Will you collect corn cobs in the future?

Several hundred farmers attended POET Ethanol’s Project LIBERTY field day near Emmetsburg, Iowa this week.  The event featured live demonstrations of corn cob harvesting and transporting equipment from leading manufacturers and an informational session for farmers on the opportunities afforded them by harvesting biomass for cellulosic ethanol. Corn cobs are the feedstock of choice for POET’s effort to commercialize cellulosic ethanol and we asked POET’s vice president for commercial development, Scott Weishaar, how farmers are responding to the project.

AUDIO: Scott Weishaar (3 min MP3)

Mold in the corn? Talk to your crop insurance agent.

The wet fall has kept a lot of combines out of the fields across the Midwest and a lot of corn still standing. Mold is starting to show up in some of that corn and producers should be in contact with their crop insurance provider.

AUDIO: Candy Sarbacker talks about the mold problem 3:00

Genetics key to SDS resistance in beans

Wet conditions this growing season contributed to the increase in Sudden Death Syndrome in soybeans.  An Iowa State Extension agronomist tells Brownfield seed genetics is crucial in preventing or limiting this devastating crop condition.

AUDIO: Palle Pederson, assistant professor at Iowa Sate University and Soybean Extension Agronomist (3 min., MP3)

Estate tax has impact on farmers

The estate tax is approaching its sunset. The much maligned, so-called ‘death tax’ will be phased out by the end of 2009, only to reappear a year later with provisions considered by many agricultural organizations to be onerous to farmers and small business owners aiming to pass on their livelihoods to succeeding generations. Ron Durst of USDA’s Economic Research Service talks about how farmers are impacted by the estate tax.

AUDIO: Ron Durst (3 min. MP3)

The challenges of marketing grain and controlling expenses

Brownfield’s Ken Anderson spent some time in a Nebraska corn field this week with the crew from North Star Farms, Staplehurst, Nebraska.  Ken crawled in the grain truck with Brian Schulz as he took a load of corn to town and they started talking about how marketing grain and controlling expenses are the biggest challenges that many farmers face.

AUDIO: Brian Schulz (3 min MP3)

Don’t cut corners with your vaccination program

With milk prices what they are, dairy producers are looking for any possible way to cut expenses but there are some areas you just cannot afford to cut. Dr. Joe Dedrickson with Merial says one of those areas is fighting coliform mastitis.

AUDIO: Dr. Joe Dedrickson talks about fighting coliform mastitis 3:00

Breed still has its followers

Purebred cattlemen stick by their cattle breed certainly for reasons of efficiency and profit. They would not stay in business if their animals didn’t perform. But another reason for consistency is loyalty to the breed. Few cattlemen are more loyal to their breed than Hereford stockmen. Earlier this year several of the America Hereford Association staff and board members hosted a tour of feedlots and seed stock providers to spotlight some of the Hereford breed’s selling points.

AUDIO: Jack Ward and Bill King (3 min. MP3)

New technology in DNA sequencing

Patrick Tranel, Professor of Weed Science at the University of Illinois says the new technology being used in DNA sequencing can be used to develop tools and resources with management implications. And the amount of time it takes is pretty incredible.

AUDIO: Patrick Tranel, University of Illinois (3:00 MP3)

Quality, good relations please trading partner

U.S. soybean growers do good work in producing a high quality crop, but Taiwanese soybean crusher Chou Tsao-Hsing, who simplifies his name to Eric for his American hosts, says it’s much more than the quality of the soybeans coming out of the field that keeps his country a happy customer. Everything from a solid relationship to a reliable transportation system have contributed to repeat business from the island nation.

AUDIO: ‘Eric’ Chou Tsao-Hsing (3 min. MP3)

It’s important to keep good records during harvest

With harvest running late, farmers are understandably anxious about getting their crops out of the field.  In your rush to complete harvest, though, here’s a friendly reminder from Iowa State University farm management specialist Steve Johnson that good records are important in determining Actual Production History (APH) for crop insurance purposes.

AUDIO: Steve Johnson (3 min MP3)

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