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Soybean
Futures Price Sets Record -- More To Come?
Both corn and soybean prices continue to rise almost
daily, but where and when they might stop nobody knows. Yet, if last
year is any indicator, grain markets will likely reach their optimum
price points just prior to planting season, says Chris Hurt, Purdue
University Extension economist.
"Grain prices will probably peak sometime in the next 90 days, from
mid-February until mid-May," says Hurt. "However, that forecast assumes
no major yield reductions will develop in either South America or the
U.S. in 2008 due to dry weather."
Argentina is already dry and could turn drier, points out Hurt. If the
current La Niña weather pattern continues to hold, the U.S. crop
could also face drier-than-normal conditions this summer, he adds.
"With a La Niña, the odds for drought conditions are higher for
both Argentina and the U.S., but the market may have already factored
that into the current prices," says Hurt. "The bottom line is that we
can't skip a beat on yield in 2008 without grain market prices going
higher. The world needs grain yields to be higher this year to meet
demand. With the current level of grain use and the increased odds for
bad weather to develop during this marketing year, we are approaching
the potential for a food emergency in some parts of the world. So,
something has to give -- there will either be a larger cutback in
current grain usage or higher prices that will stimulate more acreage
being planted to grain."
Soybean futures traded at an all-time price high of $13.75 1/4 for July
2008 soybeans on the electronic trading platform at the Chicago Board of
Trade (CBOT) before settling at $13.32 on Monday, January 14. Corn
prices are also heading higher. July 2009 corn futures hit a price high
of $5.47/bu. on the CBOT open auction platform before settling at
$5.44/bu. on Tuesday, Jan. 15. The all-time-high corn futures price is
$5.54 1/2, which occurred in 1996.
"Right now, the market has to bid higher for corn to compete with
soybeans for more acres," emphasizes Hurt. "Prior to last week's USDA
reports, the numbers were showing $10-20/acre higher returns for
planting soybeans than for corn in Indiana and much of the Midwest.
After these new market adjustments, the numbers are closer to favoring
corn production, but the numbers change daily."
The direct costs for growing soybeans are about half those
typically spent to grow corn, explains Hurt. "So, corn really needs to
out-bid soybeans by about $10-20/acre to pick up the acres it needs," he
adds, "but there's really not enough corn, soybeans or wheat, so the
completion for acres is intensifying."
Three competing sectors are currently driving the recent surge in demand
for corn, says Hurt. The first sector is the domestic ethanol industry,
the second demand sector comes from foreign buyers and the third sector
is the domestic livestock industry. "Right now, the ethanol industry can
probably afford to pay more for corn than the other two sectors,"
predicts Hurt. "They can probably pay between $5.25 and $5.75/bu. and
still return a profit. The foreign sector may be slower to adjust to
higher prices due to the weak U.S. dollar, but the domestic livestock
industry is likely to react with the largest and quickest cutbacks in
use for corn."
Farmers with grain to sell should pay attention to the signs that the
markets have not yet reached their highs, advises Hurt. "One sign would
be if foreign buyers panic and start to buy more -- that's one
possibility that may yet occur this year," says Hurt. "Another sign
would be if a cutback in livestock feed usage fails to occur soon.
"The market conditions for the domestic hog industry are desperately bad
right now, so we should expect the sow slaughter numbers to rise," he
adds. "If they don't, then the market will feed more corn than expected
and grain prices will continue to move higher."
Still, the most recent USDA reports "seem to suggest that prices are not
high enough yet to either cause a cutback in usage or increase the
acreage enough for next year's global demand," says Hurt. "When the
markets are this volatile, we could have $2/bu. variability for soybean
futures in one week. We could also have $3-4/bu. variability in one
month."
The implications of selling in such a volatile marketplace are almost
paralyzing to some farmers, says Hurt. So, to keep emotions down,
growers should break down grain sales into small portions and pull the
trigger on them gradually during the next few weeks or days.
To find out more from Hurt about the current grain market volatility,
click here: www.agecon.purdue.edu/extension/prices/grains/.
For more information on soybean futures prices, click here: www.cbot.com/cbot/pub/page/0,3181,959,00.html.
By John Pocock
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WASDE Report
Sparks Grain Markets
"The USDA's January World Agricultural Supply and
Demand Estimates (WASDE) report has jump-started the market higher. The
unexpected increase in corn's feed usage of 300 million bushels served
as the spark," writes Michael Swanson, agricultural economist for Wells
Fargo & Co., in his January 2008 report on row crops. "The entire grain
complex appears poised to move to new historical highs and stay there
until new data changes its direction.
"The reason why the market was surprised by the USDA's call is because
it doesn't make economic sense," he adds. "The 300-million-bushel
increase in corn usage from the feed sector implies an expansion of
domestic meat production."
To read more of Swanson's thoughts from both this January report and
from other months, click here: www.wellsfargo.com/com/research.
To read the USDA's January WASDE report, click here: www.usda.gov/oce/commodity/wasde/latest.txt.
Source: Wells Fargo, Inc.
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2007 Corn Crop A Record
Breaker
The 2007 U.S. corn crop was one for the record books,
with 13.1 billion bushels of production eclipsing the previous high, set
in 2004 of 11.8 billion bushels, according to the Crop Production
2007 Summary released Jan. 11 by the USDA's National Agricultural
Statistics Service (NASS). The 2007 production level was up 24% from
2006.
Driven by favorable prices, growing ethanol demand and strong export
sales, farmers in nearly all states increased their corn acreage in
2007. Planted area -- 93.6 million acres -- was up 19% from 2006 to the
highest level since 1944, when farmers planted 95.5 million acres. The
86.5 million acres harvested for grain was the most since 1933, and up
22% from 2006. Those acres yielded an average of 151.1 bu. of corn --
the second-highest yield on record after 2004's 160.4 bu./acre, and up 2
bu. from last year.
The shift to corn led U.S. farmers to plant and harvest 16% fewer
soybean acres in 2007 than in 2006. A total of 63.6 million acres were
planted and 62.8 million were harvested. Soybean production, at 2.6
billion bushels, was down 19% from the record high of 3.2 billion
bushels in 2006, while the average yield per acre was 41.2 bu., 1.5 bu.
below last year.
To read more about the USDA's annual crop summary report, click here: cornandsoybeandigest.com/corn.
Source: USDA
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Boost
Double-Crop Beans
With soybean and wheat prices projected to remain high
or go higher, many growers are looking to capitalize on both through
double-cropping beans. Obtaining the best wheat-bean yields will require
much more than just planting after the cereal grain is cut.
Growers should select the proper maturity in seed varieties.
To read the rest of this article on double-crop beans, click here: cornandsoybeandigest.com/soybeans.
By Larry Stalcup
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Crop Prices Get Another Green
Light
"Corn and soybean prices have moved steadily and
sharply higher since harvest of the 2007 crops," writes Darrel Good,
University of Illinois Extension economist, in his latest weekly outlook
on prices. "The average spot cash price of corn in central Illinois
reached a high of $4.61 and soybean prices reached a high of $12.33 on
January 11. December 2008 corn futures traded to $5.13 and November 2008
soybean futures reached a high of $12.45 on the same day."
To read the rest of Good's weekly outlook, click here: www.farmdoc.uiuc.edu/marketing
Source: University of Illinois
Extension
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Demand For
Agricultural Products Brings Profits And Problems
Shortages and heavy global demand for agricultural
products are combining to increase commodity prices, but one Purdue
University expert predicts that higher prices may not translate into
more money in farmers' pockets.
"Right now we are seeing very unique circumstances in the world of
agriculture," says Mike Boehlje, Purdue agricultural economist. "We have
growing demand for agricultural products in two areas with growing
economies in India and China, combined with a weaker dollar, which means
that right now, commodity prices are up and driving an increase in
production."
These circumstances are sustainable, he adds, but there are challenges
associated with the higher prices. "While producers are seeing their
commodities bring higher prices, input costs are increasing, as well,"
says Boehlje. "Land rents are up anywhere from 15-20% and seed and
fertilizer costs are up 15-20% or more."
Boehlje will be speaking more about the forces shaping today's
agricultural marketplace, at a Feb. 2 event in Indiana. To find out more
about that event, click here: www.agriculture.purdue.edu/AgAnswers.
Source: Purdue University Extension
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negotiating skills. Moe Russell's "Business Skills Series," an
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Tight
Fertilizer Supply Could Leave Producers Short
Supplies of nitrogen (N) fertilizers, as well as
phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilizers, are tight throughout the
U.S., making this the time to plan ahead, says Dale Leikam, a Kansas
State (K-State) University Extension nutrient management specialist.
It is currently difficult to buy fertilizer N for winter wheat
topdressing and/or this spring's row crops unless the supply has already
been lined up -- regardless of what the posted prices are, points out
Leikam. "The tight supply situation applies to all the main N fertilizer
sources -- UAN solution, urea and ammonia -- as well as P and K
fertilizers," he says. "Fertilizer prices are continuing to increase and
supplies will likely remain very tight for the foreseeable future.
Therefore, producers should keep in close contact with their supplier in
order to line up their anticipated fertilizer needs. Waiting until it is
time to apply crop nutrients to make arrangements for fertilizer needs
could leave producers on the outside looking in."
The sharp increase in price and accompanying fertilizer N shortage is
not a sudden development, explains Leikam. Unprecedented market forces
have markedly changed the fertilizer industry over the past decade,
which has set the stage for the current supply/demand imbalance and
resulting high prices, he says.
"Over the past decade, much of our fertilizer N manufacturing capacity
has shut down in the U.S. as a result of sharp increases and
fluctuations in natural gas costs, lower-cost foreign competition,
domestic environmental regulations and so forth," says Leikam. "In most
cases, the domestic fertilizer manufacturing plants that have ceased
operations will likely never come back online despite the current higher
fertilizer N prices."
As a result, more and more N fertilizer is now imported from countries
in the Middle East, South America, the former Soviet Union and other
low-cost natural gas areas, he says. "More than 50% of the U.S.
fertilizer N supply is imported annually -- and our dependence on
foreign imports continues to increase. Also, global demand for this
supply of fertilizer N continues to increase, especially in countries
such as China and India with rapidly expanding economies," Leikam says.
Producers can do little about this situation except to keep in constant
contact with their local fertilizer supplier and commit to products as
soon they know what their needs are, says the K-State agronomist.
Source: Kansas State University Research &
Extension
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Nine Top Tips To Fertilize Soybeans For
Profit
"Commodity prices are soaring and this has growers
thinking in new ways. This is especially true for soybeans," writes
George Rehm, a University of Minnesota Extension soil scientist in a
Jan. 15 blog posted on the Minnesota Farm Guide Web site.
"In the past, many have used the philosophy that they will fertilize the
corn, and the soybeans will use what is left over," notes Rehm. "Today,
that philosophy is not the best."
To read Rehm's nine research-based tips on how to fertilize soybeans for
profit in Minnesota, click here: minnesotafarmguide.com/blog/?p=58.
Source: Minnesota Farm Guide & University of
Minnesota
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Twin Rows Help Boost
Yields
Joe Sander doesn't mind seeing double when he gazes
across his corn and soybean fields.
Farming has become, well, twice as fun for him after seeing the results
of production under his twin-row cropping system on his Sikeston, MO,
farm.
Twin-row farming on 30-in. centers enables him to produce up to 12
bu./acre more of soybeans and nearly 30 bu./acre more of corn. At prices
over $11 for soybeans and above $3.50 for corn, that's close to
$100/acre more for each crop grown under his twin-row program.
To read more of this article about twin-row cropping systems, click
here: cornandsoybeandigest.com/corn.
By Larry Stalcup
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Updated Weed
Management Resources Now Available
New herbicides for 2008 are included in the latest
version of Weed Control Guide for Ohio and Indiana, now available
through Ohio State University (OSU) Extension and Purdue University
Extension.
The publication, updated every year, includes new herbicides that
received federal registration by September 2007, as well as pertinent
label changes. The weed-control guide can be purchased for $8.50 through
county Extension offices in Ohio and Indiana or by calling the OSU
Extension publications office at 614-292-1607. The bulletin can also be
viewed online at agcrops.osu.edu/weeds.
New herbicides listed in the 2008 guide include: Authority First/Sonic,
Authority MTZ, Envive, Valor XLT, Halex GT, SureStart and Prefix.
Other weed-management resources available online to producers include a
bulletin series on glyphosate, weeds and crops -- developed by national
Extension weed specialists. The bulletins cover such topics as facts
about glyphosate-resistant weeds, understanding glyphosate to increase
performance, corn and soybean herbicide charts and the biology and
management of horseweed, wild buckwheat, common lambsquarters, giant
ragweed and waterhemp. The bulletins can be found at www.glyphosateweedscrops.org,
or be obtained for free by contacting OSU Extension weed specialist Mark
Loux at 614-292-9081 or loux.1@osu.edu.
Additional fact sheets on weed management can be found at agcrops.osu.edu/weeds. Such
materials include control of lambsquarters in corn and soybeans, the
benefits of pre-emergence herbicides in Roundup Ready soybeans and
controlling kochia and palmer amaranth in warm-season grass stands and
cropland.
Source: Ohio State University
Extension
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Soybean Rust
Symposium Proceedings Now Available
Proceedings and presentations from the December 2007
National Soybean Rust Symposium are now posted on the Plant Management
Network's publicly available Soybean Rust Information Center at: www.plantmanagementnetwork.org.
Source: The American Phytopathological
Society
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Consider Sharing Labor and Machinery To
Increase Farm Efficiency
"The increasing cost of machinery and decreasing
amount of skilled farm labor available in Iowa is prompting producers to
take another look at sharing arrangements in an effort to remain
efficient," says Frayne Olson, economist, Iowa State University (ISU)
Extension. "Our Machinery and Labor Sharing Arrangement Workshop looks
at this old idea in a new way."
The program is built around 10 case studies of real-life sharing
agreements that use a wide range of structures, adds Olson. "Those
attending the workshop will walk out with a better understanding of what
our research found to be common to all successful sharing agreements and
with several ideas on how to approach establishing an agreement for
their operation," he says.
The program will be offered at several locations around the state during
the next several weeks. To register or to learn more about the program,
visit the following ISU Web link: www.machinerysharing.info.
Source: Iowa State University
Extension
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Kansas
Soybean Performance Test Results Available Online
The 2007 Kansas Soybean Performance Test report is now
available online at: kscroptests.agron.ksu.edu/07/07beans/7b-test.asp.
The test results are a program of Kansas State University Research and
Extension with support from the Kansas Soybean Commission.
A key part of the information available is the 2007 ratings for the
soybean cyst nematode (SCN) and sudden death syndrome (SDS) resistance
of all soybean varieties. The data on the site are broken down by
location (research field in a particular county or counties) and by
region (e.g., north central).
Summaries of yield, maturity, height and lodging at numerous locations
in Kansas are included in the data. The report also provides two- and
three-year yield summaries in bushels per acre and percent of test
average.
Also on the site is information about variety characteristics, a Kansas
rainfall image map and a place where growers and others can sign up to
receive e-mail notification when performance test entry forms and new
data become available.
Source: Kansas State University Research &
Extension
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Biodiesel Conference Convenes In Florida,
Feb. 3-6
The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) hosts its fifth
annual conference February 3-6 at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention
Center in Orlando, FL. A record 4,000 people are expected to attend.
"The biodiesel industry is at a turning point," says Donnell Rehagen,
NBB chief operations officer and conference director. "The future of the
industry depends on cooperation, coordination and a strategic approach
to the changing landscape, which provides both opportunities and
challenges. This conference will provide the platform from which to
launch our course for the future."
The NBB has set a goal of replacing the equivalent of 5% of the nation's
on-road diesel
fuel with biodiesel by 2015. Sessions during the conference, with a
theme of "Navigating a Changing Landscape," will examine how the
industry can remain on course to achieve that goal.
Astronaut Jim Lovell will give a special keynote address. Top industry
experts will discuss honing a cost-effective and diverse feedstock
supply, as well as other issues critical to the future growth of the
biodiesel industry. As in the past, the conference will feature multiple
educational tracks covering fuel production, technical updates, fuel
distribution, policy/regulations, markets and users, with auto and
engine manufacturer sessions, as well.
Attendees are encouraged to register and book accommodations by Jan. 25.
After that, participants must register on-site at an increased rate. For
more details on the conference, registration and lodging, visit www.biodieselconference.org.
Source: National Biodiesel Board
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Minnesota
Grain Marketing Seminar Set For Jan. 24
"Grain Marketing is Simple (Just not easy)" is the
theme for the 2008 Grain Marketing Seminar scheduled for Thursday, Jan.
24, from 4:00 to 7:30 p.m., in the South Central College Conference
Center, located at 1920 Lee Blvd., just south of Highway 14 in North
Mankato, MN.
This Seminar will focus on preharvest and postharvest grain marketing
strategies, evaluating the current ethanol boom and developing a
workable grain marketing plan. The keynote presenter will be Ed Usset,
grain marketing specialist at the University of Minnesota and Corn &
Soybean Digest columnist. Special features at the seminar will be an
overview of Farm-level Implications of the New Farm Bill, presented by
Kent Thiesse, MinnStar Bank's government farm program analyst; and
Trends in Crop Production Costs and The Latest in Farm Management
Software, presented by Paul Gorman, South Central College farm business
management instructor.
The seminar is being jointly sponsored by MinnStar Bank of Lake Crystal,
Good Thunder and Mankato and by the South Central College Farm Business
Management Program. The event is free of charge, and is open to anyone
interested in agriculture and grain marketing. No RSVP or advance
registration is necessary for this event. For more information, contact
Thiesse at 507-726-2137.
Source: MinnStar Bank
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Ohio Conservation Tillage/Technology
Conference Convenes Feb. 21-22
From nutrient management to cover crops, nearly 65
presentations related to conservation-tillage crop production will be
offered during this year's Conservation Tillage and Technology
Conference.
The event will take place Feb. 21-22 at the McIntosh Center of Ohio
Northern University in Ada, OH. The conference is being sponsored by
Ohio State University Extension, the Ohio Agricultural Research and
Development Center, Northwest Ohio Soil and Water Conservation
Districts, USDA Resources Conservation Service, USDA Farm Service
Agency, the Ohio No-Till Council and Wingfield Crop Insurance Services.
Registration, received by Feb. 15, is $30 for one day or $50 to attend
both days. Registration thereafter is $40 for one day or $60 to attend
both days. The fee includes breakfast and lunch.
Nearly 70 experts from academia to industry will be present during the
Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference. In 2007, a record
attendance of over 680 farmers, crop consultants and agency personnel
from Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Pennsylvania attended the show.
This year's conference opens with three general session speakers
discussing biomass production, setting rental rates for cropland and
soil quality. Apart from the general sessions, participants can choose
from four concurrent sessions on each day. Additional topics during the
conference include management of weeds, insects and disease, wheat
production and intercropping, planter adjustment, ethanol issues and
twin rows. Two farmer panels will share their success stories on
no-till, strip-till and cover crops.
To learn more about the conference or to register, click here: ctc.osu.edu.
Source: Ohio State University
Extension
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Indiana
Soybean Farmers Looking for the Next Big Thing in
Soy
Indiana soybean farmers -- through their soybean
checkoff -- are looking for a few good soy products. The Indiana Soybean
Alliance (ISA) launched the Indiana New Ventures and Enterprises in Soy
Technology (INVEST) program earlier this month to seek individuals and
small businesses with innovative new soy products or technologies who
need help bringing their products to the marketplace. The program has
$125,000 available for the initial round of funding in 2008.
The INVEST program targets entrepreneurs, inventors and small businesses
(with less than 10 employees) who are currently developing a new soy
product or technology. It is open to everyone, not just Indiana
residents or businesses.
"Specifically, we are interested in people who are past the first stage
of development and are in the testing or refining period," says Ryan
West, ISA director of new uses and technology commercialization. "The
goal of INVEST is to catapult these products or technologies over the
last few hurdles and help with product deployment."
Interested parties can access the complete list of rules and guidelines
from the INVEST Web site: www.soy-invest.com. Applications
are due by Friday, Feb. 29, 2008 and can also be found on the Web site.
"We are asking that applicants supply us with a wide range of materials,
including a business plan, product summary, results of a patent search
and projected budget," says West. "We want to attract people who are
serious about bringing new soy products to the market."
A panel of industry partners will review all applications and supporting
documentation, and recipients of INVEST dollars will be notified by
March 31, 2008. For more information, visit www.soy-invest.com/ or contact
Ryan West at 317-347-3620.
Source: Indiana Soybean Alliance
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Minnesota
Conservation Tillage Conference Convenes Jan. 30-31
University of Minnesota Extension will host the fourth
annual Conservation Tillage Conference Jan. 30-31, 2008, at Jackpot
Junction, 39375 County Hwy. 24, in Morton, MN.
"A Systems Approach" will be the theme of this year's conference, which
is cosponsored by the Corn & Soybean Digest. The program is
designed to help experienced producers ramp up their conservation skills
by learning about new technologies, while also reducing production costs
and meeting government program guidelines. Participants will take home
hands-on knowledge in nearly every aspect of conservation tillage.
The registration fee is $125/person, which includes continuing education
units (CEUs). The three breakout tracks scheduled are: nutrients from
all sources; tillage effects below the surface; and fine tuning your
agronomics.
In addition to university research-based presentations, a panel of
experienced conservation tillage farmers will provide management tips
and answer questions. The conference will also include a tradeshow. The
conference runs from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Jan. 30, and from 8 a.m. to
noon Jan. 31.
More information, including schedules, maps, contacts and exhibitor
registration, is available at www.TillageConference.com.
Source: University of Minnesota
Extension
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Soyfoods May Help Win 'Battle of the
Belt'
Scientists have found soyfoods may be a valuable
weapon in the weight loss battle. Protein-rich soyfoods, when replacing
other sources of protein, may help individuals lose weight and fat --
while lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol.
An evidence-based review by Dr. David Allison and Dr. Mark Cope at the
University of Alabama at Birmingham and Dr. John Erdman at the
University of Illinois at Champagne-Urbana, finds soyfoods are equal to
other protein sources, such as dairy or meat, in helping to battle
weight by promoting fat loss. This comprehensive review, published in
the November issue of Obesity Reviews, examines current research
on animals, human populations and clinical trials related to soy protein
and weight control.
The review, including results from eight human studies, finds that
individuals lost equivalent amounts of weight and, in some cases, equal
inches of fat around the waist, using soy protein, dairy milk meal
replacements, beef or pork at equal calorie levels. This illustrates the
value of soy protein in a varied diet for weight control. Findings also
support the possibility that soy protein decreases short-term appetite
and calorie intake. Extensive follow-up trials are needed to prove the
satiety, or feeling of fullness, factor of soy protein.
Researchers also examined whether soy isoflavones reduce diabetes by
stopping fat tissue build up and enhancing fat breakdown. Limited animal
trials and human studies suggest soy-based diets and isoflavones may
lower blood glucose and insulin levels. If proven effective, a soy-based
meal replacement could provide additional benefits to diabetics during
weight reduction. Researchers confirmed soy-based diets, compared to
other low calorie diets, reduce LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and
raise HDL (good) cholesterol. Findings indicate soy may reduce bone loss
in women, but additional clinical trials on soy and bone loss are
needed.
For more information about soyfoods, click here: www.soyfoods.org. To read more about
the research review on soyfoods, click here: www.blackwell-synergy.com.
Source: Soyfoods Association of North
America
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Farmers Take Note: 'Locavores' Are Looking
For You!
Tired of having to expand acreage to maintain or
increase your income from grain farming -- or looking for a side
business to augment your row-crop operation? Then perk up, locavores are
looking for you!
"What's a locavore?" you might ask. Well, according to Margaret Hart,
communications coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture
(MDA), a "locavore -- or localvore as it's sometimes spelled" -- is the
2007 New Oxford American Dictionary "word of the year."
Still clueless? The temptation here is to advise you to "look it up," as
my teachers and parents once did whenever I asked them for a definition
to a word. However, not wishing to annoy you as they once did when
hearing them make such a recommendation to me, and realizing you most
likely won't have the most recent edition of the New Oxford American
Dictionary at your fingertips, I'll fill you in -- rather, I'll let Hart
do that. (She's already looked it up.)
"Locavores are environmentally conscious consumers who shop for food
from their geographic area," she states, in a Jan. 10 MDA news release.
"They're making that commitment because they feel less mileage on their
food means less fossil fuels used in transport, less packaging and
tastier and more nutritious eating. There are a group of consumers who
get even more specific ... they try to buy only food grown within 100
miles of their home. They call themselves '100-milers.' You could say
these consumers are 'eco-eaters.'"
As good as this all sounds, there is still a formidable challenge to
being an eco-eater, adds Hart, "How do you find local food beyond the
area farmers' market, beyond the bounty of summertime?" she posits.
Fortunately, at least for Minnesotans, she follows her own question with
a solution: the MDA's Minnesota Grown Program, which "is focused on
helping growers of produce, livestock and other agricultural products
connect with consumers looking for local products."
Sorry, there is no free lunch attached to this government program for
those who wish to sign up. "Produce growers, livestock producers,
farmers' markets, Christmas tree providers, nurseries and others can
join the Minnesota Grown Program for only $20," writes Hart. On the
other hand, the program's Web site is free to explore, at: www.minnesotagrown.com. And,
once signed in online, consumers can order their free copy of the
Minnesota Grown Directory, "a guide to all things local," which is
printed every April.
Growers who want to participate in this program may register and pay
online at www.minnesotagrown.com, or call
651-201-6469 and leave a complete mailing address. Grower applications
for the 2008 Directory must be made no later than March 1, 2008.
Those who may be uninterested in this program, but who want to learn
more about the word locavore, can do so by clicking here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locavore.
By John Pocock
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Guard Your Grain: A Note From The Soybean
E-Digest Editor
Grain elevators in western Kansas have recently been
victims of theft, according to a United Press International story this
week. If thieves are preying on country elevators, then it's also likely
some will try to steal from on-farm grain bins, especially with the
current high prices for corn, soybeans and wheat.
So, please be vigilant. There's a lot of money, and your safety, at
stake!
If you have tips on how to keep your farm and stored grain safe from
thieves, please write to me (John Pocock) at: jpocock@csdigest.com. I plan to
pass along the best tips that I receive to other readers in a future
edition of the Soybean E-Digest.
As always, you're welcome to write to me if you have concerns, comments
or questions about this issue.
I hope to hear from you soon. Thanks for your readership.
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