A coalition of agricultural organizations, including the American Farm Bureau, filed on March 8 a joint friend-of-the-court brief to the Supreme Court in support of the petitioners in “Monsanto Co. v. Geertson Seed Farms.”

The brief was submitted by the American Farm Bureau Federation, Biotechnology Industry Organization, American Seed Trade Association, American Soybean Association, National Alfalfa and Forage Alliance, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Cotton Council and National Potato Council.

According to Farm Bureau, the groups urge that the lower courts’ decision to approve an injunction without adequately hearing the key evidence must be reversed “to protect the farmers who choose to grow genetically-engineered crops, as well as the public benefits that agricultural biotechnology brings to producers and consumers around the world.”

Last year, Nebraska ranked 7th in the nation in alfalfa production with 3.61 million tons of production. According to the USDA, the value of hay receipts in 2008 was nearly $130 million making it the fourth largest crop commodity in Nebraska behind corn, soybeans and wheat.

In the lower court case, environmental groups and individual organic alfalfa farmers sued the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), claiming that USDA’s decision to grant deregulated status to glyphosate-tolerant (or “Roundup Ready^®”) alfalfa violated the National Environmental Policy Act, according to Farm Bureau.

The courts in the Ninth Circuit determined that USDA should have done an environmental impact statement (EIS) before it decided to deregulate, and the court ultimately enjoined almost all planting and sale of Roundup Ready^® alfalfa pending the issuance of the EIS. 

Farm Bureau said that the lower court’s injunction against biotech alfalfa, however, was made without the court conducting a thorough review of evidence that precluded a finding of irreparable harm, according to the brief. In addition, Farm Bureau said the brief explains that the lower courts failed to consider the public benefits of agricultural biotechnology, which already is adopted widely in the United States for a number of key crops such as corn, soybeans, cotton, sugar beets, and in 2005, USDA’S Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) concluded that there is no significant impact on the human environment due to granting non-regulated status to Roundup Ready^® alfalfa. 

In Nebraska, last year, the USDA reported that 91 percent of all the corn planted in the state was of a biotechnology variety and 96 percent of all soybeans were of a biotechnology variety. More than 13 million acres of corn and soybeans were harvested last year in Nebraska.

Following the lower court’s ruling, APHIS completed a 1,400-page document as its draft EIS, and again has recommended that Roundup Ready^® alfalfa be deregulated and that farmers be allowed to grow it. This is an important case because it will be the first time the high court has weighed in on the risks of genetically engineered crops, Farm Bureau  said.

Of the more than 10,000 cases appealed to the Supreme Court each year, only about 1 percent is accepted for review on the merits and oral arguments. This matter is scheduled for oral argument on April 27. A decision is expected from the Court by June.

The National Weather Service in Hastings reported area rainfall mounts as of this morning:

— Grand Island airport, 0.80 of an inch.

— Hastings airport, 0.94 of an inch.

— Kearney airport, 0.71 of an inch.

— Aurora airport, 0.75 of an inch.

— Greeley, 0.63 of an inch.

— Loup City, 1.12 inches.

— Ord airport, 0.80 of an inch.

— Osceola, 0.57 of an inch.

— Wolbach, 0.75 of an inch.

— Wood River, 0.94 of an inch.

As of this morning, Grand Island has had 1.34 inches of rain for March. Average March precipitation is 2.04 inches.

Much of south Central Nebraska, including Grand Island, remains under a flood watch until later tonight, according the National Weather Service in Hastings.

With rain continuing through the day and into tonight, the flood potential is enhanced as soils are saturated and the ground is frozen in many locations, increasing the likelihood of heavy runoff into streams and creeks.

In addition, the National Weather Service reported that ice jams are still occurring along some area rivers and streams, amplifying flooding in some areas.

But much of the potential flooding will be minor and located on lowlands near creeks and streams and low-lying rural areas. The National Weather Service reports that the lower Loup River basin downstream of St. Paul has an enhanced risk of flooding due to the combination of ice jams and rainfall runoff.

A flood warning remains in effect for the Loup River near Genoa in Nance County. At 6:15 a.m., the river stage was 9.3 feet. Flood stage is 9 feet. Minor flooding is forecast as the river is expected to rise to nearly 9.4 feet by early Wednesday afternoon, with the river falling below flood stage by early Friday afternoon. The National Weather Service said the flooding is caused by a combination of ice action in the river, thawing ice and rain runoff.

Rain will continue through the weekend, though the heaviest precipitation is expected to end tonight, but temperatures will be cooler.

On Wednesday, there’s a 30 percent chance of rain with a high near 42 degrees. On Wednesday night, there’s a chance of rain before midnight, then a chance of rain and snow as the low is expected to be around 31 degrees.

There’s a chance of rain and snow Thursday with a high near 41 degrees. It will be breezy, with a north wind between 20 and 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. There’s also a chance of rain and snow Thursday night with a low around 30.

There’s a chance of rain and snow Friday before noon with a high of near 41 degrees. The weekend looks to be precipitation-free with highs in the upper 40s Saturday and the low 50s Sunday.

Calving season is under way, and the wet, cool weather and muddy conditions have added a degree of difficulty for producers. The wet conditions are also hampering feedlot conditions.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported recently that cattle and calves condition were rated 0 percent very poor, 4 percent poor, 27 percent fair, 67 percent good and 2 percent excellent, below last year. Calving progressed to 23 percent complete.

Brown said one solar technology that is really beginning to take off is the use of solar thermal collectors to convert sunlight into heat that can be used to warm both water and space.

Using China as an example, Brown said it’s now home to 27 million rooftop solar water heaters.

“With nearly 4,000 Chinese companies manufacturing these devices, this relatively simple low-cost technology has leapfrogged into villages that do not yet have electricity,” Brown said.  ”For as little as $200, villagers can have a rooftop solar collector installed and take their first hot shower.”

He said the technology is sweeping China like wildfire, already approaching market saturation in some communities. Beijing plans to boost the current 114 million square meters of rooftop solar collectors for heating water to 300 million by 2020.

Brown said the energy harnessed by these installations in China is equal to the electricity generated by 49 coal-fired power plants.

“Other developing countries such as India and Brazil may also soon see millions of households turning to this inexpensive water heating technology.” he said. ”This leapfrogging into rural areas without an electricity grid is similar to the way cell phones bypassed the traditional fixed-line grid, providing services to millions of people who would still be on waiting lists if they had relied on traditional phone lines. Once the initial installment cost of rooftop solar water heaters is paid, the hot water is essentially free.”

 Schroeder, university distinguished professor of agricultural economics, said dramatically increased food prices around the world in recent years, social unrest over food scarcity in countries like Argentina, Bangladesh, Egypt, Mozambique and many others — combined with a growing world population — are raising the question what will it take to feed the world’s population 40 years from now.

Schroeder said that technology isn’t a magic wand to make these problems disappear, but it can contribute significantly to increasing food production. He cited how Iowa’s corn yields sped past Italy’s when Iowa farmers embraced yield-enhancing, genetically modified corn varieties that have been shunned by Italy and much of the European Union.

 ”It shows so starkly what technology can do to increase food production with the same fixed resource base,” Schroeder said. “Technology discovery, technology development and technology adoption are huge in terms of food prices, who will produce the food and how we’re going to feed the world.”

 Genetically modifying crops certainly isn’t a new technology, Schroeder said, but advanced abilities for DNA gene mapping — especially in animal populations — is a promising area of development.

 ”Any technology that increases our ability to understand and predict how an animal or plant is likely to react to a stimulus or environmental factor, or technology that targets managing specific food product attributes produced from crops and livestock, is going to make a substantial difference in providing affordable, high-quality, safe food to the growing base of global consumers,” Schroeder said.

A study by the Southern Rural Development Center headquartered at Mississippi State University found that simply living in a region does not lead to obesity. In “The South Does Not Make You Fat: A study of nutrition, food security and obesity,” researchers found that minorities and lower-income groups have higher obesity rates.

“They find that the likelihood of being overweight or obese does not significantly differ across regions of the country after accounting for income, age, race-ethnicity and education,” the report stated.

The authors analyzed data from the Deep South — Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and South Carolina. They found that body mass index, or BMI, and obesity rates were higher in the Deep South than elsewhere, but these differences disappeared once factors such as age, income and race-ethnicity were considered.

“Low income, for example, is a better predictor of being overweight or obese for women than living in the South, as is being black or Hispanic,” the report stated. “The Deep South, in particular, has higher minority populations and more low income individuals than other regions of the country.”

While meat consumption measured in tonnage was up significantly in 2009, the dollars are lagging behind as shoppers opt for cheaper cuts and prices dropped in 2009.  Forty percent of shoppers say they have changed the way they purchase meat and poultry compared to before the recession, down from 51 percent in 2009. This is also significantly less than the 50 percent who are spending less on groceries overall, signifying the strength of meat and poultry in the total food consumption.

Yet, the impact of income cannot be underestimated as 62 percent of shoppers who saw a significant drop in household income have altered their meat shopping. More customers are also cooking at home versus eating out, leading to an increase in meat purchases at supermarkets and other retail outlets.

According to the survey:

According to Preferred CEO Norman Krug of Chapman, the purchase will help his company’s strategic focus in bulk popcorn, both domestic and export.

Over the past couple of years, the two companies have been partnering with each other, which, Krug said, “…has been a very worthwhile venture and has provided some great opportunities for both parties.”

“Preferred Popcorn has laid the groundwork for a solid domestic distribution system and while we export, we believe the Preston Farms customers will add a new dimension to our customer portfolio, and we look forward to serving those new markets,” Krug said.

As part of the deal, Preferred will acquire all of Preston Farms brands, including Spee-Dee Pop!, he said.

Krug said the Palmyra location will continue bulk operations under the name of Preferred Popcorn LLC. Preston Farms Popcorn LLC will share the location with Preferred to continue providing microwave and ready-to-eat popcorn for private label, fundraising, and ad specialty customers.

Over the next 18 months, the company, working with its railroad partners Union Pacific and Burlington Northern-Santa Fe, will upgrade its grain terminals to increase velocity of grain movement in receiving, staging, and loading unit/shuttle trains at each facility. In addition, the plan calls for the installation of increased grain drying capacity at the Sedan. When completed, each grain terminal will have the full capability of handling multiple species of grain, including yellow/white corn, soybeans, and winter wheat under Class 1 railroad shuttle-train specifications.

Construction at the Sedan and Aurora West locations will begin during the spring of 2010, with both sites planned to utilize its expansion capabilities for the 2010 fall harvest. Construction at the Grand Island location will begin in the fall of 2010, with completion of expansion planned for the summer of 2011.

“The Aurora Cooperative’s grain customers are class-leading in their ability to produce crops at an ever-increasing yield level,” said George Hohwieler, President and CEO of the Aurora Cooperative.

He said one of the company’s primary missions is to seek, engage, and solidify grain markets for our customers.

Hohwieler said the expansion will greatly add in the coop’s ability to access existing and emerging grain markets, especially global export markets through ports in the Pacific Northwest, West Coast, and Gulf of Mexico.

“Our company has financially performed well over the past several years. We are now in a strategic position to invest in our grain platform in a significant manner,” Hohwieler said. ”

For more information, visit www.auroracoop.com.