I don’t know if you saw the release about USDA recommending that their Office of the Inspector General conduct an audit and perhaps investigation of the United Soybean Board but the allegations are serious. Apparently all is not well in soybean grower organization land. This is evidenced even more by this morning’s announcement of the U.S. Soybean Federation (USSF). I …
ASA Calling For Investigation of USB
All is not rosy in the soybean world as evidenced by a release sent out this morning by the American Soybean Association. “Serious ethical, legal, and financial allegations have been raised about how farmer checkoff funds and program activities are being conducted,” said ASA President John Hoffman, a soybean producer from Waterloo, Iowa. “These significant allegations have caused ASA to …
USDA Makes Unprecedented Change in Crop Report
The U.S. Department of Agriculture today did something it has never done before – adjusted its official October acreage and production estimates for six field crops. “There has never been a complete reissue of a crop production report, with a lock up and with the secretary’s briefing,” said Joe Prusacki with USDA’s National Ag Statistics Service. USDA revised the numbers …
Iowa Farmer Participates in World Food Prize
There were many corporate, government and organization types at the World Food Prize symposium last week in Des Moines – but there were lots of real farmers as well, from all over the world. The opportunity for farmers from different countries to network with each other is very valuable, especially for sharing ideas to increase productivity. Laura Foell is a …
Soybeans Feeding the World
The role of soybeans in helping to feed a growing world population was emphasized at the World Food Prize events in Des Moines this past week by the prominent presence of soybean industry groups like the United Soybean Board. I spoke with USB CEO John Becherer (pictured here on the right with World Food Prize Foundation president Ambassador Ken Quinn) …
The Food and Fuel Story of Soy
Here are a couple of ladies who are World Food Prize winners in my book. They are Victoria Carver (left) with the Iowa Soybean Association who serves on the recently created National Biodiesel Board Sustainability Task Force and Linda Funk with the Soyfoods Council and Soy For Life. I had a chance to visit with both of these lovely ladies …
Soy Sponsored World Food Prize Luncheon
Several soybean groups – including the United Soybean Board, Iowa Soybean Association, Soy Foods Council, WISHH, and World Soy Foundation – jointly sponsored the luncheon today at the World Food Prize symposium. There was a record crowd of more than 750 in attendance, including over 100 students participating in the WFP Youth Institute. Appropriately, the event today is held on …
World Food Dialogue for Solutions
Even though the word “crisis” is being used liberally here at the World Food Prize Norman Borlaug Symposium, there is a great deal of focus on solutions to feeding a growing global population. The “Global Agricultural Crisis of the 21st Century” was the topic of the keynote speaker for the symposium kickoff, Sir Gordon Conway, who is chief scientific adviser …
Commodity Panel at AEM Ag Exec Forum
Three commodity organization representatives attempted to answer the question on everyone’s mind right now regarding commodity trends – where are we headed? Steve Censky of the American Soybean Association, Fred Stemme with the National Corn Growers Association and Alan Tracy of US Wheat Associates all made presentations and took questions from the audience at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers AgExecutive …
RR2Y Soybean Technology Coming In 2009
One of the people bringing technology to farmers in the field here at the Farm Science Review is Agrow/Dekalb Field Advisor, Troy Putnam (pictured on the Monsanto Mobile Greenhouse). Troy says that the exhibit is helping promote the Roundup Ready 2 Yield launch. He describes it as second generation technology that will be in the Asgrow line. Farmers, he says, …