You have probably done stories about flat or declining home prices, but here's a story you might have missed. Farmland prices
in places like Iowa are rising -- and fast. What is happening near you?
Agriculture.com, the Web site of
Successful Farming magazine, says
increased demand for biofuels is jacking up farmland prices. Among the several other factors contributing to the rise is urban sprawl, which is eating up lots of land. But I suspect that uncertainty about the
2007 Farm Bill may eventually push prices down.
The Growing Business of Manure Sales
Here is an interesting agriculture story about how the high price of chemical fertilizer is sparking a resurgence in the market for manure.
USA Today reports:In 2003, only one person in Ohio was licensed to buy and apply large amounts of manure. Today, there are 30 -- with 48 more in the process of getting their permits.
In Iowa, the number of certified commercial haulers increased from 1,385 in 2005 to 1,447 last year. In Illinois, 12 companies have sought certification to haul manure since certifying began in 2002.
Ben Puck, of Manning, Iowa, has been hauling manure for 28 years. He said sales for his services have increased 10 percent to 15 percent in the past year, primarily because of business from large livestock operations.
The skyrocketing price of commercial fertilizer is making manure more attractive. The price of nitrogen fertilizer, for example, has more than doubled in the past four years, in part because of the rising cost of natural gas needed to make it.
Livestock farmers are also under more pressure to dispose of manure because of tighter environmental regulations. In areas of heavy livestock production, years of having too much manure on the same land have resulted in an overabundance of nutrients such as phosphorus, which can harm water quality and aquatic life.
The Push for HD Radio
USA Today produced
a nice compact piece explaining high-definition radio. Want to know the difference in sound?
Try this Web site for a simulation.Here is a site that lists every HD radio signal in the country.
Wok CarefullyThe latest study by the
Center for Science in the Public Interest takes aim at Chinese food.
CPSI says the stuff is loaded with salt and fat:Lemon Chicken, which is battered, deep-fried, and served with a sugary yellow sauce, has 1,400 calories and 13 grams of saturated fat. CSPI says that's like eating three fried McChicken sandwiches plus a 32-oz. Coke at McDonald's.
Al's Morning MultimediaToday's multimedia story is not, well, multimedia, but a report on what happens when we allow people to interact with our journalism.
The AP took a look at how readers of newspaper Web sites use the "comments" section to rip apart the people featured in some news stories.
The piece raises questions about how much we should let our audiences say on our Web sites.
We are always looking for your great ideas. Send Al a few sentences and hot links.
Editor's Note: Al's Morning Meeting is a compendium of ideas, edited story excerpts and other materials from a variety of Web sites, as well as original concepts and analysis. When the information comes directly from another source, it will be attributed and a link will be provided whenever possible. The column is fact-checked, but depends upon the accuracy and integrity of the original sources cited. Errors and inaccuracies found will be corrected.
