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MISSISSIPPI MARKET BULLETIN
March 15, 2005
MISSISSIPPI MARKET BULLETIN
Page 1
Volume 94
Number 6
Lester Spell, Jr., D.V.M., Commissioner
Jackson, Mississippi
March 15, 2005
By Agricultural Council of America
Agriculture: From Food and Fiber
to Fuel and Plastics
When most Americans think of
agriculture and its end products,
they probably picture a picnic table
full of food or a field of waving grain
or a pasture full of livestock. The
reality is that today's picture is quite
a bit different than the one even 10
years ago.
New uses for agricultural products
are being developed at an increasing-
ly rapid pace. Today's real picture
should include not only the food on
the table, but the table itself, the
containers used to serve and store
the food, the utensils used to eat it
and the fuel in the vehicles driven to
the picnic. The fence around the pas-
ture or the lab where the grain seed
was developed to give it pharmaceu-
tical characteristics are also pictures
in today's agricultural photo album -
and there are many more to come.
All Americans are asked to enjoy
and admire the wonders of American
agriculture as National Agriculture
Day is celebrated on March 20.
Researchers are refining current
and developing new uses for agricul-
tural products everyday. Ethanol is
the largest industrial use of the com-
modity crops, but soy diesel and
other uses are emerging daily.
According to Doug DeVries, sr. vice
president, agricultural marketing for
North America, Australia and Asia at
John Deere in Moline, Ill., resins
from corn and soybeans are used in
some of the panels that go into John
Deere equipment. This is but one
example of the many new uses for ag
crops. "We've really just seen the tip
of the iceberg in the use of renewable
resources," he says. "The more we
can use commodity crops in indus-
trial applications, the better off we'll
all be."
The industrial uses for agricultur-
al products are quite extensive.
Wheat straw is being used in build-
ing materials, corn and soybeans are
being used as fuels. Soybeans are
Agriculture: From Food And Fiber To Fuel And Plastics
also used in market segments that
traditionally use petroleum products
including: plastics, lubricants, coat-
ings and ink, adhesives, and specialty
markets like solvents. Corn is also
used in many of those markets.
Pharmaceutical companies are
actively working with farmers to
develop crops that can go directly
from the field to pharmaceutical pro-
duction - eliminating some of the
processing steps that occur in
today's operations. This research will
significantly reduce the costs
required to produce many life-saving
drugs.
Research today is focused on
improving agricultural production
and developing crop genetics for spe-
cific uses. This research will reduce
America's dependence on petroleum-
based products, increase the quality
of food products that reach the retail
shelf and ensure a plentiful, cost-
effective food supply for years to
come.
More information on advances in
agriculture can be found in a variety
of locations on the Internet. Some
key sights include:
www.ncga.com
www.unitedsoybean.org
www.newuses.org
www.agday.org
www.csrees.usda.gov/ree
www.johndeere.com
www.whybiotech.com
These are just a few of the sites
available and they contain links to
other sites with specific information
on the various aspects of agriculture,
biotechnology and food safety.
According to the U.S. Census
Bureau, there will be approximately
7.5 billion people in the world by the
year 2020 (currently the number is
6.2 billion). Improving the quality
and quantity of food available to the
world and creating additional non-
food uses with renewable resources
will only grow in importance to the
population at large.
The people involved in agriculture
today realize the vital role they play
and celebrate the advances agricul-
ture has witnessed in the last 20
years. Consumers, both farm and
non-farm, marvel at the promise of
new products and technologies on
the horizon.
By Victoria Miller, MDAC Staff
Agriculture, just like any other
industry, is economically derived - it
requires a delicate balance of supply
and demand, sufficient capital, ample
manpower, efficient utilization of
resources, and a lot of hard work put in
by the individual business owners to
run the overall operation. Essentially,
farming is driven by the profit power of
the almighty dollar. Why then is the
farming community diminishing while
all other businesses are flourishing?
The answer - lack of diversification.
The economic community has seen a
significant change over the past sever-
al years in the way that business is con-
ducted. With large corporations buy-
ing small enterprises daily, it is simply
putting the quaint Mom and Pop oper-
ations out of business. However, many
are surviving the dog-eat-dog business
world by branching out of their tradi-
tional, singular business domain and
marketing to a broader consumer base.
Proving its success and survival, it can
only be determined that agriculture
must follow suit by taking hold of this
'diversification' concept and encourag-
ing the growth of the Agri-Tourism
sector. In doing so, it has kept the fam-
ily on the farm and the farm in the
family.
Agri-Tourism serves as an alternative
for improving the incomes and viabili-
ty of rural communities. Unlike tradi-
tional farming where the farmer is a
price taker, the farmer now becomes a
price setter. Furthermore, it affords
the agricultural community the oppor-
tunity to provide the urbanized with
the experience that the farming
lifestyle has to offer while earning
higher profits by supplementing tradi-
tional farm operations with innovative
on-farm ventures. Agri-Tourism activ-
ities include farm tours, U-Cut and U-
Pick, dude ranches, farmers' markets,
festivals, cultural events, reenact-
ments, garden tours, nature trails, pet-
ting zoos, pumpkin patches, scenic dri-
How To Make Money On The Farm
Without Farming
ves, educational activities, and wineries
just to name a few.
Dewey Wise, owner of Hope Fruit
and Berry Farm, is a strong advocate of
Agri-Tourism. Since the implementa-
tion of his program in 2000, he has
already reaped the rewards from this
opportunity. In addition to his U-Pick
berry operation, Wise also participates
in festivals and farmers' markets
around the state. He will also be
attending the new Farmers' Market in
Jackson since his customers are main-
ly pulled from the Metro-area. Having
customer appeal and providing a
unique experience are the keys to hav-
ing a successful Agri-Tourism site. As
Wise stated, "I enjoy interacting with
peopleI couldn't do it unless I knew
the customer directly."
If you are interested in developing an
Agri-Tourism site or would like to reg-
ister your current Agri-Tourism site,
please contact Gary Bridges at (662)
728-2429 or gary@mdac.state.ms.us
MISSISSIPPI MARKET BULLETIN
National Agriculture Day
is celebrated on
March 20, 2005
OFFICIAL VISIT - Mississippi 4-H Leadership Team members recently
took part in a Legislative Day in Jackson. Commissioner of Agriculture and
Commerce Dr. Lester Spell, center, welcomed, from front left to right,
Summer Lucky of Lauderdale County, Ashley Henley of Newton County and
Jonathan Mason of Rankin County; second row, left to right, Tiffany
Raymond of Madison County and Shauna Dickens of Covington County; and
back row, left, 4-H Youth Agent Sheran Watkins of Harrison County and
Kimberly Watson of Hinds County. Page 2
MISSISSIPPI MARKET BULLETIN
March 15, 2005
ALMOND MANDARIN SALAD
Not only is this salad just plain good it is also very refreshing. Enjoy! Prep Time:
approx. 20 Minutes. Cook Time: approx. 10 Minutes. Ready In: approx. 35 Minutes.
Makes 8 servings.
½ pound bacon 1 head red leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1 (15 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
3 tablespoons honey 1 bunch green onion, diced
½ teaspoon dry hot mustard ¾ cup slivered almonds
½ teaspoon celery salt ½ teaspoon ground paprika
¼ cup olive oil
Directions
1. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon until evenly brown.
Drain, cool, and crumble.
2. To make the dressing, thoroughly blend the vinegar, honey, dry mustard, celery
salt, paprika, and olive oil.
3. Place lettuce, oranges, green onion, bacon, and almonds in a serving bowl. Toss
with dressing and serve.
AMERICAN POTATO SALAD
Just a good old fashioned, down home potato salad recipe that brings back memo-
ries of picnics in the park and family gatherings. Wonderful as it is or make it your
own by adding additional ingredients of your choice. Prep Time: approx. 30
Minutes. Cook Time: approx. 30 Minutes. Ready In: approx. 3 Hours. Makes 12
to 15 servings.
5 pounds red potatoes