In Farm BureauPolicy development videoconference

Arkansas Farm Bureau’s Executive Vice President Warren Carter has announced that July 7 will be the date for this year’s statewide policy development videocon-ference.

“This should allow ample opportunity for those counties that hold their county annual conventions in August to conduct their county policy development process in advance,” he said.

The videoconference will begin at 7 p.m. at the following locations: • Arkadelphia, Clark County Farm Bureau office (2702 Caddo St.) • Batesville, Independence County Farm Bureau office (805 Neeley St.) • Clarendon, Monroe County Farm Bureau office (200 Hayes St.) • El Dorado, Union County Farm Bureau office (1911 W. Hillsboro St.) • Fayetteville, Washington County Farm Bureau office (1165 N. Meadow-lands) • Harrison, Boone County Farm Bu-reau office (110 W. Industrial Park Rd.)

• Hope, Southwest Research and Ex-tension Center (362 Hwy. 174 N.) • Jonesboro, Craighead County Farm Bureau office (2731 E. Highland Dr.) • Little Rock, Farm Bureau Center (10720 Kanis Rd.) • Mena, Polk County Farm Bureau office (309 S. Morrow St.) • Monticello, Drew County Farm Bureau office (656 Barkada Rd.) • Mountain Home, Baxter County Farm Bureau office (1424 Hwy. 62 SW)

• Russellville, Pope County Farm Bu reau office (1805 E. Parkway) • Searcy, White County Farm Bureau office (501 East Booth Ave.) For more information, contact your Organization and Member Programs dis-trict director.

Farm families namedThe eight district winners in the 69th

annual Arkansas Farm Family of the Year program have been selected. They will

June 24, 2016 • Vol. 19, No. 13A

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Khi Taylor of Little Rock tested his strength on the ExCEL high ropes course during the 43rd annual Arkansas Farm Bureau Teen Challenge Camp June 13-16 at the C.A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center in Ferndale. Sixty-three students from 29 Arkansas counties participated, learning about leadership and team building through hands-on activities and training sessions.

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ArFB President Randy Veach of Manila addressed more

than 300 claims representa-tives, adjusters, appraisers

and others who attended the state Claims Conference

in Little Rock June 9, telling them their daily contact with

Farm Bureau members makes them “difference makers”

whose work is vital to Arkansas Farm Bureau’s

current and future success.

now be judged to determine the state winner to be

announced Dec. 8 at the Farm Family of the Year luncheon at the Wyndham River-front Hotel in North Little Rock. The district winners are:

• Chris and Nesha Smith of Searcy (White County) in the East Central Dis-trict. The Smiths raise registered Braunvieh and Angus cattle and grow Bermuda and Tifton 44 hay on 2,386 acres. They have one daughter, Jalyn.

• Fred and Dorothy Sue Denison of Batesville (Independence County) in the North Central District. The Denisons have a cow-calf operation and grow hay on 460 acres. They have two children, Fred Denison Jr. and Bobby Denison, and three grandchildren, Katie, Adam and Kori.

• Stacy Family Farms of Wynne (Cross County) in the Northeast District. Bob and Annette, alongside their children, farm soybeans and rice on 2,200 acres. Bob and Annette have three children, Jake, Sam and Jessica, and four grandchildren, John, Caroline, Audrey and Henry.

• Peach Pickin’ Paradise of Clarksville (Johnson County) in the Northwest District. Mark and Shay Morgan raise beef cattle and grow peaches, nectarines and hay on 423 acres. They have one daughter, Kate.

• Jim and Dina Hubbard of Marvell (Phillips County) in the Southeast District. Jim and Dina farm rice, soybeans, corn and wheat on 2,850 acres. They also have a seed business where they sell certified

rice and soybeans. Jim and Dina have one daughter, Brittany.

• Stephen and April Allen of Lewisville (Lafayette County) in the Southwest Dis-trict. The Allens raise poultry, cattle, tim-ber, wheat and hay on 660 acres. They also own a lawn care business and construction business. They have three children, Geor-dan, Josiah and Garrett.

• Joe and Jill Brinkley of Grannis (Polk County) in the Western District. The Brin-kleys raise broilers, cattle and hay on 645 acres. Additionally, they have a land-clearing

and poultry litter service. They have three children, Carrie, Brent and J.D.

• Joel and Amanda Whisenhunt of Nashville (Howard County) in the West Central District. The Whisenhunts raise poultry, cattle and hay on 368 acres. They also raise and train purebred Border Collies for working cattle. They have three children, Hayden, Lauren and Caleb.

“What a great reflection on the boun-ty of Arkansas agriculture,” said ArFB President Randy Veach. “This program is a fantastic way to shine a spotlight on the great farm families that are far too often overlooked. No other business sector has a larger economic impact in Arkansas. The men and women of agriculture, and their families, work diligently every day to maintain a business anlifestyle that rep-resents the very best our state has to offer.”

Dairy contest winnersChristen Talley of El Dorado (Union

County) and Emma Williams of Searcy (White County) were winners at the 59th annual Arkansas Dairy Foods Contest June 1 at the State Fairgrounds in Little Rock.

Talley, 16, daughter of Dee Shana Talley and Michael Galbraith, took first in the Main Dish competition with her “Cajun Corn & Crab Bisque.” Williams, 17, daughter of Bill and Ruth Williams, took first in the Party Ideas competition with “Paradise Coconut Cream Pie.” Winners received $150.

Contestants were judged based on recipe, use of dairy products, originality,

The Arkansas Forestry Association held its second annual Tree Farm Conference June 9 at the Clark County Fire Training Facility in Gum Springs. Seventy-three people attended to hear seminars such as “Harvesting Consid-erations from a Loggers Perspective,” “Using Herbicides in Pine and Hard-wood Management” and “Leasing your Property for Hunting.”

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On June 7 in Texarkana, the Miller Co. FB board presented a $2,000 scholar-ship to Fouke High School graduate Jodi Schaffer (second from right). The scholarship was presented in memory of longtime county board member Charlie Dieffenbacher by his daughter, Debra Ferguson, (left) and his wife, Hula Dieffenbacher. Schaffer’s mother (right) also attended.

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Eleven junior and senior high school students from Pope, Conway and Logan counties attended a Medical Applications of Science for Health (M*A*S*H) camp June 13-24 at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Russellville. The two-week medical enrichment experience is designed to give students an inside look at various health professions.

Ian Debord (right) of Corning re-cently received a $1,000 scholarship presented by Clay Co. FB President Randal Coleman. Ian plans to pursue a degree in agronomy at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. The scholarship is given annually to a graduating high school senior from Clay County who plans to study agriculture or medicine.

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availability of ingredients and serving tech-nique. Arkansas Farm Bureau, Southwest Dairy Museum and Arkansas Dairy Coop-erative Association sponsored the event.

In the Main Dish competition, Sue York of Roe (Monroe County) took second with “Sausage Enchiladas.” Adam Richter of Harrison (Boone County) took third with “Farmer’s Market Lasagna.” Caitlyn King of Mountain Home (Baxter County) took fourth with “Catie’s Cheesy Chicken & Ham Pasta.”

In the Party Ideas competition, Natalie Lester of Williford (Sharp County) took second with “Strawberry Pecan Pret-zel Parfaits.” Aggie Richter of Harrison (Boone County) took third with “Bossy’s Buttermilk Lemoo-Cakes.” Garrett Lance of Nashville (Howard County) took fourth with “Cheesy Muffins.”

Entrepreneurship Challenge The American Farm Bureau Rural Entre-

preneurship Challenge is the first national business competition focused exclusively on rural entrepreneurs working on food and agriculture businesses. Rural entrepreneurs pitch innovative business ideas to a team of judges with expertise in business develop-ment and agribusiness, while competing for $145,000 in startup funds.

The Farm Bureau Entrepreneur of the Year award winner receives $30,000, and the People’s Choice award winner receives $25,000 in startup funds. The deadline for applications is June 30. Learn more by visiting www.strongruralamerica.com/challenge/.

In ArkansasTurfgrass Field Day

The University of Arkansas will host a Turfgrass Field Day Aug. 3 in Fayetteville at the Agricultural Research and Extension Center. The event provides individuals the opportunity to hear the latest information about new products and research studies, as well as providing an opportunity to network with others in the turf industry and visit with vendors at the trade show. Lunch, a hat and an information packet will be provided to those who preregister

On-site registration and the trade show begin at 7:30 a.m. At 9 a.m., there will be turfgrass research tours for golf, lawn care/landscaping and sports turf. Attendees who participate in a turfgrass research tour and an afternoon recertification session may be able to receive credit for pesticide recertification.

A schedule of events, registration information and additional information are available at http://turf.uark.edu/educa-tion/field.html.

Elsewhere800,000 acres in CRP

On May 5, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the enrollment of more than 800,000 acres in the Conserva-

tion Reserve Program (CRP).Through CRP, the U.S. Department of

Agriculture helps farmers offset the costs of restoring, enhancing and protecting certain grasses, shrubs and trees that improve water quality, prevent soil erosion and strengthen wildlife habitat. Farmers’ and ranchers’ participation in CRP contin-ues to provide numerous benefits to our nation, including helping reduce emissions of harmful greenhouse gases and provid-ing resiliency to future weather changes.

“The Conservation Reserve Program provides nearly $2 billion annually to landowners – dollars that make their way into local economies, supporting small businesses and creating jobs,” said Vilsack. “When these direct benefits are taken together with the resulting economic activity, the benefits related to CRP are estimated at $3.1 billion annually. Over the past 30 years, CRP has created major environmental improvements throughout the countryside. The program has removed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere equal to removing 9 million cars from the road annually, and prevented 600 million dump trucks of soil from erosion. With today’s announcement, USDA is continuing these achievements by maximizing conservation benefits within the limitations provided by law.”

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On June 9, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture hosted a Blackberry Workshop and Field Day at the Fruit Research Station in Clarksville. Expert speakers gave updates on blackberry production and postharvest issues, and participants had the opportunity to sample berry varieties and see cultivars developed at the facility.

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Sixty-three students attended ArFB’s Teen Challenge camp June 13-16 in Ferndale. These young leaders worked as their camp counselors: (back, left to right) Mark Dorey of Fayetteville, Tim-mon King of Benton and Ethan Brown of Greenwood, and (front) Josie Irvin of Mountain View, Lakelan Bell of Searcy, Jessica Wesson of Searcy and Madeleine Brown of Carlisle.

EditorKeith Suttonkeith.sutton@arfb.com

In the MarketAs of June 22, 2016

CME revises crop marginsCME Group announced it will raise

initial margins for speculators in corn futures by $220 per contract, or 19 percent, to $1,375 per contract. The exchange also lowered initial margins for speculators in Nymex cotton from $1,650 per contract to $1,540 per con-tract, a decline of 6.7 percent. The new rates were scheduled to take effect after the close of business June 22.

Strong Chinese soybean imports continue

China imported more than 7.664 MMT of soybeans during May, a 25.10-percent surge from the month prior. Brazil was responsible for the bulk of shipments at 7.017 MMT (up 29.31 percent from year-ago), followed by the U.S. at 552,221 MT (down 11.41 percent from year-ago). Year-to-date, China has imported nearly 30.998 MMT of soybeans, an increase of 14.51 percent from year-ago. The U.S. has accounted for around half of these shipments at 15.672 MMT, while Brazil has shipped the country 13.979 MMT of beans.

Bayer in hot water over tweetBayer AG’s crop science division

apologized for a tweet Monday that linked to a Vox.com article that indi-cated going vegetarian can cut one’s carbon footprint in half. This post led to quick and harsh response from livestock producers and grain farmers. A Bayer Crop Science spokesman said the tweet was a mistake and did not reflect the company’s views.

Cattle futures dropLive cattle futures dropped to their

lowest levels in four years to start the week, as traders were discouraged by another week of lower cash cattle trade that triggered fund liquidation.

Aggressive beef processing also has weighed on Choice and Select boxed beef values recently, although movement has been decent. Showlist estimates are marginally (2,000 head) tighter this week, whereas some had expected a major uptick after reports of light cash cattle trade last week.

FAA unveils UAS rulesThe Federal Aviation Administra-

tion has released final rules for the commercial use of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). This action will pave the way toward fully integrating UASs into the nation’s airspace.

According to industry estimates, the rule could generate more than $82 billion for the U.S. economy and create more than 100,000 new jobs over the next 10 years. The new rules, which take effect in late August, offer safety regulations for unmanned aircraft drones weighing less than 55 pounds that are conducting non-hobbyist operations. Below are highlights of the rule. For a complete list, go towww.faa.gov/uas.

• You must keep your drone within sight.

• You can fly during daylight or in twilight (30 minutes before official sunrise to 30 minutes after official sunset, local time) with appropriate anti-collision lighting.

• The maximum allowable altitude is 400 feet above the ground, and high-er if your drone remains within 400 feet of a structure.

• To operate the controls of a small UAS under Part 107, you need a remote pilot airman certificate with a small UAS rating, or be under the di-rect supervision of a person who holds such a certificate.

• Although the new rules do not specifically deal with privacy issues in the use of drones, and the FAA does not regulate how UASs gather data on people or property, the FAA is acting to address privacy considerations in this area. The FAA strongly encourages all UAS pilots to check local and state laws before gathering information

through remote sensing technology or photography.

Turner Grain issue backAfter filing bankruptcy Oct. 23,

2014, there were some reports about a rule in the bankruptcy law that would allow the trustee to go back and collect preferential payments that were made within 90 days of the bankruptcy petition filing. This began happening this week, and producers who received and were able to cash their checks dated July 25, 2014, or later are being required to pay this money back.

Grain prices volatile After reports of hot and dry condi-

tions developed last week, speculators jumped in and began buying corn, running new-crop prices up to almost $4.50. However, as rain entered the forecast this week, corn saw a sharp sell-off. After one of the longest bull rallies in history, soybeans have begun a corrective action as the market worries about additional acres being added in the USDA Acreage Report at the end of the month. While sup-ply remains uncertain, demand has strengthened and continues to show signs of growth. This strong demand should help support prices and provide a floor to prevent significant losses in the near term. If weather remains fa-vorable, the market will need addition-al demand growth as the U.S. is likely see large production of both corn and soybeans if current acreage estimates hold.

CONTACT• Matt King 501-228-1297,

matt.king@arfb.com.