Hat Chat

Once again this legislative session efforts are being made to stop the growth of the livestock industry in Indiana.

Senator Allen Paul Sponsors 3-year CAFO Moratorium Legislation

Senator Allen Paul has introduced CAFO legislation, Senate Bill 50, that established a three year moratorium on CAFO construction.
Read bill…

Cheatham Outlines Legislative Agenda That Includes CAFOs
madisoncourier.com December 31, 2008

(ILN Editor note: This article outlines a number of issues Rep. Dave Chetham wants to bring to this session of the Indiana General Assembly. If you read down through the article you will find his comments on CAFOs. Listed below are the CAFO bullet points of the article )
• Require operators of large confined-animal feeding operations and people who spread the manure from them to have a background check and meet character requirements before they could get a state license.

“We seek similar information from applicants to other critical positions, including teachers,” he said. “If a CAFO operator has had past problems about meeting environmental regulations, we should know about these things, how these problems were answered, and if they were addressed in a timely fashion.”

• Prohibit large animal feeding operations from being located any closer than two miles from state parks and reservoirs.

The idea was presented to the Water Resources Study Committee, which Cheatham chairs, after the last legislative session by residents of Union County.

“These folks believe that the same rules of safety that apply for locating a CAFO near a community should also apply for those areas of Indiana that are nationally-recognized attractions for their natural beauty,” Cheatham said. State law bars large animal-feeding operations closer than two miles from cities and towns.
Read article…

Source: Indiana Livestock Letter.

After some time off for the holidays it is back to the business of keeping Indiana agriculture informed. Andy Eubank and I took turns switching days off over the past few weeks so we could get some rest and get our Christmas shopping done.

Now 2009 is here and things begin to move fast. I put together the HAT calendar today and it is very full. This is the time of year for meetings, trade shows, and legislation. Indiana Farm Bureau hold a meeting in Indianapolis this week and the American Farm Bureau holds their national convention this weekend in Texas.

Next week it is the FT Wayne farm Show and the IASWCD meeting in Indianapolis.

The best way to stay on top of all these developments is by subscribing to the HAT newsletter. Every morning you will get a recap of the news in a quick easy to read e-mail.

Sign up here.

This is the time of year that people send Christmas letters. These letters typically recount the activities of the past year, who was married, buried, or born. These letters can evoke joy or sadness in those who read them. I had some of each this season. As we prepare to close down the HAT operation for Christmas, I decided to share a short letter with all of you who visit our web site.

This year has been a pivotal one for HAT. We doubled the size of our broadcast staff; well OK we went from one to two. The addition of Andy Eubank has been great. It has allowed us to improve our news coverage and provide more on location coverage.

It has also been a year of surprises. We got our first audience numbers this year and were surprised to find we were the top farm network in the state. In just a little over 2 years, HAT has become the leading farm broadcast organization in Indiana.

It has also been a very good year for our organization financially. While we hear stories of many businesses struggling, HAT is doing very well. The only problem is that I have a pretty weak case for asking for a multi-billion dollar government bailout.

Our web products have also continued to grow. Each month the number of people who visit this web site increases and the number of subscribers to our daily e-mail newsletter also increases. We have some new technology we will be rolling out in 2009 that will provide new products for those of you who read or listen on-line.

Thanks for your support of HAT. We look forward to serving you in 2009

Merry Christmas

Gary Truitt
President
Hoosier Ag Today

This should come as no surprise. Oprah has been a big mouth piece for the PETA nutcases for years. I loved the lead on the TV Guide article.

Continuing her way toward total world domination, talk-show queen Oprah Winfrey has been named “Person of the Year” by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Winfrey was selected for using her talk show to bring light to issues important to the Norfolk, Va.-based animal rights group’s mission, with episodes that have, for example, focused on puppy mills and the treatment of chickens and other animals in factory farms. Winfrey also went on a vegan diet for a week, and in April, dedicated an episode of her show to her late cocker spaniel Sophie, who died at age 13.
Winfrey has “used her powerful voice to defend those without one,” PETA president Ingrid Newkirk said in a statemement. Winfrey, who was unavailable for comment, according to The Associated Press, will receive a plaque and a letter of appreciation.

-TV Guide

Anyone who is involved in agriculture and watches her show is a trader.

The Indiana Livestock Forum is not your typical livestock meeting. There were no breakout sessions on feed efficiency or animal health. The focus of the event was communication and education. Not only was it strange to see beef producers sitting at the same table as pork and sheep producers, it was strange to see such a meeting taking place in a football stadium.

The gathering took place just a few yards from the endzone of the Indianapolis Colts playing field. For many of those in attendance, it as the first time they had been inside the new stadium.

While footballs were being tossed from the stage, there was at least one tractor on display. For more information on the Indiana Livestock Forum, visit www.hoosieragtoday.com

Dr. Chris Hurt is always a big draw, but this year his appearance at the HAT seminar at the Indiana/ Illinois Farm Show was a really something. Almost every chair was filled, and farmers were standing in the doorway to hear his presentation. This is a sign of just how hungry producers are for a glimpse of the future. With so many uncertainties, making plans for 2009 is really hard.

At last year’s seminar, Hurt laid out specific plans for marketing the 2008 crop. He made no such plans for 2009. He said there are too many unknowns. He indicated he would have an updated balance sheet recommendation in Mid-January after input costs settle down a bit.

Read more about Dr. Hurt’s presentation at www.hoosieragtoday.com

A true sign of the holidays is the arrival of the Indiana/Illinois farm Equipment show. For the past 30 years the show has been a place where Hoosier growers get their first look at the new technology for the growing season. The show this year is a sell-out, a reflection of the strength of the farm economy.

A rare sight is an empty booth space. The trade show is filled with equipment and the crowds are good.

Free HAT Seminars

Indiana farmers are facing serious production, marketing, and credit issues as they prepare for the 2009 growing season. To help with the critical decisions that they will need to make in the next few months, Hoosier Ag Today will present a series of free seminars at the Indiana-Illinois Farm Equipment and Outdoor Power Equipment Show. The show will be held December 16-18 in the West Pavilion of the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis. The seminars will begin at 11 AM each day of the show in the seminar area on the west side of the trade show floor. The programs will be hosted by Gary Truitt and Andy Eubank, farm broadcasters with Hoosier Ag Today.

Productivity will be the focus of the Tuesday, December 16, program. Experts from Beck’s Hybrids and Monsanto will present the latest information on corn and soybean yields. Denny Cobb, agronomist with Beck’s Hybrids of Atlanta, IN, will discuss how Beck’s achieved over 360 bushels per acre in a corn research program in 2008. David Isenhour from Monsanto will present information on the Roundup Ready 2 Yield technology that will be available to Indiana soybean growers for the first time in 2009. This technological breakthrough will increase soybean yields by 7 to 11%, according to company officials.

The Wednesday, December 17, seminar will cover the current credit outlook for farmers and the popular Purdue market outlook. Vince Bailey from Farm Credit Services will discuss the current credit situation in the agricultural industry as well as offer tips on risk management for the upcoming season. Purdue economist Dr. Chris Hurt will then present his market outlook program. This presentation will Examine possible price levels and marketing recommendation for the 2008 and 2009 crops.

On Thursday, December 18, seminar attendees will get a hands-on approach to using the futures market to minimize their risk and maximize their profit. Jim Riley, with Riley Trading of Brookston, IN,. will discuss strategies that growers can use both the crop they just harvested as well as pricing the crop they will plant next spring. A representative from E Hedger in Chicago will also be on hand to present tips on hedging and other strategies for the coming year.

The Show is a Sell Out

As the Indiana-Illinois Farm Equipment Show opens today at the Indiana State Fairgrounds it marks thirty years running for the show in Indianapolis. The show had its first twelve years at the convention center and has been at the fairgrounds since. Farm Show manager Dick Sherman tells Hoosier Ag Today, this year, as with all the others, exhibits will go from the smallest to the very largest. “You have Deere and you have Case, and you have all the major short liners, and they bring all the equipment in. What I’ve always liked about this particular show, and why it’s, in my opinion, better than some of the other farm shows, is the equipment is here. So many of the shows where they don’t have the size of the building that we have, the short liner people will take a small booth and give you literature. Here they bring in the equipment, so we have it all here.”

Sherman says farmers can tailor their visit exactly to their own liking. “It’s a good day for the farmer to come here. He can spend a good four or five hours. He see about everything he’s looking for. There’s no high pressure at this show, either. He gets the information he wants. If he wants to make a deal, he makes a deal. If he just wants information he gets that and if he just wants to be left alone and wander around and crawl under the equipment and crawl on top of it, it’s here to do.”

Come See Us At The Show

Indiana Farm Bureau made history when it took its convention to Evansville. The location and the venue looked to be a good fit. While the convention is the largest farm meeting in the state, it still got lost in the cavernous Indianapolis Convention Center. The smaller Evansville center was a better fit.

Attendance was good, and many first time attendees were noticed. It is unlikely, however, that these local visitors will make the trip to Ft, Wayne next year. The meeting in Evansville did not attract many of the big shots in state government that usually attend.

The hotel accommodations, while less expensive, were not as nice as downtown Indianapolis. Also the meal options were much less attractive. Downtown Evansville is not awash in good places to eat that stay open late. Speaking of time, Evansvile is on Central time, this was a problem for some folks from the north.

Hoosier Ag Today goes where the news is happening, and this week the news will be happening in Southwest Indiana. Indiana Farm Bureau will hold itsState Convention in Evansville. HAT will be on location, broadcasting live from this important event.

Convention highlights include:

• Thursday, Dec. 4, 6:30 p.m.
“U.S. Economic & Financial Outlook: The Future”– economist Jeff Thredgold

• Friday, Dec. 5, 10:30 a.m.
“We’ve Got to Stop Governing Like This…”– Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall Shepard
• Friday, Dec. 5, 2 p.m.
Discussion Meet finals and awards
YF Achievement and Excellence in Agriculture Award recognition

• Friday, Dec. 5, 6 p.m.
President’s annual address
Entertainment: A Sandi Patty Christmas

Listen for our special radio reports and special posts right here.

On our way to Evansville, Andy Eubank and I will make a stop at Dinky’s Auction Barn in Davies County for the Fall Farm Gathering. Sponsored by our great radio affiliate WWBL, this is a major event for the farm community in Southwest Indiana.

What is the real story behind the decision by the Indy Racing League (IRL) to not use American ethanol this year to power their cars? Is this a case of big business sticking it to the ethanol industry, or is it a fragmented ethanol industry dropping the ball on a major PR project?

Hoosier Ag Today talks to both sides and presents balanced coverage you will not hear anywhere else. Check out the stories by Andy Eubank at Hoosier Ag Today, and decide for yourself.