American Farm Bureau Federation president Zippy Duvall shares his views on the situation at Fair Oaks.

In light of the ongoing corn and soybean planting delays throughout the Corn Belt this spring, the Purdue Center for Commercial Agriculture recorded a new video that analyzes the alternatives corn and soybean farmers have now that the Federal Crop Insurance Final Planting Date (June 5) for corn has passed in Indiana. The video features Purdue ag economists Michael Langemeier and Jim Mintert reviewing the alternatives farmers have in this late planting season. In particular, they analyze the potential returns from taking the Prevented Planting option for corn and compare it to potential returns from delayed planting of both corn and soybeans, under a couple of different scenarios.

Persistent rain across Indiana continues to delay spring planting for Indiana’s farmers. As the rain continues, the possibility of fields left unplanted becomes a reality and Indiana’s farmers and agribusiness professionals are faced with many tough decisions.

Based on an Indiana Farm Bureau survey of its farmer members, the ongoing trade deal uncertainty is having a negative impact on farming operations across the state. When added to commodity surpluses, a five-year downward trend in farm income and spring planting delays, INFB president Randy Kron said there are more than enough issues affecting farmers' livelihoods. He encouraged farmers to speak to their representatives in Congress about the real world impact of the current trade climate.

Indiana Farm Bureau has announced the recipients of its 2019 student scholarships. The scholarships include the Marion Stackhouse Memorial Scholarship, two Collegiate Farm Bureau scholarships and 10 Carolyn Hegel Memorial Scholarships. The 13 scholarships are awarded annually by INFB and the Farm Bureau Foundation to students involved in agriculture.

Indiana Farm Bureau public policy team members - director of public policy Katrina Hall and director of state government relations Justin Schneider - review the 2019 Indiana legislative session and successes achieved for farmers, agribusiness professionals and rural communities.

Indiana Agricultural Law Foundation and Indiana Farm Bureau representatives were pleased with an Indiana State Court of Appeals ruling for Indiana agriculture and the state's right to farm law.

Indiana Farm Bureau has stayed true to the mission upon which it was founded in 1919: promoting agriculture through public education, member engagement and advocating for agricultural and rural needs

Indiana Farm Bureau recognized six ag volunteer and professional educators for their dedication to ag education: Theresa Gottbrath, Washington County, Volunteer of the Year; Jane Whitsitt, Dubois County, 25-year Agriculture in the Classroom volunteer; teachers Lauren Searcy, Cascade High School and Kelly Shannon, New Market Elementary School, and volunteers, Debbie Trotter and Carol Graves of Clark County, winners of National Agriculture in the Classroom scholarships to attend the national conference in Little Rock, Arkansas. Wabash and Washington County Farm Bureaus also received ag education and promotion development grants to build upon their local initiatives.

Each year, Indiana Farm Bureau gives development grants to county Farm Bureaus to help them promote agriculture or provide agricultural education in their communities. This year's grant recipients are Pulaski, Starke and Warren County Farm Bureau. Pulaski County Farm Bureau volunteers will use their grant to kick off a program that explores different types of food production. Starke County Farm Bureau's grant will help members plan and promote a new collaborative farm to fork event. Warren County Farm Bureau will use its grant to fund a mobile food pantry to improve food access for local families in need as part of the Warren County Food Insecurity and Food Deserts program.

More than 40 Indiana FFA students participated in Indiana Farm Bureau's first-ever FFA Advocacy Day on March 11. After a briefing on Farm Bureau members' agriculture and rural priorities for this legislative session, students had the opportunity to visit with their legislators at the Statehouse to talk about the personal impact of policy decisions such as rural school funding and ag career and tech education funding. INFB's public policy director Katrina Hall was impressed by the students and the day's activities, and hopes to increase the number of participants next year.

Indiana Farm Bureau is celebrating the Agriculture Council of America's (ACA) 16th annual National Ag Day on March 14. INFB's 2nd vice president Isabella Chism is the 2018-19 Ag Day Chair. Chism and INFB president Randy Kron talk about the significance of Ag Day as well as the diversity and importance of farming and agribusiness in Indiana and its impact around the world.

Indiana Farm Bureau's Young Farmers gathered to honor the past and celebrate the future at their 2019 conference. Among the highlights was an official program renaming and refocusing to reflect the growing impact that agribusiness professionals have on the organization.

INFB supports the USDA's decision to open select Farm Services offices in Indiana and across the country for a limited time to provide assistance with existing farm loans and 1099 tax documents.

Several members of Indiana Farm Bureau's Young Farmer program were recognized during INFB's state convention Dec. 6-8. Marissa Mikel of Marion County won the Young Farmer Discussion Meet competition. The competition simulates a committee meeting where common farming and agriculture challenges would be examined. She will go on to compete in the national competition at the American Farm Bureau Federation convention in New Orleans in January. Runners-up were: Kent Burton, Fulton County; Mason Gordon, Rush County; and Amanda Mosiman, Warrick County. The Young Farmers also announced the members of the State Young Farmer Committee, who will represent the 10 INFB Districts in 2019.

Indiana Farm Bureau President Randy Kron and political writer - broadcast commentator Abdul-Hakim Shabazz discussed the current agricultural economy and looked forward to 2019 during a Presidents's Q&A at the INFB State Convention this weekend. Much of the discussion centered around the impact of trade and tariffs on Hoosier farmers.

For the third year in a row, Indiana Farm Bureau has announced the INFB Book of the Year during its annual state convention. The 2019 Book of the Year is "Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth,” written by Mary McKenna Siddals and illustrated by Ashley Wolff. Previous books of the year were "The Kid Who Changed the World written by Andy Andrews and "John Deere, That's Who!" written by Tracy Maurer. INFB's Book of the Year is just one tool of the organization's K-12 agricultural education and outreach efforts.

Indiana Farm Bureau board members and officers as well as public policy team members shared the organization's 2019 priorities with Indiana legislators at INFB's annual Organization Day Breakfast on Nov. 20. Identified as top priorities by Farm Bureau voting members are: rural revitalization, broadband deployment, rural school funding, Kankakee and Yellow Rivers restoration, extraterritorial authority reduction, assessment uniformity and local government funding improvements.

Budget-conscious Hoosiers can expect to pay less than $5 per person this Thanksgiving as Indiana Farm Bureau's annual Market Basket survey shows that meal prices are down 7 percent. Chief among the price reductions is the centerpiece of many Thanksgiving feasts: the turkey. And as INFB 2nd vice president Isabella Chism notes, Indiana had a hand--or more precisely, a leg in this--as the state is ranked fourth in the nation in turkey production.