Arizona Farm Bureau's Dillon Kjerstad Wins National Discussion Meet!

For the first time in Arizona Farm Bureau’s 91-year-old history, the organization brings home the national winner of the Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R) Discussion Meet. Arizona’s Dillon Kjerstad handedly won among 38 competitors in Nashville. As top winner, Kjerstad gets his choice of either a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado or a 2013 GMC Sierra, courtesy of GM, plus free registration to the 2013 AFBF YF&R Leadership Conference to be held here in Arizona this month.

The Latest on Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Please find a summary ... but more importantly a summary focusing on agricultural employers.
 
 

American Farm Bureau Federation: Agricultural Visa Workgroup Board Recommendation

The workgroup supports creating a market-based, flexible agricultural worker structure that offers stability for employers and portability for workers. 
 
The recommendation provides for the continuation of the current H-2A program and creates a new structure that establishes an Ag Card and a two-pronged Temporary Worker Visawith a Contract-Temporary Worker Visa and a Non-Contract Temporary Worker Visa (portable) as defined in this document.

Arizona Agriculture Says You can Anticipate Better Food Prices this Holiday Season: Third Quarter Marketbasket released.

Arizona Farm Bureau has released their third quarter food marketbasket and the overall marketbasket has decreased. The item showing the largest decrease is shredded cheese, showing an 81 cent decline from last quarter. "We still believe we'll see higher prices in 2013," says Julie Murphree, spokesperson for Arizona Farm Bureau.

Celebrating Arizona's Centennial, Number 10: In the 1950's "Mechanical Pickers" COme of Age in Arizona

Our Historical Centennial series continues  with the story of the cotton industry transitioning from field pickers to mechanical pickers.

You Can Stretch Your Food Budget for More Savings! Arizona Farm Bureau Shows You How.

While the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) does not anticipate food price inflation to be higher than 3.5% next year and Arizona Farm Bureau’s quarterly marketbasket shows only slight increases over the last two quarters, the fact is Arizona families can expect food inflation over the next several months.

As a result, Arizona Farm Bureau has developed a new set of food savings strategies. They are designed to help Arizona families cope with the anticipated food inflation over the next several months.
 

Morrison Article: "Let's Talk Water!"

Richard Morrison of Morrison Institute recently authored an article, "Let's Talk Water." It originally appeared in the ASU Morison Institute for Public Policy publication. Arizona Far Bureau shares the article here as his discussion points are valuable for us all to read.

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Our Latest Agriculture Story on the Jan D'Atri Show!

Arizona Farm Bureau's "Aggies" were on the Jan D'Atri radio show recently. As always, they were a hit. Jan's listeners said they never knew there were so many great Arizona farmers and ranchers!

Celebrating Food & Arizona Farmers and Ranchers (May 19, 2012)


Arizona Ag Women!
Young Guns!

Food Production: The Facts and Faces of Arizona's Farmers and Ranchers

Recently, Arizona farmers and ranchers came out in force to present their stories on how they raise healthy and productive animals for Americans in a caring and sustainable way. Since we recorded their presentations, you can view what they said on YouTube. Select link below to view the video clips.

Pictured in photo nearby: From left to right: Jim Boyle, Sharla Mortimer, Bas Aja, Glenn Hickman and Donald Davidson. Julie Murphree kneeling in the forefront.

Back to Constitutional Basics

Arizona Farm Bureau Board of Director's member Rock Cramer presents the case for Americans to get back to constitutional basics. It's time to insist that our political class go "Back to Constitutional Basics" to perserve this nation and our constitution! "Back to Constitutional Basics" was adopted as policy on November 13, 2009 by Arizona Farm Bureau at its annual convention of 110 delegates representing every county in the State of Arizona.

THE H-2A VISA PROGRAM: MEETING THE GROWING NEEDS OF AMERICAN AGRICULTURE

 

Also ...

American Farm Bureau Federation testified before Congress regarding the H2-A program.

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Arizona Agriculture Video Tells Our Story

Arizona Farm Bureau recently updated its video "Today in Arizona Agriculture." If you are wanting an informative and colorful way to tell the Arizona agriculture story send viewers here.

New H-2A Rules

Employers: Another New I-9 Form and More!

Use of E-Verify is the law in Arizona. If you are hiring do a careful review of all links below. Remember, it is against federal law to use E-Verify on existing employees. Additionally, you cannot use E-Verify to pre-check the legal status of a new hire. You only use E-Verify once you have hired the new employee.

If you sign up for E-Verify (Basic Pilot) you must do so online here. You will be required to take an online tutorial - it can take up to two hours. You will be required to sign a Memorandum of Understanding. You must comply with all of the requirements of the I-9 process and complete an I-9 for each new hire.

 

Let's Eat Video Now Available

Arizona Farm Bureau, in conjunction with the Arizona Department of Agriculture and USDA, recently completed an educational video encouraging Arizona families to eat more fruits and vegetables. The Boelts family from Yuma is featured in the video

Labor Issues: When ICE or Other Government Agencies Come Knocking ...

Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll LLC, provides careful instructions on your rights as an employer and procedures to follow when a government agency visits or calls regarding Social Security MisMatches, including how you should respond if non-governmental third parties contact you seeking information. The law firm encourages you to carefully follow certain steps in order to protect your company and your employees. The three memos below spell out procedures and processes.