Missouri Farm Bureau Federation

We Reap What We Sow

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 08:46:25 CST

Policymaking is not an easy task, especially when mixed with political rancor that complicates and slows the legislative process. But when successes do come, they shouldn’t be attributed to just one elected official or all of them.

For the Price of a Burrito

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 10:19:56 CST

The Chipotle ad shown during the Grammy Awards show has caused quite a stir. The animated ad starts out with a farmer, a pig and some cows – all happy, content and mercifully free of science. Science comes along, and things fall apart. The animals move indoors, into large buildings. Big trucks appear. Cow drugs, pig antibiotics and all sorts of technological evils are used. As Willie Nelson sings, “Science and progress do not speak as loud as my heart,” the farmer sees the light and frees his cows and his pigs. Happiness is found in a simpler life, one without modern farming or science. Life is somehow better when pigs suffer from cold, mud and heat. By dining at Chipotle, you can improve the world, all for the price of a burrito.

Does Your Vote Really Count or is it the Money?

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:54:02 CST

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is circulating an initiative petition in Missouri deceptively called, “Your Vote Counts.” On the surface, it may sound appealing. But when you consider the size and influence of HSUS’s out-of-state budget, is it your vote that counts or is it the money?

Fanfare for Farmers

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:09:48 CST

Missouri Farm Bureau and its members across the state are having a week-long celebration February 5-11. It’s Thank A Farmer Week. This celebration promotes the importance of agriculture and the farmers who work 24/7 to provide products we all enjoy daily.

Statement from Missouri Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst Regarding Child Labor Rule

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:18:56 CST

Recovery from Ruin

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:17:26 CST

Judging from editorials in the Upper Missouri River Basin following the Great Flood of 2011, you would think major changes are in order. They argue last year’s event was a call to action; an affirmation of their long-held belief the system is broken. These pundits don’t envision a system of strong levees, river commerce and production agriculture. They see the Great Flood of 2011 as further proof Missouri River flows should be left unconstrained to wander from bluff to bluff, commercial navigation relegated to the Mississippi River and vast amounts of taxpayer money spent to provide habitat for everything from mosquitoes to pallid sturgeon. Last year’s flood provided a dose of reality for those farmers that toil on the most productive soil in the country. The land is too valuable to sit idle, and they plan to farm it.

Flood Recovery Funds and Flexibility Needed for Missouri Farmers

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:02:52 CST

A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announcement last week regarding the availability of funding for the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWPP) was welcome news for Missouri farmers, landowners and communities affected by natural disasters in 2011. However, farmers and ranchers in northwest Missouri might not be on the receiving end for EWPP funding due to unfortunately placed program deadlines.

A New Coffee Shop

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:27:42 CST

Most farmers and ranchers in Missouri are passionate about agriculture. Their passion is increasingly flowing into new outlets as they embrace social media to talk about what they do. It’s a new meeting place—an online coffee shop—where thousands of conversations about food occur daily.

Out with the Old and in with the New

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:50:30 CST

The American Farm Bureau tracks food prices each quarter on 16 items that represent a cross-section of agricultural products. The fourth quarter results reveal food prices continued to climb in supermarkets across Missouri. A deviation from the norm, this quarter’s Missouri average was higher, at $52.01, than national prices, which ended at $49.23.

Missouri Food Prices Outpace National Average

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:01:53 CST

“The fourth quarter results reveal food prices continued to climb in supermarkets across Missouri,” said Diane Olson, director of promotion and education for the Missouri Farm Bureau. “This quarter’s Missouri average was higher, at $52.01, than national prices, which ended at $49.23. Typically, Missouri comes in under the national average.”

Kruse Receives Service Award and Cope is Appointed to National Committee

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:04:29 CST

Two Missourians received accolades in different ways during the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) 93rd Annual Meeting held this week in Honolulu. The national farm organization presented its highest honor, the Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award, to former Missouri Farm Bureau (MFB) President Charles Kruse, a Dexter, Mo., farmer. A day earlier, it was announced Glen Cope, a young farmer from Aurora, Mo., was elected to chair the AFBF Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee (YF&R) in 2012.

Agriculture's Stellar Performance

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 09:51:24 CST

“Jobs, jobs, jobs” seems to be the campaign theme for both major parties in 2012, and while unemployment is a terrible hardship, we can be thankful that the campaign is not about “food, food, food.”

Lessons Learned from Scooping Corn and Walking Beans

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 09:11:20 CST

A new rule advanced by the Department of Labor would end the exemptions that allow farm kids under 16 to have 4-H or FFA projects that include operating machinery and working with animals.

Memories Made from Trees

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 08:29:44 CST

Christmas Trees: Real or Artificial?

The Farmer's Tale

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:36:41 CST

A farmer's encounter with Santa Claus.

Browns Win Excellence in Agriculture Award

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:00:00 CST

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Jered and Ashley Brown of Brighton, Mo., won the Missouri Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers (YF&R) Excellence in Agriculture Award during the organization’s 97th annual meeting December 6 at the Lake of the Ozarks.