When Will We Admit that our Corn Ethanol Policy is Immoral?

Twenty-eight states have ethanol facilities which are producing 14.2 billion gallons of corn ethanol per year. Iowa produces 25% of the nation's ethanol, and Nebraska comes in second, producing 14% or 1.96 billion gallons.Sources: Renewable Fuels Association, Washington, DC.Nebraska Energy Office, Lincoln, NE.Data updated September 26, 2011Having just returned from a trip to Eastern Nebraska, I

U.S. Weekly Grain Market in Review September 30, 2011

~September 30, 2011~Compared to last week, grain and soybean bids were lower with wheat trading higher. Wheat found support from dryness in the U.S. HRW wheat areas and production concerns in the spring wheat region, along with lack of farmer selling. The weekly Winter Wheat Planting report showed 26 percent of the crop planted as compared to 14 percent last week and 32 percent last year. Corn

The U.S. Corn Crop Accounts for 65% of Nitrogen Use by Farmers

About 69 percent of U.S. cropland planted with major field crops (barley, corn, cotton, oats, peanuts, sorghum, soybeans, and wheat), or 167 million acres, receives commercial and/or manure nitrogen. Corn accounts for 45 percent of U.S. crop acreage receiving manure and 65 percent of the 8.7 million tons of nitrogen applied by farmers each year. Using data from USDA’s Agricultural Resources

1999 Photo of Iowa Dairy Farm

Dairy farm in northeast Iowa.source: usda

A Breakdown of Food Insecurity in the U.S.

In 2010, 6.4 million U.S. households—5.4 percent of households—had very low food security at some time during the year. In these households, the food intake of one or more members was reduced and eating patterns were disrupted at times during the year because the household lacked money or other resources for food.In 2009, 5.7 percent of U.S. households had very low food security.Some household

Food as a Percent of Total Household Budget by Country

The world’s poor faced the greatest burden from higher food prices. In developing nations, like those in the Middle East, more than 40 percent of average household budgets go toward food purchases. Even in the emerging BRIC countries of Brazil, Russia, India and China, between a quarter and a third of household income is spent on food. In more affluent nations, like the United States, the average

Science Canada's "The Innovators" of Agriculture

"What the farmers needed was a hero. That hero was science."This film was put together by www.agr.gc.ca and Science Canada to celebrate the fact that the first five research farms were established in Canada 125 years ago. Now there are 19 research farms there.(Excuse the melodrama.)

Agriculture News September 26, 2011

Greetings from Nebraska, after getting my much-needed battery recharge at the Prairie Festival in Salina, Kansas this past weekend. What an event to enable one to dream of a truly sustainable system of food production and share the vision of true visionaries. You may not believe all of the problems this world faces could be solved in a day and a half of speakers, but looking back, I do believe

One Example of a Vermont Farm Destroyed by Hurricane Irene's Flooding

Many farmers in the Eastern U.S. were hurt by Hurricane Irene's flooding. Lately we're being told there is a pumpkin shortage because of it. In the above video, the farmers of Evening Song Farm in Cuttingsville, Vermont, describe the damage when Mill River flooded and washed away their vegetable fields. This is just one example of the many farms that were destroyed in the storm.

Dave Matthews and Neil Young Singing at the 2011 Farm Aid Concert

These took place in Kansas City in August of 2011 at the 26th Farm Aid Concert. For more Farm Aid concert videos from years past, go to their youtube site.

The 2011 Farm Aid Letter to AG Eric Holder and Sec. Vilsack

Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Dave Matthews, John MellencampFarm Aid has now raised $39 million, in 25 plus years, towards promoting agricultural policies which help the small family farm in America.To visit the Farm Aid website to sign the "take action" form and to see much other good information, click here.

A Poison-Free Homemade Mouse Trap for Your Farm

Or, you could just keep cats around the place.

U.S. Weekly Grain Market in Review September 23, 2011

~September 23, 2011~Compared to last week, grain and soybean bids were under pressure closing sharply lower with most losses noted on Thursday. The higher U.S. dollar, steep declines in the stock market, a collapse in energy and metals triggered the grains into negative territory. Rain in the Southern Plains also led to the declines in wheat, while corn saw slow export demand. Harvest was slow

Nebraska Farmland Prices 2006-2011

Nebraska farmland values climbed higher with strong farm incomes and a limited number of farms for sale during the growing season. Compared to the second quarter of last year, Nebraska cropland values soared 30 percent higher and ranchland values jumped 17 percent.source: The Nebraska Economist [pdf]

1989 Idaho Concrete Ditch Irrigation Photo

Irrigation field ditchsource: usda

Income For the Average American Farm Comes from Off-Farm Sources

Most farm households earn the majority of their income from off-farm sources and off-farm income is expected to increase by 3.0 percent in 2011, to 51,889. Note that off-farm sources include wages and salaries from off-farm jobs, other businesses, dividends and interest, and other public and private sources.In contrast to the general farm household population, households associated with

Recommended: A Great Read About the State of Farming in Canada

It takes quite a bit to excite me these days about a pundit's writing on Ag (I was fairly bored with The Nation's current "food issue" same ol' same ol') and just then along comes one of the best writings I've ever read from a lesser know source. I don't often make a post just telling you to read a certain article, but this one out of Canada's Walrus Magazine by Chris Turner cannot be missed and

2011 Ratio of Stocks-to-Use for Total World Grains and Oilseeds Near Record Low

The ratio of global ending stocks to total use can be a reliable indicator of market prices (the lower the ratio, the tighter the market and the higher the price.) Currently, the stocks-to-use ratios for corn and soybeans are near record lows. The stocks-to-use ratios for wheat and rice suggest reasonably comfortable stock levels, but the shortage of milling-quality wheat has put strong upward

Agriculture News September 19, 2011

This past weekend of beautiful fall weather here in Boulder was spent cooking with some of the garden's produce by making a great vegetarian pizza (using cherry and pear tomatoes, green pepper, basil, chives, and onions), making a 100-year old Nebraska apple crisp recipe using our neighbor's apples, and I sorted through some old paper in an attempt to "clean" my office (a constant battle

India's Agricultural Sector

India has a large and diverse agricultural sector, accounting, on average, for about 16 percent of GDP and 10 percent of export earnings. Its arable land area of 159.7 million hectares (394.6 million acres) is the second largest in the world (after the United States), and its gross irrigated crop area of 82.6 million hectares (215.6 million acres) is the largest in the world. India is among the

Documentary Film Trailer: Farmageddon

Farmageddon: the Unseen War on American Family FarmsI'll let the reader decide. The Boston Globe calls it pretty one-sided.

Perennial Plate's Daniel Klein Visits a Big Sky Country Ranch

The Perennial Plate Episode 70: The Cows and The Horses: Almost halfway through our six-month, food-focused journey across America, we found a place we didn't want to leave: the stunning J Bar L Ranch, situated on 30,000 acres in southwest Montana in one of the most important wildlife corridors in the country....

TED Talk: Richard Resnick on Genomic Advancement

Genome work is coming at us rapidly and it won't be stopped.In this accessible talk from TEDxBoston, Richard Resnick shows how cheap and fast genome sequencing is about to turn health care (and insurance, and politics) upside down.At 7:00-7:30 minutes Richard Resnick shifts from talking about curing human disease to plant genomics and feeding the world, saying that it will only be possible by

The September 2011 Rice Outlook

A recurring grain commodity theme that we see here in the U.S. this season continues with rice:The U.S. export forecast was reduced 100,000 tons this month to 3.05 million tons based on smaller domestic long-grain supplies and reduced global competitiveness of the United States based on higher domestic prices. This reduction was partially offset by a 50,000-ton increase in Brazil’s export

U.S. Weekly Grain Market in Review for September 16, 2011

~September 16, 2011~Compared to last week, grain and soybean bids were lower. The USDA report released Monday morning set the tone for the markets with wheat and soybeans lower and corn higher. Bad news later in the week pressured the grain into double digit losses as wheat saw declines on slow exports, talk of growing supplies around the world, and rain in the forecast for the HRW wheat region.

In My Backyard: Longmont, Colorado Turkey Processing Plant is Closing Citing Ethanol Subsidies and High Fuel Costs

Rod Brenneman, president and chief executive officer of Butterball, is blaming ethanol and high fuel costs in its decision to close the Longmont, Colorado plant which employs 350 people and has been in operation as a turkey processing plant since 1950. It is one of six Butterball plants in the U.S."... government ethanol subsidies and record-high fuel prices for much of 2010 and 2011 contributed

1994 Ranching Photo: Salinity in Utah Basin

In the Colorado River Basin, salinity issues are a challenge for landowners and resource professionals. 1994. [source: usda]

Biomass is Being Used to Offset Greenhouse Emissions from Ethanol Plants and from Coal Electrical Generation

Note that in this post, I've included two graphics from the Shell report, "Shell Energy Scenarios to 2050." [Source: pdf] Most future energy growth will come from non-OECD nations, and the OECD nations are expected to experience a decrease in energy demand. Not unexpectedly, cheap coal will continue to be used and its use will increase. The trend to use biomass for offsetting carbon emissions

The 2011 Solar Decathlon: Three Entrants Which Included Food Growing in their Models

Each year, as a blogger, I've enjoyed covering the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon which takes place on the National Mall in Washington D.C. In this post, I've picked three of the college student's models which each incorporated gardens into their plans. At the end is a link to view all of the contest model videos, if you wish, including entries from China, New Zealand, and Canada,

"The Sun" Interviews Stewart Brand

I was absolutely delighted to read this lengthy interview of Stewart Brand in my September 2011 subscription issue of "The Sun". Brand was a forefather to the environmental movement of the 60's and 70's. He knows his subjects, is a realist, and is not afraid of taking a stance. He has plenty to say about agriculture and favors scientific use of GMO's citing important advancements which have been

What the Average American Eats in a Year

Graphic via Sarah Kliff. Full size here. h/t FTAlphaville

A Personal Life Milestone...

Today my husband and I celebrate our 25th anniversary.What greater gift can spouses give each other than the freedom to choose how to live? The great mythologist, Joseph Campbell, who taught at the women's college Sarah Lawrence for 38 years, once said that when he went to reunions he could easily see which of his students had married husbands who allowed them to become who they wanted to be and

Agriculture News September 12, 2011

Please note that under each week's "Boulder Local" section at the bottom you may find some of the more interesting food coverage around, in my opinion.---KMToday's WASDE report: Gov't estimates smaller corn surplus, could drive food prices higher in 2012 (AP) (Corn production down, wheat up, rice up, soybeans up from last month.)Argentine Corn ‘Terrifyingly’ Cheap Compared with Chicago on Export

How Do We Feed the World Without Destroying it? TED Talk on Agriculture.

Professor Jonathan Foley is the Director of the Institute on the Environment at the University of the Minnesota who focuses on the behavior of complex global environmental systems and their interactions with human societies. In particular, Foley's research group uses state-of-the-art computer models and satellite measurements to analyze changes in land use, ecosystems, climate and freshwater

A Trip to the Charlottetown Farmers Market August 2011

The last Saturday in August found me at the Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, farmers market. It had a great flavor, combining fresh fruits and vegetables, crafts, food products, locally roasted coffee, and a lox bagel sandwich booth that was "cleaning up". (I had one and it was the best.)I particularly enjoyed visiting with the spice lady who taught me to dry my lemongrass for winter use and

How True! Farmer in Charlottetown Lays it Out Like it is.

Note that the above words were on a blackboard at a farmers market booth in Charlottetown, P.E.I. when I visited two weeks ago. See actual below:

Photo: Hurricane Irene Waves at Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia

This is a photo that I took during travels on August 29, 2011, the day after the hurricane hit Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia. In my news items earlier this week, I included the Boston Globe's Big Picture photo coverage of Hurricane Irene and #31 was taken in the same location on August 28th, the actual day the hurricane hit the area the hardest. Luckily, there are people on the photo to give you a

U.S. Weekly Grain Market in Review for September 9, 2011

~September 9, 2011~Compared to last week, grain and soybean bids were lower. The markets opened with modest losses on Tuesday after the grain exchanges were closed Monday in observance of the Labor Day Holiday. Soybeans and wheat had selling interest on a lower stock market and a stronger dollar. However, the stock market did recover during the week. Despite the rally in the financial sector

FAO September 2011 Report: Global Cereal Prices are Headed Up

The FAO Food Price Index remained nearly unchanged in August (from July) but was 26 percent higher than in August 2010.International cereal prices rose in August, in particular wheat.Firmer cereal prices in August were largely offset by declines in international prices of most other commodities included in the Index, the oils and dairy in particular.

Year-to-date Ethanol Exports in 2011 are Already More than the Combined Total of 2009 and 2010 Exports

From Renewable Fuels Association: "Unprecedented U.S. ethanol exports continue to be driven by the fact that corn ethanol is currently the lowest-cost motor fuel source in the world."Top destinations: Canada, Brazil, and European Union.Through July 2011, we've exported roughly 7.5% of our total ethanol output.Year-to-date DDGS exports total 4.43 million metric tons, meaning the U.S. is on pace to

China Leads Global Cotton Consumption and Production

The latest (August 2011) USDA estimates for 2011/12 project global cotton consumption at approximately 115.2 million bales. After August reductions in both 2010/11 and 2011/12, cotton consumption for the current season is now forecast to grow about 1 percent after a decline of nearly 4 percent in 2010/11. The top four cotton-spinning countries—China, India, Pakistan, and Turkey—are forecast to

1939 Iowa Farm Art

Grant Wood's Fertility (1939) celebrates the agricultural revolution on the Great Plains.

Extremes of the Weather: Summer 2011 in the U.S.

Are we all thinking it but afraid to ask? What if? What if the extreme weather events of this year continue and accelerate in frequency as each new year unfolds? A growing number of climate scientists have predicted that changes will happen more rapidly than earlier models suggested. Weather determines agricultural production. Period.As of now, expectations are that our corn yields, which allowed

Brazil's Record Soybean Supply Means Favorable Export Potential as the U.S.'s Diminishes

As of the August 2011 forecast, Brazil produced a record 2010/11 soybean crop of 75.5 million tons (up 1 million tons from last month's estimate based on the latest harvest results). The upward adjustment in Brazil’s historical yield trend for soybeans improves the new-crop outlook—raising the 2011/12 crop projection by 1 million tons to 73.5 million. Projected soybean area for Brazil is

Agriculture News September 6, 2011

Oh, woe is me. I am so far behind blogging that I shall never catch up, after being gone on vacation for more than a week. Don't you agree with me that my support staff did a great job while I was gone? In the links below, I've included the Boston Globe's Big Picture coverage of Hurricane Irene. Interestingly, they included one of Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia. Our trip found us there the day after

The Peasant Had More Freedom than We Do. Oh. Ouch!

Hat tip to No Tech magazine for pointing us to the BBC documentary series, "Terry Jones' Medieval Lives." (All eight episodes available online.) If you have the time, watch the first one, titled "peasants." I took the following quote from the episode:

But since the lord of the manor was often away from the estate fighting the kings wars, he had to be able to rely on his peasants to organize

U.S. Agricultural Trade Balance is Projected to Lose Ground

Data Source: USDA Outlook for Agricultural Trade (fiscal years 2007-12, year ending September 30; 2011 and 2012 are forecasted amounts)
As we all know, every nation wants to increase its exports, and many think that agriculture is the gimme sector in which to do so. Interestingly, our corn export market share is decreasing due to high prices, at 65% higher than one year ago. In the 1990's, corn

U.S. weekly Grain Market in Review for September 2, 2011

~September 2, 2011~
Compared to last week, grain bids were mostly lower with soybeans trading higher. The markets opened the week on a positive tone with corn and soybeans formulating new contract highs on concerns over yields, lost production, and supply issues. The Stock Market and crude oil both posted sharp gains with the dollar lower. As the month of September began, the grains took a sharp

1941 UK Farm Photo: Ploughing with Horse

1941 Ploughing a double row in Mangold seed
at the farm of S. O. Ratcliff, Maldon, Essex