In Farm BureauRegister for AFBF convention

County Farm Bureaus that need to register members for the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 96th Annual Conven-tion and IDEAg Trade Show should con-tact MaLeta Stephens at 501-228-1470 or maleta.stephens@arfb.com. The convention will be held Jan. 10-14 in San Diego.

The full Farm Bureau member registra-tion fee is $100 and includes the IDEAg Trade Show and Young Farmer & Rancher competitive events, general sessions, workshops and the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture Silent Auction.

“The 96th Annual Convention and IDEAg Trade Show offers a preview of the future of agriculture,” said John Hawkins, AFBF’s senior director of conventions and events. “The IDEAg Connect Con-ference, thought-provoking educational workshops, and precision agriculture and technology displays will provide exciting opportunities for attendees to get a sneak peek at what’s next in agriculture.”

About 7,000 Farm Bureau members

from across the nation are expected to gather for the convention, where they will hear from distinguished leaders and participate in a grassroots policy setting process that will guide the American Farm Bureau Federation through 2015.

AFBF President Bob Stallman will give his annual “State of Farm Bureau” address to members at the opening general session on Jan. 11. On Jan. 12, Commander Rorke Denver will give the general session key-note address, and acclaimed late night TV

host Jay Leno will give the closing session keynote address.

Visit http://annualconvention.fb.org for news and updates.

AFBF survey resultsA survey by the American Farm Bureau

Federation shows more farmers are reap-ing the benefits of the latest agricultural technologies, but most remain wary of risks involved with big data collection. Fully 77.5 percent of farmers surveyed

November 14, 2014 • Vol. 17, No. 22A

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The ArFB Women’s Committee made a $10,000 donation Oct. 30 to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas and will donate $30,000 more over the next three years. The money will fund a kitchen in the new five-story Little Rock home RMHC plans to complete by fall 2016. Attending were (l to r) Emily Piechocki, RMHCA’s develop-ment director; Janice Marsh, ArFB State Women’s Com-mittee chair; Donna Csunyo, program director for RMHCA; Peggy Miller, co-chair of ArFB’s State Women’s Committee; and RMHCA Executive Director Katie Choate.

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Thane Stidham of Alma received seven awards from

ArFB Executive Vice President Rodney Baker at the Arkansas

Purple Circle Club recogni-tion program Oct. 25 in Little Rock. The club recognizes ju-nior livestock exhibitors who

earned championship honors at the Arkansas State Fair and

Livestock Show. Seventy-six youngsters received medal-

lions at the ceremony.

said they feared regulators and other government

officials might gain access to their private information without their knowledge or permission. Nearly 76 percent of respon-dents said they were concerned others could use their information for commodity market speculation without their consent.

“We want to be sure that farmers’ and ranchers’ data are protected, and we’re ask-ing the hard questions to make sure that happens,” AFBF President Bob Stallman said. “Farmers should know who owns their data and how they plan to use it. It’s up to companies that collect the data to make all that clear.”

Farmers overwhelmingly agree. More than 81 percent believe they retain owner-ship of their farm data, according to Farm Bureau. Yet, it’s still unclear to most (more than 82 percent) how companies intend to use the farmers’ data.

Farmers say they are getting positive results from using precision technologies that collect weather data, track seed variet-ies, analyze nutrient applications and map crop yields. Those surveyed indicated the use of precision technology has reduced the cost of seed, fertilizer and pesticides by an average of 15 percent, and increased crop yields by an average of 13 percent. More than half of the survey respondents who are actively farming indicated they plan to invest in new or additional preci-sion and data technology in the next year or two.

“Agriculture technology providers must be diligent in protecting farmers’ data and transparent in their contracts about how their data will be used,” Stallman said.

In ArkansasFarm bill meetings

The National Cotton Council has sched-uled a series of meetings to provide its mem-bers with information regarding insurance options for cotton under the Agricultural Act of 2014. The meetings

will provide an in-depth look at the new Stacked Income Protection Plan (STAX) and the Supplemental Coverage Option. Cover-age levels, expected yields and premium rates will be covered to better equip producers with the information necessary to evaluate insurance options for 2015. The meetings also will include an update on overall farm bill implementation and a question/answer session.

There will be two meetings in Arkansas. The first will be Nov. 19 in McGehee at 1:30 p.m. It will be held at the McGehee Men’s Club, 1 Airport Road South. The second meeting will be Nov. 20 at 2 p.m. in Bly-theville. It will be held in the Governor’s Ballroom/Statehouse Hall Building on the campus of Arkansas Northeastern College, 2501 South Division Street.

Rice conferenceThe USA Rice Outlook Conference,

sponsored by USA Rice, will be held Dec. 7-9 at the Statehouse Convention Cen-ter in Little Rock. The conference brings together rice farmers from all six rice-producing states in the industry’s largest annual forum for edtion and interaction. It also features a trade show devoted to rice-related farm equipment, technology, products and services. The program will include outlooks on the domestic and international situation for U.S. rice, farm bill implementation, the economy, trade, state-by-state rice production, and state and national rice research. News on rice-related equipment, technology, products

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During a statewide agricultural tour Nov. 4-7, members of California FB’s Leadership Farm Bureau program visited the Conway Co. Cooperative Extension Service office in Morrilton where Dr. Mike Daniels (left) discussed Arkansas’ Discovery Farm program. The trip will allow the group to learn more about forces affecting farmers and ranchers outside their home state.

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Rodney Baker (right), ArFB execu-tive vice president, was awarded the Honorary American FFA Degree Oct. 31 in Louisville, Ky. This is the highest award a non-member can receive from the organization. The award was presented during the fourth general session of the National FFA Conven-tion, attended by more than 55,000 members and guests.

Over the course of two months, ArFB received 2,763 comment cards from members urging the U.S. Environ-mental Protection Agency to “Ditch the Rule,” a campaign organized by the American Farm Bureau Federa-tion. Those cards were submitted Nov. 11 by Zac Bradley (right), direc-tor of national affairs, and Stanley Hill, vice president of public policy.

The ArFB State Resolutions Commit-tee met Oct. 29-30 in North Little Rock to consolidate county policy proposals into formal recommendations for con-sideration by voting delegates at next month’s state convention. The com-mittee was made up of 76 county and state Farm Bureau leaders. ArFB Vice President Rich Hillman (at the podium) led the meeting’s general session.

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and services will be showcased in a special session.

For more information, and to register and pay online, visit www.usarice.com. Click on Meetings, then 2014 USA Rice Outlook Conference.

Beware illegal seed salesIn an Oct. 30 press release, the Arkan-

sas State Plant Board issued a warning to farmers and other seed buyers to beware of illegal seed sales taking place at some Arkansas livestock auction barns.

“Drake Farms of Fairland, Ok. has been selling illegal seed again in Arkansas,” the release said. “A Plant Board inspector found his truck on a sale barn parking lot in northwest Arkansas in mid-October and confiscated the seed. For years, he has refused to get a license or label his seed according to regulations in Arkansas. Two years ago, his van or truck with bags of illegal grass seed was seen at several sale barns, and complaints from buyers and subsequent tests of his seed revealed as much as half of the contents of each bag was weed seed and inert material such as chaff and fungal bodies (ergot). The seed contained noxious weeds at the rate of more than 2000 seed per pound. At that time, he refused to come into compliance and the seed was confiscated – but now

he’s back again.”Arkansas’ regulations on the sale of

planting seed requires anyone who sells or advertises agricultural planting seed for sale to have a seed dealer’s license issued from the State Plant Board and to label the seed according to regulations. Neither of these conditions was met by Drake Farms.

“Buying seed without a label and/or from unlicensed dealers leaves buyers with no recourse if the seed fails to perform. Buyer beware!” Plant Board representa-tives said.

For information on dealers licensed to sell seed in Arkansas, call the Plant Board Seed Division at 501-225-1598 or visit the Plant Board web page at http://plantboard.arkansas.gov.

ElsewherePork industry scholarships

Students who intend to pursue a career in the pork industry should consider ap-plying for the Lois Britt Memorial Pork Industry Scholarship Program sponsored

by The CME Group and the National Pork Producers Council. Four $2,500 scholar-ships will be awarded to talented and thoughtful students who may emerge as industry leaders someday.

Eligible applicants are undergradu-ate students in a two-year swine program or four-year college of agriculture. The application includes writing a brief letter indicating what role they see themselves playing in the pork industry after gradu-ation, and submitting a 750-word essay describing an issue they see confronting the pork industry today or in the future and offering solutions.

The National Pork Producers Council will administer the program, read the es-says and select the winners. Essays will be judged on the basis of clarity or expression, persuasiveness, originality and relevance of topic. Winners will be announced at the Pork Industry Forum in San Antonio, Texas, March 5-7, 2015.

Entries must be postmarked by Dec. 12. For more detailed information, visit www.nppc.org/programs/scholarships/. Editor

Keith Suttonkeith.sutton@arfb.com

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Mark Waldrip (left) of Moro, owner of East Arkansas Seeds Inc. and Armor Seed LLC, was awarded the 2014 Distinguished Alumnus award for the Department of Agricul-tural Economics and Agribusiness in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas. The award was presented Oct. 24 at UA’s Hembree Auditorium by Dr. Steve Halbrooke, professor and department head of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness.

Victoria Maloch of Emerson, an ag-ricultural business and pre-law major at the University of Arkansas at Fay-etteville, was elected secretary of the National FFA Nov. 1 during the youth agriculture organization’s National Convention in Louisville, Ky. Victoria’s father is State Sen. Bruce Maloch who was elected to the same national posi-tion 38 years ago.

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In the MarketAs of November 13, 2014

REAP Savings in 2015The USDA will be announcing fund-

ing for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) in the coming weeks. The USDA is expected to offer around $800,000 in grant funds to Arkansas farmers, ranchers and other rural busi-nesses.

What is REAP?REAP provides a 25 percent cost

share program to implement energy efficient or renewable energy projects on a farm. REAP can be used to cover virtually any energy upgrades on your operation including but not limited to:

Poultry House Upgrades• Fans• Heaters• Insulation • Roll DoorsIrrigation Upgrades• Diesel to Electric• Replace old well• Pumps, casing, ectGrain System Upgrades• Fans• DryersRural Businesses• Air conditioners• Coolers• InsulationRenewable Energy• Solar panels• Wind• Thermal Electric

REAP FactsProducers applying for the grant will

need a loan to cover the full cost of the project as REAP payments are not made until after project is completed. Even if you can self-finance a project you still need a loan; otherwise, the government will want to see your checking account to prove you can pay for the project.

Projects less than $80,000 are con-sidered small projects and the USDA has allocated a percentage of funds to

these projects. REAP is an annual grant program that producers can apply for each year to improve energy efficiency on their operation.

REAP should not encourage you to do a project you wouldn’t normally do; instead it should help make doing a proj-ect easier. If producers are planning to make upgrades to their poultry houses, irrigation, or other upgrades they should first apply for the grant then begin. Work can begin on a project as soon as the application is received by the USDA. You do not have to wait until you are ap-proved to start your work.

NEW for 2015Under the new Farm Bill the USDA

has changed its rules for the program and now bases the program success on BTU saved per dollar invested instead of return on investment (ROI). This has pushed interest more towards renewable energy projects as they will receive more points. Producers may want to consider using solar panels to power poultry houses and irrigation systems. In some parts of Ar-kansas, net metering will allow producers to leave their house or power unit con-nected to the grid, and place solar panels up line. The producer would then just pay the net difference between what they put on the grid verses what they used. To learn more about this come to the Energy Cost Share Programs Workshop December 4 at the Arkansas Farm Bureau Annual Convention.

Farm Bureau’s Role in REAPSince 2010, Farm Bureau has hosted a

number of meetings covering REAP, and began helping its members take better advantage of the program. These meet-ings resulted in more than $2.5 million in grant funds to members.

Farm Bureau is working with Bruce Everly, a grant writer, whose company has written thousands of REAP grants and energy audits with more than 80 percent of his applications getting funded nation-ally, and all of the grants he has written in Arkansas receiving funding. Everly’s fees are very competitive. His company charges $600 for the energy audit and grant writing services plus a percent of the project value, if and only if your grant is awarded.

Dow sets Enlist guidelines Dow AgroSciences says it will restrict

Enlist corn and soybean sales until it gets import approval from China for the GMO traits. The company said Wednes-day it has decided to sell the new corn only under strict requirements that the harvested corn be fed to livestock on the farm and not sold. Farmers who grow Enlist corn will be required to maintain isolation areas around their fields to avoid contaminating other crops, and third-party audits will be conducted to make sure the restrictions are enforced. The company’s new Enlist soybeans will only be offered to farmers as part of a non-commercial program that lets a small number of farmers try the new seeds. Dow will manage the seed pro-duction, including storage and handling after harvest.

TPP agreement includes language many U.S. farmers have called for

Negotiations on a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement continue, with a conclusion most now see in 2015. The pending multilateral accord includes something many U.S. farmers have called for: language dealing with sanitary and phytosanitary issues. Some countries have raised these non-tariff trade-barrier issues to block imports of U.S. farm products. The language allows countries to set their own standards, but also says regulations must be based on science. They should not arbitrarily or unjustifiably discriminate between coun-tries where identical or similar condi-tions prevail.

CONTACT• Matt King 501-228-1297, matt.king@arfb.com.