WEST DES MOINES, IOWA - Nov. 4, 2011 - Livestock production continues to provide important support to Iowa's economy. According to the recently-released Iowa Agricultural Statistics booklet, Iowa's cattle, hog and sheep producers' receipts grew by 20 percent last year, growing to $8.32 billion.

Information in the 136-page book is compiled by the National Agricultural Statistics Service's (NASS) Iowa Field Office, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The book consists of five sections: general information, county information, crops, livestock and farm economics. It also lists several agriculture-related websites on the back cover.

Iowa's farm sector dominance carries across several commodities, from livestock to crops. According to the booklet, the state continues to rank number one in hogs in the United States, raising 29 percent of the nation's hogs. Iowa also leads the nation is raising layer hens (and eggs) and is in the top ten for raising cattle and calves (seventh) and sheep and lambs (tenth).

"The livestock and poultry industries are positive economic factors that contribute to job growth in Iowa's rural communities. Our farmers continue to be more efficient and productive in the face of rising feed and energy costs," said Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) President Craig Lang. "They are poised to move forward, grow their businesses and continue to be national agricultural leaders."

Despite the cold and wet temperatures that led to planting and harvest delays last year, Iowa farmers continue to lead the nation in the production of corn and soybeans. May began with heavy rains, cold temperatures and widespread frost that caused soil erosion and planting delays. But, after dealing with the wettest June on record and snow during the second week of November, Iowa farmers raised the fourth-largest corn crop and the second-largest soybean crop on record.

The combination of strong livestock and crop sectors helped boost Iowa's overall ag economy, with Iowa farmers selling farm commodities worth $23.2 billion in 2010, up 6 percent from the previous year. The number of Iowa farmers dropped just slightly to 92,400.

"Continued improvements in the general economy during 2010, in both the United States and the world, supported higher commodity prices for Iowa farmers and improvements in net farm income," explained Dave Miller, IFBF director of research and commodity services. "Higher commodity prices helped farmers to overcome higher input prices and poor growing conditions across a significant portion of the state in 2010."

Greg Thessen, director of the NASS Iowa office, said the booklet is an important resource for many different audiences, including farmers, bankers, insurance agents, agribusinesses and more.

"This book wouldn't be possible if farmers didn't participate in our surveys that gather this information. The data not only offers historical perspective, but helps them as they plan for the next season and the future," said Thessen.

Iowa Farm Bureau publishes the book for Iowa Agricultural Statistics. No public funds are used to publish the book.

The book costs $12 and can be ordered from the Marketing and Communications Division, Iowa Farm Bureau, 5400 University Avenue, West Des Moines, Iowa 50266. In addition, a CD-version of the document is available for purchase for $10. Checks should be made payable to the Iowa Farm Bureau.

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WEST DES MOINES, IOWA - Oct. 27, 2011 - A Conrad company focused on providing fresh water for livestock has earned the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation's (IFBF) Renew Rural Iowa Entrepreneur of the Month award.

Ritchie Industries started in Oskaloosa in 1921 when Thomas Ritchie patented his first watering device. He connected underground running water to automatic float-controlled watering equipment. The water was heated with a kerosene lamp, saving farmers time and labor.

As the countryside grew, the business worked with the local rural electric cooperative as it installed electricity to area farms. Even though technology and farming practices have changed, the need for waterers remains strong for livestock farmers. The company was purchased and moved to Conrad in 1943. Today, the company focuses on providing equipment to the beef cattle, dairy and equine industries; selling to customers all over the United States and Canada.

While the company's reach is wide, it remains committed to its 65 employees and local community.

"They (Ritchie Industries) made the investment to stay and grow and be a part of our community and county," said Brian Feldpausch, Grundy County Farm Bureau president, who nominated the company for the award. "They also support ag education in our schools and donate to the library. They're a mainstay and add support for future growth (here)."

Renew Rural Iowa (RRI) is an IFBF initiative supporting new and existing businesses through education, mentoring and financial resources. Registration is open for the Nov. 2 "Business Success" seminar, featuring Curt Nelson, president of the Entrepreneurial Development Center. The register for the seminar, to be held at Iowa Farm Bureau in West Des Moines, go to www.renewruraliowa.com.

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Now seven biologists helping to improve pheasant and quail habitat in Iowa

Iowa - October 24, 2011 - Pheasants Forever announces new Farm Bill Biologists in west-central and east-central Iowa. Dustin Farnsworth will cover Carroll and Crawford Counties, while Jeff Potts will cover Linn, Jones and Johnson Counties. The additional positions come at an especially critical juncture for Iowa, where the state's pheasant population is at a modern record low.

These two new positions are the latest results in Pheasants Forever's Reload Iowa effort, a statewide initiative to improve 1 million acres of wildlife habitat on private and public land in the state. Pheasants Forever now has seven Farm Bill Biologists in the state, who work to provide technical assistance to farmers and ranchers?through one-on-one consulting?regarding the benefits of conservation programs (such as the Conservation Reserve Program).

Pheasants Forever now has seven Farm Bill Biologist positions in Iowa. "These positions are new to Iowa and will help the partnership provide conservation assistance in five new counties," said Steve Riley, Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Biologist Manager, "This represents a large stride for Pheasants Forever and the wildlife in Iowa." The positions were created through a partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), local soil and water conservation districts, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Pheasants Forever chapters and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Dustin Farnsworth - Carroll and Crawford Counties
Farnsworth grew up hunting and fishing in Iowa's Greene and Guthrie Counties, going on to complete a B.S. in ecology and an M.S. in Wildlife Biology from Iowa State University. Farnsworth's experience managing grasslands spans three different states and multiple agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Missouri Department of Conservation, NRCS and Iowa State University. Farnsworth is also involved with his family's 6th generation family farm in Guthrie County. Farnsworth looks forward to working with Carroll and Crawford County producers and landowners interested in restoring phenomenal pheasant hunting to Iowa's landscape. Farnsworth can be contacted at (712) 792-1212 / Email Dustin.

Jeff Potts - Linn, Jones and Johnson Counties
Most recently, Potts worked as a Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist in southwestern North Dakota. Potts grew up in south-central Minnesota, and earned his degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences from South Dakota State University. Prior to joining Pheasants Forever, Potts was an integral member of the habitat and fisheries team at South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks. Jeff can be reached at 319-377-5960 ext. 3 / Email Jeff.

Iowa is home to 103 Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever chapters and more than 19,500 Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever members. For more info, visit Iowa Pheasants Forever.

Pheasants Forever, including its quail conservation division, Quail Forever, is the nation's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 130,000 members and 700 local chapters across the United States and Canada. Chapters are empowered to determine how 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds are spent, the only national conservation organization that operates through this truly grassroots structure.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., Oct. 22, 2011 - Today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack spoke to the 84th National FFA Convention about the critical need to recruit and support the nation's next generation of farmers and ranchers.

"America's producers are the most productive and successful in the world - with a willingness to embrace change, new science and innovative technologies to fulfill the noble task of feeding a nation," said Vilsack. "To continue that success, we need organizations like FFA working creatively to build policies, structures and institutions that will ensure the next generation can continue to feed and fuel the world."

USDA's focus on developing new generations of beginning farmers and ranchers is a result of America's aging farming community.  In the last five years there has been a 20% decrease in the number of farmers under 45.  Today the average American farmer is 57 whereas five years ago it was 55.  Today, nearly 30% of American farmers are over the age of 65 - almost double what it is in the general workforce.

Secretary Vilsack highlighted USDA programs that are committed to investing more resources and energy to recruit the next generation of farmers and to finding strategies to make these beginning farmers successful.  The USDA Office of Advocacy and Outreach assists people who want to learn about USDA's efforts to support new producers. In the past two years, more than 40% of all USDA's farm loans have gone to beginning farmers and ranchers.

The Farm Service Agency provides Beginning Farmer and Rancher loans. These are direct and guaranteed loans to beginning farmers and ranchers who are unable to obtain financing from commercial credit sources. Each fiscal year, the Agency targets a portion of its direct and guaranteed farm ownership and operating loan funds to beginning farmers and ranchers.  In addition, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program provides funding to develop and offer education, training, outreach and mentoring programs to enhance the sustainability of the next generation of farmers.

USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) is working with partners to support young, motivated entrepreneurs who are looking past traditional ways of bringing products to market. Through RMA funding for the Farm Credit Council, the "Field Guide to the New American Foodshed" was developed to assist the growing numbers of direct-market farms and ranches and also the lenders, accountants and other businesses who work with them.

Additionally, the USDA Nation Agricultural Library is working in partnership with the American Farm Bureau Federation to develop a 'Curriculum and Training Clearinghouse' at Start2Farm.gov, which will serve as a national one-stop source of all beginning farmer and rancher education and training materials online.

"The future of agriculture is bright and will present the next generation with incredible opportunities to pursue," said Vilsack. "Young people should continue to engage in policy that affects them - but they shouldn't be limited by it. We need them to think big, innovate, and tackle the important challenges facing American agriculture and the nation as a whole."

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