Executive Recruiter Paints Radical Picture of Future Labor Needs--and Pay--'Down on the Farm' 

Speaking during a panel discussion at the Ag Issues Forum being held here in Orlando, executive recruiter Greg Duerksen offered a vastly different view of future labor needs down on the farm than what one hears at the main street coffee shop or the local co-op. His experiences range from growing up on a grain and livestock farm in South Dakota to turning around the largest fertilizer producer and exporter in Latin America. His work around the globe as president of Kincannon and Reed has given him a unique perspective into the future of agriculture. Duerksen was questioned during the Ag Issues Forum by moderator Frank Sesno.

Duerksen says we're standing at the threshold of a future that few have imagined.

"The fundamental problem is that we have a mismatch between the old management and labor needs of farming and the current and future needs of leadership and talent for farming.

"Historically, we had owner-operators, like my father, like my grandfather, farmers, but from a management standpoint, they were owner-operators. They had limited geography. The farm was defined as what you could handle yourself with your kids and occasional low-skilled labor."

He says that has been replaced by today's grower-as-CEO.

"Today, we have farmers leading diverse geographies over continents or at least over states and they need not low-skilled labor, but they need teams of skilled managers and operators. And so you have to think dramatically differently about what you need for talent."

He says his firm currently has three active searches for farm managers in Canada, New Guinea, and the Ukraine. These are $300,000 per year jobs farming wheat, rice, and canola. Duerksen said this type of search can't be called common yet, but it is the wave of the future.

Click here to read more or to listen to the panel discussion.  

USDA Says More Targeted CRP Acres Can Offset Projected Prairie Chicken Population Decline 

The Natural Resources Conservation Service recently released a Conservation Insight about how USDA conservation programs contribute to Lesser Prairie-Chicken conservation in relation to projected climate change. A landscape-scale geospatial analysis - completed in 2011 by Playa Lakes Joint Venture (PLJV) in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) - showed that if 10 percent of the land currently enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) was spatially targeted to benefit the Lesser Prairie-Chicken, a one to two percent population decline could be offset. Simply put, more targeted CRP acres can offset a greater portion of the projected population decline of the species.

"This Conservation Effects Assessment Project shows the differences between our current and projected landscape, and highlights those areas that may remain similar," says TNC's Duane Pool, one of the report's authors and a landscape ecologist now at Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory. "If we target our conservation efforts in those areas, we may be able to provide a climate resistant refuge for animals that depend on this landscape and time for birds to potentially adapt to the changing environment."

You can read more by clicking here.  

Wheat Growers President Paul Fruendt Says Farmers Concerned About Rain, Farm Bill, and Biotech Crops

There are a lot of issues on the plates of wheat producers across the state and across the nation. Those issues are being discussed at the Commodity Classic underway in Kissimmee, Florida.

I spoke with Paul Fruendt, president of Oklahoma Wheat Growers, about what are the top concerns of Oklahoma producers. Topping everybody's list, he says, has to be rain. 

"About a month ago, I was ready to start writing off lots of acres of this crop. But, you know, a lot of things can change in a month and we've been very blessed to get the moisture that we've received. It's come in a very nice way with either snow or sleet or even gentle rain. Even this latest hit here in the last couple of days has been amazing. I'm of the opinion now are acres will continue to maintain themselves and our yield should be within reason. Maybe not a bumper crop yet, but I think we're well within our normal averages."

Following closely behind, Fruend says, is Congressional action-or lack thereof-on a farm bill. He says he does see movement from some quarters in Washington, D.C., and that gives him some measure of hope.

Click here to read the full story or to listen to my conversation with Paul Fruendt.

 

Ignoring Genetic Upgrades Leaves Millions of Dollars on the Table, Tom Brink Says

Some cows are better suited to their environment than to pleasing beef consumers. Their owners can still use high-value Angus genetics as a terminal cross in those herds, to help themselves and the entire beef supply chain.

That's according to two years of results from the Southern Carcass Improvement Project (SCIP), as presented by an advisor to the demonstration. Tom Brink, President of J&F Oklahoma Holdings, Inc., helped compile a white paper on last fall's results.

He presented those findings and an abstract of the work Feb. 2, at the Southern Section, American Society of Animal Science annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.

Having purchased and fed many thousands of Brahman-cross calves from the region over the years, Brink said the net dollars left on the table in the South by ignoring a genetic upgrade amount to at least $200 million a year-$625 million across the entire U.S.-and that money is not out of reach.

You can read more from Tom Brink by clicking here.  

 

Stabenow Commends USDA Efforts to Streamline Rural Programs, Prioritize Economic Development

Senator Debbie Stabenow, Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today commended the U.S. Department of Agriculture for prioritizing rural communities through its release of a report on streamlining rural programs and making them easier for rural communities to use. The effort consolidates 11 different definitions of "rural" into one, to better target resources for programs that promote rural economic development.

"I commend Secretary Vilsack and USDA for prioritizing rural communities and addressing an issue that has long frustrated small town mayors and other members of rural communities. Under current law, USDA uses 11 different definitions of 'rural,' creating red tape and making programs unnecessarily difficult to use. The Senate last year passed a Farm Bill with overwhelming bipartisan support that eliminated the 11 different definitions of 'rural' and replaced it with just one. This is a common-sense solution that will help our rural communities and small businesses grow and create jobs."

 

P&K Equipment Hosts John Deere Drive Green Challenge Event

Area residents interested in the latest utility tractors and vehicles, lawn and garden equipment, loaders and other equipment from John Deere are invited to stop by P & K Equipment at the Lazy E Arena on Saturday, March 9, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. as they host their 2013 Drive Green Challenge event.

Event attendees will also qualify for a $500 discount on John Deere compact and utility tractors and a chance to win a John Deere 1 Series Sub-Compact Utility Tractor with loader and grooming mower. In addition, the Drive Green Challenge offers interested customers the chance to compare the latest equipment from John Deere and other companies.

Scott Eisenhauer, general manager at P & K Equipment, is confident attendees will enjoy the chance to test drive different models of equipment. "The best thing about this event is the fact that we put John Deere tractors side-by-side with competitive models so folks can see the differences for themselves. Even people who have been doing their comparison shopping online can come in, drive the machines and see how John Deere stacks up to the rest."

Click here for more.  

 

Express Ranches Set for Spring Bull Sale on Friday- Over 500 Bulls on Offer

The 2013 Spring Bull Sale of Express Ranches gets underway tomorrow morning- 10 AM on Friday March first- and this year's event will feature some of the finest genetics found in the Angus breed today.  The sale at the Ranch in Yukon will include a lineup of 546 Bulls- featuring the National Western Grand Champion Carload. The sale will happen at the Ranch in Yukon, Friday, March first, starting at 10 AM.  

Bob Funk and Jarold Callahan write in the 2013 Catalog "With all of us experiencing the best cattle prices in history, we still feel one of the most important decisions we have to make is bull selection. Proper bull selection allows us to optimize our opportunities to turn a profit and maximize our land, labor and cowherd.

"At Express we are constantly striving to blend technology with common sense to supply you, our customer, with the best
bulls we can produce. All of the bulls selling have HD50K genomic profiles for you to examine."

This evening (at the Ranch)- Express Ranches will host a pre sale seminar talking about utilizing the latest genetic information in bull selection- the session "More Dependable Bull Buying with Genomically Enhanced EPDs" features Tany Amen of Angus Genetics, Dr.Kent Anderson of Pfizer Animal Genetics and Nolan Stone of Five Rivers Feeding.

Click here to go to the Express website and their sale page- they have the catalog on line to examine- video of the bulls and the ability to download the bulls performance data.