Index to University Clippings
Iowa State University
January 23, 2006 through February 3, 2006
University News
Los Angeles Times – 1/29 - The Fear Factor - Douglas GentileFaculty/Research
Chronicle of Higher Education – 1/27 - Necessary Infrastructure Or Mission
Inflation? – General
Chronicle of Higher Education – 1/27 - Facing The Facebook - Michael J.
Bugeja – Faculty/Research
Associated Press State & Local Wire – 1/25 - Marshalltown Man Committed For
Threatening To Blow Up FBI Office – General
Daily Herald-Tribune, Canada – 1/24 - Winter's A Good Time To Honour
Mosquitoes – Faculty/Research
Associated Press State & Local Wire – 1/24 - Revenue Power Of State's
Universities To Be Displayed – General
Des Moines Register – 1/22 - Boost Biotech By Boosting Universities – General
Des Moines Register – 1/22 – F.y.i. – General
Des Moines Register – 1/21 - To Combat Soaring Natural-Gas Prices, Go
Nuclear - Carolyn D. Heising – Faculty/Research
Chicago Daily Herald – 1/20 - Youth Group Looks To Finance Its Ideas To Beat
Delinquency – Faculty/Research
Kiplinger Agriculture Letter – 1/20 - Planning A New Agribusiness Venture In
2006? – Faculty/Research
Corn and Soybean Digest – 1/1 - Tackling Soybean Aphids - Palle Pedersen –
Faculty/Research
Corn and Soybean Digest – 1/1 - It's All About Sharing - William Edwards –
Faculty/Research
Begin In-house Media Review, 02-03-06
Agri News, MN – 1/31 – Iowa news and notes - General
Associated Press – 1/31 - Iowa State University supercomputer to help decipher
corn genome – Patrick Schnable – Srinivas Aluru – Bob Jernigan Faculty/research - Also ran in: Sioux City Journal, IA; San Diego Union
Tribune; Canoe.ca, Canada; Aberdeen American News, SD; KCCI.com, IA;
Washington Post; WJLA, DC; Sarasota Herlad-Tribune, FL; Bradenton
Herald; Grand Forks Herald, ND; MLive.com, MI; Worcester Telegram;
Lakeland Ledger, FL; Times Daily, AL; Macon Telegraph, GA; Gadsden
Times, AL; Fort Worth Star Telegram, TX; The State, SC; Minneapolis Star
Tribune, MN; Forbes; MSN Money; Fort Wayne News Sentinel, IN; Houston
Chronicle; Centre Daily Times, PA; TMCnet; Des Moines Register; WQAD,
IL; WHO-TV, IA; WOI. IA; MIT Technology Review, MA; Portsmouth Herald
News, NH; Canton Repository, OH; Globetechnology.com, Canada;
Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier, IA; TCS Daily, DC; Sci-Tech Today; Top Tech
News, CA; CIO Today, CA; NewsFactor Network, CA; Infoworld,
Netherlands; ComputerWorld Philippines; Webwereld, Netherlands;
Louisville Courier-Journal, KY; Jackson Hole Star-Tribune, WY;
LinuxWorld.au, Australia; ComputerWorld Australia; Madison Daily Leader;
SD; Joplin Globe, MO
Chicago Tribune – 2/1 - President selective in worldview - Mark Edelman –
Faculty/research - Also ran in: Melbourne Herald Sun, Australia; San Jose
Mercury News; Contra Costa Times, CA; Centre Daily Times, PA; Myrtle
Beach Sun News, SC; Biloxi Sun Herald; Pioneer Press, MN; San Luis
Obispo Tribune, CA; Monterey County Herald, CA; Belleville NewsDemocrat, IL; Kansas City Star, MO; Fort Wayne News Sentinel, IN; Macon
Telegraph, GA; Duluth News Tribune, MN; Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, AG;
Kentucky.com, KY;
Daily Nonpareil, Council Bluffs, IA – 1/29 - Cow-Calf home study course set General
Daily Nonpareil, Council Bluffs, IA – 1/29 – Beef council elects officers – Wendy
Wintersteen - Administration
Daily Nonpareil, Council Bluffs, IA – 1/29 - Cornbelt Cattle Conference planned
for Feb. – Byron Leu - Extension
Des Moines Business Record – 1/30 - Biotronics develops imaging system for
pork breeders – Tom Baas – Faculty/research
Des Moines Register – 1/26 – Modeling is in fashion at ISU - Sara Marcketti –
Faculty/research - Elizabeth Struck - Amanda Cox - Matthew Haffarnan - Erica
MacCrea - Joe Hodge - Students
Des Moines Register – 1/26 - Iowa: slow-growing, growing old – Gary L. Maydew
– Retired – Faculty/research
Des Moines Register – 1/27 – Religion briefs – Margaret VanGinkle –
Faculty/research
Des Moines Register – 1/28 - ISU undergraduate balances City Council votes,
last class – Ryan doll – Student - Riad Mahayni – Faculty/research
Des Moines Register – 1/28 - Lookin' for love in all the right places - General
Des Moines Register – 1/28 – ISU vaults to prominence - Athletics
Des Moines Register – 1/29 - Black students score lower on ACT - General
Des Moines Register – 1/29 – Letters to the Editor - General
Des Moines Register – 1/29 – Iowa top 10 - General
Des Moines Register – 1/29 - Food discussion set this week at ISU - General
Des Moines Register – 1/29 – Farmers see soy oil boom - General
Des Moines Register – 1/29 – Grassroots – Michael Duffy - Administration
Des Moines Register – 1/30 – Berryman cited for being in bar – Jason Berryman
- Athletics
Des Moines Register – 1/30 - Reiman writes success story – Roy Reiman Alumni
Des Moines Register – 1/30 – Today In Iowa – Feist to play at Iowa State General
Des Moines Register – 1/30 – Dog’s nose knows termites – Donald Lewis –
Faculty/research
Des Moines Register – 1/30 – Business & Career - General
Des Moines Register – 1/31 - Berryman waits on status with law, team – Jason
Berryman –Athletics– Tom Kroeschell - Administration
Des Moines Register – 1/31 – ISU QB Beck arrested – Brice Beck – Dan
McCarney – Athletics – Gene Deisinger - DPS
Des Moines Register – 1/31 - 80% return for 2nd college year – Dawn Caffrey –
Student – Also ran in: WQAD, IL; WHO-TV, IA; WOI, IA;
Des Moines Register – 1/31 - Students adjusting from war zones - Students
Des Moines Register – 2/1 - ISU corn study goes high-tech – Patrick Schnable Arun Somani - Srinivas Aluru – Faculty/research - John Vincent Atanasoff Alumni
Des Moines Register – 2/1 - Study details high turnover in child care – Susan
Hegland – Faculty/research - Kathlene Larson – Administration - Extension
Des Moines Register – 2/1 - ISU kicks Berryman off team – Jason Berry –
Student Athlete – Dan McCarney – Athletics – Jamie Pollard – Administration –
Also ran in: Quad City Times, IA; WOI, IA; Mason City Globe Gazette, IA;
Cyclone Nation; Cedar Rapids Gazette, IA; KCCI.com, IA; CSTV.com, NY
Des Moines Register – 2/1 - Makeup of UNI search panel blasted - General
Des Moines Register – 2/1 - Move expected to help neighborhood - Tim Borich –
Faculty/research
Des Moines Register – 2/1 - Potential candidates visiting this month - General
Des Moines Register – 2/1 - Iowa State recruiting: Cyclones nab players with
family ties – Dan McCarney - Athletics
-
Des Moines Register – 2/1 - New drug technique wins OK Stephen Howell –
Administration; Also ran in: Truth about Trade & Technology
Des Moines Register – 2/1 – Today In Iowa - General
Des Moines Register – 2/1 - Maintenance backlog totals millions of dollars at
state universities - General
Farm News – 1/27 - ‘Power’-ful show – Mike Duffy – Faculty/research
Farm News – 1/27 - BSE issue halts beef shipments – John Lawrence –
Faculty/research
Farm News – 1/27 – Overwinter problem – Palle Pedersen – Greg Tylka – X.B.
Yang – Faculty/research
Farm News – 1/27 – Engaging young people in agriculture - General
Farm News – 1/27 - Study says farming is a growth industry for Iowa – Mark
Imerman – Faculty/research
Farm News – 1/27 - Experts say placing the proper genetics increases
profitability – Roger Elmore – Faculty/research
Farm News – 1/27 - Cattle producers choosing to utilize more of corn plant – Dan
Loy – James Russell – Mah-di Al-Kaisi – Faculty/research
Indianapolis Star – 1/27 - When alcohol and teens don't mix – Virginia Molgaard
– Faculty/research
Iowa City Press Citizen, IA – 1/28 - UI graduation, retention rates increase General
Iowa Farmer Today – 1/28 - Robotics plays role in ag’s future – Mark Hanna Extension
Iowa Farmer Today – 1/28 - No obstacle too tough to tackle - General
Iowa Farmer Today – 1/28 – Zaabel joins pork checkoff staff - Alumni
KCCI.com, IA – 1/29 – – Cyclone Standout Again Has Brush With The Law
Jason Berryman - Athletics
KCCI.com, IA – 1/30 - Witness: Berryman Didn't Instigate Fight – Jason
Berryman – Brice Beck – Student - Athletics
KCRG, IA – 1/29 - Graduation Rates at Iowa Universities Exceed National
Averages – Genera – Also ran in: KCCI.com, IA; WHO-TV, IA; WOI, IA;
WQAD, IL
Quad City Times, IA – 2/1 - Public hearing slated on education outlook - General
Radio Iowa – 1/31 - Iowa State unveils supercomputer - Srinivas Aluru –
Faculty/research
Sioux City Journal, IA – 1/26 - Iowa first lady will discuss book via ICN – Dale
Ross – Faculty/research
Sioux City Journal, IA – 1/26 - Regents chief says new grad center doesn't add
up - General
UHURU Policy Group – 1/26 - Passion for food security takes Iowa State student
to Africa – Amber Herman - Student
Washington Evening Journal, IA – 1/25 - New group promoting good things about
ag – Mark Imerman – Faculty/research
Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier, IA – 1/29 - Demand for organic milk provides big
premiums – Robert Tigner – Faculty/research
Los Angeles Times
Go To Top
January 29, 2006 Sunday Home
SUNDAY CALENDAR; Calendar Desk; Part E; Pg. 1
The fear factor
Warning: The following
story contains graphic and
good-taste-defying
descriptions
of
bone
snapping, limb hacking,
fingernail pulling and body
zapping. Read on at your
own risk.
Greg Braxton, Times Staff
Writer
IN the first hit film of the
year, screaming, helpless
young
people
are
brutalized by power tools
and blowtorches wielded
by gleeful tormentors.
One of TV's most popular
cable series ends its third
season with the mutilation
of
a
preoperative
transgender woman, and
the severing of a plastic
surgeon's finger. On the
same show, a psychopath
treats one of his kidnapped
victims to extensive plastic
surgery on her face and
body -- without anesthesia.
A principal character in a
big-screen political thriller
has his fingernails ripped
out
with
pliers.
The
wisecracking
hero
of
another
thriller
is
traumatized by electrodes
attached to his genitals.
CompetitivEdge 1-888-881-EDGE
Increasingly, producers of
movies and TV series are
bringing
the pain
to
mainstream
fare
-highlighting
sadism,
torture,
brutality
and
human suffering -- all in the
name of entertainment.
The dark thread of torture,
employed as a tool of
persuasion,
a
power
demonstration or just for
cruel kicks, has surfaced
intermittently
in
pop
culture. "Marathon Man,"
"The
Silence
of
the
Lambs," "Lethal Weapon,"
"The
Deer
Hunter,"
"Braveheart"
and
"Reservoir
Dogs"
are
among the popular and
critically acclaimed films in
the last few decades that
have also made audiences
cringe
with
extended
scenes of torturers inflicting
extreme pain.
"CSI:
Crime
Scene
Investigation,"
"Law
&
Order: Special Victims
Unit"
and
"Crossing
Jordan"
involve
investigations
where
victims often have met
gruesome deaths, though
the focus traditionally is on
www.clipresearch.com
the sleuthing rather than
the slayings.
But in the last several
months, numerous torture
scenes -- many of them
graphic and bloody -- have
been set pieces on TV
dramas, not only in thrillride dramas, such as "24"
and ABC's "Alias," but also
in melodramatic or escapist
fare such as Fox's "Prison
Break." One key character
on ABC's "Lost" is an Iraqi
military officer who tortures
a fellow castaway. "Alias"
had an unnamed recurring
villain who quietly tortured
key
characters.
FX's
"Nip/Tuck," a hit drama
about the psychic turmoil of
those who seek and
perform cosmetic surgery,
recently
spotlighted
physical turmoil with two
simultaneous
torture
scenes, each set to a
tango.
It's unclear -- both to those
who create torture-inflected
scenarios and those who
have taken note of their
proliferation -- whether
such themes reflect a pop
culture recalibration or a
blip on the screen. But for
now, at least, torture
seems inescapable.
Electronic Clipping
It
has
crept
into
"unscripted" series shows
such as NBC's "Fear
Factor,"
where
willing
contestants are trapped or
doused with insects and
small reptiles, and Fox
Reality's
upcoming
"Solitary," in which isolated
contestants are pushed to
the
physical
and
psychological brink.
Torture
scenes
are
featured in mainstream
movies such as "Syriana"
and "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang"
and play a starring role in
recent horror films, as
campy
boogeymen
including hockey-masked
Jason Voorhees and knifefingered Freddy Krueger
are replaced with the
gnarly madmen of the justreleased "Hostel" and the
"Saw"
franchise,
who
savage their victims so
horribly that death might
come as a welcome relief.
"Hostel,"
for
instance,
features young travelers
lured to a seemingly
pleasant Slovakian hotel,
where they wind up in an
abandoned
dungeon/warehouse and
are stripped, shackled to
chairs and offered up to
wealthy, bored men paying
exorbitant sums for the
thrill of maiming and
murdering
them
with
blowtorches and power
tools. "We're watching films
where it's not about the big
scary monsters anymore,"
said Leo Quinones, host of
a Saturday night call-in
CompetitivEdge 1-888-881-EDGE
radio show on KLSX-FM
(97.1)
devoted
to
comedies,
action
and
horror
movies.
"Now
humans are the worst
monsters. It's all pretty
riveting."
*
Heightened sense fueled
by reality
NEW
YORK-based
psychologist Maria Grace,
who has studied the effects
of films on audiences, sees
parallels
between
the
recent spate of extremist
fare and the increased
public conversation about
actual
torture,
with
investigations into Iraq
prison abuses and the
recent
debate
in
Washington
over
the
torture
of
U.S.-held
prisoners. "It's become
more obvious," Grace said,
"and audiences are more
aware of these kinds of
depictions because of what
is currently going on in the
news."
Fictional torture sequences
and stories "ripped from
the headlines" can seem to
have uncomfortably similar
sensibilities. This month's
military trial of Chief
Warrant Officer Lewis E.
Welshofer Jr., for instance,
revealed how interrogators
at a western Iraq prison
would
stuff
suspected
insurgents face-first into a
sleeping bag with a small
hole cut in the bottom for
air. The Abu Ghraib
www.clipresearch.com
scandal produced similarly
disturbing images.
Some observers of the
trend say the blossoming
of torture depictions in pop
culture
is
a
cyclical
reflection of escalating fear
and paranoia centered on
the Iraq war, terrorism and
counterterrorism.
Witnessing
fictional
characters endure and
ultimately survive extreme
ordeals reinforces viewers'
quest for more control, they
say.
"There is an unseen
invisible enemy that we
can't
always
retaliate
against,"
said
Joseph
Boskin, a sociologist and
retired director of urban
studies and public policy
programs
at
Boston
University. "But we can
strike
back
through
surrogates. Dealing with
violence is an integral part
of our psyche."
Grace, author of "Reel
Fulfillment: A 12-Step Plan
for Transforming Your Life
Through Movies," added,
"A lot of what is happening
in these films mimics
reality, and storytellers are
dealing with war and
violence. The line between
the real and the not real is
blurred, and creators of
these
films
and
the
audience are reacting to
feeling
threatened.
Anything that threatens our
survival is very primal, and
we'll go for blood if we
have to. Seeing these
things satisfies our need
Electronic Clipping
for bravery, and soothes
our fears."
"Starring Ben Affleck" or
"An Edward Burns film."
But there are concerns that
the
torture-forentertainment wave, while
enabling viewers to safely
explore darker material,
has also downplayed the
true
ramifications
of
perpetuating extreme pain.
Some creators of torturetinged projects say there is
a message behind the
madness, insisting that that
they are illuminating larger
themes and using torture to
enrich their storytelling.
"One of the problems is
when these depictions
don't show the realistic
consequences of violence,"
said Douglas Gentile,
psychology professor at
Iowa State University and
the director of research for
the National Institute on
Media and the Family, a
nonprofit advocacy group
monitoring mass media for
content that it deems is
harmful to children and
families.
"These scenes gloss over
the trauma that is caused,"
Gentile said. "There's
nothing inherently wrong
with watching violence, but
what does the viewer
learn? One of the problems
is when the realistic
consequences of violence
and torture are not shown.
It makes it seem like it's
OK to commit these acts in
the name of justice. It's a
negative for society."
Of course, the perception
of torture is subjective. One
moviegoer
might
faint
during
"The
Texas
Chainsaw Massacre," while
another may wince in
agony if a movie starts with
CompetitivEdge 1-888-881-EDGE
James Wan directed and
co-wrote 2004's "Saw,"
which imprisoned two men
in a filthy abandoned
shower and other victims in
deathtraps they could only
escape
by
mutilating
themselves or others. "I'm
not a guy who does
something just for the sake
of doing it," he said. "I think
there are lines that should
not be crossed. But that's a
personal thing -- it depends
on how much tolerance
one has. I'm a very
squeamish guy, really. It
ultimately comes down to
what you want to achieve."
Wan said "Saw" was not
designed as a torture
movie, even though that's
what fans fixated on, but as
a comment on people who
don't value life.
"I feel if you're going to
show scenes like that, you
better have something to
say," he said. "It shouldn't
be just about violence or
torture. If people get that
larger point, it's awesome."
Dana Walden, president of
20th
Century
Fox
Television, which produces
"24" as well as "Prison
Break," set in a prison
populated with vicious
www.clipresearch.com
inmates, added: "It's not
about random abuse or
torture. Such depictions
are believable or organic
action that takes place
within the stories being
told."
"Hostel" writer and director
Eli Roth said he chose
torture scenes to express
his
frustration
over
government and world
affairs.
"Right now we're at war,
and
then
you
have
Hurricane Katrina, where
there are people on roofs
screaming for help," said
Roth. "I have this feeling
that
civilization
could
collapse, and that if you go
overseas, you could get
killed, that you could be in
the middle of nowhere, and
that someone could kill you
and no one would find you.
This film is also about the
dark side of human nature.
Everyone's life has a price.
I want the audience to feel
guilty. I want them to feel
sick to their stomach, but
by
the
end
they're
screaming
for
blood.
Everyone has this evil
within them."
He scoffed at concerns
over the relentless violence
in "Hostel": "It's not my job
to be anyone's parent.
Everybody knows it's fake,
everybody
knows
it's
pretend. What's scarier is
war, real-life violence."
Peter Block, president of
acquisitions
and
coproductions for Lionsgate,
Electronic Clipping
the studio behind "Hostel"
and the "Saw" films, finds
that there's a case to be
made too, that extreme
themes provide simple
catharsis. The more pain
protagonists suffer, he
said, the more satisfying
the retribution when the
tables get turned: "It's like
a setup -- eventually it
comes around to payback,"
Block said. "Audiences
suffer right along with the
person being tortured, so
they can really cheer when
things get turned around."
Bottom line, some argue,
it's fantasy -- fantasy that
millions find compelling.
"Fortunately,
severe
violence and torture are not
things that most people
experience," said Nick
Santora, a supervising
producer of "Prison Break."
"But there does seem to be
a
morbid
fascination
surrounding it. When it's
done properly, it is, for lack
of
a
better
word,
entertaining."
Nevertheless, one expert
said, the psychological
price of such entertainment
may be too high. Thomas
Doherty, chairman of the
film studies program at
Brandeis University and
author of "Projections of
War: Hollywood, American
Culture and World War II,"
speculated that the terror
trend
could
lead
to
desensitization of viewers
to the real-life ramifications
of violence: "What we're
seeing
now
is
a
CompetitivEdge 1-888-881-EDGE
pornography of violence for
creative imaginations."
*
A payoff in popularity
WHILE audiences may be
putting
a
collective
squeamish hand over their
eyes during some of the
more excruciatingly violent
sequences, brisk ticket
sales and rising viewership
numbers indicate that they
keep coming back for
more. "Nip/Tuck" enjoyed
its highest ratings ever last
season. "Hostel" made
more than $20 million in its
opening weekend and
appears to be on track for
a domestic box office total
of around $50 million.
So it's no surprise that the
wave of torture is expected
to continue in the coming
months. "Hostel 2" has
been hinted at. Plans for a
"Saw
3"
have
been
hatched. And on television,
we can look forward to
FX's
upcoming
drama
"Thief," which features a
scene in which a woman is
tightly bound to a chair with
a fuse wire whose spark
burns her as it travels
around her body. The end
is attached to an explosive
device strapped to her
jugular and designed to
explode and wound her but
not kill her.
The people behind these
projects
maintain
that
movie ratings and parental
advisories on TV tip off
viewers to graphic material,
www.clipresearch.com
and many stress that
audiences
themselves
ultimately
set
the
boundaries
for
what's
portrayed
on-screen.
Networks' and studios'
reading
of
audience
reaction has some amping
up the torture in their
projects, believing that
doing so increases its
effectiveness. Others, for
the same reason, plan to
dial down the carnage.
Howard
Gordon,
an
executive producer on "24,"
acknowledged that torture
has been a staple of the
series, which operates
against
the
relentless
ticking
of
the
clock.
Counterterrorism
agent
Jack
Bauer
(Kiefer
Sutherland) last season
tortured his girlfriend's
former husband, whom he
suspected
of
being
involved with a terrorist
plot, with live electric wires
while she watched in
horror.
But fans will see less of
that this season, Gordon
said. "On one hand, it's a
thematic thing that's very
integral to Jack's tragic
character. There is this
thesis that with the ticking
time bomb backdrop, if
someone knows something
that will cause a massive
catastrophe,
torture
is
justified. But the subtext is
that torture is loathsome
and awful. Jack doesn't
relish it, and his soul is
bloodstained by it. We
don't pretend to advocate
for the ethics of torture.
Electronic Clipping
Our aesthetic is that it's
justified, but you pay a
price."
"Prison Break's" Santora,
by contrast, warns viewers
to expect darker scenarios
as the show progresses.
He noted that the escapist
nature of that show made
its early season torture
sequence -- the cutting off
of one of inmate Michael
Scofield's
(Wentworth
Miller) toes by adversaries
-- even more chilling.
"It's part of the dance," he
said. "We have these
incredible scenarios, but
every once in a while, we
can eyedrop in moments
where the viewer says,
'Hey, that can happen to
me.' The goal with that
scene was to make it as
disturbing
as
possible
without going over the top."
As for ordeals in future
episodes:
"It
will
be
substantially worse -- it will
make what Michael went
through look like a lack of
toes through the tulips."
On FX's "Nip/Tuck," the
sexually charged series
about two Miami plastic
surgeons, fans have come
to expect explicit plastic
surgery
scenes
and
operatic story lines. But
some said they became
queasy during the thirdseason finale, which aired
last month.
In the episode, pornqueen-turned-director
Kimber
Henry
(Kelly
CompetitivEdge 1-888-881-EDGE
Carlson) is rescued from
the Carver, a masked
madman
communicating
his disgust for vanity and
cosmetic
surgery
by
slashing the faces of his
victims. Henry has endured
the worst suffering of all of
the Carver's victims: In
addition to disfiguring her,
the Carver reversed all 10
of the cosmetic procedures
-liposuction,
breast
implants, nose job -performed by her plastic
surgeon-fiance.
While
Henry's screams played in
the
background,
a
detective described in vivid
detail how the reverse
surgeries, which included
pumping chicken fat into
Henry's
stomach
and
taking out her lip implants,
were conducted without
anesthesia.
The last portion of the
finale cross-cut between
two torture scenes: the
unmasked
Carver
imprisons the two plastic
surgeons, and a white
supremacist
menaces
Matt, a son of one of the
surgeons, along with the
teen's
friend,
a
preoperative transgender
woman.
The Carver cuts a finger off
one of his prisoners (it was
later
reattached),
and
attempts to force the other
prisoner to cut off his own
hand with a hacksaw. Matt
is forced at gunpoint to
slice off his friend's penis
with a box cutter.
www.clipresearch.com
John Landgraf, president of
FX Networks, said the
torture
scenes
were
originally three minutes
longer than the nine-minute
version that aired. He
asked writer-director Ryan
Murphy, who created the
series,
to
trim
the
sequence.
"We thought it was too
much," Landgraf said. "This
show is fundamentally not
a horror series, it's a show
about
character.
The
people driving the action in
those scenes were the
Carver
and
this
homophobic maniac. We
were not comfortable with
our
characters
not
representing the initiative in
those scenes."
However, he said, "Ryan
definitely has his point of
view, and I thought that
episode was some of the
best work he did this year."
Lionsgate's Block warns
there is a breaking point for
human suffering. "There is
a downside -- the audience
becomes desensitized to
it," he said. "At some point,
people will say, 'Enough
already.' It will stop being
distinctive. Torture will lose
that unique sensibility."
*
Contact Greg Braxton at
calendar.letters
@latimes.com.
GRAPHIC:
PHOTO:
'NIP/TUCK': The FX series
includes Bruno Campos as
Electronic Clipping
a hardly conscientious
objector to the practices of
plastic
surgery,
who
gleefully disfigures victims
to
make
his
point.
PHOTOGRAPHER:
FX
PHOTO:
'24':
Howard
Gordon,
executive
producer of the series with
Kiefer Sutherland, above,
says, "We don't pretend to
advocate for the ethics of
torture. Our aesthetic is
that it's justified, but you
pay
a
price."
PHOTOGRAPHER:
Anthony
Mandler
Fox
PHOTO: 'HOSTEL': Ultraviolence conveys its writer-
CompetitivEdge 1-888-881-EDGE
director's message. The
film, says Eli Roth "is also
about the dark side of
human nature. Everyone's
life has a price. I want the
audience to feel guilty."
PHOTOGRAPHER: Rico
Torres Lionsgate Films
PHOTO: 'SAW': Mutilation
may be the only way out
for Cary Elwes' character.
"I feel if you're going to
show scenes like that, you
better have something to
say," says the film's cowriter and director James
Wan. PHOTOGRAPHER:
Greg Gayne Lionsgate
Films PHOTO: 'PRISON
www.clipresearch.com
BREAK': Former mob boss
John
Abruzzi
(Peter
Stormare), right, makes an
unrefusable
offer
to
Michael
Scofield
(Wentworth Miller), who in
one episode finds himself
one toe shy of 10.
PHOTOGRAPHER:
C.
Hodes
Fox
PHOTO:
TAKING
PAINS
TO
THRILL: "Hostel," with
Keiko Seiko as one victim
in
a
pay-to-torture
enterprise, is the latest
blast of big-screen horror.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Rico
Torres Lionsgate Films
Electronic Clipping
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Go To Top
January 27, 2006 Friday
CAMPUS MANAGEMENT; Pg. 10 Vol. 52 No. 21
Necessary Infrastructure or Mission Inflation?
A number of observers of
higher education have
noted that one of the
effects of the relentless
pursuit of prestige among
colleges is that many of
them
have
become
obsessed with attracting
students with increasingly
extravagant
student
unions, dormitories, and
other facilities. Is it costing
too much? Does the
strategy work?
J. Douglas Toma, an
associate professor at the
Institute
for
Higher
Education at the University
of Georgia, is working on a
book about the competition
for
status
in
higher
education. We asked him
to discuss what his work
suggests about the race to
build on campuses.
Q. Is the facilities arms
race a relatively new
phenomenon?
A. Not at all. The fitness
centers, dining facilities,
student residences, and
commercial districts that
institutions have recently
been
constructing
are
essentially "business as
usual" for American higher
education.
The
contemporary
obsession
with building lavish student
CompetitivEdge 1-888-881-EDGE
amenities,
conspicuous
business-school facilities,
or striking performing-arts
centers
is
entirely
consistent with our history
of attempting to impress
with our campuses.
Building campuses that
announce the significance
of colleges has long been a
relatively easy pitch, as
institutions have appealed
to local pride and civic
boosterism to support their
ambitions. It has always
been important for states
and communities to signal
that they are peers of their
counterparts in other areas
of the country, and they
have long used colleges to
do
so.
That
meant
constructing campuses in
the West that reflected
recognized institutions in
the
Northeast.
So
Cambridge
and
New
Haven set the standard for
Ann Arbor, Champaign,
and
Madison
and
eventually Tallahassee and
Tempe.
It was also essential that
institutions appeared to
match, or even outshine,
their
neighbors.
The
Universities of Kansas and
Nebraska needed to have
campuses that compared
favorably
with
the
www.clipresearch.com
University of Missouri or
Iowa State University.
Those campuses included
what we would have once
called gyms, dormitories,
and
student
unions
because, beginning around
the turn of the last century,
students demanded them.
Q. What's different today?
Has the trend intensified,
and if so, why?
A. It is not new for
institutions to be obsessed
with prestige and to use
facilities to pursue it. What
may be different today is
that colleges must be more
accountable. Ever more
reliant
on
demanding
donors or needing to
reassure
skeptical
legislators, institutions are
eager
to
mark
their
progress, real or perceived,
relative to other colleges.
New
facilities
provide
tangible
evidence
of
advancement.
In fact, they may be the
only realistic way to match
the accomplishments of
rivals.
It
is
more
straightforward
for
institutions to construct
prominent buildings than to
build prestigious academic
units and it is more
possible.
Investing
to
Electronic Clipping
improve the academic
quality of academic units is
certainly important, but the
resulting impact on status
is uncertain, as academic
excellence is not always
reflected in reputation.
Construction,
unlike
reputation rankings, is
within the control of
institutions.
Building
a
noteworthy
dining
commons is more readily
attainable than building a
leading
English
department, and it may
even be more satisfying to
prospective
students,
alumni,
and
other
constituents.
If
nothing
else,
an
institution can ensure that it
looks and feels like the
institutions against which it
competes
or
hopes
someday to compete. In
the end, it may also be less
expensive
to
build
sumptuous fitness centers
and
deluxe
student
residences in the hope of
attracting
more
accomplished
students
than to build research
infrastructures,
endow
professorships, or establish
an Ivy League-caliber fundraising operation.
Q.
Who
is
most
responsible for the edifice
obsession?
A.
Enhancing
the
infrastructure devoted to
student life may be a
strategic imperative for
colleges for the simple
reason that competitors are
CompetitivEdge 1-888-881-EDGE
doing it. Also, students and
parents used to luxurious
lifestyles at home can
demand
the
same
environment on campuses.
They are not inclined
toward
Spartan
accommodations,
particularly
when
they
perceive themselves to be
paying
high
tuitions.
Students
and
parents
increasingly view higher
education as they would a
luxury consumer good.
They expect to be dazzled.
The popular culture, in
addition, contributes to the
need to build lavish student
amenities.
Impressive
campuses are an essential
aspect of the collegiate
ideal that our residential
colleges are expected to
embrace. Even institutions
that eschew that ideal
highlight
it
in
their
marketing
efforts.
An
example is the current TV
advertisement for a forprofit
university
that
features traditional college
buildings that don't reflect
the actual facilities at the
institution
but
instead
promote the concept of
"college."
Finally,
new
student
facilities are consistent with
the
trends
toward
privatization
and
commercialization in higher
education, including the
emergence of auxiliary
activities as profit centers.
Q. Doesn't the "arms race"
unnecessarily drive up
college costs?
www.clipresearch.com
A. It does drive up costs for
students. But, to some
extent, institutions compete
with one another for
students based on the
campus amenities they
invest in. Do institutions
realistically have a choice
not to build new facilities?
At
public
universities,
students' willingness to pay
fee increases to construct
student
or
athletics
facilities, as shown through
referenda, indicates their
direct support of those
amenities.
Nevertheless,
new
buildings may be just
another form of mission
inflation that encourages
institutions to overreach.
The arms race also may
increasingly
separate
colleges based on the
resources that they can
garner. And lavish facilities
may create two tiers of
students: those who can
afford them and those who
cannot when a premium is
charged in rents and user
fees at student residences
or fitness centers.
Q. Given the costs to both
colleges and students,
wouldn't it be better if many
institutions dropped out of
the arms race?
A. Once again, opting out
of the infrastructure arms
race may not be a realistic
option given the obsession
with enhancing standing
and prestige that cuts
across
our
residential
colleges and universities.
Electronic Clipping
Can a president risk
adopting a strategy of not
building a new fitness
center when all of his or
her competitors are? Is a
principled stance against
the "bells and whistles" that
are thought to contribute to
recruiting worth the risk of
having
admissions
numbers decline and thus
a potentially lower U.S.
News & World Report
ranking?
Just
as
a
CompetitivEdge 1-888-881-EDGE
corporate CEO is judged
by how much he or she
enhances
shareholder
value,
such
rankings
greatly determine how a
college
president
is
assessed.
Perhaps
students deserve more
credit for making more
substantive choices of
where to attend. But along
with location, price, and
reputation, amenities factor
into their decisions. The
www.clipresearch.com
collegiate ideal is part of
what
institutions
are
selling, particularly the
most prestigious ones, and
campus infrastructure is a
critical component of it.
In many ways, the decision
to
participate
in
the
construction arms race is
not really a decision at all.
It simply reflects who we
are and what we do in
American higher education.
Electronic Clipping
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Go To Top
January 27, 2006 Friday
CHRONICLE CAREERS; Pg. 1 Vol. 52 No. 21
Facing the Facebook
MICHAEL J. BUGEJA
Information technology in
the
classroom
was
supposed to bridge digital
divides
and
enhance
student
research.
Increasingly, however, our
networks are being used to
entertain members of "the
Facebook Generation" who
text-message during class,
talk on their cellphones
during labs, and listen to
iPods rather than guest
speakers in the wireless
lecture hall.
That is true at my
institution,
Iowa
State
University. With a total
enrollment of 25,741, Iowa
State
logs
20,247
registered
users
on
Facebook
(see
http://www.facebook.com),
which bills itself as "an
online
directory
that
connects people through
social
networks
at
schools."
While I'd venture to say
that most of the students
on any campus are regular
visitors to Facebook, many
professors
and
administrators have yet to
hear about Facebook, let
alone evaluate its impact.
CompetitivEdge 1-888-881-EDGE
On many levels, Facebook
is fascinatingan interactive,
image-laden
directory
featuring groups that share
lifestyles or attitudes. Many
students find it addictive,
as evidenced by discussion
groups with names like
"Addicted
to
the
Facebook," which boasts
330 members at Iowa
State.
Nationwide,
Facebook
tallies
250
million hits every day and
ranks ninth in overall traffic
on the Internet.
That
kind
of
social
networking affects all levels
of academe:
* Institutions seeking to
build enrollment learn that
"technology" rates higher
than "rigor" or "reputation"
in
high-school
focus
groups. That may pressure
provosts
to
continue
investing in technology
rather than in tenure-track
positions.
* Professors and librarians
encounter improper use of
technology by students,
and some of those cases
go to judiciary officials who
enforce the student code.
* Career and academic
advisers must deal with
employers and parents
www.clipresearch.com
who
have
screened
Facebook and discovered
what users have been up
to in residence halls.
* Academics assessing
learning outcomes often
discover that technology is
as much a distraction in the
classroom as a tool.
To be sure, classroom
distractions have plagued
teachers
in
less
technological times. In my
era,
there
was
the
ubiquitous comic book
hidden in a boring text. A
comic
book
cannot
compare with a computer,
of course. Neither did it
require university money at
the expense of faculty jobs.
John W. Curtis, research
director at the American
Association of University
Professors, believes that
investment in technology is
one of several factors
responsible for the welldocumented
loss
of
tenured positions in the
past decade.
Facebook is not the sole
source of those woes.
However, it is a Janusfaced symbol of the online
habits of students and the
traditional objectives of
higher education, one of
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which is to inspire critical
thinking in learners rather
than multitasking. The
situation will only get worse
as freshmen enter our
institutions weaned on
high-school versions of
Facebook and equipped
with
gaming
devices,
iPods, and other portable
technologies.
Michael
Tracey,
a
journalism professor at the
University of Colorado,
recounts a class discussion
during which he asked how
many people had seen the
previous night's NewsHour
on PBS or read that day's
New York Times. "A couple
of hands went up out of
about 140 students who
were present," he recalls.
"One student chirped: 'Ask
them how many use
Facebook.' I did. Every
hand in the room went up.
She then said: 'Ask them
how many used it today.' I
did. Every hand in the
room went up. I was
amazed."
Christine Rosen, a fellow at
the Ethics and Public
Policy
Center,
in
Washington, D.C., believes
experiences like that are
an example of what she
calls
"egocasting,
the
thoroughly
personalized
and
extremely
narrow
pursuit of one's personal
taste."
Facebook
"encourages
egocasting
even though it claims to
further 'social networking'
and build communities,"
she says. Unlike real
communities,
however,
CompetitivEdge 1-888-881-EDGE
most interactions in online
groups do not take place
face-to-face.
It's
no
surprise, she says, that
"people who use networks
like Facebook have a
tendency
to
describe
themselves like products."
To test that, I registered on
the Iowa State Facebook
and noticed that the
discussion groups looked a
lot like direct mailing lists.
Some, in fact, were the
same
or
barely
distinguishable
from
mailing lists compiled in
The
Lifestyle
Market
Analyst, a reference book
that looks at potential
audiences for advertisers.
For instance, "Baseball
Addicts" and "Kick Ass
Conservatives"
are
Facebook groups, while
"Baseball Fanatics" and
"Iowa Conservatives" are
the names of commercial
mailing lists. You can find
"PC Gamers," "Outdoor
Enthusiasts,"
and
advocates for and against
gun control on both
Facebook and in marketing
directories. "It is ironic,"
Rosen says, "that the
technologies we embrace
and praise for the degree
of control they give us
individually
also
give
marketers and advertisers
the most direct window into
our psyche and buying
habits they've ever had."
Online
networks
like
Facebook allow high levels
of surveillance, she adds,
and not just for marketers.
"College administrators are
www.clipresearch.com
known to troll the profiles
on Facebook for evidence
of illegal behavior by
students,"
she
says.
"Students might think they
are merely crafting and
surfing a vast network of
peers, but because their
Facebook profile is, in
essence, a public diary,
there is nothing to stop
anyone
elsefrom
marketers, to parents, to
college
officialsfrom
reading it."
Her comments bear out.
For instance, a panel at the
University of Missouri at
Columbia has been formed
to educate students about
Facebook content that may
violate
student-conduct
policies or local laws. A
Duquesne
University
student was asked to write
a paper because the
Facebook
group
he
created
was
deemed
homophobic. Students at
Northern
Kentucky
University were charged
with code violations when a
keg was seen in a dormroom picture online.
My concerns are mostly
ethical. In my field, I know
of students who showcase
inappropriate pictures of
partners or use stereotypes
to describe themselves and
others on Facebook. What
does that mean in terms of
taste, sensitivity, and bias?
I know of disclosures about
substance abuse that have
come back to haunt
students
under
investigation for related
offenses.
I
know
of
Electronic Clipping
fictitious
Facebook
personae that masquerade
as administrators, including
college presidents.
Facebook forbids such
fabrications. According to
Chris
Hughes,
a
spokesman,
misrepresentation
is
against
the
directory's
"Terms of Service."
"In other words," he says,
"you can't create a profile
for Tom Cruise using your
account.
When
users
report a profile, we take a
look and decide if the
content seems authentic. If
not, we'll remove the user
from the network."
Shortly after interviewing
Hughes, I heard from
Michael
Tracey,
the
Colorado
journalism
professor, who learned that
an account had been
opened in his name on
MySpace
(see
http://www.myspace.com),
another networking site,
"with photos and all kinds
of weird details." He
suspects a student from
the course he spoke with
me about is behind the
ruse.
Unless we reassess our
high-tech priorities, issues
associated
with
insensitivity, indiscretion,
bias, and fabrication will
consume us in higher
education.
Christine Rosen believes
that college administrators
CompetitivEdge 1-888-881-EDGE
"have
embraced
technology as a means of
furthering education, but
they have failed to realize
that
the
younger
generation
views
technology largely as a
means
of
delivering
entertainmentbe it music,
video
games,
Internet
access, or televisionand
secondarily, as a means of
communicating."
What can we do in the
short term about the
misuse
of
technology,
especially
in
wireless
locales?
The
Facebook's
spokesman, Hughes, is not
overly concerned. He notes
that students who use
computers in classrooms
and labs routinely perform
"a host of activities online
while listening to lectures,"
like
checking
e-mail,
sending instant messages,
or reading the news.
"Usage of Facebook during
class," he says, "doesn't
strike me as being that
different than usage of
those other tools."
"If professors don't want
their students to have
access to the Internet
during
class,"
Hughes
adds, "they can remove
wireless installations or ask
their students not to bring
computers to class."
Some
less-drastic
measures include clauses
in syllabi warning against
www.clipresearch.com
using Facebook or other
nonassigned Internet sites
during
class.
Some
professors punish students
who violate such rules and
reward those who visit the
library.
Others
have
stopped using technology
in the classroom. A few
institutions are assessing
how
to
respond
to
Facebook
and
similar
digital distractions. Last fall
the University of New
Mexico blocked access to
Facebook
because
of
security
concerns.
My
preference is not to block
content but to instill in
students
what
I
call
"interpersonal intelligence,"
or the ability to discern
when
and
where
technology
may
be
appropriate
or
inappropriate.
That, alas, requires critical
thinking and suggests that
we have reached a point
where we must make hard
decisions
about
our
investment in technology
and our tradition of high
standards. Because the
students already have.
Michael
J.
Bugeja,
director of the Greenlee
School of Journalism
and Communication at
Iowa State University, is
author of Interpersonal
Divide: The Search for
Community
in
a
Technological
Age
(Oxford
University
Press).
Electronic Clipping
The Associated Press State & Local Wire
January 25, 2006 Wednesday
Go To Top
Marshalltown man committed for threatening to blow up FBI office
DES MOINES Iowa
A Marshalltown man accused of mailing rat poison and threatening to blow up an FBI
office has been ruled innocent by reason of insanity.
Anana Gundo Nariboli, 47, was charged last year with threatening to use an explosive,
mailing threatening communications and obstructing the use of mail.
On Jan. 11, U.S. District Judge Robert Pratt ordered that Nariboli be committed to a
mental institution.
Nariboli had been in custody since June 1 when the FBI arrested him at his
Marshalltown home. A federal complaint alleges that on Feb. 11 Nariboli mailed a letter
to Dow Chemical Company in Milwaukee, Wis., threatening to blow up an FBI office. It
also says Nariboli mailed an envelope containing a powdered substance to the Iowa
State University admissions building.
A letter sent to the Des Moines Post Office in May broke open inside the building,
prompting a temporary closure and requiring HAZMAT teams to respond. The complaint
also stated that Nariboli made five anonymous telephone calls to Iowa State Radio
making reference to bombs and serial killers.
According to court records, Nariboli admitted sending the letters and showed agents
what he put in them a household cleaner, Comet, and the rat poison D-CON.
His mother, Usha Nariboli, said after his arrest that her son had been on several
medications through the years but his behavior suddenly changed and he began making
threats.
"He's not a terrorist," she said. "He's a mental patient."
CompetitivEdge 1-888-881-EDGE
www.clipresearch.com
Electronic Clipping
The Daily Herald-Tribune, Canada
Go To Top
January 24, 2006 Tuesday FINAL
Grande Prarie, Alberta: NEWS; Slice of Life; Pg. 2
WINTER'S A GOOD TIME TO HONOUR MOSQUITOES
SHANNON MCKINNON
One of the many great
things about living in
Canada this time of year is
the lack of mosquitoes.
That, and the lawn rarely
needs mowing. This puts
me in a much better frame
of mind to celebrate
Mosquito Appreciation Day
on January 31. Never
heard of it? Then you must
not have heard of the
Bloomin' Idiot Funny Farm
neither. Located in Rimbey,
just north of Red Deer, the
farm is owned by Janet
and Jerry McKay who are
famous for befriending the
mosquito.
According to the book
"Crazy Canadian Trivia" by
Pat Hancock, The McKay's
even went so far as to set
up little houses where the
mosquitoes, or what the
McKay's
affectionately
refer to as mozzies, can
breed in peace. In 1994,
they founded SWAMP, an
acronym for Society for
Wild
Alberta
Mosquito
Preservation.
For
a
nominal fee they will sell
you a genuine Bloomin'
Idiot Lifetime Membership
that
includes
tiny
playground toys and even
a miniature outhouse to
CompetitivEdge 1-888-881-EDGE
accommodate your more
modest mosquitoes.
As if that weren't enough,
the McKay's then started
lobbying for a national
Mosquito Appreciation Day
- MAD for short. A day
where people could show
their affection for the little
mozzies by refraining from
swatting a single one the
entire day. To ensure the
success of MAD they
decided to hold it on
January 31.
It's a clever choice. If I
have to celebrate the
Canadian mosquito, there
is no better time to do so
than in the middle of
winter. I appreciate not
being woken to incessant
whining that keeps me
slapping myself upside the
head until my ears are
ringing. I appreciate the
fact that two grams of
catnip seed is available for
the low, low, price of $1.75.
That's a whole lot of cheap
mosquito repellent.
According to a recent
study conducted by the
Iowa State University
Research
Foundation,
catnip oil is as effective at
repelling mosquitoes as
at least a 10 times larger
dose of DEET. That's like,
www.clipresearch.com
well, 10 times better than
DEET. At least. This year
Mr. Fluffers won't be the
only
one
in
the
neighbourhood hanging out
at the catnip patch.
Hmmm. A thought occurs.
And not one of those
pleasant ones, neither.
What about the cats? What
happens after you slather
little Julie with catnip and
send her out in the
backyard to play? What
then? I'll tell you what then.
You'll be doing the dishes,
congratulating yourself on
keeping your daughter all
herbal, healthy, and Deet
free, when you'll look out
the window and notice
something strange.
Cats. Lots and lots of cats.
Big cats, little cats, tom
cats and mama cats. All of
them heading for your own
backyard. That's when you
hear little Julie exclaim,
"Mr. Fluffers! That's sure a
whole lot of friends you got
there. Mr. Fluffers? Mr.
Fluffers? Bad Kitty! Bad
Kitty! Arrrghhh!!!"
Good Lord! What if they
bottle the stuff but call it
something
clever,
like
Mosquito-Be-Gone without
any reference whatsoever
to the fact it contains
Electronic Clipping
copious amounts of catnip
oil? Then, what if some
poor guy in Africa decides
to slather it on before
walking
across
the
Serengeti?
It
could
happen. He could be
striding through the grass
all happy, whistling a
cheerful
little
tune,
remarking to himself how
the
mosquitoes
aren't
bothering him a bit. Not
one little bit. How clever of
him, he thinks, to have
CompetitivEdge 1-888-881-EDGE
ordered that bottle of
Mosquito-Be-Gone on the
Internet.
And
thank
goodness he doesn't have
to
worry
about
that
dastardly Deet. So there he
is, strolling along, while all
across the Tanzania plains
lions and lionesses are
jerking their heads up,
lurching to their feet and
hurrying in his direction. He
doesn't know that there are
worse things to be found in
an insect repellent than a
www.clipresearch.com
little Deet. He doesn't know
that right now he is 10
times more irresistible to
the rapidly approaching
cats than a raw zebra
steak. Ten times!
Maybe mosquitoes aren't
so bad after all. It's like I
always say: Better to wake
up to a mosquito trying to
eat you than a cat. Now
where do I sign up for that
Bloomin'
Idiot
membership?
Electronic Clipping
The Associated Press State & Local Wire
January 24, 2006 Tuesday
Go To Top
Revenue power of state's universities to be displayed
DES MOINES Iowa
The revenue generating power of the state's universities will be put on display at a
program next month at the John and Mary Pappajohn Education Center in downtown
Des Moines.
The Feb. 15 program, which is free and open to the public, will feature university
leaders, business representatives and demonstrations of new technology.
Iowa companies earned $27.24 million from technologies licensed from Iowa State
University, the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa in the year ended
June 30, 2005. That's up from $21.4 million the previous year and $17.2 million in 2003,
according to a news release from Iowa State.
The universities also earned $23 million on royalties and licensing fees in 2005, the
release said.
The universities had 254 license and option agreements for intellectual property and filed
applications for patents. About 16,500 jobs also were created by $459 million in outside
research.
Michael Gartner, president of the Iowa Board of Regents, said there is lack of
understanding about the size and role the universities play in economic development in
Iowa.
"Just as the universities play a huge and vital role in the educational, cultural, the
athletic, the intellectual, the governmental and the civic aspects of life in Iowa, so do they
play a huge and vital role in the state's economic development," he said.
CompetitivEdge 1-888-881-EDGE
www.clipresearch.com
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Des Moines Register
Go To Top
January 22, 2006 Sunday
SUNDAY OPINION; Pg. 1O
Boost biotech by boosting universities
The Register's Editorials
By
the
REGISTER
EDITORIAL BOARD
The failure of a promising
biotechnology enterprise in
Ames -and the loss of
taxpayer money in the deal
-shouldn't discourage Iowa
from investing in biotech.
If anything, the state
should be spending more
to encourage growth in
industries that are based
on the life sciences.
They're a natural fit for
Iowa
and
have
the
potential to transform the
state's economy.
But the investments should
be keyed more toward
establishing the underlying
environment for growth,
and less toward trying to
pick winners and losers by
subsidizing
individual
companies.
That should be one of the
lessons
from
the
experience of the state with
Phytodyne Inc., reported in
last Sunday's Register by
agribusiness writer Anne
Fitzgerald. The startup
genetic
engineering
company, housed at an
CompetitivEdge 1-888-881-EDGE
Iowa State University
research park, was talked
up by state officials as a
prime example of how the
state can nurture biotech
companies. Unfortunately,
the company was unable to
secure rights to a patented
process it needed, and the
state has nothing to show
for the nearly $500,000 in
tax money granted to the
company.
So it goes with startup
companies. Nine out of 10
biotech startups fail. The
state must expect a
relatively high loss rate if
it's going to make grants to
experimental companies.
That's a risk the state took
when it created the Grow
Iowa Values Fund, which is
expected to allocate $350
million
for
business
assistance over the next 10
years. With luck, one or
two huge successes might
offset the losses that can
be expected.
Then again, by plunging
into making grants to new
businesses, the state might
be getting a little ahead of
itself. Sure, any selfrespecting
economicdevelopment effort has to
have things like business
www.clipresearch.com
incubators and venture
capital, but their success
depends on something
more basic -having great
research universities.
This is true whether it's
California's Silicon Valley,
North Carolina's Research
Triangle or the high-tech
hotbeds around Boston or
Austin,
Texas.
These
regions
didn't
boom
because of their giveaways
to
companies.
They
boomed because of their
proximity
to
great
universities.
Iowa seems to have
forgotten that fundamental
part of the equation. It's
difficult to conceive of
anything
that
would
undercut
the
state's
economic
development
more than diminishing
support
for
state
universities, yet that is
precisely what the state
has done.
By 2005, the universities
were receiving $100 million
less per year in state
support than they received
in
2001.
If
the
appropriations had merely
kept up with inflation,
support would have grown
Electronic Clipping
by more than $90 million
during the same period. So
the real amount denied the
universities amounts to
$190 million per year.
The Legislature did grant a
small increase to the
universities for 2006, about
$16 million -the slightest of
steps toward regaining
former funding levels.
Yes, times are tough, and,
yes, the universities have
raised tuition and made
internal reallocations to try
to offset the cuts, but the
inescapable
reality
remains: You don't push
universities to new levels of
greatness
by
cutting
support for them.
hired by the state to
develop a strategy for
growing
bioscience
industries,
noted
that
"outstanding
research
universities are an absolute
prerequisite for a state to
become
a
serious
contender in most areas of
the biosciences."
The
consultants
said
diminished support for the
universities threatens the
state's hopes for growth. It
has resulted in "program
cuts, faculty salary freezes,
an inability to invest in new
technologies
and
infrastructure,
and
a
general fear for the future
among the Iowa education
and scientific community,"
the consultants said.
This has "reduced the
ability of Iowa's research
universities to position
themselves as globally
competitive
in
the
biosciences."
The bottom line: All of the
economic-development
gimmicks -the grants, the
loans, the incubators, the
push for commercialization
of research -must rest on a
foundation of solid support
for the universities.
The most urgent economicdevelopment priority for the
governor and Legislature
should
be
to
begin
restoring the traditional
level of support for the
universities -and then go
beyond that.
Consultants
from
the
Battelle Memorial Institute,
CompetitivEdge 1-888-881-EDGE
www.clipresearch.com
Electronic Clipping
Des Moines Register
Go To Top
January 22, 2006 Sunday
IOWA LIFE; Pg. 8E
F.y.i.
Morlan Jeff
Classes
*
Beginning
Argentine
Tango 7-8 p.m. Thursday.
Iowa
State
Memorial
Union,
Iowa
State
University, 2229 Lincoln
Way, Ames. In the tango,
one dances the melody of
the music, not just the bass
line.
Valerie
Williams
teaches improvisation, as
well as steps, practical
dance
technique,
and
leading from the intention
of movement rather than
simply
manipulating
a
partner.
Tango
can
improve balance, focus
and ability to work with a
partner. (515) 294-0971.
For information, go to
www.mu.iastate.edu.
*
Belly
Dance
Introduction to Music
and Movement of the
Middle East 6:45-8 p.m.
Tuesday.
Iowa
State
Memorial Union, Iowa
State University, 2229
Lincoln
Way,
Ames.
CompetitivEdge 1-888-881-EDGE
Introduction to the Music
and Movements of the
Middle East with Lisa Rich
McKelvey (Shiara). (515)
294-0971. For information,
go to www.mu.iastate.edu.
*
Black
&
White
Photography Workshop
7-9 p.m. Monday. Iowa
State Memorial Union,
Iowa State University,
2229 Lincoln Way, Ames.
Learn how to choose the
right black-and-white film,
exposure, lighting, lenses,
depth of field, composition
and use of filters. The
focus of the class will be on
developing and printing
black-and-white film, but
the instructor will be
available to help with
specific questions related
to photography. (515) 2940971. For information, go
to www.mu.iastate.edu.
* Intermediate Knitting
"Toys
&
Animals"
Workshop 6:30-8 p.m.
Tuesday.
Iowa
State
Memorial Union, Iowa
State University, 2229
www.clipresearch.com
Lincoln
Way,
Ames.
Joining
yarns,
making
bobbles
and
ruffles,
stuffing
projects
and
backstitch seams will be
taught.
Visit
www.mu.iastate.edu.
Special Events
* 2006 ISU Extension
Garden Calendar The
2006
ISU
Extension
Garden Calendar offers
monthly tips and plant
stories in a full-color, 9x12inch format. Calendars are
available at ISU Extension
offices or www.extension.
iastate.edu/store. $8.
Submissions for FYI should
be sent a minimum of two
weeks before the desired
date of publication to: FYI,
Des
Moines
Register
Newsroom, P.O. Box 957,
Des Moines, IA 50304. The
Register does not endorse
the events or products
listed. Jeff Morlan can be
reached at 284-8166 or
jemorlan@dmreg.com.
Electronic Clipping
Des Moines Register
Go To Top
January 21, 2006 Saturday
MAIN NEWS; Pg. 13A
TO COMBAT SOARING NATURAL-GAS PRICES, GO NUCLEAR
Iowa View
Carolyn Heising
There are many national
economic penalties caused
by the highest sustained
natural-gas
prices
in
history, but probably none
is more disturbing than the
extent to which high-priced
gas threatens to undermine
farm productivity and drive
up food prices.
High natural-gas prices are
a double whammy for U.S.
agriculture. Natural gas is
both its main fuel and its
main raw material, the
starting point for the basic
chemicals
from
which
pesticides and fertilizers
are derived.
Earlier this year, gas prices
reached $14 per million
BTUs, and since then have
hovered at around $12. No
other country has a higher
price.
Natural
gas
currently
meets almost a quarter of
U.S. energy requirements.
But it's the need for gas to
fuel
gas-fired
electric
power plants that is the
largest single driver of
growth in gas demand.
Since 1990, power plants
CompetitivEdge 1-888-881-EDGE
that
use
gas
have
accounted for almost all of
our new electric-power
capacity.
And
gas
consumed in the power
sector is set to grow 5
percent a year over the
next few years, despite
declining U.S. natural-gas
production -putting even
more pressure on prices.
In this accelerating crisis is
a
historic
opportunity.
Instead of burning natural
gas to produce electricity,
utilities need to switch to
other
energy
sources,
leaving gas to be used for
agriculture,
industrial
processes and household
heating. It is heartening
that utilities in at least
seven states, mainly in the
Southeast, are moving
ahead with an alternative
to electricity generated by
natural gas: new nuclear
power plants. Increasing
the use of nuclear power
will reduce the cost of
producing electricity and
save substantially on our
national demand for natural
gas.
Currently, nuclear power is
the cheapest source of
large amounts of "baseload" electricity. It is
significantly cheaper than
www.clipresearch.com
power from natural gas,
coming in at less than 2
cents per kilowatt-hour,
while the cost of electricity
from natural-gas plants is
up to nearly 6 cents. And
not only is nuclear power
considerably cheaper than
natural gas, it's also
environmentally
benign,
producing no air pollution
or
global-warming
emissions.
The federal government
has boosted the prospects
for nuclear power by
providing tax credits and
other
incentives
for
construction of the first few
advanced-design nuclear
plants. But the biggest
reason for the renaissance
of
nuclear
power
is
skyrocketing gas prices.
The best antidote to an
upward spiral is to use less
gas. That's how nuclear
power can be successfully
used now.
The public is becoming far
more accepting of nuclear
power than it has been.
The
percentage
of
Americans
who
favor
nuclear power rose from 46
percent in 1995 to 70
percent in 2005, according
to a national survey.
Moreover, as even some of
Electronic Clipping
the
nation's
leading
environmentalists
are
saying,
nuclear
power
could play a decisive part
in the battle against global
warming.
The changing attitudes are
coming at a critically
important time. Because
the demand for electricity is
expected to grow 20
percent within the next
decade, the Department of
Energy is counting on
utilities to build a new
generation
of
nuclear
plants to replace older
CompetitivEdge 1-888-881-EDGE
units and provide additional
supplies of electricity. After
all, electricity increases
productivity, purifies water
and
powers
farm
machinery. But to get those
plants built will require
continuing
support
for
nuclear power from states
and the public.
We can and must make
this a turnaround decade in
providing an improved
American energy system,
including more affordable
supplies of natural gas for
homes, businesses and
www.clipresearch.com
industries. Nuclear power
as a growing source of
electricity should be the
cornerstone of this energy
strategy.
CAROLYN D. HEISING is
a professor of industrial,
mechanical and nuclear
engineering at Iowa State
University.
GRAPHIC:
_By:
ASSOCIATED
PRESS
FILE PHOTO: Davis-Besse
Nuclear Power Station
near Port Clinton, Ohio.
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Chicago Daily Herald
Go To Top
January 20, 2006 Friday _F2 Edition; M1 Edition
NEIGHBOR; Local beat; Pg. 1
Youth group looks to finance its ideas to beat delinquency
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz
Carpentersville's
youth
development collaborative
remains a nest of ideas
and good intentions, but
the infant group recently
got word that it's a step
closer to turning those
intentions into tangible
results.
The
Grand
Victoria
Foundation
encouraged
the collaborative to apply
for a grant to pay for some
of its proposed projects,
which
are
aimed
at
developing life skills among
youth
and
preventing
delinquency.
The collaborative - which
includes
representatives
from the village, the police
department, the school
district, the Boy Scouts and
the Boys and Girls Club,
among others groups - had
written to the foundation to
determine if it would be
eligible for its grants.
The
thumbs
up
is
encouraging, if only a step
in the right direction.
One of the proposed
projects in most immediate
need
of
funding
is
Strengthening Families, a
CompetitivEdge 1-888-881-EDGE
program offered through
the police department that
will likely die without more
cash.
the same hour to discuss
the choices they make and
how to deal with peer
pressure.
The police department
started the program three
years ago with grant
money from the Illinois
Department of Human
Services, which sustained
it through last year.
The families, which usually
number about four per
session,
then
meet
together for another hour to
talk out their issues. When
funding was available, they
would do talk over dinner
provided by the facilitators.
"We were able to keep the
programs going up until
now, but it looks like unless
we get further funding from
the village or other grants,
these next few months will
be the last," said Griselda
Hernandez, a police social
worker who is one of the
facilitators for the program.
Strengthening Families, a
seven-week
program
designed by a research
scientist at Iowa State
University, is meant to
improve
communication
between teenagers and
their families, Hernandez
said.
Parents meet with a
facilitator for an hour to
discuss
ways
to
communicate, while the
kids - usually between 10
and 14 years old - meet
with another facilitator for
www.clipresearch.com
Hernandez
said
the
program
has
been
successful, as measured
by the feedback she's
gotten from parents. Many
say
their
children's
behavior
improved
at
school and at home after
participating.
The state grant that gave
genesis to the program
offered $60,000 per year,
which funded a full-time
employee and two parttime employees, as well as
the dinners.
To see it disappear would
be a shame, Hernandez
said.
Another
project
the
collaborative may pitch for
grant money is a two-week
outdoor education summer
camp.
Electronic Clipping
Gary Swick, a teacher from
Dundee-Crown
High
School, has suggested
taking
students
for
canoeing and hiking trips
throughout
Dundee
Township to teach them
about the area's flora and
fauna, Village Manager
Craig Anderson said.
Without a grant, the
collaborative might seek
money for the camp by
finding businesses willing
CompetitivEdge 1-888-881-EDGE
to sponsor a student, or
through scholarships from
the Rotary Club or banks,
Anderson
said.
It
is
estimated the two-week
camp would cost $10,000
for 24 students.
cash - to make some of its
ideas into reality.
Meantime,
the
collaborative, which was
spearheaded by state Rep.
Ruth Munson, is looking for
friends in the community from youth to help with
brainstorming
to
businesses to help with
Alexia
Elejalde-Ruiz
covers
Carpentersville,
East Dundee and West
Dundee. She can be
reached at (847) 931-5727
or
aelejalderuiz@dailyherald.com.
www.clipresearch.com
If you're interested in
helping, contact Anderson
at village hall, (847) 4263439.
Electronic Clipping
The Kiplinger Agriculture Letter
Go To Top
January 20, 2006
NEW VENTURES; Vol. 77, No. 2
Planning a new agribusiness venture in 2006?
Planning a new agribusiness venture in
2006? A business plan is vital to getting
started. Without one, lenders, regulators
and others may not even give you the time
of day. Here's a good Web site to
check:www.agmrc.org/agmrc/business.
CompetitivEdge 1-888-881-EDGE
Start there by clicking on "Key Points in
Writing a Business Plan" under "What's
New." The wealth of advice on the Web
site is provided by experts at Iowa State
University
www.clipresearch.com
Electronic Clipping
The Corn and Soybean Digest
Go To Top
January 1, 2006
Pg. 15 ISSN: 0038-6014
Tackling Soybean Aphids
By Karl Ohm
With their quick and
explosive
ability
to
reproduce in vast numbers,
tiny soybean aphids qualify
as a heavyweight in the
pest
world
with
the
potential to severely knock
down your yields.
"No question about it,
these aphids can extremely
limit yields in soybeans if
left unchecked," says Palle
Pedersen, Iowa State
University
Extension
agronomist. "Under the
worst
circumstances,
soybean
aphids
have
caused yield losses of 20
bu./acre and, in a few
cases, even more."
First
reported
in
southeastWisconsin
in
2000, Pedersen says the
soybean aphids can be
found just about anywhere
- as far west as Nebraska,
all over the upper Midwest
and
on
the
eastern
seaboard, including three
provinces in Canada.
Soybean aphids are small,
soft-bodied insects, and
may
be
winged
or
wingless, depending on the
season and the plant's
condition, according to
Pedersen. The soybean
CompetitivEdge 1-888-881-EDGE
aphid has markings that
include a yellow-green with
black cornicles ("tail pipes")
and a pale-colored tail
projection. The aphid is
small, about the size of a
pinhead.
Nymphs
are
smaller.
In the U.S., common
buckthorn
(Rhamnus
cathartica.) - an invasive
European woody shrub - is
the
most
common
overwintering host for the
soybean aphids' eggs,
which are extremely coldhardy and can survive
temperatures as low as 29840
155
321
840degrees840 155 321
840F.
"To some extent, the
soybean aphid is an odd
pest
because
you
essentially have an Asian
species using a European
variety of buckthorn as its
primary overwintering host
in North America," says
David Ragsdale, University
of Minnesota entomologist.
"Yet during the growing
season, the soybean aphid
is almost exclusively found
on soybeans."
Ragsdale
and
other
entomologists
have
observed that soybean
aphid often exhibits a
www.clipresearch.com
biennial life cycle - one
year where populations
may be high followed by
low numbers the next.
"Further research will be
needed, but it appears that
major
predators,
particularly
the
Asian
multicolored
ladybird
beetle, along with some
native ladybug beetles,
seek out buckthorn to feed
on the wingless soybean
aphids that are laying
overwintering eggs," says
Ragsdale.
"In
years
of
high
populations,
these
predators will invest the
time
and
energy
to
decimate the egg-laying
soybean
aphids
in
buckthorn,
which
then
usually
translates
into
lower survival and fewer
aphids
the
following
spring."
But Ragsdale says trying to
pinpoint the chief reasons
for the reported biennial life
cycle of the soybean aphid
may not be all that cut and
dried.
For example, the impact of
spraying,
weather
conditions, aphid-infecting
fungi,
soybean
variety
selection, planting date and
Electronic Clipping
feeding habits of the
predators will likely shed
important light on the
soybean aphids' life cycle
swings.
"Basically, the soybean
aphids'
life
cycle
is
complex," says Ragsdale.
"In the spring, the eggs will
hatch and the soybean
aphid will have two to three
generations on buckthorn.
The number of winged
offspring increase each
successive generation and
will eventually move into
soybeans in early June."
The winged females are
fertile
without
mating
(known
as
"parthenogenetic"
reproduction) and bear
living
young.
Several
generations (up to 18) of
wingless females can be
produced quickly due to
parthenogenesis. The stem
tips and young leaves of
growing soybeans are
colonized first.
Later the aphids appear on
the underside of leaves of
mature
plants.
Aphid
development is favored in
late June to early July and
at optimal temperatures of
around 82840 155 321
840degrees840 155 321
840F.
Most
offspring
on
soybeans are wingless, but
a variety of environmental
(temperature and daylength) and plant quality
factors combined with high
aphid numbers can all
contribute
to
the
CompetitivEdge 1-888-881-EDGE
development
offspring.
of
winged
Scouting Tips And What To
Spray
Winged females will leave
the field and migrate to
new fields with better
quality and lower aphid
populations, according to
Iowa State University.
Here are a few scouting
tips from the University of
Wisconsin and University
of Minnesota:
In
the
summer,
the
population in soybeans is
comprised of females that
essentially
clone
themselves and give birth
at rates of three to eight
aphids per day for about a
month. The generation
time
is
7-10
days,
depending
upon
temperature.
The
result
is
an
exponential growth rate
where populations can
double in just two to three
days
under
favorable
conditions.
However, plant breeding
programs
are
already
underway
in
several
Midwestern states that
show promise in resistance
to the soybean aphid.
"Germplasm
in
some
Group 7 and Group 8
varieties
from
the
University of Illinois and
Michigan State University
are being used in some
field testing in Illinois, Iowa,
Michigan, Minnesota and
South
Dakota,"
says
Ragsdale.
"And
the
resistance
to
soybean
aphids
looks
very
promising."
www.clipresearch.com
* Begin scouting weekly in
late June or early July and
continue through pod set.
Check 20-30 plants at
random per field, covering
80% of the field, and pay
particular attention to lateplanted fields, or fields
under moisture stress.
* Examine the entire plant,
particularly the new growth
at the top and side
branches.
Count
the
number of aphids on each
plant and then calculate
the average number and
use that figure to make
your decision on whether
or not treatment is needed.
* Since this can be timeconsuming,
especially
when aphid numbers are
dense,
Minnesota
entomologist
David
Ragsdale says another
scouting method - called
"speed scouting" - can be
used with fairly good
accuracy.
Speed scouting basically
involves getting your eye
acquainted with what a
group of 40 aphids looks
like. Once you can pretty
well judge what that
amount looks like in size,
then sample 11 or so
plants in a field, using
perhaps a "W" or "Z"
pattern.
Electronic Clipping
"We call it speed scouting
because you don't have to
meticulously count each
aphid, and you can make a
decision quicker whether or
not to spray," explains
Ragsdale.
If you find that the first 11
plants have 40 or more
aphids per plant, then
treatment is recommended.
If you find fewer than 11
plants have 40 or more
aphids,
Ragsdale
recommends
sampling
another five plants.
"It is extremely important to
note that 40 aphids are not
- and I mean not - to be
considered
a
new
threshold level," stresses
Ragsdale. "Speed scouting
is based on a mathematical
model using detailed field
data."
So far, Ragsdale says that
this
new
method
corresponds pretty well
mathematically with the
traditional
way
of
calculating the treatment
threshold of 250.
In the traditional method,
use a threshold of 250
aphids/plant, especially if
populations are actively
increasing, to make your
decision about when to
spray.
This
action
threshold should be based
on an "average" of 250
aphids/plant from 30 plants
sampled throughout the
field. Regular field visits
are usually required to
CompetitivEdge 1-888-881-EDGE
determine if soybean aphid
populations are increasing.
Pyrethroids (i.e., Warrior,
Mustang
Max,
Asana,
Baythroid)
and
organophosphates
(i.e.,
Lorsban)
are
two
insecticide classes labeled
for soybean aphids on
soybeans and commonly
used in chemical control
programs.
Organophosphates exhibit
a "fuming" action, which
may work better in heavy
canopies or at higher
temperatures. Pyrethroids
tend to provide longer
residual
than
organophosphates
or
carbamates (Furadan) and
are most effective at
temperatures below 90840
155 321 840degrees840
155 321 840F.
For soybean aphids, good
coverage is important.
Higher spray volumes (1520 gal./acre) and higher
pressure help to move the
insecticide down into the
canopy, says Iowa State's
Palle Pedersen.
Unless aphids are at
threshold
levels
and
actively increasing, adding
insecticide to early season
glyphosate applications as
"insurance"
is
not
recommended and may
make the situation worse,
he says.
Learn
More
Soybean Aphids
www.clipresearch.com
About
The
University
of
Minnesota has developed
a Soybean Aphid Growth
Estimator (SAGE) model
that can estimate the
maximum reproductive rate
possible.
The inputs into the SAGE
model include forecasted
temperature and aphid
density per plant. The
model,
which
uses
Microsoft Excel to perform
the
calculations,
is
available
at:
http://www.soybeans.umn.
edu/crop/insects/aphid/aphi
d_sagemodel.htm.
For speed scouting, more
details and downloadable
worksheets are available at
the following Web site:
http://www.soybeans.umn.
edu/crop/insects/aphid/aphi
d_sampling.htm.
Iowa State University
offers the following Web
site for more information
about the soybean aphid:
http://www.soybeanaphid.i
nfo.
Further information about
the soybean aphid and
Checkoff-funded research
can also be located at
http://www.planthealth.info
Watch Aphid Numbers
Palle
Pedersen,
Iowa
State
University
Extension
agronomist
says, "Essentially, what is
important to keep in mind
is that aphids can multiply
up to tenfold in a week. So,
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if
you
have
150
aphids/plant,
the
population, if left untreated
and conditions are good,
could quickly leap to 1,5002,000/plant within a week a very high and damaging
level. This is why frequent
scouting and monitoring of
population and dynamics in
the fields are extremely
critical."
before damaging aphid
densities are reached.
Presently, treatment is
recommended when a
threshold
of
250
aphids/plant is found. This
threshold provides growers
with a seven-day lead time
In 2005 some aphid
populations
reached
250/plant,
but
never
reached the damaging
densities of more than
1,500
aphids/plant,
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If you are unsure if aphids
are growing at a fast
enough rate to reach
damaging levels, you can
scout every three days
once the threshold is
reached and then be ready
to spray at a moment's
notice.
www.clipresearch.com
according to Minnesota
entomologist
David
Ragsdale. Consequently,
treatment
was
unnecessary.
"Despite
its
prolific
reproduction ability, the
good news is that soybean
aphids are still easy to
manage because they are
very
sensitive
to
insecticides,"
says
Pedersen.
"There
are
enough available products
labeled for the soybean
aphid to do the job."
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The Corn and Soybean Digest
Go To Top
January 1, 2006
Pg. 34 ISSN: 0038-6014
It's All About Sharing
By Liz Morrison
If there were report cards
for farmers, Dale Rinas'
would say, "Works well
with others."
Rinas is at the center of a
group of Sisseton, SD,
farmers who have been
pooling machinery and
labor for a decade. Rinas
shares planting equipment
with
one
neighbor,
harvests with another and
hauls seed with several
more.
Sharing lets Rinas and his
neighbors - all good friends
farm
with
better
machinery and use their
equipment and time more
efficiently. Not only that,
"We
enjoy
working
together," says Alan Veflin,
a member of the group.
There's strong interest
these days in sharing
equipment,
especially
among mid-sized farm
operators who are trying to
cut costs and spread
machinery expenses over
more acres, says William
Edwards, an Extension
economist at Iowa State
University.
A Saskatchewan study
estimates that by pooling
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equipment, three 1,500acre grain farms could
lower
their
per-acre
machinery expense by
one-third to one-half.
"Dale will take it for a
couple of days, then I'll
take it," Nieland says. "It
depends on whose fields
are driest."
Sharing equipment often
leads to greater labor
efficiency, too, Edwards
says. "A lot of farmers we
talk to find that's even more
important than the cost
savings."
It takes flexibility to make it
work, they say - and
courtesy. Each man makes
sure the equipment is
clean, greased and fueled
before turning it over to his
partner.
DIVIDING THE COST OF
AN UPGRADE
Sharing
machinery
requires a lot of give and
take, Edwards agrees.
"You have to recognize
that not everyone can be
first, and things may have
to change quickly with the
weather."
The Sisseton-area growers
all raise wheat, corn and
soybeans. Rinas and his
neighbor Rydell Nieland
have
shared
planting
equipment since 1992. In
the early '90s, both men
wanted to go to an airdelivery seeding system,
but neither had enough
tractor power. So they
decided to divide the cost
of upgrading. Nieland, who
farms 950 acres, bought a
40-ft. Concord planter.
Rinas, who farms 1,600
acres with his son Travis,
bought an 875 Versatile
tractor and 4900 Case IH
cultivator.
They keep the entire rig
together during planting
season and talk daily to
plan their work schedules.
www.clipresearch.com
Nieland and Rinas charge
out their equipment use at
local
custom
rates:
$5.50/acre for the seeder;
$3/acre for the field
cultivator; and $33/hour for
the tractor. They each buy
their own fuel. A detailed
logbook stays with the rig,
and the partners settle up
at the end of the year.
"Financially, we're both
better
off
with
this
arrangement," Rinas says.
It's nice knowing they can
depend on each other for
help, too. One spring when
Nieland injured his back,
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Rinas seeded his crop.
"That was a real life-saver,"
Nieland says.
SOLVING
A
SHORTAGE
LABOR
It was a labor crunch that
led to Rinas' harvesting
partnership with another
neighbor, Verlyn Steiner,
who farms 800 acres.
Steiner, working alone,
was short of help. Rinas,
whose three sons were
then still at home, had
plenty of manpower. So
they joined forces.
Each grower owns a
combine. Rinas supplies
the corn head, plus a Brent
450 grain cart and 10-in.
grain
auger.
Steiner
supplies a grain vac. They
charge out the combines at
$21/acre and swap use of
the grain cart, auger and
grain vac, calling it an even
exchange.
Rinas employs the extra
workers they need at
harvest,
and
Steiner
reimburses him for hired
labor on an hourly basis.
The
two
also
split
ownership of a truck: Rinas
owns the tractor and
Steiner the trailer. "Verlyn
pays for all the expenses
and maintenance on the
trailer," Rinas says, "and I
do the same for the
tractor." They buy a joint
insurance policy on the
truck and use the same
bookkeeper,
which
simplifies the accounting.
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Their
partnership
has
worked well for 10 years,
the men say. "We both
benefit from each other's
labor," Steiner says.
In addition to raising grain,
Dale and Travis Rinas
finish 800 head of cattle a
year. They co-own more
than $30,000 worth of
equipment with several
nearby
producers,
including
a
bedding
machine,
truck-mounted
manure spreader, roller mill
and Ditch Witch trencher.
They split parts and
maintenance costs, and
each operator pays for his
own fuel.
HOW TO
TRUCKIN'
KEEP
ON
Rinas and several of his
neighbors
also
grow
soybeans for the Pioneer
Hi-Bred International seed
plant in Wahpeton, ND. For
the last eight years they've
pooled their trucks and
labor to haul their seed to
the plant, 60 mi. away.
They have four semis
between them and deliver
75-100 loads a winter.
"We've got the trucks,"
says one member, "so we
might as well use them.
And we've got plenty of
help, so it's not such a bad
job."
The
trucking
group
includes Steiner and the
Rinases; Russell, Tim,
Douglas and Alan Veflin,
who farm 3,500 acres near
Sisseton; and Bob and Bud
Metz, who farm 3,600
www.clipresearch.com
acres near Browns Valley,
MN. Each grower keeps
track of the number of
loads he hauls for other
members of the group. "If
one of us owes another
some loads," Rinas says,
"we
exchange
labor
instead of a check."
They have a handshake
agreement, cemented by
friendship. Quips Steiner:
"We'll settle up when we
retire."
SECRETS
TO
SUCCESSFUL SHARING
What makes all these
sharing
arrangements
work?
"Communication,"
Rinas says. "That's the
most important thing."
Beyond that, the men have
a
strong
camaraderie,
which is evident as they
trade jests in Rinas'
machine shop one wet
morning before heading off
to town for lunch together.
They all grew up in the
area and have known each
other most of their lives.
This kind of friendship and
trust are essential for
successful
machinery
sharing, says Edwards, the
Iowa economist. "A lot of it
comes down to getting
along with each other. You
really need a compatible
group of people to make it
work."
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Agri News, MN
01/31/06
Iowa news and notes
March air quality workshop offered
WEBSTER CITY, Iowa -- Swine producers interested in evaluating alternatives
to control odors, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and dust transmissions can learn
more at an Iowa State University workshop in March.
"Air Quality Solutions for Swine Producers: Examining the Options" will be
March 8 at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds in Webster City. The workshop is
sponsored by the Iowa Pork Producers Association and three Iowa State
University entities -- the Iowa Pork Industry Center, ISU Extension and the
College of Agriculture.
A registration fee of $40 covers lunch, refreshment breaks and class materials.
Participants will receive a notebook with speaker handouts and a Midwest Plan
Service book.
To register, send a check payable to Iowa State University, along with your
name, address, phone and the workshop you plan to attend, to Beth Weiser, 208
Davidson Hall, Ames, IA 50011. For more information, contact Weiser at (515)
294-0557.
Former Iowa 4-H members wanted
AMES, Iowa -- Extension seeks former 4-H'ers who have a story to tell.
Through a grant from the Professional and Scientific Council, ISU Extension will
create an interactive display highlighting the connection between 4-H programs
and ISU careers and fields of study. The display is called "Why Opportunity
Works: Youth and 4-H, ISU Academic Programs and Careers Make It Happen"
and premieres at the 2006 State 4-H Conference June 27-29.
Interviewed volunteers be showcased in the Why Opportunity Works Center at
the Extension 4-H Youth Building, but they also will have a chance to mentor
young 4-H'ers and give them a sense of how the 4-H program prepares them for
the future.
ISU Extension invites ISU alumni and students who believe 4-H has made a
significant impact on their choice of major or career to call (515)-294-1557.
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Confinement site applicator training set
ELKADER, Iowa -- Confinement site manure applicators can attend a two-hour
continuing education workshop offered by Iowa State University Extension in
January or February 2006 to maintain applicator certification requirements.
The workshop will be offered at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 16 in the Extension office in
Elkader.
Applicators will learn about manure application rules, record keeping
requirements, manure sampling strategies, and best management practices to
address manure and air quality issues.
The workshop will also serve as initial certification for those applicants who are
not currently certified. If a confinement livestock operation has more than a 500
animal unit capacity, the operator must be certified to apply manure unless the
manure is applied by a commercial manure applicator. The certification fee is
$100 for a three-year certificate.
For more information, contact Clayton County Extension Office at (563) 2451451.
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Associated Press
01/31/06
Iowa State University supercomputer to help
decipher corn genome
AMES, Iowa (AP) -- Scientists at Iowa State University are using one of the
nation's 10 most powerful computers to help decipher the corn genome, a project
that could allow them to expand the plant's uses in plastics, fuel and fiber.
To determine how a corn genome -- the basic genetic structure of the plant -- is
put together, scientists must assemble more than 60 million bits of genetic
material.
Scientists are planning to use the $1.25 million IBM BlueGene supercomputer,
unveiled Monday, which has the equivalent processing power of more than 2,000
home computers and a storage capacity more than 1,000 times greater. It
performs as many as 5.7 trillion calculations per second, said Srinivas Aluru,
professor of electrical and computer engineering.
The computer's speed enables scientists to shorten the time of processing data
that would have previously taken two to three months to just days, Aluru said.
Understanding the genome will allow plant biologists to "build a better corn plant
that, for example, produces biodegradable plastic or ethanol," said Patrick
Schnable, an agronomy professor and director of the Center for Plant
Genomics at Iowa State University.
Iowa State is one of four universities working on the corn genome project, which
is scheduled take about three years.
The BlueGene/L computer is the 73rd most powerful supercomputer in the world,
according to a list compiled by scientists at the University of Mannheim in
Germany, the University of Tennessee and the Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory.
It was financed with a $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation and
$650,000 from the university.
Besides the corn genome project, scientists hope to use the supercomputer to
help understand protein networks in organisms, which can lead to breakthroughs
in disease research.
Such networks can involve 30,000 proteins interacting with each other, too many
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calculations for the typical computer to perform in adequate time, said Bob
Jernigan, professor of biochemistry and biophysics.
"It's the unavailability of computers of this magnitude that limits many projects in
engineering and computer science. This can have an important influence on all
kinds of research," he said.
On the Net:
Iowa State University: http://www.iastate.edu
Top 500 computers: http://www.top500.org
Also ran in: Sioux City Journal, IA; San Diego Union Tribune; Canoe.ca,
Canada; Aberdeen American News, SD; KCCI.com, IA; Washington Post;
WJLA, DC; Sarasota Herlad-Tribune, FL; Bradenton Herald; Grand Forks
Herald, ND; MLive.com, MI; Worcester Telegram; Lakeland Ledger, FL;
Times Daily, AL; Macon Telegraph, GA; Gadsden Times, AL; Fort Worth
Star Telegram, TX; The State, SC; Minneapolis Star Tribune, MN; Forbes;
MSN Money; Fort Wayne News Sentinel, IN; Houston Chronicle; Centre
Daily Times, PA; TMCnet; Des Moines Register; WQAD, IL; WHO-TV, IA;
WOI. IA; MIT Technology Review, MA; Portsmouth Herald News, NH;
Canton Repository, OH; Globetechnology.com, Canada; Waterloo Cedar
Falls Courier, IA; TCS Daily, DC; Sci-Tech Today; Top Tech News, CA; CIO
Today, CA; NewsFactor Network, CA; Infoworld, Netherlands;
ComputerWorld Philippines; Webwereld, Netherlands; Louisville CourierJournal, KY; Jackson Hole Star-Tribune, WY; LinuxWorld.au, Australia;
ComputerWorld Australia; Madison Daily Leader; SD; Joplin Globe, MO
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Chicago Tribune
02/01/06
President selective in worldview
Plans, claims fall on rosy end of spectrum
By Andrew Zajac and Mike Dorning, Washington Bureau. Tribune staff reporters
Stephanie Banchero and David Mendell contributed to this report
WASHINGTON -- If America is addicted to oil, as President Bush said Tuesday
night in his State of the Union speech, the treatment plan he sketched out is
likely to be long and costly.
And even if the country achieves the goals Bush set in his speech, the U.S.
would remain heavily dependent on oil imports from volatile regions for years to
come.
Bush proposed making ethanol, a corn-based fuel that currently is less efficient
than gasoline, competitive with gas within six years.
"Six years is really ambitious," said Mark Edelman, an economist at Iowa
State University. "That's really going to take some ramping up of research and
funding."
Edelman said Bush's proposed $59 million increase in research funding to $150
million in 2007 is significant but that many of the most promising ethanol
technologies "at this point are pretty much in the beginning stages of research."
If that goal is met, and other breakthroughs are achieved, the U.S. would cut its
reliance on oil from the Mideast by 75 percent by 2025, Bush said in his speech.
Other major sources
That is a big cut, but not nearly as large as it sounds. The U.S. gets only 20
percent of its oil from the Middle East, according to the Department of Energy.
Far more oil comes from Africa and Venezuela, where governments also are
either unstable or unfriendly to the U.S.
The framing of energy policy was one of several instances in which Bush
painted an optimistic picture, glossing over certain details.
In addressing the steep rise in federal spending during his administration, which
has stirred protests from some followers, Bush chose words that appeared
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designed to portray him as a budget cutter.
"Every year of my presidency, we have reduced the growth of non-security
discretionary spending," Bush told Congress.
But the president was using a budgetary term that excluded some of the most
costly expansions of government spending during his administration.
His new prescription drug program, which began Jan. 1, and a large increase in
federal farm subsidies he approved are counted in a different category:
entitlement spending.
And there has been steep growth even in discretionary spending unrelated to
security. Excluding spending for homeland security, defense and relief for
Hurricane Katrina, domestic discretionary spending has jumped 33 percent since
2001, according to an October report by the conservative Heritage Foundation.
Other spending excluded
Brian Riedl, federal budget analyst for the foundation, added that the
administration's figures also exclude follow-up "emergency" spending bills that
Congress passes every year.
"They're twisting the definition of spending in a ridiculous way so that he can
make it look like he's spending less," Riedl said.
On another issue, Bush portrayed strong showings by Islamic fundamentalist
political parties in recent Middle East elections as evolutionary steps toward
democracy and liberty.
But many observers, including some in the president's party, say results in
Egypt, the Palestinian territories and Iraq may portend further instability and the
rise of anti-American governments.
Bush's education plan, part of his American Competitiveness Initiative, would set
aside $380 million in new federal money to improve the quality of math, science
and technology education in the nation's elementary and high schools. The
initiative calls for training 70,000 new teachers for advanced high school math
and science classes, encouraging 30,000 math and science professionals to
become adjunct high school teachers.
Persuading 30,000 math and science professionals to head to schools, where
the pay is notoriously low, might prove difficult. School districts nationwide
already have programs that help professionals move into the classroom without
having to obtain a full teaching license.
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Michael Lach, director of science programs for Chicago Public Schools, said,
"What is really lacking is good, qualified [basic] science and math teachers,"
adding that many teachers of a particular subject don't have enough training in
that subject.
Voices of solidarity, protest also dog address
Loyal guest: Among First Lady Laura Bush's guests at the State of the Union
address was Rex, a bomb-sniffing German shepherd who served in Iraq. Rex's
owner was badly injured and wanted the dog to come home with her. The Air
Force resisted, but an act of Congress cleared the way.
Cabinet absentee: Every year, one Cabinet member skips the address so the
government would be able to function if an attack or accident hit the Capitol
during the speech. This year's no-show was Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim
Nicholson.
The robes: Enjoying front-row seats were four members of the Supreme Court,
the most to attend a State of the Union address since the late 1990s. Two new
faces--Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. and Justice Samuel Alito--joined Justices
Stephen Breyer and Clarence Thomas. Breyer is the only court member to attend
all State of the Union speeches since 2000, when none of the justices showed.
Chicago protest: Demonstrators estimated by police to number about 500
chanted for Bush to resign at a "The World Can't Wait. Drive Out the Bush
Regime!" rally in Chicago's Federal Plaza and a march afterward. "I marched for
civil rights, and now they're taking them away," said Charles Hendricks, 70. "It's
time for America to stand up for something that's worth something."
Stand-up: The president got a good laugh when he said that this year the first of
the Baby Boomers turn 60, "including two of my dad's favorite people--me and
President Bill Clinton." The elder Bush and Clinton were once bitter political rivals
but are now friendly and worked together on relief efforts after the South Asian
tsunami in 2004 and Hurricane Katrina last year.
Coincidence: On the television schedule opposite Bush's speech were
"Overhaulin'" (The Learning Channel), "Anything to Win" (Game Show Network),
"Mad Money"(CNBC), "Mission: Organization" (HGTV) and "The Most Extreme"
(Animal Planet). Also ran in: Melbourne Herald Sun, Australia; San Jose
Mercury News; Contra Costa Times, CA; Centre Daily Times, PA; Myrtle
Beach Sun News, SC; Biloxi Sun Herald; Pioneer Press, MN; San Luis
Obispo Tribune, CA; Monterey County Herald, CA; Belleville News-
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Democrat, IL; Kansas City Star, MO; Fort Wayne News Sentinel, IN; Macon
Telegraph, GA; Duluth News Tribune, MN; Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, AG;
Kentucky.com, KY;
--Tribune staff and news services
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Daily Nonpareil, Council Bluffs, IA
01/29/06
Cow-Calf home study course set
AMES - Iowa's cattle producers can learn production, marketing and financial risk
management through a five-part correspondence or home study course during
the month of March. The course is part of "Cow-Calf Risk Strategies," a 2006
program from the Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State University.
"The correspondence course is a great alternative to our two-day workshops, or
for producers whose preferred learning style is self-study," says John Lawrence,
ISU Extension economist and director of the IBC. "Producers can learn at their
own pace and at any time of the day."
The correspondence course includes five lessons focusing on production,
marketing, and financial risk management. Starting Feb. 28, participants will
receive the first of five lesson packets via U.S. mail. Each lesson will consist of
an introduction, specific management content, additional resources, and a quiz or
activity for the producer to complete. The answers will arrive with the next lesson
the following week. A sixth packet will include answers for the fifth and final
lesson, as well as a course evaluation and supplementary resources for the
producer.
"The content of the correspondence course is broad and comprehensive," adds
Lawrence.
The course is available to producers and industry affiliates for $40, and
producers should sign up by Wednesday, Feb. 22. For more information or to
sign up, contact your ISU Extension beef specialist or the Iowa Beef Center in
Ames at (515) 294-BEEF or beefcenter@iastate.edu. A check for $40 can be
sent with an indication of interest in the Correspondence Course via mail to the
IBC at 468 Heady, Ames IA 50011.
The correspondence course is part of a 2006 series called "Cow-Calf Risk
Strategies," a year-long effort to educate cow-calf producers and to develop risk
management solutions. The series is made possible by a grant from the USDA
Risk Management Agency. For more information and to check for event and
schedule updates, visit the Cow-Calf Risk Strategies page at
www.iowabeefcenter.org
(http://www.iowabeefcenter.org/content/CowCalfRiskStrategiesRMA.htm).
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Daily Nonpareil, Council Bluffs, IA
01/29/06
Beef council elects officers
AMES - Terri Carstensen, cattle feeder from Odebolt, was elected chairman of
the Iowa Beef Industry Council and assumed her duties at the January meeting.
Carstensen will lead the group of beef producers who oversee the beef checkoff
program for Iowa's 33,000 beef producers.
Will Frazee, a cattle feeder from Emerson, was elected vice-chairman; treasurer
is Estee Walter, a cattle producer from Van Meter, and secretary is Dan Cook, a
cow/calf and seedstock producer from New Providence. Dan Petersen, cattle
producer from Muscatine, serves as past chairman.
Cattle producers elected these five directors at their annual meeting in
December.
Other members serving on the Iowa Beef Industry Council Executive Committee
are Patty Judge, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture; Wendy Wintersteen, Dean of
the College of Agriculture at Iowa State University; and Phil Schooley,
Bloomfield, representing the Iowa Livestock Market Association.
Newly approved for a one-year term is Del Ranney, cattle producer from Lamoni.
Cattle producers also serving one year terms are Alan Albright, Lytton; Tom
Hotz, Lone Tree; Scott McGregor, Nashua; Elaine Utesch, Correctionville; Helen
Wiese, Manning, and Leon Yantis, Conrad.
The Iowa Beef Industry Council administers the Iowa portion of the national beef
checkoff. The 2004-2005 Iowa budget will invest about $1.6 million in state and
national beef promotion, research, consumer information, and industry
information programs. In addition, Iowa forwards approximately $1.6 million to
the National Cattlemen's Beef Board to be distributed to national beef promotion
programs to market beef domestically and internationally.
For more information, contact the Iowa Beef Industry Council, P.O. Box 451,
Ames, IA 50010, (515) 296-2305.
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Daily Nonpareil, Council Bluffs, IA
01/29/06
Cornbelt Cattle Conference planned for Feb.
25 in Pella
AMES - Forage systems, building a cowherd and a look at the "hotspots" in the
beef industry will be featured at the 35th annual Cornbelt Cow-Calf Conference
on Saturday, Feb. 25 at the Vermeer Global Pavilion in Pella.
"About half of the program is pasture and forage-related topics. When developing
this year's program, we took into account the impact of last year's drought and
the upcoming issues around CRP options and developed presentations to
address those issues," said Byron Leu, Iowa State University Extension
livestock specialist.
"Also, the issues of BSE in Canada, the current export markets, along with the
current high price situation will be addressed in the Beef Industry Hotspots
portion of the program," said Leu.
Breakout sessions will be offered again this year allowing producers to choose
subjects and presentations that are of particular interest to them. Other topics
include industry market outlook, heifer development and bull selection. The
conference will feature nationally known speakers from the beef producing states
of Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri, as well as Iowa State University faculty and
staff and Iowa producers.
Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. and the program concludes at 4 p.m. The $7
registration fee includes lunch and a copy of conference proceedings. For more
information, call (641) 472-4166, e-mail bleu@iastate.edu, or visit the calendar
page at http://www.iowabeefcenter.org/.
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Des Moines Business Record
01/30/06
Biotronics develops imaging system for pork
breeders
By Joe Gardyasz
joegardyasz@bpcdm.com
Like your pork chops tender and juicy?
An Ames company that markets a system used to predict the intramuscular fat
content in cattle has launched a similar program to predict the amount of fat
marbling in hogs, which could lead to production of more tender and flavorful
pork.
Biotronics Inc. last week announced the rollout of its BioSoft Toolbox for Swine.
The ultrasound image capturing and interpretation system was created by Doyle
Wilson, Biotronics’ president, and Viren Amin, the company’s chief scientist. The
technology creates an opportunity for swine breeders of all sizes to compete with
relatively equal resources while working to improve pork quality, Wilson said.
“There’s been tremendous interest expressed by some of the larger breeding
companies,” said Wilson, who at last week’s Iowa Pork Congress meeting in Des
Moines was talking up the product to several producers.
The technology is an important step forward in the pork industry, according to an
Iowa State University expert.
“Intramuscular fat percentage has been determined as a very important meat
quality trait,” said Tom Baas, an associate professor of animal science at
ISU. “The ability of pork producers to accurately predict intramuscular fat
percentage will allow them to make important progress in the pork industry.”
Wilson said the pork industry’s efforts to produce leaner pigs have resulted in
not only reducing the amount of external fat, but also in producing a lower than
desirable level of fat marbling in the muscle.
“These traits are interrelated, so unless you pay attention to that taste fat, you’re
going to reduce it, and that’s what has happened,” he said. On average, the
percentage of fat within the muscle is less than 2.5 percent. How much breeders
may want to increase that percentage will be an individual decision, he said.
For some markets, like Japan, producers will be targeting a much higher
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percentage because their customers like a higher degree of marbling in their
pork, Wilson said.
The program, which works in conjunction with an ultrasound scanner, retails for
$4,600. The company does not sell the hardware, which can cost from $15,000
to $20,000.
In addition to manufacturing and selling systems for analyzing meat traits,
Biotronics also provides its customers with training and continuing education in
all aspects of the use of ultrasound technologies. Wilson said he’s hopeful
Biotronics, which he and Amin founded in 1998, will grow through sales of the
new technology. The company, located at the ISU Research Park, is currently
staffed by its two founders and a part-time employee.
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Des Moines Register
01/26/06
Modeling is in fashion at ISU
By LISA LIVERMORE
REGISTER AMES BUREAU
Ames, Ia. — When mechanical engineering student Elizabeth Struck stood in
line to audition for an upcoming student-run fashion show at Iowa State
University, she said she was ready to hit the runway in full stride.
A recent turnaround in her life had brought her better friends, a new boyfriend
and a commitment to having fun. She was one of the few in her tryouts who
smiled.
But it takes more than smiles and inner peace to make the cut on this campus.
"She had too much young-girliness — and not the urban sophistication we're
looking for," said student modeling judge Amanda Cox, a senior in apparel
merchandising.
This week, student producers and directors of the fashion show "Pulse,"
scheduled to take place this spring, asked students to audition to model for the
show. About 180 students tried out on Monday and Tuesday for 40 to 50 spots
for women and 10 to 12 spots for men, organizers said.
Before last year, fewer than 100 students auditioned to model, said Matthew
Haffarnan, an ISU senior and co-producer of the show. The show has gained
popularity in the last two years after a more active marketing campaign and
growing interest among young adults in fashion, he said.
"There's so much on TV on modeling and fashion and style," he said. "They are
able to see it in their college or university — they have something going on like
that."
Judges who were selecting students to model shared — in reality television
sound-bites — what it takes to be a top model at ISU.
"It's one thing to strike a pose - but one girl kept curtseying," said Erica
MacCrea, an apparel merchandising senior.
At the fashion show, students are judged by professionals on their clothing
designs. They raise money to build a set and fly in a guest designer to show his
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or her successes in the field, said Sara Marcketti, a lecturer in ISU's textiles
and clothing program and also the faculty adviser for the show, which is based
on a class on fashion show production.
"This is a very serious event," she said. "I receive e-mails from students. I'll get
stops in the hallway (from) students telling me something really neat to include."
Auditions were also serious for prospective models, some of whom came with a
specific image in mind that they wanted to convey.
ISU senior Joe Hodge said he wanted to show judges something more than a
typical model.
"I'm not tall," he said. "Definitely not skinny. My style is whatever I look good in."
MARY CHIND/THE REGISTER
Runway dreams: Iowa State University students wait for their turn to audition for
modeling work at the spring fashion show, which features designs by students in
the apparel merchandising program. Smiles were few during auditions on
Monday and Tuesday.
Details on Pulse
WHERE: Stephens Auditorium in Ames.
WHEN: April 8.
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WHEN TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE: Feb. 20, through Ticketmaster.
COST: $15 for students and $20 for non-students.
CLOTHING DESIGNS: They are based on what students are making in the
apparel merchandising senior-level design course.
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Des Moines Register
01/26/06
Iowa: slow-growing, growing old
By GARY L. MAYDEW
SPECIAL TO THE REGISTER
The 7-year old, visiting from a fast-growing state in the South, pondered the
assortment of people in a Wal-Mart store. "Why are people in Iowa so old?" she
asked.
Good question. The latest figures on age distribution, population change and
births confirm her observation. Residents of Iowa's neighbors in the Midwest are,
with the exception of Minnesota and Illinois, considerably older than the United
States as a whole. And Iowans are considerably older than its neighbors. By the
year 2015, an astounding 20 percent of Iowans are projected to be 62 and older.
Iowa is in a comparable position in terms of population growth. From the year
2000 to July 1, 2005, Iowa grew by 1.4 percent. This dismal growth rate not only
badly lagged the U.S. growth rate of 5.3 percent, but also fell below the
Midwestern states of Minnesota, 4.3 percent; Missouri, 3.6 percent; Wisconsin,
3.2 percent; Nebraska, Illinois and Oklahoma, each 2.8 percent; and Kansas, 2.1
percent.
Recent birth rates provide little optimism. Iowa also lags most of those states in
births per thousand population.
What is to be made of these demographic trends?
• Iowa must position itself as a state of older people. Improved geriatric healthcare facilities and wellness and recreation programs for the elderly would be a
plus. State income-tax law should be reviewed for changes that would encourage
the elderly to stay in the state. For example, the state may want to exempt
pensions from taxation.
• Given that our only source of population growth appears to be immigrants,
primarily Hispanics, our current English-only laws appear to be self-defeating.
We should go out of our way to welcome immigrants. They provide youth and
vitality. And most important, immigrants have a much higher birth rate than native
Iowans.
• We must jump-start our economy. People will stay in Iowa and more immigrants
will come to Iowa when good-paying jobs await them. In addition to leveraging
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our strengths in agribusiness, we need to exploit our central location. For
example, Iowa could become the warehouse capital of the United States.
Perhaps most important, we need to gain more jobs through technology transfer
from our two research universities. We need to encourage faculty
entrepreneurship and provide more funding and support for start-up companies.
We should have the goal of creating enough jobs through technology transfer to
double the populations of Ames and Iowa City in the next 25 years.
In some respects Iowa is like Western Europe — a decent place to live but with
both a population and an economy that has hardening of the arteries. It doesn't
have to be this way.
GARY L. MAYDEW is a retired associate professor in the college of
business at Iowa State University.
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Des Moines Register
01/27/06
Religion briefs
Budgeting workshop is set for Saturday
There will be a personal budgeting workshop from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday at
Immanuel United Methodist Church, 2900 49th St. in Des Moines. The free
workshop will be taught by Margaret VanGinkle from Iowa State University
Extension. To register, call 277-1100.
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Des Moines Register
01/28/06
ISU undergraduate balances City Council
votes, last class
By JARED STRONG
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
It's about 10:30 p.m. on a school night, but this college student isn't chumming
with his friends or studying for tomorrow's exam. Ryan Doll is about to cast a
vote on an amendment concerning a bikini bar in Ames' Campustown.
Doll is the first Iowa State University student to occupy a voting seat on the
Ames City Council. Before he casts his last vote of the recent four-hour meeting,
the rookie councilman needs some clarification.
"If you vote 'aye,' you're actually voting against the ordinance," said Mayor Ann
Campbell.
Doll won the council seat after two elections. In November, he beat Ward 3
incumbent Daryle Vegge, but didn't receive a majority of the votes in the threecandidate contest. In a December runoff election, he won with about 58 percent
of the vote in a heavily student-populated ward.
Many students have tried to represent the ward on the council, but Doll, a
Cumming native, is the first to succeed.
"It's been hard trying to overcome a lot of preconceived notions that this is a
student spot," he said. "I was elected to a ward, and I want to make sure that I
represent that area as best as I can."
Doll's fellow council members share that sentiment.
"He's a citizen, a concerned citizen who happens to be a student," said
Councilman Riad Mahayni, who is also an ISU professor. "He's doing his
homework and weighing the issues."
Doll, 27, is a non-traditional student. He started at ISU in 1997 as a hotel and
restaurant management major. After a couple of years, he left school to be a
banquet manager at a local hotel.
He enrolled again at ISU in 2003 to study political science.
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"It was just a change of heart," Doll said.
This semester will conclude his undergraduate course work. Even though Doll is
taking only one class, he said there's plenty to do when you're a councilman.
"There's a big difference between serving dinner and serving in the political
realm," he said. "Everyone wants to sit down and share what they think about
Ames, and that's the part I like best."
Doll said that between e-mails, phone calls and getting stopped by passers-by,
he discusses city issues multiple times a day.
Although Doll is the youngest on the council, he said fitting in isn't a problem.
"Everyone's been great," he said. "I think we have a great relationship."
Mahayni said one person in particular is happy to have Doll on board.
"The happiest one is Matthew (Goodman), because he is no longer the rookie,"
he said.
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Des Moines Register
01/28/06
Lookin' for love in all the right places
By ERIN CRAWFORD
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
Most people would agree that the covered bridges of Madison County are among
Iowa's most romantic spots.
But what else does the state have to offer lovers?
According to the Iowans we asked, there are many places for lovers:
The bluffs in Dubuque overlooking the Mississippi River.
The campanile at Iowa State University.
A classic bed and breakfast in Maquoketa.
In looking around, we discovered that the "romantic" label is hard to stick on any
particular location. It's a matter of taste.
Sometimes romance can be found in a luxurious hotel with 400-count sheets and
French soaps in the bathroom.
And sometimes, when two young people grab one another's hands for the first
time, it turns an average parking lot into a place where everything floats and the
street lamps become moonlight.
That's why we're putting it out to readers to help us identify the best places to
meet your sweet, fall in love again or just get dreamy. Send us your nomination
and, in 150 words or less, the reasons why your favorite spot inspires you. Or
share a story about a romantic moment in that spot.
Nominations are due by Feb. 4.
To help kick off this brainstorm, we polled Iowans whose jobs cater to romance to
tell us about a few places.
We asked Nancy Landess, manager of the Iowa Office of Tourism; Dan Weese,
who runs a bed-and-breakfast inn; Pat Nelson, who marries couples in Madison
County, and others.
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What makes a location romantic? Solitude, picturesque views and unique
surroundings. Great service and charm also help.
Here were their suggestions:
Lodging
If romance is measured in plush surroundings and perfect service, Landess
would suggest one of the state's AAA Four Diamond hotels. Two boutique hotels
make that list: The Hotel Pattee in Perry, and the historic Abbey Hotel in the
Quad Cities.
In both hotels, each of the guest rooms is unique. Some Hotel Pattee rooms offer
views of the hotel's sculpture garden. Many of the Abbey Hotel rooms offer views
of the Mississippi. The Ameristar Casino Hotel in Council Bluffs also holds a fourstar designation.
Bed and breakfasts offer even more intimate surroundings. The Squiers Manor
Bed and Breakfast in Maquoketa serves dessert by candlelight each evening to
guests. And The Blue Belle Inn , St. Ansgar, one of romance writer Marylee
Woods' favorite places, featuring "incredible food," fireplaces, quilts and
"romance from the past," plus innkeepers with their own romantic story.
Attractions
Pat Nelson has based a business on the fact that people love to say their "I Dos"
in the same place the fictional Francesca once fell for a rugged photographer, the
covered bridges of Madison County.
"I think they just like Madison County. We have a comfortable community,
friendly people. It's laid-back and easygoing," she said. "That feeds into romance.
A frenetic pace is not conducive to dreaming."
At the Cottage Bed & Breakfast, itself so romantic a place it's booked for three
weekends around Valentine's Day, owner Dan Weese often has lodgers who
take a day trip to check out the bridges.
"(When I think romantic) I always think of Winterset and the drive," he said. "It's
always pretty scenic and a lot of couples do that sort of thing."
Weese also suggests a drive over to Dubuque. Its bed and breakfasts, parks with
regal views and "quaint areas" make it one of Weese's favorite places: "There's
just some charm about it."
Closer to home, Iowa State University's campanile is awash in romantic legend.
"A student officially becomes an Iowa Stater when he or she is kissed under the
campanile at the stroke of midnight," according to the alumni association.
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The Clare and Miles Mills Rose Garden at Greenwood Park. Located next to the
Des Moines Art Center, this is the first place that popped into photographer
Thomas Belling's head when he was asked to think of beautiful setting to
photograph newlyweds.
Or, as Woods puts it: "In full bloom, on a quiet summer day, holding hands — the
riot of color, the sweet fragrances, the slow pace, the heat, the touch."
Which is to say, those are some roses.
Eats
To qualify as a romantic place to dine, our romance panel said a restaurant
should have great food, enough quiet that you needn't yell at your dinner guest
and great lighting (preferably great dim lighting).
Cafe di Scala in Sherman Hill was one suggestion. Owner Tony Lemmo said,
"What makes this place romantic is (the ambience, the light and colors) and I was
conscious of that when I designed it. Small rooms, dim lighting, candles,
fireplaces," he said. Bistro Montage on Ingersoll Avenue made a few people's
lists, including Weese's, for its excellent food and intimate atmosphere. Johnny's
in Des Moines was another suggestion by Weese.
Cup of Joes Coffee Shop in Indianola made Woods' list for its "comfy couches
and fireplace."
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Des Moines Register
01/28/06
ISU vaults to prominence
By BRANDON CLEAVER
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
Quietly and incrementally, Iowa State is becoming a national force in women's
gymnastics.
The 15th-ranked Cyclones are aiming for a second consecutive appearance in
the NCAA Championships, which would be a first in the program's history.
The key to the renaissance, according to the athletes, has been sixth-year coach
K.J. Kindler.
Kindler, however, credits her gymnasts for developing a winning mindset.
"No question marks," Kindler said of the mental toughness of her gymnasts.
"Anyone can have a banner year, but how many banner years can you have in a
row?"
The Cyclones hope to be one of the 12 teams selected for the NCAA
Championships. Last season, they narrowly missed being one of the final six at
the championships.
The Cyclones are led by three returning All-Americans — Janet Anson, LauraKay Powell and Erin Dethloff.
Anson, a junior from Kansas City, Mo., was the Iowa State female athlete of the
year in 2004 and a first team all-American on the vault last season.
Kindler has enjoyed watching Anson mature from her roots in a small gym with
minimal training resources.
"For the talent that she's got in her body . . . she just hadn't developed it yet,"
Kindler said.
Anson said team unity has been the most important in the development of the
Cyclones' program as a whole.
"You know if you . . . make a mistake, someone on the team has your back," she
said.
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The Cyclones' success has enabled Kindler to expand her recruiting base,
drawing talent from as far as Canada. Powell is from Ottawa, and freshman
Ashley Kent, the 2004 Canadian beam champion, is a Calgary native.
Kent made her collegiate debut at a season-opening Super Six competition,
scoring a 9.775 (out of 10) on bars and 9.300 on beam.
She supported Anson's claim of a family atmosphere among the athletes, stating
that being with the team feels like home.
"Every day, your team is supporting you," Kent said of the unity. "No matter how
you do, they're there for you."
Kent helped Iowa State place third at the Super Six — made up of preseason
favorites — as the team missed second place by a mere .05.
The six teams that competed — Iowa State, Alabama, Nebraska, Louisiana
State, Auburn and Missouri — were picked as preseason favorites based on their
standings last season.
Alabama won and Nebraska finished second.
Anson finished fourth in the all-around at the Jan. 6 competition in Baton Rouge,
La., earning a 9.8 in the floor exercise as the meet's runner-up in that event.
Such consistent performances are why Kindler credits Anson with inspiring her
teammates.
"She shows no remorse," said Kindler, the 2004 and 2005 Big 12 Conference
coach of the year. "That's the attitude that got us here."
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Des Moines Register
01/29/06
Black students score lower on ACT
Education officials say too few minority students are taking
advanced-level courses.
By KATHY A. BOLTEN
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
Hundreds of Iowa's black students continue to leave high school unprepared to
attend a four-year college despite state education leaders' push for all students to
take advanced-level courses in high school.
Iowa's average college-bound black student posts scores that fall well below
college readiness benchmarks in English, reading, math and science portions of
the ACT college entrance exam. Yet ACT scores by other minorities and whites
in Iowa indicate those students are better prepared to attend college.
Educators and others say part of the problem is that a disproportionate number
of minority students — particularly blacks — come from low-income families and
have few if any relatives who have attended college. Families that lack college
experience typically are unfamiliar with how to obtain financial aid, what classes
are necessary and the entrance exams.
But Jonathan Narcisse, a critic of Iowa's education system, said educators
expect too little of black students. "The rhetoric has been there, but we're simply
not demanding excellence from our African-American young people."
Narcisse, president of the State of Black Iowa Initiative, said it's imperative that
more black students take challenging high school classes and attend college.
Otherwise, he said, "The bulk of the African-American community in Iowa is
going to be a ward of the state. You can't get engineers, doctors, teachers out of
people who don't attend college."
People who have taken few or no college courses tend to earn less than those
with college degrees, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data show. A large
percentage of black families in Iowa are poor; if more black students were
prepared to attend college, the cycle of poverty could be broken, Narcisse said.
As a group, Iowa's college-bound black students' average composite score on
the ACT has ranged from 17.5 to 18.5 in recent years. Other minority groups'
average composite scores have ranged from almost 19.6 to 22.2. The ACT is
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scored on a scale of 1 to 36; a composite of 18 is the low end of the range for
entry to colleges with liberal admission policies.
A report issued late last week by Iowa's three state universities said that students
who score 22 or higher on the ACT are more likely to return for a second year of
college than those with lower scores.
In addition, the report said that black students at Iowa State University, the
University of Northern Iowa and the University of Iowa, overall , had the lowest
four- and six-year graduation rates of minority groups on the campuses. The
exception is American Indians. However, too few are enrolled on the campuses
to accurately portray how well the students do in college.
A call to take advanced courses
For years, Iowa education officials have warned that too few high school students
— particularly minority students — are taking advanced-level courses such as
physics, chemistry, upper-level composition and literature, and math beyond
second-year algebra.
The classes are necessary to prepare students for admission to a postsecondary
institution and are integral to their chances of graduating from a two- or four-year
college or university, research shows. Still, hundreds of Iowa students —
particularly blacks and other minorities — fail to take the harder courses.
So even as colleges and universities in Iowa and the nation are stepping up their
efforts to recruit minority students, they are finding many unprepared for the rigor
of college. The exception is Asian students.
Among Iowa's black high school students who have low ACT scores is Waterloo
West High School senior Cameron Byrd, who got a 17 on the exam last April.
"I have the classes I need to graduate from high school but not the upper-level
classes I need for college," said Byrd, who hopes to take the test again this
spring.
Of black students who took the ACT from Iowa's class of 2005, about 56 percent
reported taking the core academic classes needed to do well on the exam — four
years of English, and three years each of math, science and social studies. By
comparison, about 66 percent of white students who took the exam reported
taking the recommended core classes.
Destiny McGregor, a senior at Des Moines' Hoover High School, plans on taking
the ACT in April and is worried about how she'll do on the science section. The
18-year-old has taken earth science, biology and interactive science, but not
chemistry or physics.
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"No one really suggested it," said McGregor, who wants to attend a college in
Iowa.
Abreya Higgins, also a Hoover senior, said she struggled with the science portion
of the exam, which she took in December, despite taking chemistry a year ago.
She hasn't yet received her scores.
"I think a lot of students, when it comes to science, go into the test unprepared,"
said Higgins, who plans to attend Iowa State University. She took chemistry her
junior year and said she struggled to get a C. She said she didn't take physics
because most colleges — as well as ACT — recommend students take only
three years of science.
"They probably should tell you to take more," she said.
Jon Erickson, ACT's vice president of educational services, said in junior high or
middle school, students should be meeting with counselors and determining
which classes they'll take through high school.
Judy Jeffrey, director of Iowa's Department of Education, agreed. Middle school
counselors should be discussing career choices with students and which classes
are necessary to prepare for the jobs in which the teens may be interested, she
said.
More encouragement needed from outside
Iowa educators say that while they are stepping up efforts to make all students
more aware of what it takes to attend a two- or four-year college, the advice isn't
always followed. More help is needed from relatives and others in encouraging
teens to take challenging high school courses, educators said.
Mary Meier, principal at Waterloo's East High School, said she recently quizzed
black teens about how they became successful students.
"Overwhelmingly the answer was, 'Get someone behind you that is pushing you
to do well — a parent, a grandparent,' " she said. "They said education has to be
more important than the street."
A disproportionate percentage of black high school students in Iowa are from
low-income families whose adult members have little or no experience with
preparing to attend a postsecondary school, educators said.
"There truly isn't parent support at a lot of homes about what it takes to get into
college," said Al Howard, a counselor at Waterloo's East High. "It's all about
parent expectations. For some families, if Mom or Dad is working in a factory,
then they think that should be good enough for the kid, too."
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Miakel Lindsey, 17, a Waterloo West High School senior, said her parents made
their expectations clear.
"My parents, from the time I was little, expected me to do well in school," said
Lindsey, who posted a 21 on the ACT when she took it in June. "My mom always
stressed the fact that I had to get good grades, that I had to go to college."
Her mother, Bernadette Thomas, said parents and educators must push students
into taking more difficult high school classes. But, she said, too many parents
don't make academics a priority.
Derrick Bell, a senior at Waterloo's East High School, has taken the ACT three
times. The first time, he said, he got a 16; in October, he moved the score to a
21.
"I do my best in school," said Bell, who wants to attend Iowa State University to
major in computer science. "My mom always said she wanted me to do better
than her."
Getting prepared at an early age
Nationally, nearly a third of first-year college students wind up in a remedial
English, writing and math classes, according to the National Center for Education
Statistics. A disproportionate number of those students are black or Hispanic and
are from low-income families.
Many students who wind up in college remedial courses likely had low college
entrance exam scores, educators said.
Students who take one or more remedial college classes are unlikely to
graduate, limiting their opportunities for landing jobs that pay considerably more
than the minimum wage, data show.
In 2003, high school graduates earned a median weekly wage of $554, U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics data show. Those with some college earned $622 a
week. The median weekly salary of a college graduate was $900, 62 percent
more than a high school graduate.
Mary Ann Spicer, a former Des Moines high school teacher and president of the
activist group Sisters on Target, said many black students aren't adequately
prepared to take standardized tests.
"One of the things I've seen with other cultures, students are prepped at an early
age on testing," Spicer said. "Within the African-American culture, we haven't
gotten to the level where we program our kids about testing. We ourselves have
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some apprehension about standardized testing and we need to get over that
hump."
She said parents need to have more information available to them on what it
takes to prepare youngsters for college.
Waterloo educators — and others across the state — are stepping up efforts to
make students more aware of what it takes to attend a two- or four-year
postsecondary institution, said Waterloo's East's Meier. Ninth- and 10th-graders
take standardized tests that assess skills and interests. Also, 10th-graders learn
about the steps needed to go to college, including finding financial aid and which
high school courses to take.
In addition, counselors and others are increasing their message that students
take more upper-level courses, she said.
Meier and others said it takes more than just educators pushing kids. "The ones
who are successful are the ones whose parents are not accepting of C's and D's
and who are involved in supporting them at all levels," she said.
The percentage of Iowa high school students taking the college entrance exam
called ACT Assessment is falling and likely is a sign youngsters are opting for
community college as their first experience with a postsecondary education
institution, Iowa Department of Education officials said.
This fall, a record 82,499 students attended the state's 15 community colleges,
continuing a decades-long trend of enrollment growth. Since 2000, community
college enrollment has increased 25 percent. The percent of minority students
attending Iowa's community colleges has increased by 39 percent.
According to department data, 64 percent of students from the 2005 high school
graduating class took the ACT exams. That's down from the 70 percent who took
the exams from the class of 2000.
The percentage of test-takers is less than what has been reported in Iowa's
Annual Condition of Education. The report lists 66 percent of students in the
2005 graduating class took the exam.
The discrepancy occurred because ACT obtains estimated number of graduates
from a private firm rather than the state department of education.
ACT facts and figures
The following are facts and figures about the ACT Assessment, a national
college admission and placement exam, from the the Iowa City-based company:
AVERAGE ACT COMPOSITE SCORE IN 2005: 20.9
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NUMBER OF 2005 GRADUATES WHO TOOK THE ACT: Nearly 1.2 million
SUBJECT AREAS COVERED: English, math, reading, science, and writing
(optional)
NUMBER OF QUESTIONS ASKED: English — 75; math — 60; reading — 40;
science — 40. Total — 215
WHEN TEST WAS FIRST ADMINISTERED: Fall 1959
NUMBER OF STATES WHERE MORE THAN 50 PERCENT OF HIGH
SCHOOL GRADUATES TAKE THE ACT: 25
COST: $29, which includes sending score reports to up to four college choices.
LENGTH OF EXAM: Just over four hours including instructions and breaks. Add
30 minutes for the optional writing portion.
HOW OFTEN STUDENTS CAN TAKE THE EXAM: As often as they wish. Many
students take the exam twice — once as a junior and again as a senior.
TEST DATES: April 8 (register by March 3); June 10 (register by May 5); Oct. 28
(register by Sept. 22); Dec. 9 (register by Nov. 3)
ON THE WEB: www.act.org
Numbers falling
More Iowa high school students are opting for community college instead of
taking the ACT.
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Des Moines Register
01/29/06
Letters to the Editor
By REGISTER READERS
Iowa is losing a great talent in U of I President Skorton
As a graduate of the University of Iowa, I was saddened and dismayed by the
news that Dr. David Skorton was leaving as president of university for the same
position at Cornell University.
Skorton's dedication to Iowa was second to none. His rise through Iowa's ranks
over the last 15 years both as a student and alumnus illustrated to me that he
was the right person for the job at a very difficult time in the history of the
university. He made tough decisions on many internal financial matters.
He challenged big businesses such as Wellmark Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Iowa
when it was obvious that they were not treating the University of Iowa Hospitals
and Clinics fairly. He enlightened the university community with his wit, humor
and artistic talents, all the while keeping a positive outlook on Iowa.
He could have easily sulked when the Legislature and Gov. Tom Vilsack cut
large amounts of funding to the university. Yet, he never complained, but rather
moved forward with a "can do and we will do" attitude.
Unfortunately, the Board of Regents, the governor and the Legislature have all
failed horribly in their handling of Skorton and should take a large amount of the
blame for this devastating loss. Giving President Skorton a 3-percent raise while
allocating to the UNI and Iowa State presidents 5-percent raises was
unacceptable and showed a total lack of respect for the tremendous job Skorton
was doing with the challenges placed before him.
The University of Iowa, Iowa City and the state of Iowa are losing a great leader
and visionary when David Skorton leaves for Cornell.
—Scott T. Guenthner, Avon, Ind.
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Des Moines Register
01/29/06
Iowa top 10
Cool things to do this week
• SATURDAY: "Butterflies, Flowers and Chocolate" 1-2:30 p.m. at Rieman
Gardens is Ames
Visitors to the gardens can take a walk through the Georgia O'Keeffe
conservatory display, sample chocolates and sip hot tea while attending a family
workshop, "Discovery Station: The Flowers of Georgia O'Keeffe." The stations
will include simple crafts for children of various ages as well as interpretive
information for adults and demonstrations related to the spring conservatory
displays. Registration is required. Admission is $10. (515) 294-2710.
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Des Moines Register
01/29/06
Food discussion set this week at ISU
Local food advocates Johanna Divine and Wil Bullock will be featured at
“Engaging Young Adults in Developing Sustainable Food Systems,’’ 3:10-5 p.m.
WednesdayFeb1 in room 1204 at Iowa State University’s Kildee Hall.
Divine, 32, is co-founder of Flagstaff Foodlink Inc., a nonprofit that links Arizona
residents with regional food.
Bullock, 24, grew up in Boston and is a member of the BLAST Youth Leadership
Cadre for the Food Project, a nonprofit that maintains a 31-acre farm in Lincoln,
Mass., and three farm lots in Boston.
Their presentation is sponsored by the Leopold Center for Sustainable
Agriculture’s Marketing and Food Systems Initiative and the Iowa State
graduate program in sustainable agriculture.
For more information, call (515) 294-1854
Divine and Bullock also will speak at the Iowa Network for Community Agriculture
annual conference Friday and SaturdayFeb3-4 at Walnut Hills United Methodist
Church, 12321 Hickman Road in Urbandale.
For more information, Call (515) 450-0092, e-mail info@growinca.org or go to
www.growinca.org.
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Des Moines Register
01/29/06
Farmers see soy oil boom
Manufacturers woo soybean producers to grow crops that can
be used in healthful foods with trans-free oil.
By ANNE FITZGERALD
REGISTER AGRIBUSINESS WRITER
With spring planting three months away, companies are trying to persuade
farmers to raise more specialty soybeans, as demand builds among U.S. food
manufacturers and consumers for heart-healthy food.
Crop seed suppliers and farmer-owned ventures are seeking growers to plant
soybean varieties that yield oil low in linolenic acid. Consumers can benefit from
that type of oil, because it does not contain trans fatty acid, which can contribute
to heart disease, the No. 1 killer in the United States.
Monsanto Co. of St. Louis, Mo., expects farmers in the Midwest to plant 500,000
acres of the company's Vistive soybean seed in 2006. Pioneer Hi-Bred
International Inc. of Des Moines is seeking growers to plant 200,000 acres of its
own "low-lin" soybeans. Both companies' varieties contain about 3 percent
linolenic acid, and each is offering to pay premiums of up to 40 cents per bushel.
Also competing for farmers is the Iowa Quality Agriculture Guild, a southeastern
Iowa group that is marketing low-lin soy oil to food manufacturers, distributors
and retailers. The guild hopes to lock in at least 60,000 acres within 100 miles of
Cedar Rapids, where the beans are processed. That's more than double the
25,000 acres of low-lin soybeans that guild members and other farmers raised in
2005.
To woo growers, the group has increased its premium to 80 cents per bushel of
the low-lin varieties developed by Iowa State University. That's up from 55
cents in 2005. In addition, farmers who raise soybeans for the guild are eligible to
participate in a profit-sharing program.
"It's by far one of the best programs, if not the best program, available," said
Vivan Jennings, executive director of the guild. "We really need to increase
acres. We would like to have 60,000 acres or more."
The burgeoning low-lin, or "trans-free," soy oil business received a boost on Jan.
1, when a federal law went into effect requiring disclosure of trans-fat content on
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nutrition labels of food products and dietary supplements sold in the United
States.
The new requirement stems from research showing that trans fat can be harmful
to human health. It can be found in some foods, such as meat and dairy
products. But trans fat also is found in processed food containing soy oil that has
undergone partial hydrogenation — a chemical process intended to make the oil
more stable, prolonging its shelf life. The problem: Hydrogenation creates trans
fatty acid in the oil.
Some food manufacturers have turned to alternatives, such as palm oil, but
others are tapping low-lin soy oil.
In December, Kellogg Co. announced that it would begin using trans-free soy oil
derived from Monsanto's Vistive soybeans this year. In addition, the food
company announced that it also planned to use Nutrium, oil derived from
Pioneer's low-lin soybean varieties.
Five years ago, the Iowa Quality Agriculture Guild was formed by farmers
seeking ways to generate more income from their crops. Jennings, a former Iowa
State professor and administrator and a former official with the U.S. Department
of Agriculture in Washington, D.C., had retired to his family's farm near Columbus
Junction. He joined the farmers in their exploration of alternative markets for their
crops, and helped them establish Asoyia, knowing that food companies needed
more healthful oil products.
So far, Asoyia is one of the few "trans-free" soy oils on the market derived from
soybeans containing just 1 percent linolenic acid. Because of that, Jennings'
group is marketing Asoyia as an ultra low-lin soy oil.
"Our oil tests have gone much better than we ever expected," Jennings said.
"The main issue, if there is one, is whether or not we can get enough growers to
grow the soybeans we need."
The company is teaming with River Valley Cooperative in Wilton, whose
agronomists are helping to recruit growers. Asoyia also has tapped WHO Radio
and local newspapers to advertise its venture.
Already, food processors and other buyers have purchased all of the oil that
Asoyia expects to produce this year from its 2005 low-lin soybean crop. Three
food distributors are selling about 100,000 pounds of the oil per month to
restaurants, hospitals and colleges across Iowa.
But most of the oil will go to food processors, said Rich Lineback , vice president
of sales and marketing at Asoyia. Weekly, the company ships 48,000 pounds of
its low-lin oil to two of the nation's largest mayonnaise manufacturers. Now, the
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company is negotiating deals with two national distributors. For Asoyia, as well
as other companies competing in the trans-free oil business, the single-biggest
market is food manufacturing.
"It's an absolutely huge market," Lineback said. "We could sell as much of this oil
as we could make right now."
Oil facts
• Conventional soybeans contain about 7 percent linolenic acid, which gives oil
from the beans an off taste and makes it unstable, reducing its shelf life. Partial
hydrogenation is used to stabilize the oil, but the chemical process creates trans
fatty acid, which can cause heart disease.
• Major crop seed companies Monsanto Co. and Pioneer Hi-Bred International
Inc. have developed their own soybean varieties with linolenic acid content of
about 3 percent, eliminating the need for hydrogenation.
• The soybean varieties grown by Iowa Quality Agriculture Guild members and
other farmers yield oil containing 1 percent linolenic acid. In addition, the beans
are not genetically engineered, unlike varieties sold by Monsanto and Pioneer.
The guild markets its oil as Asoyia ultra low-lin soy oil, primarily in bulk volumes
to food manufacturers and the food service industry. But the oil also is available
to consumers at some Hy-Vee stores, Fairway stores and at several specialty
food stores across Iowa.
• Monsanto's and Pioneer's low-lin soy oil products are not available for direct
sale to consumers, because those companies are marketing their oils primarily to
food manufacturers.
—Anne Fitzgerald
Iowa Quality Agriculture Guild
ESTABLISHED: 2000
MEMBERS: 32 southeastern Iowa farmers
HEADQUARTERS: Winfield
PRODUCT: Asoyia, soy oil free of trans fatty
acids
NICHE MARKETS: Food manufacturers marketing "trans-free" food products
and the food service industry
PROCESSOR: Cargill Inc. in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines
DISTRIBUTOR: PDM Distribution Services in Des Moines
2005 ACREAGE: 25,000 acres
2005 PREMIUM: 55 cents per bushel, plus profit sharing
ACREAGE SOUGHT FOR 2006: 60,000 acres for production of non-GMO
soybean varieties
2006 PREMIUM: 80 cents per bushel, plus profit sharing
ADDITIONAL INFO: www.asoyia.com
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Des Moines Register
01/29/06
Grassroots
Power farm show rolls into D.M.
The Power Farming Show will be held Tuesday-ThursdayJan31-Feb2 at Wells
Fargo Arena, Hy-Vee Exhibit Hall and Veterans Auditorium in Des Moines. Hours
are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday and 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Thursday.
Owned and managed by the Iowa-Nebraska Equipment Dealers Association, the
show features 1,400 exhibitors using 235,000 square feet to show their wares,
making it the largest indoor show in the Upper Midwest.
The Iowa Outstanding Young Farmer Award, sponsored by the Iowa Jaycees,
will be announced at 1 p.m. Tuesday. Iowa State University economist
Michael Duffy, director of the ISU beginning farmer center, will be the
keynote speaker.
At 1:30 p.m. Thursday, a debate will be held with the candidates for Iowa
secretary of agriculture, moderated by Mark Pearson.
Admission costs $3 at the door, with $2 off for those who complete a registration
form from local equipment dealers. Registration also can be done at
www.iowapowershow.com.
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Des Moines Register
01/30/06
Berryman cited for being in bar
By RANDY PETERSON
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
Iowa State football player Jason Berryman was ticketed by Ames police for
being "on premises under age" at 11:55 p.m. Saturday, Ames police said today.
Berryman was cited for being at Club Element, at 2522 Chamberlain. The club's
web site says "Club Element is a multi-level dance club with a bar on every floor.
They feature the largest laser light show in central Iowa."
A spokesperson for the Ames Police Department said the incident report said
nothing that associated Berryman, 20, with possession of alcohol.
Berryman, a sophomore starting defensive end last season, spent 258 days in
the Story County Jail after being arrested in August 2004 for for beating up and
stealing $4 from an Iowa State student, and for taking a cellular telephone from
another student.
Iowa State athletic officials could not be reached for comment.
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Des Moines Register
01/30/06
Reiman writes success story
Iowa magazine czar writes a new book tracing his career from
ISU to going out on a limb for his business
By DON MUHM
REGISTER CORRESPONDENT
Ames, Ia. — Reiman Gardens is a 14-acre oasis of plants and butterflies at
the southern edge of the Iowa State University campus. The gardens have
become a "must see" for visitors to Ames since they opened 11 years ago.
The career of the ISU graduate who provided his name, and $1.3 million, for the
gardens has become a "must study" for business students and aspiring business
owners.
The seeds for Roy Reiman's business career were planted more than 50 years
ago on a rented farm outside of the Carroll County hamlet of Auburn. That's
where Reiman grew up, and that's where he drew inspiration for a career that
has made him one of the giants in the history of magazine publishing.
Reiman has written a new book, titled "I Could Write a Book," that chronicles the
birth of his company, Reiman Publications, and the phenomenal growth the
business has experienced.
That venture began inauspiciously in 1963 — 11 years after he graduated from
Auburn High School. Reiman gave up a comfortable career with a Milwaukee
publishing company and struck out on his own. One well-used Royal typewriter, a
rickety TV tray to hold it, and an old desk in the dingy basement of his home
constituted the first office for Reiman Publications.
What happened next is a story of early failures and perseverance. The first —
and last — issue of "The Pepperette," a national magazine for high school
cheerleaders, was produced in the basement, with Reiman's wife, Bobbi, typing
32,000 address labels for mailing the sample copies.
Within weeks of spending nearly $10,000 to produce, print and mail those 32,000
sample copies, Reiman realized that his dream was going nowhere. Those
cheerleaders around the United States were not subscribing, and "The
Pepperette" died a painful death.
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"As they say, 'Experience is expensive,' " Reiman writes in his book. "At another
time, with more funds to spend, maybe I could have hung in there and made a
success of this first magazine. . . . However, at this phase of my life, carrying on
with the magazine wasn't a choice. I was now broke financially, but not mentally."
Indeed, he wasn't.
Today, one of every 10 homes in the United States subscribes to at least one
Reiman magazines. There are 12 Reiman magazines now, with about 16 million
subscribers. His biggest seller is "Taste of Home," which is sent to 5.3 million
homes — a circulation total topped by only five other magazines in the United
States. And the company sells about 5 million books annually.
Just how happy was the ending for Roy Reiman? When he sold his company in
1998, 35 years after he set the old Royal on that TV tray, the price tag for
Reiman Publications was a mind-boggling $640 million. The company changed
hands three years later for $760 million and now is owned by Reader's Digest.
"His secret? First and foremost, he never lost touch with his roots," says Clancy
Strock, a retired journalism professor at the University of Nebraska. "He turned
out magazines for his friends and relatives in Iowa and the rest of America's
heartland. And he did it with the hard-headed pragmatism of an American
farmer."
Samir Husni, a University of Mississippi journalism professor and one of the
nation's experts on magazines, lists Reiman right alongside pioneers of the
profession like Henry Luce, who founded Time magazine, and DeWitt Wallace,
the father of Reader's Digest.
"His life story will captivate anyone who wonders how the seed of an idea is
brought to full bloom," Husni says. " . . . It's about creativity, innovative
approaches to management and an endless source of exciting ideas."
Reiman explains it this way: "It's hard to convince a stubborn German ex-Iowa
farm boy that he can't succeed at something."
That certainly was the case when the farm boy headed off to Iowa State
University to pursue a journalism degree. He paid his own way through Iowa
State, working an assortment of jobs to cover his tuition. He worked construction
and sold ads on bowling alley score sheets.
Perhaps a good indication of his budding entrepreneurial savvy, he published
and sold copies of a "co-ed catalog," sort of a dating guide to the female
freshmen students at Iowa State.
Reiman's approach to business challenges — some call it "Iowa stubborn" — is
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straight from his roots in rural America. When he decided to publish his
magazines without advertising, many in the magazine world predicted failure.
Reiman hung in there. Today, his magazines survive on subscription fees, not on
advertising revenue.
("When you buy a book, there's no advertising to offset part of the cost," Reiman
writes. "You either want the book badly enough to pay the whole price, or you
don't get it. If I turn out a magazine with material that can't be found anywhere
else, wouldn't people be willing to pay a little more for a subscription?")
Naysayers had similar predictions of failure when Reiman began building his
publications around articles and photographs provided by his readers, rather than
articles and photos from his own staff.
"He knew what everyone in journalism knew — that the 'letters to the editor'
section is often the best-read part of any paper or magazine," said Strock, the
Nebraska journalism professor. "But only Roy took that to the next logical step
and published a magazine almost entirely written by its readers. What an
outrageous idea."
Or, as Reiman says in his book, "The future belongs to those who see
possibilities before they become obvious."
That was Reiman's road to success.
In 1970, two of the largest farm magazines, Farm Journal and Successful
Farming, both dropped their women's sections about the same time. That was an
opportunity, and Reiman was ready.
"Farm Wife News" — a national publication aimed right at those farm women —
was born in just three weeks. That September 1970 issue was sent to 40,000
prospective customers. By December, Reiman had 84,000 subscriptions. By the
end of the following year, there were 340,000 paid subscriptions.
Reiman saw opportunity when his daughter, Juli, then a student at ISU, showed
him a photo on the office door of an ISU agronomy professor. The photo was of
twin boys, both wearing bib-overalls and seed-corn caps.
Reiman tracked down the boys' mother, told her he'd like to consider using the
boys' picture on a poster, and offered her either $500 for the publication rights or
25 cents from the sale of each poster.
She took the $500.
Sales of the "Little Farmers" poster have surpassed 3.1 million copies. The
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mother's 25-cent royalties from the posters would have amounted to $775,000.
But there was a happy ending for her story, too.
Reiman saw the potential for transforming the "Little Farmers" into T-shirts, bibs,
cups, and even salt-and-pepper shakers. He went back to the mother to buy the
rights for those other uses and offered her royalty payments of 6 percent of all
sales from what are called "ancillary items."
And the mother's share of those sales? Royalties topped $200,000 — and they're
still growing.
Rieman's words of wisdom sprout from cover to cover
Roy Reiman's approach to business and life has been shaped by some nuggets
of wisdom he shared with his readers in his new book, "I Could Write a Book."
A sampling:
• Life's not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments
that take your breath away.
• Some people push the envelope. Some just lick it. And some can't find the flap.
• Opportunities are never lost. Someone else will take over the ones you miss.
• Some folks succeed because they're destined to, but most succeed because
they're determined to.
• People who are busy rowing seldom rock the boat.
• Some people treat religion like a spare tire; they never use it except in an
emergency.
• The surest way to go broke is to sit around waiting for a break.
• Wealth is not gained by perfecting the known but by imperfectly seizing the
unknown.
• Wisdom is knowing when to speak your mind and when to mind your speech.
• Those who roll up their sleeves seldom lose their shirts.
• The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without it.
• Education is expensive, but ignorance is more costly.
• Humor is to life what shock absorbers are to automobiles.
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• If you never stick your neck out, you'll never get your head above the crowd.
Buying the book
Copies of Roy Reiman's "I Could Write a Book" can be ordered by calling (800)
558-1013 or by writing to Country Store, 5400 S. 60th St., Suite 7904,
Greendale, WI 53129. The cost is $14.95, plus $3.95 for shipping and handling.
In Reiman's words
You can't start a business and sell it later for $640 million without learning a few
managements tips along the way. Iowa native Roy Reiman did that during his
tenure at the helm of his magazine publishing empire.
"When you interview someone who's applying for a job, note how fast they walk.
I've learned slow walkers are slow workers. Just observe, sometime, how briskly
people walk down the hall when they're really interested in what they're doing.
They can't wait to finish it."
"I almost always stand up when someone enters my office. It's a time-saver. If I
stay sitting, the person is more apt to sit down and make themselves
comfortable. If I stay standing, they'll stay standing, and it allows me a minute to
get an idea of whether what they want to discuss is worth a long 'sitting session.'
"
"Turnover is the most expensive problem for a company in any industry. Once
you find good employees, do whatever it takes to keep them."
"Indecision is sometimes worse than the wrong decision. You're far better off
keeping things moving, even if it means learning from mistakes. . . . That sure
beats what many companies do. They hold multiple meetings, have lengthy
discussions, work up potential budgets, rehash the concept, rethink the
approach, look at the downside, then hold more meetings. Valuable time goes by
— sometimes months — as they discuss what they think without knowing what
the public thinks."
Reiman through the years
A summary of the history of Roy Reiman's magazine ventures:
1963-67: Worked as a freelance journalist and in the custom publishing field.
1963: Started The Pepperette, which later failed.
1967: Started Farm Building News.
1970: Farm Wife News magazine started.
1971: Country Store catalog division is launched.
1975: World Wide Country Tours is started.
1978: Farm & Ranch Living debuts.
1982: Started Crafting Traditions magazine.
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1987: Farm Wife News becomes Country Woman; Country magazine launched.
1988: Country Kids magazine debuts (and later fails).
1990: Begins Country Extra.
1991: Reminisce launched; book publishing becomes a major business for
Reiman.
1993: Reminisce Extra launched; Taste of Home magazine started.
1995: Started Birds & Blooms magazine; purchased Homemaker Schools.
1997: Cookbook sales top 2 million copies.
1998: Quick Cooking debuts.
1999: Country Discoveries magazine begins.
2001: Light & Tasty magazine starts publishing.
2004: Backyard Living is launched.
2005: Cooking for 2 is unveiled.
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Des Moines Register
01/30/06
Today In Iowa
Feist to play at Iowa State
Canadian singer and songwriter Leslie Feist performs at 8 p.m. at the
Maintenance Shop at the Iowa State Memorial Union in Ames. Tickets are $12
for students and $15 for others. Call (515) 294-8349.
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Des Moines Register
01/30/06
Dog's nose knows termites
By MIKE KILEN
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
Jeff Fisher has an employee that doesn't complain about puny raises, crushing
workloads or an irrational boss.
He keeps his mouth shut and does the job.
"Hawk" works like a dog.
As Jeff Fisher's prize employee, the termite-sniffing dog is not without glory and
maybe that keeps him happy. His photograph is front and center in a phone book
advertisement and on a business card. His job is to put his nose to the Sheetrock
and find those wood-eating bugs that cause $5 billion of damage annually to
homes in the United States.
Hawk is one of the few, if not the only, termite-detection dog in Iowa, according to
Fisher, who owns Hawkeye Termite in Windsor Heights, and pest control officials
in central Iowa.
Dogs used to sniff out termites have been around for decades. But there's been a
resurgence of their use in the bug industry, especially in the termite-heavy South.
The uncanny nose of a canine has never been more prized, as more dogs are
trained to sniff out bombs in an age of terrorism fears.
Those who train dogs to sniff out termites use some of the same methods as
those more celebrated bomb sniffers.
But can Hawk really smell a bug?
Fisher is about to show just how well.
Hawk is about a foot tall with a narrow, kind face. He rarely barks, although he's
hogging the front seat of Fisher's pickup and won't move over on the way to a
job.
Like many termite-detection dogs, he was one of society's cast offs, doomed to a
short life behind bars in the dog pound. Like many, he also has a diverse family:
part basset hound, part beagle, part Labrador. Insensitive types might call him a
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mutt.
Then Forensic Scientific Investigations in Birmingham, Ala., got ahold of him.
After six months of training, Fisher went to Alabama to meet up with Hawk for 40
hours of dog-owner training in the spring of 2004.
Hawk didn't come cheap. The price for a dog usually runs upwards of $7,000,
says Fisher, although he won't divulge what Hawk cost him.
Fisher puts Hawk on a leash and walks around a recently sold home in Perry.
He's inspecting the home by request of First Nevitt Realty.
"At first, we couldn't imagine how this would work," says Barb Nevitt of the realestate firm in Perry. "Then we saw him in a home that was inspected six months
before. There was a bunch of boxes and junk on a ledge. He indicated termites.
He was right."
Hawk sniffs around the outside of the old ranch-style home. Fisher runs his hand
along the home's foundation near the dirt. Termites live in the soil and are
experts at finding easy routes to wood.
"Seek," he tells Hawk, his command to get busy sniffing.
When the dog gets a scent he will sit and bury his nose on the spot.
At first, there is nothing. But behind a shed in the back of the property, a large log
lies in the grass. Hawk becomes alert, his tail wagging. He buries his nose in a
knothole in the log and sits, his tail wagging.
Fisher takes the large log to his truck to dispose of it.
With 16 years of experience, Fisher is trained to spot termites using a visual
inspection of the home. But dogs can get to areas that are hard to detect, he
says.
For example, during one inspection, Hawk zeroed in on a wood beam in the
basement. By Fisher's trained eye, there were no signs of termites. But Hawk
was going crazy, glued to the spot.
With the homeowner's approval, Fisher sawed through a section of the beam and
found it teeming with termites.
The dogs have proven effective in providing inspectors an additional tool in hardto-detect areas, says Greg Baumann, of the National Pest Management
Association in Fairfax, Va. He cites a University of Florida study that showed
dogs had a 95 percent accuracy rate in detecting termites.
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The dogs haven't caught on as much in Iowa because it is an area in which
termite incidence is "rare to moderate" and the dogs can be expensive, says
Donald Lewis, an Iowa State University professor of entomology.
Hawk's accuracy has marveled many, Fisher says. He'll take the dog to schools
and put termites in five cups like a version of a shell game. Hawk can pick out the
cap with termites every time.
"Dogs have an incredible sense of smell," Fisher says. "When we go into a room
and smell pizza, they smell the onions, the peppers, the yeast."
Hawk is headed for the basement of the house. Walking behind the towering
Fisher, the little dog scans the room like a true detective. He has one oddity —
cobwebs bother him. And he doesn't like his reflection in a mirror.
So Fisher clears away the cobwebs.
"Seek," he says.
Hawk stops along the base of the basement wall. He sits.
Fisher walks ahead to test him. If it's a strong scent Hawk won't get up and
follow. He does this time. So Fisher goes back to the spot on the base of the
basement wall a few minutes later. Hawk stops again.
At the spot, chip board is screwed into the wall that looks to have been used as
background for a dart-throwing area. Fisher unscrews the board and finds
evidence of old dirt trails. Since the home has been treated for termites in recent
years and this is an old trail, it gets only a notation on his report.
Hawk earns a snack from Fisher's hip pack.
Payday is a happy time.
"Good boy," Fisher tells him.
A pat on the back. A meal. Some employees are easy to please.
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Des Moines Register
01/30/06
Business & Career
James Wieder, chairman of Wieder Associates, has been elected to the state
advisory board of the Iowa Small Business Development Centers, a unit of the
College of Business at Iowa State University, Ames
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Des Moines Register
01/31/06
Berryman waits on status with law, team
By RANDY PETERSON
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
Iowa State football star Jason Berryman's ticket for illegally being on the
premises of an Ames bar Sunday morning has the potential to affect his
probation for a previous offense, Story County attorney Stephen Holmes said
Monday.
Berryman, 20, was ticketed at 12:50 a.m. Sunday for being underage at Club
Element, 2401 Chamberlain St., in Ames. He was released last spring after
spending 258 days in the Story County Jail for beating up and stealing $4 from
an Iowa State student, and for taking a cellular telephone from another student.
A condition of his probation, Holmes said, was that Berryman obey all laws.
"It did not specifically say . . . that he was not to be on the premises," Holmes
said. "It said that he was supposed to obey all laws."
Berryman's status with the team was uncertain Monday as Iowa State officials
investigate the situation.
"We'll have (a statement) eventually," media relations director Tom Kroeschell
said. "It just won't be (Monday)."
Ames law prohibits anyone not yet 21 from being in establishments where
alcohol provides more than 50 percent of its business. Berryman turns 21 on
Feb. 18. Holmes said being on the premises is a misdemeanor criminal offense.
"If found guilty of committing a criminal offense, it could be grounds to file an
application to revoke someone's probation," said Holmes, speaking in
generalities. "That does not necessarily mean an application will be filed."
Holmes said filing an application for probation revocation won't be determined
until his office has all the details of Berryman's situation.
Berryman was cited after Ames police were called to break up a fight at the club,
according to Ames Police commander Randy Kessel. The incident report, Kessel
said, did not connect Berryman to the fight or possession of alcohol.
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"If we found someone drinking underage, they would have been cited, but that
wasn't the case (with Berryman)," Kessel said. "The information I have at this
time also says (Berryman) was not involved in the fight."
Robert Rigg, a legal expert from the Drake University law school, said Monday
that Berryman could face penalties ranging from community service to jail, if his
probation is revoked.
"On first offenses, courts typically give you a fine," said Rigg, visiting associate
professor of law at Drake. "Things generally do not get any easier the more you
get involved with the criminal justice system."
In October 2004, Berryman pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree theft in the
cell phone incident, a Class C felony, and one count of assault causing injury, a
serious misdemeanor. At the time of his arrest, Berryman was on probation after
a deferred judgement for vandalizing the car of a female Iowa State student.
District Court judge William Pattinson suspended a 10-year prison term on the
felony charge, but imposed a 300-day jail term on the assault charge. Berryman
was freed early due to good behavior.
Berryman was thrown out of school after the arrest, but allowed to re-enroll for
summer school. Iowa State coach Dan McCarney kicked Berryman off the team,
but allowed him to attend informal workouts.
Berryman was allowed to return to the team in August.
During an August press conference, Berryman said he learned from his time in
jail.
"The time that I spent in jail has changed me," Berryman said then. "Before I
went to jail, I took a lot of things for advantage - my talent, my education. I didn't
really fully appreciate the things that I had.
"Spending 258 days in jail kind of gave me a new perspective on life."
Berryman, a sophomore last season, led the Cyclones in sacks with seven, and
in quarterback hurries with eight. He was third on the team in tackles with 72.
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Des Moines Register
01/31/06
ISU QB Beck arrested
Iowa State freshman quarterback Brice Beck was arrested and charged with
operating a vehicle while intoxicated at 1:58 a.m. Saturday near the intersection
of Hayward Avenue and Lincoln Way, according to Iowa State University police.
According to Gene Deisinger of the Iowa State Police, Beck, 18, had a bloodalcohol content of .204. The legal limit to drive in Iowa is .08.
Beck, of Blytheville, Ark., was withheld from competition last season. He was
expected to contend for a backup quarterback position when spring practice
opens in March.
Cyclone coach Dan McCarney could not be reached for comment.
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Des Moines Register
01/31/06
80% return for 2nd college year
The three state universities credit academic support services
with helping freshmen adjust.
By KATHY A. BOLTEN
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
More than 80 percent of freshmen at Iowa's three universities return for a second
year of college, a strong predictor that they'll graduate, a new Board of Regents
report shows.
The retention rate exceeds national averages.
Officials at the three universities — Iowa State University, the University of
Northern Iowa and the University of Iowa — said the high retention rates reflect
increased attention to providing first-year students with services such as tutoring,
academic support and career development.
Many studies show that most students who withdraw or transfer from an
institution during their first two years of college are less likely to obtain a degree
than those who return for their sophomore and junior years.
For years, state economic development officials have said that an educated work
force attracts businesses. They have pushed educators to better prepare
students for college. In addition, research shows education is a defense against
poverty and increases earning potential.
On average, college graduates earn 30 percent more a week than those who
have taken some college classes, U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics show. That's
enticement enough to encourage students to stay in college, Iowa college
officials say.
"If there's a place for them (at the U of I) we want to make sure we've done our
part in getting them to stay here," said Lola Lopes, associate provost for
undergraduate education at the U of I.
The U of I, located in Iowa City, has two courses aimed at freshmen students,
officials said. One is designed to help students adjust to the social, cultural and
academic demands of college. The other helps students understand the research
in which professors are involved.
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The two elective courses have helped improve retention rates, Lopes said.
ISU, in Ames, and UNI, in Cedar Falls, have similar programs in place. In
addition, an ISU study released late last week shows that freshmen who live in
university housing are more likely to graduate than those who live off-campus.
Research also shows that students involved in campus activities are more likely
to graduate than those who are not involved.
"You just don't sit in your dorm room - you have to go out and get involved," said
Barrett Anderson, a sophomore at the U of I and president of his fraternity.
Anderson, a West Des Moines Valley High School graduate, said he met people
through his fraternity. Those new acquaintances helped him adjust to the U of I,
he said.
The report released by the Board of Regents also shows that students who post
scores of 22 or higher on the ACT college entrance exam are more likely to
return for a second year of college than those with lower scores.
Four- and six-year graduation rates also are included in the report, which will be
discussed by the regents at their meeting this week in Ames.
Less than 40 percent of students at the three state universities graduate in four
years, the report said. Four-year graduation rates for minority students are even
lower, ranging from 15.4 percent at UNI to 29.5 percent at the U of I.
Six-year graduation rates ranged from 65 percent at UNI to 68 percent at ISU.
Some students say that while they hoped to graduate in four years, a longer stay
isn't necessarily bad.
Laura Westercamp, in her fifth year at the U of I, will graduate with three majors.
She also has had internships in Washington, D.C., and Colorado and will work
for a New York financial company this summer.
"If anything, my experience of five years of college has been extremely valuable,"
said Westercamp, 21, who attended Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids. "I
know the regents are concerned about the low four-year graduation rates, but
that shouldn't be an absolute litmus test.
"They should also be measuring what opportunities they are offering students
and how valuable are the internships students are getting."
Changes in majors and involvement in sports can cause some students to take
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longer than four years to graduate, regents officials said.
One of those students is Dawn Caffrey, an ISU junior who will be at the school
for nine semesters rather than the traditional eight.
Caffrey, who attended Ankeny High School, changed her major. She also said
she took a slightly lighter course load than the typical student because she runs
track.
"My first three years at ISU I was undecided about my major," she said.
"Students should probably just get their general education classes out of the way
unless the know exactly what they want to go into."
Regents meeting
The Iowa Board of Regents meets at 9 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday at Iowa
State University's Scheman Building in Ames. The agenda can be found at
online. Click on Meetings.
Also ran in: WQAD, IL; WHO-TV, IA; WOI, IA;
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Des Moines Register
01/31/06
Students adjusting from war zones
Veterans find it hard to return to school
By TRACI FINCH
REGISTER CORRESPONDENT
Iowa City, Ia. — Spc. Joe Poch thought almost nothing could rattle him.
After all, he'd spent 13-hour days dismantling roadside bombs. At night, he'd
hear mortar rounds screech over his barracks as part of a yearlong deployment
in Iraq with the Iowa National Guard's 224th Engineer Battalion.
Then he went back to the classroom and found something that startled him.
"A 90-question survey. . . . Can you believe that?" said Poch, 24, recalling his
first assignment this semester at the University of Iowa, where he re-enrolled
after his tour of duty.
"It's going to be tough to get back into school,'' he said. "I haven't written a paper.
I haven't challenged my mind from an academic aspect for a year."
Poch, of Riverside, will be working to complete a degree in health and sports
studies, as well as an athletic training program. His roommate, Spc. Mathew
Banford, 24, of Boone will start a new career path when he enrolls in an EMT
program at the U of I.
"After being over there, I'm not an office-type person," Banford said. "I need a
constant changing environment."
Poch and Banford are among the more than 700 veterans enrolled at the
University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Northern Iowa
for the spring semester, according to the universities. Not all the veterans
returned from active duty as recently as the 500 members of the 224th who came
home on Dec. 17.
Registrar Larry Lockwood said about 230 students have filed for veterans
educational benefits at the U of I, where a campus veterans association opened
a support office this month in the Pomerantz Center.
The veterans center, the only one of its kind at a public university in Iowa, was
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organized by the University of Iowa Veterans Association, a group formed last
spring by U of I student McKinley Bailey, who served five years of active duty as
an Army tactical intelligence specialist in Afghanistan.
"I got here, and there was nothing for veterans at all on campus or
anywhere," said Bailey, 25, of Webster City. "And I didn't know
anything about the way the university worked."
Lockwood, who is a Vietnam veteran, said issues facing the student
veterans can vary from child care concerns to the simple task of
becoming used to a different lifestyle.
"Now you have to build a new base of friends here and a working
environment of where you have nothing, maybe," Lockwood said.
"Maybe some of them are lucky enough that in this area in Iowa is
where their family is at."
Lockwood also pointed to worries of separation or depression.
"That's part of the reason that the veterans got their own office, is to
do some peer counseling," he said.
Bailey said the veterans association will soon give students a place to
get away from the rush of campus and to "hang out" in a comfortable
atmosphere.
"There aren't too many people in Iowa who wouldn't help those who
are coming back from service," Lockwood said.
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Des Moines Register
02/01/06
ISU corn study goes high-tech
By FRANK VINLUAN
REGISTER BUSINESS WRITER
Ames, Ia. — Iowa State University researchers racing to map corn's genetic
blueprint have a new tool: a supercomputer so fast that months of work can now
be done in days.
ISU is now home to the $1.25 million " BlueGene/L ," a machine capable of
trillions of calculations per second.
"This will put us in the top 10 in universities in terms of supercomputing
capabilities," said Srinivas Aluru, professor of electrical and computer
engineering.
ISU paid for BlueGene with a $600,000 grant from the National Science
Foundation and $650,000 from university sources.
BlueGene is already at work mapping the genetic structure of corn. Patrick
Schnable, ISU professor of agronomy and director of the Center for Plant
Genomics, said the research will help plant breeders make faster progress in
their work, whether it's understanding plant disease or improving the process of
converting corn into ethanol.
The corn genome has up to 60,000 genes, more than twice as many as the
human genome. Understanding the molecular basis of corn will help find new
uses for Iowa's leading crop.
That research will be shared with Washington University in St. Louis, the
University of Arizona, and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York. The
federal government in November gave the four institutions a $29.5 million grant
to sequence the corn genome. Iowa State will receive $150,000 of the grant.
The supercomputer's name reflects IBM's nickname - "Big Blue" - as well as the
machine's purpose, Aluru said. The "L" stands for "life science applications."
BlueGene is housed in Durham Center, the same building that holds a working
model of what many scientists call the first computer. In 1942, ISU professor
John Vincent Atanasoff completed an electronic device that performs
mathematical calculations.
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BlueGene is at least 10 times more powerful than any high-performance
computer on campus and 2,000 times more powerful than typical desktop
models, Aluru said. BlueGene can work as fast as 5.7 teraflops - a teraflop
equals 1 trillion calculations per second. The computer can run several highperformance applications simultaneously.
BlueGene comprises many different computers that manage the applications and
keep the entire system running. The system is the size of a large refrigerator.
ISU's BlueGene is the 73rd fastest computer in the world, according to TOP500 ,
a ranking of the world's supercomputers.
The fastest computer is another IBM BlueGene/L computer, one located at a
U.S. Department of Energy facility in California.
Although ISU's supercomputer will be busy with genomic research, the computer
will benefit other disciplines as well, said Arun Somani, professor of electrical
and computer engineering. Computer science students can study BlueGene to
learn how to design better machines - until something faster comes along.
"We'll be looking for another machine in five years, let's put it that way," he said.
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Now: The $1.25 million BlueGene/L supercomputer was built by IBM for
research at Iowa State University. The BlueGene has 2,048 processors. ISU
scientists say it’s at least 2,000 times more powerful than a typical desktop
computer. It can process at 5.7 teraflops (a teraflop equals 1 trillion calculations
per second) and has 11 trillion bytes of data storage. Pictured above, from left,
Iowa State professors Patrick Schnable, Srinivas Aluru and Arun Somani
talk about the computer.
Then: The Atanasoff-Berry computer is recognized by many scientists as the first
electronic digital computer. It was built more than 60 years ago by John Vincent
Atanasoff at Iowa State University. Atanasoff's machine could make .06
calculations per second, compared to BlueGene/L's 5.7 trillion calculations per
second. Pictured above is Iowa State University professor Srinivas Aluru.
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Des Moines Register
02/01/06
Study details high turnover in child care
By JENNIFER JACOBS
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
Being a child care worker in Iowa is a "calling" for many, but the industry is
troubled with high turnover, a study by the Iowa Empowerment Board and Iowa
State University study has found.
The turnover is caused by a lack of health and retirement benefits, low wages,
few paid professional development options, limited business training
opportunities, and a perceived lack of respect for child care and education
professions, the study found.
Iowa has more than 12,000 facilities, both in homes and at centers, that provide
care and education to more than 570,000 children under age 13.
Among child care providers who work at centers, the most frequent reason cited
for working in the field is that it's "a personal calling" or their career of choice.
"Work to do while their own children are young" was the least-common reason
cited, according to authors Susan Hegland, an ISU associate professor in
human development and family studies, and Kathlene Larson, a research
director with ISU Extension.
But turnover is about 20 percent for teachers, whose average salary was
$20,316 in 2004, and 45 percent for assistant teachers, who averaged $15,115,
the study said.
The study offered four recommendations: increase financial incentives for the
work force; make health insurance and retirement planning available; expand
training in business practices for child care workers; and create public awareness
of the importance of the profession.
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Des Moines Register
02/01/06
ISU kicks Berryman off team
Being ticketed in a bar costs the football star his 'second
chance.'
By RANDY PETERSON
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
Jason Berryman ran out of chances.
The Iowa State football star was dismissed from the team Tuesday after being in
an Ames bar illegally Sunday morning. The incident was at least Berryman's third
run-in with police since joining the program as a freshman in 2003.
"A number of individuals on this campus made a commitment to give Jason a
second chance, both academically and athletically," Cyclone coach Dan
McCarney said in a news release. "As part of that agreement, we established
some behavioral standards for him as a condition for returning to our program
and representing Iowa State University.
"Jason has made progress in maturing as a young man, but he has not fully met
the expectations that we jointly established.
"As a result - although we'll continue to offer him academic support — he will no
longer represent Iowa State University athletically."
McCarney and Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard declined comment.
Berryman could not be reached for comment.
Berryman led the Cyclones in sacks (seven) and quarterback hurries (eight) last
season as a sophomore. He was third on the team in tackles with 72. He was
named defensive most valuable player against Texas Christian University in the
Houston Bowl.
"This was an extremely difficult decision for me, because our institution has
invested a lot in his future," McCarney said in the statement. "But, we run a
program built upon integrity, following the rules and doing the right thing. That
has always been the case, and will continue to be the foundation of how we
operate this football program."
Berryman, 20, was ticketed at 12:50 a.m. Sunday for being underage at Club
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Element, 2401 Chamberlain St., in Ames. Ames law prohibits anyone under 21
from frequenting places where alcohol provides more than 50 percent of the
business. Berryman turns 21 on Feb. 18.
Berryman was kicked out of the university after pleading guilty to beating up and
stealing $4 from an Iowa State student, and for taking a cellular telephone from
another student in October 2004. He was allowed to re-enroll last summer after
spending 258 days in the Story County Jail.
McCarney later allowed Berryman to rejoin the team under an agreement that
outlined what was expected of the Houston, Texas, native. McCarney would not
be specific about the agreement that followed the jail term.
University officials said the agreement was protected under the Family Education
Rights and Privacy Act.
In 2004, Berryman pleaded guilty to fifth-degree criminal mischief for breaking
the window of an automobile owned by an Iowa State female student.
Berryman received a deferred judgment in that case, was placed on probation
and ordered to serve 10 hours of community service. He remained on the team.
Jewel Berryman, Jason's father, Tuesday said he was unaware of his son's
dismissal from the team. The elder Berryman questioned the severity of the
punishment, however, given that his son is close to turning to 21.
"I feel it's very unfair that athletes are held to higher degrees of scrutiny than the
average Joe," he said.
Jewel Berryman said his son took seriously the punishment he received for his
previous offenses, but "he's still a young man and I don't know too many young
men who haven't tried to sneak into a bar when they're underage."
The most recent Berryman incident violated terms of his probation in which he
was ordered to "obey all criminal laws," Story County attorney Stephen Holmes
said.
Being in a bar underage is a criminal offense, Holmes said.
Holmes said Berryman's probation could be revoked, although "we're going to
wait until we have all the details before deciding what to do next," he said.
If the probation is revoked, Berryman could face penalties ranging from
community service to jail. He was released 42 days early for good behavior last
summer.
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Berryman timeline
A brief rundown of Jason Berryman's career with Iowa State, on and off the field:
2003: Big 12 Conference defensive newcomer of the year.
JULY 2004: Pleaded guilty to fifth-degree criminal mischief after May 27 arrest
for breaking the window of an automobile owned by a female Iowa State student.
OCT. 1, 2004: Pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree theft of a cell phone, a
Class C felony, and one count of assault causing injury.
AUG. 4, 2004: Began serving 258 of his 300-day sentence at the Story County
jail.
JUNE 14, 2005: Re-enrolled in school and allowed to participate in informal
summer football workouts after being released from jail.
AUGUST 2005: "The time I spent in jail changed me," Berryman in his first public
comments after being freed.
SEPT. 3, 2005: Returned to the starting lineup in the opener against Illinois
State.
DEC. 31, 2005: Named defensive most valuable player in the Houston Bowl.
SUNDAY: Ticketed for being underage at Club Element in Ames at 12:50 a.m.
TUESDAY: Dismissed from football team.
ISU's Coleman cited
A second Iowa State football player was ticketed for illegally being on the
premises of an Ames bar Sunday morning.
Fullback Greg Coleman, 20, was cited by Ames police for being at Club
Element early Sunday. Also ticketed was defensive end Jason Berryman, 20.
They were discovered in the 21-and-over club after police were called to break
up a fight. Police said former Cyclone football player Jamaul Montgomery was
arrested for disorderly conduct and interference with official acts of a police
officer, in connection with the fight.
Coach Dan McCarney said redshirt freshman quarterback Brice Beck will miss
the season opener against Toledo on Sept. 2 after he was arrested for operating
a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol Sunday. Also ran in: Quad City
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Times, IA; WOI, IA; Mason City Globe Gazette, IA; Cyclone Nation; Cedar
Rapids Gazette, IA; KCCI.com, IA; CSTV.com, NY
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Des Moines Register
02/01/06
Makeup of UNI search panel blasted
The group charged with finding the next president has no
minorities on it
By KATHY A. BOLTEN
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
Copyright 2006, Des Moines Register and Tribune Company
The committee searching for a new University of Northern Iowa president has no
minority members, a concern raised to the Board of Regents the day before it
appointed the search committee's members.
UNI President Robert Koob is retiring. In early December, the regents appointed
a 13-member search and screening committee, a group that includes four
regents and the regents' executive director.
The UNI search committee doesn't include any minorities, even though nearly 10
percent of the faculty and staff and 6 percent of the students are minorities.
Having a minority on the search committee would show candidates for the
president's job that issues involving diversity are important to UNI and the
regents, said Michael Blackwell, UNI's director of multicultural education.
On Dec. 5, Blackwell expressed his concerns to the regents in an e-mail obtained
by The Des Moines Register. The e-mail was forwarded to Regents' President
Michael Gartner by Gary Steinke, the regents' executive director.
"I believe this is a grave mistake," Blackwell wrote to the regents. "This omission
is problematic because of the importance of cultural diversity in the future of the
state and the need to have a person of color at the table to select the next
president of the University. That next president will need to be a strong voice for
diversity, not only with regard to the student body, but also with regard to the
recruitment and retention of minority faculty and staff."
The regents approved the UNI presidential selection committee on Dec. 6, the
day after Blackwell sent the e-mail.
In an interview Tuesday, Blackwell said Gartner did not respond to his e-mail. He
also said no one from the regents' office contacted him about his concerns.
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"I didn't think at the time my e-mail would be ignored," Blackwell said. "I thought it
was important enough that I say something about it. Historically, it's been my
understanding that the (regents) generally express a desire for more diversity at
the regents' institutions."
Gartner did not return telephone calls from the Register on Tuesday. Steinke,
through an assistant, declined to comment.
For years, the regents have been trying to boost minority enrollment at the state
universities as well as attract more minority faculty and staff. Iowa's minority
population is growing. Experts have said it is important to increase minority
college graduation rates so that Iowa will have an educated work force to attract
new businesses.
According to a regent report, UNI has the lowest minority retention rate of the
state's three universities as well as the lowest minority graduation rates. In
addition, a smaller percentage of minorities hold administrative and faculty
positions at UNI when compared with Iowa State University and the University
of Iowa, which also is beginning a search for a new president.
In December, UNI's faculty asked that the committee searching for Koob's
replacement include more faculty. Instead of expanding the committee, the
regents formed an advisory group whose role is to "get thoughts and ideas on the
type of president UNI now needs," Gartner wrote to other regents. "I intend to
meet with this advisory committee to listen and to keep it informed."
The advisory committee includes at least one minority, Blackwell said. "I don't
know how much power or influence the on-campus committee has. I do not think
it minimizes my concern."
Robert Downer, the regents' president pro-tem, said he hadn't heard about any
concerns about the lack of minorities on UNI's search committee.
Faculty and staff at the University of Iowa this week raised concerns about the
makeup of the search and screening committee that will be appointed to find
President David Skorton's replacement. Skorton will become president of Cornell
University in New York on July 1.
More than 100 U of I students, faculty and staff passed a resolution asking that
the presidential search process be consistent with past efforts and that the
search committee not include regents as voting members.
Jonathan Carlson, who was chairman of the U of I search committee in 2002,
said the regents "always had control of the process. We always understood that
we were working for them."
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The search committee in 2002 included 25 members, at least six of whom were
minorities. Regents officials on Tuesday said they didn't know the committee's
racial makeup.
The regents on Thursday will discuss the makeup of the U of I search committee.
Downer said he didn't know how many people would be on the search committee
or whether an advisory committee would be formed, similar to the one at UNI.
Regents meeting
The Iowa Board of Regents meets at 9 a.m. today and Thursday at Iowa State
University's Scheman Building. The agenda can be found online. Click on
"meetings" on the Web site.
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Des Moines Register
02/01/06
Move expected to help neighborhood
By BERT DALMER
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
Observers of the local real-estate market say a move by Polk County
government employees to a shuttered shopping center in north Des Moines isn't
likely to make great waves in the community, but it could keep the blighted
neighborhood from slipping into a deeper malaise.
County supervisors voted as expected Tuesday to pay $1.74 million for Oliver
Plaza, which includes a former Target building at 2309 Euclid Ave. The county
hopes to move about 300 workers from rented space to the old Target building
by mid-2007, after an estimated $7 million in renovations.
Supervisors celebrated the purchase as a bonus for taxpayers and a boon for the
Lower Beaver neighborhood that lost the Target store last July. County officials
bought the shopping center for $1.3 million less than its assessed value and will
soon be able to terminate expensive leases they've held on several downtown
offices.
"This is a win, not only for county government but for the neighborhood to not see
an abandoned building for a number of years," said Angela Connolly, Democrat
and chairwoman of the supervisors.
Experts said that was the extent of the benefit they expect the area to realize.
"At least it generates traffic, it generates activity, so the vacancy is less felt within
the corridor," said Tim Borich, associate professor of community and
regional planning at Iowa State University. "But it does beg the question,
'What is the future of that area?' with the Jordan Creek mall and big-box stores
going up in Ankeny. This area's time, in terms of commercial success, has
passed us by."
The county has not yet decided which offices it will move into the facility. That
decision could help ascertain how much the public visits the area, and thus, how
much future demand there is for nearby restaurants or shops.
Kevin Crowley, manager of Iowa Realty Commercial, characterized the county's
purchase as a smart move at a fair price that will make use of an otherwise
obsolete commercial property.
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"It's a creative adaptive re-use, because the original intended use isn't viable
anymore," Crowley said. "There's nobody else that's going to come along and go
on Euclid right now."
Crowley said that as an economic driver, the county's move will have a negligible
effect.
"Three hundred employees aren't going to excite a lot of retailers per se," he
said. "But depending on what goes there, it could spur some further activity in
that area . . . a coffee or sandwich shop."
Neighborhood activists and county supervisors said they will be happy not to
have the building sit empty.
"It's a lot better use of the property than being overcome by rats," said Supervisor
Robert Brownell, a Republican.
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Des Moines Register
02/01/06
Potential candidates visiting this month
The caucuses are still two years from now, but that's not
keeping away possible 2008 candidates.
By THOMAS BEAUMONT
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
During the next four weeks, the 2008 Iowa caucuses will seem much closer than
100 weeks away.
This month, four prospective candidates for president plan to visit Iowa, where
the caucuses are expected to launch the run to the Democratic and Republican
presidential nominations.
Former U.S. Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle speaks at 8 tonight at Iowa
State University.
Although the South Dakota Democrat says he is not planning to seek the 2008
nomination, he hasn't ruled it out and has been to Iowa twice in the past three
months.
Republican George Pataki, on the other hand, is considered a likely candidate
and has a full schedule planned for his three-day visit later this week, his fifth
Iowa visit since the last election.
The three-term New York governor is scheduled to headline a state GOP fundraiser in Sioux City Thursday evening, visit with business and state legislative
leaders in northern Iowa on Friday and visit the University of Iowa and attend a
fund-raiser for U.S. Rep. Jim Leach in Iowa City on Saturday.
Pataki also will attend the Hawkeye men's basketball game against Michigan
Saturday afternoon.
"He likes retail politics and has been to the state frequently. I think Governor
Pataki is looking like a very serious contender," said Johnston Republican Dave
Roederer, an uncommitted but sought-after Iowa GOP activist.
More Democrats than Republicans are scheduled to travel to Iowa in February,
despite talk of Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, a Democrat, weighing a presidential bid.
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Vilsack, who is not seeking a third term in November, may not have an
unobstructed path to winning the caucuses, should Democrats such as Indiana
Sen. Evan Bayh and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards decide to
compete here.
Next week, Bayh plans to make his third trip to Iowa since 2004. He is scheduled
to headline a Linn County Democrats' fund-raising dinner on Feb. 11 in Cedar
Rapids, host a fund-raiser Sunday in Ottumwa for Iowa Senate candidates, and
spend Monday in Des Moines.
The only Democrat to visit more last year than Bayh is Edwards, who plans to
return on Feb. 25. Edwards, the party's 2004 vice presidential nominee, is
scheduled to speak at the Scott County Democrats' annual banquet on Feb. 25 in
Davenport.
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Des Moines Register
02/01/06
Iowa State recruiting: Cyclones nab players
with family ties
Cyclone Football: National Signing Day Preview
By RANDY PETERSON
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
Ames, Ia. — The clock will revert nearly 30 years when Iowa State's newest
football recruits sign national letters of intent today.
Among the letters expected to whir through coach Dan McCarney's FAX
machine are from Austen Arnaud of Ames, Patrick Neal of West Des Moines
Valley and Matt Leaders of Omaha.
Their names should sound familiar to longtime Cyclone football fans — their
fathers were Iowa State football teammates in 1979.
At linebacker — Mike Leaders. At offensive tackle — Brian Neal. In the
secondary — John Arnaud.
Twenty-seven years later, their sons will share spots in the same team picture.
Like father, like son.
"Austen and I talked about that once, and it's a neat situation, but it's not the
reason we chose Iowa State," said Patrick Neal, a 225-pound defensive end who
also is the brother of Cyclone basketball player John Neal. "I chose Iowa State
because I feel I've been part of that program for as long as I can remember."
His dad played football. His brother plays basketball.
"We've got Cyclone stuff everywhere in the house," Patrick Neal said.
Austen Arnaud, a quarterback, was an "elite" selection by the Des Moines
Sunday Register last season. His father was an "elite" selection as a Sioux City
North defensive back in 1978.
Patrick Neal was an "elite" all-state selection last season. His father was a 1976
"elite" offensive lineman pick while playing at West Des Moines Dowling Catholic.
The Leaders signing means another of Mike's sons will be in an Iowa State
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uniform - Nick Leaders was a defensive lineman starter from 2002 through last
season, while Andy Leaders lettered in 2004 before injuries cut short his career.
"That's pretty cool," John Arnaud said. "I wouldn't say the three of us were close,
close friends off the field, but I can honestly say that as teammates go, we were
very close."
The known commitments among the Cyclones' 2006 recruiting class of 28
includes two transfers from two-year schools and six who played at Iowa high
schools.
The class is ranked No. 9 in the Big 12 Conference and 53rd in the nation by
ESPN.com, and 10th in the conference and 55th overall by Scout.com.
"Iowa State once again is in the same boat with so many other schools trying to
scratch and claw to bring in elite athletes," said Allen Wallace, national recruiting
coordinator for Scout.com. and editor of SuperPrep magazine.
"In SuperPrep's midland area, for example, not one SuperPrep all-American is
committed to Iowa State," Wallace said. "The first Iowa State recruit we have
listed in the region is Austen Arnaud, who we have listed as the 41st best player."
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Des Moines Register
02/01/06
New drug technique wins OK
By PHILIP BRASHER
REGISTER WASHINGTON BUREAU
Washington, D.C. — Dow AgroSciences has won the first federal approval of a
plant-made vaccine, the product of a laboratory process that avoids the
controversial use of pharmaceutical field crops.
The chicken vaccine will not be commercialized, but officials with Dow
AgroSciences said Tuesday that winning approval from the U.S. Agriculture
Depart- ment's Center for Veterinary Biologics in Ames, Ia., showed the promise
for making pharmaceuticals from plant cells, rather than animal products or
whole plants.
"We felt it was extremely important to understand whether or not this technology
platform could meet" the USDA's regulatory requirements, said Butch Mercer, the
company's global business leader for animal health.
Dow's advance comes amid lingering concerns about using genetically
engineered field crops, such as corn, to produce pharmaceuticals.
Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack has been pushing the pharmaceutical corn production,
but research in that area has slowed because of strong opposition from the food
industry and a series of highly publicized mistakes by biotech companies. Food
companies fear that pharmaceutical crops could contaminate ingredient supplies.
Dow AgroSciences, an Indianapolis-based unit of Dow Chemical Co., developed
its vaccine by fermenting bioengineered tobacco cells in steel tanks.
The plant cells produce the antigens used to make the vaccine against
Newcastle disease, a contagious and fatal viral disease affecting all species of
birds.
Vaccines are typically made from chicken eggs or in mammalian cells, which can
carry diseases. The Dow process also uses fragments of the virus, rather than
the entire pathogen, in making the vaccine.
"It's inherently safer because you're not treating an animal with a virus," said
John Cuffe, the company's research and development leader for animal health.
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The plant-made vaccine also does not need cold storage.
Dow has several commercial products in development, all intended for animals.
The first product is not expected to reach the market before 2009 or 2010. There
are already several Newcastle vaccines on the market.
"Clearly, the advantage of all this is that it gets around the containment issue"
involved in growing pharmaceutical plants outdoors, said
The laboratory process would be useful for making products that aren't needed in
large quantities, Howell said. Stephen Howell, director of Iowa State
University's Plant Sciences Institute.
Making a vaccine from the fermented tobacco cells requires only a fraction of the
material needed for some drugs, such as digestive aids that would be made from
corn.
Stephanie Childs, a spokeswoman for the Grocery Manufacturers of America,
said the food industry welcomed finding methods of drug manufacturing that
"maintain the purity of the food supply." - Also ran in: Truth about Trade &
Technology
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Des Moines Register
02/01/06
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Des Moines Register
02/01/06
Maintenance backlog totals millions of
dollars at state universities
By KATHY A. BOLTEN
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
Ames, Ia. — More than $405 million in deferred maintenance exists at Iowa's
regent institutions, an amount that has grown in recent years because of state
budget cuts.
In addition, the State Fire Marshall's office has identified more than $3.5 million
in fire safety deficiences that need corrected this budget year.
The report was received by the Board of Regents at its meeting today in Ames.
"We aren't on a road to disaster but we do need to grow our preventative
maintenance budget for buildings,"Doug True, a senior vice president at the
University of Iowa, told the regents. "We certainly have a backlog that has been
growing."
The Board of Regents oversees Iowa State University, University of Northern
Iowa, and University of Iowa and two specialized schools — Iowa Braille and
Sight Saving School and Iowa School for the Deaf. Together, those facilities have
more than 33 million in gross square feet with a replacement value totalling $10.6
billion. Half of the square footage was built in 1980 or before.
Deferred maintenance of higher educational facilities is a growing national
problem, in part because of the building boom that occurred in the 1960s and
1970s, according to a Regents' report. Many of those facilities have either
become obsolete or reached the end of their design lives.
Read more about the Board of Regents' meeting in tomorrow's Des Moines
Register.
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Farm News
01/27/06
‘Power’-ful show
By KRISTIN GREINER- Farm News staff
DES MOINES — The 2006 Iowa Power Farming Show coming to Des Moines
next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will be even bigger and better, with
more new products on display, new educational opportunities and more
attendees turning out for the region’s largest indoor ag show.
The 51st Iowa Power Farming Show will be held at the Hy-Vee Exhibit Hall,
Wells Fargo Arena and Veterans Auditorium in downtown Des Moines and draw
an estimated 15,000 people.
The addition of the Hy-Vee Exhibit Hall last year drew 50 percent more farmers
from out-of-state than in 2004, with most coming from northern Missouri,
southern Minnesota and eastern Nebraska, show organizers say. The IowaNebraska Equipment Dealers Association owns and manages the event.
By utilizing the new exhibit hall and arena, the show will expand for the third time
in five years, offering exhibitors 235,000 square feet of exhibit space to
showcase their products and services. In fact, there will be 17 brands of tractors
on display, including a new series from John Deere and Buhler-Versatile. More
livestock equipment will be on display than ever before, show organizers say, a
factor that has made this show one of the top three for exhibitors.
“The farm equipment displays are the highlight. There are over 110 large
equipment displays at the show and farmers want to see and touch the
equipment. We’ve added 61 new ag-related exhibitors this year, with many being
farm equipment. The show has expanded another 20 percent this year, up 40
percent from 2004,î” said Tom Junge, show manager. “Most farmers attend to
see new products that are being introduced, to compare products side-by-side in
one setting and to learn about new farming practices.Ӕ
For the first time, the show has added key programs for farmers to attend. The
first will be the presentation of the Iowa Outstanding Young Farmer Award
sponsored by the Iowa Jaycees on Tuesday, Jan. 31, at 1 p.m. Keynote speaker
will be Mike Duffy, Iowa State University professor of economics and
director of the Beginning Farmer Center.
Miss Rodeo Iowa 2006 Erika Harlan will sign autographs Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 from
the Farm News booth.
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A 2003 graduate of Fairfield High, Harlan has earned an associate’s degree in
horse science technology from Kirkwood Community College and is now working
on a bachelor’s degree in equine administration.
She will be at the Farm News booth, No. 504 on the arena floor, from noon to 4
p.m. Tuesday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday.
On Thursday, at 1:30 p.m., WHO Radio will conduct a debate among the
candidates for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture. Mark Pearson, host of “Market to
Market” and WHO Radio’s “Big Showî,” will moderate the event. Other miniseminars, provided by exhibitors, are also scheduled throughout the show.
The show will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, then from 9 a.m.
to 3 p.m. on Feb. 2. Admission to the event is $5. For more information, go to
www.iowapowershow.com.
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Farm News
01/27/06
BSE issue halts beef shipments
By KRISTIN GREINER- Farm News staff
As of mid-week, U.S. and Japanese officials continued trade talks in Japan, but
U.S. Department of Agriculture officials said it was still too early to know when
the market there would reopen.
Last week, Japan cut off imports of U.S. beef again after discovering pieces of
backbone in meat. U.S. officials say they will be investigating what happened
with that shipment.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns told the media that the backbone, or
vertebral column, that was exported to Japan is not a specified risk material,
because it was in beef under 30 months. But the U.S. agreement with Japan was
to export beef with no vertebral column.
“We have failed to meet the terms of that agreement,”î Johanns said. ‘‘The
processing plant that exported this product has been de-listed and therefore, can
no longer export beef to Japan. We will take the appropriate personnel action
against the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service employee who conducted
the inspection of the product in question and approved it to be shipped to
Japan.î”
Furthermore, Johanns told reporters that he would dispatch a team of USDA
inspectors to Japan to work with inspectors there to reexamine every shipment
awaiting approval to confirm compliance with the requirements of the U.S. export
agreement with Japan. Also, additional USDA inspectors would be sent to every
plant that is approved to export beef to review procedures and ensure
compliance with export agreements and two USDA inspectors must review every
shipment of U.S. beef for export to confirm that compliance. Johanns also
ordered unannounced inspections at every plant approved for beef export.
‘‘These additional inspection requirements in the U.S. will be applied to all
processing plants approved for beef export and all beef shipments designated for
export from the U.S.,î” Johanns told reporters. “I am also requiring that all USDA
beef inspectors undergo additional training to make certain they are fully aware
of all export agreement requirements. And, I have directed my staff to coordinate
a meeting of representatives from all U.S. processing plants that export beef to
review those requirements.î”
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Johanns said during a conference call with reporters that he did not fault
Japanese officials for halting U.S. beef imports.
“I’ve been in situations where we’ve made decisions about imports into our
country from other countries where we felt requirements were not being met, and
we have acted. In some cases we have taken the same sort of action where we
would close borders,”î he said. “What we always do after that is, we work with the
country to make sure that they have in place the mechanism, if you will, to meet
our requirements.î”
U.S. cattle producers were quick to point out that the latest situation with Japan
is not a food safety issue, but rather a technical violation of a trade agreement.
Terry Stokes, chief executive officer of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
(NCBA), said that the bottom line for consumers around the world is that U.S.
beef is safe.î
“The world’s leading scientists, medical professionals and government officials
agree that BSE is not a public health risk in the United States,Ӕ Stokes said in a
statement. “As America’s beef producers, our No. 1 priority has always been
providing the safest beef in the world. Our livelihood depends on it, and NCBA
has worked with the government and top scientists for more than 15 years to
build, maintain and expand the safeguards that today are protecting consumers
and our cattle from BSE.î”
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) also emphasized that Japanese
consumers are not at risk, either. USMEF president Philip Seng said that the
backbone with the spinal cord removed is not a food safety risk.
Market watchers said earlier this week that the Japanese ban surprisingly did not
have any big impact.
“The market reaction was surprisingly calm,”î said John Lawrence, a livestock
economist at Iowa State University. “I had thought that exports were a large
part of the optimism in the markets, but the announcement had little effect.î”
Lawrence said Monday that it is too early to tellî just how the Japanese ban will
be resolved.
“But that the USDA is taking the complaint very seriously and it sends a
message to processors that they must follow the rules,”î he said. “It is not clear if
other countries will take any action other than to check orders more closely.î”
In related news, South Korean officials have stalled trade talks with Canadian
officials after another BSE case was detected in that country.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed BSE in an
approximately six-year-old, cross-bred cow born and raised in Alberta on a dairy
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farm. No part of the animal entered the human food or animal feed systems,
officials said.
Stokes said the new case should not impact the beef trade status between the
U.S. and Canada.
“We believe the United States should continue to engage in trade that is
consistent with the international standards outlined by the World Organization for
Animal Health (OIE), and we expect countries that trade with us to do the same,î”
he said. “The United States accepts beef and cattle from Canada that is under 30
months of age, which is an internationally recognized age marker for safety,
because BSE is a disease found in older cattle. The cow confirmed in Canada
was 69 months old, according to the CFIA.Ӕ
Johanns, who spoke with Canadian Agriculture Minister Andy Mitchell after
learning of the latest case, also said he did not expect a change in the status of
beef or live cattle imports to the U.S. from Canada per an established agreement.
“As I’ve said many times, our beef trade decisions follow internationally accepted
guidelines that are based in science,”î Johanns said in a statement. “We will
continue to evaluate this situation as the investigation continues. I have directed
our USDA team to work with Canada and its investigative team. Minister Mitchell
has pledged his full cooperation. I am confident in the safety of beef and in the
safeguards we and our approved beef trading partners have in place to protect
our food supply. We will continue to adhere to international guidelines in our
relationships with all trading partners, and my hope continues to be that we
achieve a system of science-based global beef trade.’’
The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association said that the latest BSE finding was not
unexpected.î
“This latest diagnosis is proof that the surveillance system is working. The
incidence of BSE in the Canadian cattle herd remains extremely low and
continues to decline due to intervention measures such as the ruminant-toruminant feed ban. I look forward to the day when we can declare Canada free of
BSE,Ӕ said Stan Eby, president of the CCA.
The CFIA, working collaboratively with the producer of the infected cow and the
Province of Alberta, has launched a comprehensive investigation into the feeding
regime and storage practices employed on the farm, as well as the production
and source of feeds delivered to the farm. Consistent with international
standards, the CFIA will identify cattle born on the farm within 12 months before
and after the affected animal, as well as offspring of the affected animal born
during the last two years. Any live animals found from these groups will be
segregated and tested.
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Two calves birthed by the index cow are of interest to the investigation, officials
said. A seven-month old calf remained on the index premises. It will be humanely
euthanized and incinerated. A second calf born less than two years ago is being
traced.
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Farm News
01/27/06
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Farm News
01/27/06
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Farm News
01/27/06
Study says farming is a growth industry for
Iowa
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Farm News
01/27/06
Experts say placing the proper genetics
increases profitability
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Farm News
01/27/06
Cattle producers choosing to utilize more of
corn plant
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Indianapolis Star
01/27/06
When alcohol and teens don't mix
Parents need to communicate, not build barriers, and should
start discussing the risks sooner, experts say
By Barbara Meltz
The Boston Globe
GRAFTON, Mass. -- Grafton High School senior Karen Tassinari has a message
for parents: "We are not all booze-bags. It's not like every weekend we go out
just to drink. Sometimes we really do get together just to watch a movie, or go
bowling."
She means to ease the burden of worried parents, her own included, who grill
their teens every time they leave the house: Who will you be with? Who's
driving? Where are you going? Will parents be home?
Parents shouldn't get too comfortable, though. When Tassinari's classmate
Shannen Dando says matter-of-factly, "I don't know anyone who doesn't lie to
their parents (about drinking)," Tassinari nods in vehement agreement. So do
three other seniors who have volunteered to speak to a reporter about teen
drinking.
What's a parent to do? For starters, accept that both statements can be true, as
well as this one from classmate Rich Linehan: "I have a close relationship with
my parents. I don't want to have to lie."
In a culture where celebrities, media and $4 billion worth of advertising a year
glamorize alcohol, even as alcohol-related accidents claim teenagers' lives, many
parents feel trapped. They don't want to endorse underage drinking, but
forbidding it means it likely will happen without a safety net, and pretending it isn't
going on feels wrong, too.
"I'm searching for answers," says Mary Dennis, mother of a Grafton senior.
"What can we do to make our teens safe and not cut off communication?"
"Just say no" doesn't work
Specialists on adolescent drinking behaviors say communication is the best way
to keep teens safe. Simply setting strict rules about alcohol use pushes teens to
drink and lie more, not less, they say.
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The five seniors gathered in a Grafton High School conference room nearly trip
over one another's words, trying to explain why they agree with that thinking.
"Trust is a big thing," says Tassinari. "You don't want to have to sneak; it's better
to be able to talk honestly . . ."
" . . . but parents hear stories; they don't even know if they're true . . . " Dando
says.
" . . . and they're all over you." That's Rachel Rutfield. "I'm not allowed to go
places 'cause of what my brother and his friends did."
"I've been grounded for rumors," says Jordan Feldstein.
"I don't even like to be at parties where kids drink beyond their limits; it's so
annoying," says Linehan. "But my mom, she just jumps to conclusions without
even knowing the truth."
Pat McCarthy hopes she's not one of those parents. When her son, Chris, a
senior, leaves the house for an evening with friends, she most often says, "Think
of Tony Bourassa," a classmate who was seriously injured when a drunk driver
hit him.
"I'll stand at the door when he's leaving and remind him that he already got
accepted at Northeastern -- one accident, one arrest, one poor judgment could
screw that up," McCarthy says. "I'll be on the sofa when he comes home,
expecting to have a conversation with him. If that's being a pest, well, it's also
being a parent."
It's getting worse, they agree
James Pignataro, Grafton High's principal, and Maureen Cimoch, the school's
health teacher and adviser to Students Against Destructive Decisions, say there
is more drinking now than last year, and there was more last year than the year
before. The five students in the conference room say there is much more drinking
among freshmen and sophomores now than when they were that age.
The Advertising Council, the nation's largest producer of public service ad
campaigns, recently launched a national one called "Start Talking Before They
Start Drinking," for parents of 8-to-10-year-olds.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism says the average age at
which boys in this country first try alcohol is 11; for girls, it's 13.
Ad Council President Peggy Conlon says parents often are in denial. "They all
think, 'Not my kid.' But the sooner you start to talk about it, the more protected
your child is. Children who start drinking before 15 are five times more likely to
abuse alcohol in adulthood than if they wait until 21."
Parents whose 17- and 18-year-olds drink tend to believe in what Stephen
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Wallace, national chairman and CEO of SADD, calls the "myth of inevitability.
They assume their kids will drink no matter what, so they shrug their shoulders or
turn a blind eye because they don't think there's anything they can do about it."
"Wrong, wrong," says Virginia Molgaard, associate professor emeritus at
Iowa State University. She is the founder of the Strengthening Families
Program: For Parents and Youth 10-14, a communication skill-building model for
parents of teens that is in use in 40 states and abroad. "It's never too late to start
talking, even if you know your teen already is a drinker."
Going too far
Rachel Rutfield shares a scary story. "At a party, a boy threw me in a corner and
was kinda all over me," she says. "He was pretty drunk. My friends pulled me
away, so I was lucky. He apologized the next day." Other times, she says, kids
will pretend to be more drunk than they are, as a way to excuse inexcusable
behavior.
Did she tell her parents about that night? "I would have liked to," she says. "It
was pretty upsetting. But I wasn't supposed to be there, so I couldn't."
And now that they'll find out?
She hopes she won't be grounded. "That does . . ."
" . . . nothing," interjects Rich Linehan. "It's the talk, the guilt trip, their
disappointment. That's what kills me," he says. "Because you have to earn their
respect back."
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Iowa City Press Citizen, IA
01/28/06
UI graduation, retention rates increase
Statistics part of Board of Regents report
By Gregg Hennigan
Iowa City Press-Citizen
The University of Iowa's first-year retention rate was at a 10-year high in fall
2005, and the four-year graduation rate increased slightly over the past year.
The percentage of beginning UI students who returned to school the following
year was at 84.3 percent last fall, an increase of 1.2 percent over the previous
year.
UI also reported that more students are graduating in four or five years and fewer
in six years. The four-year graduation rate increased by one-tenth of a point, to
39.6 percent, in fall 2005. The five-year rate went up three-tenths of a point to
62.4 percent and the six-year rate dropped one-tenth to 66.1 percent.
UI is happy with the figures, Associate Provost Lola Lopes said.
"That near 40 percent (four-year graduation rate) for us is a very, very excellent
result considering we admit a very broad, broad range of students to the
university," she said.
The statistics were part of an Iowa state Board of Regents report released
Friday.
Iowa State University's one-year retention rate in 2005 stood at 85.8 percent,
also a 10-year high. The University of Northern Iowa's 2005 rate was not listed,
but its 10-year average was 81.7 percent.
The national average one-year retention rate for public four-year schools was
72.7 percent in 2004.
UI reported that the increase in its ability to retain beginning students was the
result of two courses aimed at freshman students. One, the College Transition, is
intended to help students adjust to the new responsibilities and higher demands
of college.
UI also has expanded its first-year seminars, which connect students with
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professors in subjects they are interested in who explain research and
scholarship.
The report made clear that how students fare in high school and race factor into
success in college.
For example, the average one-year retention rate for students at all three regent
universities who graduated from in high school in the 90th-99th percentile was
92.6 percent, while the average for those who graduated in the 50th-59th
percentile was 74.3 percent.
Additionally, minority students had lower retention and graduation rates on
average than non-minorities at the regent universities. The average one-year
retention rate of minorities was four percentage points lower than non-minorities.
The six-year graduation rate for minorities was 16 percentage points lower.
"It's very difficult to generalize because some minority students are going to very
fine school districts and come in with the same performance qualifications of any
student," Lopes said. "But we do also have some students from school districts
that have very little in the way of resources."
Gregg Hennigan can be reached at 339-7360 or ghennigan@press-citizen.com.
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Iowa Farmer Today
01/28/06
Robotics plays role in ag’s future
By Gene Lucht, Iowa Farmer Today
The creators of Star Trek never wrote about agriculture in the 21st century but if
they did, their vision might have included robotic tractors without drivers.
It could happen yet.
Still, when most agricultural engineers talk about the changes they see coming in
farm
machinery, they are not talking about a lot of whiz-bang, Star Trek style jumps
into warp speed.
“The thing to me is that the changes in this field tend to be evolutionary, rather
than revolutionary,” explains Mark Hanna, Iowa State University Extension ag
engineer.
That view is echoed by Barry Nelson, public relations manager for Deere & Co.’s
ag division.
Some of what farmers will see 20 years from now is technology that has been
developed but which isn’t affordable or useful enough to buy yet.
But, it will be.
In a business where 50-year-old Farmall Super M’s and 30-year-old 4020s are
still being used, any technology changes tend to be of degree and affordability,
Nelson stresses.
“You’re still going to be seeing planters going across the field in the spring and
combines go across the field in the fall,” Nelson says.
However, he says those planters and combines, as well as the tractors and other
machinery used for various field trips, likely will use precision equipment. This will
enable farmers to follow the same wheel tracks, which will reduce compaction.
There are a variety of reasons for that probability, explains Hanna.
First, as average farms grow, fewer farmers will be as familiar with the layout and
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weed problems and other factors in individual fields. That could make yield
monitors and various sensors more important.
Second, with that same trend toward larger farms there will be a need for hired
labor. Using guidance systems could make the quality of hired help less
important, thus reducing labor costs.
Through such technology, a farmer could look at his computer screen in the
office and see exactly where each machine is and what it is doing. He could
better know if there is a problem.
Those moves also eventually could lead to some of the variable-rate application
technologies that many experts trumpeted years ago.
The idea of variable-rate seed or chemical or fertilizer applications has been a
holy grail for ag technology experts, Hanna says, but it eventually could get here.
The key is to hold down costs.
“The things that have been accepted in recent years have been the ones that cut
costs for producers,” Nelson says. “That will continue to be a trend.”
But, there are numerous hurdles facing the idea of robotic, unmanned tractors.
Although guidance systems can take the machine across a field in a straight line,
they can’t affordably and reliably see if the disk is plugging up or if an animal or
person runs in front or if a waterway washed out in a recent rainstorm.
Until those types of situations can be addressed through technology, the idea of
fully automated machines will face severe hurdles.
Still, Hanna raises another point. He says technology could lead to smaller
machinery at some point.
There are several reasons for that possibility, he says.
First, if machines become automated, labor ceases to be a factor and smaller
machines might become more financially feasible.
Next, as farmers look at the need for more identity-preserved crops, the idea of
having two small planters instead of one large unit or two small combines instead
of one large one could make more sense.
Finally, there is another possible long-term change on the way for farm
machinery. With the advent of a booming ethanol industry and the search for
other sources of biofuels, it is possible farmers could begin harvesting more
biomass.
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This could mean:
= Combines that harvest the cornstalk as well as the ear;
= separate biomass harvestors; and
= changes in tillage equipment to better facilitate biomass harvests.
“We know we can use that biomass to make ethanol or other products,” Hanna
says. “We just have to develop the technology to do it in an affordable manner.”
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Iowa Farmer Today
01/28/06
No obstacle too tough to tackle
By Hannah Fletcher, Iowa Farmer Today
CRESCO -- From a young age, Jeff Ryan wanted to farm.
As a youngster, he managed the dairy barn when his father was away.
At age 9, he accompanied the family’s cattle buyer at sale barns to help pick the
animals.
By 13, he was buying cattle privately from the owner of the Cresco sale barn.
“They never treated me like a little kid, which they easily could have,” he said.
By 14, Ryan took charge of the beef cow herd and started the artificial
insemination (A.I.) program that thrives today.
It was clear this “little kid” had a knack for farming.
Like many young farmers, Ryan knew he would face obstacles on his quest to
farm. But, his challenges were unlike most.
After graduating from Iowa State University in Ames with a degree in animal
science, he was able to start farming with his father, Tom, and brother Roger on
the family’s Winneshiek County farm, raising cattle and hogs, and growing hay
and grain.
“I was lucky enough to have a home to come back to and farm,” Ryan said.
But, he faced an unusual obstacle — essential tremors (ET), a condition that
caused uncontrollable muscle movements and constant shakes.
“We noticed when he was little and he couldn’t button his shirt,” said Elsie Ryan,
his mother.
For many years, he farmed despite having ET. But, this often interfered with
many hands-on chores.
ET worsens with age. Drug therapy only lessened the tremors while adding side
effects to the mix.
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“If my hands were steady, I had to wonder what side effects would I have,” he
said.
Ryan was frustrated before finding hope in a newspaper article about a Creston
farmer. The farmer recently had undergone brain surgery to have a stimulator
attached to the thalamus that controlled his ET. Ryan followed up and had his
first surgery in March 1998. After a string of surgeries, he now has two
pacemaker-like devices implanted in his chest and abdomen that connect to
bilateral deep brain stimulators.
The outcome was just short of a miracle. His tremors are non-existent when the
devices are turned on.
He is able to perform daily tasks with ease.
“It’s the day-to day-things in life that make the biggest difference,” Ryan said.
To demonstrate, he turned off the remote-controlled device while grasping a cup
containing a spoon. His arm and body began to shake, tossing the spoon from
the cup.
“Then brain surgery didn’t look too intimidating,” he explained reactivating the
device, which steadied his movements.
Ryan has become an ambassador for the Activa implants, educating and helping
more than 50 people with ET across the nation.
He is familiar with leadership roles as he has served various farm groups.
“Our parents always served on boards and were always taking leadership roles,
so that came naturally,” he said.
HE HELPED found an independent marketing group, called Pork Quality
Marketing, and has been a district representative for the Iowa Cattlemen’s
Association.
His progressive methods keep him in close contact with ISU.
Ryan helped coordinate a water-quality project to evaluate the effects of grazing
systems. And, he assisted a graduate student researching salmonella control in
swine.
RYAN ALSO has hosted ISU field days on carcass data collection, A.I.,
electronic ID systems and other elements of his successful beef operation.
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He has worked with A.I. companies, Ohio State University and the Certified
Angus Beef (CAB) Program to research the benefits of genetic markers for
tenderness and marbling.
In 2004, 45 percent of his cattle were graded USDA Prime.
Ryan attributes his attention to data to his days as a youngster helping his father
in the dairy barn.
“He was always talking numbers with me as we milked,” he said. “When you milk
cows, you have a better respect for numbers.”
Although there no longer are dairy cows on the family farm, it remains diverse —
the way Ryan likes it.
“Diversification is still key here. It enhances the whole system,” he said.
Nowadays, Ryan, his brother and full-time employee Lorne Byrnes run the farm.
Ryan does much of the work with livestock. His brother, who has allergies when
working with livestock, handles much of the bookwork.
Ryan claims he declared himself a farmer as soon as he could talk, and he’s
pretty happy with the decisions he made as young boy and today.
“This is the only job I’ve ever had,” he said. “I have yet to see anything else that I
would have rather done.”
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Iowa Farmer Today
01/28/06
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KCCI.com, IA
01/29/06
Cyclone Standout Again Has Brush With The
Law
Berryman Found Underage In Bar
AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State University defensive back Jason Berryman is in
trouble with the law again.
Berryman was booted from the team in 2004 just prior to serving eight months in
the Story County jail for theft and assault on an Iowa State student. In August
2005, he was reinstated to the team and had to work his way back into the
starting lineup. Berryman apologized to teammates and Cyclone fans and said
he'd learned his lesson.
KCCI Sports Director Heidi Soliday reports that Ames police responded to an
altercation at a Campustown bar early Sunday morning. When police arrived at
Club Element, one male had been knocked unconscious. While police were
investigating the situation, they cited Berryman for being underage in a drinking
establishment.
Iowa State athletic officials had no comment Sunday night. Berryman was named
outstanding defensive player in the Houston bowl in December 2005.
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KCCI.com, IA
01/30/06
Witness: Berryman Didn't Instigate Fight
Ames Students Tells KCCI What He Saw Early Sunday Morning
AMES, Iowa -- A witness told KCCI on Monday that he was there when Iowa
State University defensive back Jason Berryman got in trouble with the law
again, but the witness said it wasn't Berryman who instigated a fight.
On Sunday, Ames police responded to an altercation at a Campustown bar.
When police arrived at Club Element, one male had been knocked unconscious.
While police were investigating the situation, they cited Berryman for being
underage in a drinking establishment.
Bryan, an Iowa State student who asked that KCCI only use his first name, was
at the bar that night. He said it all started when a couple of football players tried
to cut in line for the restroom.
"The young man in front of me actually grabbed his shoulder and said, 'Hey man,
there's a line here,'" Bryan said.
The situation inside Club Element quickly escalated from there, according to
Bryan.
"Next thing I know, I turn around and the man who was standing in front of me
had gotten hit and he was on the ground," Bryan said.
Bryan said the guy waiting in line ended up with a broken jaw or cheekbone.
"He was laying on the ground and that was about it. I decided to get out of the
way. I didn't want to get in the way of the bouncers, because that was their job to
do what they have to do," Bryan said.
Bryan said Berryman wasn't involved in the fight.
"Him being in the bar that's his own chances of getting caught, but as far as him
being an instigator in the whole situation? It never happened," Bryan said.
Iowa State athletic officials had no comment Sunday night. Berryman was named
outstanding defensive player in the Houston bowl in December 2005.
Berryman was booted from the team in 2004 just prior to serving eight months in
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the Story County jail for theft and assault on an Iowa State student. In August
2005, he was reinstated to the team and had to work his way back into the
starting lineup. Berryman apologized to teammates and Cyclone fans and said
he'd learned his lesson.
Students who spoke with KCCI on Monday said a lot of football players like to
hang out at Club Element. Police said Berryman was one of several current and
former players at the bar that night.
Berryman wasn't the only Iowa State player to land himself in trouble over the
weekend. Greg Coleman was also ticketed for being underage at club that
serves alcohol. The sophomore running back was at Club Element when the fight
broke started.
Iowa State police arrested freshman quarterback Brice Beck just before 2
a.m. Saturday and charged him with operating while intoxicated. Officers said
Beck's blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit.
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KCRG, IA
01/29/06
Graduation Rates at Iowa Universities
Exceed National Averages
(Iowa City – KCRG) -- Graduation rates at Iowa’s three public universities exceed
national averages. That's according to an annual report from the state board of
regents.
The report says graduation rates at Iowa State University and the University of
Iowa are at record levels for students who entered school in 1999 and graduated
in 2005.
Iowa State's record high shows that 68 percent of students graduated within the
six years. At the University of Iowa, the record held steady at 66 percent.
The graduation rate at U.N.I. increased to 65 percent after two years of
decreases. Also ran in: KCCI.com, IA; WHO-TV, IA; WOI, IA; WQAD, IL
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Quad City Times, IA
02/01/06
Public hearing slated on education outlook
By Staff and wire reports
The future of agricultural education in Iowa will be discussed Feb. 16 at a public
hearing broadcast on the Iowa Communications Network from Iowa State
University, Ames.
One of the discussions will be held at Muscatine (Iowa) Community College,
Larson Hall, Room 60.
The Governor’s Council on Agricultural Education is conducting the public
hearing, titled “Creating Life-changing Opportunities Through Agriculture, Food
and Natural Resource Education.” Participants will be asked to discuss topics
and suggestions to improve agricultural education in Iowa.
There are 242 agricultural education secondary school programs offered out of
the state’s 370 school districts.
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Radio Iowa
01/31/06
Iowa State unveils supercomputer
Srinivas Aluru of Iowa State University stands in front of the
school's new supercomputer.
by Darwin Danielson
While football fans are anxiously awaiting the Super Bowl, researchers at Iowa
State University are talking about their new supercomputer. The one-and-aquarter million dollar computer is ranked as the 73rd most powerful among the
world’s 500 fastest supercomputers. Iowa State computer engineering
professor Srinivas Aluru says the computer will be used for genetic research.
He says they'll work on cutting-edge problems in plant sciences, genetics and
computational biology. Aluru says he expects the supercomputer to be used for
lots of research between departments and says it should help foster that
research.
The National Science Foundation gave I-S-U 600-thousand dollars to purchase
the computer, and the university provided the rest of the money. While it's a
super computer, Aluru says it's a fairly compact device for what it does. He says
it's a single rack about the size of a refrigerator and has the supercomputer has
the computing power of over two-thousand desktop computers and can perform
five-point-seven trillion calculations in one second.
Former I-S-U professor John Atanasoff is credited with created the first ever
working computer back in 1942. While this new supercomputer is one of the
fastest in the world, Aluru says there is still a link to the very first model in the
way the computer operates. He says it basically is doing multiple equations using
multiple variables and solves the equations. Aluru says that's still the way
computers are ranked today -- by the number of equations they can solve -- the
same problem Atanasoff sought to solve with his computer.
Aluru estimates that Iowa State’s supercomputer will be more than ten times
more powerful than any high-performance computer currently on campus.
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Sioux City Journal, IA
01/26/06
Iowa first lady will discuss book via ICN
Iowa first lady Christie Vilsack and Dale Ross from Iowa State University will
discuss the 2006 All Iowa Reads selection, "Gilead," over the Iowa
Communications Network from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. today at the Wilbur Aalfs
Library.
The simulcast is open to the public and will be especially helpful to anyone
interested in planning a book discussion or wanting to know more about this
Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.
The purpose of All Iowa Reads is to encourage Iowans statewide to read and talk
about a single title in the same year. "Gilead" takes the form of a letter written in
1956 by the 77-year-old Rev. John Ames to the adult man his very young son will
some day become. Sharing family stories and struggling with death, he writes
with quiet humor, intelligent self-reflection and much tenderness toward the living
world.
According to the selection committee, "Gilead" lends itself to in-depth discussion
and raises universal social issues relevant to Iowans. It has an Iowa connection-author Marilynne Robinson teaches at the University of Iowa Writer' s Workshop.
Available in paperback, large print and unabridged audio, this recent publication
is accessible to adults and high school age youth. To learn more about the book,
its author or the statewide reading program, visit the Wilbur Aalfs Library' s home
page at www.siouxcitylibrary.org and click the All Iowa Reads link.
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Sioux City Journal, IA
01/26/06
Regents chief says new grad center doesn't
add up
By Todd Dorman Journal Des Moines Bureau
DES MOINES -- Iowa Board of Regents President Michael Gartner said
Wednesday his panel made the right call when it passed on the idea of creating a
graduate-level university center in Northwest Iowa.
"There doesn't seem to be enough of a demand to justify adding another facility,"
Gartner said after testifying before an education budget panel.
"It's very easy to build a facility. It's very costly then to operate it for the next 20,
30, 40, 50 or 100 years. But we looked at it very, very thoroughly and that was
the outcome," Gartner said.
But lawmakers and local leaders who hoped to put a graduate center in
Woodbury County don't see it that way. They argue the Regents, who govern
Iowa's three state universities, failed to adequately study the need for a
Northwest Iowa facility.
Northwest Iowa legislators have roundly criticized a study done last year by a
special Regents committee that argued against building a new center.
"A study implies they've done a needs analysis, they've looked at existing
institutions, they sat down with members of the community ... I don't believe
there's any evidence of that taking place," said House Speaker Christopher
Rants, R-Sioux City. "There are Cyclone and Hawkeye fans west of Interstate 35.
Frankly I think they have to do a better job," Rants said.
Gartner contends a new center is not feasible given scarce state resources. He
also insists it would fly in the face of a 15-year effort to eliminate duplication in
existing programs at Iowa State University in Ames, the University of Iowa in
Iowa City and the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.
He said Iowa can't afford a university system like the ones in Minnesota and
Wisconsin where campuses are located in numerous communities.
"I understand the politics of it," Gartner said. "I understand the pride in wanting
something like that. But academically it doesn't look right now like it makes a lot
of sense. Economically it doesn't look like now it makes a lot of sense."
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But Rants argues a center is an economic necessity to help foster research tied
to Northwest Iowa's growing biotech industry. He contends the Regents aren't
doing enough in his region to provide graduate-level programs and internships to
students who want to stay in Northwest Iowa.
"They always seem to be able to offer master's programs and advanced degrees
in communities like Des Moines," Rants said. "They seem to be able to reach out
when they want to."
Gartner did not shut the door on taking up the issue again in the future.
"It's always an issue that can be explored again and again as demographics
change, as universities change, as technology changes. So it's never a closed
case," he said.
Todd Dorman can be reached at (515) 243-0138 or at todd.dorman@lee.net
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UHURU Policy Group
01/26/06
Passion for food security takes Iowa State
student to Africa
Contacts: Amber Herman, Iowa State University student, (515) 451-9572
Dan Kuester, News Service, (515) 294-0704
AMES, Iowa -- It was during her freshman year at Iowa State University that
Amber Herman realized what her passion is -- food security, insuring people
have access to healthy, quality food.
To pursue her passion and further her education, Herman is preparing to spend
almost four months in Uganda, a central African nation where many people lack
access to basic, healthy foods. She leaves Feb. 1 and returns in May.
This is the second trip to Africa and third trip overseas as a proponent of food
security for the Davenport native. She went to Kenya in 2003 to volunteer in a
poverty-stricken Maasai village as a school teacher and assist the community in
building a concrete school. In July, she flew to Scotland to attend the G8 Summit
where she met with United States government officials to discuss agricultural
trade and food aid.
ISU's School for International Training sponsors the academic and field-based
study abroad program in Uganda. During her stay, Herman will attend seminars
at Makerere University, Kampala, and conduct research through Iowa State
University's Center for Sustainable Rural Development.
It was while teaching during the Kenya trip, that she saw children who had to
leave school because of lack of food.
"The children were sick because of hunger," she said. "Education is the key to
fighting poverty, and when you're hungry, you can't learn."
For Herman, this is the perfect time to make an impact.
"Roughly 50 percent of Uganda is under age 15," Herman says. "It's very
important that these young people understand agriculture and food production."
During the first eight weeks of her visit, Herman will live with a local family in
Kampala, learn the Luganda language spoken in the southern region of the
country, and take classes in Ugandan history and community development at
Makerere.
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Then she will start her research.
"I will be interviewing young farmers -- those over the age of 18 and under age
25 -- to see what support network they have," she said.
The results of the research will by used by Volunteer Effort for Development
Concerns (VEDCO), a Ugandan group committed to entrepreneurial agriculture
in the country and partnered with Iowa State University's Center for Sustainable
Rural Livelihoods.
For Herman, the road to Africa began while she was a freshman as a preveterinary major. Iowa State professors who shared their passion to end global
hunger were instrumental in sparking her interest in agriculture and food security.
"I realized that I care more about the livelihoods and food sources of farmers
than how to doctor their cattle," said the senior now majoring in public service
and administration in agriculture.
In Uganda, she will be able to continue her work in food security with a passion.
Link to article: http://www.iastate.edu/~nscentral/news/2006/jan/uganda.shtml
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Washington Evening Journal, IA
01/25/06
New group promoting good things about ag
By Lacey Jacobs, Ledger staff writer
More than 150 farmers and guests gathered for a lunch hosted by United for
Agriculture Jefferson County at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds Tuesday.
"It's very important for the community to grow and prosper," Kendra Hellweg of
United for Agriculture said and explained the group was formed by a close knit
group of residents who would like to see that happen.
The group was formed to promote agriculture and the positive things that come
from agriculture, Hellweg said.
As the group's first function, Tuesday's lunch featured guest speaker Mark
Imerman, a staff economist at Iowa State University, whose presentation
reflected the group's goal of educating the public about agriculture in Jefferson
County.
Imerman presented statistics from the U.S. Census of Agriculture. According to
the census statistics, the number of farms in Jefferson County have decreased
from 828 in 1997 to 808 in 2002.
Also, while the market value of farm products sold per farm in Iowa has
increased from $125,766 in 1997 to $135,388 in 2002, the market value of farm
products sold per farm in Jefferson County has decreased from $70,763 in 1997
to $60,096 in 2002, a 15 percent decrease in Jefferson County compared to a 7
percent increase in Iowa.
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Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier, IA
01/29/06
Demand for organic milk provides big
premiums
By MATTHEW WILDE, Courier Staff Writer
CASTALIA --- When Chuck Bushman received his first milk check from the
Organic Valley Family of Farms, his eyes nearly popped out of his head.
In July 2002, the rural Castalia dairy farmer recalls earning a paltry $9.50 per
hundredweight for conventional milk. The 50 cows weren't even paying for
themselves, let alone supporting a family of 10.
A month later, when the transition to an all-organic farm was complete, he
received $10 more per hundredweight. That paid the bills and then some.
"It was a breath of fresh air," Bushman said. "It (the budget) was really tight."
Now finances aren't as much of a concern even with nine children --- seven still
at home, ranging in age from 2 to 21. The family is building a sizable addition on
their home and diversified into organic egg production as well, constructing a
new poultry building last year holding 45,000 laying hens.
Wisconsin-based Organic Valley hopes success stories like the Bushman's
convince more Northeast Iowa farmers to join the cooperative. Demand for
organic milk is outpacing supply, creating a seller's market. Co-op officials and
dairy experts say the opportunity exists to make good money for years to come.
According to industry figures, demand for organic dairy products during the last
decade increased, on average, 27 percent a year. To capitalize on the
phenomena, Organic Valley has instituted an aggressive recruiting campaign,
which included a mass mailing to many Northeast Iowa producers.
Organic Valley, a subsidiary of Cooperative Regions Organic Producers, has 533
dairy farmers nationwide, including a handful in Northeast Iowa. It isn't nearly
enough to keep up with demand.
"We're out beating the bushes as hard as we can," said David Bruce, Organic
Valley farmer communication's manager.
Bruce said health-conscious Americans want organic products because they are
safer and healthier. They are produced without manmade chemicals, much like
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food 60 years ago.
The Bushman story
Bushman, 43, bought into his parent's dairy operation at age 19 and eventually
took it over. The operation is much like it was 24 years ago, using a 50-head tiestall barn with a pipeline and bulk tank.
He got married and had kids. After years of roller coaster milk prices and time
spent away from the family to maximize production, he started thinking about a
new direction. A conversation with a cousin who already farmed organically
convinced him to give it a try.
"With organic you know what your getting," Bushman said, noting Organic Valley
sets a yearly price. "I can remember (conventional) milk dropping as much as $3
per hundredweight in a month. It's easier to budget."
While the three-year transition period from traditional production methods to
organic wasn't easy, Bushman is happy he did it. He now spends more time with
his family than his cows, earns more money and isn't constantly worried about
his health. Organic farming forbids the use of farm chemicals and commercial
fertilizer, which can cause health problems like cancer if handled improperly.
Instead of pushing cows with specialized feed rations and hormones to be top
producers, organic production stresses cow health and welfare. Ten years ago,
Bushman said, his cows averaged 24,000 pounds of milk each annually, second
in Fayette County. Now the average is 16,000 pounds, but lower feed and
veterinary bills help offset the production loss.
"When you're pushing cows you almost live with them. Now if something comes
up, I know the kids know what to do," Bushman said. His children can handle
more of the feeding and milking duties.
The switch to organic was a lifestyle choice and a financial one. Some farmers
spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a modern milking parlor and free-stall
barn. Bushman raises his own organic feed. His cost of production is lower than
most at around $10 per hundredweight. Once the farm payment, repairs and
living expenses are factored in, production costs increase by a few dollars.
By keeping expenses down, Bushman said, his profit margin is much better,
despite lower milk production and corn yields. Organic Valley wants cows on
pasture as much as possible, which helps control costs. He farms about 600
acres split between corn, soybeans, forage and small grains.
"I wanted to stay small and still raise my family. This allows my wife to stay
home," Bushman said.
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In 2002, Organic Valley paid $20 per hundredweight for milk while conventional
producers averaged $12 for the year.
Last year, Organic Valley paid nearly $22 per hundredweight, while conventional
prices averaged a little less than $15.50.
"The profitability prospects are tremendous," said Robert Tigner, Iowa State
University Extension dairy specialist for Northeast Iowa.
Going organic
Producing organic milk isn't an overnight process. It can take one to three years
before milk can be certified and sold to Organic Valley. Plus, it takes a financial
commitment to join the cooperative --- 5.5 percent of a farmer's base annual
income (one-time payment) and yearly organic certification fees. Farmer leaving
the co-op get the membership money back with interest.
Organic Valley's Bruce said conventional dairy farmers often scared of change or
skeptical about organic profitability. The transition period --- farming organically
but selling at conventional prices --- can be difficult. Yields, especially for corn,
often go down since herbicides and commercial fertilizer can't be used. Still,
Bruce estimates the success rate at about 80 percent.
"We can help people pencil out profitability --- taking in account herd size and
feed intake, so they know how hard to push cows," Bruce said.
Farmers can have milk certified organic in a year after feeding cows strictly
organic feed during that time. However, with organic corn topping $5 a bushel
compared to less than $2 per bushel for conventional corn, that can be
expensive.
The most economical way is transition cows and land to organic at the same
time. It is more profitable for farmers to raise their own organic feed. The herd
can be fed transition feed until the last three months of the three-year transition
period --- time needed to purge the land of commercial chemicals. Organic Valley
will provide a $2 per hundredweight stipend during that time.
To become a member, farmers need to be certified organic by an accredited
agency, such as the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. A
bulk tank is needed with the capacity for four milkings.
A milk hauling charge of $75 a month is charged to members. Milk must be
Grade A with a good quality history.
Organic Valley suggest farmers create a transition plan and keep good records.
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"There is more paperwork ... and you have to stay on top of things," Bushman
said. "I wish I had done it a lot sooner."
For more information call 1-888-444-MILK or visit www.organicvalley.coop.
Contact Matthew Wilde at (319) 291-1579 or matt.wilde@wcfcourier.com.
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