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.