Farmers Elect New Directors to Indiana Soybean Board
Two farmers from northeast Indiana recently were elected as first-time farmer-leaders on the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) board of directors. Tom Griffiths of Kendallville and Don Wyss of Ossian will join the ISA Board in January 2010 as representatives from District 2, which includes Adams, Allen, Blackford, Dekalb, Delaware, Grant, Henry, Huntington, Jay, La Grange, Madison, Noble, Randolph, Steuben, Wayne, Wells and Whitley counties.
New Directors to Indiana Soybean Board

Corvus Working Well in Indiana for Bayer CropSciences
Season-long control of grass and broadleaf weeds in corn fields got a boost this year from a new Bayer CropScience product called Corvus. As it turns out, Hoosier growers got the best look at Corvus during this limited supply, introductory year.  Hoosier Ag Today spoke with Jeff Springsteen from Bayer CropScience, who told us, "Actually Indiana was our number one state as far as the amount of Corvus that we did get out this year. In the results we saw there was phenomenal control whether it was used in that pre-emergent application timing or at V2. With the wet year we had there were a lot more early post applications than we probably would have had in the past. And people really like using it at that V1, V2 stage, because with the residual that the product does have in it they never saw weeds come into those fields when they sprayed it."
Corvus Working Well

USDA Agrees to Help Indiana Pork Farmers
Indiana Pork Thursday praised U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack for his decision to lend assistance to the U.S. pork industry to help it weather a nearly 2-year-old economic crisis that has put some producers out of business.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture agreed to purchase up to $30 million of pork products, which will be used for various federal food programs. Secretary Vilsack, who heard from hundreds of hurting pork producers, announced the pork buy today.  "The pork purchase being made by USDA will be a big help to the pork producers in Indiana," said Michael Platt, Indiana Pork Executive Director. "We're pleased that Secretary Vilsack has taken this important first step to help the Indiana pork industry, which contributes over $3 billion to the state economy and over 13,000 jobs."
Indiana Pork Farmers

Time to fight cap and trade
The national debate on health care has raged for several months while a bill continues in Congress that could impact our nation's economic health. The U.S. Senate will be voting on legislation that would negatively impact America's competitiveness and put a disproportionate burden on all Hoosiers.  As a geologist, I have more than a basic understanding of earth science and the processes that affect our planet.  Fear-mongers would have you believe that human-induced climate change and rising sea levels are endangering the planet but they are plain wrong. It is poor science, at best, and certainly not a reason to add billions of dollars in costs to American products and utility bills.
Cap and Trade