In a letter sent to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson urged the State Department to extend the public comment period for the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement regarding the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. The pipeline would carry Canadian oil to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries.

Johnson points out – an extension of the comment period is necessary to provide greater opportunity for input from farmers and ranchers, many of whom are currently busy with spring planting. Opportunity should also be provided for public hearings along the proposed route to allow for input from impacted communities.

NFU policy opposes any infrastructure or resource development that jeopardizes the health, safety and quality of the Ogallala and other freshwater aquifer resources.

Three U.S. Representatives from Iowa want to push back efforts in Congress to slash crop insurance and gut renewable energy programs that encourage the harvesting of agriculture energy inputs and help rural gas stations to purchase ethanol blend pumps. In a letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Representatives Braley, Boswell and Loebsack urged Senators to take a second look at the House’s cuts to crop insurance, renewable energy programs, and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Representative Braley says – Washington politicians are trying to undercut the alternative fuel industry that helps lower gas prices and creates thousands of jobs. It makes absolutely no sense.

Boswell says – it is outrageous to pull funding from renewable energy programs, especially while still paying out subsidies to oil giants like BP and ExxonMobil.

Loebsack says – renewable fuels have shown to be a critical component in our efforts to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

The National Farmers Union has partnered with The Climate Network to conduct a series of meetings this summer across the Midwest on the theme of renewable energy solutions. “The Renewable Energy Tour” will make stops in Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin from June 27 to July 1. NFU President Roger Johnson says – this is an educational opportunity for family farmers and ranchers, a chance to see what others like them are doing to take advantage of this increased demand for renewable energy.

The tour will allow for firsthand dialogue with a German farmer and renewable energy expert. The Climate Network Project Coordinator Till Kötter, says – by sharing lessons learned in Germany, we want to support U.S. farmers on their way to becoming the energy producers of the future. Also, findings will be summarized in a policy report that will be released in Washington, D.C., at the end of July.

The tour will provide information to farmers and policymakers on the benefits of renewable energy, its role in rural economic growth and the opportunity for an extra revenue stream for farmers as well as attendant environmental benefits. Kötter says – we hope to help grow the seed that farmers in the Midwest have planted by turning to renewable energies.

Indonesia’s food sector has been expanding rapidly over the last few years and the trend is set to continue. The U.S. Grains Council reports that U.S. farmer checkoff funds, combined with Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development funds have generated a return of 1,750 percent and resulted in more than 52.5-million dollars in new U.S. grain purchases in fiscal year 2011.

Last year the U.S. Grains Council began to reach out to PT Redwood, a company that has worked to become the premier provider of corn-based products and starch derivatives for Indonesia—Asia’s third most populous country. In January 2011, the Council forged a cooperative agreement with the company to provide trade and technical assistance. As a result the company has switched from purchasing corn solely from Argentina and Brazil to importing only U.S. corn for its wet milling needs.

A group of 59 members of the U.S. House of Representatives has sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack expressing concern with the U.S. Forest Service’s proposed forest planning rule. The representatives want the agency to – redraft the proposed rule to make it simpler and less encumbered with process and to eliminate provisions like the ‘species viability’ clause that surpass Congress’ statutory direction.

Dustin Van Liew, executive director of the Public Lands Council and director of federal lands for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, says the proposed rule could – negatively affect ranchers for decades. The proposed rule contains requirements that would be difficult, if not impossible, for the Forest Service to achieve without precluding grazing and other multiple uses on NFS lands.

According to Van Liew, the proposed planning rule would require the Forest Service to – maintain viable populations of species of conservation concern within the planning area. However, he noted the phrase “maintain viable populations” does not appear in the National Forest Management Act.

Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan says approximately 10-million dollars in funding will go to the

Farmers Market Promotion Program to help increase availability of local agricultural products in communities throughout the country. These grants will put resources into rural and urban economies to create and support direct marketing opportunities for farmers.

Merrigan says the emphasis is on food deserts because America’s low income and underserved communities need greater access to healthy, fresh food. Priority status will be granted to those projects that expand healthy food choices in food deserts. AMS will continue to target 10 percent of grant funding toward new electronic benefits transfer projects at farmers markets.

USDA, in coordination with the Departments of the Treasury and Health and Human Services, seeks to eliminate food deserts in the U.S. by increasing access to fresh, healthy and affordable food choices for all Americans, while expanding market opportunities for farmers and ranchers.

To visit here, you’ll need to cross the busy railroad tracks. As many residents can tell you, it’s those tracks and the unique geography here that built this city…..

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(JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.)–For the second year, a coalition of Missouri agricultural organizations is working together to launch a summer educational campaign with the St. Louis Cardinals.  Themed Safe at the Plate, the goal of this Missouri Farmers Care initiative is to increase consumer understanding of how today’s farmers are using the latest technology to provide reliable, affordable, nutritious food.  And the agricultural coalition is bringing back a heavy hitter.

St. Louis Cardinals left-fielder Matt Holliday is once again teaming up with Missouri commodity groups and agribusiness allies to highlight the great strides farmers are making in meeting the nation’s growing nutritional needs.  Holliday is partnering with Missouri farmers on this summer’s educational campaign that includes radio ads, videos of Cardinals mascot Fredbird on the farm, an AgriMissouri™ gift basket giveaway at every Friday night home game, print advertising and promotional materials.

“Missouri agriculture is evolving to meet the needs of today’s growing population, but our commitment to safe food production, our families and our communities is still very much the same,” said Gary Porter, a corn farmer from Mercer, Mo., being featured in the Safe at the Plate educational campaign.  “It is exciting to partner with the St. Louis Cardinals to give consumers a closer look at what goes on at the farm level and share some insight on how their food is produced.”

Other Missouri farm families participating in the educational campaign include:

·    Kevin and Chris Chinn, hog farmers from Clarence, Mo.

·    Stan and Mary Bonacker, beef farmers from Cedar Hill, Mo.

·    Paul and Cindy Heins, dairy farmers from Higginsville, Mo.

In addition to learning more about Missouri agriculture through the St. Louis Cardinals campaign, Missouri residents can visit www.MoFarmersCare.com to tour six farms and enter the Missouri Farmers Care Free Grocery Giveaway for a chance to win $500 in grocery gift cards.  Consumers can register for the giveaway online by watching videos featuring St. Louis Cardinals mascot Fredbird as he visits beef, pork, dairy, poultry, soybean and corn farms.  Following the video, visitors will be asked to answer a question about the featured farmer to register for free groceries.  One winner will be selected each month in June, July and August.

“Farmers work hard every day to produce food for our own families and millions of consumers across the globe,” said Porter.  “Whether you’re sitting down to dinner with your family, or grabbing a bite at the ballpark, we want consumers to feel confident farmers have their best interests in mind.”

Sponsors of this summer’s Missouri Farmers Care Safe at the Plate educational initiative include the Missouri Pork Association, Missouri Beef Industry Council, Missouri Corn Merchandising Council, Midwest Dairy Association, MFA Oil, FCS Financial, Missouri Farm Bureau, MFA Incorporated and the St. Louis AgriBusiness Club.

To learn more about Missouri agriculture, register to win $500 in free groceries, find great recipes and more, visit www.MoFarmersCare.com.

DES MOINES, Iowa, June 2, 2011 — The National Pork Producers Council offers opportunities for learning and networking with a series of business seminars during the 2011 World Pork Expo. These free seminars feature discussions about risk management, pig nutrition and health, and anaerobic manure digestion. Expo-goers will find these business seminars, which are sponsored by five leading companies, in the Varied Industries Building at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on Wednesday, June 8, and Thursday, June 9.

“Producers throughout the world come to World Pork Expo for one reason: to see what’s state-of-the-art in pork production and technology,” says NPPC President Doug Wolf, Lancaster, Wisc., when talking about World Pork Expo’s seminars and trade show. “It’s a chance to hear experts present the latest information, then talk with them face-to-face.”

Business seminars tackle a variety of management topics

Manure digester systems — real-world case studies, what’s important to consider and resources that are available — are the focus of Thursday morning’s seminar sponsored by AgSTAR. The speakers include Jerry Foster, Cargill Pork LLC; Norma McDonald, Organic Waste Systems; Shannon Chase, U.S. Department of Agriculture; and Allison Costa, AgSTAR.

Wednesday afternoon, sponsor TechMix Inc. is using a “training camp” theme to discuss preparing pigs for optimal performance. Paul Rhoads, Iowa State University head football coach, joins these speakers for the seminar: Dr. Steve Patterson, Northeast Veterinary Service, Shelbina, Mo.; Dr. Mark Bertram, First Choice Livestock LLC; Bob Lantz, Chr Hansen Animal Health & Nutrition; and Todd Rasmussen and Brent Ratliff, Techmix.

Cargill begins its Thursday afternoon seminar with a discussion about managing ingredient adversity in a volatile world by nutritionists Dr. Kevin Touchette and Dr. Ken Mooney. Then, Matt Leininger and Terry Mahoney will talk about proactively managing market exposure and strategies for reducing capital needs.

The effects of PCV2 on finishing pig growth performance, and options for PCV2 and Mhp vaccination headline the business seminar sponsored by Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health. Veterinarians Dr. Brad Thacker, Dr. Charlie Francisco and Dr. Rich Schlueter from Intervet/Schering-Plough will present this information on Wednesday morning.

On both days, CME Group is sponsoring presentations on risk management for pork producers. Thomas Clark from CME Group will discuss trading tools, hedging and how to develop a marketing plan.

Business Seminar, Pork Academy Details are Available

More details about these business seminars are available at www.worldpork.org. You’ll also find information there about Pork Academy seminars at World Pork Expo, June 8-9. Sponsored by the National Pork Board, these educational topics range from the latest about PRRS, to managing feed costs and efficiencies while putting U.S. pork on the world’s table.

World Pork Expo takes place June 8-10 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. More than 450 commercial exhibits will be on display from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8, and Thursday, June 9, as well as from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, June 10. The breeding stock sales will continue on Saturday, June 11, from 8 a.m. until they’re completed (at approximately noon).

World Pork Expo, the world’s largest pork-specific trade show, is brought to you by the National Pork Producers Council. On behalf of its members, NPPC develops and defends export markets, fights for reasonable legislation and regulation, and informs and educates legislators. For more information, visit www.nppc.org.

June 2, 2011 – The AgChat Foundation today announces details of its second annual Agvocacy 2.0 Conference, in which a select group of agriculturists will hone their social media and thought-leadership skills to more effectively tell agriculture’s story to the 98 percent of Americans not directly involved in farming. The conference will be held August 22-23 in Nashville, Tenn.

Based on the success of its inaugural workshop in Chicago last year, the AgChat Foundation is expanding its program to accept up to 75 qualified applicants in 2011 – up from 50 in 2010.

Conference sessions will include both large- and small-group formats and cover social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs and YouTube. One-on-one chat and networking sessions also are planned to help attendees explore agvocacy strategies and learn to apply them to their unique situations.

Who should apply? Farmers, ranchers and other agriculturists passionate about telling their story and connecting with consumers are encouraged to apply. “Whether you’re involved in production ag, gardening, agribusiness, Extension, commodity organizations, academia or another sector of the industry, we would love to have you apply for the Agvocacy 2.0 Conference,” says AgChat Foundation President Jeff Fowle. “We also will be accepting up to 25 returning attendees who provide names of first-time applicants they endorse.”

How to apply. Fill out and submit the application at www.surveymonkey.com/s/agvocacy-2dot0-conference by June 24. Those selected will be notified mid-July. Attendees are encouraged to seek sponsorships from local businesses and organizations to help cover conference and travel costs. Registration is $365 and includes a free t-shirt.

More details about the Agvocacy 2.0 Conference can be found at www.agchat.org, as well as on Facebook and Twitter.

About AgChat Foundation, Inc.
A group of farmers created the AgChat Foundation after connecting through the now highly visible “#AgChat” community on Twitter, a weekly moderated chat where agriculturists discuss various issues, tell their farm stories and identify ways to connect with people outside of agriculture. The Foundation strives to educate and equip “agvocates” with the skill set needed to engage on Twitter, Facebook, blogs, YouTube, LinkedIn and other social media services, giving them the knowledge to unlock new tools to effectively tell their story.