Business Beat

Crop insurance subsidies are winning; theater screens 'sensory-friendly' film

Kristofor Husted — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 21:55:11 +0000

Crop insurance is a big part of the farm bill debate in Washington this year. The Senate recently passed a bill that would expand the heavily subsidized program. And now the House is zeroing in on the issue. Several amendments to the farm bill pending in the House would curb how much the government provides to cut the cost farmers pay for crop insurance. But, premiums aren’t the only part of the system supported by tax payers. Crop insurance companies also enjoy lots of government largess. Harvest Public Media’s Frank Morris reports.

Drought pushes beef prices up; wet spring hinders corn planting

Kristofor Husted — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 21:57:46 +0000

Drought conditions in much of the country have eased, but the Great Plains region is still in rough shape. Last year’s dryness pushed the nation’s cattle herd to its lowest numbers since the 1950s. Dry conditions this summer could cause the herd to dwindle even further. As Harvest Public Media's Luke Runyon reports from Colorado, that means beef prices are on the rise this summer just in time for grilling season.

Food stamps, Farm Bill and women in ag

Kristofor Husted — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 15:06:12 +0000

On this week's Business Beat: 47 million Americans are enrolled in the SNAP program, or food stamps, including nearly 16 percent of Missourians. SNAP is the biggest spending item in the farm bill. And the program has a big bulls eye on it as Congress debates new legislation. As Grant Gerlock reports for Harvest Public Media, the economic considerations go beyond who receives SNAP benefits to how and where the money is spent.

Right to farm (bill); Ste. Genevieve sand mine

Kristofor Husted — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:44:01 +0000

Dozens of Ste. Genevieve County residents met last night (Tuesday) with the company applying to open up a sand mine in their neighborhood. Locals fired questions at Mark Rust, owner of Summit Proppants, for four hours about health concerns, traffic safety and property values.

Missouri voters will get the chance to consider a constitutional amendment next fall that would affirm the rights of farmers to engage in modern farming and ranching practices. The state House and Senate passed the measure during the end of the legislative session last week. Harvest Public Media reports.

Conservation or ag land; climate change and Missouri wine

Kristofor Husted — Wed, 15 May 2013 22:37:03 +0000

With a new farm bill, farmers may have access to fewer dollars for conservation. For 27 years, the popular Conservation Reserve Program has transformed small parcels of land, contributing to cleaner water, more habitat for migrating birds and less soil erosion. But as Harvest Public Media’s Amy Mayer reports from Iowa, the program has been enrolling fewer acres in recent years and it’s not just budget cuts that could make it smaller still.

Endangered pallid sturgeon; new downtown grocery store

Kristofor Husted — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:54:34 +0000

Coming up we’ll hear about the new grocery store opening up show in downtown Columbia. But first, more than 20 years after being listed as an endangered species, the pallid sturgeon is just treading water in the Missouri River. Manmade channels, impounds and dams, commercial fishing and environmental contaminants all had been fingered in the demise of the species.

Rural Kansas tries to entice businesses; Community rallies to stop fort's job cuts

Kristofor Husted — Wed, 01 May 2013 22:23:13 +0000