11-02-11 CME Group Statement on Court Approval to Transfer MF Global Accounts

CHICAGO, Nov. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Throughout this week, CME Group has worked diligently with the CFTC and the MF Global bankruptcy trustee to facilitate the transfer of MF Global customer positions to other qualified clearing members.  We are pleased to share that the bankruptcy court has approved our proposal to transfer accounts to qualified firms along with a portion of CME Clearing-held collateral.  We will continue to facilitate the transfer of positions and accounts of customers and affiliates of MF Global, and will also continue to assist the efforts of the CFTC and bankruptcy trustee to recover customer segregated funds held by MF Global.

As the world’s leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace, CME Group (www.cmegroup.com) is where the world comes to manage risk.  CME Group exchanges offer the widest range of global benchmark products across all major asset classes, including futures and options based on interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange, energy, agricultural commodities, metals, weather and real estate.  CME Group brings buyers and sellers together through its CME Globex® electronic trading platform and its trading facilities in New York and Chicago.  CME Group also operates CME Clearing, one of the world’s leading central counterparty clearing providers, which offers clearing and settlement services for exchange-traded contracts, as well as for over-the-counter derivatives transactions through CME ClearPort®. These products and services ensure that businesses everywhere can substantially mitigate counterparty credit risk in both listed and over-the-counter derivatives markets.

11-03-11 ATTN: AG PRODUCERS…Show Your Support for Boulder County November 7th…

It is important that Colorado Farm Bureau members are there to show support and voice your support for coexistance between biotech and organic farming methods.  Boulder County Parks and Open Space will be hosting a short presentation on the Cropland Policy Process at the Boulder County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall in Longmont on Monday, November 7 from 5-8pm

For the past six months, the Boulder County Cropland Policy Advisory Group has been working to develop the protocols for Boulder County Open Space farms. For this particular meeting there are expectations of a very large crowd, including many activists protestors, who do not understand the safety and environmental benefits of GMO crops.

This issue is much bigger than just Boulder County, the outcome of this meeting can adversely affect how we farm going forward. We need to demonstrate that we support all farming practices. Please attend this meeting to show our support for agriculture as we know it and share this alert with everyone that might have an interest in this issue.

The meeting will be held Monday, November 7 from 5-8pm at the Boulder County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall in Longmont at 9595 Nelson Road

11-02-11 Agreements with Williams and ConocoPhillips resolve alleged Clean Air Act violations on Southern Ute Reservation

Companies to pay penalties, improve emission controls, and conserve gas at production facilities

(Denver, Colo. – November 2, 2011) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced agreements with two gas production companies resolving alleged violations of the Clean Air Act on the Southern Ute Reservation in Colorado’s San Juan Basin. The agreements, outlined in separate consent decrees with Williams and ConocoPhillips, will reduce emissions of air pollutants from a gas plant and compressor stations.

“These agreements will ensure that steps are taken to monitor and reduce emissions of harmful volatile organic compounds from several production facilities on the Southern Ute Reservation,” said Mike Gaydosh, director of EPA’s enforcement program in Denver. “These and other air pollutants can contribute to unhealthy air quality and impair visibility.”

Under an agreement with Houston-based ConocoPhillips, the company will pay a penalty of $198,000 to resolve alleged Clean Air Act violations at the Southern Ute Compressor Station. The station removes water and compresses natural gas for transportation through high pressure gas pipelines. The violations were discovered during a self-audit conducted by ConocoPhillips and disclosed to EPA.

ConocoPhillips will also conduct mitigation projects at the station, including the replacement of “high-bleed” pneumatics with “low-bleed” or “no-bleed” pneumatics at well sites that feed into the station. In addition, the company will conduct an infrared camera survey of the compressor station to identify leaking components and will retrofit a compressor engine with an oxidation catalyst to reduce emissions.

11-02-11 US Senator Bennet (D-CO): Kit Carson and Yuma County Producers Eligible for USDA Emergency Loans

Kit Carson and Yuma Among Counties Designated Natural Disaster Areas

Washington—Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet announced today that Colorado farmers and ranchers in Kit Carson and Yuma Counties are eligible for natural disaster assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The announcement comes on the heels of the USDA’s recent designation of several Colorado counties as natural disaster areas due to losses caused by rain, high winds and lightning that occurred from August 8 through August 10, 2011.

“Colorado’s farmers and ranchers are an essential part of our state’s economic success, and we can’t afford to let seasonal losses grow into larger problems down the road,” Bennet said. “The USDA has committed to providing assistance and I encourage those affected to take advantage of these programs.

11-02-11 Weld County RE-11J School District in New Raymer, CO Wins BIG on Election Day…NEW SCHOOL IN 2013

(The BARN – Briggsdale, CO) Prairie School District RE-11J is located just east of New Raymer, CO just north of CO Hwy 14 will be the location for a brand new PreK-12 facility with hopes o opening in the Fall of 2013. Prairie Superintendent Joe Kimmel visited with the BARN about the overwhelming passage of Ballot Measure 3A…

110211_BARN_AgNews_PrairieToGetNewSchool_JoeKimmel_6m50s

11-02-11 CME Group Statement Regarding MF Global

CHICAGO, Nov. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — CME Clearing is holding substantial excess margin collateral from MF Global Inc. (“MF Global”) and therefore continues to be in a strong financial position, both with respect to MF Global and more generally.  MF Global’s customer positions on CME Group exchanges were and continue to be substantially over-collateralized at CME Clearing. As of today, the proprietary positions of MF Global have been liquidated with no adverse market impact, leaving a substantial part of that collateral to be applied to MF Global’s obligations at CME.

Our primary focus is the protection of our customers and the integrity of our markets.  Our current efforts are focused on working diligently with the CFTC and the SIPC trustee to facilitate the transfer of customer positions to other qualified clearing member firms, with as much CME Clearing held collateral as will be legally permitted.  CME has no control over the disposition of customer segregated funds that are held by MF Global and not held by CME Clearing.  Those funds are now under the control of the SIPC trustee.  Nevertheless, we have urged the SIPC trustee to facilitate the transfer of such funds from MF Global to MF Global customers.

11-02-11 Colorado Foundation For Agriculture…Ag in the Classroom & MUCH MORE!

CLICK HERE to learn more about the CFA and how you can help...

(The BARN – Briggsdale, CO) Did you know that the Colorado Foundation for Agriculture has distributed more than 6-million Colorado Readers, 60,000 Understanding Water Activity Books, 6,000 Water in the West interactive CDs, 3,000 Century of Seasons interactive CDs and hosted more than 700 teachers at the Summer Ag Institute. And that’s just the beginning of their work as 2011 comes to a close and they begin to develop new ways to teach students & teachers about Colorado’s agriculture industry. In cooperation with industry groups, government agencies and teachers, the Colorado Foundation for Agriculture develops, distributes and evaluates educational programs to help Colorado students better understand the world they live in.

Learn more about the Colorado Foundation for Agriculture by listening to the BARN EXCLUSIVE interview with Executive Director Bette Blinde…

110211_CFA_BetteBlinde_6m53s

To learn more about the Colorado Foundation for Agriculture - CLICK HERE

If you would like to make a donation to the Colorado Foundation for Agriculture - CLICK HERE

Follow the Colorado Foundation for Agriculture on Facebook - CLICK HERE

Follow the 2012 National Ag in the Classroom on Facebook - CLICK HERE

To dowwnload the posters that Bette Blinde talked about within the interview look below…

11-02-11 Colorado’s Egg Producers Will Reward Students who “Egg-Cell”…an Omelet Breakfast for your School in 2012

CHECK THIS OUT…

CLICK HERE to learn more from the Colorado Foundation for Agriculture's Website

Listen to a BARN EXCLUSIVE interview with Colorado Foundation for Agriculture

Executive Director Bette Blinde about this program and much more – CLICK HERE

11-02-11 KCBT Sets New Annual Trading Volume Records For HRW Wheat Futures Contract & Exchange

Kansas City–November 2, 2011—-The Kansas City Board of Trade during the month of October set new annual trading volume records in the Hard Red Winter wheat futures contract and the exchange as a whole.

Through October 31, a total of 5,646,965 HRW wheat futures contracts or 28.23 billion bushels had traded, exceeding last year’s annual volume record of 5,549,842 contracts or 27.75 billion bushels by 1.8 percent with two months remaining to build on the record. The KCBT hard red winter wheat futures contract is the world benchmark pricing mechanism for bread wheat.

Total exchange volume also set an annual volume record this month with a total of 5,873,465 contracts traded, exceeding last year’s annual volume record of 5,697,874 contracts by 3.1 percent with two months remaining in the year.

11-02-11*National Weather Service* Winter Weather Advisory for Northeast Weld County‏…CANCELLED

CLICK HERE for Colorado Road Conditions & Closures

Issued at: 11:30am MST

A winter weather advisory has been CANCELLED

11-02-11 American Coalition for Ethanol expresses disappointment with mostly one-sided Congressional hearing on RFS

Sioux Falls, SD (November 2, 2011) – The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) today contacted members of the Congressional House Science Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment and expressed its disappointment on the one-sided tone of today’s hearing on the Renewable Fuels Standard. (RFS)
In the letter to Congressmen Andy Harris (R-MD) and Brad Miller, (D-NC) ACE Executive Vice President Brian Jennings says that while he understands that some of the groups testifying oppose the RFS because it threatens their profitable status quo, Congress should realize that data proves that the RFS is succeeding in fulfilling its energy security intent.

11-02-11 Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Highlights the 150th Anniversary of USDA…HAPPY 150th USDA!

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Nov. 2, 2011 – Today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited the Old Illinois State Capitol to announce the year-long celebration of USDA’s 150th anniversary in 2012. Secretary Vilsack was in the hometown of USDA’s founder – President Abraham Lincoln – who signed into law an act of Congress establishing the United States Department of Agriculture in 1862.

“Through our work on food, agriculture, economic development, science, natural resource conservation and a host of issues, USDA still fulfills President Lincoln’s vision as “The People’s Department”– touching the lives of every American, every day,” said Vilsack. “As we commemorate 150 years, we will look for lessons from the past that can help us strengthen USDA in the future to address the changing needs of agriculture and rural America.”

President Lincoln established USDA because he recognized the potential of America’s farmers to find new ways to cultivate the land and that with advances in research and technology, America’s farmers and ranchers could provide a safe, ample food supply for our nation and the world. In one of President Lincoln’s only speeches on agriculture at the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society on September 30, 1859, he said, “…no other human occupation opens so wide a field for the profitable and agreeable combination of labor with cultivated thought, as agriculture.”

Today, America’s farmers and ranchers are responsible in no small way for the health and strength of this nation. Today’s event readies USDA for a historic year for the Department. In February 2012, at USDA’s Annual Agricultural Outlook Forum, the Department will formally launch the 150th anniversary commemoration. Throughout 2012, USDA will recognize important events, such as President Lincoln’s signing of an Act to establish the Department of Agriculture on May, 15, 1862, and the July signing of the Morrill Act to establish public land grant universities. Employees in USDA field offices across the country will find ways to celebrate this landmark throughout 2012. Learn more about President Lincoln’s agricultural legacy.

USDA will use a 150th anniversary graphic to mark the occasion and created a web page, www.usda.gov/usda150that goes live today. The site will give the American people a sense of where USDA has been – and where USDA is headed in the 21st century. This web page will provide information about events, facts and goings-on related to the anniversary.

Secretary Vilsack is currently working to transform USDA into a higher performing organization – one that is open and responsive; more collaborative, inclusive and effective to meet the needs of the American public. USDA is also building a workforce that looks like and reflects the values of and understands the broad range of Americans the Department serves.

SOURCE: USDA

11-02-11 National Farm-City Council Announces Panelists for 2011 Annual Symposium Nov 17th in Kentucky

“Childhood Obesity: The School Lunchroom Debate”

   READING, Pa., November 2, 2011 – Three panelists will share their expertise on healthier lunch nutrition programs for America’s youth at the annual National Farm-City Week Symposium, “Childhood Obesity: The School Lunchroom Debate,” on Thursday, Nov. 17. The event will be held at the Locust Trace AgriScience Farm outside of Fayette, Kentucky, off the Newton Pike. The public is invited to attend.
In addition, Joe Norman, principal of the Fayette County (Kentucky) School System, will be the luncheon speaker, discussing the school’s efforts at the Locust Trace Farm designed to help students learn more about agriculture as a career choice.
The purpose of the Symposium will be to explore the issues around childhood obesity in the United States and how it can be managed through healthier choices made available in the school lunchroom.
“The epidemic of childhood obesity – which usually continues on into adulthood – is an increasingly difficult situation to reverse throughout the United States,” says Hugh Whaley, chairman of the National Farm-City Council. “If we can help children and young adults understand and accept their personal responsibility to develop healthy eating habits through improved food selection education and healthy choices in school lunch programs, coupled with adequate physical exercise opportunities, we’ll go a long way toward managing this national problem.”

        The three Symposium panelists are:

11-02-11 CHECK OUT the latest Edition of the National Farmers Market Directory from the USDA…

With nearly 2 million page views in 2011 alone, the USDA National Farmers Market Directory is one of the Department of Agriculture’s most popular consumer search engines. Over 7,200 farmers markets across the country have voluntarily listed themselves in the USDA Farmers Market Directory.  The USDA Farmers Market Directory is  searchable by zip code, product availability, payment method and even if the market participates in federal nutrition programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps),Women, Infant and Children (WIC) , WIC Cash Value Vouchers (WIC CVV) and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Programs (SFMNP).

But wait, there’s more!  As part of the USDA’s continued commitment to the principles of open government, and the remarkable response the USDA had when we released geocodes from the 2010 USDA Farmers Market Directory,  an enhanced set of geocodes from the 2011 USDA National Farmers Market Directory is  now available via data.gov. This Excel file shows street addresses and geocodes for over 6,200 markets in the US.  That’s a 33 percent increase of geocodes available over last year.

We’ve built a new map based on the 2011 USDA Farmers Market Directory geocodes.  What will you build?

http://blogs.usda.gov/2011/10/27/data-lovers-rejoice-more-farmers-market-geocodes-available/

11-02-11 CME Group Volume Averaged 12.4 Million Contracts per Day in October 2011, Up 9 Percent from October 2010

CHICAGO, Nov. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — CME Group, the world’s leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace, today announced October volume averaged 12.4 million contracts per day, up 9 percent from October 2010.  Total volume for October was 261 million contracts, of which 85 percent was traded electronically.

In October 2011, CME Group interest rate volume averaged 4.8 million contracts per day, up 2 percent compared with October 2010.  Treasury futures volume averaged 2.2 million contracts per day, up 8 percent compared with same period a year ago.  Treasury options volume averaged 290,000 contracts per day, down 21 percent from October 2010.  Eurodollar futures volume averaged 1.6 million contracts per day, in line with the prior October, and Eurodollar options volume averaged 629,000 contracts per day, up 1 percent.

CME Group equity index volume averaged 3.4 million contracts per day, up 29 percent from October 2010.  CME Group foreign exchange (FX) volume averaged 926,000 contracts per day, up 4 percent compared with the same period a year ago, reflecting average daily notional value of $122 billion.

CME Group energy volume averaged 1.9 million contracts per day, up 10 percent compared with October 2010.  CME Group agricultural commodities volume averaged 1.1 million contracts per day, down 3 percent compared with the prior October.  CME Group metals volume averaged 303,000 contracts per day, down 14 percent compared with the same period last year.

Electronic volume averaged 10.5 million contracts per day in October 2011, up 11 percent from October 2010, while privately negotiated volume increased 1 percent, to 212,000 contracts per day.  Average daily volume cleared through CME ClearPort was 492,000 contracts in October 2011, up 10 percent compared with October 2010.  Open outcry volume averaged 1.2 million contracts per day, down 11 percent versus the prior October.