All Good Things Must End

All good things must end and the closing session of AFBF’s 94th Annual Meeting is upon us. The meeting kicked off with a presentation to the retiring board members of the AFBF Board of Directors. Next up was Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack who emphasized the importance of a five year farm bill being passed. Vilsack commented that rural America was losing relevance and we needed to look for ways to expand our reach in less conventional ways.

Another highlight of closing session was retired astronaut Capt. Mark Kelly from NASA who has made four trips into space. He talked about how practice, persistence and the drive to never give up are what contributes to success. He also says there is no excuse for not properly communicating with those you work with.

He shared his account of his wife, Gabby Giffords, being shot in Arizona while she was visiting constituents. He said he never dreamed his wife would be the one to almost lose her life by serving our country, he was the pilot, not Gabby. He said every day as Gabby leaves the house and goes to rehab her last words to him are “fight, fight, fight.” Kelly said one of the highlights of his life was seeing his wife return to the U.S. House floor to cast one of her final votes. Hearing her voice on the House floor was inspiring to so many.
Following Kelly’s speech, the Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee was introduced. The winners of the Y&R contests were announced next. Chairman Glen Cope announced the new chairman for the coming year which will be Zach Hunnicutt from Nebraska. President Stallman then handed Zach his diamond pin which is tradition. Stallman thanked everyone in attendance and invited everyone to come back next year to San Antonio, Texas.

Chris Chinn is a Farm Bureau member in Missouri, serves  on the Missouri Farm Bureau board of directors and will represent her state at the delegate session in Nashville. She is a hog producer, 5th-generation family farmer and former chair of the national AFBF Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee. Find her on Facebook and Twitter (@ChrisChinn).

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Transportation and Agriculture

This session discussed the transportation issues facing farmers today and the difficulty in interpreting the existing regulations and how they apply to farmers. Funding for infrastructure is also a major issue in most states and this problem isn’t going away.

The expert panel for the session was made up of people who address these issues for agriculture daily. The panel included Samuel Kieffer from Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Garrett Hawkins from Missouri Farm Bureau, Michael Wright from South Carolina Farm Bureau and Kevin Rund from Illinois Farm Bureau.

The panel discussed how infrastructure associated with agriculture is disadvantaged today because earmarks in funding for rural infrastructure has disappeared. This means we need to find a different way to fund infrastructure for agriculture.

Another important issue facing agriculture transportation is barge transportation on waterways. The current drought has made barge traffic very difficult and almost nonexistent in certain areas. Due to low water levels this past year, barges have reduced their load capacity just to maintain barge traffic. One barge can transport as much as 1,050 semi tractor-trailers and 216 rail cars. A barge is more efficient in the number of miles it can travel per gallon of diesel compared to trucks and rail.

This session offered an in depth look into what states have been facing regarding transportation. There was a focus on the importance of barge traffic to agriculture, in addition to the importance of our port system in the United States. If our ports are not kept up to date we will lose out to more modern ports like Cuba.

The panel emphasized we need certainty in funding for long term planning for our aging infrastructure system. Farmers need to engage in these conversations and talk about the important role transportation plays in their farming operations.

Chris Chinn is a Farm Bureau member in Missouri, serves on the Missouri Farm Bureau board of directors and will represent her state at the delegate session in Nashville. She is a hog producer, 5th-generation family farmer and former chair of the national AFBF Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee. Find her on Facebook and Twitter (@ChrisChinn).

Social Agriculture – What Is It?

I attended a great session about social media in agriculture today which explained what social media really is and how agriculture uses it. Katie Pinke shares her family farm story because she wants people to know how their food is raised. For Janice Person it’s important for her to know the people answering questions about agriculture are truly involved in agriculture. Ryan Goodman started blogging just so his family knew what he was doing during a summer work experience on a farm in another state. Zach Hunnicutt loves auto-steer on his tractor because it allows him time to keep his social media followers updated on the happenings on his farming operation.

Katie Pinke also used social media to reach out to other moms across the United States about the new changes to the school lunch programs. This created a movement from moms inside and outside of agriculture and parents everywhere contacted their elected officials and schools about their concerns and to have input on these changes. Social media allowed these farm moms and non-farm moms to unite and make a difference.

Zach Hunnicutt likes giving people a tour of his farm every day through social media and pictures he take on his smartphone. This allows him to explain what is really happening and why he makes the decisions he makes on his farm. This allows Zach to form relationships with others outside of agriculture so that when they have questions they will turn to him.

Another great reason he uses social media is to keep up with the weather and markets. For example, during a dangerous storm path Twitter was the only way Zach coould keep updated on a tornado due to not having electricity on the farm.

Janice Person stressed that social media is more about transparency for agriculture and forming real relationships rather than how many people follow you or what important job title those followers may have.

Consistent use of blogs, Twitter and Facebook is the key to being effective, Consistent social activity will spread the agriculture story the fastest. Thanks to being consistent in social media, Hunnicutt has formed good relationships with media outlets. Ryan Goodman has done the same thing and has guest blogged for CNN’s Eatocracy blog. This connection also opened doors for the local media to use Ryan as a valuable resource for agriculture stories during the recent drought.

This session offered many great ideas about how agriculture can better utilize social media to tell our story. Attendees left this session energized and armed with great ideas to help share the agriculture story.

Chris Chinn is a Farm Bureau member in Missouri, serves  on the Missouri Farm Bureau board of directors and will represent her state at the delegate session in Nashville. She is a hog producer, 5th-generation family farmer and former chair of the national AFBF Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee. Find her on Facebook and Twitter (@ChrisChinn).

Opening General Session Kicks Off With a Full House

The 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Farm Bureau kicked off this morning with a very full house. We began our meeting with a prayer and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Edens Edge performed the National Anthem and they did a magnificent job. The music didn’t stop there though. We were entertained by Edens Edge for one more song. I tried to take pictures but I was in the back of the room so they are not top-quality.

American Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman addressed the members after Edens Edge. Edens Edge is a tough act to follow but President Stallman did great! He opened by talking about how much country music has changed over the years, just as the tastes of consumers have changed. The one thing that hasn’t changed is the fact that consumers need farmers!

Stallman emphasized that farmers are relevant! Members advocate and communicate with our elected officials throughout the year. He stressed that AFBF works to represent the concerns and needs of its members.

Stallman told members we need to meet consumers on their turf to address their concerns and help them understand what happens on our turf. It’s vital every farmer and rancher tell their own personal story. He encouraged members to stop by the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance booth and sign up to tell their stories.

Farmers and ranchers know better than anyone the important role the farm bill plays in the lives of all Americans. Stallman talked about how important it was to get a meaningful farm bill passed. He also talked about the need for a reliable work force for agriculture and how Farm Bureau would continue to fight for this in the coming year. Farm Bureau will continue to work for permanent repeal of the estate tax and we welcome the stability of allowing farmers to plan their estates so the next generation can farm.

Stallman reinforced that parents know best when it comes to our children and that’s why we worked hard to communicate with the Department of Labor that we didn’t need new laws for our kids who work on the farm. Parents all across the country sent letters and the Department of Labor listened.

Stallman asked members how many of us would stand up for farmers and ranchers everywhere, even if it meant going against a government agency. One farmer, Lois Alt, had the courage to stand up to the EPA and fight for her farm. EPA wanted Lois to get a Clean Water Act Permit but she didn’t understand why. When she asked EPA why she needed the permit, she was told to just get the permit or she faced fines of over $37,000 a day or jail time. Lois took on the EPA in a court battle to fight for all farmers and her family farm. West Virginia Farm Bureau and AFBF were there to help Lois and the court allowed Farm Bureau to sign on to her lawsuit. Days before the case went to court, EPA dropped the charges. Farm Bureau will continue to stand with farmers and ranchers.

Stallman closed by talking about the Centennial Project Development and how it would ensure Farm Bureau remained strong for another 100 years. Stallman thanked members and vowed Farm Bureau would continue to fight the good fight for its members.

Following Stallman’s annual address we watched videos of Farm Bureau members across the country helping others in their communities. Next, the AFBF Women’s Leadership Committee was introduced, followed by the American Farm Bureau Foundation of Agriculture Board of Directors. Terri Gilbert of Kentucky chairs the Women’s Leadership Committee and Stallman also serves as Foundation president. Videos were shown showcasing the work of these two groups over the past year. Both groups focus on showcasing agriculture so people have a better understanding of how farming and ranching today.

DuPont Pioneer donated $250,000 to the My American Farm project, which helps to educate children about where food comes from. This donation will help enhance the project and expand its reach (www.myamericanfarm.org).

After the generous donation by DuPont Pioneer, Edens Edge performed their first hit single “Amen.” The lead singer also thanked her uncle, a farmer in Arkansas, for helping arrange their guest appearance this morning. I loved hearing how they were connected to agriculture. And they were proud of their heritage–that’s even better!

The Top 10 Finalists for the Excellence in Agriculture Award and Achievement Award were announced for the YF&R contests. The auditorium was full of cheers and excitement. More awards were announced recognizing state Farm Bureaus for 2012 achievements.

This was a great opening session and I’m excited to attend the sessions this afternoon. The afternoon session line-up offers variety and still covers areas important to all of agriculture. Nashville hospitality has embraced this meeting and even though the convention center is big, there is always a smiling face to help you find your way!

Chris Chinn is a Farm Bureau member in Missouri. She serves on the Missouri Farm Bureau board of directors and will represent her state at the delegate session in Nashville. She is a hog producer, 5th-generation family farmer and former chair of the national AFBF Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee. Find her on Facebook and Twitter (@ChrisChinn).

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Rain Delay on Our Way to AFBF Annual Meeting

Our drive to Tennessee is taking us longer due to heavy rains in Illinois and Kentucky. We have been driving in rain for the last two hours. We are near Paducah, Ky, and the rain is so heavy vehicles are pulled over to the side of I-24. The wind has really picked up making it more difficult to see as well.

This rain would have been a welcome sight at our farm this last summer. And we would still welcome rain now as would many farmers across the country! Enjoy your rain, Kentucky!

chrischinn is Chris Chinn, a Farm Bureau member in Missouri, serves  on the Missouri Farm Bureau board of directors and will represent her state at the delegate session in Nashville. She is a hog producer, 5th-generation family farmer and former chair of the national AFBF Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee. Find her on Facebook and Twitter (@ChrisChinn).