
A new report from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business says agricultural industries contributed to Indiana's economy in 2011 in a big way. The economic total is $37.9 billion and the job total is 190,000. The study was funded by Indiana's soybean farmers through the Indiana Soybean Alliance. Roz Leeck, the Director of Grain Marketing and Biofuels at ISA explained why Indiana farmers made the investment. "We know that agriculture contributes mightily to the Indiana economy and we wanted to put some of those numbers down on paper in a more complete format.
In a lifetime full of memorable years, 2013 should be near the front of the pack for Indiana dairy farmer from Fountain City Duane Hill. He was the rookie Indy 500 milkman last year which means after this year's race as head milkman he has the honor of delivering the bottle of milk to the winning driver. Then he'll retire at the end of year, and it's a hard profession to walk away from. "It'll be tear jerking," he said.
Senate Ag Committee Passes New Farm Bill The Senate Agriculture Committee passed a new version of the Farm Bill on Tuesday. The mark up did not go as quickly or as smoothly as it did last summer when the committee first took up a new Farm Bill. Most of the titles sailed through without dissent, [...]
The United States Supreme Court has ruled in the case of Bowman v. Monsanto and the outcome suggests the Indiana farmer didn’t stand much of a chance. The court agreed with Monsanto's assertion that Indiana farmer Vernon Bowman violated the company's patents on soybean seeds. American Soybean Association President Danny Murphy from Mississippi said the 9-0 ruling should send a strong message, "that the court and the United States government, across the Obama administration was supportive on the Monsanto side, that we believe in technology. We believe in patent law and that those companies should have the right to benefit from their intellectual property."
Work on a New Farm Bill will Begin Again This Week After a 4 month hiatus, Congress will resume work on a new Farm Bill this week. The Senate Ag Committee will begin its markup on Tuesday with the House Ag committee beginning on Wednesday. Kent Yeager with Indiana Farm Bureau believes there is [...]
Posted on 17 May 2013 by Gary Truitt
Investigators have announced that the cause of the West Fertilizer Company explosion has been ruled undetermined. This ruling is made when the cause can’t be proven to an acceptable level of certainty – which may be due to insufficient information or the inability to eliminate multiple causes. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms did [...]
Posted on 17 May 2013 by Gary Truitt
U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack responded Friday to the action taken by the House and Senate Agriculture Committees to move toward passage of a five-year, comprehensive Food, Farm and Jobs Bill. He said the Senate bill would help revitalize the rural economy by supporting agricultural trade, local and regional food systems, renewable energy and biobased [...]
Posted on 17 May 2013 by Andy Eubank
Indiana Governor Mike Pence has announced that he is withdrawing previously offered incentives for Midwest Fertilizer Company to build a fertilizer plant in Posey County. The Governor’s release follows: On November 30, 2012, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) offered a package of incentives to Midwest Fertilizer Company to build a fertilizer manufacturing facility in [...]
Posted on 17 May 2013 by Gary Truitt
The online votes have been tallied, and Betty Rosson, a Virginia grain and cattle farmer, is Monsanto’s 2013 America’s Farmers Mom of the Year. Betty’s nomination, submitted by son Charles, was chosen by judges of American Agri-Women as regional winner for the Southeast. Online voting was conducted in early May, during which time anyone could visit [...]
Posted on 17 May 2013 by Hoosier Ag Today
12:31 update Old crop corn in July up 13 and beans 15 higher into resistance above $14.40 June cattle dawdle at $119.70 June hogs cave in falling to $92.02 off $ .85 Hog volumes double that of cattle—unusual Stocks hold gains with Dow up 58 11:39 update July corn up 11 at $ 6.52 with [...]
Posted on 16 May 2013 by Gary Truitt
It has been mostly dry and warm in NE Indiana, and that has let growers in that area catch up on delayed planting. Stephanie Smith, DuPont Pioneer agronomist, says the dust has been flying in her area this week, "We have had quite a bit of crop put in the ground. I would estimate that 80% of the corn has been planted and about half the soybeans are in."
Posted on 14 May 2013 by Andy Eubank
Corn done and beans almost too In the Monday USDA planting progress report for Indiana the northern part of the state was leading the charge for getting corn seed in the ground. Forty-four percent of the acres had been planted in the north compared with 21 percent in the central and 19 percent in the [...]
Posted on 13 May 2013 by Gary Truitt
HAT Farmer Field Update: Too Wet, Too Cold, Keeps Planting Progress Slow Weekend rain and frosty temperatures are keeping the pace of planting in Indiana slow. JR Roesner is one of the newer members of the Hoosier Ag Today farmer field team. He told HAT that, in Sullivan county where he farms, it has [...]
Posted on 16 May 2013 by Gary Truitt
Following the Senate confirmation of Ernest Moniz for the Secretary of Energy, Tom Buis CEO of Growth Energy released the following statement: “I would like to congratulate Ernest Moniz on his confirmation as the Secretary of Energy. President Obama has chosen an excellent and well-qualified individual to lead the Department of Energy and I look forward [...]
Posted on 15 May 2013 by Gary Truitt
A report released by Dr. Steffen Mueller of the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Energy Resources Center shows that ethanol not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared to petroleum – but is continuing to steadily improve upon the levels at which it does so. In his study findings – Mueller outlines how ethanol has helped [...]
Posted on 14 May 2013 by Gary Truitt
Tom Buis - Growth Energy CEO – says the farm bill legislation approved by the Senate Ag Committee contains a number of important provisions to continue incentivizing the production of renewable fuels to decrease our dependence on foreign oil and help create American jobs. He says the energy title will establish the certainty necessary for investors and [...]
12 May 2013
We just finished celebrating Mother’s Day, a day dedicated to honoring all the good things mothers do for us. High on this list is nurturing, protecting, and comforting. No matter if you are 6 or 60, when you have an accident, your mother is concerned and wants to do what she can to make things better. Most of us can remember fondly when Mom put a Band-Aid on our knee or paid our first speeding ticket. Mothers also show love and compassion for us by not always helping us out. This kind of tough love might involve giving us a [...]