Keynote Speakers Announced for Conventions Pages 3, 6
Direct Marketing with a Difference Pages 4, 5
INSIDE: News in Brief.....................2 Around Farm Bureau.........3 Around the Farm............4, 5 Around IFB........................6 Around Indiana.................7 County Fair Time...............8
The Hoosier Farmer
®
A Publication for Voting Members of Indiana Farm Bureau
AUGUST 11, 2014 Issue No. 56
Farm bill meetings to help farmers understand deadlines, requirements —By Kathleen M. Dutro Public Relations Team Farm Credit Mid-America, Indiana Farm Service Agency and Indiana Farm Bureau are sponsoring a series of meetings this month in Indiana and Kentucky to help farmers become better informed on the 2014 farm bill and how it could affect them. The meetings, which will last approximately 2 hours each, will let you know about deadlines, requirements and what tools are available on the marketplace. Speakers will be Chris Hurt, professor of agricultural economics at Purdue Uni-
versity, and Julia Wickard, FSA state executive director. Register and find out about the available sites and meeting times by visiting www.e-farmcredit. com/FarmBill2014 or by contacting your local Farm Credit Mid-America office at 1-800-444-FARM. Registration isn’t required but it is requested to ensure that there’s adequate seating and refreshments. The meetings planned for Indiana are: • Aug. 19 – 9:30 a.m. Eastern time, Honeywell Center, 275 W Market St., Wabash. • Aug. 19 – 6:30 p.m. East-
ern time, The Trails Banquet Facility and Conference Center, 325 Burnetts Rd., West Lafayette. • Aug. 20 – 9:30 a.m. Eastern time, Indiana Grand Racing Casino, 4300 N. Michigan Rd., Shelbyville. • Aug. 20 – 6:30 p.m. Eastern time, Huntingburg Event Center, 200 E 14th St., Huntingburg. Meetings are also planned for Aug. 25-27 in Kentucky – specifically Princeton, Owensboro, Bowling Green, Elizabethtown and Lexington. Producers may go to the site that’s most convenient for them, regardless of which state they live in.
August recess a good time to focus on priority issues —By Kathleen M. Dutro Public Relations Team During the five-week pause in Congress known as the August recess, Farm Bureau members are encouraged to interact with their U.S. representatives and convey the issues and concerns most important to their farms and communities. Among the effective ways to do this: • Attend town hall meetings. • Attend “Meet Your Congressman/Congresswoman” events. • Go on a Farm Bureausponsored issue briefing or farm tour. • Call or write your member’s congressional office. The primary focus for Hoosier farmers during August recess should be the EPA and U.S. Army Corp of Engineers’ proposed Waters of the United States Indiana Farm Bureau P.O. Box 1290 Indianapolis, IN 46206
(WOTUS) rule, according to IFB’s public policy team. This rule is full of potentially harmful impacts on farmers if implemented as written. In addition to talking with members of Congress, farmers should be sending comments on the proposed rule to EPA. “While we expect farmers will focus efforts in August on the Waters of the U.S. rule, they can also talk about GMO labeling and renewable fuels while interacting with legislators and their staff,” added Kyle Cline, IFB national government relations policy advisor. Brief summaries of the three issues that are the top priorities during this recess can be found below. Information will also be available on the IFB public policy team’s issue website, ifbstayinformed.org, or from Kyle Cline at kcline@infb.org,
317-692-7845. Waters of the United States (WOTUS): In April, the EPA and Army Corps released a proposed rule that will expand federal jurisdiction over both wet and dry land features by declaring them “waters of the U.S.” The proposed rule will expand federal jurisdiction over water and land use issues and take power away from the states. For more, visit www.infarmbureau.org/ waterrule. The deadline to
submit comments to the EPA is Oct. 20. GMO labeling: The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act (H.R. 4432), which would create a national labeling program for foods made with genetically modified organisms, has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. Indiana Farm Bureau supports a national approach to the labeling of foods made from ingredients derived from biotechnology specifically
when a biotech food differs materially from a food product made from conventionally grown ingredients. Biofuels and the Renewable Fuel Standard: During the past year, there have been some attempts to change, weaken or dismantle the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) by “big oil” interests, the EPA and some members of Congress. Farm Bureau opposes any attempts to weaken or change the RFS.
Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage
PAID
Berne, IN Permit NO. 43
Visitors to the Shelby County 4-H Fair had an opportunity to learn from Shelby County Farm Bureau about corn from the field to the plate and all the items corn can be found in. Activities included shelling the corn, grinding it into corn meal – and of course wearing a foam corn hat. For more county fair photos from across the state, see page 8. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Thopy
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NEWS IN BRIEF
News Bites —Compiled by Kathleen M. Dutro Public Relations Team
IFB member honored as ‘Champion of Change’—The White
nities to support new and beginning farmers is available at www.usda.gov/newfarmers.
Purdue fruit, vegetable food safety course now offered online—Purdue Extension is now offering in an online format a course covering food safety practices for fruit and vegetable growers. The course is based on a series of “Good Agricultural Practices from A to Z” workshops that were given in the spring. The training will cover health and hygiene, water quality and treatment, animals and animal products, sanitation on the farm, documentation and recordkeeping, and farm food safety plans. Registration cost for individuals is $30. Those interested can register at www. distance.purdue.edu/gaps. Participants will have access to the course materials for three months. Anyone not completing the training by then would need to register for the course again. Those who encounter any technological problems while taking the course should contact pec.support@purdue. edu. (Purdue 6/18/14)
Starting in 2015, legal notices move from newspapers to the Internet —Edited by Kathleen M. Dutro Public Relations Team In the last legislative session, the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance convinced the General Assembly to change the legal notice requirements for local government and school budgets. Legal ads are now to be posted on the Internet instead of in newspapers’ legal notice section. Katrina Hall of Indiana Farm Bureau argued that not all citizens, and certainly not those in rural areas, have access to the Internet. “The DLGF proposal would not provide taxpayers with adequate due process on proposed spending and tax increases,” Hall said. The compromise was to publish budget adoption notices in the newspaper this fall for 2015 budgets and tax levies but to also follow the new Internet provisions. But starting in 2015 for budget
year 2016 advertisements, budget and tax levy information will no longer be required to be published in newspapers, Hall explained. While none had been posted at the time this article was written, local budget information can be found at www.budgetnotices.in.gov/. To assist taxpayers with this transition, counties are required to publish a notice about the online availability of budget notices in 2014 and 2015 that will provide taxpayers with the Internet address at which budget and tax levy information for the following year will be advertised. It must also provide taxpayers with a tollfree phone number through which they may request free hard copies of budget advertisements for specific political subdivisions. The notification about the website is in addition to the traditional “Notice to Taxpayers” (Budget Form
3) which all units must also publish and submit online as a means to advertise the county’s proposed budgets and levies. The notice must be published twice before Sept. 14, but there is no protocol for the timing between publications. The notice about the notices must read as follows: “Notice to Taxpayers: Notice is hereby given to taxpayers of County that for property taxes due and payable in 2015 and thereafter, local government budget notices including budget and tax levy information will be available at www.budgetnotices.in.gov or by calling the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance at (888) 739-9826. Beginning with taxes due and payable in 2016, notices will not be printed in the newspaper and will only be available at www.budgetnotices.in.gov or by calling (888) 7399826.”
tional trade, but agricultural goods need speedier passage across borders, especially,” Stallman said. “Time spent waiting at borders too often results in a substantial decline in food quality and direct economic losses to U.S. producers. When trade slows, the American farmer suffers.” (AFBF 8/1/14)
brand products containing genetically modified organisms with labels. The purpose of the mandatory labeling campaign is to deter the sale of products containing GMOs by frightening consumers unnecessarily. “Safeway’s shareholders sent a loud message to the GMO activists and lobbyists that represent them – science trumps baseless fearmongering campaigns,” said National Center free enterprise project director Justin Danhof. Danhof spoke out against a proposal submitted by the Green Century Equity Fund that sought to require the company to identify and label all of its products that “may contain genetically engineered ingredients.” (AFBF
House and the U.S. Department of Agriculture honored several Farm Bureau members as “Champions of Change” for Agriculture on July 29. The honorees are leaders from across the country who are doing extraordinary things to build a strong foundation for the next generation of farming and ranching. “We’re pleased to count several outstanding farmer and rancher members among the Champions of Change for Agriculture honorees,” said American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman. “They humbly serve as community and agricultural leaders, inspiring others to develop their own interests in farming and ranching, all while providing food, fiber and fuel for our nation and the world.” Among the honorees was Beth Tharp, a secondgeneration farmer from Coatesville, Ind. With her husband and parents, Tharp owns and operates Legan Livestock and Grain, a commercial swine, corn and soybean farm. She lends her voice and experience to local community boards representing agriculture to connect her community with her passion for farming. A total of 15 farmers, farm families and ag leaders from across the nation (at least nine of whom are Farm Bureau members) were honored. Learn more about the White House Champions of Change program and nominate a champion at www. whitehouse.gov/champions. Information about opportu-
Department’s Farm Service Agency announced Aug. 1 that the enrollment deadline for the 2012 and 2013 Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program has been extended to Aug. 15, 2014. Originally, program sign-up was scheduled to end Aug. 1. The new deadline gives livestock, honeybee and farm-raised fish producers who experienced losses because of disease, adverse weather, wildfires or colony collapse disorder between Oct. 1, 2011, and Sept. 30,
Administrative/Finance Team
Legal Affairs Team
Public Relations Team
Regional Managers
President...................................... Don Villwock Vice President.................................Randy Kron Second Vice President................. Isabella Chism Chief Operating Officer/Treasurer....Mark Sigler Receptionist...................................... Kim Duke General Fund Accountant.............. Tiffanie Ellis Office Manager & Meeting Planner.Kay Keown Controller.......................................Elaine Rueff Administrative Assistant....................Jill Shanley Executive Secretary..................... Beverly Thorpe Accounting Intern..................... Melissa Cuttriss
Director & General Counsel ...Mark Thornburg Associate Counsel for Corporate Compliance & Nonprofit Affairs ............Sara MacLaughlin Legal Assistant........................... Maria Spellman Law Clerk....................................... Sarah Doyle
Director & Editor .......................Andy Dietrick Web Designer/Developer..............Diane Brewer Publications Managing Editor & Media Relations Specialist...... Kathleen Dutro Marketing & PR Specialist.............. Mindy Reef Communications Assistant......... Rachel Schrage Intern...........................................Taylor Scuglik
Wayne Belden (1 & 3) Greg Bohlander (6) Andrew Cleveland (4 & 6) Janice Deno (3) Jennifer Chandler Gish (9) Seth Harden (7 & 9) Allison Hines (10) Amy Hutson (5) Susan Lawrence (2) John Newsom (1 & 2) Kermit Paris (8) Keegan Poe (5 & 8) Brad Ponsler (10) E.B. Rawles (7) Allie Rieth (4)
District Directors Larry Jernas (1) Kevin Ousley (2) Kevin Underwood (3) Steve Maple (4) Dave Wyeth (5)
Scott Trennepohl (6) Jeff Gormong (7) Mark Bacon (8) Philip Springstun (9) Robert Schickel (10)
Indiana Agricultural Law Foundation
USDA extends deadline for ELAP to Aug. 15—The Agriculture
Public Policy Team Director........................................ Megan Ritter Policy Development & Industry Relations.........................Bob Cherry National Government Relations Policy Advisor................. Kyle Cline Policy Advisor & Counsel..............Amy Cornell State Government Relations Director...................................... Katrina Hall Administrative Assistant .............Wanda Hunter Administrative Assistant ................Diane Miller Senior Policy Advisor & Counsel..................................Justin Schneider Livestock Development Specialist... Greg Slipher Direct Retail Business Specialist........Bob White
2013, an additional two weeks to enroll in ELAP. (USDA 8/1/14)
Failure of WTO trade talks in Geneva disappointing, AFBF says—The American Farm
Bureau Federation expressed disappointment that the World Trade Organization has failed to reach an agreement that would have sped the flow of goods through international borders. “Every country would have benefitted had they moved forward with the Trade Facilitation Agreement agreed to last December in Bali,” American Farm Bureau Federation Bob Stallman said in a statement. “Improving slow and outof-date customs procedures supports all kinds of interna-
Organizational Development Team Director............................................... Kim Vail Program Assistant........................ Ashley Beasley Field Services Program Director.....Chris Fenner Young Farmer & Women’s Program Coordinator................ Meggie Foster Collegiate Farm Bureau Coordinator................................ Seth Harden Program Assistant.......................Kathryn Rogers Education Coordinator.................... Julie Taylor Member Services Coordinator...........Anna Todd Program Assistant............................ Tracie Trent Intern........................................ Samantha Lowe
Anti-GMO proposal denounced by Safeway shareholders—At the annual meet-
ing of Safeway shareholders held in July in California, the overwhelming majority of shareholders followed the advice of the National Center for Public Policy Research and rejected an antiscientific shareholder proposal that would have forced the grocery store chain to
Indiana Farm Bureau Inc./ Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance Director of Affiliate Relations.................. Julie Klarich
7/28/14)
Address Letters & Questions To: Indiana Farm Bureau Inc. Box 1290, Indianapolis, IN 46206-1290. Phone: 1-800-327-6287 or (317) 692-7776 E-Mail Address: askus@infarmbureau.org Duplicate Magazines If you are receiving more than one copy of The Hoosier Farmer®, please cut out both labels and return them to the address above. Magazine Design and Layout Davis Graphic Design www.davisgraphics.com The Hoosier Farmer® is published 14 times per year by Indiana Farm Bureau Inc., P.O. Box 1290, Indianapolis, IN 46206, and is furnished as a service to voting members and others. Controlled circulation. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Hoosier Farmer® P.O. Box 1290 Indianapolis, IN 46206-1290. Copyright 2014. All rights reserved.
Director..................... John Shoup
August 11, 2014
www.thehoosierfarmer.com
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AROUND FARM BUREAU
Leno to address AFBF convention —From the AFBF Public Relations Team Acclaimed late night TV host Jay Leno will give the closing session keynote address at the 96th AFBF Annual Convention and IDEAg Trade Show in San Diego on Jan. 12, 2015. About 7,000 Farm Bureau members from across the nation are expected to gather in San Diego Jan. 11-14 to hear from distinguished leaders and participate in a grassroots policy setting process that will guide the American Farm Bureau Federation through 2015. Leno, an admired standup comedian, is also a best-selling children’s book
author, TV and movie voiceover artist, pioneering car builder and mechanic, and philanthropist. He has been widely characterized as “the hardest-working man in show business.” “We are excited to have Jay Leno as one of our keynote speakers,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman. “We will be considering some very important policy issues during our time in San Diego, so it will be nice to take a break from the business at hand and share a lighter moment with Jay Leno.” Leno’s late night television ratings domination has included hosting more than two decades of “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” dur-
ing which the show was a quarterly ratings winner for 19 consecutive years. While he was host, the show was honored by the Television Academy with an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy, Variety or Music Series. “The Tonight Show” has also been honored as Favorite Late Night Show in the annual TV Guide Awards as determined by voting viewers. Farm Bureau members can register for the 96th AFBF Annual Convention and IDEAg Trade Show through their state Farm Bureaus or online through AFBF at http://annualconvention.fb.org starting Sept. 1. Jay Leno will keynote AFBF’s 2015 convention.
Rural Entrepreneurship Challenge launched by AFBF, Georgetown —From the AFBF Public Relations Team The American Farm Bureau Federation together with Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business Global Social Enterprise Initiative and the Georgetown Entrepreneurship Initiative’s StartupHoyas have announced the Rural Entrepreneurship Challenge. The first-of-its-kind challenge provides an opportunity for individuals to showcase ideas and business innovations being cultivated in rural regions of the United States. The Farm Bureau Rural Entrepreneurship Challenge is a key component of the Rural Entrepreneurship Initiative, a joint effort between AFBF and Georgetown. The inaugural challenge is accepting applications beginning July 24 until Sept.15. Semi-finalists will be announced at the National Summit on Rural Entrepreneurship at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business on Tuesday, Oct. 14. The summit is sponsored jointly by AFBF, GSEI and the White House Rural Council. Challenge finalists will pitch their business ideas to a team of judges at the AFBF 96th Annual Convention, slated for Jan. 9-14 in San Diego, California. Participants, who must be based in a rural county, will compete for the Rural Entrepreneur of the Year Award and prize money of up to $30,000 to implement their ideas. To learn more about the challenge and submit an online application, visit www.
www.thehoosierfarmer.com
strongruralamerica.com/ challenge. “Through the challenge, we will identify rural entrepreneurs with innovative ideas and help them remove any barriers standing between them and a viable, emerging business,” said Lisa Benson, AFBF’s director of rural development. “Winners will get initial capital,
as well as mentoring to take them from innovative concept, to strategy, to reality. Farm Bureau recognizes that great business ideas can germinate anywhere and we’re excited to see what our members will bring to the table.” “Rural entrepreneurs face unique challenges and more limited options when explor-
ing new business ideas. But just as in Silicon Valley, great ideas combined with the proper support and funding can be transformational,” said Jeff Reid, founding director, StartupHoyas at Georgetown. “Bolstering economic growth through entrepreneurship strengthens not only rural America, but all of
America,” said Ladan Manteghi, executive director of the Global Social Enterprise Initiative. “Our partnership with Farm Bureau combines complementary assets to bring educational tools, business expertise, incentives such as the challenge, and mentorship to rev up new business concepts and rural economies.”
IFB’s resolutions committee worked July 23 and 24 preparing the policy document for the full delegate body, which will meet Aug. 23 at the Wyndham Hotel in Indianapolis. Front row (from left): IFB President Don Villwock; consultant Aleta Crowe, District 7 woman leader; Mel Egolf, Noble County; Jay Hawley, Clinton Co.; Chris Miller, Harrison Co.; Linda Croft, Fountain Co.; resolutions committee chairman Randy Kron, IFB vice president. Second row: Bob Geswein, Floyd Co.; Terry Hoffman, Dubois Co.; Jeremy Russell, Delaware Co.; Bob Bishop, Kosciusko Co. Third row: Matt Hayden, Lake Co.; Neal Wolholter, Noble Co.; Jim Wenning, Henry Co.; Tom Milligan, Vermillion Co. Fourth row: consultant Jeff Gormong, District 7 director; Scott Bonnell, Bartholomew Co.; Young Farmer representative Dallas Foster, Hancock Co.; Mike Beale, Carroll Co.; Jeff Quyle, Morgan Co.; Andy Bailey, Clinton Co.; Tim Baker, Wells Co.; and consultant Scott Trenepohl, District 6 director. Photo by Rachel Schrage
August 11, 2014
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AROUND THE FARM
Direct Marketing Co-op market focuses as much as possible on local products —Stories & Photos By Kathleen M. Dutro Public Relations Team At the Purple Porch Co-op in South Bend, you can find healthfood staples such as agave nectar, organic Brazil nuts, and goji berries. Organic ice cream cones are for sale as well. But what you also find are prod-
Greg Koehler, general manager of the Purple Porch Co-op in South Bend, poses in his store’s produce section, which offers a selection of produce that includes as much locally grown fruits and vegetables as possible.
ucts grown or made locally, including fruits and vegetables, honey, jams, meats, frozen soups, breads, yogurt, eggs, barbecue sauce, maple syrup and mustard. Approximately 16 different farms supply the co-op, according to its website, purpleporchcoop.com, and local products account for about 21 percent of the store’s sales. “From day one when we opened the store, we had people come in, ‘Can we sell this? Can we sell this?’ That was exactly what we needed,” said Greg Koehler, the co-op’s general manager. A co-op is, by definition, run for the benefit of members and supported by the members financially. The Purple Porch’s 490 or so members pay an “equity share” of $200 to belong. In return, they can vote on how the co-op is run, and they also get regular discounts on purchases. The goal is connecting consumers and producers and providing food that is, whenever possible, locally sourced. Where that isn’t possible – such as, for example, bananas – the preference is toward direct-sourced, regional, national or international fair-trade items. “Local” is tightly defined as a 60mile radius around South Bend. “When you hear other people, other businesses, use the term ‘local,’ it tends to be more like a 400-
mile radius…We consider that more regional (than local),” Koehler said. The co-op began as a farmers market, which it still hosts on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. “We had a unique presence in that we had an online ordering system,” Koehler said. Producers can list what they have available from week to week, and consumers can preorder, he added. “We learned that there was a great demand for those products and there was a great Besides a grocery store, the co-op also features a café with supply, and so we decided to take the plunge salad bar, soups and small hot bar. The menu items are all made with organic and/or local products. and have a bricks-andmortar store,” he said. The store opened in February. to make sure that we have a whole The co-op aims to be fully produce section – for a small store stocked, which is why it carries – so that when people come in, things such as bananas, citrus and they’re not seeing gaps all the time. non-Midwestern grains. Likewise, we made the decision to “Consumer behavior in our neck supplement outside of local so that of the woods is such that they’ve we have a more complete produce got to see what they’re used to in a department,” he said. grocery store or they likely won’t re“But as soon as we find a local turn,” he explained. producer that does bananas, they’re “We made the decision early on in,” he added.
Selling through a co-op helps blueberry producer create good will Blueberry lovers can buy berries from the Blueberry Ranch (blueberryranch.com) several ways. Out of season, customers can buy frozen blueberries online direct from the farm, which is located in Mishawaka. In season, according to owner John Nelson, they can buy them on-farm, either U-pick or ready-pick, from a farmers market in South Bend – or from either of two food co-ops. Selling through his local co-op, the Purple Porch Co-op in South Bend (which also operates the farmers market), is less about sales than it is about public relations, Nelson explained. “It’s just as much good will as anything else,” he said. “The buzz created is just as important as the dollar amount.” Virtually all of Nelson’s 80 acres are in one crop: USDA certified organic blueberries. The farm, founded in 1953, was purchased by Nelson in 1982. His first certified organic field was in 1991, and the entire farm was certified organic by the USDA in 2009. With a season that lasts just a few weeks – this year the farm opened to the public July 7 and is scheduled to close Aug. 16 – there’s no time to waste for Nelson or his workers. Although some of the berries are
August 11, 2014
picked by customers, this represents a small percentage of the crop, Nelson explained. Thirty years ago, a family might pick 50 pounds of blueberries for canning and freezing, he said. That doesn’t happen anymore, he said. Customers can save money picking their own blueberries – ready-pick blueberries are $16.50 for 5 pounds and $29 for 10 pounds, compared to $2.15 per pound for U-pick – but they come more for the experience than to save money. “U-pick is not a harvest method,” he said. “They don’t want to go home dirty.” Most of the berries are picked by Nelson’s workers, who total more than 100 during the season. The berries are then sold fresh by the box or frozen on-farm for sale after the season. Another benefit of selling through the co-op, he said, is that he prefers dealing with local people rather than national chains, and he added that the co-op and the farmers market have also helped him develop some wholesale relationships. But though the amount of product he sells through the Purple Porch isn’t a major part of his business, it’s still worthwhile. “Four hundred pounds is 400 pounds,” he said. “All these little things add up.”
At his farm, the Blueberry Ranch, John Nelson (shown at right) sells ready-pick blueberries and U-pick blueberries in season, including in the 5- and 10-pound boxes pictured above. But he also sells frozen blueberries, pies, pie filling and jam, all made from the Blueberry Ranch’s blueberries. Most of these are sold right on the farm, but Nelson has also established a relationship with the Purple Porch Co-op in South Bend.
www.thehoosierfarmer.com
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AROUND THE FARM
with a Difference Grower takes his crop to market – the supermarket, that is —Rachel Schrage Public Relations Team “If you’d been able to come a few weeks later, I would have been able to get you a really good one,” said William Harriman as he cut into a cantaloupe pulled straight from the vine. “These are about as good as something you’d get from the supermarket in the winter – just need a few more weeks.” Harriman Farms and Greenhouse in Spencer, Ind., has come a long way since its start. At the age of 12, William Harriman grew one acre of produce. Now he farms, along with his sister Shelley and his wife Beth, 178 acres of produce and pumpkins. Shelley also runs a greenhouse in the spring. “I started working for myself because, as a kid, people would use the excuse that employing me at 12 years old was illegal,” said Harriman. “I wasn’t going to let the government decide I was too young to work.” So without much farm back-
ground, Harriman struck out on his own. His first year, he grew tomatoes, sweet corn, lettuce and cabbage, which he marketed to the local grocery store, Babbs SuperValu. The owner of Babbs went to the same church as Harriman did and put Harriman in touch with the produce manager. “Some of the stuff I gave him was okay to sell, the rest we sold at our roadside stand,” said Harriman. According to Babbs’ produce manager, Tony Moore, it didn’t take long for Harriman to begin filling the shelves Beth, William and Shelley Harriman stand in a sweet corn field, which is part of their 178-acre farm and at Babbs with his prod- greenhouse operation in Spencer, Ind. The Harrimans sell their produce to a local grocery store, Babbs Superucts. Valu. Photo by Rachel Schrage “He was about 11 or 12 when I met him and thing was the quality you’d put on pers, sweet corn, cabbage and tomahis mom here,” said Moore. “The your shelves, but he always asked, toes. The farm is also the main supfirst few times he came in, not every‘What do you need, plier of cantaloupe and watermelons how can my products for the store. Come fall, Harriman’s be better?’” Harriman farm will supply pumpkins, both pie took Moore’s advice and jack-o-lantern, to the store for to heart and has been Halloween and Thanksgiving. selling to Babbs for “Even though our main customer years. is a large distributor, it’s nice to have Now, Moore doesn’t a relationship with someone close even need to see the by who you can sell to,” Harriman produce before he said. agrees to take it. “If And business is going well. HarriWilliam calls and says man’s is nearly done with construche’s got something I tion on a large warehouse, where the need, I take it,” he said. farm will house more packing lines Though Harriman is and an enormous walk-in cooler, quick to tell you that which will extend the shelf life of its local is not always a produce. synonym for quality, in “We spent a long time deciding his case, that’s exactly whether to do this,” said Harriman. what it is. In the sum“It made sense to do it now, because mer, Harriman Farms we’re growing too much and running supplies Babbs with out of space. It’s a good problem to cucumbers, green pephave.”
Harriman Farms cucumbers ready for purchase at Babbs SuperValu in Spencer, Ind. The Harrimans supply the store with a variety of fruits and vegetables. Photo by Taylor Scuglik
In addition to supplying the local grocery store and working with a large distributor, Harriman Farms operates a small roadside stand. All fruits and vegetables are purchased on the honor system. Photo by Rachel Schrage
www.thehoosierfarmer.com
William Harriman loads an order of sweet corn into a customer’s truck. Photo by Rachel Schrage
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AROUND IFB
Qubein to headline IFB convention —By Mindy Reef Public Relations Team Farm Bureau members will get on board with Nido Qubein, president of High Point University and chairman of Great Harvest Bread Company, during this year’s state convention. “As chairman of a food company, he can relate to farmers as businesspeople,” said Chris Fenner, IFB’s director of field services. “His personal story is fascinating and shows how important it is to be determined to succeed, even when it seems everything is stacked against you.” Qubein will present “From Success to Significance” dur-
ing the closing session of the convention. The presentation covers Qubein’s journey from being an immigrant with only $50 and no knowledge of English to leading a university and chairing a company. Members can learn more about Qubein’s story at www. nidoqubein.com; follow him
on Twitter, @nidoqubein; or visit his official Facebook page, Dr. Nido R. Qubein. IFB state convention runs Dec. 12 and 13 at French Lick Resort. Keep reading The Hoosier Farmer for more information. Online registration and additional details will be available at conv.infb.org after Sept. 1.
Nido Qubein, president of High Point University and chairman of Great Harvest Bread Company, is the featured speaker at IFB’s state convention. He offers tips about life, leadership and success on his social media accounts nearly every day, such as this post from July 31: “If you don’t like the way things are, complaining won’t change them. Action will.” #Qtipoftheday”
Opportunities still available to earn credit in the County Recognition Program —By Chris Fenner Field Services Director Organizational Development Team
Attorney Gary Chapman of Bose McKinney and Evans covers planning basics at the Estate and Succession Planning for the Family Farm seminar on July 17. The Indiana Agricultural Law Foundation presented the sold-out event. Additional seminars that cover specific estate and succession issues in more depth are tentatively planned. Photo by Mindy Reef
Can you believe we are nearing the end of the 20132014 County Recognition Program? By the time you receive this issue of The Hoosier Farmer, we’ll have less than two months left to complete this year’s program before the Sept. 30 deadline. Here are some things coming up that could be used to help your county earn credit for its activities: Membership – Goals have been set for each county at signing three new members to reach the “Cardinal” level and six new members to reach the “Hawk” level. Renewal and prospect lists have been created to help you make the most of your time. There are check boxes for advertising, selling young farmer memberships, retain-
ing 95 percent or more of last year’s voting membership and reaching 100 percent of last year’s total membership. Issue Engagement and Influential Organization – There is still time for your board to meet with locally elected officials and talk about things that are important to your members such as annexation, farmland taxes and water issues. August is also a great time to meet with your members of Congress and senators since Congress is on recess during August. Our elected leaders will be in Indiana and looking to meet with constituents. Many counties are engaging in our efforts to contact the Environmental Protection Agency and ask them to “Ditch the Rule” with their new guidelines for the Clean Water Act. Ask your regional manager if you or your board would like to be more in-
volved in helping us limit the regulatory power of the EPA. Young Farmers – Did you know you can get credit for taking a young farmer with you on a district congressional visit or for having a young farmer serve as a delegate or alternate? Or you could make a presentation of the 4-H Tenure awards to winning members from your county. All of these are great ways to support youth in your county and build interest and confidence in your membership. Public Relations and Education – There are still lots of Ag Day, Our Food Link and Ag in the Classroom activities that could happen before Sept. 30. You could volunteer for a state fair activity, donate ag-related books to a school or library or develop a relationship with a non-ag group such as an animal shelter or civic organization.
Who’s who at Indiana Farm Bureau Administrative assistant Diane Miller —By Taylor Scuglik Public Relations Intern Indiana Farm Bureau welcomes its newest staff member, Diane Miller. Diane is the new administrative assistant for the public policy team. She has previous experience in management, real estate and marketing. Her job consists of supporting the public policy team
and organizing and managing various policy projects. Diane’s favorite part of her job so far has been interacting with the members. “You just smile when you’re on the phone with them,” she said. Diane was born in Florida but due to her dad’s job in the Navy she moved all over the United States as a child. Her favorite place to have
lived was Niagara Falls, N.Y. Diane currently lives in Acton and has two children, a 22-year-old and a 7-year-old. In her free time she enjoys fishing and spending time with her family.
Public policy administrative assistant Diane Miller. Photo by Taylor Scuglik
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AROUND INDIANA
County FB wins annexation fight; another goes to court —By Taylor Scuglik Public Relations Intern As the fight against forced annexation continues across Indiana, county Farm Bureaus in Huntington and Hancock counties take action against their separate challenges. Annexation involves a city extending its boundaries and services into an unincorporated area. Many residents are against annexation because it raises taxes and is enacted without their consent.
Huntington’s city council proposed a five-phase annexation plan that would have added 3,000 acres of land to the city limits. A group called Huntington Citizens Against Forced Annexation organized and began fighting the plan in advance of the official hearing to prevent its approval by the council. More than 600 signs reading “Forced Annexation Is Bad for Everyone” were displayed throughout the city. Residents also wrote into newspapers such as The Hunting-
ton Herald-Press expressing their thoughts and spreading the word. The city council met on July 8, and residents of the potential annexed regions were encouraged to attend. According to Huntington Citizens Against Annexation’s Facebook page, residents arrived early for a rally and circled the building to display their signs and voice their opinion. During the meeting, four of the seven city council members voted against annexation and the plan was voted down. An-
IFB sponsors workshop on ‘big data’ —By Kathleen M. Dutro Public Relations Team The registration deadline has passed for Indiana Farm Bureau and the Indiana Ag Law Foundation’s Aug. 15 workshop on big data, one of agriculture’s emerging issues, but there’s a chance that some seats may still be available. The workshop will be held at IFB’s home office in Indianapolis from 9 a.m.3:30 p.m. EDT.
It’s geared toward Indiana farmers and agricultural stakeholders interested in learning more about big data and its applications. The term “big data” refers not just to the volume of data (soil maps, seeding rates, yields, chemical use, and so on) generated by every farm, but even more importantly to the way that data can be analyzed, interpreted and put to work. Sponsored by the Indiana Ag Law Foundation, the
workshop will also consider the issues surrounding unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs. The cost for registration is $75. More information is available at www.inaglaw. org/bigdata, but it will be too late for online registrations by the time readers get this issue of The Hoosier Farmer. For late registrations, contact Maria Spellman, 317-692-7840, mspellman@ infb.org.
nexation plans have since been cancelled. Although Huntington was successful in the prevention of annexation, they still remain aware of the issue and plan to stay active to prevent any future cases. Additional information on Huntington Citizens Against Annexation can be found on Facebook at HuntingtonAnnexation. The city of Fortville in Hancock County has been the site of a year-long battle against annexation. The town council adopted an annexation plan of 644 acres and 97 parcels last year, according to The Greenfield Daily Reporter. The group opposed to the annexation, Fight Against Forced Annexation, reduced the original amount and have been fighting ever since to abolish the annexation completely. Under the leadership of the county Farm Bureau, farmers located within the annexation zone sent out an open letter thanking residents for their support and defending the right to their land. “Our relationship with
our land transcends simple ownership,” the letter said. “It is steeped in tradition and represents a way of life, not just an occupation,” they said. “We perceive the current annexation effort to be nothing more than an illconceived effort by the Fortville Town Council, encouraged by their consultants, to exploit the state annexation law in order to open up additional revenue sources with absolutely no benefit to those whose lands they desire to seize.” Fortville’s most recent action against annexation has been to take the case to court. The court hearing took place on July 21. Attorney Stephen Buschmann represented the Reduced Annexation Zone and focused on the zone’s rural status, which doesn’t meet annexation requirements. The result of the hearing is expected to be announced in 30 to 60 days, according to Fight Against Forced Annexation’s website. For updates on Fortville’s continued efforts visit www.supportfafa.com.
The July 26 summer meeting for Indiana Farm Bureau District 6 featured a tour of Bell Aquaculture, an indoor fish farm. Bell raises trout, perch and salmon, which they market under the brand name Bell Farms. The second stop of the day was Cardinal Ethanol (pictured above). Cardinal ships approximately 256,000 gallons of ethanol to the oil industry each day. Photo by Rachel Schrage
Rural Youth/Young Adults alumni invited to Sept. 27 reunion —Rachel Schrage Public Relations Team
Louis Spriestersbach turned to Indiana Farm Bureau when he wanted to find a way to preserve the farm that had been in his family since 1831. An open house held July 11 showed off the result of that effort as new owner Dan Cristiani showed off the restored fields and pastures and explained the extensive renovations now underway to preserve the house. The land is protected by a conservation easement owned by the George Rogers Clark Land Trust that will preserve it as agricultural land into perpetuity. Money from the sale of the farm will be used by the Spriestersbach Farm Corporation Foundation for scholarships and grants for educational programs aimed at youth, educators and the general public. Top photo, Cristiani talks to reporters from New Albany and Louisville media. Above, among those in attendance at the open house were IFB President Don Villwock and Vice President Randy Kron. Photos by Andy Dietrick
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Former Indiana Rural Youth/Young Adults members, mark your calendars! Your state alumni reunion, a celebration of 75 years, will take place Sept. 27, 2014, at 1 p.m. EDT at the Johnson County Fairgrounds’ Scott Hall. An RSVP is not required to attend, but you may contact LuMar Griggs, jlwpc5@ netzero.net, or Carol Herzog, carolherzog@cinergymetro. net, with any questions.
RY/YA, an organization sponsored by Indiana Farm Bureau and the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service, was active from 1939-89. Statewide membership peaked in the ’50s and ’60s at 6,000 members. Members gathered in county chapters for education, travel, recreation and community service, including a statewide project to install automobile seatbelts before the federal government required them.
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COUNTY FAIR TIME
Pedal tractor pull sponsored by Young Farmers at the Jennings County Fair on July 9. Photo courtesy of Beth Steiner
For the third year, White County Farm Bureau sponsored a Barnyard Olympics at the White County Fair. The event gives kids who don’t have livestock a chance to participate in the fair. Thirty-nine people entered the event. Each one received a coupon for a free pork burger and learned a little bit about where their food comes from and how animals are cared for while playing games such as water relays and the egg toss. Pictured are the winners. Photo courtesy of Marla Storm
Tipton County Farm Bureau sponsored a new event this year: the Dairy Blend-Off, which pitted three teams and their blenders against each other in a contest to see who could make the best smoothie using at least one cup of milk or yogurt. Celebrity judges picked the winner. Photo courtesy of Elsa Smith
MEMBER BENEFIT
Judy Gumbel shows Paisley Willis how to make ice cream as part of the ice cream project the Pike County Farm Bureau sponsored at its county fair. Photo courtesy of Judy Gumbel
Incentive Discount for Polaris • Full-size utility & sport vehicles (UTV) $300 per unit. • Full-size all-terrain vehicles (ATV) $200 per unit. • GEM electric vehicles $300 per unit. • Jasper County Farm Bureau constructed a new red barn on the Jasper County Fairgrounds. This is a permanent building and will be used to sell milkshakes at other events held at the fairgrounds. The Farm Bureau sold a record number of shakes during the fair. Photo courtesy of Crystal Kellner
Members should negotiate their best deal with their preferred Polaris dealer and then add the manufacturer’s incentive discount to the bottom line. Visit ww.fbverify.com/Polaris for additional details and to print your member discount certificate.
Calendar of Events August 1-17 12-14 13 15 16 21, 22 23 26 27 27 28
Indiana State Fair. Taste from Indiana Farms, Indiana State Fair. IFB Old Fashioned Pancake Breakfast, Indiana State Fair. Indiana Ag Law Foundation workshop on “big data,” IFB home office. District 7 picnic. IFB Board of Directors meeting, IFB home office. IFB delegate session, Indianapolis. District 1 fall meeting. IFB Drainage School, IFB home office. District 3 summer meeting. District 2 summer meeting.
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September 3 State Women’s Leadership Committee meeting, IFB home office. 7 District 8 fall gathering, Decatur County. 8-10 IFB Leaders in Action session, Washington, D.C. 8 District 4 summer meeting. 11 District 10 fall meeting, Dearborn County. 11-13 Collegiate Farm Bureau trip to USDA crop report lock-up trip, Washington, D.C. 17, 18 IFB Board of Directors meeting, IFB home office.
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