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Iowa bicyclists can ‘refuel’ with chocolate milk

July 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Participants in this week’s RAGBRAI—The Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa—will have the opportunity to refuel their bodies with chocolate milk.

On Thursday, the Midwest Dairy Association will be handing out cartons of ice-cold chocolate milk at a RAGBRAI stop near Baxter.  Annabelle, the extra large Roberts Dairy display cow, will mark the driveway where the milk is available.

Midwest Dairy officials say research has shown low-fat chocolate milk contains the right mix of carbs and proteins to refuel muscles after a tough workout.  The say its unique blend of nutrients helps people rehydrate, replenish and rebuild after strenuous exercise.

The four-thousand servings of chocolate milk were donated by Roberts Dairy and Dean Foods/Land O’ Lakes.

RAGBRAI is a week-long bicycling tour across the state of Iowa.  It draws thousands of spectators and participants, and is considered one of Iowa’s premiere summer events.

Filed Under: Dairy, Events/Organizations, News Tagged With: , ,

Pork carcass cutout value hits record high price

July 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures settled 60 to 125 points higher on the firmness in beef values on the midday boxed beef report as well as renewed support in the grain complex. Strong demand and a weaker dollar lent additional support to the market that had seen lackluster movement in the early trade. October finished with the biggest gain. August settled at 111.70 up 1.05, and October was up 1.25 at 116.15.

Boxed beef cutout values were weak on choice and firm on select on light to moderate demand and moderate offerings. Choice boxed beef was down .60 at 174.74, and select was up .72 at 170.94.

Despite the strong upward movement in corn futures feeder cattle finished the session .05 to 85 points higher. Support for the feeder issues came from the higher values in the live pit. August settled at 136.10 up .05, and September was up .55 at 137.92.

Lean hogs settled 15 higher to 77 lower but mostly in the red. The report of lower pork prices in China last week after strong prices since April weighed on the lean hog issues. Traders fear the lower prices could be signaling softer demand at a time when the U.S. futures market has been rallying on expectations of strong export business headed to the country. But the news seemed to lose its bearishness as futures finished off of session lows as traders were optimistic about the stability of cash and wholesale pork values. August settled .45 lower at 100.47, and October was down .77 at 91.70.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Closing Futures & Livestock Briefs, Markets Tagged With: , , ,

Closing Grain and Livestock Futures: July 26, 2011

July 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Sept. corn closed at $6.89 and 3/4, up 11 cents
Aug. soybeans closed at $13.83, up 17 and 1/2 cents
Aug. soybean meal closed at $360.50, up $4.70
Aug. soybean oil closed at 56.59, up 49 points
Sept. wheat closed at $6.94, up 5 and 1/2 cents
Aug. live cattle closed at $111.70, up $1.05
Aug. lean hogs closed at $100.47, down 45 cents
Sept. crude oil closed at $99.59, up 39 cents
Oct. cotton closed at 101.09, up 400 points
Aug. Class III milk closed at $21.10, down 16 cents
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 12,501.30, down 91.50 points

Filed Under: Closing Futures & Livestock Briefs, Markets Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Anti-GMO groups planning D.C. march

July 26, 2011 By 1 Comment

Groups and individuals who want genetically modified foods to be labeled as such say they are mobilizing to raise awareness and pressure the government to address their concerns.

A key element of their campaign is what they call the “GMO Right2Know March” on Washington, D.C., which will take place in early October.  Spokesmen for the effort say Americans have a right to know what is in their food and are calling for mandatory labeling of food produced with GMOs.

Filed Under: Crops, Events/Organizations, News, USDA/Government Tagged With: , ,

Tuesday midday cash livestock prices

July 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

USDA Mandatory is reporting a slow cattle trade on light demand in Kansas, and some producers there have not had any inquiry yet this week. A few early sales sold at 107.00 are 1.00 lower than last week. All other regions are inactive at this time on very light inquiry. Although the new show lists are mixed, smaller in the South and larger in the North, the fed cattle offering remains relatively large.  The dubious meat demand through the hot summer days will remain seriously challenged. Asking prices are around 110.00 to 111.00 in the South, and 176.00 to 178.00 in the North.

Boxed beef cutout values are mixed in the morning report, with the choice down .13 at 175.21, and the select is up 1.12 at 171.34.

Feeder cattle receipts at the Joplin Regional Stockyards on Monday totaled 2812 head. Compared to last week’s sale, steer calves traded 5.00 to 8.00 higher on those weights less than 600 pounds. Heifer calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 2.00 to 6.00 higher. Steers over 600 pounds were steady and heifer mates were steady to 3.00 lower. Feeder steers medium and large 1 and 1-2 weighing 500 to 600 pounds brought 127.00 to 148.00 per hundredweight, 6 to 7 weights from 125.00 to 145.25. Feeder heifers weighing 500 to 600 pounds traded from 118.00 to 137, and 6 to 7 weights brought 116.00 to 135.00 at Joplin, Missouri.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Livestock, Markets Tagged With: ,

Rural Utilities Service administrator to visit Iowa

July 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The administrator of the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service Jonathan Adelstein will be in north-central Iowa today (Tuesday).  He will visit an OmniTel Communications site in Rudd, Iowa where the company is in the process of deploying a 35-million dollar fiber-optic network. 

Adelstein’s visit is part of a campaign called The Great Disconnect, launched by a coalition of Iowa telecommunications companies.  It’s designed to increase awareness with government officials and the general public as to the negative impact that proposed new federal regulations could have on those independent telecommunication companies and the rural communities they serve.

Iowa Telecommunications Association spokesman Joe Hrdlicka says Adelstein will visit a farm, where he will see how investments in broadband technology benefit end users.

 “We’re going to bring a tractor in and show how a broadband connection is used to download data to a GPS system on the tractor,” Hrdlicka says. “We’re going to also show some other uses of broadband, particularly on the farm and in rural-directed businesses.” 

Hrdlicka says a proposal by the Federal Communications Commission—called the National Broadband Plan—could jeopardize Iowa’s access to equitable and fairly-priced communications services in the next few years.  He says that is the message they will convey to Adelstein.

“The financing that’s provided through his particular agency could be in jeopardy, based on our companies’ abilities to pay those loans back, if some of the plans the FCC is currently contemplating go into effect,” Hrdlicka says.

OmniTel Telecommunications, located in Nora Springs, Iowa, serves approximately 55-hundred customers with voice, Internet and cable television.  More than 145 Iowa independent telecommunications companies are part of the Independent Telecommunications Companies Coalition.

AUDIO: Joe Hrdlicka (5:49 MP3)

Filed Under: Events/Organizations, News, USDA/Government Tagged With: , ,

Why drink chocolate milk after exercise?

July 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Chocolate milk is being promoted as “nature’s sports drink” but why?  According to Dairy Research Institute President Greg Miller, studies show it is superior in muscle recovery following vigorous exercise to water or carbohydrate sports drinks.   But why not regular, white milk? 

HEALTHY LIVING PROGRAM – Chocolate Milk exercise benefits (1:30 mp3)

DRI study – Low fat chocolate milk, positive role in fitness

Filed Under: Feature Programs, Healthy Living Tagged With: ,

Meat smoking and grilling is a good sideline business

July 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Bill Miller grows corn, soybeans and wheat and has a cow-calf operation near the small town of Upland in south-central Nebraska.  Bill is active in the ag industry, currently serving as a farmer-director on the Nebraska Soybean Board.  But Miller is also well-known locally for his meat smoking and meat grilling talents.  Bill says he has been doing it for over 20 years.

AUDIO: Bill Miller (3:00 MP3)

Filed Under: Feature Programs, Managing for Profit Tagged With: , ,

Indiana FSA reminds of programs to assist in livestock losses

July 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Prolonged hot and humid temperatures over the past few weeks have caused serious harm to Indiana livestock and poultry.  Farm Service Agency State Executive Director Julia Wickard reminds Indiana farmers that there are FSA programs that may be able to assist them.   Wickard says producers need to document the number and type of livestock that have died as a result of the heat conditions and notify their local FSA office in a timely manner of their losses. 

For producers to be eligible for the Livestock Indemnity Program, the livestock must be owned or grown under contract by the producer and raised for commercial use.  Payment for losses is determined by USDA calculations.

Wickard encourages farmers who have had losses or have questions to contact their local FSA county office

Filed Under: Livestock, News, USDA/Government Tagged With: , , ,

Heat and humidity continue to stress crops

July 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Like many of the Corn Belt states, prolonged high heat and humidity caused extreme stress on livestock and crops.  As of Sunday, 30 percent of the corn crop had silked, compared to 90 percent last year with just 48 percent of the crop in good to excellent condition down 7 percent from last week 13 percent lower than last year at this time.

Only 40 percent of the soybean crop is blooming compared to 77 percent last year and only 5 percent of the crop is setting pods, 28 percent behind last year’s pace.  The good to excellent rating dropped 8 points from last week to 51 percent.

Pasture conditions are 50 percent good to excellent and the second cutting of alfalfa was 81 percent complete, 10 percent behind last year.

Filed Under: Crops, News Tagged With: , , , , ,
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