In Farm BureauBaker named next ArFB EVP

Rodney Baker, a 36-year employee of Arkansas Farm Bureau, has been

named the organi-zation’s next execu-tive vice president. He will assume his new role effec-tive Nov. 1, upon the retirement of current EVP Ewell Welch. Welch and Baker will work closely the next

several months to ensure a smooth management transition.

ArFB’s board of directors met June 27 to determine the selection. The executive vice president serves as the chief executive officer, manages staff functions and reports to the board.

Baker, 59, has served as ArFB’s director of Governmental Affairs since 1998, where he has led lobby-ing functions. A native of Brookland (Craighead Co.), he holds bachelors

and master’s degrees in agricultural economics from the University of Arkansas. He joined Farm Bureau in 1977, working in the commodity division. He later worked as director of governmental affairs-national, where he was ArFB’s lobbying con-tact with the state’s congressional delegation.

“Rodney’s vision, background and deep understanding of the issues facing agriculture will enable him to step into this critical role and effectively lead our organization,”

said ArFB President Randy Veach. “The issues affecting agriculture are becoming more acute, as govern-ment support decreases and regula-tion increases.

“Also, his understanding of the grassroots strength of this organiza-tion will help it remain relevant as we continue to strive to meet the founding objectives of Arkansas Farm Bureau. The organization was founded in 1935 to provide a collec-tive voice for the men and women of agriculture. That need continues

July 5, 2013 • Vol. 16, No. 13A

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Matthew Ferguson of Manila (left) and Dominic Morquecho of West Memphis tackle a climbing course at the Teen Challenge Camp on June 17. Sixty-five students from 30 counties participated in the event at the Arkansas 4-H Center in Ferndale. During the four-day camp, students completed the 4-H ExCel program, attended leadership training, learned about Arkansas agriculture and enjoyed a high-ropes course, climbing wall, fishing, canoeing and more.

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John Clark (left), University of Arkansas fruit breeding specialist, leads a tour of

the Division of Agriculture’s Fruit Research Station

in Clarksville as part of Arkansas Farm Bureau’s

June 19 specialty crop summer commodity

meeting.

Baker

today, and we believe Rodney is the right per-

son to lead the future efforts of the organization, its staff and the many volunteers who guide it at county and state levels.”

“I am humbled by the trust the board of directors has dem-onstrated,” said Baker. “My career has always focused on delivering on the organization’s mission to improve the situation for the men and women of agriculture. That will continue to be my focus, and that of our employees.”

District farm families namedDistrict winners for the 67th An-

nual Arkansas Farm Family of the Year Program have been selected. They will now be judged to de-termine a state winner, to be an-nounced at the Dec. 12 Farm Family of the Year luncheon at the Wynd-ham Riverfront Hotel in North Little Rock.

The district winners are:• Jeff and Tanya Hill of Moro (Lee

Co.) in the East Central District. The Hills grow soybeans, rice, wheat and corn on 6,000 acres. They have two young children, Caitlynn Nicole and Cooper.

• The Aday Family of Leslie (Van Buren Co.) in the North Central District. The Adays, including Opal Aday and her grown sons Guinn and Allan, and their families, operate a

1,700-acre cattle and forage farm.• Nick and Deanne Yount of Pol-

lard (Clay Co.) in the Northeast Dis-trict. The Younts, along with brother John, who serves as farm manager, and youngest son Luke, farm 1,500 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat, rice and hay.

• Len and Tammy Williams of Huntington (Sebastian Co.) in the Northwest District. The Williams operate a registered Charolais herd, along with crossbred cattle and sheep, on 420 acres. They have two grown children, Jared and Breanna.

• Andy and Shannon Gill of McGehee (Desha Co.) in the South-

east District. Along with their son Andrew and daughter Madeline, the Gills raise 3,200 acres of corn and soybeans.

• Larry and Leslie Griffin of Ozan (Hempstead Co.) in the Southwest District. The Griffins, along with grown sons Andrew and Carroll Wayne, raise almost one million chickens annually, maintain a 100-head cow/calf operation and have Bermuda and rye grass forage.

• Bob and Sarah Gorden of Mena (Polk Co.) in the Western District. Along with their grown sons Brent and Kent, the Gordens operate a 600-head cattle herd on 750 acres.

• Mario and Lucina Maya of De-Queen (Sevier Co.) in the West Cen-tral District. The Mayas raise cattle, sheep and maintain a pair of poultry houses. They have three children, Anita, Rachel and Jose.

“It is a great honor to recognize the men and women of agriculture and their families for their hard work and success,” said ArFB Presi-dent Randy Veach. “What a great honor for their families. They repre-sent the very best of what our state offers.”

In ArkansasAvian flu affects trade

While the situation was quickly contained and poses no public-health

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An aerial applicator spreads crop protection products on a corn field near Lepanto in Poinsett County on June 19. Arkansas has more than 400 licensed com-mercial ag pilots representing 170 different firms.

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ArFB state board member rusty smith of Des Arc examines soy-beans on his Woodruff County farm on June 12. USDA is estimating a re-cord 77.7 million acres of soybeans will be planted in the United States this year, including approximately 3.3 million acres in Arkansas.

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On June 27, 120 4-H students enjoyed a day of fishing at Texar-kana’s Lake Dieffenbacher, thanks in part to Miller Co. Farm Bureau, which helped sponsor the event. Farm Bureau volunteers distributed fishing poles, filleted fish for students who wanted to keep them and cooked a catfish lunch for attendees.

Dairyman Ryan Anglin (right) spoke to those attending ArFB’s dairy division meeting June 21 at Triple A Dairy in Benton County. This summer commodity meeting coincided with the 24th annual 4-State Dairy Days in Bentonville.

risk, the recent confirmation of H7N7 Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza on a Scott County chicken farm is start-ing to cost the state trading partners. China, Japan, Russia and the states of Mississippi and Georgia have banned poultry imports from Arkansas. Hong Kong has banned poultry from Scott County.

“It’s a serious issue for the state’s economy. Poultry is a big business,” Preston Scroggin, director of the Ar-kansas Livestock & Poultry Commis-sion, told members of the Houseand Senate ag committees. He added that the loss of exports “could run into the hundreds of millions.”

The bans are expected to be in place for at least 90 days, which is how long the Commission-imposed quarantine is set to last. The quaran-tine affects all poultry within a 6.2-mile radius of where the infected birds were found. As an added precaution, Tyson Foods and the Commission eu-thanized the entire 9,000-head flock to which the infected birds belonged.

“There’s absolutely nothing here for consumers to be worried about,” said ArFB livestock specialist Travis Justice. “The birds in question were part of a breeding flock and were never intended to be part of the meat supply. Furthermore, this episode shows just how well the system we

have in place works. The sick birds were quickly identified, and the situ-ation was isolated and contained. That’s exactly how it’s supposed to happen.”

New state fair e-newsletterThis year’s Arkansas State Fair and

Livestock Show will be Oct. 11-20 at the fairgrounds in Little Rock. If you would like to learn more about plans for the show, events happening at the state fair complex and more, sign up now to receive the Arkansas State Fair’s new e-newsletter. Go to www.arkansasstatefair.com, select “State Fair, Creative Arts & Livestock Information” and then click on “Register for our Newsletter.” Supply your name, mailing address and email address, select the topics that interest you, and future newsletters will come to your inbox, keeping you up-to-date on this year’s events.

ElsewhereNew educator guides available

The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has released two new educational guides to accompany the books “Beef in the Story of Agriculture” and “Beef, an A-Z Book.” Both guides are developed for elementary grade classrooms and

follow Common Core and national standards for education.

Each guide focuses on several subjects including language, math, social studies and health and also gives the accompanying objectives and supporting standards for each subject. The books are a great way to introduce students to different aspects of agriculture and are part of the Awesome Agriculture series by Susan Anderson and JoAnne Buggey. The “in the story” books follow five key concepts: food production, processing, distribution, marketing and consumerism. The “A-Z” books allow students to explore agriculture topics while taking a trip down the alphabet where A is for Agriculture, J is for Jobs and more.

Other topics covered in the Awesome Agriculture series include “Soybeans in the Story of Agriculture” (a Book of the Year winner), “Soybeans, an A-Z Book,” “Pigs and Pork in the Story of Agriculture,” “Pigs, an A-Z Book,” “Corn in the Story of Agriculture” and “Corn, an A-Z Book.” Educator guides are available for the soybeans, pigs and pork, and beef cattle books. Corn educator guides are currently in development.

All the books and educator guides are available on www.agfoundation.org under Resource Orders then AFBFA Materials. Editor

Keith Suttonkeith.sutton@arfb.com

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(Left to right) State Sen. David Burnett of Osceola, Mississippi Co. FB President Heath Adkisson, Rep. Monte Hodges of Blytheville, Rep. Wes Wagner of Manila and Beau Bishop, ArFB’s local affairs coordinator, visited June 19 after missis-

Ten junior and senior high school students from Conway, Logan, Pope and Yell counties attended m*A*s*h camp June 17-28 at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Russellville. They are (left to right) Mary Siebenmor-gen, Cayce Baxter, Mikah Short, Lucas Cauthren, Corbin Zachary, Emily Rhea, Dianna Leal, Natalie Gohman, Kristen Hodges and Marisa Blaschke.

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• Brandy Carroll 501-228-1268, brandy.carroll@arfb.com

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

• Bruce Tencleve 501-228-1856, bruce.tencleve@arfb.com

In the MarketAs of July 3, 2013

USDA Acreage Report Kills the BullExpectations for the June 28h

Acreage Report were for corn acre-age to be down at least 2 million acres. However, the USDA surveys disagreed and actually showed a 100,000-acre increase. This pulled all support out of the corn market, leav-ing it searching for a new low. While the response of producers out there is “I don’t believe that,” the market does. There is all kinds of specula-tion as to why the acreage is so high:

1. The March Perspective Plantings did not reflect producers’ true intentions, or

2. The June Acreage Report is overlooking flooded parts of fields that will not be harvested.

In any case, the numbers are what they are for now. July will be criti-cal for the U.S. corn crop. While the crop was planted late, many of the major growing areas have experi-enced near-optimal growing condi-tions. If weather remains favorable and USDA reports continue to show 67 percent or more of the crop in good to excellent condition, expect the USDA to start raising the yield in the August report. If this occurs without a change in area, expect new crop corn to head toward $4.50. Barring some catastrophic weather event, highs for this market have likely been set. While the weather

may change tomorrow, the forecast at this time does not look favorable to this.

While corn acreage fell well short of expectations, soybean acre-age was closer to expectations as 600,000 acres were added, compared to 1 million acres expected by the market. Given the large corn acreage and weather over the last few weeks, there was enough skepticism about this number that the USDA plans to resurvey producers for soybean acreage. When you look at soybeans beyond the production, one has to consider the export forecast for this crop. Large supplies in South Ameri-ca will threaten our ability to export our crop. Typically in the fall, stocks are beginning to draw down in Brazil and Argentina. However, a

record harvest in Brazil and near record in Argen-tina leaves those markets with near-record stocks and poised to compete with the U.S. for market share this fall.

Here in Arkan-sas the acreage report had a few surprises. Probably the biggest sur-prise is that corn acres remained at 1 million acres,

despite weather that some thought slowed planting and lowered acre-age to between 750,000 and 800,000 acres.

Cotton was up some 50,000 acres, while rice came in at just over a mil-lion acres.

Rice remains a big wild card for this year as we wait to see what the weather will be when the crop starts heading. This time last year about 14 percent of the crop was heading compared to none this year. Another concern is that only 54 percent of our crop is rated good to excellent. As with all of the markets, one will have to wait and see what Mother Nature has in store for the rest of the year.

Corn Balance Sheet Scenarios

June est. Bearish Average Bullish

Planted 97.3 97.3 97.3 97.3 Harvested 89.5 89.1 89.1 89.1 Yield 156.5 163 158 150 Production 14,005 14,529 14,083 13,370 Total Supply 14,799 15,323 14,877 14,164 Feed & Res. 5,200 4,800 4,900 5,000 Food & Ind. 6,350 6,300 6,300 6,350 Exports 1,300 1,000 1,100 1,250 Ending Stocks 1,949 3,223 2,577 1,564

Arkansas Planted Acreage Difference Between March Report and June

Report

March 30 June 28

Soybeans 3,250 3,400 Rice 1,226 1,061 Corn 1,000 1,000 Cotton 270 320 Sorghum 170 170 Total 5,916 5,951