GUEBERT: Reader mail a kick in the pants
The columns that generated the most mail were two on Iowa State University’s cozy arrangements with one of its governing regents, political kingmaker Bruce Rastetter, to ramp up an 800,000-acre “farm” in Tanzania.The Daily Republic, 07/12/2012
GUEBERT: Few markets are totally free
If there’s no such thing as a free lunch — and there isn’t; even the United States Department of Agriculture’s “free” National School Lunch Program cost $10.8 billion in fiscal 2010 — then it stands to reason that the free market might not be entirely free either.The Daily Republic, 07/04/2012
GUEBERT: Monsanto acquires Precision Planting, the future of farming
At any point in the growing and harvest seasons Monsanto likely will know the dates, times, acreages, soil types, weather, seeding rates, yield, moisture content — in short, just about every hard number connected to any field — that uses its Precision technology anywhere in the world.Syndicated columnist, 06/26/2012
GUEBERT: New farm bill could die by 4th of July
In mid-June, the best guessers on Capitol Hill handicapped a probable 2012 Farm Bill this way: either the Senate passes its version by the Fourth of July to push the House to act by late summer or no farm law will pass until after the November general election.Syndicated columnist, 06/21/2012
GUEBERT: Agriculture bright spot for economy
As the world stumbles toward a summer of financial winter, one part of the American economy continues its merry, five-year waltz: U.S. ag exports are forecast to reach $134.5 billion in Fiscal Year 2012.The Daily Republic, 06/13/2012
GUEBERT: Euro ag spending flew high in '70s, '80s, '90s
When I hopped on the ag journalism jet in 1981, the European Union (known then as the European Economic Union) forecast it would spend a fabulous sum — $5 billion or so — on its farm support program, the Common Agricultural Policy.Syndicated columnist, 06/06/2012
GUEBERT: Dad always had the simple answers for small-farm life
A drive through central Illinois one sunny, dry day last week featured miles of black earth, dozens of fast-moving tractors pulling wide, dust-chasing corn planters and soybean drills and not one flatbed wagon or two-wheel trailer holding that day’s seed, fertilizer or fuel.Syndicated columnist, 05/17/2012
GUEBERT: Sugar water or Kool-Aid? Farm bill is empty spending
Cutting agricultural research programs and chopping Rural Development is neither wise nor brave.Syndicated columnist, 05/10/2012
GUEBERT: Minnesota economist founded food stamp program at USDA
Willard W. Cochrane was an old-school guy with a Ph.D. from Harvard.Syndicated columnist, 04/26/2012
GUEBERT: Oversight of checkoff programs severely lacking
More and more, the federally-mandated, nonrefundable commodity checkoffs resemble something out of a Charles Dickens novel.Syndicated columnist, 04/12/2012
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