Fall 2009 Farm & Ranch Survey: Rabobank recently launched a survey to gauge farmer’s confidence, and found that, while farmers’ outlook on the economy generally mirrors that of the overall population, more than half of farmers surveyed are employing risk management strategies to help navigate this difficult economic climate.Nearly two thirds of farmers continue to be concerned about the overall agricultural economy and their farm's outlook.
Survey Summary
Full Report

Duncan Named to State Appraiser Board

W. Keith Duncan of Sikeston, MO, has been appointed by Missouri Governor Jay Nixon to serve on the Missouri Real Estate Appraiser's Commission. His term will end September 12, 2012. The Missouri Real Estate Appraisers' Commission licenses and regulates persons who engage in real estate appraisal business as set out by statutes.

Duncan (wkduncan@earthlink.net) is an independent real estate broker since 1999 with the Mid-South Region of Capital Agricultural Property Services, Inc., which is headquartered in Memphis. In addition to his appraisal work, he lists and sells farmland in the Bootheel and the Mid-South region from his office in Sikeston.

A native of Kennett, Duncan is a graduate of the University of Missouri in Columbia, with a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural economics. He is a licensed real estate broker in Missouri and Arkansas and a licensed Missouri State Certified General Appraiser. He is also certified as a Housing Credit Certified Professional. He has worked in farm finance, appraisal and leasing since 1964. Prior to joining CAPS he was a vice president and leasing officer with First Security State Bank in Charleston, MO.

The Commission protects the public from incompetence, misconduct, gross negligence, fraud, misrepresentation or dishonesty; licenses only "qualified" professionals by examination and evaluation of minimum competency; enforces standards by implementing legislation and administrative rules; and encourages economic development and partnerships with existing small businesses.


The University of Illinois Office for Futures and Options is sponsoring a two-day Ag Markets Workshop on November 16 - 17 at the Illini Center, 200 S. Wacker, Chicago. The program will be offered again January 25 - 26, 2010. The workshop will provide an in-depth update on the latest trends in the world agricultural marketplace, grain flow, transportation, regulation, hedging, basis trading, spreads, market reports, and options. More information and registration


Farm Futures first survey of farmers' 2010 planting intentions shows a trend toward more corn and less soybeans. While farmers are only beginning to think about next year's crops, the early choice would be to add corn acres, after producers devoted more of their land to soybeans in 2009. Farmers also said they plan to plant more wheat for harvest in 2010. More survey results


University of Illinois economists project net farm operator returns for 2009 at minus $8 per acre for corn and minus $15 per acre for soybeans, the first negative returns for the decades beginning 1990 and 2000. The lower 2009 returns are caused by higher input costs and declining commodity prices. The projections are based on crop budgets from the Farm Business Farm Management System (FBFM), yield estimates from National Agricultural Statistical Service (NASS), and revised commodity price projections.
Full report with data tables


Roughly 70 mentored waterfowl hunts are being conducted by Delta Waterfowl chapters and volunteers across the U.S. this hunting season. The goal is to use mentors to connect kids and adults to waterfowl hunting’s rich culture and heritage—a heritage that’s loosing more and more of its constituency every year.  According to the 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, waterfowl hunter numbers from 2001 to 2006 dropped 27 percent. To learn more about hunting participation and the issues affecting it, read Delta Waterfowl’s five-part magazine series called the Vanishing Hunter.


CAPS' Midwest Landowner Seminar was held on Setpember 11 in Morris, Ill., and included two segments by members of the staff. Tim Harris, AFM, Senior Manager and Real Estate Broker for CAPS, gave a presentation on such agricultural trends as historic farmland values, crop land rents, farm lease types and ROI for farmland investments. View Tim Harris' presentation: Market Trends

Two CAPS real estate agents, Doug Deininger, Broker, and Chip Johnston, Salesperson, addressed current farmland values, offering comparisons by soil class, location and other variables. They also provided perspectives on today's buyers and sellers of farmland. View their presentation: Land Values Update


Delta Waterfowl has announced that it is a new partner of National Hunting and Fishing Day, slated for September 26. The annual commemoration will hold several events across the country to promote awareness about hunting, fishing and wildlife conservation, as well as celebrate America's rich, time-honored outdoors heritage. National Hunting and Fishing Day - Events around the U.S.
More information about Delta Waterfowl.


Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States, for farm feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head, totaled 9,752,000 head on July 1, 2009, down 655,000 head from last month. Inventory dropped 190,000 head in Nebraska and 160,000 head in Kansas. Farm feedlot occupancy dropped to 58.40% from 62.32% last month. Read more.


H.R. 1549 would ban from use, in livestock and poultry, animal health products that are used to prevent and control diseases. Farmers only would be allowed to use animal health products that treat diseases. The bill also would require all "critical antimicrobial animal drugs" to go through a second U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval process within two years of enactment of the legislation. The legislation purports to address an increase in antibiotic-resistant illnesses in humans. But, numerous assessments have shown risk levels associated with antibiotic use in agriculture that are extremely low, and nationally recognized scientific studies have shown that the removal of important animal health products could actually increase food-safety risks. The American Veterinary Medical Association response to this legislation offers information farmers will find useful in answering questions about this proposed legislation.


Sotomayor's views on property rights cause concern. Iowa State University ag-law professor Roger McEowen says Sotomayor "has little regard for private property rights as a fundamental constitutional right. That's a huge issue for agriculture and rural property owners." Read: What Sotomayor means for ag.


The Renewable Fuels Association has launched a new online destination for ethanol information called Choose Ethanol. The new website features a section dedicated exclusively to E85, plus a news center and quick facts.The site also invites visitors to sign up to "stay informed, share your stories and become a part of the discussion about clean, renewable fuel in the United States."


Iowa State University agricultural economist Wally Huffman is very optimistic about the next 10 years in agriculture. His predictions and rational are presented in his working paper, "Technology and Innovation in World Agriculture: Prospects for 2010-2019"
Synopsis and Full Report:


Fair Oaks Farm, which is located southwest of Chicago and north of Indianapolis, is featured in this clip from a recent "America's Heartland" television program. It explains the general farm operation, which covers 45,000 acres and handles 32,000 dairy cows that produce enough milk each day for 8 million people. It also describes the experience which is open to the public. Fair Oaks Clip


4-H is crafting a new customizable, online learning system called Project Pathways, created to spark early youth interest in the ag sciences. It features a wide variety of hands-on topics and activities from genetic engineering, agro-robotics and sustainable agriculture to product marketing, plant science, animal science and ag communications. Project Pathways was developed by the scientists and educators within America's unique land-grant university system. 4-H Science Program


Dairy farmers are recording huge financial losses, according to Dr. Mike Hutjens, a University of Illinois Extension dairy specialist. "Milk prices dropped nearly 40 percent starting last January, reaching less than $12 per hundred pounds. The price was $18 per hundredweight in December 2008." Hutgens explains the underlying issues and outlines some options for dairy farmers to reduce losses. Dairy Podcast


The Seventh Federal Reserve District states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin continue to play a key role in the agricultural economy of the United States, as well as the world. The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago said last month that farmland values in the Seventh District declined by 6% during the first quarter of 2009, which is the "the largest quarterly decline since 1985," However, despite the first quarter weakness, district prices for "good" agricultural land still averaged 2% higher than a year earlier as of April 1. Overview of the District Ag Economy


The Farm Foundation has released a March 2009 Update on "What's Driving Food Prices?" The analysis done by Purdue University economists Phil Abbott, Chris Hurt and Wally Tyner for the Farm Foundation just nine months ago is updated in this new report.


The Research, Education, and Economics Information System (REEIS) is a source of information on the research, education and extension programs, projects and activities of the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and its partner institutions in the areas of food, natural resources and agriculture. REEIS Website


American agriculture suffered a major defeat last month when a federal appeals court overturned an EPA rule governing certain pesticide applications. This reversal of EPA policy, which protected farmers and applicators as long as they applied pesticides in accordance with federal law, could result in thousands of farmers needing Clean Water Act permits. Story details.


Geneticist Thomas Carter is developing soybean breeding lines that have improved tolerance to reduced moisture and flourish over a variety of geographic regions. Read his story.


The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released its Outlook Reports for feed grains, wheat and rice for March 2009. The reports offer farmers projections on foreign and domestic crop acres for the current season, ending inventory figures, crop year production estimates, and insights on imports / exports.
Rice Report
Feed Grains Report
Wheat Report

On the 75th Anniversary of the duck stamp, Delta Walterfowl Magazine examines its origin and the legendary role of Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper cartoonist Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling.
Read about the missing 23 years.


The University of Illinois has issued a report, "What to Do about the Stock Market," which offers useful tips and resources for managing money and finances in the current economic climate for both farm and non-farm audiences. U of I Report


The "farm doc" segment of the University of Illinois site offers calculator tools for estimating crop insurance premiums, payments, historical data and the like for spring and fall crops.  iFarm Tools


According to the University of Aarkansas, "Farmers are paying more attention to variety selection in 2009 to try to maximize profits." Read more


The Obama Administration's budget proposal released February 26 would make a number of cuts to the farm safety nets in the 2008 Farm Bill. Farm organizations and a some members of Congress are concerned about the possible impact on family farms and production agriculture. These groups are joining forces to find ways to educate the Administration on the potential negative effects of the proposals.
Summary of the Agriculture Portion


"An ambitious bill to tighten regulations and oversight on financial markets passed the House Agriculture Committee Feb. 12." A March 2 Delta Farm Press article offers a summary of the bill and the input provided. It also supplies a link to the testimony given to the House Agriculture Committee.


The application date for a pilot project to diversify crop production on base acres in seven Midwest states is fast approaching. March 2 is the last day for farmers in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin to sign up for this project which will allow farms with base acres under the Direct and Counter-Cyclical Program (DCP) to be plant to such vegetables as cucumbers, green peas, lima beans, pumpkins, snap beans, sweet corn, or tomatoes for processing.
For more information on PTPP or other farm programs, visit the local USDA Service Center or the Farm Service Agency Web site at: http://www.fsa.usda.gov.
Full article on Midwest Program


The 2007 Census counted 2,204,792 farms in the United States, a net increase of 75,810 farms. Nearly 300,000 new farms have begun operation since the 2002, and these new farms tend to have more diversified production, fewer acres, lower sales and younger farmers who also work off-farm. The 2007 Census figures show a continuation in the trend toward more small and very large farms and fewer mid-sized, as well as an increase in women as principal farm operators. The ag census covers numerous other aspects of farming, including organic, value-added, and specialty production, all of which are on the rise.
More details from 2007 Ag Census


According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, only 10 percent of students entering veterinary schools in the United States are pursuing farm or large-animal practice. A Pennsyvania reporter talked with farmers about the current and long-term impact on agriculture and the food supply. Interview with Farmers


A ruling in favor of Bible Pork, a swine farm near Louisville, IL is considered to be a significant case for agriculture and such regulatory programs as the "right-to-farm" statutes. Had the Plaintiffs prevailed, critics of modern agriculture could have used the verdict to attack other swine and livestock farms across the country. Summary of Case


Because farm commodities are a major budgetary component for families, the U. S. Department of Agriculture site offers two cost estimating pages on its site.
One is for estimating the cost of raising a child.
The other gives a perspective of the cost of eating at home.


Read about the latest updates to the Farm Markets and Weather feeds on the CAPS website


NCGA Addresses Misinformation about food supplies and prices as food companies continue to blame farmers and the agriculture sector for continued high grocery costs for consumers. The organization provides statistics on corn use and on record profits for food companies in this December 19 article.


Feeding the Future is an eight-page publication by the Renewable Fuels Association that explains the correlation between corn use for ethanol vs. food / feed, as well as the role of farmers and agriculture in the food and fuel supply.


Former Secretaries of Agriculture gathered Dec. 3 in Washington, D.C., in conjunction with the Farm Journal and the Farm Foundation, to offer advice for agriculture and the changing administration. Coverage of this Summit is available at on both the Farm Journal and the Farm Foundation sites.


The Farm Foundation has released a new report outlining major challenges and issues agriculture will confront in providing food, fiber and energy to a growing world over the next 30 years. The report was developed with input from a diverse set of agricultural and agribusiness leaders, government agency representatives and academics, and highlights key issues public and private decision makers may need to consider as they address the challenges of feeding a growing world. The full report and an executive summary are available online.


The farm doc team of the University of Illinois has prepared articles on the impact of the current financial crisis on the agricultural economy and decision-making. The five main farm topics are – the nature of the financial crisis, impacts on the short-term availability of farm credit, the connection between the financial meltdown and ag commodity prices, crop insurance decisions, and farm land rental and lease negotiations.
Farm doc analysis


The Economic Bailout Bill contains a variety of energy-related and depreciation tax incentives that could benefit agriculture. Check out the rescue bill on depreciation of farm equipment, wind energy production credits, and more.


Agricultural imports benefit U.S. consumers, but shipments can transport harmful foreign pests and diseases, putting U.S. farming, ag commodities and the environment at risk. Regulating agricultural imports protects farms, the ag industry and the environment.


Agricultural exports are forecast at $113 billion for 2009, down $1 billlion, and ag imports are expected to rise by $4 billion to a record $83 billion. The complete Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade was released in August, and the updated World Supply and Demand Estimates for farm commodities was released October 28.


U.S. agriculture relies almost entirely on productivity growth to raise output. Total production nearly tripled between 1948 and 2004, while land in agriculture fell by one-quarter and farm labor declined by three-quarters. Because of farming's high productivity growth, agricultural commodity prices rose at less than half the rate of economy-wide prices over those 56 years.
Farm productivity drives ag production


Updated ag costs and returns data for farm crops and commodities were released by the ERS of the US Dept of Agriculture on October 1, 2008. USDA has estimated annual production costs and returns and published accounts for major field crop and livestock enterprises since 1975. These farm cost and return accounts are "historical" accounts based on the actual costs incurred by farmers. This program uses surveys conducted about every 4-8 years for each commodity as part of the annual Agricultural Resource Management Survey. 
Farm Crop & Commodity Data Released Oct. 1 


The growing number of wind ‘farms’ across the agricultural landscape and the food versus fuel controversy were the keynote presentations at CAPS’ annual Midwest Land Owner Seminar. Dwight Farber, project manager for Horizon Energy, briefed the audience on how properties are selected, the many studies done across the country that show where winds are most consistent, the infrastructure needed to move electricity once it is generated, and similar issues. Farber was followed by Rod Weinzerl, executive director of the Illinois Corn Growers Association, who addressed the issues raised within the farm industry and across the nation regarding corn being diverted from a food commodity to generate ethanol instead. Members of the CAPS team wrapped up the program with a review of current farmland value trends.
More Details and Photos


FoodPriceTruth is a clearinghouse of information designed to set the record straight on the domestic and worldwide food crisis. Interesting facts about farm production, food resources, etc., can be found on this site:
Food Price Truth


American Farmers for the Advancement and Conservation of Technology (AFACT), a farmer and producer group, seeks to educate, equip and empower everyone in the food chain. They want consumers to understand the benefits of technology and to encourage them to demand access to high-quality, affordable food with a minimal impact on the environment. Confused consumers shy away from foods produced using new technology, which in turn forces valuable management tools from the hands of farmers and ranchers. To learn more about this group and to read many food and agriculture facts, go to:
It Is A Fact


The recently signed 2008 Farm Bill includes Section 1619, Information Gathering, which prohibits public access to Farm Service Agency CLU data. This includes field boundaries, acres, tract numbers, farm numbers, field numbers, primary classification of land unit types and administrating county and state offices – information that significantly improves accuracy and communication for chemical applicators, insurance agents, land managers, crop consultants, farmers and other agricultural professionals. To restore public access to any new or updated CLU data, a Technical Corrections Bill or an amendment to the 2008 Farm Bill is required. Your help is needed to amend Section 1619.
Click here to tell Congress to release this information for use.


Check out this site for a list of annual farm, agricultural and rural trade shows across North America. Browse the options by date, state or province, or name. Each farm show entry gives current and future dates and locations, as well as contact information.


The Biomass Connections Bulletin Board is a forum that farmers, ranchers, timber growers and anyone else interested in raising biomass plants can participate in for discussion, information and camaraderie. Agriculture and forestry professionals are invited to join the forum at: www.biomassconnections.com


Farm Foundation, a catalyst on bioenergy issues since June 2004, will offer another seminar in its continuing series, Transition to a Bioeconomy. Environmental and rural development issues will be the focus of this third conference in October. Learn more about the Farm Foundation and its educational series at:
Farm Foundation-Current Projects


Survey Shows Support for Farm-Grown Fuel Alternative. A recent survey of 1,200 registered voters found broad support for increasing the use of corn ethanol for fuel. The National Corn Growers Association hailed the survey as proof that ethanol's detractors were losing the battle for public opinion.


2008 Farm Bill Side-By-Side. The side-by-side offers a comparison of the new Farm Bill with 2002-07 farm legislation. Summarized but substantive, it offers a time-saving reference to farm bill provisions. Sign up to receive an e-mail notice when the 2008 Farm Bill Side-By-Side is released:
2008 Farm Bill Side-By-Side


Delta Waterfowl Press Release - Results of the annual survey conducted by the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Canadian Wildlife Service: "Last year the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's annual Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey painted a rosy picture -- Canada had the fourth-highest pond count in recorded history and five duck species were in record or near-record territory. The 2008 breeding population survey, released this week [week of July 8] by the Service, shows a 39 percent decline in Canadian ponds and double-digit percentage drops for 5 of the 10 most abundant species in the traditional survey area." Read the full release at:
Delta Waterfowl Press Release - July 8.


Changes in agricultural policy could impact long-term cropping and marketing plans. First and foremost, high commodity prices have provided American crop farmers with revenue that has been appreciated and long overdue. But there have been numerous consequences for domestic and foreign consumers who have had to pay higher prices. There have also been impacts for the grain marketing industry. And they have spurred increased global production. The Congressional Research Service reviewed the impact of high commodity prices and reported to Congress in early May. Read about this report at:
http://www.farmgate.uiuc.edu/


A new website segment to provide information on the food versus fuel debate has been posted by the National Corn Growers Association. "U.S. corn growers are proud to work hard and be able to meet the demand for corn for food, feed, fuel and fiber. We're also proud of the important role corn ethanol plays in reducing our nation's dependence on foreign oil, in helping protect the environment and in boosting our nation's economy." The resources on this site were prepared to help farm and non-farm audiences understand the truth regarding ethanol's positive impact. Read more at:
http://www.ncga.com/FoodandFuel/FoodAndFuel.asp