U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance Continues Outreach to Consumers with Faces of Farming and Ranching 

Earlier this year, the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance put out a call for farmers and ranchers who are outstanding at what they do and are proud to tell their stories. USFRA invited them to submit short videos telling their stories in hopes of finding individuals to act as ambassadors with consumers in its Faces of Farming and Ranching project. The votes have now been tabulated and the USFRA will reveal the winners January 22nd.

Hugh Whaley with me recently and said it is imperative that producers connect with real farmers and ranchers.

"Consumers have indicated in our research that they want to talk directly to, as much as possible, the people who are raising and growing their food. We have found that out through our Facebook page, through our Twitter, through our website. As long as they are talking directly with or get answers to their concerns directly from farmers and ranchers themselves, they are much more comfortable with the way today's food is produced."

Whaley said that consumers have several questions and concerns about how their food is grown in the modern world. Some are concerned about livestock handling practices and genetically modified crops but, Whaley said, "those aren't the only concerns. Pesticides are certainly a concern and biotechnology and GMOs are certainly a concern. A lot of the reason why? People just don't know that much about them... People want to know how their food is produced. How their food is raised in order to feel much more comfortable with whatever purchase decisions they are making whether It is at a retail establishment, a farmers market or whether it's at a supermarket. They want to know exactly how that food is raised. And that really raises their comfort level in the food selection choices they do make." 

Click here to read more or listen to our full conversation.

Drought Monitor Shows Exceptional Drought Area Grows Slightly Across Oklahoma 

Exceptional Drought edged up in the latest Drought Monitor update- even as the southeastern part of the state showed some improvement. The new U.S. Drought Monitor map was an exercise in give-and-take this week. The improvement in southeastern Oklahoma was thanks to 4-7 inches of rain since the beginning of December. Idabel led the way with 7.3 inches in the gauge, and Broken Bow had 7.1 inches. The rest of the state had from about a half-inch to 2 inches.

The Extreme (D3) area in the far southeast went to Severe (D2), but the D3 area up around Kay, Osage and Washington counties went to Exceptional (D4). So we saw a decrease in the amount of D3 from last week (from 58% to 53%), but an increase in the area of D4 (from 37% to 39%). And as has been the case for awhile now, the entire state is covered by Severe (D2) to Exceptional (D4) drought.

The latest Drought Outlook map for the entire United States predicts slim to no chance of ending drought conditions across most of the winter wheat belt until well into April of this year. According to Assistant State Climatologist Gary McManus, "Persistence or intensification is the call for all of Oklahoma, unfortunately." 

Click here to read more and to see the latest Drought Monitor maps. 
 

U.S. Department of Education Appoints New National FFA Executive Secretary

The U.S. Department of Education has appointed an educator from Indiana with limited prior connection or experience in Ag Education to help develop, implement and manage policy for the National FFA Organization.

Sherene R. Donaldson of Alexandria, Va., has been appointed National FFA executive secretary. In her leadership role, she will be primarily responsible for issuing charters to state FFA associations as directed by the organization's national board of directors, keep official membership records, track progress of the organization and oversee state FFA association reporting to the board.

In December, she joined the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Vocational and Adult Education in Washington, D.C., as an education program specialist. The department administers and coordinates national programs related to adult education and literacy, career and technical education and community colleges. Previously, Donaldson was curriculum and adult education director at Central Nine Career Center in Greenwood, Ind., responsible for leading career technical education and adult educational programming in nine Indiana school districts.

Click here for more. 

David Anderson Says Cow Herd Rebuilding Provides Opportunities for Younger Ranchers

Dr. David Anderson, Extension livestock market economist at Texas A&M, says the drought has drastically cut the mama cow herds in the Southern Great Plains, but the drought will eventually end and the work of rebuilding will commence. He says market profitability will get the ball rolling, but there is still uncertainty in the process.

"The uncertainty comes from 'Well, who's going to do that? Who's going to expand?' We talk a lot about ranchers getting older, farmers getting older and, after a while, it's pretty tough to keep doing that work at some point. So, if it's not those producers who are going to expand or people who sold out their whole herd in the drought, are they going to come back? A lot of those people may not come back. But the land is still there and, if you're out of drought, it's growing grass. If you're going to get a return on that investment that you have, that asset that you have, that land, what are you going to do? The owner of that land is going to look at 'How do I get some return?' And, for range and pasture lands, the reason they're in pasture is because that's what they're good for.

"As an economist, that provides an opportunity. If calf prices are high enough to get people to expand, it seems certainly plausible to me that perhaps this is the trigger, the incentive, the opportunity for this intergenerational change we've talked a lot about in agriculture over the last number of years. With older ranchers, older producers, how do we get to that level? How do we change that? How do we get those new producers in? Well, they may not own that ranch like they used to, they may lease it, and expand cow herds that way."

You can join Dr. Anderson and me on the latest Beef Buzz by clicking here. 

President Obama Thanks Outgoing Interior Secretary Ken Salazar

President Barack Obama released the following statement after the announcement that Interior Secretary Ken Salazar was stepping down:

"I want to thank Ken for his hard work and leadership on behalf of the American people. As the Secretary of the Interior, Ken has helped usher in a new era of conservation for our nation's land, water, and wildlife. Ken has played an integral role in my Administration's successful efforts to expand responsible development of our nation's domestic energy resources. In his work to promote renewable energy projects on our public lands and increase the development of oil and gas production, Ken has ensured that the Department's decisions are driven by the best science and promote the highest safety standards. Ken has also made historic strides in strengthening our nation to nation relationship with Indian Country, helping to resolve longstanding disputes and make tribal communities safer and stronger. I have valued Ken's friendship since we both entered the Senate in 2005, and I look forward to receiving his counsel even after he returns to his home state of Colorado."

Salazar joins EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson in leaving the Obama Administration after his first term in office- Sara Wyant at Agri-Pulse is also tweeting that she is hearing talk that Energy Secretary Chu might not continue, either.  

Kim Anderson Says USDA Report puts Foundation Under Grain Prices

In a preview of his market analysis on this weekend's SUNUP program, OSU Grain Marketing Specialist Kim Anderson tells Lyndall Stout this week's USDA report has now set the foundation under grain prices.

"The foundation is good. They stopped the bleeding. The down trend has stopped. We may be starting a sideways pattern. If you look at that report, it was slightly bullish in both corn and wheat. I think it needs to be for both of those commodities. If you look at ending stocks and the quarterly stocks-slightly lower for the wheat and corn than the market expected. You look at the wheat plantings-all wheat plantings were less than the market expected. Hard wheat acres-less than the market expected.

"Now, some negative news was the soft red winter wheat planted acres were higher than expected, but overall I think it was good news for wheat and I think it was good news for corn relative to prices."

Anderson says corn and wheat are still very much linked in the market.

"I don't think what prices can go up by themselves. Wheat prices need some strength in corn and, as we've talked about, corn export demand has been weak. It continues to be weak. And the corn used for ethanol is less than expected. So there's some weakness in corn and that's going to hold wheat down a little bit. And those two commodities are still tied together."

You can listen to Kim Anderson's analysis and see the lineup for this weekend's SUNUP program by clicking here.

Chairman Frank Lucas Not Amused by Secretary Vilsack's Comments on Congress Taking Back Direct Payment Money for 2013

At the beginning of this week- US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack based his entire speech to the American Farm Bureau on the premise that Congress needed to get a five year farm bill done- and that farmers may be left with nothing for a safety net in the one year extension that was passed on New Year's Day.  

He continued that theme in the news conference that followed his speech in Nashville- saying that he is not certain that the money for Direct Payments will be available later this year for the 2013 crop year.  He acknowledged that Congress extended the 2008 farm law by one year- but he coined a new word to what Congress might do- that is, they might "unextend" the extension by taking away the approximately five billion dollars for Direct Payments authorized with the extension.

In response to a query by DTN as they wrote about these remarks by the Secretary, the House Ag Committee issued this statement attributed to Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas, the Chairman of the House Ag Committee:

"While farmers and ranchers have been denied the five years of certainty a new farm bill would provide, folks in Washington need to stop the guessing game about farm policy for the 2013 crop year, especially with respect to direct payments.  The existing safety net was extended a year to provide the certainty producers need for the 2013 crop year.  This is the law of the land.
 
"Anyone familiar with the business of agriculture knows that producers across the country are making spring planting decisions and securing operating loans as we speak.   And, I fully expect sign-up for the 2013 crop year-including direct payments-to begin as soon as possible.
 
"I assure you that the five -year farm bill that we will mark up in my Committee will honor the commitment Congress made to growers when it extended the 2008 farm bill to cover the 2013 crop year."   

Our thanks to the House Ag Committee folks for sharing the full statement with us- so we might share it with you.