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.

Trade remains a key issue for producers here at the Classic

U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab was on hand today for producers. After she spoke upstairs in the Convention Center, she came down for a short press conference, and I mean short. I recorded it for your listening pleasure.

Now, I thought I would go and get a great deal of information out of the press conference, but they only let her speak for a short time. ALthough she was limited to what she could say, she did have some interesting points. She is a great speaker who really captivates the audience. Trade is a major issue right now with deals needing to be made and a lot not getting done, especially with the upcoming Farm Bill. 2007 could be another tough year as far as trade goes, but we’ll see, I know everyone here is stressed out with the Farm Bill, wanting to be heard in the writing process. But, Susan answered what she had time for reminding us all, trade deals need to be made.

YieldGard VT new to the field

Right after the Soy2020 press conference, Monsanto jumped right in to introduce YieldGard VT. Dion McBay, U.S. Marketing Manager for Asgrow and DEKALB soybeans spoke to me about the new seed technology yesterday. I can tell he truly cares about the product and had a lot of good information for me, providing me with an overview of what benefit YieldGard VT will provide for farmers.

Tami Craig Schilling mediated the press conference this morning. By the way, Alyssa and I love Tami. She is fun, entertaining and great to work for because she cares about not only how we are doing, but what we are getting out of the internship. So, now I will get off my little soap box and move on with the Press Conference. Ernesto Fajardo, vice president of Monsanto’s U.S. crop production business kicked things off and Dion followed with great insight to what the product will do for U.S. farmers. He talked about what kind of insect control the crop provides and the genetics that went into improving the YieldGard product.

Getting the most out of soy products for producers

Producers always want to get the most out of their product. And soybean checkoff dollars from across the country are going towards Soy2020, an industry-wide effort that strives for continued competitiveness in the global market. It also gives producers insight to the future and knowing what opportunities and challenges to expect.

This morning they had a press conference and after it was over I caught up with the past and current chairman of the United Soybean Board. This is what they had to say.

I think they both bring up good points and staying competitive is extremely important for producers. And as they said, the demand is continuing to be strong and the pressure remains for the soybean industry to produce enough food, fuel and fiber for the world.