A proposal to help America’s hungry, and stimulate the farm economy, was proposed by National Farmers today. It calls for funds originally earmarked for farm payments to millionaires be used instead, for the purchase of grain, meat and dairy products to help America’s less fortunate.

“As America’s economy worsens, unemployment lines lengthen, and the hungry experience greater hardships, we’d like to see help for those less fortunate,” said National Farmers President Paul Olson. “President-elect Barack Obama has said he would like to limit farm payments to no more than $250,000 for individual farmers, and we’d like to see the remaining earmarked funds used to purchase grain, meat and dairy products to help the hungry.” At the same time, it would help stimulate the ag economy, shrinking along with the rest of American business.

In a separate proposal, the organization also advocates doubling the Farm Service Agency’s lending authority for direct and guaranteed farm operating loans. It makes the funds transferable, depending upon demand. National Farmers also recommends increasing commodity loan rates to levels closer to each commodity’s production costs, to provide lenders with more security to extend credit to producers for the next year.

“We believe our three-point plan is a truly stabilizing ag stimulus move, one that can be used to help ag commodities discover a price floor,” said Olson. “Once that happens, lenders can properly assess credit risk, and better understand whether a marketing and risk management plan would place a producer in a position to repay their operating loans next year.”

The farm and food complex of the nation’s economy provides millions of jobs, located in every state. Any curtailment of farm production because of a lack of adequate financing would cause a marked disruption throughout the country’s economy.

National Farmers is a group marketing and bargaining organization for the nation’s farmers, ranchers and dairymen.

Saving money on winter heating costs is always desirable, but may especially be important this season as homeowners continue to struggle through an economic recession.

Whether one owns a home in metro Columbus or maintains a farm in rural Ohio, finding ways to save a few dollars while keeping your family warm may be a good investment, and there are a few things one can do to that end.

“It’s always good to save money, so finding ways to save on energy costs to heat a home or farm building is important. Whether you own a home in the middle of town or a farmhouse in the country, there are no differences to saving on heating costs,” said Randall Reeder, an Ohio State University Extension agricultural engineer and energy specialist. “Bottom line is if you can find ways that will save energy at a reasonably small investment, then that’s going to translate into savings in the long run.”

Reeder, who also holds an Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center appointment, offers the following energy-saving tips:

• Insulate your home. “A home should be well-insulated. It’s going to pay back year after year,” said Reeder. Still, a third of the houses in the United States are inadequately insulated and about 10 percent have no insulation at all, said Reeder. In insulated houses, Reeder cautioned that homeowners need to be aware of insulation gaps. “If you have 95 percent of the ceiling and walls well-insulated, but somehow an area got missed, you might be losing half of your heat through that small area.”

• Be mindful of air leakage, especially around doors and windows. “If it’s windy and you feel air coming through the window, then you are losing a lot of heat,” said Reeder. “The lowest cost way to remedy this is to buy plastic sheeting that you can cover the windows with, and insulation tape to stop leakage gaps.” Reeder said that the plastic is also useful in farm buildings and work sheds to prevent air leakage around places such as garage doors that aren’t used in winter.

• Double or triple pane your windows, but only if it’s economical. “Do some calculations and make sure that the investment will pay back,” said Reeder. “It won’t be worth it to spend $10,000 to upgrade your windows if the improvement will only save $250 a year in heating bills.”

• Turn down the thermostat to about 55 degrees when you are away from the house for the day. “Also turn it down before you go to bed,” said Reeder. “An extra blanket or two can keep you comfortable.”

• Only heat the parts of the house or work shed that you regularly use to your comfort zone. “If you can close off rooms, turn down the whole-house thermostat to a low setting and only heat one or two rooms to 70 degrees with an individual heater. That could translate into energy savings,” said Reeder.

• Don’t be fooled into substituting a high-priced fuel for a lower-priced fuel. “Natural gas is nearly always the lowest cost fuel compared to electric, propane or fuel oil. Don’t be taken in by the sales pitch for a magical electric heater that is going to save you a pile of money and you are currently heating with a gas furnace,” said Reeder. “The electricity is likely to be considerably more expensive than natural gas.” See attached table for energy source cost comparisons.

• The type of heating used can make a difference when it comes to savings. “In farm buildings, contrast forced air with radiant heating. The benefit of radiant heat comes from heating the floor and other surfaces instead of heating the air directly,” said Reeder.

Other simple energy-saving tips include hanging heavy drapes on windows to trap heat, opening curtains on south-facing windows on sunny days, and improving the ventilation of a home to prevent uncontrolled airflow into or through the house.

Difficult economical times have all Americans looking at ways to stretch a dollar. One way to stretch your dollar is to review the amount spent on food. Did you know that you could save 15 percent or more at the grocery store if you follow some simple rules? Saving money at the grocery store means that you can feed your family more nutritious meals and have more dollars for other household necessities.

There are many ways to save money on food. It just takes a little planning and know-how to select the best buy and plan enjoyable meals for your family.

How do you save that 15 percent at the grocery store?

Follow five simple rules of effective shopping: 1) use grocery store ads and coupons when planning to shop, 2) have a planned menu, 3) write a grocery list, 4) use unit pricing to select the best buys and 5) use ingredient substitutions.

Using shopping ads and coupons can usually help save you about $4 to $7 per week, if you shop every week. Making a menu can be done easily and can save money and time. People who write out a menu usually find themselves in the grocery store about once a week. Those who do not write out a menu usually find themselves making extra trips to the grocery store.

How can you save even more?

Plan inexpensive meals that do not require expensive ingredients. Look for simple recipes, quick to cook meals and foods requiring less preparation time.

Are coupons a good way to go?

It really depends on the item and the value of the coupon. If you normally buy a particular brand item, then the coupon could be a great savings. However, if you don’t normally buy the brand, you might not save as much. Don’t buy an item because you have a coupon for it unless it is something you need. Compare prices and brands before making a decision. Often times, the store brand is less expensive than the item even with the coupon.

What about unit pricing?

Unit pricing helps you decide which is the best price. Many people believe that the larger the item the less expensive it is. This may not always be the case. Unit pricing allows you the opportunity to compare the prices. Most grocery stores list the unit price right on the shelf below the food item. If you don’t see the unit price, calculate the old fashion way: price divided by the weight.

Buying the store brand items rather than name brand items will also save you money. A Lot of times you will find that there is not a big difference in the product except the price.

Finally, think about other food items, especially spices and seasonings that can be substituted. Spices and seasonings can add expense to the grocery bill. If there is a seasoning you will use only a few times, try to substitute the item for something you use on a regular basis. For example, one slice of soft bread can be substituted for ¾ cup of soft breadcrumbs. Not only can you substitute dry staple goods but also meats and dairy products can also be substituted. One thing to remember is your final product made with the substituted ingredient may differ slightly from the original, but still be acceptable in flavor, texture and appearance.

The “Annual Energy Outlook 2009″ report was released today by the U.S. Energy Information Administration presents updated projections for U.S. energy consumption and production through 2030.

Oil Use and Import Dependence: For the first time in more than 20 years, the new AEO reference case projects virtually no growth in U.S. oil consumption, reflecting the combined effect of recently
enacted CAFE standards, requirements for increased use of renewable fuels, and an assumed rebound in oil prices as the world economy recovers.

With overall liquid fuel demand in the AEO2009 reference case growing by only 1 million barrels per day between 2007 and 2030, increased use of domestically-produced biofuels, and rising domestic oil production spurred by higher prices, the net import share of total liquids supplied, including biofuels, declines from 58 percent in 2007to less than 40 percent in 2025 before increasing to 41 percent in 2030 (Figure 1).

Natural Gas Use and Import Dependence: The reference case raises EIA’s projection for U.S. production and consumption of natural gas, reflecting increased availability of resources and higher demand for electric power generation. With growing production of natural gas from unconventional onshore sources, the Outer Continental Shelf, and Alaska, the net import share of total natural gas use also declines, from 16 percent in 2007 to less than 3 percent in 2030.

Total Primary Energy Use and Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions:  Efficiency policies and higher energy prices in AEO2009 slow the rise in U.S. energy use, which is projected to grow from 101.9 quadrillion
Btu in 2007 to 113.3 quadrillion Btu in 2030. When combined with the increased use of renewables and a reduction in projected additions of new coal-fired conventional power plants, this slows the growth in
energy-related GHG emissions. Energy-related CO2 emissions grow at 0.3 percent per year from 2007 to 2030 in the AEO2009 reference case, reaching a level of 6,410 million metric tons in 2030, as compared
with 6,851 million metric tons in the AEO2008 reference case (Figure 3).

Oil Prices:  The assumption of a higher world oil price path in the AEO2009 reference case reflects tighter constraints on access to low cost oil supplies in a setting where the forces driving growth in
long-term demand in non-OECD countries remains as strong as previously expected. In 2007 dollars, the world crude oil price, averaging near $60 in 2009, rises as the global economy rebounds and global demand
once again grows more rapidly than non-OPEC liquids supply. In 2030, the average real price of crude oil is $130 per barrel in 2007 dollars ($189 per barrel in nominal dollars) (Figure 4).

Renewable Energy Use:  Total consumption of marketed renewable fuels – including wood, municipal waste, and biomass in the end use sectors; hydroelectricity, geothermal, municipal waste, biomass, solar,
and wind for electric power generation; ethanol for gasoline blending; and biomass-based diesel – grows by 3.3 percent per year in the AEO2009 reference case. This rapid growth reflects the EISA2007
renewable fuel standard and strong growth in the use of renewables for electricity generation that is spurred by renewable portfolio standards for electricity generators in many States.

Vehicle Characteristics:  A sharp increase in the sale of unconventional vehicle technologies, such as flex-fuel, hybrid, and diesel vehicles, and a significant decline in the new light-truck
share of total light-duty vehicle sales are projected. Hybrid vehicle sales (all varieties) increase from 2 percent of new light-duty vehicle sales in 2007 to 38 percent in 2030. Sales of plug-in hybrid electric
vehicles (PHEVs) grow to 90,000 vehicles annually by 2014, supported by recently enacted tax credits. By 2030, PHEVs account for 2 percent of new light vehicle sales (Figure 5).

Modeling Methodology:  The AEO2009 reference case assumes no changes in current laws and regulations. However, it reflects the behavior of investors and regulators who, in their investment evaluation process,
are implicitly (or explicitly) adding a cost to many proposed power plants that employ GHG-intensive technologies. Additions of new coal-fired power plants are significantly reduced from earlier
projections.

Other highlights of the AEO2009 reference case projections include:

* Coal, oil, and natural gas meet 79 percent of total U.S. primary energy supply requirements in 2030, down from an 85-percent share in 2007.

* Total domestic production of natural gas reaches 23.7 trillion cubic feet by 2030. While exploration and production costs rise over time, higher natural gas prices support the projected level of production. Onshore production of unconventional natural gas, including shale gas, increases from 9.2 trillion cubic feet in 2007 to 13.2 trillion cubic feet in 2030.

* Ethanol use for gasoline blending grows to 12.2 billion gallons and E85 consumption to 17.3 billion gallons in 2030. The ethanol supply from cellulosic feedstocks reaches 12.6 billion gallons (including both domestic and imported production) in 2030. Biodiesel and biomass-to-liquid diesel fuel use both rise significantly, reaching nearly 2 billion gallons and 5 billion gallons, respectively, in 2030.

* Total electricity consumption, including both purchases from electric power producers and on-site generation, grows from 3,903 billion kilowatthours in 2007 to 4,902 billion kilowatthours in 2030.

* New natural gas and renewable plants account for the majority of generating capacity additions. The natural gas share of electricity generation remains between 19 percent and 22 percent through 2030. Coal’s generation share declines from 49 percent to 45 percent between 2007 and 2025, then rebounds slightly to 47 percent in 2030 as a small number of new coal plants are added.