Delta Farm Press - Latest Comments

Re: Investors eye agriculture

Mike — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:47:42 -0000

who is investing in agriculture, and are there investors who want to invest in agriculture in argentina?

Re: Salt water killing soybeans in Louisiana

Tim gieseke — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:02:52 -0000

Another tragedy of the commons - while fresh ground water is worth tens times more than surface water - $4 vs $50 per foot - we farmers are prone to use it, until it is used up. This is an economic reality that is being played out throughout the world as it pertains to soil, water, air, habitat and energy. Wendell Walker just so happens to have front row seats to the event today. The only reason why the sky is not falling is that we have not figured out how to pull its girders out and sell it. If our production resources have economic values, we should ask how we can bring those values to the farm so that the Walker's do not realize short-term economic gains by depleting fresh water supplies and sterilizing the soil. Talk about taking the factory down in a hurry. May we be enlightened about the obvious sooner than later.

Re: Trauma of living high on the hog

Dhbdfm — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:31:31 -0000

problem is the democrats are not doing any better no seems to understand that this spending can not continue

Re: Interest up for conventional soybeans

Tina Hart — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 12:29:05 -0000

Yeah U of A Soybean Breeding!!!

Re: Agritourism adds revenue at Mitchell Farms

Jane Eckert — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 10:02:02 -0000

Jo Lynn is a dynamo and the entire Mitchell Family has developed a wonderful fall family agritourism attraction. It just takes one person with passion to get agritourism started and the next steps just to seem to follow. I have seen this type of story repeated again and again across North America and great to see it happen in Mississippi. Jane Eckert

Re: Trauma of living high on the hog

Ed — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 05:45:22 -0000

The problem becomes how to bring back fiscal sanity without bringing about economic rebelion

Re: Soy grading for graders, growers

John Stapp — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 22:04:42 -0000

I am very interested in attending a soybean grading clinic. When will and where will the 2010 clinics be held?

Re: Shaping up your carbon footprint

Tim Gieseke — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 09:09:13 -0000

Hardwick's findings are typical of most farmers that take that step to find out what 'sustainability' might look like. He understands that it is variable in outcome year-to-year, it is field specific depending on the resource base and improving the outcomes is a moving target. That sounds exactly like farming. I agree with Sarah Alexander, Keystone, that the FieldCalculator is an good educational tool, and with her statement that "there is a market driver for sustainability, but we just don't know what that looks like". I think that this eco-market is a bigger thing than most of us want to accept - as we are hoping that it is just a 'market'. But the ecology (what Hardwick is managing) is actually a significant part of our economy, agro and otherwise. I'm afraid that if we want to get our arms and minds around how significance this really is, it has to look as much like an economic system as a market system. www.ecocommerce101.com stretches our arms and minds around it.

Re: Twin-row cotton — simplify equipment?

nsteinhardt — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 06:50:32 -0000

We need simpler equipment, that's right!

Re: Old hunting clubs have fascinating histories

Wiz1000 — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 09:57:08 -0000

I've heard a story that a riverboat captain's wife, who died giving birth, is buried on Nettleton Fox Hunting and Fishing Club land. I'd like to learn more about when that was and who she was if anyone has any info. Please email wiz1000@mchsi.com

Re: U.S. cotton crop continues to shrink

oil rig jobs — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 08:45:20 -0000

The reduction in yields is evident across a broad spectrum of crops and the agricultural sector is taken strain. Add this to the already poor economy and the average man in the street is going to see shrinking pay packets and more expensive costs.

Re: High-yielding miscanthus for ethanol

Sabrjav — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 16:49:39 -0000

Can Freedom Giant Miscanthus grow in the Southwest Region... in New Mexico for instance?

The article said there was a 2000 gross profit per acre, but at 60 per ton, I'm calculating a 1500 gross profit per acre... is the latter more realistic? Are there currently any ethanol plants in the US that are using it as a feedstock, and if so, which one's?

Re: Ethanol at boom/bust crossroads

Mikespreafico — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 09:33:31 -0000

corn belongs on my table not my gas tank.

Re: High-yielding miscanthus for ethanol

Cpatterson — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 16:48:19 -0000

Freedom Giant Miscanthus is available from REPREVE Renewables. We currently have over 5 million rhizomes in the ground and the ability to plant over 50,000 acres this coming Spring.

At maximum yield, you should see 20-25 tons per acre, depending upon the particulars of growing area.

Planting costs ARE NOT "thousands of dollars per acre." Plants and planting are around $1500 per acre, which is a one-time establishment expense. It is also eligible for the coming BCAP establishment cost program which reimburses up to 75% of establishment costs. With the expected yields above and the projected market price of $60 per ton, you can see that, while not inexpensive to establish, it pays off very quickly.

Re: Carbon trading present and future

Chinapeachllc — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 03:58:30 -0000

Carbon trading and Climate Change equates to a structure built on quicksand. A bad idea at best and at its worst will drive jobs out of the country. How much of this fraud must be exposed before its declared a hoax?

Re: Crop insurance: cuts, consequences

Grainmonster — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 21:20:49 -0000

Not sure where you farm and how much your inputs are per acre but we need crop insurance in our area - we normally have good enough crops to where the insurance is just a cost but we need the safety net. And yes, if a farmer has a history of insurance claims he/she is put under a microscope - the Government can tinker with programs to get spending under control but needs to keep in mind that food is the most important need and global exports out of the U.S. are going to explode in the coming years and the U.S. producer needs to excell and have something to back up the investments that are put up before knowing what kind of return will be realized.

Re: Crop insurance: cuts, consequences

Annie6 — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:13:14 -0000

Personally I think they need to do away with the government subsidized crop insurance. There are too many people that we know of personally that obtain the insurance, go out and rent as much land as they can and really have no intention of planting it.....just collecting a big insurance check. We've been told how they are guaranteed to make money just on the crop insurance alone. Come on if a field hasn't been able to raise a crop for the last 3 years why keep insuring the field and giving money to that person. Three tickets you lose your license-right? Three failed or no plant crops same field and keep right on collecting. It's another way for the big to get bigger, and the small farmer to lose out again. We've farmed for 20 years, never had crop insurance and always paid our bills. Hmmmmm so why do these farmers with way more land then us need the government to hold their hand? With the national deficit the way it is I think it's time to sink or swim. Start using the money to get out of debt. It's time to quit paying everyone's way, and time to let people start standing on their own two feet without the governments help. Does anyone ever review how many claims a farmer has had on the same fields??? Maybe they should. I'm not totally against crop insurance if a person wants to pay the premiums for it, but I don't think it should be government subsidized at all. My tax dollar shouldn't go to pay for someone elses loss, with no check and balance as to how many other farmers next door got theirs planted. I guarantee the insurance companies wouldn't put up with all the no plants year after year if the government wasn't footing part of the bill.

Re: Crop insurance: cuts, consequences

Ed — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 06:27:49 -0000

Was there multiperil crop insurance before USDA subsidized it? Would anyone purchase crop insurance if they had to pay the full cost? How much does this contribute to the consolidation of farms into fewer owners? Do you think it might just about time for the federal government to get out of the business of selecting winers and losers?

Re: Farm profits from getting visitors lost

Littlefawn92 — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:10:04 -0000

Hope to come visit in the future.

Littlefawn92@aol.com

Re: High Cotton: Jason Luckey

YOLENE — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 21:21:19 -0000

PLease tell me where can I find the green leaves of this cotton.
thank you.

Re: WTO framework agreement eases pressure

Tim Gieseke — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:54:05 -0000

When patch agreements like this one become the solution, it is a signal that the overall structure of the farm bill can not continue to stand upon its stilted foundation. These solutions are not 'orderly', but can be described as 'chaotic', as the next solution becomes based upon the next fault line. A $147 M payment is accepted as a solution, because it is one; a short-term solution. And managing a system that is moving from order to chaos is possible, but very resource intensive (ie financial system). But we do know that when we all knod our heads and shake hands on this deal, that something does not quite seem right - and out of chaos comes order - eventually.

Re: Long on cash, short on character

Xyz — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 20:41:08 -0000

I respect Chamillionaire's move and he has nothing to be ashamed about when he has many people to take care of. One of those people is his mother who has cancer, has to miss work and has bills to be paid.

Re: Carbon market ‘in disarray’

Al — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:19:42 -0000

"AgraGate" is an appropriate label just as "Watergate" was. The Carbon trade concept is based on dubious science. Climate change, from CO2, now appears to be a manufactured crisis based on faulty data. Carbon Trading is just another mechanism for increased control of energy and the associated taxes and costs it generates.

Re: Crop insurance programs being revamped

Bill Bushong — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 06:25:46 -0000

Crop insurance is the best management aviable.

Re: Crop insurance can salvage some loss

gigurdjieff — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 23:53:01 -0000

@radiesse - what do you mean by "the danger of paying for insurance"? I always figured people pay for insurance in order to be safe from danger.