Company accused of favoring foreign labor
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Maryville, Tenn., woman’s complaint, filed with the Justice Department, accuses a nursery plant of discouraging her from accepting a job there so it could hire foreign-born workers.

Sabrina Steele claims Pope’s Plant Farm in Greenback and its owner, Mike Pope, discriminated against her for being a U.S.-born worker. Steele alleges she was told the job required her to work 80 hours per week, that she would be the only U.S.-born English speaker performing manual labor and the ratio of male to female employees was about 20 to one.

Attorney Melody Fowler-Green, of nonprofit Southern Migrant Legal Services, represents Steele and filed the complaint two weeks ago. She said the company made the offer unattractive to discourage Steele, so it could hire immigrants.

Pope did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Corn checkoff approved by MO producers
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) announced that the 2008 Missouri Corn Checkoff Referendum, recommended by the Missouri Corn Merchandising Council (MCMC), was approved by registered corn producers who voted by ballot Dec. 1-15.

The referendum asked corn producers to vote on raising the MCMC checkoff of one-half cent per bushel on all corn produced and/or sold in Missouri, to one cent per bushel.

“The Missouri Corn Merchandising Council asked the Department of Agriculture to submit a referendum to corn producers. Missouri producers overwhelmingly approved the checkoff increase, with approximately 75 percent voting in favor,” said Don Steen, MDA director. “The Council is to be commended for their hard work. This historic effort shows true initiative and leadership that will ensure the success of the Missouri corn industry for years to come.”

In July 2008, the Missouri Corn Merchandising Council voted to submit a referendum to corn producers. The one-half cent per bushel checkoff has been in effect since it was originally approved in 1984; this increase is the first since that time.

Beginning July 1, a fee of one cent per bushel will be assessed on all corn produced and/or sold in the state of Missouri. The monies generated will be controlled by producers and must, by law, be used for corn market development, education and research. Producers may receive a refund of their contributions upon proper request.

Three AGCO tractor assembly centers open
DULUTH, Ga. — In an effort to streamline logistics for their dealer network, AGCO Corp. has built and opened three new tractor assembly centers in the United States. These centers are located near major ports and close to markets with high demand for tractors manufactured and marketed by AGCO.

The three new assembly centers, located near Baltimore, Md., Houston, Texas, and Tacoma, Wash., are completed and taking tractor and parts inventory from AGCO manufacturing facilities around the world for the AGCO, Challenger, Fendt, Massey Ferguson and Valtra brands.

The assembly centers have created more than 60 new full time jobs. Employees will assemble the tractors and customize them to the market by installing attachments such as loaders and backhoes, three-point hitches, tires and wheels and additional North American content as requested by dealers and customers.
The AGCO Corporation assembly centers are standardizing quality control of each piece of equipment sold in North America by running them through consistent quality checks and audits at each facility.

ISA congratulates new soybean facility
URBANDALE, Iowa — The Iowa Soybean Assoc. (ISA) congratulates Maple River Energy in the opening of their new soybean processing facility. The first load of Iowa soybeans was delivered on Nov. 18.
The company will be crushing soybeans into premium soybean meal for use in the livestock industry. Maple River Energy is currently buying soybeans for all months in 2009.

Maple River Energy broke ground in 2007, and construction has been progressing well since. In addition to producing 75,000 tons of SYNERGY soybean meal on an annual basis, Maple River Energy will also distribute soy oil, soy hulls, glycerin and biodiesel into nearby markets. The company hopes to be in full production by early 2009.

To learn more about Maple River Energy, visit its website at www.MapleRiverEnergy.com and to learn more about ISA, visit its website at www.iasoybeans.com

Deere acquires ownership of ReGen
MOLINE, Ill. — John Deere & Co. said it has acquired full ownership of ReGen Technologies, Inc., a remanufacturing company located in Springfield, Mo. Deere had already owned 50 percent of the business.

Deere said the operations will be more fully integrated with remanufacturing operations in Edmonton, AB, Canada and the overall name of the business will be John Deere Reman – an organization focused on growing Deere’s remanufacturing business globally.

ReGen was founded in 1998 to remanufacture engines for John Deere products in the United States and Canada and has broadened its product line since then to include other engine components, fuel injection systems, starters, alternators, air conditioning components and other key parts for Deere customers of agricultural, construction and forestry equipment around the world. Financial details of the transaction were not released.