuff and working for the common good. He is the epitome of a statesman and has always represented Arkansas farmers’ and ranchers’ interests with tenacity and the highest integrity.”
ArFB President Rich Hillman (left), Sen. John Boozman (center) and American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall (right).
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2022 ArFB OFFICERS & LEADERS CONFERENCE Arkansas Farm Bureau's Officers & Leaders Conference was held July 21 – 22 at the Rogers Convention Center. This year’s program carried the theme "Make It Happen." A complete photo recap of the event is available online.
GUIN JOINS ArFB AS DISTRICT DIRECTOR The Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation announced Abbie Guin has joined the Organization and Member Programs Department as District Director of the Southeast District. Guin will act as a liaison between the 13 county Farm Bureaus Abbie Guin in the district and the state office. In this role, she will help with the development, implementation and evaluation of programs and activities in the district.
2022 ArFB YOUNG FARMERS & RANCHERS CONFERENCE The ArFB Young Farmers & Ranchers and Collegiate Conference was held July 22 – 23 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Rogers. This year’s conference was held directly following the ArFB Officers and Leaders Conference and kicked off with a joint lunch for attendees. A complete photo recap of the event is available online.
Guin previously worked as a claims adjuster for Arkansas Farm Bureau Insurance in Saline County. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture business in 2020 and a master’s degree in agriculture business in 2022 from Southern Arkansas University (SAU). While in college, she served as the SAU Mulerider mascot from 2017 to 2020, Phi Mu vice president and was the SAU homecoming queen in 2019. Guin is a member of the First United Methodist Church in Minden, La.
ArFB HAS ONLINE SIGNUP ArFB now has an online membership application on its website to help people more easily join the organization. Just visit www.arfb.com and find the "Join Now" link at the top of the page, or go directly to www. arfb.com/join. When a member joins Arkansas Farm Bureau online, they also join their county Farm Bureau and they will have access to all the same benefits, connections and information. Joining online is a convenience and a tool for counties to promote membership growth and encourage people to become champions for agriculture, youth leadership, education, rural health care and their community! A PUBLICATION OF THE ARKANSAS FARM BUREAU FEDERATION
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MARKET NEWS as of Aug. 3, 2022 Contact Brandy Carroll 501-228-1268 brandy.carroll@arfb.com
Cattle USDA’s semi-annual Cattle Inventory Report confirmed what many have known for weeks: The severe drought plaguing the U.S. Plains and West, along with high grain prices, has resulted in herd liquidation. This is the third consecutive year the July 1 inventory report has shown a smaller herd than the year before. In 2022, the herd was 98% of the 2021 herd, pegged at 98.8 million head, down 2 million head from last year. This is the first year since 2015 that the herd is below 100 million head. The beef cow herd was pegged at 97.7% of the year ago total at 30.35 million head. That is the smallest beef cow herd since 2014. Heifers retained for beef cow replacement were estimated to be only 96.5% of a year earlier. At 4.15 million head, it’s the lowest total since USDA began reporting the count in 1998. Feeder cattle supplies are also smaller than a year ago, with supplies out of feedlots pegged at 35.7 million head, down 2.7% from last year. The dairy cow herd was 99.5% of last year’s total. And finally, USDA predicted the 2022 calf crop will be down 1.4% from last year at 34.6 million head, the smallest since 2015. The report has provided some support for futures, but overhead resistance is capping the market for now. The crop conditions report for the week ending July 31 says only 5% of Arkansas’ pastures are in good to excellent condition and 72% 4
are in poor to very poor condition. Technically futures are trending higher, but August has resistance at $138. October has resistance at $143.50. Hogs Hog futures are trending higher, supported by tight hog supplies and strong domestic pork demand. Wholesale pork prices remain strong, but export demand is weak, limiting the upside potential of the market for the time being. Declining packer margins are also a negative factor. The October contract has nearby resistance at $98. A close above that would suggest a retest of resistance at $100. Rice Rice futures are technically still trending higher, despite moving a bit lower after finding resistance at $17.30 in the September contract. Key support is at $16. Concern about the drought impacting the domestic crop is providing support. A lack of rain in India and floods in Bangladesh have impacted the crops there, too. Export demand is weak, however. USDA reported net sales of 22,100 metric tons for the current marketing year and only 5,200 for next year. Shipments of 37,100 metric tons were down 7% from the four-week average. Some 73% of the crop is rated good to excellent. However, as the cost of production continues to soar, Texas A&M economist Joe Outlaw projects many rice farmers will face negative net cash farm income in 2022. Soybeans Soybean futures have been on a wild ride in recent weeks. November set a new seven-month low before gapping higher last week and quickly putting $2 back on the market. That rally was largely weather driven as widespread drought threatens
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the yield potential of the crop. The market turned lower this week after beneficial rains fell over the weekend. USDA’s weekly crop progress report rated 60% of the crop good to excellent. That was a surprise and resulted in selling. The recent high of $14.89 will be resistance for November, with support near $13. Corn The weather rally in corn futures also looks to have run out of steam. 63% of the crop remains in good to excellent condition and beneficial rains in the Midwest have eased crop worries for now. After setting a new 7-month low on July 22, the December contract gapped higher and put 70 cents on the market last week. This week has seen a lack of buying interest. There is clearly defined support at $5.60 and resistance at $6.60. It is likely prices will be confined to that trading range in the near-term. Cotton Cotton futures have seen modest strength as the Texas crop continues to deteriorate due to drought. Thirty-six percent of the cotton there is now rated poor to very poor. Dryland acres have been abandoned at this point, and some irrigated acres have as well. Poor export demand continues to keep a lid on the market, though. Net old crop sales were negative 400 bales last week due to cancellations that outpaced new sales. New crop sales were 55,700 bales. The recent low of 82.5 cents is providing support for December futures, and the upside objective for bulls is $1.
EDITOR Ashley Wallace ashley.wallace@arfb.com