Indiana governor nominee picked for federal post
WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) — Last year’s Democratic candidate for Indiana governor has been nominated by President Obama to the board that oversees the federal Farm Credit Administration.

The nomination announced by the White House would return Jill Long Thompson to Washington, where she represented northeastern Indiana in Congress during 1989-95 and then was a top official in the USDA under President Bill Clinton. Long Thompson lost to Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels in last year’s election.

The nomination needs U.S. Senate approval.

Purdue scientist receives World Food Prize
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — A Purdue University scientist is being honored as this year’s recipient of the World Food Prize.
Gebisa Ejeta won the honor because of his breakthroughs in developing drought and disease-resistant forms of sorghum, which is an African diet staple. Ejeta is a native of Ethiopia and began researching ways to improve as sorghum a Purdue graduate student in the 1970s.

He was announced in June as winner of the $250,000 prize, which he received last week as part of the World Food Prize symposium in Des Moines, Iowa. Fellow Purdue professor Philip Nelson won the award in 2007 for developing technologies that reduce post-harvest waste and spoilage.

Farm World featured Ejeta’s win in a July article, which can be found online at http://farmworldonline.com/News/ArchiveArticle.asp?newsid=8336

Kentucky lawmaker pushes industrial hemp farming
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky lawmaker is pushing legislation to legalize industrial hemp as a cash crop and source for alternative fuels.

State Sen. Joey Pendleton (D-Hopkinsville) says the time is right to cash in on hemp because the plant is already legal for research purposes in Kentucky and Congress has legislation before it to decriminalize hemp.

The bill he introduced for the 2010 session would require people wanting to grow or process industrial hemp to be licensed by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. They would have to undergo criminal background checks, and sheriffs would have to monitor and randomly test industrial hemp fields.

Industrial hemp is related to the illegal drug marijuana, but advocates say it has too little of the mind-altering chemical THC to make people high.

Illinois down in national ag research ranking
URBANA, Ill. (AP) — Illinois has fallen in the rankings yet again.
It’s not a sports poll. It’s about a state’s rank when it comes to investment in food and agriculture research. In its latest annual poll, the USDA says Illinois is 25th in the nation. It’s gone down in the ranking for five straight years.

Among 10 Midwest states this year, Illinois comes in dead last. The agency says Illinois’ investment is $22 million less than the Midwest’s highest-ranking state, Minnesota.

Advocates of spending more say most Midwest states have increased their investment on food and agriculture research since 2003. Such investment in Illinois has fallen at least 18 percent in the past six years.

No final payment for corn, sorghum and soybeans

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the USDA will not issue final 2008 counter-cyclical payments to farmers enrolled in the Direct and Counter-cyclical Program for peanuts, corn, grain sorghum, soybeans and oats because average commodity prices remain above levels that trigger these payments.
USDA will issue payments for upland cotton. The final counter-cyclical payment rate for upland cotton is 12.58 cents per pound, the statutory maximum level. Producers who received a partial payment will receive 7.55 cents per pound.

The 2008 farm bill provides that one partial counter-cyclical payment may be issued after 180 days of the marketing year. USDA did not issue a partial payment for the 2008 crop of peanuts, corn, grain sorghum or soybeans because these markets were strong.

A table displaying the target price, average market price, loan rate, direct payment rate, effective price and final counter-cyclical rate for peanuts, corn, grain sorghum, soybeans and cotton is available at www.fsa.usda.gov

Federal funds to aid Tennessee food banks

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Department of Agriculture announced the allocation of more than $572,000 to help five area food banks with the cost of providing food to the needy. The funds were provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“Food banks can be a real a lifeline to some of our state’s most vulnerable citizens,” said Gov. Phil Bredesen. “These Recovery Act funds will help put food on the table for Tennesseans in need.”

“Local food banks have seen the demand for their services increase due to the current economic situation. We’re glad these Recovery Act funds will be able to help cover some of the cost of providing food assistance to those who really need it in communities across Tennessee,” said state Agriculture Commissioner Ken Givens.
The federal funds are to help reimburse agencies for costs incurred in distributing food to the needy during the previous fiscal year.
Allocations are based on the most recent U.S. Census Bureau poverty estimates for counties in each food bank’s service area.
Food banks sharing in the funding include: Chattanooga Area Food Bank, $55,005; Mid-South Food Bank, Memphis, $150,118; Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee, Knoxville, $111,729; Second Harvest of Middle Tennessee, Nashville, $205,122; and Second Harvest of Northeast Tennessee, Washington County, $50,994.
State ag officials expect a similar allocation of funds for the current federal fiscal year, which began Oct. 1. Those funds will be used to assist community action agencies, which also distribute food to the needy in communities across Tennessee.

Daniels expands Ind. youth conservation corps program
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (AP) — Gov. Mitch Daniels says a program that hires young adults to improve Indiana parks and trails has been so successful that he’s extending it for another year.

The Young Hoosiers Conservation Corps has given jobs to nearly 1,900 residents ages 16-24 since it was created this year using federal stimulus money. Corps members have worked on 750 parks projects statewide.

The program was set to expire last week, but Daniels extended it through 2010. He said the program has exceeded expectations and puts young people to work quickly, while enhancing Indiana’s natural beauty. Daniels is also considering expanding the corps into urban areas.

The state is using $24 million in stimulus money to pay for the program, over two years.