When you pull in the drive at the Lance farm, you might expect to see cattle or horses. But a closer look reveals a variety like that about Noah’s Ark. It’s a new business that allows visitors to see, touch and feed exotic animals…..
Category: Agriculture
Cape Girardeau, Missouri: Civil War History
Civil War engineers were simply running out of names, but that doesn’t mean the forts here were not important. It’s a place where the Union troops simply named their forts for the letters of the alphabet…..
Cape Girardeau, Missouri: Bollinger Mill
All this week, we’ll be in Cape Girardeau, Missouri–the place where the river turns a thousand tales. We begin with one of the most photographed sites in all of Missouri…..
Crop Prospects Reported by USDA
In its monthly World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates report, USDA lowered its estimated U.S. corn planted area by 1.5 million acres from March intentions to 90.7 million acres. Planting delays through early June in the eastern Corn Belt and northern Plains are expected to reduce planted area, more than offsetting likely gains in the western Corn Belt and central Plains where planting was ahead of normal by mid-May. Soybean planting area remains unchanged.
For Winter Wheat USDA is forecasting production of 1.45 billion bushels, up 2 percent from the May 1 forecast but still 2 percent below 2010. The United States yield is forecast at 45.3 bushels per acre, up 0.8 bushel from last month but 1.5 bushels less than last year. Expected area for harvest as grain or seed totals 32.0 million acres.
Hard Red Winter production, at 777 million bushels, is up 2 percent from a month ago. Soft Red Winter production is up 2 percent from last month and now totals 434 million bushels. White Winter production totals 240 million bushels, up 2 percent from last month. Of this total, 11.6 million bushels are Hard White and 228 million bushels are Soft White.
Crops Forecasts Impacted by Weather
A challenging weather year for farmers and ranchers all across the country was clearly reflected in USDA’s crop report released yesterday. The report revealed expected drops in both production and supply; therefore, USDA is forecasting record prices not only for corn but also for wheat and soybeans. Prices for all three commodities were moved upward from the May estimates due to weather challenges. The cotton price remained the same as the May estimate, but it is still a record.
Todd Davis, crops economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation says – drought and floods are taking their toll. Davis says corn inventories are still tight and farmers are hoping the weather will cooperate so there will be enough production to increase supplies to a more comfortable level.
Davis points out there is a – very, very tight stocks situation, representing just 19 days of supply. We clearly need a big crop this year to build our supply reservoir. The Farm Bureau economist pointed out that – farmers can still make up for planting delays brought on by flooding, but they clearly need cooperative weather in July and August to make a good corn crop.
Cost of America’s Marketbasket Rising
The American Farm Bureau Federation Markertbasket Survey reveals that retail food prices at the supermarket increased during the second quarter of 2011. The informal survey shows the total cost of 16 food items that can be used to prepare one or more meals was $51.17, up $2.10 or about 4 percent compared to the first quarter of 2011. Of the items surveyed, 14 increased and two decreased in average price compared to the prior quarter. The total average price for the 16 items was up about 8 percent compared to one year ago.
Blame energy costs, says AFBF Economist John Anderson, He says – the effects of continued raw energy cost increases are reverberating throughout the food industry and consumers are bearing the brunt of it. Anderson points out that – after food leaves the farm, costs for transportation, marketing, processing and storage come into play. As a result, as energy prices continue to run up, shoppers are feeling the pinch at the supermarket.
According to the economist, strong consumer demand for meats and dairy products continues to influence retail prices. Consumer demand for meats and dairy products began to recover in 2009, continued through 2010 and is still a factor as we move into the middle of 2011.
Sirloin tip roast, Russet potatoes, sliced deli ham and bacon increased the most in dollar value compared to the first quarter of 2011. At the same time boneless chicken breasts and shredded cheese decreased in average retail price between the quarters.
President Establishes Rural Council
President Obama has signed an Executive Order establishing the White House Rural Council. President Obama says – strong rural communities are key to a stronger America. That’s why I’ve established the White House Rural Council to make sure we’re working across government to strengthen rural communities and promote economic growth.
Chaired by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, the Council will be responsible for providing recommendations for investment in rural areas and will coordinate Federal engagement with a variety of rural stakeholders, including agricultural organizations, small businesses, and state, local, and tribal governments.
In the coming months, the Council will focus on issues important to agriculture such as: jobs, expansion of agricultural markets, access to credit, biofuels, health care, education, broadband, infrastructure and ecosystem markets.
[audio:http://www.stjosephpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/RuralCouncil.mp3|titles=RuralCouncil]Farm Payment Cap Legislation Introduced
Senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Tim Johnson of South Dakota have introduced legislation to cap total farm payments, close loopholes that are being used to, what they call, game the farm payment system, – and target payments to actively engaged farmers who need assistance getting over the bumps that come with ensuring a safe and abundant food supply. Grassley says, – this bill helps ensure that our farmers are able to provide a safe, abundant and inexpensive food supply for consumers at home and around the world, while maintaining the farm safety net that allows the small and medium sized farmers to get through the tough times.
The legislation would set a limit of 250-thousand dollars for married couples for farm payments in an attempt to better target farm program payments to family farmers. Specifically, the bill caps direct payments at 40-thousand; counter-cyclical payments at 60-thousand; and marketing loan gains, loan deficiency payments, and commodity certificates at 150-thousand dollars.
The legislation also closes loopholes that people are using to maximize their take from the federal government. And the bill improves the standard which the Department of Agriculture uses to determine farmers who are actively engaged in their operations.
USDA Reports Child Rearing Costs
The Department of Agriculture says a middle-income family with a child born in 2010 can expect to spend nearly 227-thousand dollars for food, shelter, and other necessities to raise that child over the next 17 years. That figure goes up to nearly 289 thousand if projected inflation costs are factored in. This represents a 2 percent increase from 2009. Expenses for transportation, child care, education, and health care saw the largest percentage increases related to child rearing from 2009. There were very small changes in housing, food, clothing, and miscellaneous expenses on a child since 2009.
The report by USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion notes that family income affects child rearing costs. A family earning less than 57,600 dollars per year can expect to spend a total of 163,440 in 2010 dollars on a child from birth through high school. Similarly, parents with an income between 57,600 and 99,730 can expect to spend 226,920; and a family earning more than 99,730 can expect to spend 377,040 dollars.
The report notes geographic variations in the cost of raising a child, with expenses the highest for families living in the urban Northeast, followed by the urban West and urban Midwest. Families living in the urban South and rural areas have the lowest child-rearing expenses.
Center To Promote MyPlate Concept
Next Monday, officials of USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion will be on the road promoting the importance of MyPlate partnership opportunities at the Institute of Food Technologists’ Annual Meeting and Food Expo in New Orleans. The new MyPlate food icon, released June 2 by First Lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, is a new generation icon with the intent to prompt consumers to think about building a healthy plate at meal times.
Between September 2011 and December 2013, CNPP will lead a coordinated, multi-year, multi-modal, messaging approach among public and private sector partners to help USDA amplify the consumer themes and nutrition messages outlined in the Dietary Guidelines. Resources, such as “how-tos,” supporting messages, and educational materials, will be provided to support each message. Communication themes include: Make Half Your Plate Fruit and Vegetables, Foods to Increase, Foods to Reduce, Balancing Calories, and Be Active Your Way.
The MyPlate food icon and its accompanying messages reflect the recommendations found in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released in January of this year.