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Top HAT Story ICMC Corn Innovation Winners may Change Flooring under our Feet |
Put three Purdue nuclear engineering students together_ ask them to get creative_ and there is probably no limit to what they can accomplish. That very group won the Student Corn Product Innovation Competition this week. The Impact Flooring team developed a plastic floor coating which can be used on any type of flooring. Junior Alex Bakken from St. Joeseph_ Michigan says_ "The plastic itself is derived from corn predominately_ but it can also be derived from soy. We take the plastic_ and under large amounts of heat and pressure_ extrude it onto the wood surfaces. When you apply the pressure it makes a nice_ smooth translucent coating that is impact_ scratch_ and abrasion resistant. Compared to other things used to coat floors like lacquer and polyurethane_ which scratch and dent very easily_ this floor can provide a lot of properties that you're not going to see in any other type of product." Read More...
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Livestock Care Movement in Idaho and Missouri
President Forms Export Promotion Cabinet
Indiana Checkoffs Investing in the Future
Young Farmers, Ranchers Face Concerns but Express Optimism
USDA Office of Environmental Markets Moving Forward
Tax Extenders Bill Passes Senate
ASA Looks for Quick Final Agreement on HR 4213 Between House and Senate
Best Hope for Corn Market Uptick is Bad Weather
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Latest Commentary Who Will Feed Us When The Farmers Are All Gone? |
"What in the world are they thinking?" That was my reaction when I first learned that the University of Georgia was proposing the elimination of the entire 4-H system in the state. While there are many state and federal programs that should be eliminated_ 4-H is not among them. According to Georgia extension officials_ Georgia schools have the largest 4-H participation in the country; and the Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Eatonton is the largest in the country with 1_428 acres of forested land_ including a 110-acre lake. The proposed cuts would require 116 immediate layoffs_ the closure of five 4-H facilities across the state_ and net a savings of only $6_304_861. Eliminating 4-H was part of the University System of Georgia‘s proposed additional $300 million budget reductions for FY 2011. What is even more incredible is that Georgia is not alone. The University of Nevada - Reno has announced plans to close the College of Agriculture and eliminate some departments and degree programs to reduce its budget by $11 million to meet the 6.9 percent cut higher education mandated by the state. Not only are these developments a serious threat to the future of agriculture_ they represent a misguided approach to government spending. It also begs the question: who is going to produce our food in the future? Read More...
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