Agriculture

Sen. Roberts: NBAF Construction Set To Begin

Laura Ziegler — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:33:24 +0000

Groundbreaking for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility will take place next Tuesday in Manhattan, Kansas according to a release from Senator Robert's office.

Cost sharing for this phase of the animal disease lab will be about equal - 50/50- for the independent power plant required on the 48 acre site at Kansas State University. Both Kansas and the federal government are putting in roughly $40 million.

5 Things You Should Know About The Genetically Modified Food You’re Probably Eating

Jeremy Bernfeld — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:31:47 +0000

Would you feed your family genetically modified food? Chances are, you already have.

On Thursday's Central Standard, the science behind genetically modified (GMO) and genetically engineered (GE) food. The guests:

Kan. Senate Gives First Round Approval For Additional NBAF Funds

Laura Ziegler — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:44:54 +0000

Kansas Senators Tuesday gave first round approval for new spending in support of a controversial federal animal disease lab Manhattan.

Some Democrats as well as some in Gov. Brownback’s own party have questioned whether the state should commit an additional $202 million in bonds, on top of $145 million already spent in support of the federal lab.

Doubters in the legislature worry the state will be on the hook for cost overruns as the project continues.

Growing Local Beer From Farm To Glass

Luke Runyon — Mon, 13 May 2013 21:59:39 +0000

How does a new craft brewer stand apart from the pack? A few have hitched their brewery onto the local food bandwagon, sourcing the ingredients that form beer’s DNA straight from the fields around them.

Farmers, Feds Have Waning Support For Land Conservation Program

Amy Mayer — Mon, 13 May 2013 06:01:00 +0000

At a basin in central Iowa’s Onion Creek Watershed, Sean McCoy pulls a state truck up near a brand-new wetland. It looks like a construction zone, with lots of bare earth.

Governor's Office Meets Democrats To Explain Additional Request For NBAF

Laura Ziegler — Wed, 08 May 2013 20:58:08 +0000

The Governor's Chief of Staff, Landon Fulmer, will visit the state Democratic Caucus on Thursday to explain, again, why Governor Brownback has requested $202 million in additional bonds for the proposed top security lab in Manhattan.

Report Questions Crop Insurance Structure

Frank Morris — Thu, 02 May 2013 17:02:02 +0000

Taxpayers are contributing billions more than necessary for farmers’ crop insurance, according to a new report from the Environmental Working Group (EWG).

The study, which examined the 2012 crop year, argues that big subsidies channel farmers into lavish policies that in some cases paid drought-afflicted farmers last year more than they would have earned with a good harvest.

Will Kansas' Quest To Repopulate Rural Areas Work?

Justine Greve — Wed, 01 May 2013 12:58:27 +0000

When the Homestead Act of 1862 made land in the Great Plains virtually free, people rushed in to settle rural Kansas. But 150 years later, the dust has truly settled. Between 2000 and 2010, more than half of Kansas counties declined in population — many by 10 percent or more.

Should You Be Talking To Your Plants?

Hilary Stohs-Krause — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:55:23 +0000

Ever know someone who talks to plants?

Maybe it was your offbeat neighbor cooing at his gardenias; maybe your grandmother analyzed baseball with her cucumbers. It seems a bit silly, but researchers say farmers should maybe take notice.

FDA Increases Inspections On Cantaloupe Farms

Luke Runyon — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:15:52 +0000

The Food and Drug Administration is ratcheting up inspections this year on cantaloupe farms and other processing facilities throughout the country. The increased scrutiny is in direct response to two large-scale outbreaks of deadly food borne bacteria.

Both outbreaks were tied directly to tainted cantaloupe. Salmonella on melons from Indiana and listeria on some from Colorado killed 36 people.

The repercussions were felt by cantaloupe growers throughout the country - including Michael Hirakata in Colorado’s Arkansas River valley.

How A Niche Market Saved This Farmer's Pork Business

Amy Mayer — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:59:06 +0000

There’s more than one way to sell a pig.

And when the hog market plunged to 8 cents a pound in 1998, Iowa producer Randy Hilleman decided it was time to make a change. Hilleman raises Berkshire pigs, a breed that’s fattier than traditional pigs and costs a little more to raise. Back then, that was hurting him.

“If we took them into Marshalltown, [Iowa] to the big packing plant, we would get docked because they’re too fat,” Hilleman said. “What they pay on is lean, and we like to have some fat on ours.”

NBAF Not Get Built? Brownback Says It Could Happen Without State Support

Laura Ziegler — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 21:10:45 +0000

Kansas Governor Sam Brownback says if Kansas lawmakers won't approve additional funds for the National Bio And Agro-Defense Facility, there's a chance it won't get built. And that's a risk he's not willing to take, he said over the weekend on a stop in Kansas City, Kansas.

President Obama's FY2014 budget requested $714 million for the top security animal disease lab proposed for Manhattan, Kansas. As part of that request, the state was asked to contribute $202 million. That's in addition to almost $150 million Kansas has already committed.

Some Republicans in Topeka suggest Governor Brownback’s request for an additional $202 million in bonds for the proposed animal disease lab represents a “moving target,” and want to be reassured the state isn’t going to be responsible for more than it can afford for a federal facility.

Seed Companies Fight To Maintain Independence

Bill Wheelhouse — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 06:01:00 +0000

The window in Tom Burrus’ office gives him a good look at the wide expanse of Illinois River bottomland where his company produces seed corn for farmers across Illinois, Missouri, Iowa and Wisconsin. Hanging on his wall are sketches of his grandfather and others who’ve had a part in the Burrus Seed Co. since it was founded 1935. The 63-year-old company president knows he is a rare independent in a land of giants.

Cagey Issues For Egg Industry

Amy Mayer — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 18:01:00 +0000

Mark Tjelmeland’s 700 free-range chickens lay 45 dozen eggs per day in indoor nesting boxes on his farm in McCallsburg, Iowa. The rest of the time, unless it’s too cold, they roam and peck in a fenced pasture.

Seeking Profits In Private Labels

Grant Gerlock — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 06:01:00 +0000

You may not think much about store brands as you shop for groceries, but it’s a business worth nearly $60 billion per year. ConAgra, a company based in Omaha, Neb., made a splash recently in what the industry calls private label food when it paid $6.8 billion to buy Ralcorp, based in St. Louis, Mo. The merger created the biggest private label food company in the country.