Julie's Fresh AirThought-provoking conversation on Rural America, Country Life, Good Food and Intentional LivingUSDA Grants $3.4 Million for Farmers Markets- September 22, 2008 Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer Friday announced 85 grants totaling $3,445,000 directed by the new farm bill to spread the use of farmers markets. Eighteen of the 85 grants promote a new electronic benefit transfers (EBT) to help low-income consumers buy locally-grown fresh fruits and vegetables. &8220;Farmers markets are an increasingly popular source of fruits and ...http://juliemurphree.org/?p=1194 Possible Federal Revenue Estimates from Oil and Gas Production in Areas Currently Off Limits- September 19, 2008 According to a new Congressional Research Service (CRS) analysis, the untapped American energy resources in currently off-limit OCS areas represent a potential $801.5 billion in federal royalty and corporate income tax revenue - if we choose to develop them. With the Congressional ban set to expire on September 30, the Democratic Leadership has introduced a bill ...http://juliemurphree.org/?p=1193 Ethanol Makers Hit by Cash Crunch- September 18, 2008 Shares of U.S. ethanol makers took a beating on Wednesday as they wrestle with unpredictable corn prices and dwindling cash piles at a time when capital markets look unlikely to provide easy financing. That came a day after industry leader VeraSun Energy Corp warned of a larger-than-expected quarterly loss, hurt by costly contracts for the corn ...http://juliemurphree.org/?p=1192 High Grain Prices Are Likely Here to Stay- September 16, 2008 New research by two University of Illinois farm economists predicts the ethanol-fueled spike in grain prices will likely hold, yielding the first sustained increase for corn, wheat and soybean prices in more than three decades, writes Jan Dennis, business and law editor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign News Bureau. Storyhttp://juliemurphree.org/?p=1191 CAP and Trade System To Be Launched in Northeastern States- September 16, 2008 The rush to put a price on carbon carries some risks. Some worry that cap-and-trade schemes will only drive up the cost of energy at a time when consumers and businesses already are struggling with rate hikes and expensive gasoline. What&8217;s more, gaps in the current region-by-region approach may open windows for gaming the system. ...http://juliemurphree.org/?p=1190 HSUS: Try to Understand Before its too Late- September 16, 2008 Here is a challenge for the Humane Society of the United States: Try to understand the purpose of animal agriculture before you are blamed for a major mistake. Animal agriculture is not about torturing animals in factory farms, nor poisoning the environment, nor obesity. Animal agriculture is all about providing high-quality human nutrition not only to the ...http://juliemurphree.org/?p=1189 Farmers Almanac Sees Global Cooling- September 15, 2008 The newest edition of The Old Farmers Almanac is not only forecasting a cooler winter, but also forecasts global cooling, not global warming, over the next half century. We at the Almanac are among those who believe that sunspot cycles and their effects on oceans correlate with climate changes, writes climatologist Joseph DAleo. Studying these and ...http://juliemurphree.org/?p=1187 Putting USDAs Crop Size and Use Estimates in Context- September 15, 2008 By Matt Hartwig, Renewable Fuels Association The USDAs latest crop size and use estimates for marketing year 20082009 report revised estimates as slightly down for the size of the US corn crop by 200 million bushels. Earlier this week, the Renewable Fuels Association issued a report putting the size of recent corn crops and their uses ...http://juliemurphree.org/?p=1188 The Conversation of a Lifetime- September 12, 2008 By Cyndie Sirekis, American Farm Bureau Federation There is nothing better than a farmer or rancher who can tell a good story. It just seems to go with the territory, and its even better than reality TV. Find a farmer with a story to share, whether about lifes good times or bad, and the listener is ...http://juliemurphree.org/?p=1186 Energy Dept: OPEC Cut Reinforces Need to Expand US Oil Output- September 11, 2008 OPEC&8217;s surprise decision to cut oil production underscores the need for the U.S to develop its own oil resources, a U.S. Energy Department spokeswoman said on Wednesday. &8220;OPEC&8217;s decision to cut oil production reinforces the need to expand domestic oil production to reduce our dependence on foreign oil,&8221; spokeswoman Healy Baumgardner said in a statement. ...http://juliemurphree.org/?p=1185 |