Category: Agriculture
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Truth
Is the ethanol craze helping us? Read <a href="http://i-r-squared.blogspot.com/2006/11/ethanol-demand-boosting-corn-prices.html"> R-Squared's</a> latest for his take.<br />n<br />n<blockquote>Corn ethanol is not the way. It is a jobs program, and a feel-good measure. It is doing next to nothing for us with respect to energy indepedence, and is now driving up food costs.</blockquote><br />n<br />nHe's even beginning to…
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Skeptical
<a href="http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/12/01/news/state/25-farm.txt" >Farm-to-Table Perspective: Glendive project would boost local agriculture</a><br />n<br />n<blockquote>Bruce Smith, a farm boy from Dagmar, shipped food all over the country during his career in the corporate commodities business.<br />n<br />nOne of his employers sold frozen broccoli, cauliflower, spinach and Brussels sprouts. Another produced margarine, and a third had the second largest…
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After The Fact
I just love the way things work sometimes. It really shows the power the large compamies have over the <acronym title="United States Department of Agriculture, Bought and Paid for by The Big Meat Packers">USDA</acronym>. I never commented on the situation but this summer rice producers in the US had a big problem. It seems like…
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Enough To Eat
<a href="http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/11/19/news/business/54-scientists.txt" >Scientists urge research to aid in balancing food, energy needs</a><br />n<br />n<blockquote>To ensure that there's enough corn to fuel humans as well as vehicles, scientists are urging more research into boosting corn yields and improving ethanol production.<br />n<br />nMany key issues related to expanding the nation's ethanol industry aren't being studied under current…
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Organic Or Not
Hat tip to <a href="http://www.sfolife.net/?p=2121">Randy</a> for this one.<br />n<br />n<a href="http://retail.seekingalpha.com/article/20688" >Wal-Mart's Organic Food Initiative: A Case of Hippie Capitalism Gone Awry?</a><br />n<br />n<blockquote>Wal-Mart (WMT) has run afoul for potentially misrepresenting non-organic food as organic. Much skepticism about Wal-Mart’s true commitment to organic and whole foods greeted Wal-Mart’s original announcement that they are embracing the…
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Drought Aid
<a href="http://www.brownfieldnetwork.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=E1F13B84-EB33-E04B-0E9341A02EF80B79" >Drought aid still dependent on President Bush</a><br />n<br />n<blockquote>Drought aid may get through Congress by the first of the year, but only if President Bush goes along. That’s what South Dakota Democratic Senator Tim Johnson told the Women Involved in Farm Economics (WIFE) Annual Convention in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Saturday.<br />n<br />nAccording…
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Beet Farmers
I've mentioned before the problems the beet farmers are having getting the sugar beets in and now it has come to my attention how much worse it got. Last week on Monday and Tuesday it got really cold and froze the beets. Once the beets freeze like this the farmers have lots of trouble.<br />n<br…
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Stray Wolf Shot
<a href="http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/11/03/news/state/25-wolf.txt" >Agents kill wolf sought in attacks on sheep</a><br />n<br />n<blockquote>The mystery killer has been killed. Federal agents Thursday morning shot a 106-pound wolf believed to be responsible for sheep kills in Garfield, McCone and Dawson counties late last year and earlier this year.<br />n<br />nAbout 120 sheep died and others were injured in…
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How Bad Is It
One of the things that always catches my eye is talk of a drought. I know and understand the problems this situation causes. Australia is experiencing one this year and it is pretty bad. How bad is it?<br />n<br />n<blockquote>EMERGENCY supplies of grain will be imported to feed drought-stricken stock, as forecasts for Australia's winter…
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Rain Problems
I'm lucky. All it's seems to do lately is rain around here but that doesn't bother me. We are storing moisture in the ground for next year and actually growing a little grass. It's not good for all people though.<br />n<br />n<a href="http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/10/26/news/local/20-beets.txt" >Rain could spoil record sugar beet harvest</a><br />n<br />n<blockquote>Seldom does one hear…