Unfettered Letters

Don’t blame price hikes on corn

It is ridiculous to blame the rising cost of a movie ticket on ethanol (5/23, A-1, “Corn costs adding pop to prices at the movies; Kansas City-based AMC will increase ticket and popcorn prices at its area locations”).

In 2007, the farm price for popcorn was 13 cents per pound. Prior to popping, the average $5 tub contains 0.15 pounds, or about 2 cents’ worth of popcorn. Even if the price of popcorn would have doubled in the last year, there would be only about 4 cents’ worth of popcorn in the $5 tub at the theater.

Additionally, the paper pulp used to produce popcorn tubs has jumped 40 percent in the past 36 months. This increase makes the popcorn less expensive than the tub it comes in.

Lastly, popcorn and field corn, used primarily for livestock feed and ethanol, are not the same. It is irresponsible to paint ethanol as the scapegoat at the expense of farmers.

Mike Geske
President, Missouri Corn Growers Association
Matthews, Mo.

So now you are blaming corn for the increase in the price of movie tickets. What will you blame corn for next — the war in Iraq? The lack of a qualified presidential candidate? Global warming?

Corn is an easy target at the moment, and there is nothing to blame for its price increase except simple supply and demand and a weak dollar.

More human beings are emerging from poverty than at any time in history. People in China and India are entering the middle class at a staggering rate. Of course, the first thing people do as they emerge from poverty is improve their diets. They can now afford to buy food!

So quit the “corn blame game” and start reporting the real story: the fact that the world is eating better and the demand for grain products will only continue to grow as long as our dollar is weak.

Gary Vandiver
Richmond

Biofuels and farming

Before C.W. Gusewelle and the public support the farm lobby (5/4, Local, “Farmers shouldn’t reap blame”), they should read “Brazil can’t find world market for its ethanol” (5/4, A-16), which is made from sugar cane.

Has it not been proved that ethanol, especially corn ethanol, is not the answer to the oil shortage? Read The Star’s article (4/27, A-1, “Does ethanol measure up?”).

Why did the farm lobby, ethanol folks and oil companies push very hard to change the requirement that gasoline pumps had to label gasoline that contained alcohol? Ethanol pumps in Missouri and Kansas are not required to be labeled.

The consumer has right to know what he is buying.

Pat Hunt
Raymore

Thank you to C.W. Gusewelle for a well-written article. Not all farmers are corporations, as some have said in the blogs. Here in western Kansas, many of us have been brought up to provide for our country, as our ancestors have.

Thanks for the kind words, and I will continue to provide a “horn of plenty” for all my neighbors.

Jay Giessel
Larned, Kan.

Hog farm near soldier’s home

What kind of people would take advantage of a neighbor, let alone a deployed soldier? (4/28, A-1, “Hog farm puts soldier at war on two fronts”)

That the Penn family would pursue building a hog farm near their neighbor Randell Hettinger in Knox County, Missouri, without considering his home is bad enough. That they would try to take advantage of a soldier serving in Iraq is worse than unneighborly. It’s downright unpatriotic. They should be ashamed of themselves. I hope someone will stop them.

Cheri Wright
Kansas City

Factory farms

Missouri lawmakers are on spring break. Some have gone south. Others may stick around and take the opportunity to rediscover Missouri state parks. When they do, a few surprises await.
Roaring River State Park, a favorite for trout anglers, sits downstream from a 65,000-chicken factory farm.
Legislators who are history buffs might visit the Battle of Athens State Historic Site. Smells wafting over the park won’t be from cannon fire — but they might be from tons of hog waste in factory hog operations entrenched nearby.
Animal factories are poised to put thousands of tons of manure within stinking distance of sacred sites like Arrow Rock.
Harry Truman wouldn’t begrudge legislators heading south for relaxation. He did it himself. But what if he returned to find a factory farm too close to a park or historic site? Give ’Em Hell Harry just might have a message for returning lawmakers: Don’t let factory farms foul our Missouri parks.
John Robinson
Former Missouri director of tourism
Columbia

Missouri farms, farmers

Today we celebrate National Agriculture Day. Along with Missouri’s 105,000 farms, we are celebrating our state’s No. 1 industry, agriculture. This economic driver and the many farm families who put food on our tables and provide us with essentials deserve our thanks.
Missouri is a national leader in the production of many great agricultural products. Annually, producers in Missouri farm more than 30 million acres of land producing nearly $6 billion worth of crops, livestock, poultry and aquaculture.
We know that food and fiber don’t just arrive at the grocery or clothing store or magically appear on our dinner table or in our closet. There’s an entire industry dedicated to providing the world’s safest and most abundant food supply. We rely on agriculture for the very necessities of life. From beef and pork to cotton and corn, agriculture is working harder than ever to meet the needs of Missourians and others around the world.
Agriculture is not just producing products but is doing it better and more effectively than ever before. That’s really what this day is all about: recognizing the role of agriculture, and celebrating it.
Katie Smith
Director, Missouri Department of Agriculture
Jefferson City

Dairy beef recall

The recall of 143 million pounds of processed beef from the Westland Meat Packing Co. is just the tip of the iceberg. There is more to this situation than cattle being abused.

Those were Holstein cows. There were probably only 4 to 5 years old. My research tells me the average number of lactations for cows in those mega dairies is only 1.6 years, not the “several years” as stated in “Behind the beef recall” (3/2, A-2).

They start calving at age 2, and because they are forced to produce the maximum pounds of milk possible with the help of growth hormone injections, they only last for a short time.

The mega dairies are constantly replacing used-up cows, and that’s where the Westland Packing Co. becomes the final player in this disgusting situation.

Dairy cows in our small, well-managed herds typically last for 8 to 10 lactations.

Yes, the meat processing plant was at fault, but as usual, the government will focus mistakenly on this, and will pay no attention to the thing that is causing this problem.

If dairies were allowed to label their milk as hormone free, it would allow consumers to vote with their pocket book, and this situation would change quickly.

Art Ozias
Centerview, Mo.

Editor’s note: Ozias owns a coffee shop and restaurant, and a farm that specializes in grass-finished beef and free-range poultry. He has several dairy cows.

Biodiesel production

The Feb. 13 editorial “Biofuels rush needs to slow down” missed the mark.

America’s biodiesel industry is producing a sustainable fuel that is good for the environment. The National Biodiesel Board opposes the use of non-sustainable agriculture practices worldwide. Our recently established Sustainability Task Force is working to ensure that the U.S. biodiesel industry continues to protect the environment, while producing jobs and reducing dependence on foreign oil.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Energy study has already shown soy-based biodiesel has a 78 percent carbon dioxide reduction compared to regular petroleum diesel fuel. This study takes into account everything from planting the soybeans to delivering biodiesel to the pump.

A 2007 update to the study found that for every unit of fossil energy it takes to make biodiesel, 3.5 units of energy are gained.

Further, the Renewable Fuels Standard, which was recently expanded under the 2007 Energy Bill, includes a requirement that biomass-based diesel, which includes biodiesel, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent compared to petroleum diesel fuel in order to qualify as an advanced biofuel under the program. Based on the USDA/DOE’s previous analysis, the National Biodiesel Board fully expects biodiesel to exceed this threshold.

Joe Jobe
CEO, National Biodiesel Board
Jefferson City

Humane cattle treatment

In regards to The Star recently posting of the video of the animal abuse in California, I would like to see you post a video of all of the caring farmers and ranchers who spend countless hours and days tending to their animals.

We treat our cattle with great care and compassion, not only because they provide us with our food and income, but we as mankind have an obligation to provide the utmost in care to our animals.

We welcome anyone to take the time to see how well cattle are treated in an operation that is run by properly trained and educated people.

Stephen W. Tuttle
Tuttle Farms
Basehor, Kan.

Animals and staph

Recently in the news, at least 10 reputable medical studies have reported that antibiotic overuse in concentrated animal factory farms helps breed MRSA, the dreaded antibiotic-resistant superbug that causes deadly staph infections.

Reputable medical organizations, such as the Missouri Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons, have called for a moratorium on building any new concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in Missouri until the hazards to the health and welfare of Missouri citizens can be resolved and citizen safety can be reasonably assured.

Yet while we hear of ways to treat the symptoms — wash your hands, avoid overcrowding — we hear nothing about safety measures to prevent MRSA in these crowded meat factories.

Meanwhile, meat factory workers are potentially exposed to these superbugs, and in turn, can expose the rest of the community.

It is fair to ask: What is the state doing to inspect these meat factories, and stop the breeding of deadly antibiotic-resistant staph germs?

Your readers will be disturbed to find out that apparently, little if anything is being done to protect them from this threat.

Maria Chappelle-Nadal
Missouri House of Representatives, District 72
University City, Mo.

Support for farm bill

The Star’s recent take on the federal farm bill (1/18 editorial, “Plow up farm legislation”) was misguided, but predictable given the bias typically displayed when it comes to U.S. farm programs.

The 2002 farm bill has worked as Congress intended: to provide a safety net when farmers need it most. It has worked so well that farm program spending came in $15 billion under original projections, a rare feat in government.

Payments to farmers make up a fraction of the total funds allocated by the farm bill. And despite claims, meaningful reforms are embodied in the House and Senate-passed farm bills to further target support.

The safety net decried by The Star helps ensure Americans continue to enjoy an abundant, safe supply of food produced here at home. That’s a wise use of taxpayer dollars.

Charles E. Kruse
President, Missouri Farm Bureau
Dexter, Mo.