New technology that might amaze you...

In our Ag J Capstone course at Mizzou, we're taking a new twist on things. We are all learning about new media tools, such as Soundslides.

For one of my assignments, I chose to profile Dave Sasse, a Roundup Ready 2 Yield Ambassador.

Since it's my first one, it's a little rough around the edges. But I can't wait to experiment even more with the program and see what other fun things I can create.

Getting fresh faces on the farm

It's a fact in the ag industry that noone can deny - there's a major generation gap in farmers today. The average age of a farmer in Missouri is 60... that's right, 60. So, most of these farmers will be looking to retire or get out of farming sooner rather than later. And this means a big lag in the number of farmers we have.

So, legislation is addressing the issue. It's called the Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Act. Basically, it would encourage anyone getting out of farming, to sell their assets to someone wanting to buy it for agricultural purposes (specifically land). I talked to both a young farmer that's fresh out of college and the Missouri Farm Bureau to get their take on the issue.

The debate that seems to never end: Animal ID

Animal ID is being debated in the Missouri state legislature. And it's not the first time. One of the biggest aspects of Animal ID people bring up is whether to make it voluntary and mandatory.

I talked to a producer from Osage County about the issue and he backs a voluntary system. I see the up's and down's to both sides. But watch the story and see what you think...

Putting a face to the food you buy...

Who says farmers' markets are a thing of the past? You could actually refer to Farmers' Markets as the hip trend right now for consumers wanting to buy fresh food.

In Missouri, the number of markets is on the rise. I did a story on KOMU about this trend and why it's becoming such a popular choice for consumers.

It's a jungle out there...

Hear what action Mizzou's taking to help tigers in the wild.

Roundup Ready 2 Yield one step closer to growers' fields

Soybean growers have been speaking out and wanting better soybean technology in their fields. Well, Monsanto thinks it has the answer with its second-generation soybean technology, Roundup Ready 2 Yield.

Today, Monsanto announced it received import regulatory approval from Japan, the Philippines and Taiwan. This is great news for the company and farmers because this means the new soybean technology is one step closer to growers fields. That also means growers are one step closer to having improved soybean yields (Monsanto says Roundup Ready 2 Yield has the yield potential for a 7-11% per bushel yield increase). Here's what Monsanto had to say:

Monsanto's Roundup Ready 2 Yield Soybeans Receive Key Approvals In Asian Countries
ST. LOUIS, Feb. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) announced today that it has received final regulatory approval in Japan, the Philippines and Taiwan for its second-generation soybean technology, Roundup Ready 2 Yield™ (MON 89788). These approvals represent significant progress toward the commercialization of this new higher-yielding soybean technology.

"Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans are poised to deliver a new yield advantage to U.S. farmers and pave the way for the development of stacked-trait offerings in this oilseed crop," said Robert T. Fraley, Ph.D., chief technology officer and executive vice president of Monsanto Company. "Importantly, this new soybean product is expected to offer farmers a novel way to get more yield out of a single acre of land, a critical step as farmers work to meet the growing food and fuel demands of our world."

It looks like it's a whole new ballgame for soybean growers thanks to Monsanto!

Bloggin' about Podcastin'

Another portion of our Ag J capstone course will be dedicated to learning how to podcast. As a person who started broadcasting at age 16 and currently going through the broadcast sequence at MU, I am looking forward to this portion of the course. 1) I can help teach others and 2) I can learn even more about what goes into making a successful podcast.

One of my favorite podcasts is "This American Life." I like it becasue of the approach they take. It's very conversational and as a listner, I like to hear people talking to me, not at me.

As a broadcaster, I strive to do pieces that are more like this so I can connect more with our listeners. At Brownfield, my boss Cyndi always tried to get me to be more conversational. And believe, I try very hard to accomplish this. But I know still have a lot of work to do.

As a podcast, I think this does a great job of providing information in an entertaining way, as well.

So, I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

MO Soybean Assoc. wants more biodiesel on the road

My second reporting shift of the semester was on a new Biodiesel standard the Missouri Soybean Association (MSA) is pushing this legislative session. The standard would require all diesel fuel sold in the state of Missouri to contact five percent biodiesel (B5). In the legislation, the standard would only be in effect if biodiesel costs less that standard diesel.

I found out all Breaktime locations that have biodiesel are currently selling B5. But if passed, the standard would increase availability. Take a look at what MSA and one local grower have to say about the proposed standard.

Some of you may have heard the "Food versus Fuel" debate triggered by increased ethanol production. Well the soybean industry says that's not even an issue with biodiesel production. When a soybean is crushed to produce biodiesel, the soybean oil is used to make biodiesel and then the soybean meal that's left will be used to make livestock feed (mainly for poultry and pork). So, they say with increased biodiesel production, more feed for animals will be created. And since there's enough production to meet the new standard, the Soybean Association says it won't increase the cost of food, either.

I also need to give a "shout out" to my Broadcast 1 professor, Gary Grigsby. He went out and shot with me. So, my video is awesome thanks to Gary. He also provided great entertainment throughout the day. So, THANKS GARY!

Not all green for Missouri farmers...

While talking to farmers over break, I realized one of the biggest issues they are facing is rising input costs. While many Americans who are generations removed from the farm think growers have it made right now with rising grain prices, that's not the case. Higher input costs, especially fertilizer, is putting the pinch on growers.

So, I decided to do a story for KOMU , a TV news station in Columbia, Mo., on the higher costs and the affect it's having on farmers. As an Ag J student in the broadcast sequence, I will report every Monday night for KOMU. This was my first piece, but overall I learned a lot and I hope Mid-Missourians did, as well. Take a look and see how my story turned out. . (If you click on the player on the right-hand side of the page, you can see how it aired during the 6 o'clock news.)

Dr. Ron Plain, a very well-known and respected University of Missouri Ag Economist, gave me statistics that made this story really hit home. Costs have increased dramatically from last spring and it looks like there's no end in sight.

Fertilizer prices:

Anhydrous ammonia

Spring 2007: $523/ton
Current: $725/ton

Diammonium phosphate

Spring 2007: $0.221/lb
Current: $0.550/lb

Potash

Spring 2007: $0.233/lb
Current $0.425/lb

I hope you enjoyed the story and invite you to stay tuned every week to see what type of ag-related stories I decide to pursue for KOMU.

From one blogger to another...

As part of my Ag J capstone course, we are supposed to analyze someone's blog. And since I am interested in broadcast, I am going in that direction with my analysis. I really look to Ohio Buckeye Ag Radio Network to see how farm broadcasters are using new, innovative technology to help propel their business. So, I'm going to talk about Lindsay's blog: Lindsay's Lesson.

First, the general idea of the website around the barn theme is unique and catchy. To meet the broadcasters, it says "Meet the hired hands." Such cute phrases adds a great deal to the website. I also like the way Lindsay writes - it's in a very casual, reader-friendly style. This makes it nice.

Lindsay's blog posts are short, which is helpful. Many people (including myself) don't always have time to read an entire page of information. By having short entries, it makes it easier to read more of the blog postings.

Her blog talks about more than just agriculture. You would expect that a farm broadcaster would mostly write about ag, but that's not the case. I like this because while I'm getting ag information, I can also find out fun facts on other topics.

Overall, I like reading Lindsay and Andy's blogs. They keep me interested while helping me learn new things at the same time.

It's a new year and that means a new blogging twist...

I'm back! It's been a while, but I am once again blogging. I will continue to blog for you on a weekly basis as part as my Ag Journalism Capstone class. It may take a while to get back into the swing of things, but I'm excited to be able to have the opportunity to blog once again.

Blogging is fun because it's what you make it. So, please stay tuned as my semester progresses.