Leadership with a ‘Capitol’ L Page 4
State Convention Registration Opens Page 7
A Publication for Voting Members of Indiana Farm Bureau
INSIDE: News in Brief................ 2 Around Indiana............ 3 State & Nation...... 4, 5, 8 Rules & Regs................ 6 Around INFB................ 7
SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 Issue No. 85
Road funding, rural broadband, hunger relief addressed by INFB delegates —By Jay A. Wood Public Relations Team More than 260 delegates representing all 92 counties gathered in Indianapolis on Aug. 27 to determine state and federal policy positions for the coming year. “This is our most important meeting of the year. Our policy is grassroots-driven and the August delegate session focuses our advocacy efforts for 2017,” said INFB President Randy Kron. The delegates considered many issues including saving prime farmland, funding for Clean Water Indiana, electric demand fees, nutrient research and stewardship fees, food deserts, educational opportunities and the critical need for cell and broadband service in rural Indiana. “While farmers are grateful for the important property tax relief that the General Assembly passed in 2016, we will always be working on property tax assessment concerns,” said Kron. Pushing for increased road funding was another recurring issue that received
unanimous support from the delegates. Farmers rely on quality roads for transporting commodities and equipment. INFB policy encourages the General Assembly to increase funding for state and local roads and bridges in addition to increasing fuel taxes. Delegates added language that supports shifting current sales tax on fuel for road construction and maintenance. “Our members are concerned with infrastructure in the broadest sense, including the need for high-speed broadband in rural areas,” Kron said. “Broadband ‘tothe-last-mile’ is critically important so that educational and economic opportunities are available to all of rural Indiana. It’s time to do something transformational, just as rural electrification did in the 1930s.” Delegates also approved language that supports policies and programs to help eliminate food deserts. A food desert is defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a low-income area where a substantial number of residents have little or no access to a supermarket or
large grocery store. “Food deserts are a very serious issue for low-income families whose dollars do not go as far when they are forced to purchase food at a gas station or convenience store because there is no grocery nearby. Those food options are not only more expensive, but they are also generally less nutritious,” said Kron. At the federal level, the delegates added language opposing reductions to federal crop insurance programs. More input on the farm bill will be gathered from the grassroots members this fall and considered at INFB’s convention in December. Recommendations on national policy will be sent to American Farm Bureau Federation for consideration during the AFBF annual meeting, which will be held in January. “Hoosier farmers need Farm Bureau to support policy that works to provide a safety-net when needed and advocate for a regulatory environment that will create opportunities for the next generation, said Kron. “As
we face more challenging economic times, the members of Indiana Farm Bureau will need to strengthen the organization’s advocacy efforts at the local, state and
national levels,” he said. The complete list of policy positions should be available to members on INFB’s website (www.infarmbureau. org) in the near future.
Nearly 200 people gathered at Mike Starkey’s farm in Hendricks County for Indiana Farm Bureau’s Before the Harvest event on Aug. 23. This annual gathering is an opportunity for INFB’s Statehouse staff to meet and greet legislators on an actual working farm. But this year offered a special attraction: A forum for all three gubernatorial candidates. The candidates – Republican Eric Holcomb, Democrat John Gregg and Libertarian Rex Bell – spoke individually and were all asked the same questions about issues that affect Indiana agriculture and rural residents. Above, Democrat John Gregg (left) answers questions from moderator Dave Russell, Below, Republican Eric Holcomb discusses ag issues. Photos by Mindy Reef
Candidates’ responses to questions on farm policy available on special website —By Kathleen M. Dutro Public Relations Team
that can help farmers find out in a more substantive way what the candidates
dorse or support a political candidate, we are providing each candidate’s position to inform our members In the noise and others,” exheat of a presidential Election resources for rural voters: and plained Cody Lyon, campaign, agricultural Election16.fb.org director of advocacy issues can often get and political affairs lost or become relwith the American Farm Buthink about issues that are egated to a couple of brief reau Federation. critical to agriculture. sound bites. Every four years, AFBF “While AFBF cannot enBut there are resources asks the Democratic and Non-Profit Indiana Farm Bureau Republican presidential Organization P.O. Box 1290 nominees to address the U.S. Postage Indianapolis, IN 46206 issues that concern farmPAID Berne, IN ers and ranchers the most. Permit NO. 43 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump have both been asked the same questions. “Both candidates were asked to explain their posi-
tions on biotechnology, trade, immigration reform, regulatory reform, food safety and more,” he said. “That the candidates took the time in the throes of this very competitive election season to go into such detail in their responses says as much about the importance of these issues and the farmers and ranchers who care about them as it does about Clinton’s and Trump’s political platforms.” The answers to those questions will be gradually released over the next few weeks on Advocacy Election 2016, AFBF’s campaign website (election16.fb.org).
As of The Hoosier Farmer’s Sept. 19 deadline, the schedule for releasing the responses was as follows: Sept. 20 – Regulatory Reform Sept. 21 – Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act Sept. 22 – Endangered Species Act Sept. 27 – Farm bill Sept. 29 – Immigration Oct. 4 – International trade and TPP Oct. 6 – Biotechnology and food safety Oct. 11 – Energy The website also includes other helpful information, such as the dates of debates and election basics for each state.
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NEWS IN BRIEF
INFB membership sweepstakes enter their closing days —By Kathleen M. Dutro Public Relations Team As this issue of The Hoosier Farmer was going to press, there were just a few days remaining for members to qualify for the final contests of the membership year. Any Farm Bureau member who signs a new voting member between Sept. 1 and Sept. 30 will be entered to win a drawing for two tickets for the Oct. 30 Colts vs. Kansas City Chiefs game as well as a $200 gift card for St. Elmo Steak House. To be eligible, your name must appear in the “referred by” box on a new member’s application. Your name will be entered once for every new voting member that you sign. The new voting members themselves will also be entered into a prize drawing. Any new voting member signed between Sept. 1 and Sept. 30 will be entered to win two tickets to the Colts vs. the Tennessee Titans on game on Nov. 20 as well as a $200 gift card for St. Elmo Steak House. To be eligible, you must have joined Farm Bureau as a new voting member between Sept. 1 and Sept. 30. Completed applications should be sent to Indiana Farm Bureau, Attention: K. Rogers – Membership Contest, P.O. Box 1290, Indianapolis, IN 46206. To be eligible, the applications must be postmarked by Sept. 30. For more information and to see official rules, visit www. infarmbureau.org/infb/about-us/sweepstakes.
Four Hoosiers enter AFBF’s Rural Entrepreneurship Challenge —By Mindy Reef Public Relations Team Four Indiana Farm Bureau members are among the more than 350 entrepreneurs vying for a share of $145,000 from American Farm Bureau’s Rural Entrepreneurship Challenge. The competition is the first in the country to focus on businesses serving the food and agriculture field. The four entrants from Indiana: Blomeke Blackberry Acres: Matt Blomeke, DeKalb County. Blomeke wants to grow blackberries to the commercial fresh market, wineries and farmers markets. Administrative/Finance Team
President............................................Randy Kron Vice President.................................Kendell Culp Second Vice President................ Isabella Chism Chief Operating Officer/Treasurer..Mark Sigler Receptionist..........................................Kim Duke General Fund Accountant..............Tiffanie Ellis Operations & Event Manager.......Chris Fenner Executive Director of Administration............................. Megan Ritter Controller..........................................Elaine Rueff Administrative Assistant...................Jill Shanley Executive Secretary.................... Beverly Thorpe Member/Data Service Program Coordinator.................... Anna Todd
District Directors Harold Parker (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)
September 26, 2016
Bird Dog LLC: Dave Myers, Boone County. Bird Dog anonymously matches landowners with tenant farmers. Tanglewood: Shelley McDaniel, Spencer County. McDaniel’s vision is to create a wedding barn and event venue in rural Boonville. Pluck ‘Em Poultry: Morgan O’Reilly, Whitley County. A mobile poultry-processing facility helps those with small flocks of birds. The candidate pool will be narrowed to 10 semifinalists in October. Six teams will end their journeys there with a $10,000 prize. The four remaining teams will compete live at the American Farm Bureau Federation Indiana Agricultural Law Foundation
Director...............................................John Shoup
Indiana Farm Bureau Inc./ Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance Director of Affiliate Relations...... Julie Klarich
Legal Affairs Team
Director & General Counsel.................... Mark Thornburg Associate Counsel for Corporate Compliance & Nonprofit Affairs............ Sara MacLaughlin Senior Legal Assistant............... Maria Spellman
Public Policy Team
Director............................................. Katrina Hall National Government Relations Policy Advisor..................Kyle Cline Administrative Assistant ............. Diane Helton Senior Administrative Assistant .................................... Wanda Hunter
Crafting a 2018 farm bill to provide shelter from the storm —By Zippy Duvall AFBF President It has been said that if it takes five weeks to build a barn, a wise carpenter should spend the first three drawing up plans, gathering material and preparing the site. In Farm Bureau’s mission to advance sound public policy that helps America’s farm and ranch families earn a living from the land, we know essential spadework must be tackled before any nail can be driven and any rafter hoisted into place. In the vast barnyard of national issues that affect agriculture in one way or another, one structure rises above all others in offering shelter from the storm – the farm bill. As the 2018 farm bill approaches, we have already begun preparations. This barn raising is one of the biggest events coming up on the ag calendar, and it’s important that we do everything in our power to make sure Congress gets it right. Change is constant Make no mistake, we are going through challenging times in farm country
annual meeting in Phoenix in January 2017. The team named Farm Bureau Entrepreneur of the Year will win $30,000. First and second runners-up receive $15,000. The public will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite finalist online. The team with the most votes receives the $25,000 People’s Choice award. The Entrepreneur of the Year is not eligible for the People’s Choice award. To read and hear more about Indiana’s contestants, visit www.infb.org/rec. To learn more about the challenge, visit www.strongruralamerica.com/challenge. State Government Relations Director................. Justin Schneider Livestock Development Specialist... Greg Slipher Associate Policy Analyst................ Shelby Swain Direct Retail Business Specialist....... Bob White
Public Relations Team
Web Designer/Developer............. Diane Brewer Publications Managing Editor & Media Relations Specialist......Kathleen Dutro Marketing & PR Specialist................Mindy Reef Communications Specialist, Public Policy and Advocacy............. Jay Wood
Organizational Development Team
Director..................................Mel Hollingsworth Women’s Leadership Program Coordinator............... Ashley Beasley Membership Sales & Marketing Coordinator................Chelsea Poe Young Farmer & Youth Program Coordinator..................... Allie Rieth
right now, and many farm families are dipping into reserves as they face prices at break-even levels or below. The good news is that productivity over the last couple years has topped the charts, but in many cases, that has not been sufficient to offset prices that have taken a historic tumble. The risk-management function of crop insurance and the basic economic safety net offered by farm programs are more important than ever. Grassroots gatherings At county and state Farm Bureau annual meetings across the land, farmers and ranchers are gathering to add their voices to the poli-
cy development process we will follow in advocating for the 2018 farm bill. We need this grassroots input. Using this blueprint, we will encourage Congress to craft the 2018 farm bill within the economic projections and budget parameters. We must have input from inside agriculture. Only then will we be able to best help America’s farm and ranch families manage their many risks, make sure we are investing in research for a brighter tomorrow, provide programs aimed at conserving America’s farmland and help feed Americans who need a helping hand.
Indiana Farm Bureau has assembled a farm bill working group to look at federal policy as it impacts Hoosier and Midwestern farmers. The group numbers approximately 30 people. In the coming weeks, INFB will provide members with background on particular issues, and in the second half of November, INFB will host regional farm bill listening sessions in anticipation of a farm bill discussion at the state convention in December. The meetings will be listed in the October issue of The Hoosier Farmer and will be available on INFB’s website, www.infb.org. To access AFBF resources on the farm bill, visit www.fb.org/farmbillworkinggroup.
Program Assistant..................... Kathryn Rogers Education Coordinator..................... Julie Taylor Program Assistant............................Tracie Trent
Regional Managers
Wayne Belden (1 & 3) Greg Bohlander (6) Andrew Cleveland (4 & 6) Casie Conley (4) Janice Deno (3) Jennifer Chandler Gish (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) Laura Ruhlman (7 & 9)
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 2016. All rights reserved.
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AROUND INDIANA
Farm Bureau leader one of two women honored by Purdue Extension —From the Purdue Ag Communication Service Sheryl Seib, Indiana Farm Bureau’s District 9 education and outreach coordinator, has been honored by Purdue Extension for her dedication and service to agriculture. Seib and Lisa Chaudion of Monroe County, executive director of the Indiana FFA Foundation, were recipients of Women in Agriculture’s top awards for leadership and achievement. The awards were presented Aug. 17 during the Indiana State Fair. Seib was the winner of the Achievement Award, which recognizes women who are directly involved in a home farming operation. Seib and her husband, Mark, farm in Posey County. Chaudion won the Leadership Award, which goes to a woman in an agribusiness or policymaking position. “We look for hardworking women who are dedicated to their communities and the industry,” said Danica Kirkpatrick, engagement program manager for
Purdue University’s College of Agriculture and co-chair of the Women in Agriculture awards committee. “These recipients are very deserving of this recognition.” Seib has been involved in many roles in Seib Farms for over 30 years. She often has been solely responsible for coordinating and carrying out events such as hosting local, state and national leaders and visitors in overseas trade missions. As a preschool teacher and owner of Kinder Schule Academic Preschool for 27 years, Seib incorporated agriculture lessons and instilled in students an appreciation for agriculture in their community. She has served as an Ag in the Classroom volunteer for Indiana Farm Bureau since 1989, and she was selected as Agriculture Cultural Exchange (ACE) ambassador to Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hungary in 1992. In 1993, Seib became Posey County Farm Bureau’s woman leader. In 2009, she also became the first female
Military veterans, families invited to tour Indiana aquaponics farm —From the Purdue Ag Communication Service Purdue Extension’s Indiana Beginning Farmer program is offering military veterans, active duty members and their families an opportunity to learn about aquaponics on Oct. 15 during a daylong program. Participants will meet for a morning workshop starting at 10 a.m. at the Millgrove United Methodist Church, 11151 Millgrove Road in Quincy, followed by a tour of the Ponderosa Aqua Farm, a veteran-owned family business. An aquaponics system uses fish waste to provide nutrients for plants grown in water. Ponderosa Aqua Farm produces microgreens, other vegetables and fruits, and tilapia, a low-calorie, highprotein fish. “We are so pleased to be able to offer the opportunity to our veterans to visit a veteran-owned and familyoperated aquaponics farm. We will incorporate expert presentations on hydroponics and aquaculture into the
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workshop for those interested in starting their own food system,” said Cindy Chastain, farmer veterans coordinator for the Indiana Beginning Farmer program and the National AgrAbility Project based at Purdue. This is the fourth farmer veterans tour offered by the Indiana Beginning Farmer program. “We have had tremendous response to the first three tours and we look forward to another instructive and productive program,” Chastain said. “In addition to learning about aquaponics, participants will be able to network with other military veterans who are farming or thinking about starting a farm.” The program is free but registration is required and space is limited. Lunch and snacks will be provided. To sign up, go to https:// mdc.itap.purdue.edu/wk_ rules.asp?itemID=22370. For more information, contact Chastain at chastai1@purdue.edu, Katherine Prasuhn at kslong@purdue.edu or call 765-496-2377.
president of the county Farm Bureau and served until 2014, when she was elected to her current position. Beginning in 2001, Seib served as a liaison to farm women in Ukraine at the request of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She helped to organize a farmer co-op and establish a government office for it, providing farmers greater access to government leaders and the law-making process there. Chaudion was the first female to serve as president of the Indiana FFA. Under her leadership, Indiana FFA has gained numerous charitable contributions, including $50,000 from Farm Credit Mid-America and $25,000 from Lilly Endowment Inc. for the Indiana FFA Leadership Center in Trafalgar. Women in Agriculture
Jay County Farm Bureau and its local insurance office decided to try something different this fall: Exhibiting at a brand-new event called the Rural America Farm & Garden Expo, held Sept. 7-9. County volunteers and agents offered information on Indiana Farm Bureau and Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance products, handed out candy and helped visitors sign up for a drawing for a fancy new soft-sided cooler. Photo by Kathleen M. Dutro
provides local, regional and statewide skill development programs; networking events that engage sponsors and stakeholders; and resources through multiple types of me-
dia. More information on the group is available at www. agriculture.purdue.edu/wia.
Indiana farm to host one stop of country star’s ‘Farm Tour’ —By Jackie Leeuw Public Relations Intern It is not every day that a famous country star comes to Indiana. It is even less likely that he or she isn’t in a large concert venue somewhere in the state. And it is very unlikely that this famous star ends up in the middle of a wheat field in Monroeville, Indiana. However, for the second year in a row, country music star Luke Bryan will come to Indiana for his “Farm Tour,” and he has chosen the farm of Indiana Farm Bureau member Keith Spangler as the site of one of the stops on the tour. Other stops include places such as Greenback, Tennessee; Prairie Grove, Arkansas; and Centralia, Missouri. A farmer for over 50 years, Keith and his wife, Margaret, live outside of Fort Wayne in the town of Monroeville. The couple resides on their crop farm in a rural area along Highway 30. Raising wheat, beans and corn, the couple knows hard work and enjoys the farming lifestyle that they get to live every day. This will be the second year the tour will be held in Monroeville, this time at the Spangler’s Farm. As exciting as it is to have a famous country star on a farm, there is also a lot of preparation for the event, the Spanglers said.
“Luke Bryan: Farm Tour 2016” will come to Spangler Farms Oct. 8. More information is available on the show’s website, www.lukebryanlive.com/.
The field that the concert will be held in and the field where cars will all be parked had to be a wheat field. After the wheat was harvested and the straw was baled, the field then had to be planted to rye grass and then mowed off. Keith stays busy around the farm checking crops, while the two of them began to prepare their farm for people. Life has changed a bit for the Spanglers since being asked to host the concert. People are calling to interview the couple and traffic has also increased on the road they live on. They are the only ones that live on the road. The quiet fall will also change their lives when thousands of people come to their farm to watch a
concert. The Spanglers recognize that people who didn’t grow up around farms like to come out and see what farm life is about, even if it is for a concert. “It’s good for the area,” Keith said. As October approaches, tickets continue to be sold online. The Spanglers will get to meet the country star the day of the concert before he goes out to entertain thousands of fans. After the concert, Keith will hop in his John Deere tractor and till the field in preparation for next year’s corn. Until the concert, the Spanglers will continue to farm, fly their small plane, and enjoy the events leading up to the big event.
September 26, 2016
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STATE & NATION
Leadership with a ‘Capitol’ L Two leadership development groups go to DC to lobby for INFB Photos by Mindy Reef INFB’s 2016 Leaders in Action group and members of the Collegiate Farm Bureau traveled to Washington, D.C., in early September. The groups were briefed on issues by the American Farm Bureau Federation, lobbied their legislators and, in the case of the collegiate group, attended the USDA’s “lock-up” for the September crop report.
Joe and Christine Blackford of Porter County met with Rep. Pete Visclosky during the Leaders in Action program. Here, Joe is explaining the need for farmers and employees of small businesses to have access to affordable health care to Visclosky while Christine, Visclosky staff member Megan Adamczewski and INFB national affairs coordinator Kyle Cline look on.
Members of the Collegiate Farm Bureau lock-up trip and Leaders in Action combined to meet with Indiana’s congressional delegation. Above, Sen. Dan Coats addresses the entire group.
The entire 2016 Leaders in Action group poses on the roof of the building that houses the American Farm Bureau with the National Mall in the background.
The LiA group spent its first day in Washington, D.C., visiting with staff at American Farm Bureau. They completed a policy decision simulation and received updates on the latest topics to discuss with their elected officials. Neil Moseley, Tippecanoe County; Christa Malone, Jasper County; Lyle Burkhalter, Clinton County; and Kelly Shannon, Montgomery County, think about how they can frame their stories using the Disney method of storytelling.
September 26, 2016
LiA participants (from left) Ethan Hunter, Lawrence County; Vickie Althoff, Switzerland County; and Barb Pittsford, Henry County, speak with Rep. Luke Messer (center right, in the purple tie) and his staff. The LiA group was joined by several INFB staffers, including national affairs coordinator Kyle Cline (center, orange tie).
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STATE & NATION
A Fair Number INFB at the Indiana State Fair What did Indiana Farm Bureau do during the Indiana State Fair, which ran Aug. 5-21? Let’s take a look at the numbers: 37,000 bags of free popcorn (courtesy of Preferred Popcorn of Palmyra, Indiana) were distributed at the Farm Bureau building. It took 1,800 pounds of popcorn and 13 five-gallon pails of butter-flavored oil to produce all those bags. Approximately 1,000 fairgoers completed the Ag Fact Adventure scavenger hunt in the Farm Bureau building. Approximately 1,250 prizes were distributed to those who completed the Wonder Trail (a combination scavenger hunt/tour that zigzags throughout the fairgrounds).
Approximately 2,750 color-changing pencils were distributed to fairgoers who participated in the My American Farm games or INFB’s ag fact trivia wheel. Approximately 1,000 fairgoers participated in the iPad quizzes offered at the Farm Bureau building. 1,396 entries (825 of which were electronic) were received for INFB’s “Free Popcorn for a Year” contest. 18,821 fairgoers participated in Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance’s cornhole game, competing for color-changing sunglasses, IFBI bags and plastic putty.
Two hundred barns and their owners were honored by the Indiana Bicentennial Commission as part of the state’s celebration of its 200th birthday. Around half of those honored attended a special reception held on Farmers Day (Aug. 17) at the state fair. Photo by Kathleen M. Dutro
Among the offerings at the Farm Bureau building was My American Farm, a series of games developed by the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture to teach kids about agriculture. Photo by Mindy Reef The Dull family of Boone County (shown in the center in red shirts) were the winners of the 2016 John Arnold Rural Preservation Award. The award is presented at the state fair each year by Indiana Landmarks and sponsored by Indiana Farm Bureau. Shown with the Dulls are (from left) Tommy Kleckner at Indiana Landmarks, INFB 2nd Vice President Isabella Chism, and state Rep. Bob Cherry. Photo by Kathleen M. Dutro
Pancakes – and the chance to help out the FFA Foundation – are the main attractions at INFB’s annual Old Fashioned Pancake Breakfast. But the spectacle of a fairgoer (in this case INFB President Randy Kron) catching a pancake flipped high in the air by Chris Cakes, the company that makes the pancakes for the event, is also popular with the breakfasting crowd. Photos by Diane Brewer
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David and Judy Smith of Jefferson County were among the members who volunteered at the Farm Bureau building during the fair. Photo by Brad Ponsler
September 26, 2016
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RULES & REGS
Erosion leaving Kankakee residents up the creek —By Jay A. Wood Public Relations Team Picture a child playing with a Marbleworks set, building a tall structure of plastic funnels and winding corridors through which marbles will pass as they are released from the top. When marbles are released only a few at a time, they pass through the channels with relative ease. However, if several are released at once, a jam is created, causing excess marbles to spill over the edges. In the context of a child’s marble game, jams and their resulting overflows are a source of cheap entertainment. In the context of a flowing river, jamming and overflowing is no laughing matter. In northwest Indiana, eroded sediment in the Yellow River passes west and settles in the Kankakee River. When the sediment does not continue traveling downriver beyond the Kankakee, it builds up and blocks the regular flow of water, causing
one of two things to happen: (1) The area floods because the overflowing water has nowhere else to go, or (2) so much pressure is placed on the jam that the water and sediment blasts through violently, reminiscent of an adolescent popping a pimple. The Kankakee River has been challenged by sedimentation ever since it was originally dredged, according to Justin Schneider, INFB state government relations director. Farmers have faced increasing flooding problems and inability to drain fields. Protecting the banks from erosion will require the creation of more natural conditions for the flow of the river. More natural conditions will reduce sedimentation. Recent attention has focused on creating a multi-stage channel (similar to a two-stage ditch) to redirect the flow from the existing banks to the middle of the river, and to protect the banks using logs driven into the base of the banks to create areas for sand deposition and revegetation.
Last month, Schneider led a meeting in Knox, with a site visit to the Yellow River, to talk about efforts to control river bank erosion to reduce sediment problems in the Kankakee River. The meeting was attended by representatives of federal and state agencies, local government officials, congressional staff, members of the General Assembly, the Kankakee River Basin Commission and farmers. “We were very pleased with the turnout for the meeting,” said Schneider. “We achieved our goal of creating dialogue among interested and impacted parties.” The other concern regarding the Kankakee area involves the desire of some environmentalist groups to establish a wildlife refuge. A refuge is not in place. Instead, there may be properties with easements where the owners willingly participate in conservation practices. Farm Bureau is working with Fish and Wildlife agency officials to resolve any outstanding issues.
e r u t u F e h t s Shape
The YF&R program helps young members shape the future of agriculture, as well as their individual futures, with leadership development and personal growth opportunities. Through three competitions, members are able to showcase their leadership experience, communication skills and successful farm plans as they compete against the best of the best Farm Bureau has to offer.
The Walker family, 2015 Indiana Excellence in Agriculture winners
The Hertsel family, 2015 Indiana Excellence in Agriculture winners
Jake Smoker, 2015 Indiana Discussion Meet winner
As part of the YF&R competitions, winners in the Achievement Award, Discussion Meet and Excellence in Ag areas will receive their choice of a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado or GMC Sierra truck, courtesy of Chevrolet. Three national finalists in each competition will receive a Case IH Farmall 50A tractor, courtesy of Case IH, as well as a $2,500 cash prize and $500 in STIHL merchandise.
September 26, 2016
For more information about YF&R competitive events contact your state Farm Bureau or contact AFBF at yfr@fb.org or 202-406-3600.
BOAH proposes rules for sale of poultry products —From the Indiana Board of Animal Health Small farms in Indiana will have new sales options for poultry that are slaughtered and processed on the farm. Under a provision adopted in the 2016 General Assembly, the Indiana State Board of Animal Health is proposing rules to allow expanded sales of products from small farms that meet new food safety standards. The board is accepting public comment until Oct. 6. The 2016 Indiana General Assembly passed House Enrolled Act 1267 to establish requirements for facilities exempt from inspection under state and federal law. The federal government requires all red meat products sold to consumers (except custom-exempt) to be inspected by a federal or state inspector, regardless of the size of the producer. However, poultry is treated somewhat differently. Poultry producers who raise 20,000 birds or fewer per year are eligible for certain exemptions from inspection. The purpose of HEA 1267 is to establish where and under what conditions this uninspected product may be sold in Indiana. HEA 1267 requires BOAH to issue a limited permit for any establishment that is used for slaughtering or processing poultry under the 20,000-bird exemption. (No permit is required for farmers producing fewer than 1,000 birds; this remains unchanged.) Full text of the proposed rule and docket may be found at www.in.gov/boah/2616. htm. The proposed rule establishes two types of limited permits for poultry producers: Limited Permit-Household Consumer (HC): Required for a producer who slaughters or processes 1,000 to 20,000 birds annually. Among the restrictions is that this class of permit holder may sell only to household consumers. There are also additional requirements on the facility and labeling. Limited Permit-Retail HRI: Required for a producer who slaughters 20,000 birds or fewer and wants to sell to stores, restaurants and institutions in addition to consumers. Holders of this permit must comply with all of the requirements of a “limited permit-household consumer,” plus additional requirements that include a foodsafety plan and extra training. BOAH will accept public comments until Oct. 6, when board members will vote on the final rule. If approved, the measure will take effect in January 2017. Go to www.in.gov/boah/2616.htm for more information on submitting comments.
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AROUND INFB
Register now for state convention —By Mindy Reef Public Relations Team Registration is open for the 2016 Indiana Farm Bureau state convention, themed “Find Your Voice,” and the agenda is complete, including a variety of breakout sessions. “Breakout sessions tend to be some of our best-received content,” said Chris Fenner, INFB operations and events manager. “This year’s selection of breakouts offers farmers ways to find their voices in the policy arena, on their farms and in their communities.” Breakouts from 10-11 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 9, feature policy topics: “Key
Issues for the 2017 General Assembly” and “2018 Farm Bill Just Around the Corner” will offer insights into state and federal legislative priorities. A special session, “Farming Together to Transition Your Legacy: Succession Planning Affects Every Indiana Farm,” runs from 3-5 p.m. Friday. Family dynamics often complicate communication and planning. This session offers tools to navigate this personal journey every farm family should undertake. Friday afternoon offers three more sessions from 4-5 p.m. A breakout on policy advocacy will give attendees ways to find their voice in
policy development, implement and political activity. Sessions on farm transportation issues and the value of farm data round out the breakouts that day. Three sessions will be offered on Saturday morning from 9-10 a.m. The Peterson Farm Brothers, who will present at the general session later that day, will lead a session on creating a voice for yourself, your farm and for Indiana agriculture. Dr. Jason Henderson of Purdue Extension will provide useful tips to maximize farm profitability in a time of volatile prices and high inputs during a session titled “Farm Profitability and Commodity Price Challenges for 2017.”
The third session covers how to build trust in the food and farm system using the Center for Food Integrity’s consumer-based research model. A private applicator recertification program will also be offered. The PARP session is on Friday, Dec. 9, from 9-11 a.m. at the Courtyard Marriott in downtown Fort Wayne. The INFB state convention runs Dec. 8-10 at the Grand Wayne Convention Center in Fort Wayne. Visit www. infb.org/convention to see the full agenda and register. If you don’t have internet access, call 317-692-7846 to register.
To register and see the full agenda, visit www.infb.org/ convention. Those without internet access may call 317-692-7846.
Indiana Farm Bureau President Randy Kron this summer resumed his project to visit all 92 INFB county presidents. Among the stops were (left) Steuben County, where he talked with county President Ralph Holman and State Young Farmer Committee Chairman Michael Holman Hancock; and (right) Gary Geswein, Harrison County president. Photos from the project, nicknamed “Randy Kron’s Tour de Counties,” can be found on INFB’s website, www.infarmbureau.org/infb/ about-us/tourcty.
Sign-up for Discussion Meet now open —By Mindy Reef Public Relations Team Young farmers and college students have opportunities to compete in upcoming Discussion Meet contests. The Discussion Meet simulates a committee meeting. Topics are pre-determined, and contestants are evaluated on their ability to exchange ideas, offer constructive criticism, cooperate and communicate while analyzing agricultural problems and developing solutions. Each contest has four rounds. The American Farm Bureau has provided five questions for discussion; one of the questions will not be used. The question pool is the same for local and national contests. American agriculture depends on a foreign-born labor force. How would you draft a national immigration policy? How can we ensure that farmers and ranchers, not government agencies, are driving the management of
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natural resources? How can we as farmers and ranchers maintain “ownership” of our intellectual and proprietary information? (Big data, unmanned aerial vehicles, unauthorized videos) The nation’s tax policy has become increasingly complicated and cumbersome. What should a balanced and beneficial tax policy look like for agriculture? Today’s food companies employ many tactics to gain a marketing edge. What is the purpose of food labels? How can Farm Bureau work to ensure that consumers understand the labels and have confidence in the safety and quality of their food? Collegiate Discussion Meets Collegiate Farm Bureau chapters at Purdue and Vincennes universities each hold a Discussion Meet for college students from participating schools – the two host schools, Ancilla College, Huntington University and Ivy Tech. The Discussion Meet at Purdue will be held on Nov. 3; the Vincennes meet is
scheduled for Nov. 10. Winners at each meet will receive a $500 scholarship and an expense-paid trip to Kansas City, Missouri, for the 2017 AFBF Young Farmer & Rancher Leadership Conference in February. Young Farmer Discussion Meet Young farmers who wish to participate in the Discussion Meet to be held on Dec. 9 at the INFB state convention in Fort Wayne should sign up when they register for the convention. The contest is open to Farm Bureau members ages 18-35 as of Jan. 1, 2017. Four state finalists receive plaques and recognition during the awards program at the INFB state convention in December. The state winner receives a $4,000 cash prize from Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance and an expenses-paid trip to the AFBF annual meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, Jan. 8-11, 2017. The three runners-up receive a $1,000 cash prize from Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance.
MEMBER BENEFIT
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. 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.
For more information, contact Young Farmer and youth program coordinator Allie Rieth, 317-692-7183 or arieth@infb.org.
September 26, 2016
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STATE & NATION
New poll shows strong support for Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement —From the AFBF Communications Department A new poll from Morning Consult shows most voters favor fair trade – something all candidates should keep in mind as a congressional vote on the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement comes closer to reality. “Most Americans support free trade,” American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said, “and most farmers do, too. Exports account for almost a quarter of American farm re-
ceipts, so opposing fair trade agreements like TPP doesn’t make a lot of sense to rural America.” Among other things, the August poll found: Fifty-seven percent of registered voters have a favorable view of “fair trade.” Fifty percent said they would be more likely to support TPP if they knew it would provide new markets overseas for U.S. farm products. After Americans were told TPP would increase net farm income by $4.4 billion and
agricultural exports by $5.3 billion, 52 percent said they would be more likely to support TPP. More than half (51 percent) say an estimated increase of 40,100 jobs resulting from the agreement would make them more likely to support TPP. Fifty-two percent of voters say they would be more likely to support TPP if they knew the deal would in-
THF2015
TPP is no different: The more people know, the more they will support this vitally important agreement.” To be a voice of support for American farmers, ranchers and rural communities, encourage Congress to pass TPP through Farm Bureau’s #FarmedInAmerica social media campaign. For more information, go to http:// tpp.fb.org/take-action/.
Purdue survey: Indiana farmland values continue to fall —From the Purdue Ag Communication Service
To make it easy for grassroots members to participate in Farm Bureau’s membership efforts, we include an application form in most issues of The Hoosier Farmer. Cut out the application form below or make copies and give them to new potential members. Remember to have them put your name in the membership volunteer box and then send it to the address printed along the bottom of the form. You can also have them visit INFB’s membership site, www.itpaystobeamember.org, to sign up online.
crease annual income in the U.S. by $131 billion. Sixty-nine percent of voters support trade policies that will open new markets for U.S. products and U.S. farmers while less than one in 10 (8 percent) oppose. “Most trade deals start out with loud opposition, only to fade away once the details become known,” Duvall said. “We are convinced
Indiana farmland values have continued their downward trend of last year, with average declines of 8.2 to 8.7 percent depending on land quality, according to the 2016 Purdue Farmland Value Survey. Declines of this size have not been seen since the mid-1980s. Over the past two years, the average farmland value has fallen about 13 percent. The declines are largely the result of tighter profit margins from low commodity prices. Cash rents also declined for the second consecutive year. “The collapse in grain prices and the impact of tighter gross margins are working their way through the agricultural economy,” wrote Purdue ag economists Craig Dobbins and Kim Cook, authors of the report. “While the underlying reasons for multiple years of tight gross margins now are not the same as in the 1980s, a series of years with downward adjustments in farmland values and cash rents like the 1980s may still
be the result.” The survey shows that topand average-quality farmland fell by an average of 8.2 percent from last year, and poorquality farmland declined by 8.7 percent. Top land fell from $9,266 per acre to $8,508, average land from $7,672 to $7,041 and poor land from $5,863 to $5,353. The downward change in farmland values was consistent across the five regions of the state, according to the report. The north had the largest year-to-year drop, with declines of 14.2 percent, 10.7 percent and 10.2 percent for top, average and poor farmland, respectively. The authors noted that declines of at least 10 percent are rare. “In addition, the farmland value change in this region did not support the conventional wisdom of top-quality land maintaining its value better than lower-quality farmland in a downturn,” they wrote. This year’s decline in cash rents across all land qualities was the largest since 1987. Over the past year, cash rents declined by an average of 9.8 percent to
10.9 percent. Top land had an average cash rent of $257 per acre, average land $204 per acre and poor land $157 per acre. The survey respondents indicated that they believe there will be a continuation of low grain prices, low and stable long-term interest rates and low inflation rates. Respondents expected farmland values to fall an additional 1.9 percent to 2.2 percent during the last half of 2016. Long-term, the direction is less clear: “Respondents were divided just about equally across higher, no change and lower,” the authors said. When asked to project cash rents for 2017, respondents expected a further decline of 4.5 percent. The annual survey is based on responses from rural appraisers, commercial bank and Farm Credit MidAmerica agricultural loan officers, Farm Service Agency personnel, farm managers and farmers. The full report is available at https://ag.purdue.edu/agecon/Pages/Purdue-Agricultural-Economics-Report.aspx.
Calendar of Events
September 30 End of INFB’s membership year. October 8 Last day to register to vote in the November elections. 19-22 National FFA Convention & Expo, Indianapolis. 26, 27 INFB Board of Directors meeting, Indianapolis. November 2, 3 INFB Women’s Leadership Committee meeting, Indianapolis. 3 Collegiate Discussion Meet, Purdue University. 8 Election Day. 10 Collegiate Discussion Meet, Vincennes University. 12 INFB District 9 Family Farm Fall Festival, Posey County. 14 INFB District 10 Awards Night, Seymour. 14 Registration deadline for INFB Young Farmer Discussion Meet. 15 INFB District 8 Fall Awards Night (and district education and outreach coordinator election). 16, 17 INFB Board of Directors meeting, Indianapolis. 22 Organization Day, Indiana General Assembly.
September 26, 2016
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