01-13-12 CME Group Announces Five Consecutive Open Interest Records in Henry Hub Natural Gas Futures

CHICAGO, January 13, 2012 – CME Group, the world’s leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace, today announced it had reached five consecutive daily open interest records for its benchmark Henry Hub Natural Gas futures contract. These contracts are listed by and subject to the rules of NYMEX.

Trading Date	Open Interest
Thurs., Jan. 12	1,115,469 contracts
Wed., Jan. 11	1,112,288 contracts
Tues., Jan. 10	1,096,284 contracts
Mon., Jan.9	1,079,161 contracts
Fri., Jan. 6	1,064,301 contracts

To date, Henry Hub Natural Gas futures have set a total of six new open interest records since the start of 2012, including a Wed., Jan. 12 record of 1,033,447 contracts.   

01-13-12 US Representative Gardner (R-CO) Announces Townhall Tour

COLO. – Rep. Cory Gardner announced the following town meetings for January 16, 2012:

8am – 9am Morgan County Town Meeting

LOCATION: Morgan County Courthouse - 231 Ensign Street, Fort Morgan

10:30am – 11:30am Weld County Town Meeting

LOCATION: Ault Fire Station -16680 Hwy 14, Ault

12:45pm – 1:45pm Larimer County Town Meeting

LOCATION: Northern Water Headquarters (formerly Northern Water Conservancy District) – 220 Water Avenue, 2nd Floor, Berthoud

2:30pm – 3:30pm Boulder County Town Meeting

LOCATION: American Legion Hall - 315 S. Bowen Street, Longmont

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Congressman Gardner is a freshman member in the U.S. House of Representatives for Colorado’s 4th Congressional District. He serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee and is a member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Power, the Subcommittee on Environment and Economy and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

01-13-12 CO Governor Hickenlooper names three appointments to Pinnacol Assurance Board of Directors

DENVER ­— Friday, Jan. 13, 2012 — Gov. John Hickenlooper announced today three appointments to the Pinnacol Assurance Board of Directors. The new appointments must be confirmed by the Colorado Senate.

The new appointees are:

·         Marcia Ann Benshoof will serve as a member who has experience in the management and operation of insurance companies, not competing with Pinnacol Assurance, for a term expiring Jan.1, 2017. She replaces Ryan Hettich, who was term limited.

·         Jeffrey L. Cummings will serve as a member as an employer whose liability is insured by Pinnacol Assurance, for a term expiring Jan. 1, 2017. He replaces Gary Johnson, who was term limited.

·         Harold L. Logan Jr. will serve as an employee of an employer whose liability is insured by Pinnacol, for a term expiring Jan. 1, 2013. He replaces John N. Cevette, who resigned from the board.

For more information on Boards and Commissions, visit www.colorado.gov/governor or e-mail boards@state.co.us.

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01-13-12 USDA Announces Funding for Water Quality Markets, Seeks Proposals for Projects

 $10 Million Available for Projects Nationally

WASHINGTON, January 13, 2012 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced a funding opportunity that will bring states, USDA and other stakeholders together to enhance the effectiveness of water quality credit trading. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is providing up to $10 million in Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for these projects, with up to $5 million focused on water quality credit trading in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Proposals for projects are due March 2, 2012.

“For the first time USDA has offered funding specifically for water quality trading. We want to help states and other partners develop robust and meaningful markets,” Vilsack said. “Our goal is to demonstrate that markets are a cost-effective way to improve water quality in places like the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and agricultural producers are critical to the function of these markets.”

Water quality credit trading is a market-based approach to lowering the costs of reducing pollution, and has the potential to engage more farmers and ranchers in water quality improvement efforts through the implementation of more conservation practices on agricultural lands. Through water quality credit trading, a producer who implements conservation practices to reduce water quality pollutants can also benefit by generating water quality market credits that could be sold in an open market, which would reduce the costs of implementing and maintaining the conservation practices.

NRCS requests CIG proposals for projects that:

01-13-12 *NCBA Op-Ed* Double Deck Trailer Ban in Highway Safety Bill

By Cindy Schonholtz, Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association

Unfortunately, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation recently included the double deck trailer ban in S. 1950, the Commercial Motor Vehicle Enhancement Act of 2011. Section 905 of S. 1950 prohibits the transportation of all horses in double deck trailers, not just those bound for slaughter. This measure is currently waiting for further consideration on the Senate floor. The U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will likely mark up its version of the Highway Bill in early February.

You may be curious as to why Congress is trying to expand this provision. This issue has been a strong interest of Senator Kirk (R-Ill.). While Senator Kirk was serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, he stated he introduced this legislation after an accident in Wadsworth, Illinois in October, 2007 involving the overturning of a double deck trailer carrying 59 Belgian draft horses. According to accident reports the driver ran a red light causing the accident. Several other accidents cited in background information supporting the ban were caused by driver error. Unfortunate accidents such as this remind those transporting livestock that continued education on transportation safety is vital. The welfare of the livestock we are transporting is our top priority and we must communicate this fact and not allow special interest groups to destroy our industries.

01-13-12 The General Assembly Roundup with Co Rep Jon Becker 63rd District…Priorities, Budget & MORE

As another legislative session begins, I wanted to take this opportunity to update you on the upcoming session, the budget for Fiscal Year 2012-13, and my priorities and bills.

The 68th General Assembly convened on Wednesday, January 11 and began with speeches by Speaker McNulty and Minority Leader Ferrindino who both referred to the necessity of bi-partisan cooperation during the upcoming session to help create jobs and revitalize the economy. On Thursday, January 12, 2012, Governor Hickenlooper gave his State of the State Address in the House Chambers.

As always, you can go to the General Assembly website to access the legislative directory, lookup bills and their status and listen to the House and Senate and committee meetings in actual time.

Priorities for the 68th General Assembly

01-13-12 Legislative Update with CO Senator Greg Brophy

Where: Café Lotus

307 East Kiowa Avenue

Fort Morgan, CO 80701

(970) 542-0800

When: Monday, January 23, 2012 at 6:45 a.m.

Legislative Updates are held at Café Lotus the fourth Monday of the each month.

01-13-12 Freshman US Representatives to GOP Presidential Candidates: Do not attack free-market principles

WASHINGTON D.C.  – This morning, three freshman members of Congress didn’t mince words when they asked all Republican Presidential candidates to stop the attacks on free market capitalism.

Reps. Cory Gardner (R-CO), Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and Ben Quayle (R-AZ) sent a letter to all 6 major candidates running in the Republican Presidential Primary.  As members of Congress who have not endorsed a Presidential candidate, the trio has been greatly alarmed at the recent attacks some of the campaigns have decided to pursue, writing in the letter:

“President Obama took office in January of 2009 and the free market has been under attack ever since.  We already have a president who is making it increasingly hostile for businesses to operate in this nation. Our presidential candidates should not be doing the same.  Class warfare is a tactic that President Obama has used to divide America and campaign against Republicans.  Republican candidates for President should not be stooping to the same level.”

To read the full letter, see below…

READ the NAFB’s National Ag News as heard inside the BARN for January 13th

CLICK HERE to listen to TODAY's BARN Morning Ag News with Brian Allmer...

Sponsored by the American Farm Bureau Federation

“NASS Summarizes 2011 Crop Year”

The Department of Agriculture released its Crop Production 2011 summary on Thursday. According to the summary, U.S. farmers produced a smaller crop than the previous year because of unfavorable planting and growing conditions. Depending on location, producers in the United States battled everything from drought and above normal temperatures to heavy rains and lowland flooding which led to decreased production of corn, soybeans, cotton and wheat – the first time such a year-to-year decrease has occurred in all four commodities since the 2002 crop year.

Corn production totaled 12.4 billion bushels, down 1 percent from 2010. Corn yield in 2011 is estimated at 147.2 bushels per acre, 5.6 bushels below last year’s average yield. Area harvested, at 84.0 million acres, is up 3 percent from 2010.

Soybean production for 2011 totaled 3.06 billion bushels, down 8 percent 2010. The average soybean yield is estimated at 41.5 bushels per acre, 2.0 bushels below last year’s yield. Harvested area for soybeans in 2011, at 73.6 million acres, is down 4 percent from 2010.

For 2011, all cotton production is down 13 percent from 2010, at 15.7 million 480-pound bales. The U.S. yield is estimated at 772 pounds per acre, down 40 pounds from last year’s yield. Harvested area, at 9.75 million acres, is down 9 percent from last year.

NASS estimates the 2011 all wheat production at 2.00 billion bushels, down 9 percent from 2010. The all wheat yield is estimated at 43.7 bushels per acre, down 2.6 bushels from last year. Harvested area, at 45.7 million acres, is down 4 percent from the 2010 crop.

Sorghum grain production in 2011 is estimated at 214 million bushels, 38 percent down from 2010. Sorghum average yield was 54.6 bushels per acre, down 17.2 bushel from last year. Area planted for sorghum, at 5.48 million acres, is up 1 percent from last year. Harvested area, at 3.93 million acres, is down 18 percent from 2010.

*****************READ MORE NAFB AG NEWS BELOW****************************

 “California Cattle Farm Attacked by Terrorists”

Animal rights extremists have taken credit for Sunday’s attack on the largest feed yard in California where arsonists destroyed 14 trucks used to transport cattle. In an anonymous communiqué, the Animal Liberation Front indicated that – containers of accelerant were placed beneath a row of 14 trucks. The group boasted, – we were extremely pleased to see that all 14 trucks “were a total loss” with some being “completely melted to the ground”. The message ended with a call for other would-be terrorists to commit additional acts of violence against agriculture producers.