S P E C I A L R E P O R T
‘Outlook’
‘Food Check- Ag puts up trade surplus, but industry
Out Week’
New promotional materials not immune to global economic woes
are available to help volunteers
Carrying a trade surplus for the
with Food 47th year, agriculture remains a
Check- bright spot in an otherwise bleak
U.S. economy. In 2009, U.S. farm-
Out Week ing and ranching was one of only
events in four segments of the economy
February | 2 with a trade surplus. And agri-
culture leads those four with the
largest trade surplus at $23 bil-
lion—almost triple the next larg-
‘Membership’ est category, transportation (ve-
hicles, aircraft and vessels), ac-
Farm Bureau cording to USDA’s Foreign Agri-
gains more cultural Service (FAS).
members | 8 Explosive demand in develop-
ing nations such as Mexico and
FB members gather for
USDA implements disaster aid program
91st annual meeting
The American Farm Bureau Federation
is welcoming to Seattle between 4,000
and 5,000 Farm Bureau members from
around the country for its 91st annual
meeting, Jan. 10-13. The last time AFBF
held its annual meeting in Seattle was
1952.
Continued on Page 8
A FIELD OF SOYBEANS in Arkansas soaks in standing water due to heavy rains last fall across the Deep South. The Supplemental Re-
venue Assistance Payments program (SURE) has begun to provide agricultural disaster aid for producers with production losses in
2008. However, those with 2009 losses will have to wait longer for help.
USDA gave farmers and ranch-
ers a Christmas present on Dec. 24.
More than a year and a half
after Congress passed the 2008
farm bill creating a standing agri-
cultural disaster program, USDA
announced it had issued rules to
implement the Supplemental
Revenue Assistance Payments
program (SURE).
n e w s p a p e r
USDA also announced that
producers could visit local Farm
Service Agency offices beginning
Jan. 4 to sign up for the program
for crop production losses during
the 2008 crop year. Agriculture
Secretary Tom Vilsack said pay-
ments would begin this month.
Major disasters in 2008 included
Hurricanes Gustav and Ike on the
A look at both the legis-
lative and economic issues
farmers and ranchers face
this year | 4
January 11, 2010 Vol. 89
China has contributed to export
growth, as has steady demand
in countries such as Canada and
Japan, FAS says. Grains and feeds
lead the growth in agriculture’s
trade surplus with $19 billion,
followed by oilseeds at $16 bil-
lion and livestock, poultry and
dairy products at $8 billion.
All that goes into getting U.S.-
grown food, fuel and fiber into
the hands of consumers in other
countries is a help to the domes-
tic economy, too. Although fewer
than 2 percent of Americans di-
rectly make a living farming,
photo by the university of arkansas Cooperative Extension
Gulf Coast, flooding in the Mid-
west and the Northeast during the
spring and summer, wildfire in
Texas in the early part of the year,
spring-summer tornadoes in the
South and Midwest and prolonged
drought in much of the South.
Farm Bureau is glad the program
finally will be implemented, says
Tara Smith, American Farm Bu-
reau Federation farm policy
specialist.
“Farmers with crop and yield
losses in 2008 and much of 2009
have been waiting a long time for
the help that was promised in the
farm bill,” said Smith. “For some,
this action comes too late. If your
crop was wiped out over a year
ago, then you’ve already had to
No. 1 fbnews.org
there are many more people who
make and sell the tractors, com-
bines, storage bins and other
farm equipment, as well as farm
inputs such as fuel, fertilizer and
crop protection chemicals.
“Then there are the employees
on the other end who help har-
vest, pack, process and ship the
farm goods around the globe,”
said Stefphanie Gambrell, Amer-
ican Farm Bureau Federation
economist.
Although the trade surplus for
Ag Continued on Page 6
face the financial consequences
of that. But we’re just glad the
rules are finally out and farm-
ers with severe losses can start to
benefit from the SURE program.”
SURE provides payments to
crop, farm-raised fish and honey
producers for losses of more than
10 percent on a major commod-
ity. To be eligible for the aid, a
farm must be in a county covered
by a natural disaster declaration
or a contiguous county, or have
less than half of the farm’s nor-
mal production.
The program is linked to crop
insurance. The SURE payments
can cover up to 90 percent of a
Disaster Continued on Page 3
 fbnews.org January 11, 2010
Viewpoint 2|

Water strife does not bode well for agriculture

T
 o have food, you must have water.
 This may seem like common sense
 to farmers, but unfortunately many
consumers don’t connect the two.
Consequently, a tug-of-war game being
played out in some states over water rights
is pitting municipalities and residents
against farmers and ranchers. Little do
consumers know, they will really be on the
losing end if farmers do not have adequate
water supplies to continue producing food
for our nation.
Muddying the waters
It is tough enough for producers who con-
tinually face drought and other natural
water shortages without further being im-
pacted by state water regulations. I have
long said the issue of water supply will be
one of the biggest challenges facing not only
agriculture, but our country as a whole, in
the next several decades. The question is
when does that challenge become a crisis?
As water supplies dwindle, it only makes
sense that state and local governments
would impose some sort of water restric-
tions on residents. But ongoing feuds about
allocation between agriculture and house-
hold use, coupled with environmental
groups using the opportunity to try to add
more restrictions to agriculture’s use of
water, only muddies the issue.
Take for instance what is currently hap-
pening in California. Facing a three-year
drought, the government is buckling down
on water consumption by residents and
farmers. But while residents are being told
they can’t water their lawns during specific
hours of the day or wash their cars at home
while leaving on the water hose, farmers
are being forced to fallow as much as 30
percent of their cropland so as not to use wa- one of our most vital resources. If we don’t
ter. Now, throw into the mix dozens of water- protect it now by building resources for
related lawsuits, most filed by environmental the future, our children and grandchildren
groups that promise to provide a prolonged will reap the dry, dusty consequences.
judicial drought even if it rains like crazy. It’s
a tough predicament for California producers.
The struggle for water can also be seen in The
the decades-long water fight between Ala-
bama, Florida and Georgia, which recently
intensified when a federal judge ruled that
Georgia has few legal rights to Lake Lanier,
the main water supply for Atlanta. Metropol-
itan Atlanta has roughly 5 million residents,
with projections of 2 million more by 2030. Bob Stallman
Without the use of Lake Lanier, the govern- President
ment is already looking into further tapping American Farm Bureau Federation
into water resources used by farmers across
the state—water that’s already being partial-
ly diverted to Florida and Alabama to fuel
power plants and sustain a federally protected
mussel population.
Finding resolution
Not only are we facing these water chal-
lenges in the U.S. Worldwide, governments
are contemplating how much more freshwa-
ter sources they will need to meet population
needs by 2050, when the global population is
expected to reach more than 9 billion people.
Instead of all the in-house fighting we need
to look for resolutions here at home, like build-
ing reservoirs to buffer drought years. The
construction and use of irrigation reservoir
systems could divert what could potentially be
a major agricultural crisis. For example, Ala-
bama recently passed legislation to create small
ponds to store water during rainy seasons.
We need to continue to talk with consum-
ers about the necessity of water to produce
food. If we don’t, the turf fights will continue
and solutions will not be found. Water is

Food Check-Out Week materials focus on stretching food dollars

Farm Bureau will commemo-
rate Food Check-Out Week this
year during the week of Feb. 21-
27. The theme, “Stretching Your
Grocery Dollar with Healthy, Nu-
tritious Food,” will focus for the
second year on helping consum-
ers find ways to eat healthfully
on a tight budget, while also em-
phasizing that farmers and
ranchers are committed to pro-
ducing safe, healthy and abund-
ant food.
Food remains relatively afford-
able. U.S. consumers, according
to USDA, spend just under 10 per-
cent of their disposable income
on food. The energy-driven food
price increases of 2008 have been
reversed in 2009.
However, USDA reported last
November that food insecurity—
inadequate or unsure access to
enough food for active, healthy
living—has risen since the start
of the current economic reces-
sion in December 2007, primarily
due to higher unemployment.
The American Farm Bureau Wo-
men’s Leadership Committee
spearheads the national obser- their in-store demonstrations. household that needs to squeeze
vance of Food Check-Out Week, Each kit contains a copy of the as much nutrition as possible
which also includes monetary and materials needed to set up five sta- out of every grocery dollar,” ex-
food donations to Ronald McDon- tions focusing on different foods: plained Marsha Purcell, AFBF
ald Houses and other charities. produce, whole grains, meat and director of program develop-
Last year, Farm Bureau Women poultry, dairy and eggs and alter- ment. “These new Supermarket
also native Kits give volunteers the tips and
gave protein tools they need to help consum-
in-store sources. ers become smarter shoppers.”
dem- For Other tips include sticking to a
onstra- each shopping list, reading nutrition
tions on station, information labels and compar-
ways to there is ing prices by using cost-per-unit
stretch an in- shelf stickers.
the food struc- The Supermarket Kits are avail-
budget, tion able for $4.50 each. In addition,
such as sheet the recipe cards are available sep-
buying with arately for $5 for a bundle of 100.
frozen talking The Supermarket Kits, recipe
produce or points, cards and other 2010 Food
looking for recipe Check-Out Week promotional
fresh produce cards and materials (reusable bags, stick-
when it’s in season, or signage for ers, nutrition education posters
buying whole fryers and cutting the table. For the meat and poul- and more) can be ordered online
them up at home rather than try station, there are also table at http://fb-orders.com/afbf.
paying more for already cut-up tents for various cuts of meat and Farm Bureau members should
chicken. poultry showing the nutritional work with their state Farm Bu-
This year a new Food Check- value of the cuts. reau information/public relations
Out Week Supermarket Kit is “This information can be re- departments or Food Check-Out
available to help volunteers with ally helpful to the head of a Week coordinators to plan events.

FBNews
Don Lipton, Director, Public Relations
Lynne Finnerty, Editor
Erin Anthony, Assistant Editor
Phyllis Brown, Assistant Editor
January 11, 2010 Vol. 89 No. 1
Published semimonthly, except monthly in August and December, by the
American Farm B ­ ureau Federation, 600 Maryland Ave., SW, Suite 1000W, Washington, DC 20024.
Phone: 202-406-3600. E-mail: fbnews@fb.org. Web site: http://www.fb.org.
Periodical postage paid at Washington, D.C., and additional mailing offices. Subscription rate for officers
and board members of county and state Farm Bureaus—$6, which is deducted from dues.
For other subscribers—$10.
Postmaster: Send address changes to FBNews,
600 Maryland Ave., SW, Suite 1000W, Washington, DC 20024. (ISSN 0197-5617)
January 11, 2010
Challenges faced by the U.S. delegation in Copenhagen
By Russell Williams
One week into the recent
United Nations Framework Con-
vention on Climate Change ne-
gotiations in Copenhagen, Den-
mark, most people understood
the daunting task facing the U.S.
delegation. The realities of the
current state of global negotia-
tions on climate change high-
light not only the stark differ-
ences between the U.S. and other
developed nations, but to an
even greater extent the devel-
oped-developing nation divide.
Before the meeting began, the
U.S. offered an emissions reduc-
tion target “in the range of 17
percent” based on 2005 levels.
This offer was in line with the
Waxman-Markey bill passed ear-
lier this year by the U.S. House
of Representatives, and it illus-
trated that President Obama had
learned the lesson of the Clinton
administration and offered only
to agree internationally to a tar-
get that he could get accepted do-
mestically. The Waxman-Markey
bill, coupled with the recent
endangerment finding issued
by the Environmental Protec-
tion Agency, reveals a negotiat-
ing path for the U.S. While final
passage of domestic legislation
or the rapid implementation of
the Clean Air Act regulations
are anything but certain, the
Obama administration came to
Copenhagen with some credibil-
ity to negotiate in good faith.
Unfortunately for Obama, the
USDA implements natural disaster aid program
Continued from page 1
farm’s guaranteed revenue, de-
pending on its level of crop in-
surance coverage.
Farmers and ranchers with
2009 production losses must wait
USDA, IRS cooperate to enforce payment limits
Agriculture Secretary Tom
Vilsack announced on Dec. 31
that USDA and the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) would
work together to verify farm-
ers’ and ranchers’ income and
verify compliance with farm
and conservation program
payment limitations.
The limits set in the 2008
farm bill are $500,000 nonfarm
adjusted gross income (AGI)
for commodity and disaster
programs; $750,000 farm aver-
age AGI for direct payments;
and $1 million nonfarm AGI
for conservation programs.
USDA said that written con-
sent would be required from
each producer or payment re-
cipient for the income infor-
mation sharing to occur, no
actual tax data would be pro-
vided to USDA and program
participants whose AGI ap-
pears to exceed the limits
would be given the chance to
provide third-party verifica-
tion or other information to
validate their income.
American Farm Bureau Fed-
fbnews.org
17 percent offering of the U.S.
paled in comparison to the of-
ferings from other developed na-
tions. Europe indicated a willing-
ness to cut emissions by 20 per-
cent and said it would increase
that to 30 percent if other devel-
oped nations followed suit. This
level represents a reduction from
1990 levels, making the U.S. offer
equivalent to 3 percent. Many in
Copenhagen fail to understand
the complexities of the U.S. legis-
lative process and the subsequent
limitations placed on the U.S.
delegation. Nonetheless, devel-
oped and developing nations
alike continued to deride the U.S.
offering as woefully lacking.
The other key sticking point re-
lated to the developed-develop-
ing nation divide, which is a
much larger problem for the U.S.
and other developed nations. De-
veloped nations are seeking bind-
ing actions by all parties, includ-
ing those in the developing
world, using the principle of
“common but differentiated re-
sponsibilities.” That term refers
to the ability of developed na-
tions to take stronger actions
than the developing world, but
that the developing world can
and should commit to taking
specific actions to combat cli-
mate change. While many devel-
oping nations use this principle
in their talking points, it is clear
that these nations feel their re-
sponsibilities stop with the ac-
ceptance of developed nation
money, estimated to be $200-500
longer for help. USDA is imple-
menting the program in a way
that requires final national aver-
age market prices to be available
before it sets the SURE program
guarantee. Payments are calcu-
eration farm policy specialist
Tara Smith said the announce-
ment may seem scary to farm-
ers and ranchers at first, but
using reliable income data to
reduce fraud is a good thing.
“I think everyone wants to be
sure that farm program payments
are going to those folks who are
eligible,” she said. “No one wants
to see payments go where they
aren’t supposed to go and if this
system helps ensure that, that’s
definitely a positive thing.”
A silver lining, according to
Smith, is also that producers
won’t have to go through their
local USDA office to prove their
income eligibility.
“One of our concerns has al-
ways been that farmers are re-
quired to bring business docu-
mentation or tax documentation
to a local Farm Service Agency
office,” Smith explained. “And
while we admire the work that
our local FSA offices do, that is
very sensitive information and a
lot of times the security that needs
to be in place for that kind of in-
formation just really isn’t there.”
|3
billion (U.S.) per year.
This money represents an addi-
tional problem for the U.S. Some
estimate that the U.S. would be
responsible for up to 40 percent
of this total, making its annual
commitment between $80 billion
and $200 billion per year. Cur-
rently, the U.S. Congress is con-
templating funding in the range
of $1.3-2.5 billion per year,
which represents only 1.6 per-
cent to 3 percent of the expected
funding commitment. At a time
when the U.S. is losing jobs and
the economy remains on shaky
ground, international funding
of this level is not only economi-
cally infeasible, but would be a
political disaster.
The final problem facing U.S.
negotiators is the current status
of Intellectual Property Rights
(IPR) within the negotiations. De-
veloped nations rightly protected
the IPR of their respective busi-
ness interests, but the developing
world is attempting to circum-
vent this effort by claiming that
life-saving climate mitigation
technology should not be sold to
the highest bidder and should be
given away for free. This position
is wholly unacceptable to the
U.S., but future negotiations will
continue to face this challenge.
Regardless of your individual
opinion about the science behind
climate change, the current ad-
ministration or the United Na-
tions as a whole, the effort to
develop a binding international
agreement will have huge rami-
lated based on 60 percent of the
difference between the guarantee
and a farm’s total revenue. The
national average price data isn’t
available until a full year after
the market year.
Instead, farmers and ranchers
will be able to fill out a form
that goes directly to the IRS.
USDA will not subject pro-
ducers to an audit if their in-
come doesn’t come close to the
payment limits.
“That wouldn’t make a lot of
sense, and we’re glad they cor-
rected that in the final rule,”
Smith said.
AFBF provided comments on
the proposal last April. Smith
says USDA addressed the con-
cerns that Farm Bureau out-
lined. For example, AFBF was
concerned that once someone
was red-flagged, he or she
would end up back at the local
FSA office. The opportunity to
provide third-party verification
is with the state FSA office.
Also, USDA has confirmed that
no list of red-flagged produc-
ers will be subject to Freedom
of Information Act requests.
“Really, they did everything
we asked them to do in or-
der to make this work better
for producers,” Smith said,
“and we appreciate that.”
Capitol View
fications for the global economy.
Whether this economic uphea-
val would be a good thing is an-
other question entirely. One
thing remains certain: the Copen-
hagen accord was doomed to
failure from the beginning. No
amount of rhetoric from world
leaders can mask the complexi-
ties of reaching a final agree-
ment on climate change.
You only need to look at the
stalled Doha round in the World
Trade Organization to under-
stand the challenges faced by
negotiators. It would take exten-
sive capitulation by the U.S. and
other developed nations to reach
a fully binding agreement, but
doing so will almost certainly en-
sure the U.S. Senate will not rat-
ify the agreement.
Russell Williams is a director of
regulatory relations for the Ameri-
can Farm Bureau Federation. He
represented AFBF at the U.N. Cli-
mate Change Conference, Dec. 7-
18, 2009, in Copenhagen.
“We think USDA should have
been able to implement the pro-
gram in way that allows for
speedier aid and, therefore, more
meaningful aid, to producers,”
said Smith. “Under the current
structure, producers will have
to wait for up to a full year after
a disaster, if not longer due to
the time it takes to develop pay-
ment calculation software pro-
grams and issue the actual pay-
ments. That is simply too long a
wait.”
Congress approved 37 ad hoc
disaster bills between 1988 and
2008, although such bills have
become harder to enact in recent
years because of budget deficits
and the congressional pay-as-
you-go rule that, in some years,
has required supplemental di-
saster appropriations to be offset
by reductions in other programs
or additional federal revenue so
as not to increase the deficit.
In addition, the only ad hoc or
supplemental agricultural disaster
assistance approved in 2008, other
than a small aid package for farm-
raised fish producers, was for con-
servation programs rather than
direct disaster payments, and the
assistance provided in 2007 only
covered production losses for one
of three years.
During the last farm bill debate
there were calls for a permanent
program to replace ad hoc natu-
ral disaster recovery aid. In fact,
SURE is only authorized through
2011, one year less than most
other farm bill programs.

Farmers’, ranchers’ top issues return with Congress
Although the new session of
Congress won’t open for an-
other week, lawmakers have
already set the legislative gears
in motion on a number of is-
sues important to farmers and
ranchers, including immigra-
tion reform, trade, climate
change and the Clean Water
Act.
Immigration
Intending to soon introduce
a bill, Sens. Charles Schumer
(D-N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham
(R-S.C.) spent the final months
of 2009 drafting a compre-
hensive immigration reform
package. They are expected
to use a measure known as
AgJOBS 2009 (S. 1038, H.R.
2414) as the starting point
for the agricultural workforce
provisions of their package.
However, growers want to
get the word out that the bills,
introduced by Sen. Dianne
Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Rep.
2010 Ou
Adam Putnam (R-Fla.) in the Sen-
ate and House, respectively, are
not embraced across-the-board
in the industry. Many feel AgJobs
makes too few changes to the
difficult H-2A program through
which farmers and ranchers hire
and employ foreign workers who
come to the U.S. temporarily to
work.
Ron Gaskill, American Farm
Bureau Federation immigration
and labor specialist, said this
early on in the process, there’s
still an opportunity for needed
adjustments.
“There is the misperception
on Capitol Hill that farmers and
ranchers are fully supportive of
AgJOBS,” Gaskill explained, “but
once it’s made clear that’s not the
case, there’s potential for real
progress.”
For agricultural employers,
progress would be a program cre-
ated by Congress that will help
them secure a legal workforce
by providing meaningful oppor-
tunities to citizens from other
countries if qualified domestic
employees are unattainable.
Estate tax
Efforts to address estate taxes
started and stopped late last year,
but lawmakers are not expected
to let current law, which elimi-
nates the estate tax for just one
year, 2010, stand. The tax is
scheduled to return in 2011 at
a 55 percent rate with a $1 mil-
lion per-person exemption.
In December, after the Senate
rejected a bill to extend for two
months the 2009 estate tax ex-
emption of $3.5 million per per-
son and the top rate of 45 percent
while lawmakers work on a more
permanent solution, Demo-
crats vowed to come back
from their holiday break
early this year to pass an
extension. Several key
lawmakers said they
would make the tax
retroactive to the
start of the year.
The Senate’s ac-
tion came soon
after the House
passed the Per-
manent Estate
Tax Relief
for Families,
Farmers, and
Small Busi-
nesses Act of
2009 (H.R.
4151) on
Dec. 3. That
bill makes
permanent
the 2009
estate tax ex-
emption
and top rate.
Acknowledging that full re- are working to put together a
peal is unlikely, agricultural bill that they hope both par-
producers continue to push for ties will support. Lieberman
an exemption high enough to said the nonbinding interna-
protect family-owned farms and tional agreement made dur-
ranches from estate taxes and a ing United Nations climate
rate that doesn’t force producers change talks in Copenhagen
to sell off parts of their farms. last month “is a step forward”
“Estate taxes can destroy fam- for their efforts.
ily businesses when the tax forces Agriculture’s opposition to
family members to sell assets to cap-and-trade legislation stems
generate money to pay the tax,” from the higher fuel, fertilizer
explained Pat Wolff, AFBF tax and energy prices numerous
specialist. “A higher exemption analyses show farmers and
and lower rates will give family ranchers will pay if such poli-
farms and ranches a better cy becomes law. Over time,
chance to remain in operation these higher expenses and a
from one generation to the next.” shift in land use would lead to
a decrease in food production
Clean Water Act in the United States.
The Clean Water Restoration Trade
Act (S. 787), introduced by Sen.
Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) in April Relying on overseas sales for
and ready for the Senate floor a quarter of their profits, grow-
after being approved in June by ers are anxious for Congress
the Senate Environment and and the administration to
Public Works Committee, would knock down trade barriers that
replace the words “navigable wa- prevent them from exporting
ters” in the current Clean Water more of their goods.
Act with the term Currently
“waters of the awaiting con-
United States.” A number of other issues gressional ap-
The small word that affect farmers and proval are free
change would ranchers, as part of the trade agree-
have a big effect agriculture industry and as ments with Co-
on farmers and taxpayers and voters, are lombia, Panama
ranchers by ex- also likely to surface this and Korea. AFBF
panding federal year. Among them are: economic anal-
law and federal ysis indicates
•  Reauthorization of child
regulation to all that implemen-
and Women, Infants and
waters, including tation of the
areas that are only Children (WIC) nutrition U.S.-Colombia
temporarily wet programs Trade Promo-
after it’s rained, •  Reauthorization of the tion Agreement,
explained Don highway bill the U.S.-Panama
Parrish, AFBF wa- Trade Promo-
•  Health care reform
ter specialist. If the tion Agree-
bill becomes •  Financial industry reform ment and the
law, farmers and Korea-U.S. Free
ranchers would Trade Agree-
likely be forced to apply for ex- ment will, respectively, boost
pensive permits. exports by $800 million, $195
million and $1.6 billion annu-
Climate change ally at full implementation.
“Agricultural producers in
Although the House passed a countries such as Australia,
sweeping cap-and-trade bill in Malaysia, New Zealand, Can-
June, momentum for passage ada, the European Union and
of climate change legislation China already have consider-
sputtered in the Senate last fall. able access to these markets,”
Among the many obstacles in the explained Chris Garza, AFBF
Farm Bureau-opposed measure’s trade specialist. “Congres-
path are the number of commit- sional passage of those agree-
tees in line to review it before the ments will level the playing
entire Senate takes a vote. field for American growers.”
Only one committee of the sev- Similarly, producers from
en or more with jurisdiction has around the globe are establish-
completed its work on a cap-and- ing relationships with custo-
trade measure. The bill reported mers in Cuba, just 90 miles off
by the Senate Environment and the U.S. coast. As a step toward
Public Works Committee (S. 1733) increasing U.S. agricultural
was sponsored by committee sales to Cuba, U.S. farmers and
chair Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) ranchers are urging policymak-
and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.). ers to lift all restrictions on
Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) agricultural exports to the is-
and Graham, along with Kerry, land nation.

utlook
Production costs are forecast to rise in 2010
Ask an economist what might
happen with the price of any
given product, and he or she like-
ly will point to the price of oil. So
it’s no surprise that Darin New-
som, DTN senior analyst, thinks
that higher oil prices will be the
reason for slightly higher farm
input costs in 2010.
“You could look at natural gas,
nitrogen fertilizer, heating oil
and diesel that’s priced off of
that. Ultimately, it comes back
down to the crude oil market,”
Newsom said.
Oil was priced at over $81 per
barrel on Jan. 4, the first business
day of 2010. That’s up from $71
a barrel in early December 2009
and from a four-year low of $36
in December 2008 (after crashing
from a record high of over $125
a barrel in July 2008).
In 2010, the world oil price is
forecast to climb further as the
economy rebounds and an unusu-
ally cold winter grips much of the
U.S. So how much of an increase
in farm input prices are we talk-
ing? It depends, says Newsom.
“Long term, we could see lower
prices,” he predicted. “However,
as we get into spring and summer,
I would expect all input costs to be
higher than they are right now.”
Newsom says it’s tough to pin
down the lag time for higher en-
ergy prices to result in higher fer-
tilizer prices. But, by spring, he
says farmers certainly are going
to see the price of fertilizer go up.
Signs of economic recovery bode well for agriculture
The global economic recession
has taken its toll on food demand
and farm commodity prices. As
penny-pinching consumers ate
out less and bought less expen-
sive cuts of meat last year, prices
fell for most commodities, espe-
cially meat and dairy products.
There are signs that 2010 and
the next few years could be bet-
ter. Economic growth in develop-
S P E C I A L R E P O R T
“Not as high as in 2007-2008,” he
said, “but higher than last year.”
Given prices and yields that
remain high relative to just a
few years ago, “prices that can
be locked in,” Newsom says, and
input prices that can be locked in
now as well, he thinks the input
cost situation is manageable.
“It looks attractive to go ahead
and get some forward contract-
ing done,” he added.
Livestock producers have been
waiting for a dip-down in feed
costs. Newsom says they could
see one this winter.
“What I’d probably do is cover
my 2010 needs for feed once the
South American crop comes in”
in early spring, he said.
Bob Young, American Farm Bu-
reau Federation chief economist,
points out that 2009 net farm in-
come was among the lowest 10
levels observed since 1945. He says
farmers are still recovering from
the high production expenses of
2008, an effect that he calls the
“2008 cost-lag.”
“What happened is that com-
modity prices fell from their
2007 to early-2008 highs, but in-
put costs didn’t decline anywhere
near as fast,” he explained. “Even
if commodity prices are still rel-
atively high, farm income is get-
ting squeezed. Many farmers
have long since lost any windfall
from the high commodity prices
of 18 months ago.”
This isn’t your grandfather’s ag-
ing countries, an increasingly im-
portant market for U.S. agricul-
tural exports, is forecast at 5.6
percent annually during 2009-18,
according to USDA’s long-term
projections.
In addition, the Bureau of La-
bor Statistics jobs report for No-
vember showed the unemploy-
ment rate dropping, from 10.2
percent to 10 percent—not a sea
riculture, says Pat O’Brien, AFBF
senior economist. Historically,
farmers and ranchers have pro-
duced a lot of their own inputs.
That’s no longer the case, he says.
Farmers today have to pay out
more money for manufactured
inputs—fertilizer, seeds, pesti-
cides, lime, machinery and, of
course, energy.
“The manufactured category of
inputs is expanding faster than it
ever has,” he said. “Over the past
three years, input prices have be-
gun to take on a life of their own.
They used to move in tandem
with commodity prices, but over
about the last three years we’ve
seen that trend change, as well.”
change but a refreshing one. Un-
employment is expected to in-
crease minutely for December;
however, the pace of job losses
is slowing and a Labor Depart-
ment survey that will be out soon
after this paper goes to press is
expected to show no net loss of
jobs in December, the best job
news since this recession began.
Retail sales also increased in No-
vember and October, up 1.3 per-
cent and 1.1 percent, respectively.
“As more positive economic in-
dicators come out, consumers
will feel more confident and have
a little more cash to spend, or be
willing to part with it,” said Stef-
phanie Gambrell, American Farm
Bureau Federation economist.
Bob Young, AFBF chief econo-
mist, says all of this is very good
news for farmers and ranchers.
“Supplies are getting positioned
so that when the market does
pick up, we should be able to sell
product and move prices up-
ward,” he said.
Another positive indicator is
the value of the U.S. dollar. The
dollar depreciated 20 percent be-
tween February 2002 and April
2008, facilitating U.S. agricul-
January 11, 2010
He agrees with Newsom that
forward contracting is the farm-
er’s main defense.
“USDA’s farm cost surveys
three to four years ago showed
that about 50 percent of produc-
ers spot-purchased inputs. If they
were going to plant next week,
they might go out the weekend
before that and buy the inputs
they needed. You can’t farm prof-
itably that way anymore,” he
said. “You have to take advan-
tage of forward contracting. A
farmer can earn as much sitting
in his office doing cost analyses,
locking in the best prices, as he
earns from sitting on the tractor
seat.”
tural export growth. With the
downturn in the global economy
there was a flight by investors
to the dollar starting in August
2008, but since April of last year
the dollar has once again turned
to the long-term trend of losing
value. Big budget deficits and
action by the Federal Reserve to
keep interest rates low will prob-
ably continue to keep the dollar
weak and U.S. commodity prices
competitive in other markets.
While population growth in
both the developing and devel-
oped world is predicted to slow,
according to USDA’s long-term
projections, continued income
growth in developing countries
will lead to further diversifica-
tion of diets, increasing import
demand for livestock feed and
high-value food products, USDA
says.
“There’s no getting around the
economic pain that a lot of farm-
ers and ranchers have faced over
the last year,” Young said. “But
for those who can stick things
out in 2010, it looks as though
the turnaround is coming. It’s
not a drastic upswing, but it
is positive and we’ll take it.”
 fbnews.org January 11, 2010
Capitol View 6|

Oklahoma farmer appointed to organics board

Oklahoma Farm Bureau mem-
ber Annette Riherd will begin
serving a five-year term on the
National Organic Standards
Board (NOSB) on Jan. 24.
Riherd and her husband op-
erate a certified organic fruit,
produce and transplant busi-
ness in Oologah, Okla., about
30 miles northeast of Tulsa.
She says she is honored to be
one of four farmers/growers
on the 15-member board.
“I am excited to fill one of
the farmer positions and be
the first person from Okla-
homa to serve on the board,”
she said. “I want to use my
experience as a smaller farmer
to be a voice on the board
and help with the guidance
and rulemaking process.”
Riherd expressed appre-
ciation to Oklahoma Farm
Bureau, and OFB President
Mike Spradling in particular, for
supporting her appointment.
“Organic food has an impor-
tant role to play in agriculture,”
Spradling commented, “and we
are certainly proud to have a Tul-
sa County Farm Bureau member
representing us on the national
board.”
Riherd has been taking part in
conference calls on NOSB business
since her appointment in Septem-
ber. One of the first orders of busi-
ness was deciding which of several
sub-boards she would be on. She
was asked to sit on the livestock,
crops and policy sub-boards.
The NOSB advises the secretary
of agriculture on organic stan-
dards and other aspects of the
national organic program. Other
members of the board represent
handlers/processors, retailers, Annette Riherd of Tulsa County, Okla., says she is excited to be the first Oklaho-
scientists and consumer and en- man appointed to the National Organic Standards Board, which advises the sec-
vironmental groups. retary of agriculture on standards of organic production.

AFBF president appoints new YF&R committee members

American Farm Bureau Federa-
tion President Bob Stallman last
month appointed eight new com-
mittee members for two-year
terms to the AFBF Young Farm-
ers & Ranchers Committee. The
YF&R program is composed of
Farm Bureau members between
the ages of 18 and 35. The pro-
gram’s goal is to provide leader-
ship development to build a more
effective Farm Bureau through
education, problem solv-
ing and network building.
“I am always impressed with
the quality of people who are
nominated for these positions
and this year is no exception,”
said AFBF President Bob Stallman.
There are 16 positions on the
committee with members repre-
senting all four regions of the
United States. The new 2010-2012
members are: Jason Bunting, Illi-
nois; Derek Sawyer, Kansas;
Daniel and Alison Smith, Ken-
tucky; Ben and Kelsey LaCross,
Michigan; Dan and Seena Gless-
ing, Minnesota; Patrick and Kim
Swindoll, Mississippi; Dustin
Ladenburger, Nebraska; and Scott
and Mendy Sink, Virginia. They
will be joining Will and Joni
Gilmer, Alabama; Matt and Erin
Sweet, California; Roland Yee,
Florida; Leighton and Brenda
Cooley, Georgia; Jim and Andrea
Schultz, New York; Mark and
Valerie Wagner, North Dakota;
Ryan and Nikki McClure, Ohio;
and Chalsey Kortes, Wyoming.
“I am very proud of these new
members and their accomplish-
ments so far in their Farm Bureau
careers,” said Stallman. “I look
forward to the work they will do
on the YF&R Committee as well
as watching them become even
stronger and more capable lead-
ers for American agriculture.”
Committee members are respon-
sible for the YF&R program plan-
ning which includes the operation
of YF&R contests during AFBF’s
annual meeting, along with plan-
ning and implementation of the
YF&R Leadership Conference held
in February. They will be given
the tools necessary to become
leaders through intensive train-
ing on issues along with the hon-
ing of other professional skills.
Committee members attend
two additional business meetings
a year. And every other year, a
meeting is held in Washington,
D.C., where they participate in a
“Day on the Hill” event, visiting
with each of their members of
Congress, helping to inform them
about the issues facing agricul-
ture in America.

Ag puts up trade surplus, but industry not immune to recession

Continued from page 1
U.S. agriculture has jumped con-
siderably since 2006, the 2009
surplus is down from the previ-
ous year. And that surplus is ex-
pected to shrink further in 2010
as the global economy just be-
gins to creep back and American
consumers again demand more
high-valued agricultural imports.
“That’s fairly representative of
the mixed bag of economic news
for farmers and ranchers,” Gam-
brell noted.
USDA estimates farm income is
expected to be down about 34.5
percent—$30 billion—in 2009. Spe-
cifically, the value of crop produc-
tion is estimated at 18.3 percent
lower than 2008 at $164.2 billion.
The value of livestock production
is estimated at 22.4 percent lower
than 2008’s $117.4 billion.
The department emphasizes that
even with the drop, the farm in-
come level of $57 billion will be
the eighth largest on record, but
that doesn’t take into account
inflation, Gambrell pointed out.
“When you account for infla-
tion, net farm income for 2009 is
actually among the lowest in
decades,” she explained.
In addition, although input costs
are down by 15.5 percent, they
don’t exceed the drop in income.
“Expenses may have decreased,
but they were so high for the past
few years that it will take a while
for them to drop enough that they
balance out with the prices grow-
ers are earning,” Gambrell said.
While 2009 was one of the
toughest years in a long time for
agriculture, in terms of total net
farm income, the decade did have
high points, Gambrell emphasized.
“In looking at trends in both
today’s dollars and accounting
for inflation, 2004, 2005, 2007
and 2008 all fall into the top 25
net farm income years between
1945 and 2009,” she said. “Agri-
culture continues to make pro-
ductivity gains and has done great
things over the past 10 years.”

New Farm Bureau presidents

Four state Farm Bureaus elected new presidents in late 2009. Pictured left to right
are Paul Wenger, California Farm Bureau president; Patricia (Pat) Langenfelder,
Maryland Farm Bureau president; and Robert (Bob) Hammond, Maine Farm
Bureau president. Not pictured is A. Richard (Rich) Bonanno, Massachusetts Farm
Bureau president. Wenger is a third-generation farmer from Modesto, where he
raises walnuts and almonds. Langenfelder is a partner in Grand View Farm LLC in
Kent County, Md., with her husband and three adult children. They raise corn, soy-
beans, wheat and barley, and operate a farrow-to-finish swine farm. Hammond of
Harrington, Maine, raises blueberries and cranberries, as well as dabbles in other
crops such as shiitake mushrooms and organic vegetables. He hopes soon to start
an agri-tourism operation on his farm. Bonanno operates a diversified vegetable
and horticulture farm in Essex County, Mass.
January 11, 2010
New York FB knocks down myths about farm labor
A new video from New York
Farm Bureau tackles some of the
many myths surrounding farm
workers. The eight-minute video
includes clips from a recent pub-
lic hearing that addressed a host
of agriculture issues, including la-
bor. The hearing was conducted
in November in Jefferson County,
in the northwest part of the state,
by New York Senate Agriculture
Committee Chairman Darrel
Aubertine.
Panelists included experts in la-
bor law, farmers, farm workers
and farm worker advocates. The
video selection features Dean Nor-
ton, NYFB president; Jay Matteson,
Jefferson County agricultural co-
ordinator; and Tom Maloney from
Cornell Cooperative Extension.
Dispelling the myth that hired
farm employees are forced to
work long hours with little or no
pay, in the video Matteson cited
a Cornell dairy-farm business
summary that determined that
dairy workers in New York make
fbnews.org
on average $11.75 per hour, in-
cluding benefits such as health
care, workers’ compensation, re-
tirement, housing, payment of
utility costs in their homes, food
allowances, farm investment op-
portunities and more.
“[It’s a] better benefits package
than I get,” Matteson said.
Addressing the issue of overtime
and pay, Norton and Maloney
pointed out that agriculture is not
an eight-hour, Monday-Friday in-
dustry. Matteson told the commit-
tee about a 2008 Watertown Daily
Times article in which Hispanic
farm workers told a reporter they
would work even more than the
12 hours, six-days per week they
do now, if their farmer-employers
would let them.
“This is not a case of employees
being forced to work long hours,
it is the nature of the job,” Mat-
teson explained. “But it is also
what they want because they are
building homes and supporting
families.”
|7
Norton and Matteson went
into detail about the many farm
labor rules and regulations that
farmers must follow, including
those regarding housing, wages
and workers’ compensation.
“I would argue that we are the
most regulated industry in the
state of New York,” Norton said.
Additionally, the Catholic
Charities’ Deacon David Sweenie
discussed the need to enforce cur-
rent laws, and talked about how
farm workers do, indeed, vote
with their feet to find the best
employment situation.
At the close of the video, NYFB
emphasizes that all farmers are
also farm workers. In addition,
farmers put in the same or more
time in the fields as any em-
ployee, but in many cases they
have fewer protections than
hired farm workers.
The farm labor section of the
November hearing specifically
addressed an NYFB-opposed bill
that was passed last June by the
State FB Links
New York Assembly. Pending
in the Senate, the Farm Work-
ers Fair Labor Practices Act
would, among other things, re-
quire mandatory payment of
overtime to farm workers, make
mandatory the payment of un-
employment insurance for small
farm employers and mandate
collective bargaining and union
organizing.
NYFB estimates the bill would
cost the state’s farm families more
than $200 million annually.
“The bill completely ignores
that farming is a seasonal busi-
ness, dependent on Mother Na-
ture,” Norton said. “This is an
anti-farm, anti-farm worker, anti-
local agriculture measure that
will devastate the state’s agricul-
tural community and ultimately
hurt downstate consumers.”
“Myths Vs. Facts About Farm-
workers In New York” can be
viewed at www.youtube.com.
Search for the title of the video
or “New York Farm Bureau.”

State Focus Newsmakers

Missouri Farm Bureau opposes
tax increase on farmers
The Missouri State Tax Commission last
month approved as much as a 29 per-
cent increase in farmland assessments
which, according to the Missouri Farm
Bureau, will substantially increase prop-
erty taxes on farmers in the state. Every
two years, the productivity values used
for property tax assessments are re-
viewed and adopted by the commission.
State law provides that agricultural land
be assessed on its productivity value, not
market value, thereby assessing farm-
land on its true worth for agricultural
production, rather than development,
speculation or other purposes. “As we
stated to the State Tax Commission,
many Missouri farm and ranch families
are facing financial strain like they have
never seen,” said MFB President Charlie
Kruse. “Missouri farmers are carrying
some of the highest debt load in the
nation, and clearly they cannot be
expected to shoulder a tax increase.” The
Missouri General Assembly has 60 calen-
dar days from the beginning of the 2010
legislative session to approve a concur-
rent resolution rejecting the proposed
changes made by the commission.
S.D. rancher turns protest into
ag promotion opportunity
A protest by the People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals gave Troy Hadrick,
president of the Butte/Harding/Lawrence
(South Dakota) County Farm Bureau, the
chance to tell the media that not only
was the PETA effort misguided, but that
taking excellent care of their animals is
the highest priority for livestock produc-
ers. Last month, Hadrick and a number of
Farm Bureau members were on hand at
a PETA event in downtown Rapid City. At
the demonstration to protest what it said
was the documented mistreatment of
cows at some dairy farms, PETA poured
milk down a gutter. “If activist groups
like PETA and the Humane Society of the
United States [HSUS] see an incident of
animal abuse, they should work with the
animal’s owner to correct the situation,
rather than exploit that event to further
their agenda of a vegan society,” Had-
rick said. “Milk and dairy products have
long been a staple in healthy diets.” In
conjunction with Hadrick’s efforts, South
Dakota Farm Bureau issued a news re-
lease explaining the importance of good
animal care and pledging to donate milk
to a local food bank.
Wyoming FB members help
feed thousands in need
The Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies
was the recipient of $1,725 in monetary
donations, 401 pounds of food and 18
working man hours from the Wyoming
Farm Bureau in November. The monetary
and food donations are enough to pro-
vide 12,388 meals to Wyoming families in
need. The food and funding donations
were made by WFB members at the
group’s annual meeting, Nov. 12-14. In
addition, WFB’s Young Farmer and
Rancher Committee members donated
their time to sort and count food on the
food bank warehouse floor. “It was a
great feeling to know we were helping
out people in need,” said Laura Forn-
strom, YF&R member. “When we first ar-
rived at the food bank, it was overwhelm-
ing to see what needed to be done.
However, once we started, our team-
working traits came out and we finished
the job quickly.” The WFB YF&R commit-
tee works with its counterpart on the
national level, the American Farm Bureau
Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee,
on the “Harvest for All” project through
which young producers donate time,
money and food to combat hunger.
North Dakota Farm Bureau recently
announced staff changes. Staci Lee
joined the organization as leader-
ship development assistant. She
will also serve as safety coordinator.
Lee has a bachelor’s degree in food
science from North Dakota State
University (NDSU) and has chaired a
variety of fundraising and commu-
nity activities. John Jacobson has
been named director of leadership
development. He will also continue
in his role as staff coordinator for
the NDSU Collegiate Farm Bureau.
Kentucky Farm Bureau has two
new division directors. B. Todd
Bright has been named director of
communication and Jeff Harper
is director of the new commod-
ity division, which was formed to
expand services. Bright went to KFB
from Frost Brown Todd, a law firm
where he worked for more than
four years as marketing director.
Harper previously served as KFB’s
commodity department director for
the past six years.
Mark Morris has joined Mississippi
Farm Bureau as communications
specialist. A graduate of the Univer-
sity of Southern Mississippi with a
radio/TV/film degree, Morris’ experi-
ence includes 14 years at WAPT-TV,
the ABC affiliate in Jackson.

Don’t CAP Our Future

April Damhof of Kandiyohi County, Minn., places a “Don’t CAP Our Future” sticker she has signed onto a traditional
farmer’s cap. More than 200 caps were signed by Minnesota Farm Bureau voting delegates on Nov. 20 at their annual
meeting in Brooklyn Park, Minn. In addition, nearly 170 attendees signed a “Don’t CAP Our Future” banner petition.
“Don’t CAP Our Future” is a grassroots Farm Bureau campaign to make members of Congress aware that climate cap-
and-trade legislation would raise farmers’ and ranchers’ production costs and reduce U.S. agricultural production
capacity. Thousands of farm caps, post cards and petitions are being signed by Farm Bureau members around the
country and will be delivered to members of Congress in early 2010.

Grassroots
Farm Bureau reports 49th year of membership growth
Farm Bureau’s national mem-
bership rose to 6,277,664 mem-
ber families in 2009, marking
49 consecutive years of mem-
bership growth. State Farm Bu-
reaus overall reported a total
34,378 more member families
in 2009 than in 2008.
American Farm Bureau Fed-
eration President Bob Stallman
said the 2009 membership
growth is especially note-
worthy considering the con-
tinuing economic challenges
facing the nation. He credited
agricultural advocacy pro-
grams at the local, state and
national levels and services
offered by state Farm Bureaus
for the organization’s overall
membership growth.
“Farm Bureau members and
the county and state leaders
they elect are the driving force
behind our membership
growth,” Stallman said. “Mem-
bers are the lifeblood of true,
grassroots organizations such
as Farm Bureau. As AFBF heads
into its 91st year, this member-
ship accomplishment sets the
stage for even greater achieve-
ments in policy, programs and
services, all of which are devel-
oped with the goal of improv-
ing member families’ busi-
nesses and standards of living.”
Texas Farm Bureau had the
single largest gain of 17,101
members, bringing its mem-
bership to 439,260.
Other state organizations
Farm Bureau members gather for 91st annual meeting
Continued from page 1
The annual meeting offers
Farm Bureau members informa-
tional conferences on the issues
shaping agriculture today and in
the future, and gives Farm Bu-
reau leaders from around the U.S.
the opportunity to chart the na-
tional organization’s course
through 2010.
The theme for this year’s an-
nual meeting is “Passage to Suc-
cess,” a reference to the north-
west passage—a fabled water
route through the northern part
fbnews.org January 11, 2010
8|
with significant growth included vania, South Carolina, South West Virginia, Wisconsin and
Kentucky, which grew by 12,418 Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wyoming. Puerto Rico Farm
members to 483,352; Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Bureau also achieved quota.
which grew by 10,162 members
to 646,240; North Carolina,
which gained 9,592 members to 2009 final membership
508,426; and Utah, which grew
H Alabama H Indiana H Nebraska Rhode Island
by 5,897 members to 27,313.
440,478 281,336 51,450 2,352
Tennessee Farm Bureau remains
the largest in the nation. H Alaska H Iowa Nevada H South Carolina
Utah Farm Bureau had the sin- 354 154,273 20,072 110,750
gle largest percentage member- H Arizona H Kansas New Hampshire H South Dakota
ship gain, 27.5 percent. Round- 19,754 114,197 3,618 10,502
ing out the top five by percentage
of growth were West Virginia Arkansas H Kentucky New Jersey H Tennessee
(11.6 percent), South Dakota 220,970 483,352 12,724 646,240
(11.2 percent), Montana (7.7 H California H Louisiana H New Mexico H Texas
percent) and Maryland (7 per- 85,356 147,901 14,491 439,260
cent). The West had the largest
percentage of growth, 3 percent. Colorado Maine New York H Utah
Nineteen state Farm Bureaus 21,870 2,225 28,335 27,313
earned Navigator Awards for ex- H Connecticut H Maryland H North Carolina H Vermont
ceptional membership growth: 5,027 32,782 508,426 3,333
Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Kansas,
H Delaware H Massachusetts H North Dakota H Virginia
Kentucky, Maryland, Montana,
4,500 6,359 26,491 149,857
Nebraska, New Mexico, North
Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, H Florida Michigan H Ohio H Washington
South Carolina, South Dakota, 141,283 190,001 235,064 38,384
Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wash- Georgia H Minnesota H Oklahoma H West Virginia
ington and West Virginia. 408,173 27,936 170,218 21,218
Thirty-nine Forty state Farm
Bureaus achieved 2009 member- H Hawaii Mississippi H Oregon H Wisconsin
ship quota: Alabama, Alaska, 1,664 209,376 56,913 42,465
Arizona, California, Connecti- H Idaho H Missouri H Pennsylvania H Wyoming
cut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, 63,090 101,917 46,697 10,714
Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,
H Illinois H Montana H Puerto Rico
Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana,
421, 919 14,000 684
Maryland, Massachusetts, Min-
nesota, Missouri, Montana,
H Achieved membership quota
Nebraska, New Mexico, North
H  AFBF  —  6,277,664
Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio,
Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsyl-
of North America connecting the by football legend Terry Brad- Rancher awards and recognition
Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Presi- shaw, during the Closing General of retiring AFBF board members
dent Thomas Jefferson in 1803 Session on Monday, Jan. 11, at also will take place during the
sent American explorers Meri- 3 p.m. Closing General Session.
wether Lewis and William Clark In addition, the Closing Gen- To follow these and other
out West to survey the territory eral Session will include presen- events, awards, informational
and look for the water passage tation of the AFBF Distinguished sessions and more, visit the AFBF
to facilitate trade. While Lewis Service Awards (DSA). The DSA Web site (www.fb.org) or fol-
and Clark did not discover a recognizes a career of service low updates on the AFBF page
convenient water passage to the to agriculture and is the high- on Facebook (www.facebook.
Pacific, their expedition did suc- est honor that AFBF bestows on com/AmericanFarmBureau) and
ceed in giving Americans a bet- an individual. Presentation of the AFBF Twitter feed (http://
ter understanding of the un- the national Young Farmer and twitter.com/FarmBureau).
mapped West, paving the way for
the nation’s continued growth.
“Similar to the accomplish-
Corner Post
ments of Lewis and Clark’s ex-
pedition, Farm Bureau members
can map out professional and
personal growth for themselves
by gaining a better understand-
ing of trends and developments
U.S. Crude Oil Prices
via the informational confer- Dollars per barrel
ences we have planned,” said
AFBF President Bob Stallman.
“And, by developing sound poli-
cies at the annual meeting, Farm
Bureau voting delegates can
keep the organization on its own
passage to success as we pro-
duce food, fiber and fuel for the
world.”
This year’s 369 voting delegates
from all 50 states and Puerto Rico
will meet beginning Tuesday,
Jan. 12, to vote on national Farm
Bureau policy.
The annual meeting will also
feature the annual address by
Stallman, at the Opening General
Session on Sunday, Jan. 10, at Source: USDA
9:30 a.m., and a keynote address