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August 4, 2006
Applications for AgLead Class 8 and Texas Farm Bureau's newest leadership program, FarmLead, are due Aug. 31.
"FarmLead is designed for farmers and ranchers over 40 who want to improve themselves and the agricultural industry," said TFB Organization Programs Director Si Cook. "Both AgLead and FarmLead were developed to allow leaders to apply their skills anywhere—within Farm Bureau, on the local school board, county or city government, or even at the state and national levels."
AgLead, designed for the young farmer and rancher, was started in 1992 and has provided a great track record of leadership. Many graduates of the program have gone on to leadership positions in both Farm Bureau and the agriculture industry.
AgLead Class 8 candidates must be under 25 years of age and not more than 40 years of age as of Sept. 1, 2006, and must derive a major portion of their income from production agriculture.
The Texas Farm Bureau Board of Directors, seeing the success of AgLead, wanted to develop a similar program for farmers and ranchers over 40. The result? FarmLead.
FarmLead candidates must be over 40 years of age as of Sept. 1, 2006. AgLead graduates are not eligible for this program. Applicants don't have to be full-time producers to be eligible, but full-time producers, State Advisory Committee Members and County Farm Bureau Board members will be given preference.
Both programs focus on improving the personal and professional leadership skills of farmers and ranchers.
Candidates for both AgLead and FarmLead must be Texas Farm Bureau members at time of application and throughout the program, if selected.
Applications for both programs must be in the Waco office by Aug. 31, 2006. Class selection for both programs will be announced in late September or early October. Both classes will start in November.
More details will be available in county FB offices. For more information contact Si Cook, P.O. Box 2689, Waco, Texas. 76702; phone 254-751-2286; email scook @txfb.org; or visit the Texas Farm Bureau website at www.txfb.org.
Texas Agriculture editors honored
Texas Agriculture Editor Mike Barnett and Field Editor Bobby Horecka were named among the top state Farm Bureau writers at the annual American Farm Bureau Federation's Public Relations Conference held in San Diego, Calif.
More than 300 entries from 39 states were represented in this year's contest, a record showing for the annual event, AFBF deputy public relations director Mace Thornton said.
Best of show and honorable mention designations are bestowed on each category, including a spectrum of PR activities from writing and photography to television and radio programming.
Barnett received an honorable mention in feature writing for his March 17, 2006 Texas Agriculture story on Kylan Carson of Olton, whose prize-winning pig helped earn $15,100 for muscular dystrophy research, dollars which will ultimately help his sister, Kiva, who has the disease.
Honorable mention honors in news writing also went to Horecka for his March 2, 2006 edition story on Brian Adamek, a Victoria area farmer battling eminent domain at the hands of expanding landfills.
TSWCD Development
meetings set statewide
The Texas Soil and Water Conservation Districts will be hosting a series of program development group meetings in coming weeks to gain public input and insights on programs and services offered by the SWCD and USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service.
All meetings statewide are scheduled to occur before Sept. 15.
For more information on meetings in your area, call the USDA-NRCS office in your county, listed under USDA in the Yellow Pages.
Information may also be accessed on the Texas NRCS website at www.tx.nrcs.usda.gov.
Notable Quotables
"At a time when the goods produced by America's farmers and ranchers continue to be barred from markets across the world by stifling tariffs and other trade barriers, the American Farm Bureau regrets that the opportunity for fairer trading rules has been set aside. We will continue to push for enhanced market access for our farm goods, whether through regional or multilateral initiatives. When the opportunity presents itself, we will again support efforts to reform trade rules through the WTO process.
"It is truly unfortunate that other nations of the world failed to seize this Doha Round opportunity for freer trade created by the bold agricultural proposal offered by U.S. negotiators. United States Trade Representative Susan Schwab and Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns stood behind that solid proposal and pushed hard for an agreement to create real increases in global trade that would have benefited all nations.
"Farmers and consumers all around the world had a lot to gain from the Doha Round of WTO trade negotiations. We stand behind our belief that freer and fairer agricultural trading rules would benefit all people of the world. In the face of these talks being suspended, we will prepare to move forward with proposals to ensure that U.S. farmers have the kind of support they need to survive in today's global trading environment."
—Statement by American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman regarding suspension of the Doha Round WTO trade negotiations on July 24.
