Sudden Death Syndrome Making its Mark in Soybeans
I couldn’t cut it as a farmer—for a multitude of reasons—but primarily, I couldn’t stomach the business risks involved. There are risks such as weather and disease that are completely out of your hands no matter how much forethought and planning you do. It appears that U.S. soybean farmers are facing one such risk this [...]
Supreme Court Decision on Biotech Alfalfa – Who Wins?
The big news kicking off the week is the U.S. Supreme Court’s 7-1 ruling (7-1!) to reverse a lower court’s ban on Monsanto’s Roundup Ready alfalfa product.Then, surprisingly, the Center for Food Safety issued a statement mid-day claiming victory. According to CFS, they are “celebrating” today the victory of a 7-1 ruling against them. I guess maybe CFS runs with a glass half-full mentality.
Roundup Ready Alfalfa and the Supreme Court – the End of GMOs?
Today, Roundup Ready Alfalfa gets its day before the U.S. Supreme Court. And thousands of farmers will be watching and waiting—including the 5,500 farmers who planted approximately 260,000 acres of Roundup Ready alfalfa prior to the injunction. This is significant because it’s the first time a biotech or genetically modified crop has gone before the [...]
An Official Update at the Unofficial Start of 2010 Planting
Co-authored by Janice Person and Nick Weber The unofficial start of planting season got under way today, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture released its 2010 Prospective Plantings report. It’s an annual report that the agency issues each March 31 as its best estimates on what farmers may plant for corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton and [...]
After the USDA/DOJ Workshop…
We were pleased to participate in the March 12th workshop and provide more information about our business. It was a unique opportunity to highlight the investment that Monsanto and hundreds of other seed companies are making on behalf of U.S. farmers. With dozens of trait technologies available to farmers today and fifty new traits currently [...]
Online Coverage of the USDA/DOJ Workshop
Seven hundred people are expected at today’s joint USDA/DOJ workshop on “Issues of Concern to Farmers,” in Ankeny, Iowa. Event organizers are answering questions and completing last-minute preparations. There is a lot of anticipation and wonder over what today will look like. I landed yesterday in a still wintry Des Moines and will be one [...]
Farmers Produce Record Corn, Soybean Crops
Big notes of “Thanks” and “Congrats” are in order for U.S. farmers. On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service released its “Crop Production 2009 Summary.” This report highlights the USDA’s best estimates of what farmers produced during the 2009 crop year across several crops, including Monsanto’s core crops of corn, soybeans [...]
Monsanto Public Comments to DOJ Available On-line
Today, we posted on the Monsanto.com Web site, the official public comments we submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice regarding the upcoming workshops on competition in Agriculture. The DOJ and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are holding joint workshops on competition this year. The agencies have invited agribusiness to participate in these workshops and [...]
So Whats the Deal with Roundup Ready Sugarbeets?
Sugarbeet farmers are anxiously following every step of the litigation surrounding the deregulation of Monsanto’s GenuityTM Roundup Ready Sugarbeets technology to determine what it means for next year’s seed purchases. Briefly for those that haven’t been following: in January 2008, the Center for Food Safety along with Organic Seed Alliance, Sierra Club and High Mowing [...]
Tyne’s Boots Were Made for Travelin’
By Tyne Morgan It’s my favorite time of year. The leaves are changing colors and painting a beautiful picture on my frequent drives across Missouri. I love to see houses all dolled up with pumpkins, mums and gourds. My personal fall favorite is seeing the corn and soybean fields in Missouri turning golden brown. This [...]
