Wednesday March 21 Ag News

Farm Bureau Plans District 23 Candidate Forum
Three candidates vying for the Nebraska Legislature's 23rd District seat have been invited to a Candidate Forum scheduled for March 27.

Three County Farm Bureaus and Nebraska Farm Bureau are sponsoring the forum so District 23 voters can learn more about the three candidates, particularly their views on agriculture and rural issues.

The public is invited to attend the 90-minute forum planned for David City on March 27, 7 p.m. CDT, Knights of Columbus Hall, 517 N. 4th Street, David City. Doors will open 30 minutes before the forum begins to allow voters to meet the candidates and submit written questions for consideration at the forum.

Candidates are not yet confirmed for attendance, but all have been invited. They are: Vern Barrett, Ceresco; Jerry Johnson, Wahoo; and John Jack Pokorny, Schuyler. Currently, the seat is held by Sen. Chris Langemeier, who is not able to run again because of term limits.

Refreshments and informational materials from the candidates will be available for 30 minutes following each forum.

The forum is being sponsored by Butler, Colfax and Saunders County Farm Bureaus.

For information, contact Jay Ferris at 402/450-3966 or jayf@nefb.org.



House Budget Chair Ryan Proposes 2013 Budget, ASA Reacts

House Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) unveiled the House Republican budget proposal for FY2013 yesterday during a speech before the American Enterprise Institute in Washington. Chairman Ryan’s proposal calls for $33.2 billion in cuts to agricultural programs, focusing primarily on direct payments and crop insurance. These cuts, Rep. Ryan proposes, would be reconciled by the House Agriculture Committee. Additionally, the chairman’s budget includes a dramatic transformation of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the food stamp program, which would cut $123 billion from the program and shift it to a state-run block grant program. American Soybean Association (ASA) First Vice President Danny Murphy, a soybean farmer from Canton, Miss., had this to say about Chairman Ryan’s budget proposal:

“ASA is pleased to see a proposal that, through the reconciliation process, may lead to a faster consideration of a potential Farm Bill in the coming months. The cuts that Chairman Ryan proposes, however, are significantly higher than those agreed upon by House and Senate Agriculture Committee leadership during the Supercommittee process last fall, and that concerns us. Especially worrisome is the Chairman’s emphasis on the federal crop insurance program as an area for reduction. Crop insurance serves as the main safety net for America’s farmers, and its integrity must be protected.

“Chairman Ryan does call for increased development of domestic energy sources, and mentions the potential for nuclear, wind and solar power. ASA applauds this effort and would remind the Chairman of the sustained success of the American biodiesel industry, one that created 50,000 jobs and saw a record production of 1.1 billion gallons last year, and remains the only advanced biofuel currently produced on a commercial scale across the U.S. The biodiesel industry creates jobs, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and bolsters our energy security, all while displacing imported diesel with clean, American-made fuel.

“As an industry, we have long maintained that we are ready and willing to accept our share of cuts, provided that those cuts are proportionate to other industries. We will continue that cooperative spirit in the interest of getting our nation’s fiscal house in order, however we encourage Chairman Ryan to remember that the record farm productivity that he cites in his budget is a direct result of policies that help those farms to grow.”



Senator Grassley, Senator Johnson propose reform payment limits for Federal Farm Programs

Today, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) introduced legislation designed to tighten payment limits on federal farm commodity programs and close loopholes mega-farms use to evade limits, while ensuring small and mid-size family farmers have the kind of support farm programs were designed to deliver.

“This legislation represents the most important step congress can take to strengthen family farms - limit the subsidies that mega-farms use to drive smaller operations out of business,” said Brian Depew, Acting Executive Director of the Center for Rural Affairs.

“The Grassley-Johnson bill includes measures to close the loopholes in farm payment limitations that others in Washington know how to close but won't, thanks to the political clout of mega-farms,” Depew added.

In commenting the introduction of the bill, Senator Grassley stated, “When seventy percent of farm payments go to only ten percent of farmers, there’s something wrong. It’s time to change that. A safe, stable and affordable food supply is essential to social cohesion and a strong safety-net geared toward small and medium-sized farmers is an important part of making that happen.”

Senator Johnson echoed that rationale, saying, “I have long believed that we must target our farm programs to the small and medium-sized family farmers that are the backbone of our rural economy. Senator Grassley and I acknowledge that the structure of the safety net is likely to change during the upcoming Farm Bill reauthorization process, and so we are introducing this bill to ensure that payment limits apply to the new structure.”

According to Depew, the new Grassley-Johnson payment limits bill has a hard cap on marketing loan gains of $75,000 ($150,000 for a couple). The remainder of the payment limit would be a cap on the total amount a farmer can receive in safety-net payments in general.  For instance, if the Congress were to adopt a shallow loss program, the Grassley-Johnson bill would set a limit of $50,000 ($100,000 for a couple) that a farmer could receive.

Additionally, the bill closes loopholes that allow people with ties to farmland whose management consists of little more than an occasional phone call. The bill sets a measurable standard for someone to qualify as actively engaged in farming by providing management for the operation, and the bill provides an exception for farming operations where there is only one manager of the farm. This exception should help the Department of Agriculture administer the standard.

"The bill would tighten rules that are supposed to limit payments to active farmers who work the land and their landlords. Current law is weak. Investors who participate in one or two conference calls are considered active farmers, allowing mega-farms to get around payment limitations by claiming uninvolved investors as partners," explained Depew.

“The farm safety net was designed to help family farmers but it has increasingly led to a windfall for owners of our nation’s largest farms. Congress should act to close the loopholes and better target payments to our small and mid-sized family farmers. This legislation represents our best chance to move forward with reforms as consideration of the farm bill continues,” said Johnson.



Groups Want Comprehensive U.S.-EU FTA

An ad hoc coalition of 40 food and agricultural organizations led by the National Pork Producers Council in a letter sent today to the Obama administration and Congress expressed concern that a proposed free trade agreement between the United States and the European Union might fall short of long-established U.S. objectives for trade pacts.

“Some non-agricultural members of the business community have suggested that a U.S.-EU FTA negotiation should not be pursued as a ‘single undertaking’ with success in one area dependent on success in all the others,” said NPPC President R.C. Hunt, a pork producer from Wilson, N.C. “The agriculture community, however, believes that, rather than creating a high-standard 21st century trade agreement that is central to the administration’s trade policy efforts, approaches other than a single undertaking would assure the perpetuation of trade barriers to many U.S. products and sectors, including agriculture.”

“The EU’s free trade deals with other countries do not meet the high standards of U.S. trade agreements,” added Nicholas Giordano, NPPC’s vice president and counsel for international affairs, “and we doubt that the EU would ever agree to open its market to agricultural commodities unless it was obliged to do so as part of a comprehensive trade agreement.”

Had it embarked on any of its existing FTAs using the approach being suggested by some for an agreement with the EU, the United States would not have in place the comprehensive agreements it has today, according to the coalition letter, and the administration would not be pointing to the ongoing Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade talks as the model for all future agreements.

“The United States is right to insist that the three countries seeking to join the TPP talks – Canada, Japan and Mexico – agree to meet the same TPP standards as the existing members, and if the EU were to ask to join the TPP, it should have to meet them as well,” said Giordano. “So a new agreement with the EU should be no different.”

The coalition letter makes clear that the removal of unjustifiable EU sanitary and phytosanitary restrictions on U.S. food and agricultural products would have to be an important part of the overall goal of improving the bilateral U.S.-EU relationship. The letter also points out that keeping agriculture in trade deals is a way for governments around the world to help keep the price of food affordable. “We need to see this as the critical national security issue that it surely is,” the agricultural groups stressed.

NPPC’s Hunt said that for all of the reasons mentioned in the letter, the United States must continue to take the lead in insisting that its trade deals be comprehensive. “We must not backslide and embrace the type of trade agreement favored by the EU, which, like other EU FTAs, would fall well short of WTO requirements that FTAs cover substantially all trade,” he said. “We must be consistent and pursue TPP-type FTAs.”



Updated Survey on Farm Employee Compensation
William Edwards, ISU Extension

Over 20,000 people make their living each year as full-time employees on Iowa farms. Iowa State University and the North Central Risk Management Education Center recently conducted a survey to study the wages and benefits they receive. The average compensation paid to these employees in 2011 was $38,929 per year, before deductions for taxes. Cash wages accounted for $33,320, or 85 percent of this total. In addition, the average employee received fringe benefits valued at $4,185 and cash bonuses of $1,424.

In a similar survey conducted in 2006 the average farm employee received $34,640 in total compensation. The change represents an average annual increase of about 2.1 percent. Employees worked an average of 2,602 hours in 2011, so on an hourly basis cash wages averaged $12.96 and total compensation averaged $15.05. The average employee had 12 years of experience working on a farm, seven of which were with the present employer. Six percent of the employees included in the survey were female, and 16 percent were born outside the United States.

The most significant benefit provided was some type of insurance plan, usually medical. Other common benefits included housing, meals, farm produce, work clothing and recreational opportunities.

Factors such as farm size, employee duties, number of other employees supervised, education and years of farm experience had a major influence on how much each employee was paid.



EPA Posts New 2012 Biodiesel Production Figures

The U.S. biodiesel industry produced 135 million gallons of fuel in the first two months of 2012, according to new numbers released by the EPA Wednesday.

The volume is an increase over the same period last year, when production totaled less than 80 million gallons. But it is down from the record production late last year when the industry exceeded 100 million gallons per month for five consecutive months and reached a peak of 160 million gallons in December.

Anne Steckel, vice president of federal affairs for the National Biodiesel Board, said the drop-off reflects lost momentum this year after Congress allowed the biodiesel tax incentive to expire and the Obama Administration delayed finalizing next year's biodiesel volume requirement under the Renewable Fuel Standard.

"These are solid numbers that show the biodiesel industry is on pace to meet the 1 billion gallon RFS requirement this year, but they also reflect some of the missed opportunities for growth and jobs that we've seen with the loss of the tax credit and the continued uncertainty about next year's RFS volume," Steckel said. "With the tax credit and clear RFS growth in place, we think these numbers would be better."

Last year, the biodiesel industry produced a record of nearly 1.1 billion gallons, supporting more than 39,000 jobs across the country and helping to reduce U.S. dependence on skyrocketing global petroleum prices.



Weekly Ethanol Production for 3/16/2012

According to the Energy Information Administration, ethanol production for the week ending 3/16/12 averaged 893,000 barrels per day (b/d) – or 37.51 million gallons daily.  That is up just slightly (1,000 b/d) from the previous week.  The 4-week average for ethanol production stood at 897,000 b/d for an annualized rate of 13.75 billion gallons.

Stocks of ethanol hit an all-time record of 22.7 million barrels, equivalent to a 27-day supply.

Gasoline demand for the week averaged 351.9 million gallons daily.  Expressed as a percentage of daily gasoline demand, daily ethanol production was 10.66%. Since the beginning of the year, weekly gasoline demand has averaged 345.7 million gallons daily, meaning the annualized E10 blend wall is 12.6 billion gallons.

On the co-products side, ethanol producers were using 13.540 million bushels of corn daily to produce ethanol and 100,506 metric tons of livestock feed, 90,677 metric tons of which were distillers grains. The rest is comprised of corn gluten feed and corn gluten meal. Additionally, ethanol producers were providing 4.1 million pounds of corn oil daily.



China H1 Soy Imports Up 25%

China, the world's top soy buyer, will import some 29 million tonnes of soy in the first half of the year, a quarter more than the same period last year, due to strong demand from animal feed producers, an official think-tank said in a report.

The imports are just over half the 55 million tonnes of soybeans China is forecast to import this year from global suppliers. Last month, a Chinese trade delegation signed deals to buy a record 13.4 million tonnes of soybeans from the United States.

Chinese crushers have bought enough soybeans to last until June, and they are now looking for cargoes from July to October, the China National Grain and Oils Information Center (CNGOIC) said.

The report said crushers are likely to load 4.7 million tonnes in March; 6 million tonnes in April and 5.5 million tonnes in May.

China imports from the United States, Brazil and Argentina.

Traders said rising domestic soymeal prices have provided crushers with good profit margins. Soymeal prices have jumped more than 10 percent this year due to higher demand from pig farms.

China's soy imports could rise in June to a record high of nearly 7 million tonnes, Li Jianlei, a senior analyst at COFCO Futures, was quoted by an industry website as saying.

In an indication of next year's demand, the CNGOIC said Chinese soybean crushers had also booked up to 1.5 million tonnes of soy cargoes from South America for March to May shipment in 2013.



Dairy Situation and Outlook
Bob Cropp, Professor Emeritus University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension University of Wisconsin-Madison
In March, USDA increased its projected increase in milk production for 2012 from 1.4% to 1.8% and lowered its projected milk prices. USDA projects an average Class III price in the range of $16.35 to $16.95 compared to $18.33 last year, and the average All Milk price in the range of $17.60 to $18.20 compared to $20.13 last year.

It does appear that milk production will run higher than what was earlier predicted. While strong slaughter cow prices is encouraging increased culling of milk cows a good supply of dairy replacements has prevented a decline in milk cow numbers, and favorable winter weather has improved milk per cow. Cow numbers increased every month last year and continue with increases in January and February. For the 23 reporting states, February cow numbers were 1.2% higher than a year ago. Milk per cow, which averaged just 0.9% higher last year was 2.7% higher in January than a year ago and 3.4% higher in February (daily adjusted). Total milk production, which increased 1.8% last year was 3.9% higher for January and 4.3% higher in February (daily adjusted). Milk production growth at this level is depressing for milk prices.

Not only has favorable weather improved milk per cow Western states have experienced an increase in the number of milk cows. Compared to last February, increases in cow numbers were as follows: Arizona 3.8%, California 1.6%, Colorado 8.1%, Idaho 1.2%, New Mexico 3.4%, Texas 2.6%, Utah 5.2% and Washington 4.7%. In comparison, in the Northeast, except for Michigan which had 2.7% more cows, cow numbers were unchanged for New York and 0.4% lower for both Pennsylvania and Ohio. In the Upper Midwest, cow numbers were unchanged for Wisconsin, 1.1% lower for Minnesota and 1.1% lower for Iowa.

As a result, compared to February a year ago (daily adjusted) milk production was up substantially in the West with the following increases: Arizona 8.0%, California 7.1%, Colorado 8.3%, Idaho 4.1%, New Mexico 4.9%, Texas 5.7%, Utah 8.5% and Washington 5.2%. In comparison, milk production in the Northeast was up 3.1% for New York and 5.7% for Michigan, but up just 0.6% for Ohio and unchanged for Pennsylvania. In the Upper Midwest, milk production was up 2.2% for Iowa, 1.9% for Minnesota and 4.4% for Wisconsin.

More milk means more dairy product production. Compared to a year ago, January butter production was 8.5% higher, American cheese production 3.1% higher and total natural cheese production 2.9% higher. Butter stocks increased 60% from the end of December to the end of January with January 31st stocks up 44% from a year ago. However, cheese stocks are tighter than a year ago. From the end of December to the end of January American cheese stocks grew slightly, up 0.2%, while total cheese stocks declined 1.4%. January 31st stocks of American cheese were 4% lower than a year ago and total cheese stocks were 7.1% lower.

Despite improved cheese stocks, 40-pound cheddar cheese prices on the CME have fallen from more than $2 per pounds from June to mid-August of last year to $1.56 at the beginning of the year to a low of $1.46 on March 6, but since then have improved to $1.5825 as of March 16th. However, this latest milk production report may once again put downward pressure on cheese prices. Dry whey prices, which were as high as $0.70 per beginning of the year are now trading in a wide range of $0.50 to $0.61 per pound. With lower cheese and dry whey prices the Class III price, which was $18.77 last December declined to $17.05 for January to $16.06 for February and will be near $15.65 for March. Class III futures are not overly optimistic for milk prices for the rest of the year. On March 19th , Class III futures doesn't reach $16 until July and peaks out in October at $16.79

But, there is still a strong probability that milk prices could turn out considerably higher for the last half of the year than what Class III futures currently show. On the demand side, fluid (beverage milk) sales which declined 1.1% in 2010 and another 1.7% last year continue lower this year with January sales 2.7% lower than a year ago. But, butter and cheese sales look encouraging. Restaurant operators anticipate growth in their business which is optimistic for cheese sales. Dairy exports were a record last year totaling on a total solids basis 13.3% of U.S. milk production. USDA projects exports for this year to be down about 9.4% on a fat basis and 5.3% on a skim-solids basis. World milk supply is higher and world dairy product prices are lower. But, yet this is still a favorable export picture historically and exports could turn better than this. Compared to a year ago, January dairy exports were still encouraging. Exports of nonfat dry milk/skim milk powder were just 1% lower, total whey proteins 1% higher, cheese 3% higher and lactose 8% higher, but butterfat was 28% lower.

Higher milk prices for the last half of the year will definitely depend upon the level of milk production. It will require a slowdown in the increase in milk production from current levels. This could very well happen for the second half of the year. The combination of lower milk prices for the first half of the year, high feed prices and favorable cow slaughter prices could encourage heavier culling of milk cows that could stop the increase in milk cow numbers. Reduced returns over feed costs could also reduce the increase in milk per cow. How 2012 crops develop will be a major factor for the outlook for feed prices later on this year. Also weather will continue to be an important factor in the level of milk per cow this summer and fall.



DFA’S 14TH ANNUAL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS COMMITMENT TO ‘MORE COOPERATIVE’

At Dairy Farmers of America, Inc.’s (DFA) 14th Annual Meeting, the Cooperative unveiled a new tagline – “More Cooperative” – which underscores a commitment to delivering more resources for members, more quality for customers and more leadership in the industry. More than 1,300 members and industry guests convened in Kansas City for the meeting.

“More Cooperative will mean different things to different people,” said Randy Mooney, chairman of DFA’s Board of Directors, whose chairman’s report led the meeting agenda. “To our customers, it means more quality and more value, and in our industry it means more leadership. To members, it means more resources, more markets, more services and more security. We’re all members of DFA for different reasons, but we’re all looking to get more value out of our Cooperative.”

Highlights of Mooney’s chairman’s report included discussion on how the Cooperative brings value to members, what DFA is doing to position itself in the global market and its work to move the Dairy Security Act forward.

The annual president’s report, delivered by President and Chief Executive Officer Rick Smith, recapped the Cooperative’s business during the past year. Smith also detailed DFA’s 10 strategic initiatives, including how the Cooperative’s commercial business strategy brings more value to members.

Special guests and highlights of the meeting program included:
-    A review of “Global Market Opportunities” by Clinton Anderson, partner with Bain & Company
-    An inside perspective on “Redefining the Yogurt Category” by Hamdi Ulukaya, founder, president and chief executive officer for Chobani, Inc.
-    An update on National Milk Producers Federation’s work on behalf of dairy producers by Jerry Kozak, president and chief executive officer
-    A discussion about “Promoting and Protecting Dairy Farmer Interest” by Tom Gallagher, chief executive officer of Dairy Management Inc., and Lynn Liddle, executive vice president of communications, investor relations and legislative affairs for Domino’s Pizza

At the Annual Banquet Tuesday evening, the 2012 Members of Distinction were introduced. Each year, the Cooperative honors member farms from each of DFA’s seven regional Areas that are excelling on their operations, in their communities and in the industry. The 2012 honorees are: Miller Dairy, Hutchinson, Kan.; Alpine Hills Swiss Farm, Dry Ridge, Ky.; Morgan Ranches, Circleville, Utah; R.A. Bell & Sons Dairy, Hampstead, Md.; Edgewood Dairy, Purdy, Mo.; El Dorado Dairy, Clovis, N.M.; and W&J Bylsma Dairy, Oakdale, Calif.

The 2012 scholarship recipients also were announced at the banquet. Scholarships are awarded to outstanding students pursuing a career in the dairy industry. This year’s 19 recipients receiving a combined total of $19,750 are: Mikayla Conrad, New Holland, Ohio; Jacob Dueppengiesser, Perry, N.Y.; Jessica Hammerand, Epworth, Iowa; Maggie Harding, State College, Pa.; Ashlie Hardy, Farmington, Maine; Emily Jackson, Waco, Texas; April Johnson, Heron Lake, Minn.; Isaac Jones, Centre, Ala.; Natalie Laubner, Mandan, N.D.; John Long Jr., Amherst, Texas; Calvin Patten, Alexander, N.Y.; Emma Reeves, Dublin, Va.; Wesley Robinson, Laurens, S.C.; Austin Schmitz, Axtell, Kan.; Annie Specht, Bryan, Texas; Matthew Sweeney, Appleton, N.Y.; Ariel Waldeck, Upton, Ky.; Helen Wick, Stilwell, Okla.; and Kai Yuan, Manhattan, Kan.

In addition, outgoing Board directors were recognized for their contributions to the Cooperative during the banquet. They are Tom Croner, Berlin, Pa.; Greg Mitchell, Pecos, Texas; Clyde Rutherford, Clarksburg, N.J.; and Sandy Stauffer, Nicholville, N.Y.

During the business session on Wednesday, Donald Smith of Loretto, Ky., who was elected to fill the Board position vacated by Croner, was formally seated. Several directors who were re-elected to represent their Areas also were confirmed. Jeff Raney of Adamsville, Pa., was previously elected by the Mideast Area Council to succeed Croner as chairman; he also will serve as a member of DFA’s executive committee.



Cargill Beef Renews NASCAR Racing with Fenway

Cargill Beef announced it has renewed its agreement with Roush Fenway Racing as the primary sponsor of the team's No. 6 Ford Mustang driven by defending NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. The 24-year-old Olive Branch, Miss., native will drive the Cargill Beef Mustang for 12 races in the series during the 2012 season that began in late February, with multiple brands represented on the car during the season.

The first 2012 Nationwide Series race in which Cargill Beef was the primary sponsor was at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tenn., with the remaining racing dates to be set by the end of March.

"We are delighted to once again be sponsoring Ricky coming off an exciting and spectacular 2011 season in which he won the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship at Homestead, Fla., while driving the Blackwell Angus Beef Roush Ford Mustang in the final race of the season," stated Tammy Shaw, Cargill Beef vice president of marketing and sales. "The enthusiasm we experienced from our customers, employees and race fans confirmed that high quality beef products and NASCAR racing fit well together. This is a win for everyone involved and we're looking forward to another terrific season of racing."

"We are very pleased to have Cargill back on Ricky's Ford," said team owner Jack Roush. "They have been a part of the program for the past two seasons, taking a chance on a young driver two years ago and having the opportunity to celebrate a championship with Ricky last season. We are certainly happy to continue this relationship as we see Ricky's career continue to grow and his potential further realized."

"Ricky has been an excellent spokesperson for Cargill Beef and we are very pleased with how well Roush Fenway Racing skillfully collaborates with sponsors to maximize the value of the return on their racing investment," said Shaw. "As research shows, NASCAR fans are fiercely brand loyal and support companies whose names and logos appear on car hoods. We are leveraging our racing sponsorship to drive brand buzz and excitement with our retail and foodservice customers who can use it as a point of differentiation to increase beef sales. Whether grilling beef at home or tailgating at the track, beef is a perfect choice for NASCAR racing fans everywhere and we aim to make Cargill Beef products their first choice."

"I am thrilled to have Cargill back as a sponsor on our No. 6 Ford Mustang," stated Stenhouse. "They have been great partners of our entire Roush Fenway organization. They supported me and the No. 6 team last year as we contended for the championship, and I look forward to continuing our partnership and winning another championship for them."

The 2012 NASCAR racing season marks the third consecutive year Cargill is a primary sponsor with Roush Fenway Racing and with Stenhouse as the driver. Prior to winning the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series championship, in 2010 Stenhouse was rookie of the year in that same series.



Take Us to Our Leaders
By Craig Uden, Elwood, Neb., Chairman, Federation of State Beef Councils

“Eighty percent of success is showing up.”  -Woody Allen

While Woody has a point, he misses the bigger picture. Success isn’t just about you. And when it is about you, others play a role. 

For those of us who serve in various capacities in cattle producer organizations, in fact, success is about the industry’s future. It’s about continuing a way of life for our children.  And it’s about gaining ideas and information from others we can use in our own operations.

As the pool of cattle producers becomes smaller, however, we’re facing a Catch 22. Our organizations rely on participation, and on a revolving leadership. We need more people to step up, and there are fewer people out there to do so.

Let’s face it: no one has unlimited and continuing supply of time to give to industry issues. We depend on people who invest their time and energy, then get back to their lives as beef producers.

Sure, “just showing up” is important. The record-setting 8,216 people who attended the 2012 Cattle Industry Convention in Nashville, Tenn., are a testament to that. But thanks to our dwindling numbers our challenge has become pronounced. In short, there are still too few of “us,” and too many of those who wish our industry harm.

The truth is, the only way we can make an impact individually is to get actively involved. It’s going to take more individuals who choose to lend their time and energy to the industry that has provided us with a living, a livelihood and a lifestyle.

Among the positive personal benefits is that we get better at what we do learning from others. Good ideas are not kept in a jar; they’re shared, and by learning better ways of doing our jobs we advance our operations and our industry.

Showing up is just the start. To put it bluntly, sitting on the sidelines will not keep our industry moving forward, nor will passively attending meetings and raising your hand only when it comes time to count the “ayes.” We need more producers with vision and a sense of greater good to get it done.

If you have chosen to stay away from the cattlemen’s or state beef council meetings, take Woody’s advice and show up – even if it’s just to see how things work. Learn the ropes of your local or state organization. Find out about its history and set of core beliefs. Get to know the leaders and the other volunteers. Sit on committees that interest you. Volunteer when they need a chair, or run for the office. Go to the convention.

Keep an open mind, but speak up! Don’t rely on your neighbors to carry your opinions about how your dollars are spent, or how your organizations are run. You must be present to help make decisions, but unless you make your voice heard you won’t have an impact. Don’t be bashful; set your sights on organizational offices. Bide your time when necessary. There’s continually a search for good leaders at every level. Talk to some current leaders and see how they got where they are.

Leadership isn’t about which member has the biggest ego, or which one has the most ambition. It’s about ideas. It’s about involvement. It’s about putting in the time and effort to build a committed team that is focused on common goals and targets.

Your community and your industry are looking for dedicated people who are willing to support the kind of lifestyle they enjoy, and want for their children. Success starts with showing up.