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Farm Bureau Perspective - Farm Bill; Local farmers create device to combat wire theft; Ag Hall of Fame inductees; Faces of Agriculture-Sunni Wise; Take advantage of ag tax cuts; New Board Member Profiles-Thrash and Felts add talents.
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arfb.com
Combating Grain Bin Wire T h e f t
I n s t a l l a n e l e c t r o n i c “ s n i t c h ”
New Ag Hall of Fame class
WiNter2014
OK
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Rick DennisNoneRyan Scott SimpsonJustin Mularski Brian OstrowskiNoneDerrick TolbertCarlie DennisEric Singer
Tucker, Paul (DET-CMW) @ 1-10-2014 3:00 PM
WV 6 173155A01 1st_Assembly 1/10/14
1 Offer available through 4/1/14. Available on all 2013 and 2014 Chevrolet vehicles. This offer is not available with some other offers, including private offers. Only customers who have been active members of an eligible Farm Bureau for a minimum of 60 days will be eligible to receive a certificate. Customers can obtain certificates at www.fbverify.com/gm. Farm Bureau and the FB logo are registered service marks of the American Farm Bureau Federation and are used herein under license by General Motors. 2 Ownership costs based on Vincentric 2013 Model Level Analysis of full-size pickups in the U.S. retail market.
On top of most current offers, here’s an extra bonus1 for Farm Bureau members.
Save even more on a truck that works as hard as you do.Chevrolet presents this exclusive $1,500 offer 1 toward the purchase or lease of a Chevy Silverado HD Regular Cab just for Farm Bureau members.
Vincentric recently recognized the 2013 Chevy Silverado as having the lowest total cost of ownership of any full-size pickup.2 Meaning you won’t simply save now — you’ll save over time. And while saving is great, so is the confidence that comes with driving the best full-size pickup in America. Rest assured, Silverado knows the meaning of hard work. Visit fbverify.com/gm for your certificate.
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3Arkansas Agriculture
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Farm Bureau Perspective by Randy Veach 3Faces of Agriculture — Sunni Wiseby Gregg Patterson 18
Combating grain bin wire theftby Steve Eddington 4Ag Hall of Fame inducteesby Bricen Pace 12
Policy Update by Michelle Kitchens 22
Inside...
Rural Reflections Photo 28
New State Board Member Profiles — Thrash and Felts add talentsby Bricen Pace 26
On the cover — Metal theft, particularly copper wire, continues to be a problem on farms. Three Lonoke County farmers have teamed up to help curb it at grain bin facilities. The article begins on page 4.
F e a t u r e s
C o l u m n s
VOLUME 11IssUE 1
WIntEr2014
Executive Editor: Steve EddingtonEditor: Gregg PattersonContributing Writers: Ken Moore, Keith Sutton, Chris WilsonResearch Assistant: Brenda Gregory
W
3Arkansas Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultureis an official publication of
Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation.
Arkansas Agriculture is distributed to almost 42,000 farming and ranching households in Arkansas.
SUBSCRIPTIONS: Included in membership dues.
ArkAnsAs FArm BureAu OFFiCers: President
randy VeachManila
Vice President rich Hillman
CarlisleSecretary/Treasurer
Joe ChristianJonesboro
Executive Vice President rodney Baker
Little Rock
DireCtOrs:Troy Buck, Alpine Jon Carroll, Moro
Joe Christian, Jonesboro Terry Dabbs, Stuttgart
Sherry Felts, JoinerMike Freeze, England
Bruce Jackson, Lockesburg Tom Jones, Pottsville
Johnny Loftin, El Dorado Gene Pharr, Lincoln Rusty Smith, Des Arc Allen Stewart, Mena
Leo Sutterfield, Mountain View Joe Thrash, Conway
ex OFFiCiOJosh Cureton, JonesboroBrent Lassiter, NewportJanice Marsh, McCrory
Arkansas Agriculture is published quarterly by the
Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation, 10720 Kanis Road, Little Rock, AR 72211. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
Arkansas Agriculture, P.O. Box 31, Little Rock, AR 72203. Issue #32.
Publisher assumes no responsibility for any errors or omissions. All rights reserved.
Reproduction without permission is prohibited.
The Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation reserves the right to accept or reject
all advertising requests.
Send comments to:[email protected]
We’ve talked about the need for a new farm bill for so long that my personal opinion
of the “farm bill” has encompassed a full set of emotions, including anger, despair, disgust,
anxiety, concern, and – finally – relief.
President Obama has signed a new five-year farm bill, cobbled together by a conference
committee from the vastly different bills passed in 2013 by the House and Senate. I want to
thank those members of the Arkansas delegation who voted for passage. They understand
sustainable agriculture can only be achieved if long-term stability and profitability are part
of the equation. Sen. John Boozman and Rep. Rick Crawford of Arkansas were among the
conferees who worked diligently to bring about a compromise bill.
This is far from a perfect bill, with many of the historic safety net programs used in
the Midsouth now removed. But, frankly, the certainty of the new legislation is needed
for our farmers and ranchers. Having a five-year program, as opposed to year-by-year or
ad-hoc programs, was imperative, particularly as we go about making planting and livestock
decisions for the coming year.
The farm bill continues to be attacked from those unfamiliar with its general purpose.
You, in fact, may have been asked to defend the programs. In a nutshell, the purpose of
federal farm policy is to help ensure the availability and safety of the United States’ food
supply. It does that by helping farmers and ranchers ride the uncertainties of world market
forces, weather and government intervention. Bringing stability to the farm helps ensure
production capacity remains in place and dulls some of the risk farmers and ranchers
routinely face.
The federal farm bill is not something we should be ashamed of but something we
should be happy to defend and explain to those who question its value and purpose.
There are several things of note included in the 2014 farm bill, including more than
$7 billion for livestock producers through conservation (EQIP, etc.), disaster and grazing
programs.
The new legislation expands federal crop insurance and eliminates direct payments.
Those direct payments were crucial for many Midsouth farmers, particularly those who rely
heavily on irrigation. We see an opportunity to work with USDA’s Risk Management Agency
to develop a crop-insurance program that will work for irrigated crops. As it stands now, the
expansion of crop insurance doesn’t help the majority of Midsouth row-crop farmers. The
proposed reference prices in this farm bill won’t replace the safety net that direct payments
provided, but at least it will help.
We are pleased the legislation preserves the farm bill’s permanent law tenets. It also
maintains the historic connection between commodity and nutrition programs. These were
issues for which Farm Bureau worked diligently to include in the legislation. We believe
the linking of the commodity and nutrition programs is natural, and obvious, where the
production of food and the feeding of those in need are appropriately connected.
Farmers make a living adapting to changes, whether they are market forces,
improvements in technology or weather. We’ll have to adjust to this new farm bill, for sure.
But I believe in the resourcefulness of our farmers and ranchers.
God bless you and your families. God bless the farmers and ranchers. And God bless
Farm Bureau.
Farm Bureau Perspective
by Randy Veach, PresidentArkansas Farm Bureau
ŒŒŒ*
pcipublishing.com
Created by Publishing Concepts, Inc.David Brown, President • [email protected]
For Advertising info contact Tom Kennedy • 1-800-561-4686
Edition 32
4 Arkansas Agriculture
System notifies owners when wires cut, electrical system compromised
by Steve eddington
Local farmers create device to combat wire thef t
5Arkansas Agriculture
FFaced with a copper wire theft epidemic on grain bin
facilities, three Lonoke County farmers have uncovered, and
are now marketing, a theft detection system they believe will
yield dramatic results in the fight against wire theft.
Farmers Scott Mitchell, Matt Schafer and Jerry Kelly were
each victims of copper theft on their grain bin facilities –
Kelly several times. They tried to think of ways to thwart the
thieves who had figured out how to beat camera monitoring
systems and other theft deterrents. They also spoke to law
enforcement to understand their rights and limitations in
protecting their property.
Schafer went as far as staking out his farm at night.
“I’d have dinner, put the kids to bed and get out there
about midnight,” Schaefer recalled. “I had the perfect spot at
a crossroads on our farm, where I could see anyone coming
or going in any direction.”
He says he had the sheriff department’s number
programmed into his phone in one hand and a gun in his
other hand for protection. Problem was, after a long day on
the farm, Schaefer kept falling asleep.
“I’d wake up and say ‘where the heck am I?’ So I’m telling
myself ‘this isn’t fun, it’s probably not very safe, either.’
Finally, I told myself ‘I’m not doing this anymore,’” he said.
“But I knew there had to be something out there – some sort
of technology – that could help us with this problem.”
In the darkness of one of those stakeout nights last May,
Schafer reached for a piece of technology he had with him,
an iPad, and typed into the search bar how to stop copper wire
theft, agriculture. What popped up in the returns ultimately
led him, Mitchell and Kelly to the technology they’ve now
incorporated into a product they call BinSnitch.
An Indiana-based company
named Net Irrigate had already
created a wireless irrigation
monitoring system that included
the ability to notify owners when
copper wiring was cut on center-
pivot irrigation systems. Seeing
an opportunity to transfer that
technology to their problem with
copper wire theft on grain bin
systems, Schaefer and Mitchell
began a series of conversations
with the owners of Net Irrigate.
After several months of discussion
and a visit to Arkansas, Net
Irrigate’s general manager,
Edward DeSalle, came up with
system tweaks that would allow
deployment of his technology in a
grain bin environment.
“If you cut a wire or in any way
break a connection, the BinSnitch
immediately sends notice,” said
Mitchell, who was the first to have
the system installed on his grain
bins last July. “It sends notice out
to 10 different numbers through a
cell phone connection.”
Mitchell says it logs the GPS
coordinates where the device is
located and sends out an email,
text or voicemail message. “You
can program your home number,
your cell number, the sheriff’s
office, your neighbor, your farm
help, whoever,” he said. “Any
number you program into it.
“We think this can be a big help
to law enforcement. We want the
copper thieves to know there is a
deterrent that wasn’t there before.”
Mitchell says the thought of
those who engage in metal theft is
an irritant to his sensibilities.
6 Arkansas Agriculture
Build a better mousetrap (from left to right) Farmers Jerry Kelly, Matt Schafer and Scott Mitchell teamed with Edward DeSalle to develop the BinSnitch system to help thwart copper wire theft at grain bin sites.
Stev
e Ed
ding
ton
7Arkansas Agriculture
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“You know, I’ve got to get up
every day, I’ve got to put a crop
in, I’ve got to get a crop out, and
I’ve got a family I want to see. I do
those things, because it’s the life I’ve
chosen,” he said. “But it’s not right
for a guy to take the wire out of my
bins, take it to a scrap yard and get
paid in cash and not pay taxes on
it. This guy doesn’t have a real job,
doesn’t have to pass a drug test, and
the next thing he does is wait until
I fix the wiring in my grain bins and
then hits me again. I don’t like a
copper thief.”
Kelly, who runs a law practice
in Carlisle and continues to direct,
along with his brother, the family’s
farming operation, understands the
difficulty in getting a conviction in
metal theft cases.
“I’ve been a special prosecutor.
I’ve been a judge, and I practice law,”
Kelly said. “I know what it takes to
bring about prosecution. And that’s
not easy (with this type of theft), and
there’s good reason for that.”
He says just having a photo of
someone at your grain bins doesn’t
automatically mean a conviction.
“You have to prove a person is guilty
of a criminal act beyond a reasonable
doubt. With the epidemic of metal
theft we have, the police are getting
a bad rap for not catching these
people, but they’re just as frustrated
as anyone,” Kelly said. “They’re tired
of pulling up and seeing the plastic
clippings from the wire casing that
has been cut and having a mad
landowner, because they haven’t
caught somebody. They know they
need something more.”
8 Arkansas Agriculture
Wire theft The amount of copper wire used at grain bin sites along with the sites’ remote but accessible setups make them targets for thieves.
Keith
Sut
ton
9Arkansas Agriculture
MARKS THE
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Kelly says they knew Farm Bureau
had worked in the legislature last
session to get more teeth in metal
theft laws with only minimal success.
“We were concerned that our law
enforcement didn’t have the tools
needed to really impact metal theft,”
he said.
They believe the BinSnitch system
can help both the farmer and law
enforcement.
“We want to make this work. How
many of these BinSnitch devices can
we get out there to stop this metal
theft?” Mitchell said. “We believe
this is going to help. You can get
cameras. But cameras are going to get
pictures of people hauling off your
stuff.
“First off, we want to help the
farmer. I cannot stand to think there
are people out there sitting up at
night to guard their grain bins,”
Mitchell said. “When that happens,
the cost of repair is far more
expensive than the wire that’s been
stolen. It’s devastating.
“We’ve got enough sense to know
there’s going to come a time when
Farm Bureau says it can’t afford to
insure your bins anymore or the cost
of that insurance is going to get so
high we can’t afford it,” Mitchell
said. “We knew we had to do
something that took the control out
of the thieves’ hands.”
The BinSnitch system is available
for $2,750 per unit. There are no
monthly monitoring fees, and the
system operates on a battery with
a three- to five-year power supply.
Mitchell says they’ve installed dozens
of units across Arkansas, with the
ability to go nationwide with the
product. Those interested in finding
out more about the BinSnitch should
contact AgSecure at 105 Park Street,
Suite B, Carlisle, AR 72024, or by
calling (870) 552-5000.
Arkansas Farm Bureau paid claims
in excess of $1 million for copper-
10 Arkansas Agriculture
More than pictures It can take more than photos of thieves to successfully get a conviction for wire theft. The BinSnitch system can alert farm owners and law enforcement when a theft is in progress, raising the chances that thieves are caught in the act.
Keith
Sut
ton
theft losses on grain bins, irrigation
equipment and farm buildings in 2013,
with losses exceeding $2 million during
the past three years. Nationally, Net
Irrigate estimates wire theft accounted
for more than $1 billion dollars in
losses in 2013.
As a way to counter some of those
losses, Arkansas Farm Bureau will waive
an insured’s deductible up to $1,000 on
claims where a copper theft loss occurs
and BinSnitch was properly installed at
the time of the loss.
“The peace of mind a system like
this can bring to a farmer, you can’t put
a dollar value on that,” Kelly said. “One
thing I know, these copper thieves are
sort of like lightning. You know they’re
going to hit, but you don’t know when,
and you don’t know where.
“At least now, with BinSnitch,
you’ve got a fighting chance with the
thieves.”
11Arkansas Agriculture
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12 Arkansas Agriculture
TR. Marion Berry
Despite
earning a
pharmacy
degree from
the University
of Arkansas, R.
Marion Berry,
71, always has
had farming
in his blood and used practices
learned on the farm to become
an influential political figure in
Arkansas agriculture. The Arkansas
County rice and soybean farmer
from Gillett would eventually travel
to Washington, D.C. to promote
agriculture worldwide.
Governor Bill Clinton appointed
Berry to the Arkansas Soil and Water
Conservation Commission where
he served from 1986 to 1994. When
Clinton won the White House, he
brought Berry to Washington with
him, appointing him as his special
assistant for Agricultural Trade and
Food Assistance, and as a presidential
advisor on the White House
Domestic Policy Council during
Clinton’s first term. In these roles,
Berry made sure President Clinton
was well versed on agricultural issues
affecting Arkansas and the rest of
the country. His efforts resulted in
policy implementation promoting
agriculture, trade and rural
prosperity.
In 1996, Berry won election
to the United States House of
Representatives for Arkansas’ 1st
Congressional District, winning by
a small margin. But in the next six
elections, Berry would win with close
to two-thirds of the vote or more.
During this time, he was a major
advocate for lifting the trade ban on
Cuba, so Arkansas rice farmers could
regain trade opportunities. Berry was
a member of multiple committees
and a champion for agriculture
throughout his House tenure; among
those being on the House Agriculture
Committee, where he helped write
the 2002 farm bill. Berry served in
Congress until 2011.
O.H. “Doogie” Darling
O.H.
“Doogie”
Darling, 85,
of Crossett, is
a well-known
name in forestry
in southern
Arkansas.
Darling earned
his forestry technician certificate
from Arkansas A&M College (now
the University of Arkansas at
Monticello). He went on to earn a
bachelor’s degree in forestry from
Louisiana State University and
a master’s in forestry from Yale
University.
In the 1950s, Darling was a
young forester working for the
Fordyce Lumber Company where
he pioneered the first landowner
assistance program, a new
innovation in the forest industry at
the time. This program combined a
forester’s knowledge with landowners
struggling to make ends meet
following the Great Depression and
World War II. The program helped
farmers generate a supplemental
income from their farm woodlots
through scientifically based forest
management and improve the value
of their property while improving
the forestland’s health and
productivity.
When Georgia-Pacific bought the
Fordyce Lumber Company, Darling
continued his landowner assistance
efforts, further expanding the
program. At the peak of Darling’s
career, he was responsible for
managing 3 million acres of Georgia-
Pacific timberland, delivering wood
to 28 forest production mills in eight
states.
After retiring from Georgia-Pacific,
Darling served on the Deltic Timber
Corporation’s Board of Directors for
12 years. Darling has been a member
of the Arkansas Forestry Association
for almost 50 years and served as its
president in 1988 to 1989. He is also
a member of the Arkansas Foresters’
Hall of Fame and mentored many
young foresters throughout the state.
Ag Hall of Fame inducteesNew group to be honoredby Bricen Pace
The Arkansas Agriculture Hall of
Fame will induct six individuals
whose leadership and service have
brought distinction to Arkansas
agriculture, the state’s largest industry.
The group will be honored at the
26th annual induction luncheon,
11:30 a.m., March 7 in the
Ambassador Ballroom of Little Rock’s
Embassy Suites Hotel. Luncheon
tickets are $35 each and are available
by calling (501) 228-1470 or email
13Arkansas Agriculture 13Arkansas Agriculture
Ruben H. JohnsonAfter
graduating from
the University
of Arkansas
in 1955 with
a degree in
animal science,
Ruben H.
Johnson joined
the University
of Arkansas Cooperative Extension
Service as associate county agent in
Washington County. While Johnson,
now 83, began his career at the local
level, he quickly was promoted to
the state office after two years.
While in Washington County,
Johnson started the 4-H pullet
chain funded by the Sears-Roebuck
Foundation. His work with poultry
in Washington County led to his
promotion to UACES Poultryman in
1957. Johnson’s accomplishments
included his educational work on
broiler production and the initiation
of some of the earliest work on
proper use of poultry litter.
After working as poultryman for
seven years, Johnson was promoted
to two divisional positions for the
Southwest District: district resource
development specialist (1964-70)
and district agent (1970-75). In
1975, Johnson became UACES State
Leader for Agriculture where he had
administrative responsibility for
35 counties. Under his leadership,
specialists and agents increased
educational programs, such as
research verification programs in
various commodities. With the latest
research available, production yields
increased and production costs
decreased.
Johnson’s major accomplishments
were his appointment to the position
of UACES Acting Director in 1981
and securing a $904,000 grant to
study broiler production. As a result
of that grant, four broiler houses
were constructed in Savoy for broiler
research.
Johnson retired in 1988 and
moved to Magazine where he uses
his Extension experience to obtain
grants for local organizations, such as
the Magazine Rural Fire Department,
Booneville Development Corporation
and the town of Magazine. He’s a
Korean War veteran and retired from
the Arkansas Army National Guard as
a colonel in 1984.
Leroy Isbell
With
innovations in
the rice industry
never before
attempted
by anyone in
Arkansas or
the U.S., Leroy
Isbell, 89, of
England, pioneered methods making
his name internationally recognized.
Isbell’s innovations during a 55-year
career are widely accepted today.
Isbell first learned about rice
farming from GI bill classes he
attended after leaving the Navy. He
began with 40 acres, paying for the
first crop with his GI bill paycheck.
In1959, Isbell purchased 900 acres
— then in use for fish production —
and modified it for rice.
Isbell rebelled against the
common rice-growing practices like
rotating rice crops in fields to lessen
the impact of red rice problems.
He found that by water seeding his
rice crops, he controlled red rice
problems so well he could continue
farming his best rice ground year
after year. He also pioneered zero-
grading of rice fields when he
noticed how long it took for water
to drain from a traditional sloped
contour levee system. Zero-grading
allowed the field to drain water
quicker in four directions rather than
the one sloped direction found in
a traditional rice levee system. This
led to extensive water conservation
benefits. Isbell and his sons were the
first to do this in Arkansas.
It took a trip to California by
Isbell’s son, Chris, to get involved
in another rice-growing innovation.
Chris met a Japanese man, who
claimed that Koshihikari, a Japanese
rice variety, couldn’t be farmed
outside of Japan. Father and son
took on the challenge, successfully
cultivating the Japanese variety and
taking it to market in the U.S. and
eventually Japan when it opened
trade for rice imports.
Isbell’s successes bring visitors
to his family farm wanting to
improve their own rice-growing.
The Isbell family is well respected
and recognizable in Japan where
the family’s picture adorns the rice
products it sells there.
Keith LusbyInnovations
in agricultural
practices are
necessary for
agriculture
and livestock
production to
grow. Moreover,
the methods and
facilities used in educating students
should be innovative, too. Keith
S. Lusby, 66, of Fayetteville, who
earned an animal science doctorate
degree at Oklahoma State University,
returned to Arkansas after 19 years
in extension, research and teaching
at OSU to lead the University of
Arkansas’ Department of Animal
Science.
During his UA tenure, Dr. Lusby
built the animal science department
into a national powerhouse with
rebuilding and renovation projects
that increased jobs, graduates and
educational standards.
More than $10 million in facilities
construction and improvements
included the building of the Pauline
Whitaker Animal Science Center and
the Dorothy E. King Equine Pavilion,
as well as complete renovation of
research facilities at Fayetteville
and rebuilding the research station
at Batesville. The Animal Science
Building was also renovated.
New scholarship endowments were
added to support an intense effort
to increase enrollment. With new
scholarship endowments increasing
more than $850,000, undergraduate
enrollment increased from 85 to more
than 200. To support the increased
enrollment, 12 new positions were
created for research, teaching and
extension.
In the effort to excell, Dr. Lusby
made decisions that would benefit
future students. Lusby closed two
dairies and the bull test program,
which shifted research away from
large beef herds to a diversified
mix of swine, beef cows, stocker,
feeders, dairy replacement
heifers and horses. Dr. Lusby
is an active member of the
Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association
and Foundation where he was
awarded the Arkansas Cattlemen’s
Association Producer Education
Award in 2013.
14 Arkansas Agriculture
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J. Keith SmithTaking a one-
room feed store with
an incubator and
turning it into a
multi-million dollar
business, the late J.
Keith Smith of Hot
Springs, pioneered
the development of the broiler industry
in southern and eastern Arkansas. Keith
Smith Company, Inc. was among the first
multifunction corporations in the broiler
industry before it became the standard.
Smith put together a hatchery, broiler
parent stock, feed milling and live grow-
out to provide product to some of the first
commercial processing plants built in the
southern and eastern parts of the state.
During the early years of the Arkansas
poultry business, Smith provided broiler
chicks, live broilers and broiler hatching
eggs to companies, allowing them to focus
on other operations beyond the initial
stage of chick production. This provided
stability and growth for the poultry
industry. Now, 38,000 Arkansans are
employed by the poultry industry, and it
contributes more than $3.3 billion dollars
to the state’s economy.
Smith helped provide parent stock
for the central U.S. that would produce
hundreds of millions of broilers. As a
result, Smith is credited with aiding in the
development of the emerging markets of
products like range-fed, organic, Amish-
grown and kosher chickens. His company
also provided hatching eggs for export
markets, allowing poultry company
expansion into Latin America.
Smith went to great lengths to assist
employees, customers and members of the
community if they were having difficulties.
Smith also helped with Arkansas Foodbank,
Starting Over Ministries, and World Vision.
Smith founded the Keith Smith Company,
Inc. in 1948. He remained CEO until 1981
when he appointed his son, James Keith
Smith, II, as president. ŒŒŒ*
15Arkansas Agriculture
Cow-calf producer
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Arkansas Agriculture16
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17Arkansas Agriculture
Every Seed.Every Field.Every FarmerCounts.
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ArkAg_Armor_FullPage_Layout 1 9/25/13 10:16 AM Page 1
SSunni Wise, 18, is young,
vivacious and all about ag. The
Southern Arkansas University
freshman is majoring in
agriculture education. She’s also
fully immersed this school year
in ag issues as the 2013-14 state
secretary for FFA. For Sunni Wise,
it’s all about ag; strange, coming
from a girl who didn’t grow up
on a farm or get interested in
agriculture until high school.
The ag bug bit the Bismarck High
School graduate in ninth grade.
“I signed up for my first ag
class, because some of my friends
were showing goats. I thought
that was really cool,” Wise said.
“I didn’t show a goat until 10th
grade, and I absolutely fell in love
with all of it.”
She showed goats the rest of high
school and got involved with FFA. “I
found my passion. No matter where you
come from or what you do, you can be
something, be who you want to be and
work toward success in the FFA,” Wise
said. “You don’t have to be a farmer or a
scientist who’s going to create the next
generation of soybeans to feed the world.
You can just be you and bring what you
have to the table. And I like the aspect of
being in the FFA, and I like that you can
make a difference in the field of agriculture
no matter what you’re doing.”
Originally, Sunni thought she wanted
to be a veterinarian. Then she realized
that wasn’t it. She wanted to be around
animals, she wanted to help people,
and she wanted to make a difference. In
eleventh grade, her ag teacher told her,
“Sunni, I think you’d make a great ag
education teacher.” She says she brushed
it off, but then got to thinking seriously
about it.
“My entire life I wanted to work with
animals, which would be an ag teacher. I
wanted to work with kids, which would
be an ag teacher,” she said. “And I wanted
to make a difference. What other job can
you have to make a difference in the lives
of people to help build them up into the
people they want to be?”
It was then she knew she was going
to be an ag teacher. “I’m really interested
in Farm Bureau’s Ag in the Classroom
program,” she said.
Through FFA, she’s become familiar
with Arkansas Farm Bureau. Sunni was
a Discussion Meet winner while in high
school, proof of her skill in speaking
intelligently about agriculture issues.
“Farm Bureau is an asset to FFA but
just like FFA, Farm Bureau is only as strong
as its members are,” Wise said. “So Farm
Bureau can look to FFA, and FFA can
look to Farm Bureau for strength. They’re
beneficial to each other like a symbiotic
relationship, and the result is both are
helping the agriculture industry.”
Helping spread the good word about
agriculture, that’s what Sunni Wise is all
about. She says her FFA experience has
even helped her teach her family about ag.
She’s even managed to get her 14-year-old
brother interested in agriculture.
“My little brother, Baylen, sent me a
text recently ‘Sister I joined ag’ when he
joined FFA,” Wise said. “He’s 14 now and
has wanted to be a farmer since he was 12.
How cool is that?”
18 Arkansas Agriculture
by Gregg Patterson
Sunni WiseAll about ag
Keith
Sut
ton
All ag to the bone Sunni Wise is completing her freshman year at Southern Arkansas University. The agriculture major is busy with school work, as well as her duties as FFA Secretary/Treasurer.
Faces of Agriculture
ŒŒŒ*
19Arkansas Agriculture
Keith
Sut
ton
B U I L D I N G S O F A L L S I Z E S B U I L D I N G S O F A L L S I Z E S SShhooppss •• GGaarraaggeess •• BBaarrnnss •• EEqquuiippmmeenntt SShheeddss •• CCoonnccrreettee WWoorrkk SShhooppss •• GGaarraaggeess •• BBaarrnnss •• EEqquuiippmmeenntt SShheeddss •• CCoonnccrreettee WWoorrkk
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20 Arkansas Agriculture
O N L Y Y O UC A N
P R E V E N T W I L D F I R E S .
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Remember
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21Arkansas Agriculture
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D
22 Arkansas Agriculture
During the 2013 legislative session,
the Arkansas General Assembly passed
several tax cuts for agriculture. The
legislature is to be commended for their
attention to the state’s largest industry
and the farmers who live in their
districts. The diverse tax cut package
included something for almost all
segments of agriculture, from cattlemen
to forestry.
The largest agriculture tax cut was
Act 1441 championed by Reps. Jeff
Wardlaw of Warren and Jon Eubanks
of Paris and Sen. Larry Teague of
Nashville. The bill had enormous
bipartisan support, with more than 80
legislators cosponsoring the bill. Act
1441 created a sales tax exemption for
electricity, propane and natural gas used
in poultry, cattle, dairy, horticulture,
swine and aquaculture facilities and
operations. That exemption took
effect on Jan. 1, and sign up for the
exemption is ongoing. Act 1441 will
save farmers approximately $11 million
annually. Economists estimate poultry
farms will save about $600 per house
per year.
If you think your farm is eligible
for this exemption, you’ll need to
certify your meter and propane
tanks with the state. This is a simple
process and prevents people from
claiming the exemption when they
aren’t eligible. Tanks or meters must
exclusively serve the agriculture purpose
or they aren’t eligible. If you don’t
already have the necessary certification
form, download it from the Arkansas
Farm Bureau website, www.arfb.com, or
if you don’t have access to the Internet,
contact Farm Bureau at 501-228-1229 or
visit your local Farm Bureau office.
Farmers will need their meter and
tank numbers, the physical location
of the farm where the utilities are
delivered, some tax identification
information and your NAICS code. After
the Arkansas Department of Finance and
Administration receives the completed
forms, they’ll mail an official certificate
that indicates your farm is eligible for
the exemption. Share copies of this
certificate with all your utility providers.
Those providers are responsible for
collecting taxes and will not apply the
exemption without proper certification.
It’s a simple process that leads to
big savings. Next time you see your
legislator, thank them for making this
exemption possible. It’s important to
let them know farmers appreciate their
support. A similar exemption (Act 1401
by Sen. Dismang) for grain drying and
storage will take effect on July 1. Those
meters will need to be certified through
a similar process this spring.
These tax cuts happened through the
efforts of our farmers who let legislators
know the legislation was important and
legislators who listened and kept the
pressure up at the capitol. In a time when
many are down on elected officials, it’s
good to be able to say thanks for the
many good things they do. ŒŒ*
Policy Update
by Michelle Kitchens
take advantage of ag tax cutsCertify now
23Arkansas Agriculture
TASTE ArkAnsAs.com
from farm to table
Food, like nothing else, brings us together. After all, everyone eats.
On Taste Arkansas, a food blog by Arkansas Farm Bureau, this simple
truth is connecting those interested in food production with
the farmers and ranchers who provide us with an abundance of
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Arkansas Agriculture 25
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for ArkAnsAs growersFarm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company of Arkansas, Inc. Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance CompanySouthern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company, Jackson MS
One thing will always be true about farming:
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J
26 Arkansas Agriculture
Joe Carroll Thrash, 47, of
Conway and Sherry Wren Felts,
53, of Joiner are the newest
members on Arkansas Farm
Bureau’s Board of Directors.
The two were elected on
Dec. 6, 2013 during Arkansas
Farm Bureau’s 79th Annual
Convention.
Thrash joined Arkansas
Farm Bureau in 1989. A third-
generation farmer, he started
his farming operation in 1989
specializing in rice, soybeans,
wheat and corn. Thrash
followed his father to Farm
Bureau. His father, Carroll,
served on the Faulkner
County Farm Bureau board.
“The opportunity to represent and
serve my fellow farmers was a major
motivation to serve on the Arkansas Farm
Bureau state board,” Thrash said. “I’m
honored to be a part of the long history
of Arkansas Farm Bureau, looking out for
the interests of agriculture statewide.”
Before being elected to the state
board, Thrash held positions at the
county level and worked on committees
at the county and state levels. Thrash
became president of Faulkner County
Farm Bureau in 2001 and also served
as president from 2008 to 2010. Thrash
was part of the state Young Farmers
& Ranchers Committee in 2000 and
the Resolutions Committee from 2010
to 2013. In Faulkner County, Thrash
was also active on the Membership
Committee in 2013.
Outside of Arkansas Farm Bureau,
Thrash has been a member of the
Arkansas Soybean Association for 14
years where he was elected to the
Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board in
2013. Thrash is a member of the Faulkner
County 4-H Foundation. He and his wife,
Renee’, have four children, Benjamin,
Austin, Kate and Anna. He farms 1,050
acres. Thrash enjoys trout fishing and
hunting for deer and ducks.
Felts joined Arkansas Farm Bureau in
1980. A second-generation farmer, Felts
began farming in 1980 specializing in
rice, soybeans, wheat, cotton and milo.
Felts farms 2,000 acres with her husband,
Benton, her son, Wren, and Benton’s
father. The Felts family was awarded the
Mississippi County Farm Family of the
Year award in 2001.
Felts’ service within Farm Bureau
includes serving in Mississippi County
as vice chair of the Women’s Committee
from 2006 to 2007, and she has chaired
the county Women’s Committee since
2008. Felts worked for the state Rural
Health & Safety Committee in 2010 and
has been vice chair of the state Women’s
Committee since 2012.
“There is a long, rich history of
Arkansas Farm Bureau in Mississippi
County,” Felts said. “I’m proud to be a
part of it, and I look forward to doing
what Farm Bureau does best, being an
advocate for and serving the interests of
agriculture throughout Arkansas.”
Joe Thrash Sherry Felts
ŒŒŒ*
New Board Member Profiles
New board members electedThrash and Felts add talents
by Bricen Pace
Keith
Sut
ton
Keith
Sut
ton
27Arkansas Agriculture
Mol
lie D
ykes
Arkansas Farm Bureau and the Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the U of A improve the lives of families across our state and nation, and around the world. Our future is tied to the businesses of foods and agriculture. Congratulations to Ewell Welch, former AFB Executive Vice President, on his recent retirement and congratulations to Rodney Baker on his recent appointment to AFB Executive Vice President. The Bumpers College grows leaders of today and tomorrow.
GROWING LEADERS
Ewell WelchRetired AFB Executive Vice President Two-time Bumpers College alumnus
Rodney BakerNew AFB Executive Vice President Two-time Bumpers College alumnus
13-238 Arkansas Farm Bureau magazine ad.indd 1 12/2/13 8:46 AM
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28 Arkansas Agriculture
Arkansas Agriculture 29
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