ABA, Farmer Mac Renew Banking Options for Agricultural Real Estate

Laura McNamara

Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac)The pricing discounts agricultural borrowers are enjoying through the alliance between the American Bankers Assocation (ABA) and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac) can count on receiving continued discount options. The ABA and Farmer Mac have renewed their exclusive agreement where ABA member banks are eligible for selected Farmer Mac products and customized loan packages through AgPower(SM).

“Agricultural real estate lending is one of the fastest growing business areas for ABA member banks,” said Ed Yingling, ABA President and CEO. “The renewal of our unique members-only alliance with Farmer Mac is a way that we can help our members meet their business challenges. The special pricing, customer assistance, and other benefits of the alliance will give ABA member banks a competitive edge they can use to meet the real estate financing needs of farmers and ranchers.”

American Bankers Association“Our list of active banker-participants has grown, and these lenders are telling us they are very happy with our programs and the advantages those programs bring to their institutions,” said Henry Edelman, Farmer Mac President and CEO. “They especially appreciate the ability to build loyalty from their farm and ranch customers through expanded and competitively-priced product offerings.”

ABA members that participate in the alliance have the freedom to choose not only from the special discounted products, but also the usual Farmer Mac products, including:

— Competitively-priced long-term fixed-rate mortgages, up to 20 years;
— Adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs), including those with reset periods of
one, three and five years; and
— Long-term fixed-rate mortgages featuring both open and partial open
prepayment options.

Farmer Mac is a stockholder-owned instrumentality of the United States chartered by Congress to establish a secondary market for agricultural real estate and rural housing mortgage loans and to facilitate capital market funding for USDA-guaranteed farm program and rural development loans.

Agencies, Agribusiness, Farming

Haas Avocado Board Gets Fresh Direction

Laura McNamara

HaasTwo new producer members, one new importer member and new alternates for each position are joining the Haas Avocado Board. Acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner authorized the new appointees who will serve three-year terms beginning November 1, 2007.

Reappointed to the board are: Charley Wolk, Fallbrook, Calif. and Donald W.
Reeder, Ventura, Calif., producer members; Ed Figueroa, Massapeque, N.Y.
importer member and Giovanni Cavaletto, Redland, Calif., alternate importer
member.

Newly appointed to the board are: Daniel J. Sanders and Alvin W. Gebhart,
both from Fallbrook, Calif., alternate producer members.

Authorized under the Hass Avocado Promotion, Research and Information Act of
2000, the board administers a national promotion, research and consumer
information program to maintain and expand markets for Hass avocados. USDA’s
Agricultural Marketing Service monitors the operations of the board.

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Food

Most Americans Want Renewable Fuels Now

Chuck Zimmerman

Renewable Fuels NowA new coalition that supports increased use of domestically produced renewable fuels says nearly three out of four Americans want renewable fuels.

According to a new national poll released today by the Renewable Fuels Now coalition, 74 percent of Americans believe we should increase our use of domestically produced renewable fuels like ethanol.

In addition, 87 percent of Americans maintain the federal government should actively support the development of a renewable fuels industry in this country, and 77 percent think Congress should encourage oil refiners to blend more ethanol into their gasoline products.

Renewable Fuels Now is a coalition representing the ethanol, biodiesel, agriculture and other industries that support increased use of domestically produced renewable fuels as part of a balanced energy policy for America. The Coalition’s members include the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE), the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC), National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), 20/20 Vision, Wisconsin BioIndustry Alliance, Ethanol Producers and Consumers (EPAC), Kansas Association of Ethanol, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, IndyCar Series, Buckeye Renewable Fuels Association, Ohio Corn Growers Association, Clean Fuels Development Coalition, and Northwest Renewable Fuels Association.

ZimmComm New Media is assisting the new coalition with internal member communications and media outreach.

Biodiesel, Ethanol

UN Whacko Mouths Off About Biofuels

Chuck Zimmerman

United NationsI was going to try to ignore Jean Ziegler the ignoramus from the United Nations when he came out and said that making biofuels from food crops is a “crime against humanity” but . . . it does make me mad and I think it should piss off all American farmers at least. Of course there’s not much about the UN that I think highly of anyway. Here’s a link to the story on AP.

NCGA is rightly incensed by this and their CEO, Rick Tolman has some appropriate words on the issue.

“It is a travesty when an official makes public statements that are so irresponsible, so inaccurate and so inappropriately damning,” he added. “The statements ‘crime against humanity’ and ‘catastrophe of the massacre (by) hunger in the world’ are not to be used lightly or in such an irresponsible manner. If this is an example of how Mr. Ziegler carries out his responsibilities, he should resign his post immediately. Hunger is not something to trifle with and those in positions of responsibility need to be accountable in their statements.”

If you’d like to listen to the whacko in the United Nations own words then here you go: un-biofuels-crime.mp3

Audio, Biodiesel, Ethanol, International, Wackos

Donate an Item to NAFB Foundation Auction

Chuck Zimmerman

NAFB ConventionIf you’d like to make a contribution to the National Association of Farm Broadcasting Foundation fundraising auction time is running out. NAFB is making a last minute pitch for more items.

We realize that many of you have generously donated items in past years for the silent/live auction, and for that we are very appreciative. Your past support has not only helped to make each auction a success, but more importantly it has helped the Foundation in its continuing educational support through internship and scholarship grants; funded research that helps us better understand the changing demographics in rural America; and built a curriculum to assist students, teachers and young media professionals in learning how to utilize the power of Farm Broadcasting in a media marketing plan.

This year the auction is again being conducted during the Thursday night reception on November 15 at the Westin Crown Center Hotel in Kansas City. The event will be “back upstairs” where it had been held for many years. If you have not already, please help us keep the list of auction items growing. Please e-mail Rose Marie at the NAFB office with a description of your contribution by November 1, so we can get it in the NAFB Foundation Auction Booklet which will be distributed prior to and during the auction.

NAFB

Corn Power Museum Exhibit Coming

Chuck Zimmerman

Case IH Presents Check'' />The <a href=Indiana State Museum will have a new exhibit in 2009 titled, “Corn: Powering the World.” Thanks to the heads up from contributing sponsor Case IH. Pictured in front of a Case IH Puma 210 tractor is Terry Snack (right), Case IH product specialist, presenting a ceremonial check to Barry Dressel (left), president of the Indiana State Museum.

The exhibit will showcase all things corn — demonstrating how this versatile crop feeds and fuels the world’s population. Opening at the Indianapolis museum in August 2009, the exhibit will continue through January 2010 before traveling to other venues nationwide.

Visitors will be able to view archeological artifacts, discover how popcorn pops and calculate how much corn it takes to power an Indy racecar. A modern lab built into the exhibit will allow visitors to experience genetic engineering first-hand. “Corn: Powering the World” will shape public opinion about critical issues and help visitors understand how corn is rapidly becoming the most important plant-breeding achievement of all time.

The announcement comes at a time when corn literally is a hot commodity. Farmers across the U.S. planted a record 93 million acres of corn in 2007 — responding to demand from ethanol production plants that boosted prices paid to corn growers. As demand continues to grow, farmers will be under increasing pressure to achieve higher yields.

The exhibit is presented by Dow AgroSciences through the Dow Chemical Company Foundation and Ford Motor Company, with contributing national support from Case IH and National Starch Food Innovation.

Corn, Tractor

Farmers Matter to NCGA

Chuck Zimmerman

Farmers MatterFarmers matter to everyone since we do have to eat. NCGA has come up with a creative way to say “thanks.” It’s the Farmers Matter website and video contest. If you’ve got a creative video way to thank farmers then enter.

As the nation’s corn farmers harvest the largest crop in history, the National Corn Growers Association and its state affiliates have launched a new Web site and video contest to thank them for their efforts.

The Web site, www.farmersmatter.org, was created to thank farmers and help educate consumers about growers’ dedication for producing the safest, most abundant food and feed supply on Earth, while also supplying the demands for cleaner-burning, renewable ethanol. The site highlights interesting facts about farming, offers an interactive timeline, videos, downloadable badges for placement on blogs or social networking sites, and a video contest designed to thank farmers for their efforts. Prizes totaling $2,500 will be awarded to a first and second place winner.

“Earlier this year the media was full of stories about a pending corn shortage and the impact higher corn prices were having on the consumer’s pocketbook. In the midst of the largest corn harvest in history, we wanted to take a moment to thank our nation’s corn growers for stepping up to meet demands for both our food and feed needs, as well as helping our nation become more energy independent,” says Ron Litterer, NCGA president.

Consumers, farmers and those in agribusiness are encouraged to visit the site, participate in the video contest, comment in the corn commentary discussion forum and use the Forward to a Friend icon to share the site and fun facts about agriculture with friends and family.

The new website is set up to work interactively with NCGA’s Corn Commentary (a project of ZimmComm New Media).

Ag Groups, Corn

AFT Farmcast Video

Chuck Zimmerman

AFT Farmcast VideoIn case you didn’t know it, American Farmland Trust is putting up some video content on its website called AFT Farmcast Video.

The latest episode is called, “Cooking Up Local.”

You can learn what it means to cook with locally grown, organic ingredients for Airlie’s Executive Chef Jeff Whitte.

Ag Groups, Video

Farm Journal Forum

Chuck Zimmerman

Farm Journal ForumFarm Journal has announced the 2007 Farm Journal Forum. The 11th annual program will take place in Washington, DC at the Renaissance Hotel on 9th St. The event is dedicated to founder Sonja Hillgren.

You can find the schedule for the forum here. The theme for the event is “Agriculture’s New Era: How Energy, Trade, and a Farm Bill Shape the Future.” Confirmed speakers include:

Bruce Knight, USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs
Sen. Pat Roberts
Clayton Yeutter, Former Secretary of Agriculture
Former Rep. Larry Combest
Terry Barr, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
Gus Shumacher, Jr., former USDA Under Secretary of Agriculture
Gary Blumenthal, World Perspectives
Randy Russell, Lesher & Russell
Brett Begemann, Monsanto Executive Vice President, Global Commercial
John Gordley, Gordley Associates
Tom Buis, National Farmer’s Union
Jon Doggett, National Corn Growers Association
Bill Roenigk, National Chicken Council
Gregg Doud, National Cattlemen’s Association

Register here.

Publication

Butter is Better

Chuck Zimmerman

In fact, looking at the current crop of presidential wannabees I’d rather vote for butter. I think this is a hilarious video and thought you’d enjoy it. I fully agree with the guy in this video by Sweet Tea Films. Butter goes good on a lot of things.

Thanks to Bob McCarty for pointing it out.

Food, Video