NAMA Trends in Agriculture

"Progress through Productivity" is the theme of the annual NAMA Trends in Agriculture Conference scheduled for next week in Kansas City, Mo. NAMA is the association for professionals in marketing and communications in agriculture.

On November 8, I will speak with Ohio State University Professor Matt Roberts in a session titled "Trends in Energy and Alternative Fuels." Dr. Roberts and I are going to cover the current and future biofuel markets and what the latest trends mean for growers and communicators.

Other speakers during the two-day event will address how agriculture can feed a growing population through innovation and responsible stewardship of the land. Due to the mission of NAMA, they will also look at the role that information technology will play in the future of agriculture.

As someone who spends a fair amount of time communicating in an industry tied to agriculture, I'm looking forward to the event. I always like to meet people who do related work, so if you're planning to attend, look me up when you get there.

Since I just can't get enough of KC, I'll be sticking around the next day for the National Association of Farm Broadcasters Annual Convention where POET Founder & CEO Jeff Broin will participate in Trade Talk.

Conservation Biomass

At the America's Grasslands Conference in Sioux Falls this week, I was joined by Steve Apfelbaum, head scientist of The Earth Partners, to announce the launch of Conservation Biomass. Working together, our organizations aim to develop a source biomass that comes from restored marginal lands and is used to produce power. The ultimate goal is to make that biomass cost competitive with current power sources while delivering real environmental benefits.

The conservation biomass will initially be delivered to POET Biorefining - Chancellor, a 100 million gallon per year grain ethanol production facility in Chancellor, S.D. That facility is powered by landfill gas from the Sioux Falls landfill and a solid fuel boiler, where the biomass will be burned. Eventually, we intend to use it as a feedstock for cellulosic ethanol.

We made the announcement at the America's Grasslands Conference because we wanted to seek out the expertise of those who are managing grasslands and restoring native prairies. Steve and I spoke during lunch on the first day of the conference and you can watch our speeches here or on POET TV.

For more information on Conservation Biomass, check out our press release and this news story from Ethanol Producer Magazine. Also, be sure to visit the web site of The Earth Partners.

The Straight Scoop with Marcus Ludtke 9/8/2010

In this week's episode I discuss the ongoing market reaction to Informa's revised "final" US corn yield estimate of 158.5 BPA, as well as, what we can expect to see from the USDA in Friday's September Crop report.

The information contained herein is gathered from sources we believe to be reliable, but cannot be relied upon as such. Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice. Trading in commodity futures or options involves substantial risk of loss. Past results are not indicative of future results.

Meet a POET Farmer

Tony Thompson is an investor in POET Biorefining - Bingham Lake (Min.) and his 3,000 acre farm is located about 5 miles south of the plant. A CNN.com profile of Thompson highlights his unique farming practices. But is he all that different? Thompson doesn't think so.

"There's nothing that unusual about me," Thompson said when I talked to him yesterday. "Most of my neighbors are doing the same things I am. They may not do as much research, but many or most good farmers are implementing similar nutrient management systems and watching every unit of nutrient flow through the farm with the output goal being marketable grain…not pollution." Thompson said the real heroes are his crop consultant Steve Sodeman and Fairland Management Company who help him take better care of his land.

Thompson and his two brothers invested in POET Biorefining - Bingham Lake before the plant started up in 1997. They scraped together everything they could to purchase one share in the plant because it was a local outlet for their abundant corn crop. Thompson said he was initially one of the the most reluctant investors in the plant but has since bought out his two brothers.

That plant, where Thompson sells his corn, is also implementing new technologies that take care of natural resources. It was the first POET ethanol plant to install total water recovery, which decreased its water use by 23 percent. Read the story in Vital.

Energy and agriculture can be difficult undertakings, but this plant and farmers like Thompson are doing the best they can, while constantly looking for ways to improve. Be sure to read the entire story on CNN.com and leave your thoughts below.

POET Biomass Kickoff

On Tuesday, we held a Biomass Kickoff at the future construction site of Project LIBERTY in Emmetsburg, Iowa. We've posted a lot of information from the event over on the Project LIBERTY blog and the speeches are on POET TV. You can also watch them here:

The Straight Scoop with Marcus Ludtke 8/4/2010

In this week's episode I continue to dial in the impact of Russia's drought not only on world wheat stocks but also as it relates to corn prices long-term. I also take a look at some of the latest corn yield forecasts heading into the August crop report on 8/12/2010.

The information contained herein is gathered from sources we believe to be reliable, but cannot be relied upon as such. Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice. Trading in commodity futures or options involves substantial risk of loss. Past results are not indicative of future results.

The Straight Scoop with Marcus Ludtke 7/28/2010

In this week's episode I discuss the real impact of Russia's drought on their wheat crop and the influence this is having on corn futures. I also take a snapshot of the potential trading range over the next 30 days in December corn futures.

The information contained herein is gathered from sources we believe to be reliable, but cannot be relied upon as such. Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice. Trading in commodity futures or options involves substantial risk of loss. Past results are not indicative of future results.

The Straight Scoop with Marcus Ludtke 7/21/2010

In this week's episode I discuss the current high/ low projections on the 2010 US corn yield and the prospective impact on US corn stocks. I also analyze the various levels of key price support in September corn futures.

The information contained herein is gathered from sources we believe to be reliable, but cannot be relied upon as such. Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice. Trading in commodity futures or options involves substantial risk of loss. Past results are not indicative of future results.

The Straight Scoop with Marcus Ludtke 7/14/2010

In this week's episode I discuss the market reaction to the July crop report and the adjustments made to the US 2010/11 corn carryout, as well as, what we might see from the USDA in August relative to corn yield. I also pass along Goldman Sachs' revised 6 to 12-month corn price forecast.

The information contained herein is gathered from sources we believe to be reliable, but cannot be relied upon as such. Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice. Trading in commodity futures or options involves substantial risk of loss. Past results are not indicative of future results.

The Straight Scoop with Marcus Ludtke 7/8/2010

In this week's episode I discuss some of the changes we might see in Friday's July Crop report as it relates to the US corn S&D. I also touch on some of the concerns regarding Europe's and Russia's wheat crops and the influence that could have on corn prices.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this video is gathered from sources we believe to be reliable, but cannot be guaranteed and should not be relied upon as such. Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice. Trading in commodity futures or options involves substantial risk of loss. Past results are not indicative of future results.