Throughout much of the history of this great state, the family members of Oklahoma Farm Bureau have worked together, sharing the joys, and the sufferings that accompany everyday life.  We are a statewide family with offices in all 77 counties to serve Oklahomans.  The horrific storms serve as another reminder of how important it is to help each other when tragedy strikes.

The Oklahoma Farm Bureau and Affiliated Companies’ main office at 2501 N. Stiles, Oklahoma City, will serve as a collection point for donations to those affected by the storms.   Critical items needed are bottled water, sports drinks, paper towels, disinfectant wipes, individually wrapped snack food, diapers, baby formula and work gloves.  Clothing does not appear to be needed at this time.  Beginning Wednesday, May 22, there will be a trailer on the west side of the building for donations that our staff will distribute to appropriate relief organizations.

This is not a one day or even a one week event.  The trailer will be available for as long as needed.

The family members of Oklahoma Farm Bureau respectfully request your prayers and compassion during this time of need for our fellow Oklahomans.

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Note: People who wish to send money may write a check payable to Oklahoma Farm Bureau along with a note that this should go toward assistance for storm victims. OFB will make sure the money is well spent.

Columbia, TN (May 13, 2012) We respect Governor Haslam’s decision and appreciate his due diligence in considering the various aspects of the Livestock Protection Act (SB1248 Gresham and HB1191 Holt).  Although we are disappointed, we are appreciative of his recognition that well-established, long-accepted agricultural practices on farms are vulnerable to unfair attacks through misrepresentation and deception.  We also appreciate the sponsors and all those members of the General Assembly who believe in and support Tennessee farmers.

For the farm community this bill was all about protecting animals by stopping abuse quickly and ending the exploitation for sensationalism. Our farmers take the responsibility to care for animals very seriously. We will continue to be optimistic that we can care for animals and work to prevent animal cruelty.

Looking forward, our farmers will continue to display the relationship between farmers and their animals that was eloquently captured by Paul Harvey in his 1978 speech to the National FFA Convention. As caretakers, farmers have many times stayed up all night to care for a weak newborn…only to watch it die. “Then the farmer dries his eyes and says, ‘Maybe next year.'…… So God made a farmer.”

To see a copy of Governor Haslam's statement, click here.

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The American Farm Bureau Federation has chosen a group of 10 young agricultural leaders to participate in the seventh class of the Partners in Agricultural Leadership honors program.

Participants selected for the 2013-14 program are:

Jillian Beaty, Wisconsin; Jason Bunting, Illinois; Joy Davis, Texas; Shannon Douglass, California; Stacey Forshee, Kansas; Joshua Geigle, South Dakota; Katie Heger, North Dakota; Adam Hinton, Kentucky; Elizabeth Kohtz, Idaho; and Brandon Whitt, Tennessee.

The focus of Farm Bureau PAL program is to enhance participants’ leadership skills and aid them in discovering how they can best use their abilities for the benefit of agriculture. The program offers young farmers and ranchers the opportunity to continue building their skills after they have served as AFBF Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee members/officers or competed in national YF&R events.

“Farm Bureau welcomes the 10 participants of the seventh PAL class and looks forward to the role they will play moving forward to strengthen American agriculture,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman. “The PAL program allows participants to continue on a leadership path within the Farm Bureau using their experiences from YF&R and other agricultural leadership roles.”

Through PAL, young leaders will be given the opportunity to develop their skills in problem solving, persuasion and consensus building while learning about critical agricultural and public policy issues.

Upon graduation from the PAL program, young agricultural leaders are prepared to represent agriculture in the media, on speaking circuits or in legislative activities.

“The young farmers and ranchers that complete the PAL program are equipped to serve as ‘advocates for agriculture’ from their communities to Capitol Hill, telling the farmer’s story while raising awareness of agriculture-related issues,” said Stallman.

State Farm Bureaus submit one applicant per state for consideration for the PAL program. Applicants must be “Sweet 16” finalists in the national YF&R Discussion Meet; top 10 finalists in the YF&R Achievement Award or Excellence in Agriculture Award competitions; former members of the AFBF YF&R committee or former state YF&R committee chairs.

The PAL program is made possible through sponsorships from the Monsanto Company, the Farm Credit System, Agri-Pulse Communications and AFBF.

Visit http://www.fb.org/index.php?action=programs.pal for more information on the PAL program.

The American Farm Bureau Federation is sending a farm bill proposal to Capitol Hill today. Approved this weekend by the AFBF Board of Directors, the proposal offers a diverse mix of risk management and safety net tools to benefit a wide range of farms and it saves $23 billion compared to the cost of continuing the current program.

The American Farm Bureau farm bill proposal helps reduce the nation’s budget deficit, provides an adequate economic safety net for the nation’s farmers and is based on several core policy principles, according to AFBF President Bob Stallman.

The Farm Bureau proposal: (Watch a video on the proposal)

• Offers farmers a choice of program options.
• Protects and strengthens the federal crop insurance program and does not reduce its funding.
• Provides a commodity title that works to encourage farmers to follow market signals rather than making planting decisions in anticipation of government payments.
• Refrains from basing any program on cost of production.
• And, ensures equity across program commodities.

“There is far less money this year than last with which to secure an adequate safety net for the many family-owned farms that make up the bulk of America’s agricultural system,” Stallman said. “Last year, Congress merely extended the old 2008 farm bill until Sept. 30 of this year. Now, while unfortunately we have less money to work with, it is vital that Congress complete a new five-year farm bill this year. Doing so is in the economic interest of our entire nation.”

Stallman said the goal of the American Farm Bureau proposal is to provide a measure of fairness among regions and crops, while providing each commodity sector a workable safety net provision for farmers who grow that crop.

“Farm policy should provide a strong and effective safety net and viable risk management programs for farmers that do not guarantee a profit but, instead, protect them from catastrophic occurrences,” Stallman said. “We also want to ensure that terms of our farm programs do not affect a farmer’s decision of which crop to plant. The program must comply with our World Trade Organization agreements.”

Farm Bureau supports a program that reduces complexity while allowing producers increased flexibility to plant in response to market demand.

Farm Bureau supports a safety net that allows farmers to purchase insurance products to further protect individual risk. The program should be delivered by private crop insurance companies.

We support producers being allowed a choice of program options.

Specifically, the AFBF proposal calls for a three-legged safety net for program crop farmers that includes: a stacked income protection plan commonly called STAX; an improved crop insurance program; and target prices and marketing loans. Under the proposal, all program crop farmers would have access to the marketing loan and crop insurance provisions and they would then select between a target price program and STAX to round out their safety net option.

The AFBF proposal also supports extending provisions of the STAX program for apples, potatoes, tomatoes, grapes and sweet corn. Covering these five specialty crops will benefit fruit and vegetable producers in 44 states. Eventually, Farm Bureau would like to cover all crops under a STAX program in the future.

“While we would have liked to have provided a STAX program for all commodity programs under the same terms as those provided to cotton last year in the Senate bill, funding is insufficient to do so,” Stallman explained.

Because of funding limits, AFBF is proposing modifications be made to STAX for all eligible commodities. Those modifications would: reduce the crop insurance premium subsidization to 70 percent from 80 percent; not offer the multiplier option; not offer a harvest price option; allow STAX to be based on yield or revenue at the discretion of the producer; and allow purchase only as a buy-up policy with a 10-25 percent deductible rather than also providing for a stand-alone policy. In addition, under the STAX program suggested by Farm Bureau, no payments would be made until the county average revenue or yield fell by 10 percent from the historic amount. 

A target price program for all program commodities would be available except for cotton. Due to terms of Brazil’s WTO cotton case against the United States, cotton farmers would likely not be eligible for a marketing loan at the current level or any target price.

For other crops, target price levels would be based on the marketing-year average price from the past five years (2007 through 2011) and those projected by the Congressional Budget Office for the next five years (2012 through 2016). To establish the actual target prices and provide general equity across crop sectors, these 2007-2016 average prices are reduced by 25 percent for corn and soybeans, 15 percent for wheat and 10 percent for rice and peanuts. Wheat has an adjustment of only 15 percent because it is produced mostly in the larger counties, making area yields less representative of individual producer experience and therefore less effective as a risk management tool.

The smaller 10 percent adjustment is applied to peanuts and rice as both crops lack insurance products that function as well as those available to the major grain and oilseed commodities. AFBF suggests the same 10 percent loss threshold be used to determine appropriate target price levels for rice and peanuts. The target price will be based on 85 percent of planted acres, but not to exceed a producer's historical base acreage. This provides a safety net more accurately addressing the risks associated with current production decisions and eliminates the present mismatch between payments and actual production or market conditions. Capping the payment acres at the historical base minimizes any potential distortion of a target price system.

The Senate Agriculture Committee will likely begin markup of a comprehensive, long-term farm bill this month, while the House Ag Committee is considering moving a bill after the Senate Ag Committee completes its mark up.

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 American Farm Bureau Federation Suggestions for the 2013 Farm Bill

April 2, 2013 was proclaimed “Agriculture Day on the Hill” in Tennessee by Governor Bill Haslam.  To celebrate the occasion, commodity groups and agriculture businesses from across Tennessee gathered in Nashville to help tell agriculture’s story to the legislature and people visiting the Legislative Plaza.

The halls inside the plaza were lined with informative and impressive booths touting agriculture’s top commodities and commodity groups, agricultural colleges and organizations that support the agriculture industry in Tennessee.  And outside on the Legislative Plaza was a sight that had to be seen to be believed.

It’s not very often these days that you see cows, pigs, chickens, mules, sheep and goats munching on hay and feed in the middle of Nashville and especially at the entrance to the state legislature, but that is what passersby saw that Tuesday…and if they happened to walk by around 9:45, they also saw quite a crowd gathered to cheer on the rematch of Speaker of the House Beth Harwell and Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey in a milking contest.  After last year’s challenge of milking goats, this year returned to the more traditional dairy cows for the contestants to milk, with Speaker Harwell milking a Brown Swiss named Giggles and Lt. Gov. Ramsey milking a Holstein named Rascal.  It would seem the odds were in Lt. Gov. Ramsey’s favor, having grown up on a dairy farm and around animals all his life, while Speaker Harwell is a self-proclaimed city-girl; but in the end Speaker Harwell emerged the victor for the 2^nd year in a row, narrowly pulling out a win over Ramsey.  Pettus Read, president of the Farm and Forest Families of Tennessee, who sponsors and helps put on Ag Day on the Hill in conjunction with the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, presented Speaker Harwell with a trophy pail proclaiming her as a person “with a lot of pull” in Nashville and a $750 donation to the Second Harvest Food Bank in her name.

After those festivities, a standing-room only crowd gathered in the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee meeting, which, after dealing with the business for the day, showcased some of agriculture’s finest – including State 4-H Council Secretary Rachael Wolters and State FFA President Sarah Best, who each spoke eloquently on what their respective youth organizations have provided them and the youth of the state; Commissioner of Agriculture Julius Johnson, who shared what a vital industry agriculture is to Tennessee and the impact it makes on the economy; and a very special recognition to Tennessee Farm Bureau’s own Director of Communications Pettus Read – who received a joint resolution signed by both Houses and the Governor honoring him for his many years of dedicated service to agriculture in Tennessee and his outstanding efforts to be the voice for the farmers across the state.

Securing adequate land to grow crops and raise livestock was the top challenge identified in the latest survey of participants in the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Young Farmers & Ranchers program. That challenge was identified by 20 percent of respondents, followed by burdensome government regulations and “red tape,” which was identified by15 percent of the young farmers and ranchers responding.

“Access to adequate land to begin farming or expand an established operation is a major concern for today’s young farmers,” said Zach Hunnicutt, AFBF’s national YF&R Committee chair and a crop farmer from Nebraska. “Another major challenge we all face in one form or another is the cost of complying with a maze of government regulations.”

Other issues ranked as top concerns included economic challenges, particularly profitability, 12 percent; water availability, 10 percent; taxes, 9 percent; health care availability and cost, 9 percent; availability of farm labor and related regulations, 8 percent; and willingness of parents to turn over the reins of the farm or ranch, 7 percent.

When asked to name the top three steps the federal government should take to help young farmers and ranchers, cutting government spending was the top response, with 24 percent listing this as most important. Twelve percent of those surveyed said maintaining the farm safety net was most important, while financial assistance for beginning farmers and tax reform were each cited by 11 percent as the priority that should be first on the list.

The 21st annual YF&R survey revealed that 90 percent of those surveyed are more optimistic about farming and ranching than they were five years ago. Last year, 94 percent of those surveyed said they were more optimistic about farming than they were five years ago.

The 2013 survey also shows 83 percent of the nation’s young farmers and ranchers say they are better off than they were five years ago. Last year, 94 percent reported being better off.

More than 94 percent considered themselves lifetime farmers, while 90 percent would like to see their children follow in their footsteps. The informal survey reveals that 84 percent believe their children will be able to follow in their footsteps.

The survey points out that 64 percent of YF&R members consider communicating with consumers a formal part of their jobs. Many use social media platforms as a tool to accomplish this. The popular social media site, Facebook, is used by 82 percent of those surveyed who use the Internet. Thirty percent of respondents said they use the social networking site Twitter, and 18 percent use YouTube to post videos of their farms and ranches.

“Use of technology to improve production practices on the farm and to interact with consumers – our customers – continues to grow,” Hunnicutt said. “Having instant access to information and communication tools is the ‘new normal’ and that’s not going to change,” he said.

Nearly 80 percent of young farmers and ranchers surveyed said they regularly use mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets to communicate. That’s up from 66 percent last year.

Computers and the Internet remain vital tools for the nation’s young farmers and ranchers, with 92 percent surveyed reporting using a computer in their farming operation. Nearly all of those surveyed, 94 percent, have access to the Internet. High-speed Internet is used by 65 percent of those surveyed, with 22 percent relying on a satellite connection and just over 2 percent turning to dialup.

The survey also shows that America’s young farmers and ranchers are committed environmental caretakers, with 64 percent using conservation tillage to protect soil and reduce erosion on their farms.

AFBF President Bob Stallman said the annual YF&R survey underscores his belief that the future of U.S. agriculture is in good hands.

“The future looks bright for American agriculture and our nation as a whole, thanks to the commitment and solid knowledge base held by today’s young farmers and ranchers,” said Stallman.

The informal survey of young farmers and ranchers, ages 18-35, was conducted at AFBF’s 2013 YF&R Leadership Conference in Phoenix, Ariz., in February. The purpose of the YF&R program is to help younger members learn more about farming and ranching, network with other farmers and strengthen their leadership skills to assist in the growth of agriculture and Farm Bureau.

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Consumer demand for locally produced foods and products continues to grow, creating opportunities for farmers who market directly to the public as well as to chefs and grocery stores. To help farmers prepare to meet the demand for local products, the University of Tennessee Center for Profitable Agriculture is offering two sets of workshops in March and April.

On a cold and wintery day during the 94^th annual meeting of the American Farm Bureau held in Nashville at the Opryland Hotel this month, I had the honor to sit right up front during their closing general session to hear two men speak on two totally different subjects that caught my attention in two totally unusual ways. I know that is a lot of “twos,” but each man covered their subjects in ways that captivated my attention to the point of making me want to do something after they spoke. One gave me concern and the other gave me encouragement. I must say I appreciated the encouragement much more than the concern.

The two speakers were retired astronaut Mark Kelly and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Each man did an outstanding job in delivering their addresses, which were totally in different arenas of discussion, but allowing each the responsibility to bring their audience a lot of information.

Secretary Vilsack was warmly received by the more than 6,000 farmers from across the nation who had traveled to our capital city to meet and formulate policy on agricultural issues that would affect the agricultural communities in every hamlet around our land. Of course, the Secretary’s number one topic dealt with the passage of a five-year farm bill. Vilsack said he and the department would continue to push for passage of a new farm bill replacing the extended 2008 bill with hopes of retaining a strong and viable safety net. He said these were key components of the legislation and are provisions related to reforming credit, conservation programs and continuing the country’s commitment to enhancing trade.

He went on to say that equally critical to the future of farmers and ranchers is regaining the clout rural America once had. One way to do that is by building strategic alliances in rural America, but not limiting relationships to those in agriculture. “We have to extend beyond talking to ourselves,” Vilsack said. “We must embrace diversity.”

All of this I agree on with the Secretary and so did the other Farm Bureau folks sitting in that room that afternoon. The Secretary used several examples on how we can reach out to other groups, but one example he used I think he could have left on his desk up in Washington. The example he used that I had in question dealt with the American Egg Board and HSUS. He said, “And frankly those who are engaged in constructive engagement, they shouldn’t be faulted for doing so. Now I know that there are not too many fans of the Humane Society in this room. But egg producers thought it was in their best interest to avoid fifty different referendums, fifty different sets of rules. So they sat down with folks and they reached common ground. After all, isn’t that what we’re asking our Congress to do? Isn’t that what we’re asking our political leaders to do? To sit down and make common cause? I think the egg producers have the right idea. Now, the issues may be different for different types of producers. But we need to be constructively engaged at all times and conversations. We may not find agreement. But I think we will substantially reduce those who oppose farming and substantially reduce the reach of those and hopefully be able to get enough proactive activity that results in a five-year bill.”

The agreement made between those two groups wasn’t common ground or a compromise in my opinion and the example was not a good choice for the group he was speaking to. He could have just as easily said something unflattering about our mothers and gotten less head shaking by those in attendance. A lot of those present wondered why that example was used at all.

I keep wondering why is it that it is always the farmer who has to compromise and give in when someone doesn’t like what farmers have been doing. I agree, we have to embrace diversity, but we don’t have to roll over and play dead either. Sometimes you would like to see the other side offer a compromise rather than demands.

After the secretary, retired astronaut Captain Mark Kelly spoke to the group as the keynote speaker and reminded his audience to “deny the existence of failure.”  That was a little different direction from compromising. In a recent news release it reports that Kelly is one of America’s most experienced pilots and has logged more than 6,000 flight hours aboard more than 50 different aircraft. His experience includes 375 aircraft carrier landings, 39 combat missions, more than 50 days in space and service as commander of the space shuttle Endeavor’s final mission. He is a prostate cancer survivor and the husband of former Congressman Gabrielle Giffords who survived an assassination attempt in 2011. “How good you are at the beginning is not a good indicator of how good you can become,” Kelly said in his speech.

The former astronaut summed up his talk best when he said, “Be passionate, be courageous, be strong, and be your best.” Those words seemed to describe today’s agriculturalists. They are passionate in what they do, they have to be courageous to battle what they have to fight for, being of smaller numbers they must remain strong and they are the best in the world. Compromise is the term they really have trouble with and feel it is over used. 

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- Pettus L. Read is editor of the Tennessee Farm Bureau News and director of Communications for the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation.  He may be contacted by e-mail at pread@tfbf.com

Farmers and ranchers attending the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 94th Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tenn., Jan. 13-16, will find there’s something for everyone. From Nashville’s music scene and culinary delights, to the latest in agriculture policy issues, to outstanding young farmer competitions and even an astronaut, Farm Bureau’s meeting at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center will have it all.

AFBF’s tradeshow will showcase exhibitors from some of the top food and agriculture industries. Included in the tradeshow will be a cooking demonstration area where chefs will teach attendees how to lunch southern-style, as well as how to prepare Nashville’s most famous dinners. There will also be fun, interactive workshops and seminars at the tradeshow on everything from energy and agriculture, to meeting Tennessee 4-H and FFA student leaders, to the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture’s new Book of the Year.

If it’s entertainers that excite you, Nashville takes the cake. Country music artist Phil Vassar will headline the Foundation’s Night Out at the Grand Ole Opry House on Mon. Jan. 14. Vassar has co-written songs with country greats such as Tim McGraw and Alan Jackson. His first self-titled album came out in 2000 and went gold. The Foundation event will be hosted by former Miss Mississippi and Great American Country personality, Nan Kelley. Other performers include: The Driven Bow; Line Dancers: Barry and Dari Anne Amato; The Fiddleheads; and Tim Nichols and Craig Wiseman performing together.

Further, the three-part country music group, Edens Edge, will perform at the opening general session on Sunday, Jan. 13. The Arkansas trio will delight attendees with a vibrant sound that honors country music’s roots while pushing the envelope with their unique sound. The band credits farming, faith and family with providing them a springboard for their musical aspirations.

Young farmers and ranchers play a big role in AFBF’s annual meeting. Through various speaking and leadership competitions, attendees will get to see agriculture’s future leaders in action. Attendees will also hear from distinguished leaders including AFBF President Bob Stallman and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Retired Navy Capt. Mark Kelly will give the keynote address at the meeting.

Kelly, the husband of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), served his country as an astronaut and naval aviator. He flew his first NASA mission in 2001and continued to pilot or command NASA missions until 2011 with the final mission of the Space Shuttle Endeavour.

If getting right down to business is your cup of tea, issue conferences on 2013 crop and livestock forecasts, energy and transportation issues, social media’s role in agriculture and even a historical seminar on how Nashville became “Music City, USA” will be offered. And don’t forget about AFBF’s delegate session where grassroots policy will be debated and set to guide the organization through 2013.

AFBF’s annual meeting in Nashville is the place to be in January. So, c’mon down South, y’all.

To learn more, visit AnnualMeeting.fb.org.

Tracy Grondine is director of media relations for the American Farm Bureau Federation.

“While much work remains on addressing the spending side of the ledger, the fiscal cliff package that was just approved injected a good dose of certainty into our nation’s tax policy. That is a major achievement. The measure restored the $5 million exemption level for the estate tax, which was in danger of falling to just $1 million. On the minus side, the top estate tax rate increased from 35 percent to 40 percent. Permanent capital gains tax provisions that retain lower rates was a positive point, as was the inclusion of enhanced expensing provisions for businesses.

“Extension of the 2008 farm bill, however, is little more than a stop-gap measure. We are glad that a measure is in place for most of this year, but we are disappointed that Congress was unable or unwilling to roll a comprehensive five-year farm bill proposal into the fiscal cliff package. Now, it will be up to the new 113^th Congress to put a new farm bill in place, and we will continue to insist on the kind of reforms that were included in the proposals approved by the Senate and the House Agriculture Committee during the 112^th Congress.

“As the new Congress punches in, members already face a huge work order. While the fiscal cliff package addressed the revenue side of the equation, it did not do enough to cut federal spending in a meaningful way. Without progress on the spending side, we are on a one-way road to fiscal disaster. It is our hope that the new Congress will exercise the leadership needed to put our nation on a path toward fiscal responsibility and agricultural innovation and prosperity.”

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