Thursday May 10 Ag News

Groundwater Levels Rose 0.41 Feet on the Average Across the Upper Big Blue NRD

During April 2012, the NRD measured 484 observation wells throughout the District and then averaged the data of all these wells.  Observation wells are measured in the spring of each year, allowing the water table to rebound from the previous irrigation season.

Overall, the spring 2012 average measurement for the groundwater level change shows a rise of 0.41 feet from last spring.  The findings show that the spring 2012 average groundwater level is 7.41 feet above the “Allocation Trigger”.

When the Upper Big Blue NRD began measuring groundwater levels in 1961, there were approximately 300,000 acres of irrigated land throughout the District.  Today, the District totals 1.1 million irrigated acres.  Overall, since 1961, the average groundwater level has risen one foot from 1961-2012 even with an increase of 800,000 irrigated acres over that same period of time.

Through the conservation efforts of groundwater users, and because of an extended period of above average rainfall in the 1980s and 1990s, the average groundwater level in the Upper Big Blue NRD rose significantly to a level in the year 2000 that was approximately seven feet higher than the 1961 level (baseline), and fourteen feet higher than the low level of 1976 to 1981.

The District goal is to hold the average groundwater level to above the 1978 level.  In 2007, the District average groundwater level reached the “Reporting Trigger” initiating groundwater users to report annual groundwater use to the District and to certify their irrigated acres.  If the District average level falls below the 1978 level (“Allocation Trigger”), the use of flowmeters will be required and groundwater allocation will begin.

The Upper Big Blue NRD rules and regulations mandate that producers will be responsible for installing flowmeters on existing wells if the groundwater level hits the allocation trigger.  When the allocation trigger is reached and producers and other users have not installed flowmeters by the next calendar year, then they will not be able to pump any amount of water until a flowmeter is installed.  Since March 1, 2004, all new wells and replacement wells require a flowmeter.


Surplus of Tree and Shrub Seedlings Available to the Public
The Upper Big Blue NRD is finishing the tree planting season and there are several varieties of trees and shrubs left in our inventory that were not planted.  As a result, the NRD has a surplus inventory available for anyone to purchase.

Varieties that are ready for purchase include American Plum, Austrian Pine, Black Hills Spruce, Black Walnut, Chokecherry, Cottonwood, False Indigo, Gray Dogwood, Hackberry, Honeysuckle, Nanking Cherry, Norway Spruce, Ponderosa Pine, Red Maple, Red Oak, Russian Almond, Sandcherry, Serviceberry, Skunkbush Sumac, Villosa Lilac, and White Pine.

The NRD will sell these varieties for $0.85 cents per tree/shrub.  Also, all these varieties are in the form of seedlings, and they must be picked up at the Upper Big Blue NRD office in York.  Please call Patty Kyhn of the Upper Big Blue NRD office at (402) 362-6601.  Hurry, the surplus is going fast!



Rural Futures Institute Aims to Move Beyond ‘Road Kill’ of Past Good Ideas

        As the University of Nebraska’s new Rural Futures Institute begins to take shape, one of its chief advocates acknowledges that past higher-education efforts to save rural America have become “road kill.”

        This time it’s different, though, said Ronnie Green, NU vice president for agriculture and natural resources. By way of illustrating that, he announced the institute has established a competitive grants program to offer seed money in two key areas -- research and engagement and teaching and engagement. Green said 5 to 10 grants for $70,000 to $150,000 would be given in the former category and 5 to 8 for $15,000 to $25,000 in the latter.

        Green, making the announcement at the start of the second day of NU's first Rural Futures Conference Wednesday, encouraged conference attendees to be creative and innovative in proposing grant ideas.

        Green told the conference that the new Rural Futures Institute grew out of an earlier NU effort, the Rural Initiative, which he said was a good start but ultimately was not ambitious or sweeping enough. The new institute, which aims to tap into expertise from all four campuses in the NU system, has been the subject of conversations with decision makers and Nebraska citizens over the last year.

        The main charge for the 450 people at this week's conference, which concludes today (Thursday), is to help frame ways universities can help rural America meet challenges and thrive.

        Green acknowledged the past is littered with what he called "the road kill of good ideas" for rural America that never panned out, but he said the time is right for a sustained partnership between communities and higher education to address the challenges.

        "I think we're at a time when the planets are aligning in a way that's really unusual," said Green, who also is Harlan vice chancellor of the university's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. "We have to figure out a way to make this landscape sustainable for the long term."

        And in a theme mentioned by others at the conference, Green suggested it's time to change the conversation from what's wrong with rural America to what's right.

        "If we frame it negatively, if we think rural America is declining, then guess what? It is," he said. "Rural America is about to experience a renaissance. I really believe that."

        Fred Luthans, a professor in UNL's College of Business Administration, said one key to rural America's renaissance is to adopt a "global mindset.

        "The future is global," even in rural communities, he said. "We all know that to be true, but we have to get that mindset going."

        Universities must set out to change their relationships with communities, to strive for partnerships, several speakers said. Shane Farritor, a UNL engineering professor, said that when he was growing up in Ravenna, when people thought of the university, they thought "the university medical center was where you went when you were really sick" and "you moved to Lincoln (for college), then you went off to somewhere else."

        The disconnected nature of the relationship between universities and citizens is largely universities’ fault, Farritor added.

        One attendee, Cecil Steward, former dean of UNL's College of Architecture, urged the university to seek "real, interactive relationships" with communities and also warned against separating rural and urban concerns and issues.

        In the past, some communities may have felt more "exploited" by universities than a partner, said Jim Cavaye, associate professor for the Institute for Sustainable Regional Development in Australia. Universities must "focus on community interests, community needs," rather than their own, he added.

        "When you go out into the communities and say, 'hi, I'm from the university and I'm here to engage you,' the overwhelming reaction is, 'hi, you're irrelevant,'" Cavaye said.

        Cavaye said one key to building the university-community partnerships is through personal relationships. Although people may have reservations about institutions, they trust and believe in individuals from those institutions who are sincere and committed.

        Luthans urged that the new institute be heavily networked and “horizontal,” rather than following the usual university approach of building an organization with layers and layers of hierarchy.

        Farritor said success stories in rural America don't have to be huge to be effective.       

        "We as a community need to find small projects that could lead to big wins," he said. And, though he joked it pains him as an engineer to admit it, the university must get past the notion that "there's only one right answer.

        "If you all think of your jobs, when was the last time you had a problem that only had one right answer?," he said.

        Frans Johansson, a motivational speaker and author of “The Medici Effect,” encouraged participants to embrace diversity of all kinds. “Diversity drives innovation,” he said. “Find inspiration from fields and cultures other than your own.”

         The Rural Futures Conference ends today (Thursday) with a series of freewheeling group discussions that will seek to provide further direction to the institute, Green said.

        The Rural Futures Conference is supported in part by the Peter Kiewit Foundation and the Robert B. Daugherty Charitable Foundation.




Subcommittee Hearing Takeaway: Access to Credit Critical for Farmers

Today, Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee's Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, and Credit held a public hearing to learn more about how credit programs are working for farmers and how they should continue in the 2012 Farm Bill.

Two of the witnesses, a beginning farmer from Nebraska and an urban farmer from Ohio, explained how important it is for agricultural producers to have access to credit to both start and support their operations because of the risks inherently involved with farming. While other witnesses representing the Farm Credit System and commercial lenders described the important role they play for economic growth in rural communities.

A number of institutions provide credit to our nation's farmers, ranchers, and rural constituents. Congress established the Farm Credit System (FCS) in the Federal Farm Loan Act of 1916 to provide a reliable source of credit to agricultural producers, certain agriculture-related businesses, and rural homeowners. The Federal Agriculture Mortgage Corporation ("Farmer Mac") provides credit for agricultural real estate, rural housing, and rural utility loans on the secondary loan market. Both FCS and Farmer Mac are regulated by the Farm Credit Administration (FCA), which is an independent federal agency.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) provides direct and guaranteed loans to producers who cannot obtain credit from commercial lenders. Much of the loan dollars from FSA are reserved for beginning farmers and ranchers who do not have the required resources to obtain financing from FCS or commercial lenders. Additionally, local banks provide an important source of credit for rural constituents.

"Today we heard that ensuring a stable food supply is directly connected to farmers and ranchers having access to steady sources of credit. It is especially important for our nation’s beginning farmers and ranchers, who are just starting their operations. As we prepare to write the next Farm Bill, it is critical that we continue to provide a credit system that meets the needs of our agricultural producers and rural communities," said Chairman Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE).

"I was particularly pleased to have an urban farmer and entrepreneur, Mr. Michael Walton from Cleveland, provide my colleages a different perspective. Urban farmers are legitimate agricultural producers who happen to live and farm outside of the traditional rural environment.  They are filling an increasingly important role in the economic well being of urban areas, and provide healthy nutrition for many who would otherwise not have access to it.  They are doing this without the same resources afforded to traditional farmers such as credit. As we update the Farm Bill, I am urging my colleagues to give serious consideration to the needs of urban farmers. Access to credit can make or break rural farm operations, and urban farm operations are no different," said Ranking Member Marcia L. Fudge (D-OH).

Witness List:
Mr. Jeff Gerhart, Chairman, Bank of Newman Grove, on behalf of Independent Community Bankers of America, Newman Grove, Nebraska
Mr. Justin D. Doerr, beginning farmer, Plainview, Nebraska
Mr. Matthew H. Williams, Chairman and President, Gothenburg State Bank, on behalf of American Bankers Association, Gothenburg, Nebraska
Mr. Bob Frazee, President and CEO, MidAtlantic Farm Credit, on behalf of Farm Credit Council, Westminster, Maryland
Mr. Michael Walton, urban farmer, Owner, Tunnel Vision Hoops, South Euclid, Ohio




Nebraska Community Banker Testifies, Says Changes Must Be Made to USDA’s Farm & Business Guaranteed Loan Programs

Jeff Gerhart, chairman of the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) and chairman of the Bank of Newman Grove in Neb., testified today before the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight and Credit.   During his testimony, Gerhart urged the committee to make changes to the USDA’s guaranteed farm and business loan programs as part of drafting the new farm bill to replace the current bill, which expires Sept. 30.  He also urged the committee to retain current funding levels for the crop insurance program to continue a strong farm safety net.

“Like most community banks, our goal is to help keep family farmers passing their farm on to the next generation and in turn keep our rural communities vibrant,” Gerhart said in his testimony.  “In fact, community banks under $1 billion in assets extend about 56 percent of farm operating loans and 62 percent of farm real estate loans from the banking sector.”

Gerhart went on to provide insight on the financial strength of the farm economy from a lender’s perspective. “Farmers have been paying down debt and taking steps to become more efficient, which should better prepare them for a successful future should financial stress arise,” Gerhart said.  He also pointed out that while commodity prices and farm incomes are historically high, so are production expenses.  He noted the cyclical nature of agriculture, the uncontrollable risks of adverse weather, unknown commodity prices and rising costs of production require a continued and robust farm safety net.

“Maintaining crop insurance funding is an extremely important aspect of the farm safety net,” he said.  “And while crop insurance is not part of the credit title, it allows lenders to extend credit.  It gives assurance producers will repay loans in the event of bad weather or falling prices.  Crop insurance is a good risk-management tool for the farmer.”

During his testimony, Gerhart offered several recommendations to enhance the USDA’s guaranteed loan programs:

Farm Loan Recommendations:
• Remove limits on the number of years producers can obtain guaranteed farm real estate loans.  The program is now self-funding and there is no reason to limit eligibility, particularly since community banks provide the financing.
• Significantly increase the loan limit (size).  Gerhart noted that at today’s farmland prices, a 160-acre tract of land sold near his town exceeded the USDA’s loan limit and that the small tract of land would not be a viable family farm, even at twice the size.
• Increase the volume or amount of dollars extended.  This would be necessitated by higher loan sizes, but is also warranted particularly with the real estate loan program since it is self-funded.  Gerhart suggested a pilot program in which producers who wanted larger guaranteed operating loans could pay higher fees to offset potential costs.
• Expand eligibility for guaranteed real estate loans.  These loans should be available if producers either own or operate a family farm as this would allow children to purchase the farm from parents.

USDA Business & Industry (B&I) Loan Recommendations:
• Adjust how subsidy rate is calculated.  Gerhart suggested prohibiting loss calculations on very large loans no longer guaranteed by the USDA; limiting the time period for loss calculations to 20 years to reflect how the program is currently operated; and increasing loan volume in categories that have no history of losses and utilizing the resulting fee income to make more loans in other categories.



RFA analysis of USDA 2012/2013 corn crop estimate
Vice President of Research and Analysis Geoff Cooper

This morning, USDA released its first estimate of the 2012/2013 corn crop size and it is a big one.  According to this estimate, USDA is projecting record US corn production of 14.79 billion bushels – up 1.7 billion bushels from the previous record of 13.09 billion bushels in 2009.

USDA is also projecting corn for ethanol use to be 5 billion bushels for the marketing year running from September 1, 2012 to August 31, 2013. 

While still just an estimate, the confidence USDA is displaying in American farmers underscores their unique ability to feed the world and help renewably fuel the nation.  There is a lot of growing season left, and these numbers could change by the fall.  But, with normal growing conditions it is clear that farmers will continue to meet the bell and provide safe, reliable food and clean, domestic fuel and silence those chicken littles that perpetually predict a shortage of corn and catastrophe in the grocery aisle.

The following is some context for this historic projection:

At 14.79 billion bushels, the 2012 corn crop would:
•    be a record crop by far, beating the 2009 crop of 13.09 billion bushels by 11%.
•    be 65% larger than the crop from 10 years ago (8.97 billion bushels in 2002).
•    be more than twice as large as the average-sized annual corn crop in the decade of the 1980s (7.15 billion bushels on average).

The 2012 projected yield of 166 bushels per acre would:
•    be a record yield, beating out the 2009 average yield of 164.7 bushels per acre.
•    be only the third time in history yields have topped 160 bu/acre, the others being 2009 (164.7) and 2004 (160.4).
•    be 35% higher than the average yield from the 1990s and 12% higher than the average yield since 2000.

2012/13 projected carry-out of 1.88 billion bushels would:
•    be more than double the 2011/12 carry-out of 851 billion bushels.
•    be the highest level of carry-out in seven years (2005/06 carry-out was 1.97 billion bushels).
•    be the fourth-largest carry-out in the last 20 years.
•    be 26% larger than the average carry-out since 2000.



Brazil's Ag Ministry Raises Soy Forecast

Going against the flow, Brazil's Agriculture Ministry Thursday raised its forecast for the 2011-12 soybean crop to 66.7 million metric tons (mmt) from its April number of 65.6 mmt.  No explanation for the adjustment was offered but, looking at the figures released by the ministry's crop supply agency CONAB, the principle reason is an 867,000-metric-ton increase in its number for Parana, the No. 2 soy state.

The government also raised its 2011-12 corn estimate to 65.9 mmt from 65.1 mmt in April, reflecting the excellent development of the second crop.  Regular rains in the key planting regions of Mato Grosso and Parana means that a significant portion of the crop has now passed the critical dough and dent stages in good shape and a bumper crop is looking increasingly likely, said CONAB.  The government forecasts a second crop of 30.2 mmt, up from 29.0 mmt in April and a vast improvement on the 21.5 mmt produced last year.



Gas Prices Drop For Fifth Consecutive Week

Gasoline prices have dropped 5 percent since peaking last month.  The national average fell to $3.739 per gallon on Thursday, down nearly 20 cents since hitting a high of $3.936 on April 6. And compared with a year ago, regular unleaded is 21 cents cheaper.

The least expensive gasoline remains in the Gulf Coast for the third consecutive week, at $3.62 per gallon. The Midwest average price decreased about 3 cents to $3.72 per gallon, while the East Coast and Rocky Mountain prices both dropped to $3.76 per gallon. On the West Coast, the price increased by more than a cent to $4.14 per gallon, the most expensive in the Nation.

The national average diesel fuel price decreased by more than a penny to $4.06 per gallon, 5 cents per gallon lower than last year at this time. Prices dropped in all regions, with the Midwest and Gulf Coast prices the lowest in the Nation at $3.96 per gallon.

The Rocky Mountain regional average price fell more than 2 cents to $4.05 per gallon, while the East Coast price decreased 2 cents to $4.11 per gallon. Rounding out the regions, the average diesel price on the West Coast fell nearly 2 cents, but remains the highest in the Nation at $4.31 per gallon.



Syngenta Fined $102,000 for Misbranded Pesticides
Syngenta Crop Protection LLC, of Greensboro, N.C., has agreed to pay a $102,000 civil penalty to the United States to settle a series of environmental violations related to the sale or distribution of misbranded pesticides through its facility in Omaha, Neb., and through a farm supply retailer in Savannah, Mo.

According to an administrative consent agreement filed by EPA Region 7 in Kansas City, Kan., inspections of Syngenta's Omaha facility and a business in Chesapeake, Va., in March and April 2011 found that between March 4 and April 5, 2011, Syngenta had received 16 imported shipments of Azoxystrobin Technical, a fungicide, whose bags were not labeled with an accepted EPA label.

During a separate inspection in August 2011 at Duncan Agri-Service, Inc., in Savannah, Mo., EPA found a bulk tank of Lumax Selective Herbicide, owned by Syngenta, whose label was missing a required warning statement about the required use of personal protective equipment by persons using the pesticide.

The labeling deficiencies related to the two pesticides were in violation of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), according to the settlement.

The sale or distribution of misbranded or mislabeled pesticides can pose serious risks to human health, plant and animal life, and the environment. Without proper labeling or safety instructions on packaging, users can unintentionally misapply pesticides and may not have adequate information to address needs for first aid in the event of emergency.

As a result of EPA's enforcement action, Syngenta was required to relabel all of the shipments in question. The company has also instituted changes in its practices to prevent similar violations.



AGCO Making Plans to Expand Minnesota Plant

Officials with Federated Rural Electric, of Jackson, Minn., and USDA Rural Development on Monday presented AGCO with a $740,000 no-interest loan for up to 10 years.  The loan will be directly applied to a major expansion project nearing completion on the AGCO Jackson campus.

AGCO plans to add about 75,000 square feet of production space and a state-of-the-art showroom, all tied to the company's new manufacturing lines, the 8600 and 6400 series of Massey Ferguson wheel tractors, and increased production of the Challenger MT600C series and select models of the MT500 and 7400 series of track tractors.

AGCO is now producing 50 tractors per month with a goal of 2,500 tractors per year.  The workforce at the facility has increased from 850 to 1,100 workers with about 40 positions currently open.



150th Anniversary of USDA

True to his roots as a frontier farm boy, on May 15, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed legislation to create the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).  Over the next two months, in the midst of the Civil War, he signed additional legislation that expanded and transformed American farming, including the Homestead Act and the establishment of the Land Grant agricultural university system under the Morrill Act.

In his first annual message to Congress on December 3, 1861, Lincoln said: “Agriculture, confessedly the largest interest of the nation, has not a department nor a bureau, but a clerkship only, assigned to it in the Government.  While it is fortunate that this great interest is so independent in its nature as to not have demanded and extorted more from the Government, I respectfully ask Congress to consider whether something more cannot be given voluntarily with general advantage… While I make no suggestions as to details, I venture the opinion that an agricultural and statistical bureau might profitably be organized.”  Instead of a bureau, Congress established a Department to be headed by a Commissioner.  The act was so broadly conceived that is has remained the basic authority for the Department to the present time.

On May 15, 1862, Abraham Lincoln signed into law an act of Congress establishing “at the seat of Government of the United States a Department of Agriculture.”  Two and one-half years later, in what was to be his last annual message to the Congress, Lincoln said: “The Agricultural Department, under the supervision of its present energetic and faithful head, is rapidly commending itself to the great and vital interest it was created to advance.  It is precisely the people’s Department, in which they feel more directly concerned that in any other.  I commend it to the continued attention and fostering care of Congress.”  At that time, about half of all Americans lived on farms, compared with about 2 percent today.

Lincoln’s own background was the pioneer farming and rural life typical of the outer edge of America’s westward-moving frontier.  His early years were spent on farms characterized by pioneer exploitation rather than by settled cultivation.  The 300-acre tract in central Kentucky on which his log-hut birthplace stood was too poor to be called a farm.  As a boy, he lived on a 30-acre farm.  Because of hills and gullies only 14 acres could be cultivated.

In 1816, the Lincoln family moved to southern Indiana to 160 acres of marshy land.  After 7 years, Lincoln’s father had 10 acres of corn, 5 of wheat, and 2 of oats in cultivation.  The young boy was hired out to do general farm work, to split rails, and to work on a ferry boat.  In 1830, the family moved to land along the Sangamon River in Illinois.  Soon afterward, Lincoln left the family and began life for himself.

President Lincoln established USDA because he recognized the potential of America’s farmers to find new ways to cultivate the land and that with advances in research and technology, America’s farmers and ranchers could provide a safe, ample food supply for our nation and the world.  Today, America’s farmers and ranchers are responsible in no small way for the health and strength of this nation.

“Through our work on food, agriculture, economic development, science, natural resource conservation and a host of issues, USDA still fulfills President Lincoln’s vision as “The People’s Department” – touching the lives of every American, every day,” said Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.  “As we commemorate 150 years, we will look for lessons from the past that can help us strengthen USDA in the future to address the changing needs of agriculture and rural America.”



Bullying the Farm Kid
Laurie Johns, Iowa Farm Bureau

It's a parent's nightmare; seeing your child bullied for standing up for his lifestyle or what he believes. When your child is targeted or ridiculed by another child, you see it as an opportunity for intervention; teach appropriate behavior so each child comes to appreciate their differences while hopefully becoming more respectful adults.

But, what do you do if your child is bullied by an adult, an adult who disagrees with your child's lifestyle or pokes fun at his passion? That's what happened to Jamie Pudenz at the recent FFA Convention in Ames.

Jamie, a shy farm kid from Carroll, is one of those rare finds; a teenager who works hard, doesn't complain and speaks glowingly about his parents, his teachers, his fellow students. He sets the bar high for himself and constantly strives to push himself. His passion for the land and livestock is the very quality you hope all future farmers possess.

FFA Advisor Kolby Burch says when this football-playing junior takes on a new project, he tackles it with the seriousness of a preacher preparing for a Sunday sermon. It was quite a challenge for him to enter the FFA Public Speaking contest. His entry, "Unveiling the HSUS and the Need for Animal Agriculture," was written with passion. He spent months preparing and practicing out-loud. He sailed through preliminary contests, but took the stage at state, knowing it was a controversial subject for a wider audience. "I knew going to the state level, I'd face resistance; I put it in the back of my head, just went to the front of the room, took a deep breath and got started," said Jamie.

According to the rules, the purpose of the FFA Public Speaking event is "to develop agricultural leadership, communication skills and promote interest in leadership and citizenship by providing member participation in agricultural public speaking activities." While the rules state that judges don't need an ag background, they should all be 'competent and impartial.' Normally, judges are chosen well in-advance, but because of a scheduling snag, a last-minute FFA alumni from Illinois became the third judge.

As soon as Jamie finished his speech, the volunteer judge, decked out in Birkenstock sandals, white socks, a rumpled cotton shirt and jeans, leaned forward and asked, "Is feeding cattle 100 percent efficient?" Jamie wasn't sure at first what to say. "I closed my speech about livestock and how we feed them corn because they can't be sustained on grass alone, so I told him we feed them out and it's much more efficient. But before he let me finish he said, "No, you're completely wrong."

He then proceeded to berate Jamie on how animals are meant to be raised on pasture and raising them indoors is a perversion of nature, horrible for the environment and the cause of all society ills. He then jabbed a finger at him and said, "And, another thing, you call this a 'Works Cited' page? Who taught you how to do a 'Works Cited' Page? This is a mess!"

Jamie says he was surprised by the harsh tone and unsure of the implications of the comment, so he defended his English teacher who helped him with the 'Works Cited' formatting.

FFA advisor Burch says the burly teen held his composure, but was choking back emotion after he left the room, his confidence shaken.

Jamie Pudenz isn't interested in a career as a public speaker or writer. He doesn't dream of being a politician or sportscaster. He wants to be a farmer, just like his dad. "We need livestock production around. If I don't' start talking about the threats against us now, it's myself, my friends, my neighbors who will pay. If HSUS shuts us down, I'm out of a job. So are so many other kids like me."

I believe, as most farmers do, that consumers should have a choice when it comes to their food and farmers do their best to provide them. There will never be a return to the days when everyone farmed the same way and consumers didn't care for the narrative. Consumer demand for choice should be the tie that binds Iowa's incredibly diverse farmers together. And, choosing one type of food production over another shouldn't involve 'shooting the messenger,' whether that messenger is a consumer, a farmer or a child. Anything less is, well, being a bully.

But, at the end of the day it seems to me Jamie can already teach a valuable lesson to those who think it's someone else's job to 'do PR.' He won't give up. His quest to tell the diverse story of ag is even bolder because of the resistance he met in a wider audience. He's ready for 'round two.' How about you?