How Many Acres of Soybeans Are Needed?
Planting intentions exceed last year's acreage in every major soybean state except Missouri, with the largest increases reported for Minnesota, Nebraska, and North Dakota
Execution Is Everything
Merchandising soybeans has been a tough challenge everywhere for the last three years. Futures have seldom showed more than a token carry — and often had steep inverses. Yet elevators can’t ship as much at harvest (or soon after) as they buy.
A Moving Target: The Food Transportation Rule
The last of seven major proposed rules mandated by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the sanitary transportation rule is a real straggler in more ways than one.
Feed and Food Industries Convene in Atlanta
Feed & Grain’s staff braved one of the worst winters on record to attend the International Production & Processing Expo in Atlanta.
Is This The ‘New Normal’?
Demand is good; historically, prices appear to hold some strength. Companies and co-ops have been investing in expansion, remodeling and upgrades. Contractors are busy.
Will Spring Ever Arrive?
On March 7, the NOAA’s National Weather Service reported “above normal” to “much above normal” spring flood risk throughout northwest Illinois along the Rock and Pecatonica Rivers. The risk is also above normal along the Mississippi River from Dubuque, IA, downstream to Burlington, IA, as well as in Minnesota’s Red River Valley.
GEAPS Exchange: Back in Omaha and Better Than Ever
The leaders of the current and future grain handling industry rubbed elbows, learned what to expect in the coming year and checked out the newest products and technology the industry has to offer.
Exchange to Energize and Enlighten
You won’t find more energy, education and equipment anywhere than at GEAPS Exchange 2014, set for Feb. 22 to 25 in Omaha, NE. I have attended Exchange throughout my many years as a GEAPS member and I can tell you it is an extremely worthwhile event that energizes me and helps me stay on top of industry issues. It also provides a great opportunity to reconnect with old friends and make new ones.
Thinking Outside the Bin
As farming operations grow larger and yields continue their climb higher, many commercial grain facilities are faced with the challenge of handling higher volumes.
D4 RINs in 2014 Have Fallen Dramatically
The potential impact of EPA's proposed rulemaking for the 2014 Renewable Fuel Standard mandate levels and an update on RIN stocks and takes a look at the pace of RIN generation so far in 2014.
A total of more than 2.7 billion D4 RINs were generated in 2013, providing more than enough for compliance with the 1.92 billion RIN gallon (1.28 billion volumetric gallons) mandate level.
Reduce Costs and Improve Productivity with Portable Feed Analysis
The feed manufacturing business has become increasingly challenging as manufacturers are squeezed between the volatility of the grain commodities market and the relative inflexibility of international food pricing. Feed manufacturers are under increased pressure to produce consistently high-quality feed at a cost that allows them to remain solvent in the face of increased ingredient prices.
Winter Checkup — Affordable Care Act Readiness
Employers have an opportunity to use the additional time created by the one-year delay in the employer shared responsibility (also referred to as the play or pay) mandate to gauge ACA compliance readiness.
The Costs of the 2014 Renewable Fuel Mandate
On Nov. 15 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency shocked many when it acknowledged the “blend wall” that petroleum groups had been claiming for years, was, in fact, a reality that needed to be addressed immediately.
Become a Better Manager with Creativity, Innovation
Edison had numerous techniques which he employed to enhance, improve and boost his productivity. We have selected and paraphrased several on the following pages. (Thoughts on Edison’s creative techniques were gathered from Wily Walnut, a website whose motto is “Meet the Genius in Your Brain”; see http://wilywalnut.com.
Raising the Bar: A New Standard for Steel Bin Safety
It is estimated that more than 750,000 steel grain bins have been built in the United States in the past 75 years. It is anyone’s guess how many of these are still in use. In recent years, the industry has erected between 10,000 to 16,000 steel bins a year.
