
AgJournal \| Home	February 4, 2012

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WIND: Your Own Utility
Farms now can become their own utility with wind energy. Power companies will work with farmers to get their feeds directly into the grid or to feed in the excess energy as a credit to their electrical use billing. If you go to this link Energy Department you will get a look at maps of your state and estimates of average wind energy available.

Nuclear Energy Alternative, Renewable?
Energy independence means displacing foreign oil for the most part. Nuclear has long been in the game for 50 years to do exactly that, as well as less enviromentally palatable coal fired plants. While coal is by no means out with "gasification", nuclear is also rejoining the debate. As we get better at safely managing nuclear plants the world has exploded in use of the "clean" silent energy source. Explore who has mastered the use of "clean" nuclear energy as part of the larger world "renewable" debate.

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Get Port Bids For Better Picture Of Grain Prices

...Tracking weekly movements in the for basic "port complexes" will give you a good look at price trends...

How do you get that snapshot of "world" from "home" grain prices that can give you a better feel for price trends? Marketing is any farm operator's biggest challenge, often shaping profit-loss by as much as a 30% price swing. Keep in mind you are always playing against the "house" of two biggest factors, supply and movement. Who owns either at any one time check is how the game dynamics make that P&L rise to top of your priority. Weather is not in our control, but most of the rest of the short list bears on choice.

Consider this--Four basic areas (East Coast, West Coastal, Gulf Ports, Interior to St. Lawrence) make U.S. markets weekly. Those can be thought of as "Four Zones" of Interior Great Lakes (Chicago, Toledo, Duluth to St. Lawrence); Ocean access (Atlantic and SE Ports, Gulf Ports, Pacific Ports such as Portland and Washington). Once you think of these four categories it is easier to see the price structure in terms of cost to move to "Deep Water". Here is a direct link you can go to to see the simple chart of weekly prices posted by USDA:

USDA Ocean-Interior Grain Prices

Ag Journal Staff Report