Wheat Screenings
By Tracy Sayler, Communications Specialist, Minnesota Assn. of Wheat Growers & Minnesota Wheat Council
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Prairie Grains is the
official publication of
the Minnesota
Association of
Wheat Growers,
North Dakota Grain
Growers Association,
South Dakota Wheat,
Inc., and the
Minnesota Barley
Growers Association.
For awhile last year, the Greens carried out "Operation Wild Oats." Given the outcome of the last two summers, they have deemed the 1995 growing season as "Operation Bootstrap."
WHEAT GRASS JUICE, ANYONE? -- There's a business in Lawrence, Kan., called Pines International that grows and markets dried wheat grass tablets and, get this -- wheat grass juice -- as health foods.
Promotional material by the company claims that dehydrated wheat grass cut prior to jointing averages 25 percent protein, has at least six times the vitamin A of carrots, over eight times as much vitamin C as citrus, five times the calcium of whole milk and 18 times more iron than spinach.
Take that wheat grass juice with a grain of salt, however, as with many nutritional supplements pitched to the health-conscious consumer.
The best bet for good nutrition can be found simply by following the USDA's food guide pyramid, which daily include 6 to 11 servings of grains, 3 to 5 of vegetables, 2 to 4 fruits, 2 to 3 dairy and 2 to 3 meats.
SPEECHES SHOULD BE LIKE MINI SKIRTS -- Jim Bobb, with Southwest Grain Elevator near Dickinson, N.D., often speaks to farm groups about marketing in the winter months. He says he'll never forget the advice given to him by an old timer following one meeting: "Every time you speak, think of mini skirts. They should be long enough to cover the necessities, but short enough to keep people's attention."
A MARGARINE FARM? -- There's a family in southeast Minnesota that calls their place in the country "Oleo Acres." Why? "It's one of the cheaper spreads around," they retort.
F.A.R.C.E. (FARM-POLICY ACRONYMS REALLY CONFUSING TO EVERYONE) MEMO FROM USDA -- FYI: Effective ASAP, ASCS is now FSA, which also will oversee the former FCIC and some programs of the former FmHA, with other FmHA functions in the new RHCDS, which will also absorb the former RDA, although some RDA programs along with those of the former REA are now under the new RUS.
Many FSA offices will RIP because the CBO following calculations on CPUs concluded the U.S. has too many IOUs.
Nevertheless, remaining FSAs will continue to handle ARPs and other provisions of the 1990 FACT; e.g., Flex, or NFA and OFA, in addition to now processing basic FCI (but not full MPCI).
Further, the former SCS is now NRCS, which will continue to oversee HEL and CU or ACR, as well as give the ABCs of CRP and H2O issues.
FAS is still FAS, and will continue to oversee EEP, MPP, GSL, and PL-480, unless these programs change in the 1995 FACT.
Separately, Mike E., formerly CEO of USDA, is now MIA because of conduct not PC (i.e. VIP of NFL, with AFC on NBC, NFC formerly on CBS, but now on FOX, and both NFC and AFC of NFL sometimes on ESPN). New USDA CEO is former KS Rep. Dan G.
Bill C. remains CEO of U.S.A. He was MVP with GATT and NAFTA, but will his political RBIs, so to speak, need CPR, go AWOL or become DOA now with more GOP? We'll know PDQ if there'll be a replacement TBA.
P.S.- RSVP or send SASE if questions; OK to disregard if high ESP or IQ. Now, get some R&R, for soon you'll be spending much of your a.m. and p.m. on your IH or JD seeding HRSW.
SMALL GRAINS INSTITUTE MARCH 1-2 -- There's a good program lined up for the SGI (Sorry -- I know you've had your fill of acronyms for the day) to be held at the Red River Valley Shows Building in Crookston, March 1-2, 1995. Program details are in this issue -- Hope you can make it.