Idaho Farm Bureau

Transcription

Idaho Farm Bureau

April 2014 • Volume 18, Issue 3
3
Forest Service
Revises Panhandle
Management Plan
6
Farm Bill:
What’s New, Where to
Find Information
®
Idaho Farm Bureau
13
Farmland:
The Movie Scheduled
for Release
Administration to Publish
Misguided ‘Waters of the
U.S.’ Proposal
By Bob Stallman
AFBF President
The administration often talks about
creating jobs, and with millions out
of work the White House is right
to focus on the issue. So it’s puzzling that the administration would
consider a proposal that will hurt
A Farm Bill - Finally
By Frank Priestley
President Idaho Farm Bureau
Federation
President Barack Obama signed the
2014 farm bill in early February
on the campus of Michigan State
University. After more than two
years of efforts and mind-numbing
Celebrating Idaho Farm
Bureau’s 75th Anniversary
International Trade and Marketing
By Rick Keller
CEO Idaho Farm Bureau Federation
International trade and marketing have been on Farm Bureau’s
agenda since day one. Seventy-five
years ago, as the ravages of World
War II unleashed havoc on Europe
2
Idaho Farm Bureau producer / APRIL 2014
The Ag Agenda
farms and other businesses, making
it more difficult to create jobs.
cover all waters.
The administration is about to propose regulations to broadly expand
the scope of the Clean Water Act.
When Congress wrote the law, it
was clear that it only applied to
navigable waters or, as the law
names them, “waters of the U.S.”
Two Supreme Court decisions have
reaffirmed that those terms do not
However, the impending proposal
would effectively eliminate any
constraints those terms now impose
on federal jurisdiction. It would let
EPA and the Corps of Engineers
regulate virtually any and all waters
found within a state, no matter how
small or seemingly unconnected to
a federal interest.
See STALLMAN, page 8
politics, farmers and ranchers from
across the nation now have answers
about how they can manage the
many and varied risks they face in
producing food and fiber.
sure of business certainty for this
and coming years, allowing them to
better manage risk while carrying
out the important business of providing food and jobs for America.
American Farm Bureau Federation
President Bob Stallman said it’s
been a bumpy road for the farm bill
over the past several years, with
many twists and turns, but farmers
never gave up nor lost momentum
in working toward its passage. Farm
Bureau believes this farm bill will
give farmers and ranchers a mea-
Congressional Agriculture Committee leaders, House Chairman Frank
Lucas (R-Okla.), House Ranking
Member Collin Peterson (D-Minn.),
Senate Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), and Senate Ranking
Member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.)
deserve credit for their leadership,
See PRIESTLEY, page 8
and the Pacific, U.S. farm output
was surplus to our needs. Farmers said the surplus farm output
must become a “national blessing
rather than a calamity,” and the
only way for that to happen was
to find overseas markets. Beginning the last half of the twentieth
century, nothing had been more
important to U.S. and Idaho farm
economy than exports and the expansion of foreign markets through
fair and open trade. Without a
thriving export market, farm production would have shrunk to fill
domestic demand. Idaho’s farmers
and ranchers are the world’s most
reliable producers. They have
made a huge contribution to global
food security and improved diets
around the world.
Farm Bureau’s trade policy has
consistently called for a reduction
in trade barriers and a vigorous
export program for bulk commodities and value-added farm
products to gain a greater share
of the world markets. During the
See KELLER, page 5
Volume 18, Issue 3
IFBF OFFICERS
President ................................... Frank Priestley, Franklin
Vice President ..................................Mark Trupp, Driggs
Executive Vice President .............................. Rick Keller
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Bryan Searle ............................................................Shelley
Mark Harris ................................................ Soda Springs
Chris Dalley ....................................................... Blackfoot
Dean Schwendiman ........................................... Newdale
Danny Ferguson ........................................................Rigby
Scott Steele ..................................................... Idaho Falls
Gerald Marchant .................................................. Oakley
Rick Pearson ................................................... Hagerman
Rick Brune............................................................Hazelton
Curt Krantz ............................................................ Parma
Cody Chandler....................................................... Weiser
Tracy Walton ....................................................... Emmett
Marjorie French .............................................. Princeton
Alton Howell ................................................ Careywood
Tom Daniel ............................................... Bonners Ferry
Carol Guthrie ......................................................... Inkom
Luke Pearce ............................................. New Plymouth
STAFF
Dir. of Admin. Services ....................... Nancy Shiozawa
Dir. of Organization............................... Dennis Brower
Commodities & Marketing Assistant ........... Peg Pratt
Member Services Assistant . ................... Peggy Moore
Publice Relations Assistant ..................... Dixie Ashton
Dist. I Regional Manager .......................... Justin Patten
Dist. III Regional Manager .................. Charles Garner
Dist. IV Regional Manager ..........................Brody Miller
Dist. V Regional Manager ...................... Bob Smathers
Dir. of Governmental Affairs ...............Russ Hendricks
Asst. Dir. of Governmental Affairs ... Dennis Tanikuni
Energy/Natural Resources . ..................... Bob Geddes
Director of Public Relations ............. John Thompson
Video Services Manager ............................ Steve Ritter
Broadcast Services Manager .................... Jake Putnam
Office Manager, Boise ................... Julie Christoffersen
Member Services Manager ........................ Joel Benson
Printed by: Owyhee Publishing, Homedale, ID
GEM STATE PRODUCER
USPS #015-024, is published monthly
except February, May, August and November by the
IDAHO FARM BUREAU FEDERATION,
275 Tierra Vista Drive, Pocatello, ID 83201.
POSTMASTER send changes of address to:
GEM STATE PRODUCER
P.O. Box 4848, Pocatello, ID 83205-4848.
Periodicals postage paid at Pocatello, Idaho,
and additional mailing offices.
Subscription rate:
$6.00 per year included in Farm Bureau dues.
MAGAZINE CONTACTS:
Idaho Farm Bureau Federation
EDITOR (208) 239-4292 • ADS (208) 239-4279
E-MAIL: [email protected]
www.idahofb.org
Cover: County commissioners in Idaho’s five
northernmost counties are uneasy about a new
U.S. Forest Service plan that will govern forest
management over the next 15 years.
Farm Bureau file photo
Northern Idaho Forests are covered with dense stands of timber. County officials are lobbying
for increased timber cutting on federal land in conjunction with a revision of the forest plan on
the Panhandle National Forest.
Photo by Steve Ritter
Counties Wary of New
Panhandle Forest Plan
By John Thompson
Leaders of Idaho’s five northernmost counties are apprehensive about a new management plan currently being evaluated by the U.S. Forest Service.
The Idaho Panhandle National Forest Plan Revision calls for reduced timber harvest,
maintaining existing wilderness study areas and road closures that could reduce forest access. The plan would govern forest management for the next 15 years. It was
last updated in 1987.
In addition, the Forest Service is using a new objection process for the first time in
developing this new forest plan. In the past new forest plans were finalized, released
and then followed by an appeals process. According to Idaho Panhandle National
Forest Supervisor Mary Farnsworth, under the new process an independent group
of Forest Service resource specialists in Washington D.C. is currently reviewing objections to the plan submitted from 22 different parties, including environmental
groups, Idaho Fish and Game, the Kalispell and Kootenai Native American Tribes
and several others.
James Pena, associate deputy chief of the Forest Service in Washington D.C. is the
hearing officer who will oversee the process. Meetings are tentatively planned for
late April wherein Pena and members of his team will listen to the objections of the
counties and other groups. They will attempt to reach consensus and make decisions
on implementing the final plan after those meetings are held. There is no hard deadline to complete the plan.
See FOREST PLAN page 4
3
FOREST PLAN
Continued from page 3
Nearly 70 percent of Shoshone County is
National Forest-managed land, making
the plan of particular concern to county
officials. Shoshone County Commissioner
Larry Yergler said their major objections
to the proposed plan are related to wilderness, timber management as it relates to
harvesting marketable logs and fire prevention, and the creation of new grazing
opportunities.
Wilderness
The revised forest plan proposes to maintain a Wilderness Study Area (WSA) in
Shoshone County called the Grandmother
Mountain WSA. Shoshone County officials
disagree that the area qualifies for wilderness under the definition provided by The
Wilderness Act of 1964, which contains
the phrase “untrammeled by man.” Congress makes the final determination on
creation of wilderness areas. Designated
WSA’s are managed the same as a wilderness areas. Comments submitted by Shoshone County state that Idaho already has
an adequate amount of wilderness and that
the areas proposed in the new plan do not
qualify or meet the designation. Further,
the comments state that Shoshone County
citizens who frequent the area in question
say that lack of management, particularly
trail maintenance, has resulted in fewer
4
#
visitors and a reduction in recreation opportunity.
In addition, Shoshone County also opposes designation of wild and scenic rivers.
“With the same focus as wilderness designation, we are not supportive of restricting
access with “wild and scenic,” “wild river,” or “eligible wild river” designations,”
according to the comments. “We believe
both the land and the waters can be effectively managed to protect the resources
without excessive restrictions on access.”
The county is not opposed to “backcountry” designations that do not limit motorized access in some areas.
Logging and Fire Prevention
gets,” said Commissioner Yergler. “With
very little logging on forest land over the
last ten years, there is an abundance of
dead timber adding to the threat of catastrophic wildfire.”
Shoshone County was the epicenter of the
largest forest fire in American History.
It started in August of 1910 and burned
three million acres in 36 hours. Enough
timber was devoured in Idaho, Montana
and Washington to rebuild the city of Chicago at the time. Much of the white pine
and Western red cedar that burned in that
fire has been replaced with lodgepole pine,
which has a 100-year life cycle, according
to Yergler.
The Allowable Sale Quantity (ASQ) of
timber forest-wide was set at 280 million
board feet in the 1987 management plan.
The new plan calls for an annual cut of
125 million board feet. Shoshone County’s
comments state that the forest is more
dense today with increased morbidity than
it was in 1987. According to the comments
from all five northern counties, the ASQ
should be increasing rather than decreasing.
Benewah – 26,100 – 5 percent
“It’s very important to us at the county
level that we increase logging to create
revenue to help our roads and schools bud-
Shoshone – 1,149,500 – 69 percent
Acreage and percentage of
Forest Service land by county:
Bonner – 431,100 – 35 percent
Boundary – 487,300 – 59 percent
Kootenai – 245,800 – 29 percent
Grazing
The Process
fied as objectors and they, along with Forest Service staff, are the only people who
can now interact with the Forest Service in
refining the plan. Forest Service Associate
Deputy Chief Jim Pena is the hearing officer who is in charge of how the process will
proceed toward resolution. Pena began his
Forest Service career in 1978 as a trainee
on the Rogue River Forest in southern Oregon. He is a graduate of Humboldt State
University with a degree in forest resource
management. During his career he has
worked for the Forest Service in Oregon
and Washington as a timber management
assistant, district ranger and deputy forest
supervisor.
The revised forest plan went out for public
comment last fall. There were 22 different entities and individuals that submitted
comments. Those people are now identi-
The new objection process is viewed as
more collaborative by the Forest Service.
Panhandle Forest Supervisor Mary Farnsworth said among the objectors there
Although the new plan calls for only a 24acre reduction in grazing, both Bonner and
Shoshone county officials believe an increase in grazing allotments is needed to
reduce the risk of fire and promote forest
health. Yergler, who grew up in Shoshone
County, said several years back sheep were
shipped in to Wallace by rail. Herders
would trail them up through the mountains
and into Montana. He believes the intensive grazing for short periods of time helps
wildlife, especially elk herds, and that forest health has suffered without grazing.
appears to be an equal number of people
unhappy about the revised forest plan.
“Sometimes it can be very difficult to find
common ground,” she said.
Currently, Pena and his advisory team of
resource specialists in Washington D.C.
are evaluating the new plan to make sure
it complies with existing laws and policies.
After that they will discuss whether there
is room to seek resolution on the various
issues in question.
“If at that point he (Pena) thinks there is
room for resolution where all parties can
be made happy there could be negotiations
with the objectors,” Farnsworth said. “He
could also decide that everybody involved
is so polarized that no resolution is possible. It’s completely up to his discretion.”
KELLER
1970’s, farmers were in the midst of a
grain export boom, largely because of
sales to the Soviet Union. The production
of one acre out of three was exported and
there were concerns that the world would
run out of food. Farm Bureau opposed
and discouraged calls for an international
super-agency to store and distribute food
supplies, a sort of global farm program.
Instead, Farm Bureau supported freer
international trade which would lead to an
expansion of food supplies.
In 1992, the Idaho Farm Bureau delegates
voted to support the North American
Free Trade Agreement which sought to
eliminate all tariffs between the U.S. and
Mexico over fifteen years and extend the
principles embodied in the U.S. - Canada
Free Trade Agreement to the entire North
American continent. During 1993, the
Idaho Farm Bureau joined coalitions of
other farm groups and agribusiness to
counter strong opposition from labor and
environmental groups and support the
ratification of the Agreement. With the
leadership of IFBF President Tom Geary,
IFBF went to bat for NAFTA with a solid
informational effort to let members know
what was at stake and how the trade
agreement could affect their particular
commodity interest. Late on the night of
November 17, 1993, the U.S. House of
Representatives passed NAFTA by a vote
of 234 to 200. The U.S. Senate agreed
a few days later by a more comfortable
margin. Agricultural groups for NAFTA
were crucial to passage and Farm Bureau
considered it a big victory. Not all farmers
agreed and there remains strong opposition 20 years later. Farm Bureau has even
reversed its position several times since
the original endorsement.
Idaho Farm Bureau members have always expressed an interest in increasing
markets for their commodities, especially
when commodity prices are extremely
low. In 1977, when wheat prices were
at $2.33 a bushel, IFBF President Oscar
Field lead a delegation to Libya in an effort to sell grain to this near-east nation.
A basic agreement was signed for what
was hoped would result in a ‘wheat for
oil’ exchange. For several years, Farm
Bureau leaders worked on the agreement,
but no actual sales ever resulted. Farm
Bureau discontinued its efforts and political unrest in Libya soon followed, closing
the door on any future trade.
In 1999, with wheat prices at $2.55 a
bushel, IFBF President Frank Priestley
and state directors directed the Idaho
Farm Bureau to seek additional export
markets for Idaho’s over-abundant grain
crops. Several years later, after identifying specialty niche markets in Mexico
for Idaho’s identity-preserved wheat and
in association with local grain elevators,
the Idaho Farm Bureau began marketing
grain to flour millers in Mexico for a premium to Idaho farmers. Millions of bushels of grain have been marketed through
these relationships.
Over the years the Idaho Farm Bureau
has been active in marketing livestock,
grains, potatoes, and sweet corn. Not all
successful programs last forever – some
start up, provide a service and their need
diminishes. Idaho Farm Bureau is proud
of the quality and quantity of the food its
members produce. With free and open
markets, Idaho farmers and ranchers are
willing and are able to compete with the
best. Fair trade agreements allow farmers
and ranchers access to the markets around
the globe, bringing money into their pockets, commerce into our state’s economy,
and into our rural communities.
5
Dairymen can expect big changes in government programs specified in the new farm bill.
USDA Releases Farm Bill
Highlights, Implications
By John Thompson
The Agricultural Act of 2014, also
known as the farm bill, was signed
in early February and contains major
changes in several areas.
Since then USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) has published
information spelling out the details
in the new bill that will cover government support programs for agriculture
through 2018. The information can be
found at http://www.ers.usda.gov/agricultural-act-of-2014-highlights-andimplications.aspx. Following is an explanation of each of the new programs
that will have ramifications for Idaho
farmers and ranchers.
First however, it’s important to note that
overall spending in the bill with regard to
6
where funds are allocated, didn’t change
much. The 2014 Farm Act makes major
changes in commodity programs, adds
new crop insurance options, streamlines
conservation programs and expands programs for specialty crops, organic farmers,
bioenergy, rural development and beginning farmers and ranchers.
The Congressional Budget Office projects
that 80 percent of outlays under the new
bill will fund nutrition programs – relatively the same percentage of allocation of
the previous farm bill. With regard to the
funding that comes in one way or another
to farms and ranches, 8 percent will fund
crop insurance programs, 6 percent will
fund conservation programs, 5 percent will
fund commodity programs and the remaining 1 percent will fund other programs including trade, credit, rural development,
research and extension, forestry, energy,
horticulture and miscellaneous programs.
Crop Commodity Programs
The biggest change under the commodity title is the repeal of Direct Payments,
Countercyclical Payments and the Average
Crop Revenue Election Program (ACRE).
Two new programs, called Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and Agriculture Risk Coverage were created and producers must
choose one or the other. The law also revises payment limitations and adjusted
gross income eligibility rules, continues
the marketing assistance loan program unchanged and continues the sugar program
unchanged.
PLC payments are provided to producers
with base acres of wheat, feed grains, oilseeds and pulses on a commodity by com-
Producers of cattle, sheep, grain, alfalfa and many other crops will also see numerous changes in the new farm bill. Less money
is expected to flow through government programs to farms under the new bill, but producers can apply for new insurance
programs that protect farms against natural disasters and diseases.
modity basis when market prices fall below
a reference price established by USDA. The
payment rate is the difference between the
reference price and the annual national average market price or marketing assistance
loan rate if higher. For each covered commodity the payment amount is the payment
rate times 85 percent of base acres times
payment yield. A one-time opportunity is
offered to reallocate at farm’s base acres
based on 2009-12 plantings and to update
the farm’s payment yields to 2008-12 average yields. Producers may choose which
of their covered commodities to enroll in
PLC but once that decision is made it stays
in place for the life of the 2014 Farm Act.
Payments are reduced on an acre-by-acre
basis for producers who plant fruits or vegetables on payment acres. Reference prices
for crops grown in Idaho are as follows:
wheat, $5.50 per bushel; corn, $3.70 per
bushel; barley, $4.95 per bushel; oats, $2.40
per bushel; oilseeds, $20.15 per hundredweight; dry peas, $11 per hundredweight;
lentils, $19.97 per hundredweight; small
chickpeas, $19.04 per hundredweight; large
chickpeas, $21.54 per hundredweight.
Under the ARC Program, producers may
choose county-based or individual coverage. County-based ARC payments are
provided to producers with base acres of
covered commodities when county crop
revenue (actual average county yield times
national farm price) drops below 86 percent of the county benchmark revenue
calculated separately for irrigated and
non-irrigated crops. The county ARC payment amount is the difference between the
per-acre guarantee and actual per-acre revenue, times 85 percent of the base acres of
the commodity.
For producers who choose ARC using individual farm revenue instead of county
based coverage, the payment is based on
the difference between the individual farm
guarantee and actual individual farm revenue. The farm’s individual ARC guarantee
equals 86 percent of the farm’s individual
benchmark guarantee, defined as the ARC
guarantee price times the five-year average
individual yield, excluding the years with
highest and lowest yields, summing across
all crops on the farm weighting by plantings. The payment amount is the individual
farm payment rate, the difference between
the individual farm guarantee and actual
individual farm revenue, but no greater
than 10 percent of the farm’s benchmark
revenue times 65 percent of base acres for
all covered commodities on the individual
farm, according to USDA.
Payment limitations are limited to $125,000
for each individual actively engaged in
farming, without specific limitations by
program. A spouse may receive an additional $125,000. The limitation is applied
to the total of payments for covered commodities from the PLC and ARC programs
and marketing loan gains and loan deficiency payments under the marketing assistance loan program.
See FARM BILL page 22
7
STALLMAN
Farmers and other landowners
should be concerned that the
federal government is proposing
to regulate ditches and, in some
cases, even dry land. Based on
a leaked version of the rule, any
landscape feature that could be
found to contribute any flow
that eventually reaches a water
of the U.S. would be regulated
the same as the Mighty Mississippi! More landowners will
have to apply for federal permits to make changes in how
they use their land. Uncertainty
about whether the government
PRIESTLEY
perseverance and cooperation
during what was a long, difficult and politically charged
farm bill cycle.
Including the cuts already made
through sequestration, the Farm
Bill will save $23 billion over
the next 10 years. It will enhance rural economies with additional jobs, invest in research
and education and include
reform that works for farm and
ranch families. Importantly, the
bill also provides disaster provisions for livestock producers
and fruit and vegetable growers.
These programs are especially
important here in Idaho where
many different specialty crops
are grown. Both livestock and
specialty crop producers will
now have an added level of security to help manage the inherent risks associated with crop
and livestock production.
The new Margin Protection
Program for dairy producers
and the phase out of the old
Milk Income Loss Contract
8
would issue a permit could be
an innovation killer.
Ineffective Exemptions
EPA has claimed that the proposal won’t be so bad because
of exemptions. The exemptions
may help some avoid costly permit requirements, but the agencies have so narrowed them that
most farming activities do not
qualify. If a young, beginning
farmer changed his grandfather’s land from, say, a cornfield
to an apple orchard, he would
have to get a permit or face up
to $37,500 a day in fines. Homebuilders and other industries
(MILC) are welcome changes.
For more details on this program see the article beginning
on page 6 of this magazine.
Livestock producers can also
benefit from a new indemnity
program that provides protection against natural disasters
and diseases. Big changes are in
store for grain producers with
the repeal of direct payments,
countercyclical payments and
the Average Crop Revenue
Election (ACRE) program. Producers are advised to take some
time and weigh the differences
in the new Price Loss Coverage
and the Agriculture Risk Coverage insurance programs. Farmers have the option of choosing
one or the other and then insuring at various levels of risk
protection. Picking which one
works best for each farming operation will be critical.
Another important change to
note is the new level for payment limitations. Reading and
understanding these changes at
the onset is very important.
that fuel our economy would
face similar requirements.
Also, the existing exemption
for agricultural stormwater—
water that stands on a field after
a heavy rain—would no longer
benefit farmers because the land
underneath would be subject to
federal regulation.
Economic Impact
EPA had to do an economic
impact analysis of the proposal
and it did—sort of. Through
selective use of data and outdated studies, by not addressing
all the costs of getting permits
and by dramatically underes-
Now signed into law, the 2014
law will allow the Agriculture
Department to begin planning
timating the acreage affected,
the analysis cooks the books
in favor of the proposed rule.
Other economists say the government’s analysis doesn’t hold
water.
You would think that with the
economic challenges we face
and with such an unsound
basis for the proposed rule the
administration would shelve it.
Instead, it is likely to publish
it soon. Then we will see how
serious the administration is
about growing the economy and
creating jobs.
for implementation of the bill’s
provisions.
The lifeblood of America .
They’re the humble heroes who rise before dawn and battle
the elements. They put clothes on our backs and food on
our tables. Their genuine values and tireless work ethic are
an inspiration to us all. We appreciate all that America’s
farmers do and invite you to join us in saying thanks at
www.fbfs.com/SayThanksToAFarmer.
/SayThanksToAFarmer
FB02-ID (7-13)
ID-Tribute(7-13).indd 1
Idaho Farm Bureau producer / APRIL6/6/13
20143:41 PM
9
Focus on Agriculture
Turning Lemons into Lemonade
By Jake Carter
Change can be tough. Especially for farmers.
I come from a long line of Georgia farmers
who faced both ups and downs throughout the generations, but that’s par for the
course with farming. It takes a special
breed of person to farm thanks to the many
challenges that Mother Nature, the markets
and public opinion throw our way. It’s how
we navigate those bumps in the road that
show what farmers are made of. It’s how
we adapt to change.
I am the fifth generation of my family to
10
farm our land. We started out as a dairy,
which lasted for four generations. But,
right around the time that I returned home
from college to take over the family farm,
urban sprawl began taking over our neck
of the woods. Our farm, which had been in
our family since 1938, was on the verge of
being taken for development.
I knew that one of my first decisions as entrepreneur of our farm would be my toughest. I was being forced to either hang it up
or to change. But for me, not farming was
never an option. Like many farmers, I grew
up knowing there was no other career for
me. I studied business at the University of
Georgia so I could return home and be the
best farmer I could be. Farming is a business and I wanted to treat it that way.
So, when it came time for me to make a
tough decision about selling the farm,
the businessman in me—the farmer in
me—instead took it as an opportunity
to go in a new direction. My wife and
I turned our dairy farm into an educational opportunity for suburban and city
kids to learn what farming is all about.
Through school tours and agri-tourism,
we are putting a face on farming. We
See FOCUS ON AG, page 21
11
Academy Award winning director James Moll directed “Farmland: The Movie.” The film, which tells a positive story about U.S. agriculture, is set to be
released in May.
“Farmland:The Movie”
Coming to a Theatre Near You
American family farm. By Jake Putnam
A generation of young Americans know
little about farming.
An Academy Award winning director
had the daunting task of venturing where
few have been before, documenting the
12
Oscar-award winning director James
Moll set out in his latest film: ‘Farmland:
The Movie’ to shatter the public perception of farming while telling a compelling story.
In the wake of anti-farm movies Likes
Food, Inc. and King Corn, Moll signed
on at the urging of the U.S. Farmers and
Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) to tell a story largely ignored by mainstream media.
Editing just wrapped up on the project,
and sneak previews across the country
are favorable, with a trailer on YouTube
and a flurry of stories in the Ag press and
other social media outlets.
In the wake of anti-farm movies Likes Food, Inc. and
King Corn, Moll signed on at the urging of the U.S.
Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) to tell a story
largely ignored by mainstream media.
manure on his fields under the watchful
eyes of the camera. “Sometimes your
brains says you ought not drive through
that part of the field because it’s wet,” he
said. But he did anyway and buried the
tractor. Thankfully, that part ended up on
the cutting room floor.
“While making Farmland, I found myself immersed in a community of some of
the most hardworking, passionate people
I’ve ever met,” said Moll. “This film isn’t
just about what it’s like to be a farmer,
it’s about a way of life. It’s also about a
subject that affects our lives daily. I make
documentaries because it’s a thrill to explore new topics and meet people that I
might not otherwise cross paths with.”
Loberg of Nebraska said one of the photographers had terrible luck on his farm.
“When we were planting he was running
across the field at night and the sunglasses
came off his head. I ran over them with
the planter. Then during harvest he was
coming off the combine and his IPhone
fell out of a pocket and I drove over it.”
The movie is timely because of drastically changing demographics in the United
States. There are now more than 80 million Americans born after the millennium, and most of them are at least two
or three generations separated from their
farm roots. This new generation doesn’t
understand how crops are grown. Yet
studies show that the millennial generation has a deep interest in food. Millenials
are loosely defined as people who reached
adulthood around the year 2000.
The challenge filmmakers faced is showing what “real farming” looks like. ‘Farmland’ takes viewers into barns, fields and
farmhouses showing farmers at work and
play. The film peaks into their lives showing their worries and triumphs. The underlying theme plays out perfectly, showing that the film is about farmers, not for
farmers.
“As important as farmers are, the agriculture audience will certainly get the
ball rolling, but they’re not the target
audience,” said Randy Krotz, CEO, U.S.
Farmers & Ranchers Alliance, a major
sponsor of the film.
was home eating lunch when he got the
call. “You never know what the next phone
call might bring,” Cooley recalls. “We’re
sometimes skeptical of the next call.” The
young farmer got online and checked
Moll out, when he saw the impressive
contacts and credits, he signed on.
The Cooley’s like many country folk love
to entertain curious friends on their farm
and those numbers have increased thanks
to a trend of devoted people referred to
as “foodies.” “We love bringing people
out to the farm. Any chance we have to
let someone check out the farm, we enjoy
it,” said Cooley. “If they can see what we
do on a daily basis, they leave feeling so
much better about the food we eat. This
was an incredible experience.”
Moll visited each farm 4 different times
throughout the growing season. His cameras ran sun up till after sundown each
day. It’s hoped that this sampling will reflect the truths about U.S. Agriculture in a
way not seen before, warts and all.
Crews shot hundreds of hours of tape during the yearlong project. The end result,
according to the farm press, is a very human, and very interesting film. They add
it’s a compelling snapshot of agriculture
Farmland’s theatrical run this spring will play in 25 major markets across the nation. A shorter, 44-minute version edited for schools is planned after that. For more
information, visit http://www.farmlandfilm.com/. The filmmaker purposely didn’t tell
his farmers much about the project. “I
thought the film was one of those how-to
documentaries,” said Nebraska corn and
soybean farmer David Loberg. “I had no
idea it was about me.”
Moll searched the country and settled
on a cross section of six 20-something
farmers. He found each and every family
unique and compelling but also wanted to
represent different farm, crops and production methods.
Brad Bellah of Texas said the film makers didn’t gloss over difficult days on the
ranch. “There’s a certain scene in the film
where we’re having a tough time getting
cattle to go where they’re supposed to. If
you’re watching we’re trying to push cattle right where the cameraman is standing, the cattle didn’t cooperate. Cameras
were rolling 24-7, I can’t think of any big
problems, but they shot what they saw.”
Georgia poultry farmer Leighton Cooley
Cooley of Georgia was spreading chicken
in America. When the film hits urban
markets Moll will find out if he succeeded
in reaching the audience target.
Moll is an Oscar-winning filmmaker who
has directed and produced numerous documentaries covering topics from the Holocaust to an epic trek across the Sahara
Desert, teaming up with Matt Damon and
Steven Spielberg along the way.
Farmland’s theatrical run this spring will
play in 25 major markets across the nation. A shorter, 44-minute version edited
for schools is planned after that. For more
information, visit http://www.farmlandfilm.com/. Idaho Farm Bureau producer / APRIL 2014
13
A sheep shearing crew with members from New Zealand, Australia, Japan and Wyoming work at Soulen Livestock this spring.
Spring Sheep Shearing Completed in Southwest Idaho
By Jake Putnam
LETHA — This spring Harry Soulen
trailed several thousand sheep from winter
range south of Kuna to shearing sheds east
of Emmett.
Soulen’s herd looked like a cloud of wool
slowing winding on the long road north to
the annual spring shearing operation.
“We started moving the very end of February from the Birds of Prey in south Ada
County, through Caldwell north to Black
Canyon and we ended up here at Letha.
We started shearing the 7th of March and
finished up after 10 days,” said Soulen of
Soulen Livestock.
Soulen is a third generation herder. His
family has trailed sheep over this very
route since the 1920’s. Soulen Livestock
runs 7,000 sheep and a couple hundred
head of cattle. This annual trek signals the
start of spring harvest and lambing.
14
“We vaccinate them, ear tag a few ewes
and we try and get turned around here by
the end of March,” he said. The shearing operation transforms the
deserted sheds as Soulen Livestock into a
mini village. More than a dozen shearers
and tenders come from all over the world,
all staying in RV’s festooned with satellite
dishes, a parking lot and clotheslines of
drying laundry.
The Shearing boss running this phase of
operation is Cliff Hoopes from Wyoming.
According to Soulen, Hoopes has sheared
sheep for almost 20 years. His crew is not
only the best but one of the last crews operating in the Intermountain area. Soulen
says it’s hard to find good shearers.
“One of the problems we have here in the
U.S. is that there aren’t enough shearers
around as there used to be. It’s kind of like
sheepherders, there’s not many sheepherd-
ers either, so most of these shearers come
in from overseas,” said Soulen.
The shearing crew is a lean, seven-man
operation. A crowded semi-truck trailer
serves as a mobile shearing shed. Inside
the music booms over the buzz of clippers.
Each shearer can clip sheep with astonishing speed and agility. In just a couple of
minutes a shearer can strip off the wool
with speed and precision. The massive pile
of wool is pushed out of a chute where it’s
packed and compressed into 400-pound
bales.
“Hoopes is an American and he has another
kid that is just starting out from Wyoming,
but the rest are foreigners,” said Soulen.
“We’ve got guys from New Zealand, a guy
from Australia and even a young man from
Japan of all places.”
Although the atmosphere in shearing camp
is international, all bound together by wool.
There are two lines in large chaotic process. First is the wooly side running into
the shed and the other is the clean, sheared
line both stretching as far as the eye can
see. The sheep are visibly relieved to shed
the heavy coat of wool and begin the next
phase of the season. “After we get done shearing we make up
the spring bands, we vaccinate the ewes,
ear tag a few ewes and then we try and get
turned out of here the end of March and
start trailing for the lambing range,” Soulen said. “These ewes will start lambing
about the 6th of April so we have to get up
on the lambing range ahead of them to start
lambing.”
The nation’s sheep industry has been
plagued for decades by drought, predators,
high fuel and feed costs, volatile lamb prices and dwindling labor. Idaho is ranked 7th in national wool production and makes up 6-percent of the US
market with 180,000 sheep now headed to
spring ranges all across the southern half
of Idaho. But numbers are down drastically from seven decades ago when the Gem
State boasted millions of sheep.
Ranchers like Soulen see a resurgence in
the making. Lamb prices are up and wool
prices are making a healthy comeback.
Wool is making a comeback as a wonder
fiber, finding niche markets in everything
from military uniforms to camping gear
and extreme sports apparel.
“Manufacturers have found what we’ve
known for decades, and that’s wool keeps
you warm in winter and cool in summer, its
simple as that,” said Soulen. “We’re excited
we’ve weathered droughts, terrible markets
and picky eaters,” now we’re getting a second look and we’re making money again.”
The market dipped early last year, then in
August started coming back and now the
lamb market is strong at a time when beef
is near an all-time high, pork is high and
the world market is demanding more protein.
“We’re looking at real good lamb market
right now,” said Soulen. “It looks to stay
strong for a while if some other factors
don’t screw it up. On the wool side, there’s
a shortage of wool worldwide, but the market’s been flat since January. The dollar is
strong against foreign currencies and that’s
depressed our prices.”
Domestic wool prices are down 15-20 percent of where they were in December, but
projections show the market will bounce
back this summer. Soulen plans to hold
onto the wool until the market improves.
He says it’s a classic cyclical pattern and
they’ll wait it out.
“As far as the business is concerned the
lambs are still worth more than the wool,
but both are important products we’re
producing,” said Phil Soulen, patriarch of
Soulen Livestock. “No doubt about it, it’s
the best fiber there is, because it wicks the
moisture away.”
A herd of fresh sheared sheep made the
trek to the lambing range. From there they
will be trailed to the summer high country
where the grass stays green until August.
For the past eight decades the Soulen’s
have set their clock by the seasons of the
sheep.
Workers prepare freshly shorn wool for compressing and packaging into 400-pound bales at Soulen Livestock near Emmett.
15
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405 West 17th Street
(800) 227-7381 or 529-1951
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222 1st Street
(208)746-3663
Pocatello
L & K Carpet One Floor & Home
129 North Second Avenue
(208) 233-6190
Carpet
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739 West Appleway Avenue
(866) 497-5088
Twin Falls
Laminate
Pioneer Carpet One Floor & Home
326 2nd Avenue South
(866) 497-8176 or 734-6015
McCall
Lake Fork Design Center
13872 Highway 55
(208) 634-4599
Boise
Vinyl
Some stores will have designated staff to handle
Farm Bureau members so members should
identify themselves at the beginning of the
process. This will prevent them from having to
switch staff in the middle of the selection process.
If you have any questions, call 208-239-4289.
16
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(208) 263-5138
17
“All are Thugs”
By Timothy Prather
A horticultural manual by University of
Georgia professor of horticulture, Michael
Dirr, concludes its section on shrubs in
the genus Polygonum stating, “Be leery
and careful when considering the above
for the garden. All are thugs.” Sometimes called Polygonum, sometimes Fallopia, the genus contains several shrubs
that were imported for horticulture. The
shrubs include giant knotweed with large
leaves and large round and hollow stems.
Active boys don’t always want to sit and
wait for their food. I was tasked on a trip
that involved a stop for pizza in Hope,
Idaho, with getting our boys outside until
pizza was ready. There was giant knotweed just across the street and those big
leaves were an instant hit with young
curious minds. Giant knotweed is an impressive plant and I can see why people
were interested in planting it. Interest was
wide ranging and other knotweeds like
Himalayan or Japanese knotweeds were
introduced for their showy white flower
display and ease of growth.
While most plants brought in for aesthetics are not invasive, a small percentage
is invasive and cause us problems in the
home landscape and the more extensive
landscape that includes our forests. In
the case of the knotweeds some of the
problems within the landscape include
sending out underground stems that form
18
Bohemian knotweed is a hybrid and the dominant knotweed in Idaho.
new above ground shoots that crowd out
everything else in the ornamental bed.
Those shoots don’t stop within the beds,
sometimes they even come up in bed
rooms. The British Isles have tremendous
problems with knotweeds and I have seen
a picture of one coming up through the
floor into a house. I have even seen shoots
coming up through asphalt driveways!
Unfortunately the problems don’t stop
there. Knotweeds are a problem along
streams. Most of the time the plants reproduce by underground stems and these
underground stems can be carried downstream if dislodged from stream banks
during flood periods in the spring. In addition, the stems themselves can root at
nodes so stems are broken off and float
downstream may find a new home, creating new clumps of shrubs often several hundred yards from the last known
clump. The root system is not as dense
as the above ground foliage and so the
stream banks are not held together tightly
in contrast to native shrubs along streams.
During high water the lack of stream
bank stability can result in scouring of
river banks. Changes to river banks can
change how and where water flows. The
knotweeds grow each year from a woody
base and die back to ground with the
first killing frost. Each year the shrubs
can produce around 30 tons of stems and
leaves. A good grass hay crop may tip the
scales at 2 tons so knotweeds are handsdown winners in production.
Other changes can result from knotweeds
becoming the dominant vegetation.
Streams and rivers are fed by leaves and
other plant material and the vegetation is
eaten by insects in the water. Those insects, in turn, often become food for fish.
Terrestrial insects can fall into the water,
providing food for fish. A study at Cornell
University looked at areas dominated by
Japanese knotweed and other areas dominated by native plants. The researchers
wanted to know if the insect communities were similar between the areas and
they came up with an ingenious way of
testing for insects. The researchers put
out cages in the two types of plant com-
and research by other universities, the
herbicides Renovate 3 and Habitat both
can effectively control knotweeds. These
herbicides have labelled uses around water. Prior to using either herbicide, be sure
to consult and follow the label and determine if other permits are needed before
applying an herbicide around water. Both
herbicides can affect other plants besides
knotweeds so they must be carefully applied to avoid injury to desired plants.
Knotweeds form dense canopies that shade out other plants.
munities. The cages would allow insects
to move through the cages. However the
cages were designed to keep frogs in
them. Frogs were put in the cages and
then after a while removed and weighed.
The frogs in cages placed in native plant
communities gained weight during the
experiment, however the frogs in cages
placed in Japanese knotweed dominated
communities actually lost weight. Frogs
losing weight demonstrated a lack of insects in the Japanese knotweed dominated plant communities.
In Idaho, the dominant knotweed is actually a hybrid. The parents are Japanese
knotweed and giant knotweed. Only female Japanese knotweed plants were introduced into North America. However,
giant knotweed plants have male and
female flowers so giant knotweed pollinated Japanese knotweed, forming a new
weed called Bohemian knotweed. The
hybrid can produce fertile seed allowing
Bohemian knotweed the ability to reproduce via seed in addition to vegetative reproduction. The hybrids are more diverse
genetically and can be well adapted to our
conditions through natural selection. The
hybrids are often larger, growing several
feet taller than Japanese knotweed. Bohemian knotweed is obviously well adapted
to Idaho since it is the one we found in
Northern Idaho and Southern Idaho rather than Japanese knotweed.
So what can we do about knotweeds in
our forests? Knowing how to identify
them properly allows for us to take measures to control the right shrubs. We know
that mowing or hand-pulling are not effective. We do know that control can be
achieved with herbicides. In our research
Finding and removing patches of knotweed when the patches are small minimizes cost and minimizes the damage
the plants do to our forest environments.
To learn more about knotweeds you can
get a copy of a Pacific Northwest Bulletin, PNW 610 put out by the cooperative
effort of Oregon State University, Washington State University and University of
Idaho. Online copies can be downloaded
for free. Keep informed and protect the
riparian areas that flow through your
property.
Timothy S. Prather is a professor in the
Department of Plant, Soil and Entomological Sciences College of Agricultural
and Life Sciences, at the University of
Idaho. He can be reached at tprather@
uidaho.edu.
Giant knotweed stems remind people of bamboo.
19
Young Farmers Remain Concerned
About Land Availability
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 11,
2014—Securing adequate land to grow
crops and raise livestock was the top
challenge identified again this year in the
American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual outlook survey of participants in the
Young Farmers & Ranchers program. That
challenge was identified by 22 percent of
respondents, followed by economic challenges, particularly profitability, which was
identified by 15 percent of the respondents.
“For young people today, securing adequate land to begin farming or expand an
established farm or ranch is a major challenge,” said Jake Carter, AFBF’s national
YF&R Committee chair and a farmer from
Georgia. “Another major challenge is figur- Agri-tourism attractions at Southern Belle Farm in Georgia draw visitors from near and far, notes
ing out how to excel—not just survive—in owner Jake Carter.
today’s economy,” he said.
The majority of those surveyed—69 per- ing they had started a new business in the
cent—consider communicating with con- last three years or plan to start one in the
Other issues ranked as top concerns by
sumers a formal part of their jobs. Many near future.
young farmers and ranchers included buruse social media platforms as a tool to acdensome government regulations and red
The survey also shows that America’s
complish this. The popular social media
tape, 12 percent; availability of farm labor
young farmers and ranchers are committed
site Facebook is used by 74 percent of those
and related regulations, 9 percent; water
environmental caretakers, with 55 percent
surveyed. Twenty-two percent of responavailability and urbanization of farm land,
using conservation tillage to protect soil
dents said they use the social networking
7 percent each; and health care availability
and reduce erosion on their farms.
site Twitter, 16 percent have a farm blog
and cost, 6 percent.
or webpage and 13 percent use YouTube to AFBF President Bob Stallman said the reThe 22nd annual YF&R survey revealed post videos of their farms and ranches.
sults of the YF&R survey point to the future
that 91 percent of those surveyed are more
of U.S. agriculture being in good hands.
“Use of technology and all the tools at our
optimistic about farming and ranching than
fingertips to not only improve production “I am confident that the know-how and
they were five years ago. Last year, 90 perpractices on the farm but also to interact tenacity of our young farmers and ranchcent of those surveyed said they were more
with consumers–our customers–among ers will ensure that the best days are ahead
optimistic about farming compared to five
young farmers continues to grow,” Carter for our country and agriculture,” Stallman
years ago.
said. “Use of social media platforms, per- said. “They are the future of American agThe 2014 survey also shows 93 percent of sonal outreach through farm tours, agri- riculture and food production.”
the nation’s young farmers and ranchers say tourism, farmers’ markets or a combination
The informal survey of young farmers and
they are better off than they were five years of these methods is where we’re at today,”
ranchers, ages 18-35, was conducted at AFago. Last year, 83 percent reported being he added.
BF’s 2014 YF&R Leadership Conference
better off.
High-speed Internet is used by 71 percent in Virginia Beach, Va., in February. The
More than 91 percent considered them- of those surveyed, with 28 percent relying purpose of the YF&R program is to help
selves lifetime farmers, while 88 percent on a satellite connection and fewer than 2 younger members learn more about farmwould like to see their children follow in percent turning to dialup.
ing and ranching, network with other farmtheir footsteps. The informal survey reveals
ers and strengthen their leadership skills to
New this year, the young farmers and
that 87 percent believe their children will
assist in the growth of agriculture and Farm
ranchers were asked about their rural entrebe able to follow in their footsteps.
Bureau.
preneurship efforts, with 40 percent report20
American farm bureau federation news
AFBF Statement on National Agriculture Day
“On National Agriculture Day, it is only
fitting that we celebrate the installation of
a memorial to Dr. Norman Borlaug, the
scientist most closely identified with dramatically improving agricultural productivity through development of high-yield,
disease-resistant crops. All of agriculture
is standing a little taller today, seeing a
statue of Dr. Borlaug being placed in the
U.S. Capitol. His scientific discoveries and
hands-on work to transfer food production
technology transformed agriculture all
around the world. His work moved farm
production from subsistence to the fullest
abundance and most importantly, gave nations the tools to feed their people.
“America’s farms are the world’s most productive in large part because Dr. Borlaug
and his successors showed the way to the
productivity we enjoy today. America’s
food and fiber producers honor his legacy
through sustainable, ethical and scientifically proven production systems and
sound business practices that assure land,
livestock and natural resources will be
here for future generations.
“Dr. Borlaug is credited with saving more
than 1 billion lives; that is simply amazing.
His dedication to advancing innovations
in food production is testimony to why he
was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and
Congressional Gold Medal – and why we
can think of no one more deserving of this
honor.”
Foundation Donations Reach $1.8 Million
Donations to the American Farm Bureau
Foundation for Agriculture totaled $1.8
million for 2013, the highest-ever in a calendar year.
“We rely on our donors to fund our initiatives so we can have an agriculturally literate society,” said Foundation Chairman
Bob Stallman. “Thanks in large part to
generous donor contributions, 2013 was
a remarkable year for the Foundation, in
terms of building awareness, understanding and a positive perception of agriculture
through education.”
Volunteer engagement in local communities to foster a deeper understanding
of food, fiber and energy is a continuing
focus of the Foundation. Urban outreach
events, building partnerships in the STEM
(science, technology, engineering & math)
area, Spanish translations of materials and
creation of additional assessment guides
for educational resources are planned for
2014.
The Foundation continually updates its
tool chest of ready-to-use resources for educators covering a variety of agricultural
themes. Learn more at www.agfoundation.org.
Building awareness through a vibrant social media presence is another initiative of
the Foundation. Find the Foundation on Facebook (Foundation4Ag), Twitter (@AgFoundation) and Pinterest (AgFoundation
FOCUS ON AG
turned the dairy from production agriculture to educational agriculture and added a
u-pick fruit operation.
Our Southern Bell Farm, a 320-acre agritourism destination, offers u-pick strawberries, blueberries and blackberries, a fall
corn maze and educational school tours
year-round. Most importantly, it offers kids
hands-on experiences with agriculture.
to put a face on farming and show people
what we do, how we do what we do, and
also why we do certain things. I consider
myself lucky that I can make that connection in person with the people who visit
our farm. I also realize that in-person farm
visits are not an option for most farmers
and ranchers. But there are always other
ways to connect with consumers, such as
through social media. It doesn’t matter
how we make those connections, just that
we do.
I wholeheartedly believe that farmers need
Times are definitely changing, especially
As the old cliché goes, we took lemons and
made lemonade. for agriculture. My advice to both young
and older farmers is that instead of being
afraid of change, we should embrace it.
You never know, it can lead to wonderful
things. In my case, it definitely led to lemonade.
Georgia farmer Jake Carter is chair of
the American Farm Bureau Federation’s
Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee. Learn more about him and his family’s
farm at: http://southernbellefarm.com/.
21
FARM BILL
The limit on eligibility to receive farm program benefits no
longer distinguishes between
farm and nonfarm income. Under this new rule, any individual with an annual AGI above
$900,000 is ineligible to receive farm program payments
under commodity or conservation programs.
Dairy and Livestock
The new Margin Protection
Program (MPP) introduces
margin insurance that provides
benefits to dairy producers
when the difference between
milk prices and feed costs falls
below a target margin. The
margin is calculated by the difference between the all-milk
price and average feed cost
with payments beginning when
the margin falls below $4 per
hundredweight for a two-month
period. All dairy operations are
eligible to participate at the
minimum level for a $100 administrative fee. Higher levels
of protection are available but
producers must pay both the
administrative fee and a premium established by USDA.
The new Dairy Product Donation Program (DPDP) requires
the Secretary of Agriculture
to purchase dairy products at
market prices for donation to
nutrition programs whenever
the margin between milk and
feed prices falls below the level
established by the MPP.
The Dairy Product Price Support Program (DPPSP), and
Dairy Export Incentive Program (DEIP) are repealed. The
Milk Income Loss Program
(MILC) is extended retroactively to October 1, 2013 and
remains in place until MPP is
22
operational but no later than
September 1, 2014.
The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP),
and Emergency Assistance
for Livestock, Honeybees and
Farm-Raised Fish Program
(ELAP) which provide protection against losses from natural
disasters, including disease,
are now funded through the
Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and are made permanent.
Country of Origin Labeling
(COOL) regulations remain in
place and are extended to include venison.
Conservation
The biggest change under the
Conservation title is the gradual
reduction of the Conservation
Reserve Program (CRP) from
32 million acres to 24 million
acres nationwide by 2017. Several conservation programs
have also been consolidated
reducing the overall number of
conservation programs from 23
to 13 and crop insurance premium subsidies are once again
linked to Conservation Compliance (conservation of highly
erodible land and wetlands) for
the first time since 1996.
The new Agricultural Conservation Easement Program
(ACEP) provides funding for
long term easements for the
restoration of on-farm wetlands. ACEP consolidates
the functions of the Wetlands
Reserve Program, the Grassland Reserve Program and the
Farmland Protection Program.
All land enrolled in these programs on the date of the enactment of the 2014 Farm Act
will be considered enrolled
in ACEP. Annual funding for
these programs is significantly
less than what was provided for
predecessor programs in the
2008 Farm Act.
Beginning
Ranchers
Farmers
and
New programs detailed under
six different farm bill titles attempt to help young farmers
and ranchers get established
and also help farm families
transition to the next generation.
From now until 2018, USDA
has made $33 million available under the Conservation
Reserve Transition Incentive Program to assist retiring
farmers transfer land to beginning farmers and ranchers. The
funding is available nationwide
until expended.
The Beginning Farmer and
Rancher Development Program funds training, education,
outreach and technical assistance to beginning farmers and
ranchers with priority given
to partnerships and collaborations led by or including nongovernmental and community
based organizations.
Several other programs are set
up to benefit young farmers and
ranchers. For more information
on those programs and many
other highlights of the 2014
Farm Act, go to http://www.
ers.usda.gov/agriculturalact-of-2014-highlights-andimplications.aspx.
Celebrating 75 Years Conserving the Idaho Way
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FOR IDAHO SOIL & WATER
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swc.idaho.gov | 208-332-1790
Farm Bureau Members
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800-574-9464
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A $40 room will be closer to
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advanced reservations required
Farm Bureau Discounts
Call the individual air ambulance
provider to learn about their service
areas and to purchase membership.
Make sure that you introduce
yourself as an Idaho Farm Bureau
Member to receive your discount.
23
Grain Marketing with Clark Johnston
Three Factors Contribute to
Stronger Market in First Quarter
By Clark Johnston
Last month we talked about the
volatility that moves into the
market each spring. This year
has been no different than those
in the past. Between February
20th and the 19th of March the
Chicago May wheat contract
moved a dollar higher. Wheat
futures moved back into levels
that we hadn’t seen since the
end of October. Producers that
had been a little depressed that
wheat wouldn’t be a profit center for them this coming year
were all of the sudden looking
seriously at contracting new
crop wheat at a profit.
There were different factors
this year that moved the market higher. The first was that
the market was technically
oversold. Even with a lack of
fundamental news the markets
will move based on the different technical indicators. The
large speculators are here to
stay and they trade these indicators when entering and exiting the market. You may not
necessarily like it but, it would
be a good practice to watch a
few studies as part of your merchandising plan.
The second market mover was
the weather in the Hard Red
Wheat region of the country.
Even with the crop ratings being slightly better than last year
the dry conditions along with
the cold temperatures were
slowly but surely decreasing
the good to excellent rating
and increasing the poor to very
poor conditions. The trade is
24
still watching this very closely
as producers look at replanting some acreage into different
crops based on the winter kill
in the fields. For now it looks
as though the Hard Red Winter
crop isn’t going to be anything
to write home about.
The third factor in the market
strength was Russia. In months
past we have talked about being aware of the unforeseen.
Well, here is a good example.
Of the dollar move higher in
the futures we can attribute
about half to Russia. This has
given producers the added pricing they needed this year. But,
I wouldn’t count on this lasting
very long. Once it becomes old
news and the world trade gets
back to normal (and it will)
prices could very well correct
themselves.
When we look at the wheat
stocks in the world there really isn’t a shortage of wheat.
The stocks to use ratio in both
the US and the world will be
close to 25 percent at the end
of this crop year. This has been
in a steady decline in the US
over the past 4 years and has
remained fairly steady in the
world over the past couple.
Locally we are seeing a reduction in the demand for wheat
this spring. For whatever reason, we have seen the demand
for finished products slowdown
in the past few months. One report from a cereal manufacturer indicated that sales for cold
cereal in the US had dropped
17 percent from last year. The
report didn’t indicate whether
or not consumers had simply
moved to other forms of grain
products or have simply tightened their belts. We have also
seen a slow down with some
of the large flour mills as they
have indicated that they really
don’t need to buy nearby wheat
but are mostly interested in
contracting for closer to June
and July. This slow down at the
flour mills happens every year
but not until we move closer to
the last half of May into June.
As the futures have moved
higher the basis has weakened
resulting in some heartburn for
some producers. Remember,
basis is a good indicator of the
local supply/demand and as we
just talked about the local demand has slowed. The news in
the markets at this time really
isn’t giving us any indication
that that the basis will strengthen significantly as we move
closer to the summer.
Futures have moved higher giving you an opportunity to lock
in the futures side of the pricing equation. It really doesn’t
matter if you are hedging your
old crop or new, it will work the
same. Locking in the futures
side of the price using futures
only contracts (hedge to arrive),
or simply using futures and/or
options. Usually as the futures
move back lower we could see
the basis strengthen giving you
your opportunity for a higher
cash price.
In the corn market prices have
moved considerably higher
Clark Johnston
over the same time frame. May
futures moved 50 cents higher
between the first of the year
and the third week in March.
For the most part the strength in
market came on the U.S. being
the only supplier of export corn
during this time frame. There
is a little talk of acreage being
reduced by as much a 4 million
acres this year but, for now I
wouldn’t bank on this keeping
the corn market at these levels
for very long. Producers have
already bought their seed and
we need to keep in mind that
there was some acreage last
year just wasn’t planted.
Producers should look at looking in at least the futures for
their new crop corn. For now
the consumers should just continue to buy hand to mouth
until the market corrects itself.
The trade feels the carryover
this year will still be between
900 million and a billion bushels. Even figuring a reduction
in acreage of 4 million acres
and yields the same as this past
year the US will produce a very
large crop of corn.
Clark Johnston is a grain marketing specialist who is on
contract with the Idaho Farm
Bureau. He is the owner of
JC Management Company
in Northern Utah. He can be
reached at [email protected]
Farm Bureau Kicks Off ‘Our Food Link’ Program
Farmer and rancher members of Farm Bureau from around the country officially
kicked off the organization’s new “Our
Food Link” program in conjunction with
a conference for state leaders of Women’s
Leadership and Promotion & Education
programs.
with sources of clothing, food, shelter and
energy in their communities is the foundation of this multi-faced new program,” she
said.
“Our Food Link is a year-round program
that county and state Farm Bureaus use to
provide consumers of all ages and backgrounds with information about today’s
agriculture,” explained Terry Gilbert, a
Kentucky farmer and chair of the American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership
Committee. The AFBWLC spearheads
the program with participation open to all
Farm Bureau members.
Our Food Link activities range from outreach at supermarkets or farmers’ markets
to hosting interactive booths at community events, speaking with lawmakers and
neighbors about food and visiting classrooms to help students understand agricultural topics. Other program ideas include:
an Adopt-a-Farmer program, fun runs,
garden projects and “Zest ’n Zing” or other
foodie events. Our Food Link activities
may also include the collection of food and
monetary donations for Ronald McDonald House Charities or other charities.
“People want to know where their food
comes from and who is growing or raising
it,” Gilbert said. “Helping people connect
About 15 Farm Bureau members shopped
for and donated food to Ronald McDonald
House Charities of Greater Washington,
D.C., this week. The connection between
Farm Bureau and Ronald McDonald House
Charities was forged in the mid-1990s.
Since then, Farm Bureau members have
donated more than $3 million in food and
monetary contributions to Ronald McDonald Houses and other charities.
25
Top Farm Bureau Agents
Rookie of the Month:
Lynnae Gliege Agent of the Month:
Dale Zimney Agency of the Month:
Mellon Agency (Elaine Mellon)
Idaho Farm Bureau members can save a
significant amount on their medications.
Take 5 minutes to get a price quote.
USE IDAHO FARM BUREAU CODE (IDFB)
Toll-Free Phone 1.866.335.8064
www.thecanadianpharmacy.com
26
Step 1:
Call 1.866.335.8064 or go to
www.thecanadianpharmacy.com
Step 2:
Tell them you are with the Idaho
Farm Bureau (code IDFB) and that you
need a price quote on your medication.
Step 3:
If this price is lower than what you
currently pay, then The Canadian
Pharmacy will help you get your
prescription at the discounted price.
2014 Legislative Session Yields Big News for Idaho’s Secondary
Agricultural Education Programs
Idaho FFA and agricultural education partners express heartfelt appreciation to
everyone who helped support the 2014 Idaho Agricultural Education Initiative
A number of Idaho FFA members and agricultural education partners gathered in Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter’s
office with key legislative supporters on March 18 to celebrate the signing of SB 1275 into law which provides
for Idaho Agricultural Education start up grants and incentive grants for instructors meeting the Idaho Program
Quality Standards. In addition, the passage of SB 1416 increased the 'added cost' funding for every secondary
agricultural education classroom to $15,000 from $10,260—the first increase since 1998, and SB 1414 also
passed unanimously to fund a full time state FFA coordinator position. Among those attending the signing
ceremony were, from left, State FFA President Brett Wilder, State FFA Vice President Daniel Heikkila,
Representative Darrell Bolz, Macy Hagler, Senator Dan Johnson, Senator Jim Patrick, Governor Otter,
Agriculture Director Celia Gould, Senator Bert Brackett, Representative Julie VanOrden, Senator John Goedde,
Representative Ken Andrus, Kristin Nesbitt, Justin Nesbitt and Christina Schram.
To learn more visit www.idahoagedinitiative.com and Idaho Ag Ed Initiative 2014 on Facebook.
Thank you Idaho Farm Bureau Federation
for your support of Agricultural
Education and FFA in Idaho!
27
County Happenings
The Idaho Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee toured the Scentsy Plant in Meridian in late March as part of their annual leadership
conference. Photo by Steve Ritter
Lazy MC Trooper 21Y, owned by Russell Fehringer of Lakeview Ag and Livestock in American Falls, won the Red Angus Grand Champion Bull at the
Forth Worth Stock Show in Fort Worth Texas.
28
29
100 Years and Counting
The Richel family farm near Worley was recently recognized as one of Idaho’s Century Farms.
By Bob Smathers
The Richel family farm reached the 100
year milestone in 2014. The farm, located
southeast of Worley, Idaho was given Century Farm status by the Idaho Historical
Society on Saturday, January 25, 2014. A
ceremony was held at the Worley Grange.
The oldest living descendant of the Richel
family, Darleen Sheldon, said proudly that
the property has been farmed by the family
since it was purchased by her grandparents
Carl and Mabel Richel in 1914. Currently,
her daughter Sharon and son-in-law Jeff
Bloomsburg, who are Farm Bureau members are farming the property. The farm
was a dairy operation in the early part of
the century, but now raises crops and livestock.
The Bloomsburg children have fond
memories of being raised on the farm. Joe
Bloomsburg (Darleen’s grandson) who is a
student in Agriculture Systems Management at the University of Idaho is hopeful
that the farm will stay in the family for
many generations.
30
Members of the extended family receive recognition for being part of an Idaho Century Farm.
Grain marketing expert Clark Johnston conducted a seminar in Latah County in early March.
Latah County Farm Bureau Hosts Marketing Seminar
Article and photo by Bob Smathers
Clark Johnston from JC Management in
Ogden, Utah was invited to speak March
6 at the Farm Bureau office in Moscow on
grain marketing and the new GrainBridge
program offered to Farm Bureau members.
Mr. Johnston started off by talking briefly
about the grain markets and where they are
presently, then gave an overview of some
tools available to farmers in marketing
their grain.
“Basis is a good indicator of the local market,” Johnston said. Understanding basis
is crucial to knowing when to hold and
sell grain. Johnston said growers should
be tracking basis weekly. He also covered
other marketing tools such as hedging, call
options, put options, and hedge to arrive
contracts etc.
After the marketing seminar concluded,
Johnston spent an hour or so talking about
the new GrainBridge program that Farm
Bureau is offering its members to help
them grow their farm operations and better
organize their businesses.
“This program is an excellent way for farmers to create marketing plans that provide
both break even and profit targets,” he said.
The program is designed to help growers
manage their whole farm business; every
component of the farm business can be
managed by this program. Growers can
create personal crop plans on a whole farm
basis or even field-by-field.
Plans can be built for multiple years with
crop insurance, break-even analysis and
profit targets incorporated. The program
can be used to monitor all components of
risk management. “The program is an excellent farm management/marketing tool,”
he said. “And best of all it is free to Farm
Bureau members.” Once a whole year’s
worth of information has been entered into
the program, it can be carried over in subsequent years and modified as necessary.”
A livestock option has also been added
to GrainBridge and will be available this
spring.
About 18 growers attended the marketing
seminar in Moscow.
31
Natural Resources Camp Helps Students Learn about Idaho
Campers ages 12 to 14 years
will see and learn about Idaho
natural resources in some of
the state’s most scenic settings
near Sun Valley June 23-28.
University of Idaho Extension
and the Idaho Association of
Soil Conservation Districts
again will sponsor the annual Natural Resources Camp,
which has roots stretching back
more than 60 years.
Campers will explore and learn
about Idaho’s wildlife, fish,
forests, water, range and soils
during their five-day stay at the
Central Idaho 4-H Camp north
of Ketchum. The registration
fee is $235 by May 21 and $255
after. Scholarships are available
through Soil Conservation District offices throughout Idaho.
This is also the second year of a
new focus on Idaho volcanism.
That topic is tied to the recent
32
revival of a popular University
of Idaho Extension 4-H camp
tradition that dates back to the
1950s, swimming at Easley
Hot Springs, which is heated
by geothermal springs. Photos
show 4-H members there in
1953.
A Lewis and Clark expeditionstyle field trip to see examples
of Idaho’s natural resources
and what campers learned during the week is being revamped
this year, said camp director
Amber Moore, a UI Extension
soil specialist at Twin Falls.
This year’s session also will
pay homage to Dorrell Larsen,
who helped found the Natural
Resources Workshop more
than 50 years ago. He passed
away Nov. 2, 2013 at age 84 at
Boise. He began working with
University of Idaho Extension
as an irrigation specialist based
at Boise in 1956.
An early advocate for environmental education, he established and chaired the workshop, Idaho’s first residential
summer workshop, from 1962
to 1991.
The family suggested remembrances may be made to the
Dorrell Larsen Memorial Fund,
University of Idaho Foundation, 875 Perimeter Dr. MS
3143, Moscow, ID 83844-3143
for the benefit of the natural resources workshop.
More information about the
camp, including a video from
2013, is available online at extension.udaho.edu/nrc.
Report Shows Labor Challenges Lead to
Loss in GDP, Farm Income
The Partnership for a New American
Economy and the Agriculture Coalition
for Immigration Reform today released
a new report showing how American families are eating more imported fresh produce today than ever before, in substantial
part because U.S. fresh produce growers
lack enough labor to expand their production and compete with foreign importers.
“American consumers want fresh U.S
grown fruits and vegetables, but our farmers don’t have the labor force available to
meet that demand,” said John Feinblatt,
Chairman of the Partnership for a New
American Economy. “This means more
produce is imported, and our economy loses millions of dollars and thousands of jobs
every year. We need to pass immigration
reform now, so our food remains homegrown and our economy strong.”
“On the issue of farm labor, we have a
growing amount of evidence that all points
in the same direction: Farmers and consumers both need responsible immigration reform,” said American Farm Bureau
Federation President Bob Stallman, a cattle
and rice farmer from Texas.
Key Findings
In recent years, the share of fresh fruits and
vegetables consumed by American families that was imported has grown by 79.3
percent.
In America, our production of fresh produce and the demands of consumers are increasingly out-of-sync. While the amount
of fresh produce and vegetables consumed
by Americans has grown in recent years,
production levels have either barely grown
or declined.
Had U.S. fresh fruit and vegetable growers
been able to maintain the domestic market
share they held from 1998-2000, their communities would have enjoyed a substantial
economic boost, resulting in an estimated
$4.9 billion in additional farming income
and 89,300 more jobs in 2012 alone. U.S.
GDP would have been $12.4 billion higher
in 2012.
Labor challenges faced by U.S. farmers and
the inadequacies of the H-2A visa program
are a key reason why American farmers
have been unable to maintain their share
of the domestic market. Labor alone can
explain as much as $3.3 billion in missed
GDP growth in 2012. It also accounts for
$1.4 billion in farm income that wasn’t realized that year.
The data for this report was compiled by
Steven Broners, Ph.D., a Senior Economist
at Welch Consulting.
This event and report are part of the #iFarmImmigration campaign that brings
more than 70 of the largest agriculture
groups together with the Partnership for a
New American Economy to tell Washington that we need immigration reform now.
About the Partnership for a New
American Economy
The Partnership for a New American
Economy brings together more than 500
Republican, Democratic and Independent
mayors and business leaders who support
immigration reforms that will help create
jobs for Americans today. The Partnership’s members include mayors of more
than 35 million people nationwide and
business leaders of companies that generate more than $1.5 trillion and employ more
than 4 million people across all sectors of
the economy, from Agriculture to Aerospace, Hospitality to High Tech and Media
to Manufacturing. Partnership members
understand that immigration is essential
to maintaining the productive, diverse and
flexible workforce that America needs to
ensure prosperity over the coming generations. Learn more at www.RenewOurEconomy.org. About the Agriculture Workforce Coalition
The Agriculture Workforce Coalition
(AWC) brings together organizations representing the diverse needs of agricultural
employers across the country. AWC serves
as the unified voice of agriculture in the
effort to ensure that America’s farmers,
ranchers and growers have access to a stable and secure workforce.
The founding members of the AWC
are: American Farm Bureau Federation, American Nursery & Landscape
Association, Florida Fruit & Vegetable
Association, National Council of Agricultural Employers, National Council of
Farmer Cooperatives, National Milk Producers Federation, USA Farmers, U.S.
Apple Association, United Fresh Produce Association, Western Growers Association, and Western United Dairymen.
To learn more about AWC, visit our website at www.agworkforcecoalition.org.
About the Agriculture Coalition for
Immigration Reform
The Agriculture Coalition for Immigration Reform (ACIR) is the broad national
coalition representing over 300 national,
regional, and state organizations whose
members produce fruit and vegetables,
dairy, nursery and greenhouse crops, poultry, livestock, and Christmas trees. In the
113th Congress, ACIR is working handin-hand as a coalition partner with the Ag
Workforce Coalition to achieve meaningful near-term and lasting workforce solutions for American agriculture.
33
Ruling Issued on
Commercial Use of
Drones An administrative law judge
with the National Transportation Safety Board has ruled
the Federal Aviation Administration cannot fine drone
operators who use small
drones for commercial use.
This ruling allows the use of
drones that fly below 400 feet
and prevents the FAA from
enforcing its policy notices
that restrict the use of drones
because the notices were
not written within the federal rulemaking process. The
FAA has not announced if it
will appeal the decision. AFBF supports the use of
drones for commercial purposes (i.e., agriculture, forestry and other natural resource
use), and is initiating conversations with drone companies
and the FAA to allow farmers
and ranchers to use drones in
their operations.
‘Right to Grow’
GMO Program
“Now more than ever, it is
imperative that American
farmers have access to new
technologies to continue to
provide a safe, healthy and
affordable food supply both
domestically and internationally,” said American Farm
Bureau Federation President
Bob Stallman in a statement
issued recently. Further, Stallman noted, “While the U.S.
regulatory system is built on
34
predictability and ensuring
that new technology is safe,
we also recognize that our
international customers are
subject to their own regulatory systems. As such, it is
important that U.S. exporters
meet the needs of our export
customers.
AFBF applauded the announcement between Syngenta and Gavilon Grain, LLC,
concerning the companies’
agreement to ensure that
farmers who are looking to
plant new technologies have
a reliable way to market their
product.
EPA’s Proposed
Rules on Water
“E.P.A.’s Proposed Rules
on Water Worry Farmers,”
a New York Times article by
Ron Nixon, explores how
new rules proposed by the
Environmental
Protection
Agency could affect farmers,
particularly provisions that
require them to get permits
for work for which they have
long been exempt. Expanded
EPA jurisdiction is likely to
be costly and time-consuming for farmers.
Don Parrish, senior director of regulatory relations at
the American Farm Bureau
Federation, noted in the article that EPA and the Army
Corps of Engineers have a lot
of authority to interpret the
rules as they choose, despite
reassurances from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack
and agency officials that farm
work will not be curtailed.
“They can say farmers won’t
be impacted by this expansion of authority, but the truth
is we just don’t know,” Parrish said. “And from what
we have seen from the draft
of the regulations, it’s really
hard to tell.”
Nominations
Accepted for ‘40 Under 40’ Program
Vance Publishing is accepting nominations for its “40
Under 40” program through
June 30. “Nominate a young
hero in agriculture under the
age of 40 who has made a
difference,” encourages the
program’s website. Top winners will be part of an elite
group of honorees that together can help solve “the
2050 challenge”—feeding a
global population of 9.1 billion people.
Proposed New Worker Protection
Standard Rule
The Environmental Protection Agency has published a
proposed rule in the Federal
Register to revise the worker
protection standard rule governing handling and application of pesticides. EPA announced recently it would formally propose the rule. Proposed revisions to the WPS
rule have been extensively
discussed for years among
EPA and outside stakeholders,
including farmers, ranchers,
worker advocates and others.
The principal changes EPA is
proposing include shortening
the grace period during which
pesticide applicators must
be trained; expanded training requirements; expanded
record-keeping requirements;
age restrictions on certain
duties; changes to the ‘immediate family’ exemption;
and more frequent training
requirements. Current deadline for comments is June 17.
Trout Value of Sales
Increased
The total value of fish sales
received by trout growers in
the United States totaled 96.4
million dollars for 2013, an
increase of 4 percent from
2012. Idaho accounted for 46
percent of the total value of
fish sold.
The number of trout 12 inches
and longer sold during 2013
totaled 41.0 million fish, down
2 percent from the previous
year. The average price per
pound was $1.61, up 4 percent
from 2012. The value of sales
for the 2013 marketing year
was 90.4 million dollars, up 5
percent from 2012. For trout
12 inches or longer, 63 percent were sold to processors.
The number of 6”- 12” trout
sold during 2013 totaled 3.66
million fish, a decrease of 46
percent from 2012. The aver-
age price per pound was $3.78
during 2013, up 91 cents from
the 2012 price. The total value
of sales was 5.05 million dollars during 2013, a 15 percent
decrease from the previous
year. The major sales outlets
for 6”-12” trout were for recreational stocking accounting
for 51 percent of total sales,
followed by wholesale to other producers with 18 percent.
The number of 1”- 6” trout
sold during 2013 totaled 6.46
million, a 4 percent decrease
from the previous year. The
average value per 1,000 fish
was $155 during 2013, down
from $162 in 2012. The total
value of sales was 1.00 million dollars, down 9 percent
from last year’s total.
Distributed Trout
Trout distributed for restoration, conservation, enhancement, or recreational purposes, primarily by State and
Federal hatcheries, included
8.49 million 12” or longer
fish, 69.1 million 6”- 12”
fish, and 58.8 million 1”- 6”
fish. The estimated value of
fish distributed totaled 109.5
million dollars, up 5 percent
from 2012.
Ag Producers’
Confidence
Remains Positive
Overall agriculture producer confidence remains
unchanged since last March
despite a drop in producers’
feelings about their current
situation, according to the
latest DTN/The Progressive
Farmer Agriculture Confidence Index. Producers’
overall confidence remained
somewhat positive at 106.9,
up slightly from 105.5 last December and unchanged from
March 2013. The value of 100
is considered neutral. Values
above 100 indicate optimism,
whereas values below signify
pessimism.
The DTN/PF Agriculture
Confidence Index, which surveyed 500 producers between
March 1 and 10, measures
the sentiments of agriculture
producers on their overall impressions of the agriculture
sector. Farmers are also asked
to rate current and long-term
input prices and net farm income to gauge their attitudes
toward the present situation
and future expectations.
Need for More
Agriculture
Scientists
A study conducted by Readex
Research with funds from
the Coalition for a Sustainable Agriculture Workforce
reveals six of the group’s
companies would like to hire
more than 1,000 scientists
over the next two years, representing 13 percent of their
current agricultural scientist
workforce, but qualified candidates are in short supply.
Scientists trained in the fields
of biotechnology, crop protection and seed technology
are in greatest demand. Read
the full study online: http://
bit.ly/1r2DGmW.
New Reporting Tool
for Livestock Feed
Problems
The Livestock Food Reporting Portal will accept reports
about foods made for species
considered to be livestock,
including but not limited to
horses, cattle, swine, poultry
and fish. The Food and Drug
Administration encourages
anyone with concerns about
animal feed to file a report,
including veterinarians and
livestock producers. Read the
Feed & Grain article for more
info.
Expanding SNAP
Access at Farmers’
Markets
With springs arrival, farmers’
markets across the country
are ramping up or reopening
for the season. In addition to
year-round staples like local
milk, meat and grains, the
stars of the season—asparagus, onions, new potatoes,
lamb and greens of all varieties—are beginning to debut.
In a few months’ time, the
markets will be in full swing,
bursting with berries and
zucchini and other summer
fruits and vegetables. USDA
is working hard to ensure participants in the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program
have access to this healthful,
local bounty.
Report Shows Labor
Challenges
The Partnership for a New
American Economy and the
Agriculture Coalition for Immigration Reform recently
released a new report showing
how American families are eating more imported fresh produce today than ever before, in
substantial part because U.S.
fresh produce growers lack
enough labor to expand their
production and compete with
foreign importers.
“American consumers want
fresh U.S. grown fruits and
vegetables, but our farmers
don’t have the labor force available to meet that demand,” said
John Feinblatt, chairman of the
Partnership for a New American Economy. “This means
more produce is imported, and
our economy loses millions of
dollars and thousands of jobs
every year. We need to pass immigration reform now, so our
food remains homegrown and
our economy strong.” “On the issue of farm labor, we
have a growing amount of evidence that all points in the same
direction: Farmers and consumers both need responsible immigration reform,” said American
Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman, a cattle and
rice farmer from Texas. A key
finding of the report was that in
recent years, the share of fresh
fruits and vegetables consumed
by American families that was
imported has grown by 79.3
percent.
35
FARM BUREAU COMMODITY REPORT
GRAIN PRICES
Portland:
White Wheat
11% Winter
14% Spring
Oats
Ogden:
White Wheat
11% Winter
14% Spring
Barley
Pocatello:
White Wheat
11% Winter
14% Spring
Barley
Burley:
White Wheat
11% Winter
14% Spring
Barley
Nampa:
White Wheat (cwt)
(Bushel)
Lewiston:
White Wheat
Barley
02/25/2014
03/24/2014
Trend
7.36
8.47-8.57
8.61
265.00
7.76
9.15-9.25
9.53
270.00
+
+
+
+
.40
.68
.92
5.00
6.35
7.00
7.77
8.05
6.40
7.34
7.83
9.10
+
+
+
+
.05
.34
.06
1.05
6.10
7.15
7.41
No Bid
6.50
8.14
8.33
No Bid
+ .40
+ .99
+ .92
N/A
6.08
6.81
6.97
7.50
6.34
7.41
7.31
7.50
+ .26
+ .60
+ .34
Steady
10.50
6.30
11.16
6.70
+ .66
+ .40
7.02
156.50
7.45
161.50
+ .43
+ 5.00
03/24/2014
Trend
180-259
167-231
130-175
105-152
190-251
168-239
140-181
130-150
+
+
+
+
170-237
153-197
129-174
101-144
170-227
154-206
130-171
110-147
Steady to - 10
+ 1 to + 9
+ 1 to - 3
+ 9 to + 3
98-128
90-130
111-146
110-130
+ 13 to + 18
+ 20 to Steady
70-97
60-94
70-104
60-96
Steady to + 7
Steady to + 2
925-1425
1150-1750
+ 225 to + 325
70-111
70-126
Steady to + 15
35.00-37.00
39.00-40.00
40.00
34.00-36.00
39.00-40.00
40.00
- 1.00
Steady
Steady
LIVESTOCK PRICES
02/21/2014
Feeder Steers
Under 500 lbs
500-700 lbs
700-900 lbs
Over 900 lbs
Feeder Heifers
Under 500 lbs
500-700 lbs
700-900 lbs
Over 900 lbs
Holstein Steers
Under 700 lbs
Over 700 lbs
Cows
Utility/Commercial
Canner & Cutter
Stock Cows
Bulls
Slaughter
BEAN PRICES:
Pinto
Pink
Small Red
Compiled by the Idaho Farm Bureau Commodity Division
36
10 to - 8
1 to + 8
10 to + 6
25 to - 2
Contracted price - Price and conditions of sale agreed upon
Seller negotiates a transaction.
IDaho Hay Report
IDAHO HAY – 3/21/14
All prices are dollars per ton and FOB unless otherwise stated.
March 21, 2014
Tons: 6560 Last Week: 1100 Last Year: 8200
Compared to last week, all grades of Alfalfa firm for
new crop prices.
Fair and Good Alfalfa steady. Trade slow to moderate this
week. Demand remains good for all classes and new crop
contracts as interests are contracting straight thru regardless of test rain or shine. Retail/feed store/horse not
tested this week. Buyer demand good with light to moderate supplies. All prices are dollars per ton and FOB unless
otherwise stated.
Quality
Tons
Price Range
Avg. Price
Premium/Supreme
1,670
180.00
180.00
Good/Premium
1,970
175.00-180.00
175.00-180.00
Good/Fair
2,920
170.00-180.00
170.00-180.00
Alfalfa Large Square
http://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/ML_GR312.txt
USDA Market News, Moses Lake, WA 509-393-1343 or 707-3150
USDA Market News, Moses Lake, WA 509-393-1343 or 707-3150
POTATOES
UPPER VALLEY, TWIN FALLS-BURLEY DISTRICT, IDAHO---Shipments 712-753730--- (includes export of 4-2-3) ---Movement expected to remain about the same.
Trading baled moderate, cartons active. Prices baled generally unchanged, cartons
slightly higher. Russet Burbank U.S. One baled 5 10-pound non size A 5.00-5.50,
50-pound cartons 40s 7.00-8.00, 50s mostly 8.00-8.50, 60-100s mostly 9.50. Russet Norkotah U.S. One baled 5 10-pound film bags non size A 5.00-5.50, 50-pound
cartons 40-50s 7.00-8.00, 60-100s 9.00-10.00. Shipments for week ending March 15,
5 Year Grain Comparison
Grain Prices.................3/23/2010.....................3/23/2011.....................3/20/2012.....................3/25/2013....................3/24/2014
Portland:
White Wheat..................... 4.72 ............................. 7.10 ...........................7.00 ............................8.47 ...........................7.76
11% Winter...................4.95-5.05.......................8.20-8.30 ....................7.39-7.41......................8.89-8.95...................... 9.15-9.25
14% Spring........................ 6.83.............................. 11.22 ............................9.42 ..........................9.50...............................9.53
Corn...............................166.75-168........................276.00............................276.50.......................308-308.75......................No Bid
Ogden:
White Wheat..................... 4.14 ..............................7.00 ..............................6.30.............................. 8.30............................. 6.40
11% Winter....................... 3.90 .............................. 7.10 .............................6.25 ........................... 8.15............................. 7.34
14 % Spring...................... 5.66 .............................9.84 ..............................7.94 ........................... 8.29............................. 7.83
Barley..................................6.12 .............................10.20..............................10.55.............................12.10............................. 9.10
Pocatello:
White Wheat......................4.15 ..............................7.20 ..............................6.15.............................. 7.85............................. 6.50
11% Winter....................... 3.77 ..............................6.54 ..............................6.07 ........................... 7.73..............................8.14
14% Spring........................ 5.59 .............................. 9.81 .............................7.86 ........................... 7.92............................. 8.33
Barley................................. 5.94 ............................9.90 ...........................9.38 .......................... 11.67..........................No Bid
2014 were generally Russets with 62 percent Burbanks and 29 percent Norkotahs.
Potatoes for Processing
MARCH 18, 2014
IDAHO---Open-market trading by processors with growers was inactive.
Burley:
White Wheat..................... 3.95 ..............................6.70 ..............................6.10.............................. 8.00............................. 6.34
11% Winter....................... 3.80 .............................6.90 ..............................6.08 ........................... 7.37..............................7.41
14% Spring........................ 5.45 .............................. 9.74 .............................7.82 ........................... 7.80..............................7.31
Barley................................. 5.50 ............................10.25 .............................9.50 .......................... 12.25.............................7.50
Nampa:
White Wheat (cwt).......... 6.50 ............................ 10.17...............................9.87 ......................... 13.00...........................11.16
(bushel)........... 3.90 ..............................6.10 .............................5.92............................. 7.80............................ 6.70
Lewiston:
White Wheat..................... 4.20 .............................6.80 ..............................6.70............................. 8.17.............................7.45
Barley................................111.50 ....................... 211.50............................196.50......................... 221.50.........................161.50
Bean Prices:
Pintos................................50.00........................35.00-35.00...................35.00-37.00.................33.00-35.00..................34.00-36.00
Pinks............................45.00-46.00.................. 40.00-42.00................... 9.00-40.00........................40.00.......................39.00-40.00
Small Reds...................45.00-46.00 ................ 40.00-42.00........................40.00.............................40.00............................40.00
***
Milk production
February 20, 2014
February Milk Production up 1.4 Percent
Milk production in the 23 major States during February totaled 14.9 billion pounds,
up 1.4 percent from February 2013. January revised production, at 16.2 billion
pounds, was up 1.3 percent from January 2013. The January revision represented
an increase of 104 million pounds or 0.6 percent from last month’s preliminary
production estimate.
Production per cow in the 23 major States averaged 1,753 pounds for February, 21
pounds above February 2013.
The number of milk cows on farms in the 23 major States was 8.51 million head,
13,000 head more than February 2013, but 1,000 head less than January 2014.
37
5 Year livestock comparison
......................................3/22/2010.....................3/22/2011.....................3/20/2012.....................3/25/2013.............................
3/24/2014
Under 500 lbs................ 110-140.........................132-175 .....................170-220 .....................134-182........................ 190-251
500-700 lbs.....................95-137 ........................ 121-170..........................137-193.........................118-165........................168-239
700-900 lbs..................... 87-110 ..........................93-135 .......................121-154.........................109-132........................140-181
Over 900 lbs....................84-95 ..........................95-125..........................116-141.........................110-116........................ 130-150
Feeder Heifers
Under 500 lbs................. 97-132..........................116-160 ......................142-200.........................126-154........................170-227
500-700 lbs..................... 90-119 ........................115-145 ........................135-179.........................112-141........................154-206
700-900 lbs.....................84-104...........................95-132..........................115-149.........................106-126........................ 130-171
Over 900 lbs....................78-89 ........................93-107..........................103-120..........................90-114......................... 110-147
Holstein Steers
Under 700 lbs..................65-86 .........................65-117............................75-128.......................... 73-104..........................111-146
Over 700 lbs....................55-79 ...........................65-94 ..........................75-114............................74-96.......................... 110-130
Cows
Utility/Commercial...........43-65.............................57-80.............................65-82........................... 62-80...........................70-104
Canner & Cutter..............33-57.............................40-75.............................58-73.............................55-70............................60-96
Stock Cows.....................650-1125.......................675-1500.......................950-1550..................... 775-1500..............................
1150-1750
Bulls – Slaughter............49-80.............................65-97.............................70-98 ......................... 70-100..........................70-126
United States Cattle on Feed
Down 1 Percent
March 21, 2014
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United
States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.8
million head on March 1, 2014. The inventory was 1 percent below
March 1, 2013.
Placements in feedlots during February totaled 1.65 million, 15
percent above 2013. Net placements were 1.58 million head. During
February, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600
pounds were 390,000, 600-699 pounds were 330,000, 700-799
pounds were 415,000, and 800 pounds and greater were 515,000.
Marketings of fed cattle during February totaled 1.55 million, 3
percent below 2013. Marketings for February are the lowest for the
month since the data series began in 1996.
Other disappearance totaled 71,000 during February, 18 percent
above 2013.
Cattle Outlook
March 21, 2014
Beef cow slaughter is 6.4% below year ago levels through the first
two months of 2014. This decline combined with cattle on feed inventories that have trailed year ago levels for nineteen consecutive
months are producing the tight beef supplies that analysts have been
expecting for quite some time. Commercial beef production in February posted the lowest absolute level since February 2005 and the
lowest per slaughter day average since March 2005.
In February the choice retail beef price increased by 23 cents to
$5.58 per pound.That was the largest monthly jump since November
2003. Relative to the 2007 annual average, choice retail beef was 34%
more expensive in February, compared to a 30% gain for pork during
that period and 18% for chicken.
Boxed beef cutout values were mixed for the week, with the choice
cutout gaining $0.20 to $240.83/cwt on Friday morning, while the
select cutout lost $1.84 for the week to $234.95/cwt. At $5.88/cwt
the choice-select spread has widened in recent weeks after being
near zero in early February.
Fed cattle prices strengthened again this week.Through Thursday, the
5-area average price for slaughter steers sold on a live weight basis
was $150.10/cwt, up $2.18 from last week and up $25.33/cwt from
the same week last year. Steer prices on a dressed basis averaged
$240.11/cwt this week, up 31 cents from a week ago and up $42.40
from a year ago.
38
This week’s cattle slaughter totaled 575,000 head, up 11,000 head
from last week, but down 29,000 head from a year ago. The average steer dressed weight for the week ending on March 8 was 858
pounds, down 5 pounds from last week and down 2 pounds from
last year.
Oklahoma City feeder cattle prices were $1-3 higher this week for
lighter animals, with cattle over 800 pounds steady to $1 higher. Prices for medium and large frame #1 steers were as follows: 400-450#
$226-$233, 450-500# $214-$230, 500-550# $215-$230, 550-600#
$205-$229, 600-650# $180-$213, 650-700# $176-$196, 700-750#
$174-$181, 750-800# $166-$178.50, 800-900# $157-$168.25, and
900-1000# $152-$160.25/cwt.
The April live cattle futures contract closed at $144.12/cwt today,
down $1.13 from last week’s close. The June fed cattle contract declined $1.65 from last Friday to settle at $136.20/cwt. August ended
the week at $133.47/cwt.
April feeder cattle futures settled at $175.52/cwt, down $1.70 for
the week. The May contract lost $1.45 from last Friday to close at
$176.85/cwt. August settled at $178.22/cwt.
Provided by: University of Missouri
Classifieds
Animals
Miscellaneous
Wanted
Bueno Bar Fritz. AQHA Registered stallion,
Grullo, Foundation bred. $350 breeding fee
+ mare care. For more info call (208)
965-7907.
Angle Iron: 6”X6”X3/8” 8 ft. long. $5.00
per ft., 6”X4”X3/8” 8 ft. long $4.50 per
ft. Call 208-745-8988 or 208-390-3374 if
no answer please leave message and we will
return your call. Iron is in Rigby, Idaho.
Small Farm/Ranch Grain Grinder with mixer.
Call Lyle. American Falls. 281-797-6955
ASCA registered Australian Shepherd pups.
Working line since 1968. Full satisfaction
guaranteed. All four colors available. Boise,
Id 208-484-9802
Himalayan Yaks for Sale - Yearlings, 2 year
olds and Breeding Age Cows. $800.00 $1500.00. Call or e-mail for more about
these amazing animals. McCall, ID. (208)
271-6166 or [email protected]
Homozygous Paint Stallion for sale.
Guaranteed color for every foal. Great
disposition. Dam of stallion is an APHA
Champion. Can e-mail photos. Call for more
info. [email protected] 208263-5549
Two year old pinto gelding. Sire is APHA,
dam is draft QH cross. This gelding should
mature about 16 hands, currently 14.3
hands as a 2 year old. Handled every day.
Lunges, stands for farrier. Ready to start.
$1500. [email protected] 208263-5549
Farm Equipment
New Squeeze-chute. Hand pull, green. $1,200.
Midvale, Id. 208-355-3780
1925, 15-30 McCormick Dearing Tractor.
Wheel converted for rubber. With all sheet
metal. Motor turns free. Ashton, Id. 208-6527285
Hesston 4910 baler - CaseIH accum.; liner,
fan, moist. meter, 41K bales. Twin Falls, Id.
208-539-4286
14’ disc in good condition, scalloped front
discs tandem; Farm hand haybuster small
bales; Appr 35 10” main line; 120 new beet
hoes. American Falls, Id. 208-226-2116 or
220-1160
Balewagons: New Holland self-propelled or
pull-type models/parts/tires. Also interested
in buying balewagons. Will consider any
model. Call Jim Wilhite at 208-880-2889
anytime
G.E. - Gas/Propane Hot Water Heater.
Capacity - 40 Gal. (Tall) Only used 3 years.
Great Condition. Paid $550 - Asking $300
Shelley, Idaho. 528-5337.
Real Estate/Acreage
Cowboy Dream for Rodeo or 4-H family.
Cabin style home. 2200 sq ft. appliance
included. N. Rupert. 4.5 acres. Horse barn
(60x60) 8 stalls, tack room, hay storage,
hotwalker. Rough stock arena 100x300.
Machine shop (24x36) Huge Quonset is
(40x75). Tractor w/implements. $235,000.
208-532-0165
Overhead fuel (for gas) tank on stand.
Hydraulic press for shop. Great Plains drill12 or 14 ft wide. 208-317-7858
Paying cash for German & Japanese war
relics/souvenirs! Pistols, rifles, swords, daggers,
flags, scopes, optical equipment, uniforms,
helmets, machine guns (ATF rules apply)
medals, flags, etc. 549-3841 (evenings) or
208-405-9338.
Old License Plates Wanted: Also key chain
license plates, old signs, light fixtures. Will
pay cash. Please email, call or write. Gary
Peterson, 130 E Pecan, Genesee, Id 83832.
[email protected]. 208-285-1258
Paying cash for old cork top bottles and
some telephone insulators. Call Randy.
Payette, Id. 208-740-0178
DEADLINE
DATES:
ADS MUST BE
RECEIVED BY
APRIL 20
FOR NEXT
ISSUE.
1974 Marlette 14x70 $12,500 Tip-out. Near
new furnace/hot water heater; 1974 Skylark
12x60 $6,000; 1974 Academy 14x60 $6,500.
Good Condition. Sold “AS IS” condition.
Natural Gas. Must be moved. Shelley area.
For more information, call 528-5337. Please
leave message.
Clean, well maintained 2,500+ square foot
home on 1 acre. 5 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms,
2 car garage, maintenance free siding, trex
deck, private well, sprinkler system, irrigation
rights, etc. Westside Idaho Falls off Shelley
New Sweden Highway. Call 208-339-8748
Recreational Equipment
1980 Honda CB 650 Motorcycle - Good
condition. $600.00. Shelley, Idaho. 528-5337.
Please leave message.
Vehicles
2008 Ford crew cab dually, Lariat Ed,
excellent condition, 112,000 miles. 208-5387349
1974 Jeep CJ5, 1959 Jeep Pickup all-wheel
drive, 1975 Corvette hardtop soft-top.
Preston, Id. 208-427-6237 leave message.
39

Idaho Farm Bureau

Transcription

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