Resurveying corn and soybean growers

So just what is the process for resurveying growers who reported unharvested corn and soybeans in late November and early December? Brownfield’s Ken Anderson sat down with Joe Prusacki, director of the statistics division at USDA’s National Ag Statistics Service.

AUDIO: Joe Prusacki, NASS (3:00 MP3)

The Biofuels Interagency Working Group

Following the announcement this week of the Obama Administrations biofuels strategy Brownfield’s Ken Anderson sat down with Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy, and talked about the collaboration between EPA, USDA and DOE. Basically, Buis says he is encouraged by the strategy laid out by the administration.

AUDIO: Tom Buis, CEO, Growth Energy (3:00 MP3)

Creating a robust biofuels industry

USDA Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Wednesday, February 3, announced a proposed rule for the new Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP), a program designed to create a robust biofuels industry and rural jobs. Speaking with farm broadcasters Vilsack said that in order to meet the programs goals, biofuels cannot be specific to one region of the country.

AUDIO: Agriculture Secretary Vilsack (3:00 MP3)

Becoming the powerhouse in conservation

For Jeff Eisenberg, the first day on the job as CEO of the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) was Monday, February 1, the first day of the association’s annual meeting in Orlando. But already Eisenberg says he’s been impressed, in fact Eisenberg tells Brownfield he believes NACD can be the powerhouse conservation organization in the country.

AUDIO: Jeff Eisenberg, CEO, NACD (3:00 MP3)

Discussing meat export issues

Phil Seng, president and CEO of the U.S. Meat Export Federation, at the NCBA annual meeting in San Antonio, sat down with Brownfield’s Ken Anderson, they discussed a wide range of topics, including the outlook for beef exports in 2010, the recent dispute with Taiwan and the political situation in Japan.

AUDIO: Phil Seng, President USMEF (3:00 MP3)

Ethanol’s carbon footprint is good and getting better

While the carbon footprint of ethanol production is an issue with many in the environmental community and the EPA is wrestling with how to measure the carbon footprint of the renewable fuel, Martha Schlicher, bioenergy lead for Monsanto, says ethanol’s carbon footprint is steadily improving.

AUDIO: Martha Schlicher, Monsanto (3:00 MP3)

Meet Indiana’s Logger of the Year

At the 112th annual convention of the Indiana Hardwood Lumberman’s Association this week, the organization honored Tim Werner of Dubois County Indiana with the title, Logger of the Year. In the letter nominating Tim, consulting forester Thom Kinney described Tim as the kind of professional logger the industry needs.

AUDIO: Tim Werner, Logger of the Year (3:00 MP3)

Indiana launches grain bin safety campaign

Led by the Indiana Grain and Feed Association (IGFA), Purdue University and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA), a grain bin safety campaign, “Stop Engulfment in Indiana” has been launched. The campaign will include grain bin training sessions and a Purdue publication, “Dangers of Flowing Grain” being sent with checks from grain elevators to their farmer customers.

AUDIO: Dan McNeil, Chairman, IGFA (3:00 MP3)

World Ag Expo coming up in February

This is the season for some of the biggest ag trade shows in the country. World Ag Expo has been held every year since 1967 in California. The show grew out of the abundance of that state’s wide crop diversity but is open to all producers.

AUDIO: Steven Knudsen, director of communications, World Ag Expo (3 min., MP3)

Reaction to the closing of the Sioux City John Morrell plant

John Morrell & Co.—a division of Smithfield Foods—has announced it will close its hog processing and fresh meat processing plant in Sioux City, Iowa in April.  What does that mean to pork producers in that region who have been marketing hogs to John Morrell, and what does it mean to the nation’s pork industry in general?  We put those questions to Le Mars, Iowa pork producer Bill Tentinger and Nebraska Pork Producers executive director Larry Sitzman.

AUDIO: Bill Tentinger and Larry Sitzman (3 min MP3)

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