Chinese delegation buying Illinois soybeans
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Gov. Pat Quinn and U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) joined Illinois Soybean Assoc. (ISA) farmer-leaders and a Chinese soybean buying delegation last Thursday in a soybean purchase signing agreement ceremony in Chicago.

“ISA is very pleased to have Governor Quinn be part of this signing ceremony with China, our number-one customer of Illinois soybeans,” said ISA Chair Moore, of Roseville. “This is a testament to how the Governor recognizes the value and importance of Illinois soybean production, which ranks second in the U.S. with 466 million bushels harvested in 2010.”

China purchased 825 million bushels of U.S. soybeans during the most recent marketing year, according to the ISA. The country currently imports one out of every four rows of soybeans grown in the United States, and is a country where Illinois soybean farmers invest checkoff dollars in market development.
The Chinese delegation of 20-plus officials was arranged by the U.S. Soybean Export Council in cooperation with the American Soybean Assoc., USB, Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council and ISA.

New Ohio rules aimed at reducing manure runoff

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Some farmers will be banned from spreading manure on their frozen land under new rules that seek to prevent runoff into Ohio’s largest inland lake.

The regulations stem from an outbreak of toxic algae at Grand Lake St. Marys in western Ohio last summer that led to water warnings and a decline in tourism. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources on Jan. 18 designated the lake a distressed watershed, which triggered the new rules.

In two years, roughly 300 farms in the lake’s watershed will be banned from putting manure on their fields during the winter months, said John Kessler, deputy chief of the department’s Division of Soil and Water Resources. The ban will last from Dec. 15-March 1, or when the ground is frozen outside of those dates, unless the farmers first get approval from the agency.

Under the new state regulations, some farmers in the watershed must also develop a written plan by December 2012 for how they’ll get rid of and apply manure in the future. Joe Cornely, a spokesman for the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, said the organization is comfortable with the rules.

“We share in the responsibility of improving conditions in the watershed,” he said.

A spokesman for Gov. John Kasich said the governor believes the rules are a reasonable approach to protecting the lake. Kasich previously has said his preference would be to try to work with the farmers to prevent runoff rather than instituting regulations.

Trucker dies after accident at northeastern Iowa farm
JESUP, Iowa (AP) — Authorities said a truck driver has died of injuries suffered when he was pinned between his truck and a skid loader at a farm in northeastern Iowa.

The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier stated Steven Rasey, 54, of Whitewater, Wis., had delivered drainage tiles to the farm near Jesup the morning of Jan. 17. The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office said the driver was trying to free his big rig from the snow when he got pinned between the semitrailer and what was described as a skid loader or forklift.

Rasey was found unconscious about 9 a.m. and later taken to Buchanan County Health Center in Independence.

USDA launches new biobased product label
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The USDA’s BioPreferred program announced a final rule to initiate a voluntary product certification and labeling program for qualifying biobased products was published in the Federal Register last week.
This new label is to clearly identify biobased products made from renewable resources, and to promote the increased sale and use of these products in the commercial market and for consumers.

Through implementation of the BioPreferred program, USDA has already designated approximately 5,100 biobased products for preferred purchasing by federal agencies. The USDA estimates there are 20,000 biobased products being manufactured in the United States.

To see an example of USDA’s new BioPreferred product label, visit www.biopreferred.com

Nearly 2,000 pigs diein fire near Melvin, Iowa
MELVIN, Iowa (AP) — Officials said nearly 2,000 pigs died in a fire near Melvin in northwestern Iowa.

Melvin Fire Chief Steve Heitritter told Sioux City television station KTIV that fire crews were called to the hog confinement operation at 6:30 a.m. Jan. 16 and stayed on the scene until noon. Heitritter estimated that more than 1,800 pigs died.

He said the fire likely was caused by an electric problem in a small building that connects two larger confinement buildings. No dollar estimate of the damage was provided.

Indiana snack maker recalling Better Made Corn Pops
BLUFFTON, Ind. (AP) — A northeastern Indiana snack manufacturer announced it’s recalling 8-ounce packages of Better Made-brand Corn Pops because the packaging doesn’t reveal the presence of milk.

Pretzels, Inc. of Bluffton said Friday that the recalled Corn Pops were distributed to retail stores in Michigan and Ohio. It blamed the problem on “a temporary breakdown of the company’s production and packaging processes.”
The company said no illnesses had been reported but people with allergies or sensitivities to milk could suffer serious or life-threatening reactions. The product is packaged with an expiration code of MAR1411 and a UPC code of 041633-003716. Consumers are being told to return them to the place they bought them for a refund.