In Farm BureauWelch to retire

Arkansas Farm Bureau Executive Vice President Ewell Welch has an-nounced plans to retire at the end of

2013, culminating a 36-year career with the organi-zation. As EVP, Welch oversees all staff activities for the organization and its affiliated companies. Welch, 60, announced his plans April 17 to the state board

of directors and notified employees later in the day.

“It has been a great honor and privilege to represent the members of Arkansas Farm Bureau and to work with a talented and dedicated group of coworkers,” Welch said. “My objective throughout my ca-reer has been to improve the situ-

ation for the men and women of agriculture. I don’t believe there is a more noble and worthwhile effort, because agriculture means so much to our state, this nation and, in fact, the entire world. Announcing my retirement plans now will allow the state board of directors the time necessary to evaluate and select the next person fortunate enough to lead the efforts of this organization.”

ArFB President Randy Veach said the board has defined a thorough process for review of internal can-

didates, interviews and selection of the next executive vice president.

“Ewell is just one of five men to lead the staff functions for the Arkan-sas Farm Bureau,” said Veach. “He has done a wonderful job in the past 10 years of continuing the organization’s focus on the needs of agriculture. Ewell is a quiet, but incredibly effec-tive leader. His insight, wisdom and commitment will be missed. I have every belief, though, that the direction he has set for the organization will be continued well into the future.”

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On April 11, more than two dozen people braved spring rains to attend an Arkansas Forestry Associa-tion tour and see how “Arkansas Outstanding Tree Farmers” Bobby and Kathy Johnson of Cherry Valley manage their property for wood production, wildlife habitat, soil/water quality and recreation. Cross County forester David Oaks (in orange) talked about forestry management practices on the 130-acre farm.

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April 26, 2013 • Vol. 16, No. 8

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On April 8, the Sharp Co. FB Young Farmers and

Ranchers, including Annie Lester (left), Brandi Cherry

(third from right) and Jessica Landreth (second from right) helped ArFB Assistant Educa-

tion Coordinator Matt Jackson (right) explain the Mobile Ag Experience Trailer to K-2 stu-

dents at Highland Elementary.

Welch

A native of Havana (Yell Co.), Welch has

served as EVP since Sept. 2002. He previously served as director of the organization’s commodity division. He came to work for Farm Bureau on Dec. 1, 1977. He earned bachelors and master’s degrees from the Uni-versity of Arkansas, and, in 2005, was named an outstanding alumnus of the UofA Bumpers College of Ag-riculture.

“This decision was made after a lot of prayer, reflection and conversa-tion,” Welch said. “I am excited for the future of Arkansas Farm Bureau, because I know its mission and pur-pose will carry on and continue to have a positive impact on our state.”

Camp registration deadlinesDeadlines to register for Farm Bu-

reau-sponsored summer camps are coming up soon. The National Lead-ership Forum at Harding University in Searcy will be held June 2-7. The registration deadline is May 24. Teen Challenge camp will be held June 17-20 at the Arkansas 4-H Center at Ferndale. The registration deadline is May 31. For more information, visit your county Farm Bureau office.

In ArkansasNew Poultry Capital

Thanks to a bill unanimously

approved by Arkansas legislators, Springdale could soon be posting signs announcing its new desig-nation as “Poultry Capital of the World.” A spokesman for Gov. Mike Beebe said he’ll likely sign the bill into law.

Sen. Jon Woods of Springdale said he proposed the bill as a way to help promote the city where Tyson Foods Inc. is headquartered. The name will be written into a section of state law that names Arkansas’ official flower, motto and bird. It does not require any state funding.

Rice Council license plateThe Arkansas General Assembly

approved legislation to create a spe-

cial license plate for the Arkansas Rice Council. Proceeds from sales of the license plates will help fund rice promotion and educational activi-ties in Arkansas.

The Arkansas Rice Council will work with the Arkansas Highway Department to develop the license plate design, which will become available for purchase in 2014.

ElsewhereSmithsonian documents ag innovation

With a nod to farmers and ranch-ers, the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American His-tory recently unveiled a new website where the public can upload stories about technologies and innovation that have changed their work lives in agriculture. Stories are sought on precision farming, foodborne illness tracking, environmental concerns, government practices, crop irriga-tion, biotechnology and hybrid seeds.

Through the Agricultural Inno-vation and Heritage Archive, the Smithsonian, in partnership with the American Farm Bureau Fed-eration, is reaching out to farmers, ranchers and American agribusi-nesses to preserve America’s agricul-tural heritage and build a collection that reflects modern agricultural practices. Curators are seeking sto-ries, photographs and ephemera to

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Members of ArFB’s state board of directors, including (l to r) Leo Sutterfield, Bruce Jackson, Mike Freeze and Janice Marsh, served catfish, chicken and all the fixings to Farm Bureau staff at an April 16 employee appreciation lun-cheon at Farm Bureau Center.

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Visitors at the second annual UofA Moms on the Farm tour on April 13 heard John Robert Hart explain the operation of his family’s Prairie Grove dairy farm. More than two dozen moms got a glimpse of the four-hour, twice-daily routine it takes to milk the Harts’ 112 cows.

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Clark Co. FB Women’s Com-mittee members Karen Kirkpatrick (right) and Jane Helms served Kool-Aid, water and cookies to Perritt Drug Walk participants on April 12. Clark Co. FB supports this annual school event that teaches children to avoid drug-abuse problems.

Takashi Sadakane, First Secretary, Embassy of Japan; Katsuhiro Saka, counselor, Embassy of Japan; and Naritoshi Takayama, director of Japan’s Office of International Affairs on Staple Food met April 16 with USA Rice’s Betsy Ward (center) and Bob Cummings (right) to discuss rice trade issues.

record and preserve the innovations and experiences of farming and ranching.

This new collection of stories, photos and objects will play a role in the “American Enterprise” exhi-bition, an 8,000-square-foot multi-media experience that will immerse visitors in the dramatic arc of the nation’s story, focusing on the role of business and innovation in the U.S. from the mid-1700s to the pres-ent. The exhibition is scheduled to open in May 2015.

To share your story of agricul-ture’s innovation and heritage or to check out what others have sub-mitted, go to americanhistory.si.edu/agheritage/ .

REAP grants availableThe U.S. Dept. of Agriculture

has announced additional funding for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). Previously, the program was expected to have $21 million, with $200,000 of that al-located to Arkansas. Now the USDA has announced the program will have $60 million nationally, which means Arkansas should have more than $500,000 available to produc-ers. May 31 is the deadline for ap-plications.

REAP provides a 25-percent cost share for implementing energy ef-ficient or renewable energy projects on a farm. Grants can be used to cover virtually any energy upgrades,

including irrigation upgrades, poul-try-house upgrades and renewable energy projects. For more informa-tion, go to www.rurdev.usda.gov/BCP_ReapResEei.html .

Partnership visits Capitol HillWorking rice lands and waterfowl

are good for each other, members of the USA Rice Federation and Ducks Unlimited Stewardship Partnership told federal lawmakers April 16 in a united message during day-long House and Senate meetings. Four USA Rice producers and three DU officers together urged lawmakers to pass a five-year farm bill soon because a strong farm safety net is important to rice producers, and their working rice lands provide much-needed, irreplaceable habitat essential to the well-being of water-fowl and other wildlife. Partnership members heard supportive and en-couraging responses about the farm safety net and conservation initia-tive at each of their nine meetings.

Maps provided by the partnership illustrated how the nearly 3 million acres of working rice lands and the

habitat they provide in the U.S. are valuable to waterfowl because of their alignment with major water-fowl flyways. Without working rice lands in this country, ducks and other waterfowl would no longer have available to them these critical feeding and resting areas during an-nual migrations.

“Rice producers are land and wa-ter stewards who practice conserva-tion in their operations and provide water and habitat that benefit wa-terfowl,” USA Rice Producer Group Chairman and Texas rice producer Linda Raun said. Mississippi rice producer Gibb Steele, Missouri rice producer Rance Daniels and Texas rice producer L.G. Raun also partici-pated in the meetings on behalf of USA Rice. DU members Al Montna, a California rice producer, Rogers Hoyt, a Texas rice producer and Mickey McMillan from Louisiana spoke on behalf of DU.

USA Rice and DU formally orga-nized the Stewardship Partnership in February and held its first meeting in Memphis in March. Editor

Keith Suttonkeith.sutton@arfb.com

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ArFB Executive Vice President Ewell Welch (fourth from left) and Gov. Mike Beebe (fourth from right) presented the top ag innovation award to Catch-22, an undergraduate entrepreneur team from UALR. The team won the award at the Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup, April 10, for its concept to create a liquid fertilizer from invasive Asian carp.

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Retiring Agency Manager Ron Bryant (seated) received a plaque from North Logan Co. FB President Johnny Spellins to recognize 25 years of hard work and dedication to their office and community. Bry-ant worked for Farm Bureau a total of 33 years.

In the MarketAs of April 24, 2013:

SOYBEANS carry a mixed tone into the end of April. Tight supplies, good demand and logistical prob-lems in South America are keeping old-crop contracts in a sideways pattern. With May just weeks away from expiration, July becomes the nearby point of concern, with sup-port around $13.30 and long-term resistance between $14.50 and $14.75. But more recent resistance around $14 may be difficult to ex-ceed. Certainly there is a propensity for the market to decline as export demand shifts to South America, and that could bring support be-tween $12.25 and $12.60 into play. At the same time, new-crop contracts are trending lower, with November having dropped below $12 in recent days. The potential of additional acres being planted to soybeans puts support at $11.70 and then $11.40 directly in the head-lights. Corn planting delays due to weather make additional soybean acres a strong reality.

CORN remains under pressure, despite the fact weather is delaying planting of the 2013 crop. Old-crop basis has narrowed, suggesting im-mediate needs have been met. Ei-ther that, or the market is trying to “shake the tree” and scare farmers into selling what they have left. De-cember futures fell below $5.25 after a month of defending that level. Chart support at $5.11 or lower could be in the picture. Weather should limit downside pressure, un-less there is an extended planting window on the immediate horizon.

WHEAT has been in a consolida-tion pattern around $7 since re-bounding from the March quarterly stocks report. However, recent pres-sure in corn and beans weighed on wheat, pushing July below support at $6.95, the bottom of the consoli-dation area. A retest of the stocks re-port low of $6.65 is probable. While

the U.S. crop appears to have sus-tained damage from recent freezing weather, it hasn’t provided much upward price potential. Improving world production prospects and big world stocks are limiting the market. July will have to close above resis-tance at $7.20 to signal an upturn.

The RICE market remains “steady to firm,” with shrinking supplies in Texas and Louisiana and steady ex-port demand providing support for the cash market. At the same time, futures have weakened, despite a de-lay in getting the 2013 crop planted. This week’s planting progress report has Arkansas at 23 percent complet-ed, versus 84 percent a year ago and a five-year average of 48 percent. Intermittent rain continues to slow the process. Futures have trended lower, with September dipping below a three-week consolidation area early this week. That normally signals further weakness, but in this case, it should be limited. The con-tract low of $14.60 should be solid support if the market dips that low.

COTTON peaked at 94 cents in mid-March on continued Chinese demand and the tightening of world stocks outside China. Since then, China has continued buying but has also, along with India, released stocks for sale. This has pressured fu-tures back near 80 cents, which was support prior to the upturn. World stocks are projected to be more than 82 million bales, with almost 46 million bales held by China. So, the cotton market will continue to be primarily influenced by what China does. However, weather and planting delays along with U.S. crop prospects will influence the market day to day. Technically, a December close below 84 cents will signal a possible move to the next level of support between 82.5 cents and 81 cents.

In CATTLE, lower grain prices are starting to lend some support to feeder futures. Live futures have also found some support, mostly from ideas that warmer weather will lead to improved domestic beef demand. June live cattle futures are about a

dime away from overhead trendline resistance near $122.35. May feed-ers are attempting to build on the recent low of $137.65.

HOGS have taken the confirma-tion of huge supplies in stride this week. The cold storage report re-leased earlier this week showed the second-largest stocks on record. Im-proving cutout values are also hav-ing an impact, as warmer weather should bring better demand. June will have tough resistance at $92.85 on a rebound.

DAIRY. Class I demand is still steady. The decline in milk produc-tion lowered export loads to 89 last week. Milk production is at or just past its peak in the southern tier of states in the Southeast region. Sup-plies are mostly in balance with de-mand, with only a few loads going to manufacturing facilities over the weekend. Class I demand was fairly strong this week, with no single factor accountable for the strong showing. Pastures in most of the region are now open for grazing. Cream demand has increased with only a few loads being shipped out of the region. The cream supply is receiving good pulls from ice cream, cream cheese and whipping cream. Cream multiples for all classes ex-panded this week as good demand in the East pushed the upper end of the range higher. Class II demand for condensed skim has increased with the onset of warmer spring time temperatures and increases of ice cream production. A majority of the condensed skim volume con-tinues to be channeled to Class IV production.

CONTACT• Gene Martin 501-228-1330,

gene.martin@arfb.com• Brandy Carroll 501-228-1268,

brandy.carroll@arfb.com• Bruce Tencleve 501-228-1856,

bruce.tencleve@arfb.com• Matt King 501-228-1297,

matt.king@arfb.com