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).

The Waiting is the Hardest Part…

My husband, John, and I are priviledged to be the Indiana representatives in the Young Farmers and Ranchers Excellence in Ag Award here at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 94th Annual Meeting.

 

This award is for Young Farmers and Ranchers who do not make the majority of their income from production agriculture. The Excellence in Ag Award is based on involvement and leadership in agriculture, Farm Bureau and the local community.

We first competed for this award in Indiana before our annual convention in December. We submitted an application that included details about our farm (beef cattle and hay), our off-farm jobs (we are veterinarians in a rural town and I am a blogger), our involvement and leadership roles with Farm Bureau, with other agriculture groups, and with non-agriculture groups. Then we waited.

The top three competitors in Indiana were asked to give a presentation to a panel of judges in Indianapolis. Then we waited. The winners were announced at the Indiana Farm Bureau Annual Meeting early in December and the rush was on to get prepared for the national competition! We submitted another application to the AFBF Young Farmer and Rancher coordinator and then we waited.

The first part of the AFBF Annual Meeting in Nashville was the opening session. All the Excellence in Ag competitors were grouped together at the front of the ballroom. We nervously watched the parade of states, and listened to AFBF President Bob Stallman give his “State of Farm Bureau” address. We waited for the announcements of the Top 10 competitors. John and I applauded for and celebrated with the first 9 states who would be competing in the next round of competition… And then we waited…

After what seemed like an extraordinarily long pause…

Our names were called! We had made it to the Top 10 round of competition! What a relief, an honor and a new bout of nervousness to have made it to this level!

We went to our competitor orientation, drew our order for the presentation round of the competition… and learned we would be waiting some more. We would be the 9th presenters, in a group of 10.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at the conference, taking in the trade show, going to a breakout session and catching up with old friends. We got up this morning ready and just a little nervous.

We patiently waited our turn (with a little more than our fair share of pacing). We bounced around the room a little bit, psyching ourselves up for the presentation backstage-style, ramping up our energy levels. We gave our presentation to a packed house. A lot of our Indiana delegation came out to support us in this competition and we were so excited to have them there to share this experience with us. We put our hearts, our personalities, and our passions into our presentation. I know our Indiana crew enjoyed it and we can only hope that the judges did, too.

And now, we wait some more. We know we have done our best and we are certainly proud of our accomplishments. Indiana had competitors in the Top 10 for both the Excellence in Ag Award and the Achievement Award, and in the Discussion Meet Sweet 16. We are so thrilled that we all have been able to make Indiana proud.

The announcements of the winners of the Excellence in Ag Award, the Achievement Award nd the Discussion Meet will be announced this afternoon at the closing general session. If you see some young farmers wandering around looking nervous, stop to say hi and give us a few words of encouragement. We’ve worked very hard to reach this level of the competition and we’re waiting for some big announcements.

I can’t talk about these awards without mentioning our sponsors. Without the support of the state Farm Bureaus, none of the Young Farmer competitors would be here. We all owe a huge thank-you to STIHL, Case IH and GM. Thank you for your support!

The application and the presentation? While they both took a lot of work, it now seems like that was the easy part of this competiton. The waiting truly is the hardest part… But we are loving every minute of the anticipation!

alarmclockwars is Marybeth Feutz, DVM, of Indiana. She and her husband, John, have a beef cattle farm and work together in their family’s veterinary practice. She is a member of the Indiana Farm Bureau’s Women’s Leadership Committee. Check out her blogs: AgriCultured — Where People Who Eat Get Their Food Questions Answered (http://www.agricultured.org/) and Alarm Clock Wars (http://www.alarmclockwars.com/). Find her on Twitter (@AlarmClockWars).

Livestock Economist Says 2013 Hinges on Drought

Back home, we know a few things about drought. Living in Texas, we experienced an epic drought in 2011 and continue to feel the effects today. I’ve seen painfully dry pastures and cattle ranches that go back generations sell off the last of their herds. It’s just too expensive to feed their cattle.

Unfortunately, our neighbors to the north experienced the same last year. Feed prices reached $8 per bushel, and grass just didn’t grow. Feeding cattle, pigs, chickens and turkeys was just too expensive. The drought took a toll on all of agriculture – especially livestock.

So, what can American farmers and ranchers expect in 2013? Will conditions improve? According to Dr. David Anderson, a professor and economist in Livestock and Food Products Marketing from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, the answer is, “It depends.”

The fate of cattle, pork and poultry producers really depends on drought conditions across the country and resulting feed costs. If the drought subsides and feed costs come down, producers’ costs could decrease, making operations a little easier.

Demand also plays an important role. High retail prices for all meat have driven domestic demand down in the past few years. But Americans still want their steaks, chops and chicken – and they’re willing to continue buying at the grocery store.

Export markets are a promising outlet, as well. Demand for U.S. meat is strong as the global economy is improving and consumers around the world seek to improve their diets by including beef, pork and poultry.

In short, Dr. Anderson was cautiously optimistic about the outlook of meat production and sales this year. While we still are feeling the devastating effects of drought, U.S. meat and dairy products continue to be in demand and will persevere through this difficult time.

I know that in Texas, we’ll keep watching the skies and praying for rain.

amandalewishill is Amanda Hill, associate editor at Texas Farm Bureau. Amanda writes for Texas Table Top, a blog engaging in conversations about food, nutrition and farming in the Lone Star State. She also helps manage Texas Farm Bureau’s social media efforts, including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and more. Find her on Twitter (@amandalhill).

Telling a Story with Meaning

Farmers and ranchers are being encouraged more and more to tell their story. Stories about the lives we lead and the work we do to produce food and fiber for an ever growing world. For me, the hardest part of telling my story is finding the story. Having lived and worked on the farm my entire life makes so much of what we do second nature that sometimes I fail to see there’s something to tell. That is why the session “Telling Stories, Making Meaning” sparked my interest.

Author David Hutchens encouraged attendees to share their story. He told participants that stories add value, and by telling the stories of what we do we can lead with authenticity.

Hutchens taught the crowd there are four core stories in each organization–who we are, vision, values and changing and learning. He asked participants to think about a story in each of those categories in their lives. It was interesting to watch everyone writing and talking about the stories. I know personally that using those guidelines I was able to think of several stories from our farm.

From the writing and chatter in the room there will be lots of stories about farm and ranch life being told all across the country.

sarahdcarte is Sarah Carte of Florida, a wife, mother and fourth-generation farmer. She currently serves as vice-chair of the Florida Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee. Her Twitter name is @sarahdcarte and she’s also on Facebook (Sarah Dasher Carte)

 

Discuss, Discuss, Discuss

One of the main focal points of the Annual Meeting for the Young Farmers & Ranchers program is the Discussion Meet. It kind of looks like a debate, and kind of sounds like a debate, but is most definitely not a debate. Four competitors at a time tackle a question that highlights currents challenges or topics in agriculture, and work together to find common ground and consensus toward solving problems. In essence, it should operate similar to a board meeting where everyone is working toward how the group is going to address the problem.

This competition is a wonderful way to develop leadership potential in the YF&R program. The research required to speak knowledgeably about the questions at hand leave the competitors conversant in a wide range of ag topics, and getting up in front of an audience to talk about all of these issues provides plenty of public speaking experience. And the winner gets a shiny new Chevrolet Silverado, which isn’t a shabby reward for all that work.

Ag Social Media ‘Rock Stars’ Encourage Farmers, Ranchers

A quartet of agricultural social media “rock stars” offered tips and encouragement to farmers and ranchers at a strategic engagement conference during the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 94^th Annual Meeting.

“Social media allows us to be part of the conversation,” said Ryan Goodman, a cattle rancher from Arkansas who created the AgricultureProud.com blog and is a guest contributor to CNN’s Eatocracy blog.

“Consumers are already talking about what we’re doing on the farm and ranch. Through social media we can have direct access to people with questions,” Goodman said.

Ryan Goodman and Janice Person

Zach Hunnicutt, a Nebraska farmer who was recently elected chairman of AFBF’s national Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee, explained that he is able to advocate for agriculture by “giving a tour of my farm every day using Facebook and Instagram“Be positive all the time, and be passionate when advocating for agriculture on social media,” advised Hunnicutt. “It draws people in,” he said.

Setting up a business page on Facebook for your farm is a strategy Janice Person of Monsanto recommends. Having a business page means your farm can be found on Internet search engines. And it addresses privacy concerns many people have—you can share family photos and stories only on your personal page, for example.

Zach Hunnicutt

“Interacting on Facebook with people in your community, at church and with college friends is a great way to get started,” Person said. From there, interest in a farmer’s Facebook page often grows dramatically in concentric circles, Person has found. A Colorful Adventure is her personal blog.

“Be consistent with social media and you will build community,” said Katie Pinke, author of the Pinke Post blog. “Especially if you’re just starting out, concentrate on doing just one or two things well,” she added.

Pinke, who started her blog several years ago as a “lonely pregnant woman on the prairie trying to find friends,” offered encouragement to those in agriculture who may be hesitant to get started in social media. “What you do does not necessarily have to be fancy or flashy,” she said.

Katie Pinke

 All of the panelists have found that engaging in conversations on social media about non-farming subjects at least part of the time helps increase outreach. Cooking, recipes, kids, sports, music, travel and photography are among the topics they have successfully used for this.

All four of the panelists are guest bloggers at 94th AFBF’s Annual Meeting. 

The Social Part of Media

This evening I was fortunate enough to be able to take part in an amazing reception that was sponsored by Monsanto in cooperation with RFD-TV to give thanks to an amazing group of people…the media.

It was a great opportunity to meet some truly wonderful people that work so hard to help us get our stories out there. But I did catch a few of them having fun, like…

Willie Vought and Frank Holdenmyer of Farm Progress Companies visit with Janice Person of Monsanto.

JP started off in her street clothes at the RFD-TV studio…

Then broke out her inner Marty Stuart!

There were some Rock Stars with dressing rooms!

And one of the coolest pumpkins I’ve ever seen!

And even I got the chance to feel a little star treatment!

Thank you to all who made it possible!

wagfarms is Val Wagner, a North Dakota farmer and rancher. The Wag’n Tales blog features stories from this mom of four who loves farm life and invites readers to come along for the ride. Follow Val on Twitter (@wagfarms) and find her on Facebook. She is a member of the North Dakota Farm Bureau’s Promotion & Education Committee.