WEST DES MOINES, IOWA - June 7, 2013 -Iowa and national economists and ag market experts agree; many key indicators point towards a bursting of the ag sector profit bubble in the next two years so Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF), the state's largest grassroots farm organization, is bringing the nation's leading experts in finance, marketing, policy and economics to Ames July 22-23, to help farmers plan how to weather the evolving economic times.

"We are going through many of the same cycles that our farmers saw in the 1970's land cycle, high commodity prices, skyrocketing land prices and strong trade markets.  At this stage into the 70's land cycle, farmers were boosting capital expenditures by 80 percent.  This time, we're only up about 40 percent, so we are being more conservative, but a turning point is coming and being aware can help you manage and anticipate what's likely to happen, avoiding the kind of devastation we saw nationwide in the 1980's Farm Crisis," says IFBF President Craig Hill.  "Back then, too many farmers ignored the signs of a bubble burst and it put them on the path to economic doom, from which many never recovered.  This time around there are new challenges; our production costs have doubled and now our weather seems to bring its own set of problems, from drought one year to excessive rainfall and flooding the next."

IFBF economist Dave Miller agrees.  "We're in the fourth or fifth year of robust earnings in the ag sector and we expect capital expenditures to remain relatively strong through the rest of this year.  But, there's a persistency factor: farmers don't run out and spend because this year was good. They also don't quit spending just because one year was bad.  I would suggest that the drought of 2012 was severe enough that farmers did cut back, but they may see it as just a 'blip.'  In reality, it is the persistency and failure to recognize a general 'turn' in the ag sector that boosts debt levels to where it's unsustainable and we want to do what we can, to prevent that from happening," said Miller.

Helping Iowa farmers manage market risks like these and discussing farm policy challenges is the focus of the 2013 IFBF Economic Summit, "Grain, Gridlock and Globalization: Meeting the Economic Challenges in Today's Agriculture", which will be held July 22 and 23 at the ISU Scheman Building  in Ames.

The two-day summit brings nationally-known experts on crop and livestock market trends, exports and commodity price experts.  Experts ranging from economists Allen Featherstone of Kansas State University, Michael Boehlje from Purdue, export and policy analyst Ross Korves and Ag Meteorologist Elwynn Taylor are among many nationally-recognized monetary, policy, trade and economic experts tapped for the July IFBF Economic Summit.

For a complete listing of the panelists and schedule, click here: www.iowafarmbureau.com.

The price of the two-day summit is $50 for Iowa Farm Bureau members and $150 for non-members.  Information about the summit, lodging and online registration forms can be found at www.iowafarmbureau.com.

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Virtual Tours Show Progress of Iowa Farmers

WEST DES MOINES, IOWA - April 19, 2013 - Iowans can see how today's farmers are always seeking new ways to protect the land and water, while providing a wide array of food choices for consumers, by taking virtual farm tours.  Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) is launching 'Conservation Counts' (www.iowafarmbureau.com/conservationcounts), an online resource where consumers can see how farmers use conservation practices on their farm and the progress that statewide voluntary measures have brought in the last 30 years.  The Conservation Counts website goes live April 22^nd, the 43^rd observance of national Earth Day.

"Conservation methods are different on every farm because the terrain is different, the soils are different and the crops we grow are diverse.  So when it comes to conservation, forcing a one-size-fits-all approach would be a detriment to the progress we need to make in protecting the land and water," said IFBF President Craig Hill.

"Today's responsible farmers are always looking for new ways to help them not only maintain but improve the integrity of their land and watersheds.  Some farmers plant trees (http://www.supportfarmers.com/Programs/gfpp/case-studies ) through the Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmer's Green Farmstead Partner Program; many more farmers plant grassy buffer strips to protect streams; some use no-till methods or cover crops, or terraces to hold nutrients and reduce erosion.  On my farm, I use precision agriculture where I spoon feed plants nutrients/fertilizer at the right time, right place and right amount so they get only what they need which is better for the plant and the environment. And, there are also innovations in seeds and equipment which help today's farmers use less fertilizer," said Hill.  "Progress and new ideas are what it takes to meet our nation's food needs, while protecting the land.  One in six jobs in this state are tied to agriculture.  By 2050, it's estimated the global population will be over 9 billion, which requires 100 percent more food than we're growing today.  The Nutrient Reduction Strategy (http://www.nut\rientstrategy.iastate.edu/ ) shows farmers all the options they can use on their farms to get us there."

Voluntary conservation measures have brought progress.  In the last 30 years, soil erosion in the U.S. has been reduced by 43 percent, according to the USDA's National Resources Inventory report.  Iowa's erosion rate was down 33 percent, thanks to a combination of practices being put in place, such as buffer strips, terraces, no-till, cover crops, restoring wetlands, installing bio-filters and grassy waterways in fields.  Today's responsible farmers continue to search for new ways to protect the land and watershed; seven major conservation practices used on Iowa farms are estimated to remove as much as 28 percent of the nitrate, 38 percent of the total nitrogen, and up to 58 percent of the phosphorus that otherwise would be present, according to the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development's Conservation Practices in Iowa: Historical Investments, Water Quality and Gaps.

"Farming is never a one-year proposition. It's something we do over time and we are continually learning.  It's never static; you always want to be getting as much information as you can, and then putting it to work on your farm," said Ankeny farmer, Mark Kenney, who uses no-till, has restored grasslands on his farm and this year is taking more land out of production to plant new grassy buffer strips to reduce erosion on his Nevada-area farmland.

Learn more about how today's responsible farmers embrace new conservation methods by checking out 'Conservation Counts' at www.iowafarmbureau.com/conservationcounts or follow them on Facebook at IowaFarmBureau or Twitter at (#ConservationCounts13).

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About Iowa Farm Bureau

The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation is a grassroots, statewide organization dedicated to helping farm families prosper and improve their quality of life.  More than 153,000 families in Iowa are Farm Bureau members, working together to achieve economic growth, educational improvement, and environmental quality in their communities.  For more information about Farm Bureau and agriculture, visit the online media center at www.iowafarmbureau.com.

"Deny the acceptance of failure."  Those are the 'fighting' words Mark Kelly hears every day from his wife, former Tucson Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D) AZ.  Giffords, who struggles to recover from a 2011 assassination attempt, is a motivating force in Kelly's life.  He shared his story as keynote speaker at the 94^th American Farm Bureau annual meeting in Nashville, Tennessee.

What struck many farmers in the audience is not just Kelly's commitment to his wife's rehabilitation, but his 'pull yourself up by the bootstraps' life story.  Kelly, a retired NASA astronaut, has commanded a space shuttle, circled the globe and flown 39 combat missions during Operation Desert Storm.  He claims he wasn't a top-of-the class scholar, outstanding athlete or 'Top Gun' pilot.   Instead, Kelly says it was hard work that got him where he is today.   He's neither spoiled, nor bitter; he's motivating.  That's the same quality I see in so many Iowa farmers today.

When I was a reporter, I found that half the farmers I met would rather go out and dig post holes, than go on-camera and do an interview.  The other half wanted to throw reporters into postholes.  I'm glad to see that mindset changing.  We have more than 100 Iowa farmers in our Iowa Farm Bureau 'Speaker Corps' who are ready to share their perspectives, do interviews and engage the public and their communities.  There are many examples of this:  Justin and Jennifer Dammann, who have not only shared their perspective and their family time with Iowa radio, newspaper and TV reporters, they even hosted a German TV crew on their Essex cattle farm during the height of the drought in August.  Another great 'ag-vocate' is longtime cattle farmer Bill Couser from Nevada, who shares his story with Iowa, national and international media as well as leaders from around the globe.  Larry Sailer, a Franklin County hog farmer, engages thousands of consumers through Facebook and Twitter, and has even welcomed strangers to his farm for a 'blogger tour.'

The days are long in farming, but these farmers and so many others always make time to share their story, do a media interview, host a farm tour; these activities are the 'rocket fuel' of motivation that keeps them going and keeps the positive stories of farming and food production circling the globe.

These farmers aren't just preaching to the choir and doing the 'easy' interviews with ag reporters who understand them and will always work to put them in the best light.  They are talking to national reporters, young men and women who've never been on a farm, whose stories will shape opinions on food production for millions.  Do some of these reporters have agendas?  You bet.  But, as Mark Kelly would tell us, there is nothing to be gained by always doing what is safe; what is expected; what is easy.

We shouldn't be afraid of the hard interviews.  And we certainly shouldn't start digging postholes and ignoring the requests, either.  Consumer choices and lifestyles have evolved with the times and so have farmers and food production.  Getting out ahead of the message, understanding the factors that bring change, reading the trends, embracing innovation, is always something farmers have done.

There is a huge hunger for our perspective.  People love farmers, not just for what they raise or what they grow, but for who they are.  We will not give up telling our story.  Failure to communicate, in this day and age, is not an option.

94th Annual AFBF Meeting Concludes Jan. 15 in Nashville

WEST DES MOINES, IOWA - January 16, 2013 -Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) farmers brought forth and won national approval of several key issues during the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) national convention this week in Nashville, Tennessee.

One particular issue which won overwhelming national support was the continuation of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), an over-arching federal policy to incent development and use of renewable fuels of all types.  "Renewable fuels have been important to the continued economic growth of the Midwest for decades which include expansion and development of all kinds of green energy including cellulosic, biomass-based diesel, sugar ethanol and next-generation renewable corn ethanol," said Craig Hill, IFBF president.  "This is an opportunity for our nation because we all know we must work to end our nation's reliance on foreign fuels." AFBF approved Iowa's proposal to continue support of RFS targets as well as retaining Environmental Protect Agency (EPA) administrator authority to waive the RFS if conditions merit, such as a national drought or other unforeseen circumstances.

Another priority issue for many families in Iowa involves proposed changes in the nation's school lunch program.  IFBF policy supports a school lunch program that promotes a balanced meal containing dairy products, eggs, meat, fruit, vegetables and grains to make sure every child has their nutritional and caloric needs met for proper growth.  "But when it comes to school lunch, it's not always a case where the government knows best.  Local school districts should have authority in this, and the current guidelines are too restrictive and inflexible, especially when it comes to those who want to bring their own school lunches, such as athletes or those with dietary or health restrictions," said Hill.  Several states agreed with those points and AFBF policy was adopted.

Another food safety issue that IFBF members proposed included the headline-making issue of milk pasteurization.  "We believe in consumer food choices, but for the protection of consumer health, raw milk sales should not be permitted across state lines.  If someone wants to consume unpasteurized milk from their own supply, that's up to them, but generations of food science should be the guide on this issue," said Hill.  AFBF policy was adopted on this issue.

The 2012 Farm Bill, which recently won an extension, is still a key concern for AFBF members.   "The lack of action in Congress that led to this extension amounts to 'kicking the can down the road' and it leaves farmers and consumers with a lot of uncertainty.   Farming today is a capital intensive business that requires long-term investment decisions, not only for production and risk management, but also for conservation, investment in grain storage facilities, etc., that are frankly very difficult to make when not knowing the rules of the game. With real risks such as a continuing drought staring us down in 2013, the passage of a new Farm Bill is key.  Our farmers found national support today for the continuation of crop insurance, to cover big risks such as drought and other natural disasters."  Hill added.

For more information on AFBF-approved resolutions, leadership awards or to hear IFBF farmers discuss key issues from the AFBF annual convention, visit the media section of www.iowafarmbureau.com.

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