Prairie Shortcuts

NAWG Foundation, Monsanto Announce 2003 Young Farmer Leadership Awards

Monsanto and the NAWG Foundation have announced recipients of the 2003 Young Farmer Leadership Awards. Each will receive a $1,000 grant to attend the 2003 Wheat Industry Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, January 26-31 www.wheatworld.org/html/conference.cfm .  This year’s recipients include Melissa M. Petry, representing Minnesota; Courtney Herzog, Montana; and Doug Fitterer, North Dakota.

The objective of the grant program is to acquaint younger growers with wheat associations’ organizational structures (NAWG, U.S. Wheat Associates, and Wheat Foods Council), leadership development, policy development, research initiatives, and the educational aspects of wheat organization meetings by funding their participation in the annual Wheat Industry Conference.

Organic Farming Focus of Newfarm.org
The Rodale Institute, a nonprofit group that encourages organic and “regenerative” farm practices, has launched a new web site, www.newfarm.org , featuring “farmer-to-farmer know-how on the latest organic and regenerative practices,” and information on becoming certified for organic farming.

Software Analyzes Farm Bill’s Effect on Land Rent
There has been a lot of speculation about how the 2002 Farm Bill will affect cash rents.  In truth, every situation is different depending on crop bases, yields, and price expectations.  FairRent 4.0 is computer software that evaluates land rental decisions, incorporating specific effects of the farm bill on breakeven rental rates. It helps answer questions such as:

•  How much can I afford to pay per acre?

•  What if yields are 10%  below historical averages?

•  Can cash costs be covered if prices go down?

•  What yields will it take to break even at the asking price?

•  Which is better, a 60/40, 50/50, or 45/55 share rental arrangement?

See more details on www.cffm.umn.edu , or call 1-800-234-1111.  Cost is $95 (go in with several neighbors, or get your marketing group/coffee shop regulars to pool money to buy it).

USDA/ERS Ag Fact Sheets Online
USDA’s Economic Research Service state fact sheets contain frequently requested farm data, including population, per-capita income, earnings per job, poverty rates, employment, unemployment, farm and farm-related jobs, farm characteristics, farm financial characteristics, top agricultural commodities, top export commodities, and the top counties in agricultural sales.

The fact sheets can be found online: www.ers.usda.gov/statefacts/.

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NAWG Foundation Receives Shared Solutions Grant for 2003

The National Association of Wheat Growers Foundation has received a $25,000 grant from Philip Morris Management Corp. through the Shared Solutions Agricultural Contributions program. The grant will support a joint effort between NAWG and other commodity organizations to develop plans for a public education program to reposition and raise the visibility of American agriculture among consumers, policymakers and the media.

Pat Buschette, the NAWG’s director of government affairs, says the farm program often is misunderstood or mischaracterized by the public and the media. “They see a $73 billion farm program, and don’t realize how it benefits them, from cleaner energy and food safety to water quality and human nutrition. Americans don’t realize how the farm program helps them to spend only about 11% of their income on a safe, reliable supply of food.  So we want to raise awareness of why people should have a vested interest in the farm program,” she says. 

Philip Morris launched the Shared Solutions program in 1998 to recognize the interdependence between American agriculture and its consumer brands, including Kraft, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer and Post. Since its inception, the program has awarded more than $1 million in grants to support non-profit organizations throughout the agricultural chain.