SPRING
INSIDE:
•Budgeting for success, page 4 •Ray-Carroll elevator build progressing, page 12 •Concordia FFA community blood drive, page 14 Photo by Sarah Reed/The Concordian
ISSUE
CONCORDIAN THE
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2013 — 16 PAGES
More farmers adding sulfur to soil PAGE 2 — THE CONCORDIAN, Concordia, Missouri, Wednesday, February 27, 2013
“Corn and wheat in particular . . . have shown good yield increases where sulfur has been applied . . .”
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n the last few years there Iabout has been much discussion using sulfur fertilizer.
More and more producers are using sulfur regularly in their fertility program. Sulfur is critically important in all crops and there are more signs of sulfur deficiency across the country. Corn and wheat in particular, which require larger amounts of sulfur have shown good yield increases where sulfur has been applied in many instances. There are several reasons that sulfur is less abundant in our soils than it once was:
1. LESS air pollution —
Partially as a result of less sulfur in emissions, scien-
tists are claiming sulfur deposits in our soils are decreasing by five pounds per acre per year.
2.
LESS manure application — There are a lot of good things in manure in
addition to nitrogen(N), phosphorous(P), and potassium(K). Sulfur, micronutrients, biological, etc., are big benefits that often go unmentioned in manure
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THE CONCORDIAN, Concordia, Missouri, Wednesday, February 27, 2013 — PAGE 3
Continued from page 2
3.
L ESS availability — Commonly applied fertilizers used to contain a certain amount of sulfur as a result of the material used and the manufacturing process. Modern manufacturing techniques have eliminated most of the sulfur portion.
4. MORE corn acres and
less tillage leads to less mineralization (due to cooler soils when covered by residue) and less sulfur release. One downside to reduced tillage is that more residue leads to cooler soils, which in turn means slower breakdown or mineralization of organic matter.
sulfur each year and you need to fertilize with enough sulfur to supply each season’s crop. Some common crop residue carbons to sulfur ratios are: Corn residue — 350 parts carbon to one part sulfur; Soybean residue - 125 parts carbon to one part sulfur; and Wheat residue — 300 parts carbon to one part sulfur. If you have a lot of carbon (corn or wheat residue for example) you may need to apply just a little more sulfur than normal.
“For each 1 percent of organic matter in your soils, you would typically expect to get two to three pounds of sulfur free each year.”
For each 1 percent of organic matter in your soils, you would typically expect to get two to three pounds of sulfur free each year. With the higher residue levels, the carbon to sulfur ratio becomes important in the mineralization to release the sulfur. If the carbon to sulfur ratio is:
1.
LESS than 200 parts carbon to one part sulfur = your sulfur will likely be mineralized and made available.
2.
BETWEEN 200 to one and 400 to one = your sulfur will remain in the form it’s in until the ratio changes.
3.
G REATER than 400 parts carbon to one part sulfur = your sulfur will be immobilized and unavailable for plant uptake. The bottom line is that you don’t have a lot of mobilization in your soils, nor do you get a lot of sulfur most years from mineralization. Your crops are using quite a bit of It’s so easy to subscribe to The Concordian!
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PAGE 4 — THE CONCORDIAN, Concordia, Missouri, Wednesday, February 27, 2013
MU Extension offers financial simulation tool
A new tool offered through the University of Missouri-Columbia could help farmers learn new ways to look at their businesses. Much like other enterprises would calculate budgets based on each factor involving costs and gains, the Farm Cost and Return Tool, an online budgeting estimator, helps farmers build projected budgets for their entire operation. It was particularly developed for those who are new to the arena and considering farming for the first time. “There are unique characteristics on any farm,” said Whitney Wiegel, county program director and agriculture business specialist for MU Extension. “This tool enables you to customize . . . budgets.” Developed by MU’s Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute, the interactive budget tool only requires basic information such as amount of acreage, the types of crops or number of animals being raised. It also asks for estimated future prices. According to a recent press release, the user would get a five-year estimate of costs and returns based on data from the FAPRI baseline and the USDA once the information is entered. With the tool, farmers can review how the entire farm looks financially or focus in on individual commodities, according to FAPRI economist Peter Zimmel. “A producer can’t just think of what’s going to happen this year,” Zimmel said. “One of the big benefits of this tool is . . . they can look at it before they actually go out there and spend the
“There are unique characteristics on any farm. . . . This tool enables you to customize . . . budgets.”
-Whitney Wiegel
total income per acre of $866.65. This was created in 2011 to represent farms of approximately 2,000 acres, and total operating costs accounted for were $597.16. Projections such as this allow farmers to compare their finances to anticipated results, but shouldn’t be seen as figures set in stone. As farmers saw in 2012, multiple factors affected their operations, from the severe drought that continues to be a concern to spider mites and even herbicides. For new farmers, these tools could help determine how to cushion the risks in their area.
money to try and do it.” The user is also able to change numbers in any of the given fields. This, for example, allows one to see how projections change by adding acreage for row crop farming, or even increasing the number of beef cattle. But those new to agriculture aren’t the only ones who can benefit. Those who’ve farmed for decades “Fresh from the heartland” can utilize the program to make different financial decisions or to help grow Office (660) 674-2231 • Fax (660) 674-2232 their operation. 100 N. County Road Other budgetary options are also Alma, Missouri 64001 Accepting EBT available through MU Extension, such Find us on Facebook as spreadsheets and annual enterprise budgets that are prepared based on sources from across the state. For example, a cost and return estimate for operations with dryland corn as a primary crop in 2012 reflected a
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THE CONCORDIAN, Concordia, Missouri, Wednesday, February 27, 2013 — PAGE 5
The number of farms in the United States totals approximately 2.2 million. The number of farms in the United States totals approximately 2.2 million. According to a National Agriculture Statistics Service report issued in February, that’s a loss of 11,630 farms nationwide between 2011 and 2012. The report breaks down estimates by state and region, and provides a glimpse at changes in the sizes of farming operations. Missouri saw a slight decrease of total farms, dropping from 106,500 in 2011. The scope of that loss is reflected by growth in several economic sales classes, which are based on the gross value of agricultural products sold. In the $1,000-9,999 class, Missouri farms decreased from 56,300 to 53,000. Those numbers were regained in the $10,000$99,999 class — which grew from 37,900 to 39,500 — and in the $100,000-$249,000 class — which jumped from 5,300 to 5,700. The number of Missouri farms also increased by 800 in the $500,000 and over economic sales class. The report indicates total land in U.S. farms is down to 914 million acres, a decline of 3 million acres from the previous year, and farm size grew by one acre, averaging 421 acres per farm. In Missouri, the land in farms remained the same at 29 million acres. The average farm size grew slightly, from 272 acres to 274. NASS collected data during the June Agricultural Survey, and estimates could be revised.
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PAGE 6 — THE CONCORDIAN, Concordia, Missouri, Wednesday, February 27, 2013
MU Extension news
Care of fruit trees and plants begins at your door By Michele Warmund UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI DIVISION OF PLANT SCIENCES
Fruit trees can be challenging to grow in Missouri because of erratic weather conditions and a favorable climate for diseases and insects. While much attention is usually given to frost protection, irrigation, nutrition, and pest control of trees after planting, it is also important to provide good care of mail-order plant material before it is placed in the ground. Here are a few tips that will improve survival and enhance the growth of fruit trees and small fruit plants. When placing the order with a nursery, ask them to provide a spe-
cific shipping date so you will be prepared for the delivery. Bareroot plants are best planted in late March through April 15 in Missouri. Plug plants with green leaves should be delivered after the danger of frost (May 10 for most parts of Missouri). A tracking number for the shipment is helpful in determining the day and time of delivery. As soon as the delivery arrives, open the container and inspect the plants to make sure they haven’t been damaged during packing, handling, or shipping. Don’t worry if the roots or the top branches of woody plants have been pruned or if a few of the branches or shoots are damaged. However, if the graft union is bro-
ken on fruit trees, the nursery should be contacted immediately. Similarly, if the packing material surrounding the roots is dry, buds on bare root fruit trees have leafed out, or disease symptoms are clearly visible on any plant part, call the nursery immediately and request replacements or a refund. After inspecting plants, it is always best to set them in the ground immediately. However, if this is not possible, re-wrap the roots with moist packing material (sawdust, shredded paper, etc.) and seal the root system in plastic to prevent moisture loss. Dormant, bare-root plants should be stored in a cool dark area, as near 40°F as possible. Plug plants with green
should arrive later in the growing season than bare-root plants and can be stored in a shaded area with the roots also protected from moisture loss. Do not store bare root or plug plants near ethylene-generating plants such as apples, pears, peaches, bananas, or tomatoes. Ethylene is a natural hormone that stimulates bud break and will reduce the storage life of fruit trees. If cold storage is not possible, fruit plants can be potted in containers temporarily and kept outdoors until they are moved to a permanent planting site. Potted plants will require watering when the growing medium is dry. Also, potted plants need to be covered to prevent root freezing when air
temperatures fall below 20°F. When planting time arrives, soak plant roots in water for about an hour before setting them in the ground. Prune any broken branches or long roots back and plant them in a hole large enough to accommodate the root system. Next, firm up the soil in the planting hole and apply fertilizer to the soil surface in a circle, at least six inches from the stem, and water to dissolve the granules immediately after planting. This article was published Jan. 31 on the University of Missouri Extension’s website. Visit extension.missouri.edu for more horticulture information.
Search for Missouri Century Farms continues
COLUMBIA — If your farm has been in Applicants certified as owners of a 2013 your family since Dec. 31, 1913, you can Missouri Century Farm will be recognized apply to have it recognized as a Missouri by the MU Extension office in the county Century Farm. where the farm is located. Applicants are To qualify, farms must meet the follow- presented with a sign and a certificate. ing guidelines. The same family must have Since Missouri began the program in owned the farm for 100 consecutive years. 1976, more than 8,000 century farms have The line of ownership from the original set- been recognized. tler or buyer may be through children, For applications received by May 1, a grandchildren, siblings, and nephews or fee covers the cost of a certificate, farm nieces, including through marriage or sign and booklet for approved applicants. If adoption. the application is received between May 1 The farm must be at least 40 acres of the and May 15, the cost is increased. original land acquisition and make a finan- Applications must be postmarked by May cial contribution to the overall farm 15, 2013, to be considered. income. For application forms and information, “It is important to honor and respect our call Extension Publications toll-free at 1history,” said Michael Ouart, vice provost 800-292-0969, contact your local MU for University of Missouri Extension. Extension office, or visit the program web“These farms represent both Missouri’s site at extension.missouri.edu/centuryfarm. cultural heritage and the good stewardship that our farmers strive for.” In 2008, the Missouri Farm Bureau joined MU Extension and the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources as a program sponsor. Auctioneers “Missouri Farm Bureau Chad Davls James Bell is a proud partner in the 660-747-6988 recognition of century www.davisbellauctions.com farms,” said Blake Hurst, Now is the time to start thinking president. “We applaud the about booking spring auctions. hardworking farm families that have kept us fed and Real Estate • Antiques • Farm Sales • Household clothed for generations. They represent an important Annual Machinery Auction April 13, 2013 part of our heritage and laid Johnson County Fairgrounds a foundation for the bounty Call early with your quality consignments for advertising. Americans enjoy every day.”
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MCA announces 2013 priority issues
COLUMBIA — The Missouri Cattlemen’s Association (MCA) released their 2013 policy priority issues. MCA Executive Vice President Mike Deering said that these issues are priorities Missouri cattlemen and women put on the top of their list for 2013. He said the there are five overarching priorities with specific objectives accompanying each priority. Deering said the top priorities are cattle health and wellbeing; conservation and sustainability; education; transportation; and the 2013 Farm Bill. MCA President Chuck Massengill said in regards to cattle health and wellbeing, the priorities are clear-cut. “We will be working alongside the state veterinarian and the director of agriculture to amend the state’s rule regarding trichomoniasis in cattle. Most importantly, we will be encouraging that the rule incorporates an option for cattlemen to retest their cattle should they receive a positive test,” said Massengill, who is also a veterinarian. “We will also be working to ensure the enforcement of the Animal Disease Traceability Rule that U.S. Department of Agriculture published earlier this month will not disrupt the marketplace or inflict financial burden on cattlemen.” Massengill said MCA also supports H.B. 117, sponsored by Rep. Tony Dugger, which establishes petition circulator and sponsoring signature requirements and duties for the secretary of state. In short, Massengill said this bill would bring “much-needed” accountability and transparency to the ballot petition process. MCA will be working with the Department of Conservation to reestablish quail habitat. They will also be a force behind Rep. Jason Smith’s HJR 7, which Deering says proposes a constitutional amendment affirming the right of farmers and ranchers to engage in modern farming and ranching practices. Regarding education, Deering said the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has displayed a disregard for career and technical education. Most recently, DESE proposed eliminating minimum requirements for career and technical education, such as agricultural education. “Career and technical education empowers young people to follow their passion of working with their hands and minds. It readies the next generation of farmers and ranchers to enter into a noble profession expected to feed more than 9 billion people by the year 2050,” Deering said. “We are going to push for the passage of Sen. Brian Munzlinger’s S.B. 16, which exempts farm work from certain labor requirements. We will also work with allied organizations to stop the attack on agricultural education by supporting S.B. 16, which minimizes the absolute control DESE has on career and technical education.” MCA will work to develop consistent livestock hauling limits on Missouri roadways. Massengill said MCA will partner with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association to ensure the passage of a farm bill that excludes a livestock title and ensures funding for conservation programs.
THE CONCORDIAN, Concordia, Missouri, Wednesday, February 27, 2013 — PAGE 7
Missouri Cattlemen’s Association urges farmers to help prevent closure of beef processing plants
The Missouri Cattlemen’s Association has been in constant communications with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA) about an issue developing based on comments made by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack. Specifically, Vilsack made concerning comments regarding the sequestration process and a possible fifteen-day furlough of all Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) employees, including food safety inspectors. While speaking at an ethanol conference, Secretary Vilsack said the following: • On March 1, mandatory federal spending cuts will be triggered through sequestration. • Federal meat inspectors will be furloughed for two
weeks • Predicted billions of dollars of impact in the marketplace and price increases for consumers. Without federal meat inspectors, beef processing plants shut down. We believe they are an essential function, but that is not the word NCBA is getting from the secretary’s office. Even during the government shutdown of 1995 and 1996, meat inspectors stayed on the job.
While not the only factor, the secretary’s comments have had a negative impact on the markets. Take action: We are asking you contact your members of Congress and request their help in keeping inspectors on the job. A sample letter is already written and ready to go. You can send it as is or you can tailor that letter with your own comments as well. Visit http://www.mocattle.com/ or www. beef.org for more information.
PAGE 8 — THE CONCORDIAN, Concordia, Missouri, Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Study documents conversion of grassland to crops By DIRK LAMMERS ASSOCIATED PRESS
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A new study documents a loss of 1.3 million acres of grassland over a five-year period in the Western Corn Belt — a rate not seen since the 1920s and 1930s. See GRASSLAND, page 9
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Grassland Continued from page 8
The research by Christopher Wright and Michael Wimberly of the Geographic Information Science Center of Excellence at South Dakota State University said a recent doubling in commodity prices has created incentives for landowners in South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota and Iowa to convert grassland to corn and soybean cropping. “Historically, comparable grassland conversion rates have not been seen in the Corn Belt since the 1920s and 1930s, the era of rapid mechanization of U.S. agriculture,” the authors wrote. The study is published in a recent edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. It found that corn and soy production has expanded onto marginal lands with high potential for erosion and drought. The authors compared the land use change rate in the Western Corn Belt to the deforestation of Brazil, Malaysia and Indonesia, but Wright said it’s over a much smaller area. “And we’re not talking about a pristine landscape like a Brazilian rainforest,” Wright said. The researchers say that high corn and soybean prices, prompted largely by demand for biofuel feedstocks, are driving the change. Growers groups say the increased demand for their crops is also spurred by the ris-
THE CONCORDIAN, Concordia, Missouri, Wednesday, February 27, 2013 — PAGE 9
ing international need for protein sources, and American farmers are doing all they can to keep up with the skyrocketing demand. The analysis identifies areas with elevated rates of grass-tocorn and grass-to-soy conversion, ranging from 1 percent to 5.4 percent annually. Grassland conversion between 2006 and 2011 was mostly concentrated in North Dakota and South Dakota, east of the Missouri River. In Minnesota and the Dakotas, this expansion was concentrated near wetlands, posing a threat to waterfowl breeding habitats. The percentages don’t appear large during a single year, but when they accumulate over a longer period, it could mean the loss of hundreds of thousands of acres, said Eric Lindstrom, a Bismarck, N.D.based government affairs representative for Ducks Unlimited. “We’ve been very concerned about the accelerated loss of native prairie,” Lindstrom said. The conservation organization is supporting the Protect Our Prairies Act, a U.S. House bill introduced last week by Rep. Kristi Noem, R-S.D., and Tim Walz, D-Minn. The bill would conserve native grasslands by reducing crop insurance for the first four years on newly broken native sod or grasslands. Ducks Unlimited also would like federal crop insurance subsidies based on the productivity of the land versus incentivizing
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wetland drainage and habitat destruction. In their study, the South Dakota State researchers found some differing trends when looking at state-level data. In the Dakotas and Minnesota, grassland conversion was concentrated on relatively highquality land, suggesting that land owners are seeking higher rates of return by moving from livestock ranching to growing corn and soybean. In Minnesota, the researchers found much of the grassland conversion was on lands with excessive wetness, pointing to a likely increase in the use of man-made drainage systems. Grassland conversion in Iowa was concentrated on less
suitable land, likely reflecting a relative lack of higher quality land available for growing more corn and soybeans. The change in Nebraska focused on lands highly unsuited to crop production, suggesting an increase in irrigation in southwest Nebraska. The authors say their findings may have implications for the re-gion’s land productivity, carbon sequestration, biodiversity, flood risk and vulnerability to drought.
“We’ve been very concerned about the accelerated loss of native prairie,” Lindstrom said.
Emergency loans still available for eligible area producers PAGE 10 — THE CONCORDIAN, Concordia, Missouri, Wednesday, February 27, 2013
As of Feb. 12, the U.S. Drought Monitor indicated a majority of Lafayette County was still in severe drought after farmers saw one of the worst on record during the summer of 2012. According to the Crop Production 2012 Annual Summary, 10.8 billion bushels of corn were produced last year, which is 13 percent below that of 2011. Likewise, soybean production was down by 3 percent. Although some are hesitant about this year’s yield due to the continuation of dry cropland, some experts are anticipating an increase in farm income. According to the USDA, after adjusting for inflation, 2013’s net farm income is forecast at $128.2 billion and is expected to be the highest since 1973. Net farm income, however, isn’t a measurement of cash income. assets, debt and equity Instead it includes inven- will increase this year. tory and non-cash items. Although the net Likewise, the Net Farm income could be on the Income Forecast also See LOANS, page 11 projects farm sector
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THE CONCORDIAN, Concordia, Missouri, Wednesday, February 27, 2013 — PAGE 11
Continued from page 10
rise again, some farmers are looking for alternate sources of support. On Jan. 23, the Secretary of Agriculture designated Carroll County as a primary natural disaster area due to damages and losses caused by drought. Lafayette County was one of six designated as contiguous natural disaster areas. Because of the designation, qualified Lafayette County producers are eligible for low interest emergency loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency. According to the FSA, farmers have eight months from the date of declaration to apply for loans — putting the deadline in late September. If a farmer had a 30 percent loss in production or a physical loss that was essential to a successful operation, he may qualify. FSA provides several other disaster assistance programs including Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program; Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish; Tree Assistance Program; Emergency Forest Restoration Program; Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance; Livestock Indemnity Program; and Livestock Forage Disaster Program. The Lafayette County FSA office can be reached at 660-584-8732 for more information on how to apply for low interest emergency loans. “Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you’re a thousand miles from the corn field.” ~Dwight D. Eisenhower
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Elevator build near Corder progressing PAGE 12 — THE CONCORDIAN, Concordia, Missouri, Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Contributed image
An aerial picture shows the construction site of Ray-Carroll’s newest elevator near Corder and Higginsville. Construction began in the fall of 2012, and the facility, located off of state Highway 20, is expected to be up and running later this year. Underground and foundation work for the elevator was completed in February.
We Buy Scrap Metal Formerly Nuelle’s 4x4 Salvage
By Laura Williams
Work on the new 1.4 million bushel elevator located just east of Corder, near Higginsville, is progressing well. Under the direction of Ray-Carroll’s Operations Manager Tim Phillips, RayCarroll broke ground on the new elevator last September. The facility will serve area farmers with fast unloading and competitive markets. “The concrete elevator that will go in the air soon is definitely going to be built for speed,” Phillips said, “as it will have the capability to unload at 60,000 bushel per hour in two full size pits and train loading capability at 80,000 bushel per hour.” General Manager Mike Nordwald said that since Ray-Carroll already has many customers in the Corder area currently doing part of their business at neighboring Ray-Carroll facilities, this location will provide a more local service
for them and will offer additional storage capacity for all growers in the area. According to Phillips, the new elevator will feature an attended in-bound scale, an unattended outbound scale, a 6,000 bushel per hour tower dryer, full equipment automation, and a 120-car capacity loop track served by state Highway 20 and the KCS Railroad. The KCS is one of the five Class 1 railroads in the U.S. and will connect Ray-Carroll growers with
livestock, processor and export customers. Nordwald said the new elevator is an exciting project for Ray-Carroll as services improve and the co-op continues spreading and controlling the cost per bushel via increased volume. “The value at the end of the day goes back to our owners, our customers,” Nordwald said. Editor’s note: Article courtesy of Ray-Carroll Cooperative News
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THE CONCORDIAN, Concordia, Missouri, Wednesday, February 27, 2013 — PAGE 13
Semi View
Lose weight and get healthy: Eat meat and get moving by Marcia Gorrell AGRICULTURE REPORTER
If I hadn’t heard it with my own ears, I might not have believed it. In a recent episode of “The View,” the great and powerful Dr. Ehmet Oz said, “Meat is not the cause of obesity in America. Red meat is okay.” It’s the same thing those of us in production agriculture have been saying — and living — for many years. Later in a Time Magazine article, Dr. Oz endorsed regular, supermarket milk over organic. He also said nutritionally, there’s not much difference between grass-fed beef and feedlot cornfed beef. He went on to say, “The American food supply is abundant, nutritionally sound, affordable and, with a few simple considerations, comparable to the most elite organic diets. Save the cash; the 99 percent diet can be good for you.” On “The View,” he cautioned Barbara Walters and the others to stay away from white foods (flour, sugar, rice), eat real foods and cut down on sugar. When I heard the statement on “The View,” I have to admit my first thought was, “Well, duh.” Nonetheless, I was glad it was said on national television. Two years ago I lost almost 60 pounds on a diet from the local doctor’s office. The high-protein, low carbohydrate diet included an abundance of lean meat and eggs. In fact, I could have eaten up to 16 eggs a day and still been in compliance. The diet also included fruit, vegetables and lots of water. But what I couldn’t eat was even more important: sugar, bread, fried foods and high-starch vegetables like potatoes.
The many hundreds of people who have lost weight on this and similar diets know it works. I’ve kept the weight off. And I’ve never, ever given up meat or eggs. I started on my diet because of very high cholesterol. After losing weight by eating and continuing to eat a ton of eggs, beef, pork and chicken, my cholesterol is now perfect. A friend of mine was on three different kinds of blood pressure medicine. After losing 50 pounds on the same diet, she is off all of her medicines and her blood pressure is normal again. In other words, it’s the extra weight — and lack of exercise — causing our problems. Not the meat. I really don’t need more proof. After all, I live with farmers who eat meat each meal and most snacks. I live near 80-and 90-year-olds who have had bacon and eggs for breakfast every day of their lives. They believe a meal wouldn’t be a meal without meat on the table. But most importantly they are still living healthy, active lives. There is no doubt there is an obesity problem in America, but the cause is still being debated. Red meat, field corn and most recently, wheat, have been labeled as causes. Perhaps they are easy targets, but the truth is, in order to lose weight we have to give up the thing most of us love the most: sugar-laden junk foods. In the last 20 years, the amount of sugar each person consumes yearly in the United States has soared from 26 pounds per person to more than 135 pounds per person. The average teenage male now consumes more than 34 teaspoons of sugar per day. The average adult consumes 22 teaspoons of sugar per day.
Since 1983, sugar consumption has been steadily increasing every year by an average of 28 percent. Therefore, it is no coincidence that in 1962, there was a 13 percent obesity rate. By 2008, the obesity rate skyrocketed to 33.8 percent (adults) and 17 percent
(children). At the same time, red meat consumption has dropped steadily since 1972. In fact, Americans consume less red meat now than they did in the 1950s. Obviously, Dr. Oz is right. It’s not the meat, cornfed or otherwise. It’s the sugar, and the pies,
and the cakes and the cookies. So I can’t help but wonder, why are some groups still promoting Meatless Monday? Here’s an idea, perhaps if we really want to stop obesity, what about Sugarless Sunday, Walking Wednesday or better yet, Exercise Everyday?
FFA members focus on community involvement PAGE 14 — THE CONCORDIAN, Concordia, Missouri, Wednesday, February 27, 2013
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T
he images of one donating blood don’t typically coincide with thoughts of agriculture, but they do share one important idea — providing for the community. Students and adults filed into Concordia High School’s Agriculture Building, anticipating their turns to donate while others collected snacks to regain strength. The blood drive is one of Concordia FFA’s community outreach projects as students challenge themselves and the public to be of serv-
Concordia FFA members for the 2012-2013 school year (from left) are: Britlin Murray, Bailey Fuehring, Hanna Janik, Jared Jenkins, Austin Hoover; second row, Nikki Forrester, Taylor Lutjen, Martha Cowherd, Maddie Kelly, Bristol Schnakenberg, Samuel Jenkins, Kailey Bales; third row, Audrey Buesing, Collin Stringer, Daniel Steen, Patrick Hastings, Andy Galloway, Cody Langkraehr; fourth row, Noel Barton, Chuck Rogers, Hunter Bredehoeft, Alec Muller, Jesse Flandermeyer, Kendra Ratliff, Rachel Rodenberg; fifth row, Trent McGinnis, Derrick Lindstrom, Nick Limback, David Sherman, Clint Collier, Braden Pfannkuch; back, row, Jarret Caldwell, Shayla Norris, Derek Storck, Dustin Neal, Cory Howard and Lane Stone.
ice to others. “We have to have certain activities that reach out to the community and fit a need in the community,” Concordia FFA President Nora Faris said. “It fits in with our goals.” According to the American Red Cross, someone in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds, including many of the one million people diagnosed with cancer each year. Mary Burr, with Community Blood Center — the organization running the
FFA’s blood drive — knows how needed the supply is. “There is always an urgency for donations,” she said. The center serves approximately 70 hospitals throughout Missouri and Kansas, including I-70 Community Hospital in Sweet Springs, Fitzgibbon See FFA, page 15
FFA
THE CONCORDIAN, Concordia, Missouri, Wednesday, February 27, 2013 — PAGE 15
Continued from page 14
Hospital in Marshall, Lafayette Regional Health Center in Lexington and Western Missouri Medical Center in Warrensburg. The donation drive was just one of many activities planned for FFA Week, in which members not only promote the organization but use it as a time to give back. “We do a lot of organization work in advance, but February especially is a busy month at Concordia High School,” Faris said. “it definitely takes a lot of foresight and planning, especially since we’re facing challenges like we are with the weather right now and potentially rescheduling — things get a little hectic.” February also recognizes FBLA Week and Career and Technical Organization Month, in which several of the students are also involved. But during the week of Feb. 17-23, they’re focused on agriculture and their impact on the surrounding area. “This week is about contributing to the community,” Faris continued.
A Concordia High School student prepares to donate blood to Community Blood Center this past Wednesday. The Concordia FFA chapter had a goal of receiving 50 usable units that day. The FFA motto is “Learning to do, doing to learn, learning to live, living to serve.” Not only was the chapter living up to its motto, it was reflected by those donating. Twentyeight people had donated by 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 20. That turnout encouraged chapter members and set a precedent for the rest of the day as well as next year’s activities.
Proud to be part of an agriculturallyrich community.
Shayla Norris (left) and Maddie Kelly, sophomores with Concordia FFA, run the snack booth during a blood drive hosted by the chapter this past Wednesday. The drive was one of several activities planned for FFA Week.
PAGE 16 — THE CONCORDIAN, Concordia, Missouri, Wednesday, February 27, 2013
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