BIOMASS ENERGY DEFINED Biomass is any organic matter which is available on a renewable basis through natural processes or as a by-product of human activity. Biomass includes: agricultural crops and wastes, wood and wood waste, energy crops and municipal solid waste. Biomass can be converted into energy through many different means such as combustion, gasification, fermentation and anaerobic digestion.

According to Michigan Farm Bureau Commodity and Marketing Department Manager Bob Boehm, the energy policy package, currently in conference committee, includes a Renewable Fuels for Energy Act.

That, says Boehm, sets the stage for production agriculture to expand its current ethanol production capacities, while also breaking new ground into other alternative and renewable fuels. "Manure digesters, for example, may offer a very attractive solution to manure management on larger livestock farms, while also producing a steady supply of electricity that can either be used on-farm, or sold through a local utility," Boehm said.

At a recent Renewable Energy Conference, sponsored by the American Farm Bureau Federation, Boehm said the focus was on energy production from methane digesters, wind and biomass. Fine-tuning processing technology and minimizing installation costs for new systems are necessary for economic viability however.

"There is currently only one manure digester still in operation in Michigan that was built in 1981," Boehm said. "Installation costs, with current technology, can run anywhere from $400 to $800 per cow for a 1,000 cow dairy. We're hopeful that the new provisions within the 2002 farm bill will assist producers to integrate these systems into their livestock operations to address a variety of needs in energy, manure handling and nutrient management."

According to Boehm, energy title highlights of the 2002 farm bill include:

• Renewable Energy Systems & Energy Efficiency Improvements: Establishes a $115 million loan guarantee and grant program to assist farmers in purchasing renewable energy systems and making energy efficiency improvements.
• Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Bioenergy Programs: Provides $204 million in mandatory funding for the CCC Bioenergy Program, which will enable the Secretary of Agriculture to make payments to bioenergy producers who purchase agricultural commodities for expansion of biodiesel and fuel-grade ethanol.
• Biodiesel Fuel Education: Creates a $5 million grant program to educate government and private consumers about the benefits of biodiesel fuel use.
• Biobased Product Purchasing Preference: Establishes a $6 million program for the purchase of biobased fuels by federal agencies.
• Biomass Research and Development Act of 2000: Reauthorizes $75 million to fund the Biomass Research and Development Act through 2007.

"The Michigan Biomass Energy Program (MBEP), located within the Michigan Department of Consumer and Industry Services/Energy Office, is focused solely on increased production and use of energy derived from biomass, which would include ethanol and biodiesel," he said. "MBEP also offers funding for state grants and is working to expand the biofuel infrastructure within Michigan."

Another valuable in-state asset, Michigan Biotech Institute (MBI), is researching biobased fuel production techniques in an effort to reduce production costs and boost product utilization, according to MBI President Dr. Mark Stowers.

Located in East Lansing, MBI hopes to reduce ethanol production costs by 14 cents per gallon, while also finding additional value-added uses for by-products, including pharmaceuticals and chemical compounds.

"If we're successful, we believe that the 53 cent per gallon excise tax exemption for ethanol could be eliminated and ethanol processors, using a dry mill process, could produce gross profits in excess of $1 per gallon or nearly $3 per bushel of corn."

Biomass fuels, claims Stowers, are expected to be the fuel of the future. "The Department of Energy projects that in 2020, 10 percent of the base inputs for fuel, energy and chemicals will come from biomass," he said. "By 2050, roughly 50 percent of the base inputs will come from renewable resources."

The Michigan Turkey Producers' Co-op Inc. sold 106,000 pounds of raw turkey drumsticks to Cuba in early May, representing about two to three days worth of production, said Dan Lennon, president and CEO of the co-op.

"I'm excited about it," he said. "It opens a new market in which the potential is as of yet untapped."

That untapped potential is in the value-added products that were sent along with the drumsticks.

"We included turkey sausages, roasts and steaks, and we hope they like those products enough to buy them," he said. "We can ship the commodity parts (of the birds), and we will do that, but we would like to show them how good our products are when the meat is taken off the bone and given added flavoring that make good roasts, steaks and burgers."

The co-op was formed in 1999 after Sarah Lee, corporate owner of Bil-Mar Foods near Zeeland, closed its turkey processing plant. Turkey producers then created the co-op, bought and refurbished a processing plant in a Grand Rapids suburb and started producing raw turkey products as well as value-added items.

While business has been increasing over the years, the sale to Cuba marks a breakthrough of sorts, especially considering that in early spring, Cuban agricultural officials were denied visas by the U.S. State Department. The Cubans had indicated interest in a trip to investigate Michigan's agricultural products with intentions of starting trade relations, but officials at the State Department said that the current administration "does not want to favor this sale or encourage future sales."

While that baffling position was damaging - at least temporarily - to hopes for an end to the 43-year-old trade embargo against Cuba, the turkey growers were busy forging a one-time sale that could lead to future sales, said Lennon, although would not reveal the price paid by the Cubans.

Comfort between the co-op and the Cubans was perhaps one of the keys to the sale, Lennon said. Another factor, said John DeLordo, vice president of sales with the co-op, was the fact that he was given an audience with Castro.

"The first day there (on a January trip), we met with the minister of trade, and he said Cuba was only interested in importing chickens and eggs," DeLordo said in an interview with Michigan Farm Radio Network. "However, after we had a meeting with President Castro, the minister of trade changed his mind. Remember that Castro has a degree in agriculture and he understands that his country can't afford to grow certain agricultural products or livestock because the people just don't have the ability to raise grain to feed them. He knows that they need to grow the agricultural products they're competent in, and import the right products."

It also didn't hurt, Lennon said, that the Michigan co-op was the only company on the trade trip that was selling turkey products exclusively.

"The other companies represented chicken combined with turkey, or chicken only," he said. "We got a one-time order, but we believe there will be more."

The co-op got around the U.S. restrictions against trade with Cuba, Lennon said, by working with a licensed international trader experienced with trade in South America, Central America and the Caribbean. That trader is billed by the co-op, and the trader takes care of delivery. Lennon said the co-op also sells through brokers to many other countries around the world.

But besides the obvious search for profits and new markets, Lennon said he feels there is a moral obligation involved.

"When you're in the food business, your job is to feed people," he said. "If people are hungry and can't avail themselves of our low-fat, healthy product, that's wrong. If we have the food and they can't get it, it's our moral obligation to get it to them. It's not only a business transaction, it's an ethical thing to do."

The sale shows there are additional opportunities for agriculture when growers take control of their own products, said Bob Boehm, manager of the commodity and marketing department at Michigan Farm Bureau.

"This represents one more example of how Michigan agriculture could benefit by the elimination of trade sanctions with Cuba," he said. "More activity is occurring daily as additional sales are being made as well as high-profile visits to Cuba by former President Jimmy Carter."

To celebrate the recent trade agreement between Michigan and Mexico and to welcome the recently appointed Mexican Consul Antonio Meza Estrada, Sens. Valde Garcia and George McManus and Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) hosted a reception May 15 for Estrada at the state capital.

"We're excited about the agreement that Michigan, through the Department of Agriculture, has signed to sell apples to Mexico," Garcia, (R-St. Johns), said. "We're thankful for the work the Department of Agriculture and Farm Bureau did because that means more markets for our growers and eventually that will mean more markets for our other farmers and growers here in Michigan."

The agreement, signed in April by Sanidad Vegetal, the Mexican equivalent of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and supported by a coalition of Michigan apple interests, including the Michigan Apple Committee, Michigan Apple Shippers Association, Michigan Department of Agriculture and MFB, will allow Michigan to ship apples that have been stored in special controlled atmosphere storage facilities to Mexico.

Under the agreement, Michigan apples will be placed in the storage facilities in September and shipped in December after they have been approved by a Mexican inspector.

"For our country, it is very important for any type of agreement to increase in trade with Michigan and the other states," Estrada said. "Apples are now one more merchandise Michigan will export to Mexico."

According to Estrada, Michigan is the third ranking trading partner with Mexico, just behind Texas and California. He said it is important for the governments of the United States and Mexico to support businessmen and women from both sides of the border to enhance this relationship.

"We are hopeful that the apple agreement will be one of a series of trade enhancing efforts between Michigan agriculture and Mexican consumers," said Ken Nye, MFB Commodity Specialist.

"This is all part of the way the world is changing," McManus, (R-Traverse City), said. "We're going to be in an international market for our commodities."

Increased trade with Mexico is something MFB has been working toward steadily following a March 2001 study tour MFB co-sponsored to the country, said Ron Nelson, manager of MFB's State Governmental Affairs Department. One of the opportunities participants discovered during that trip was the potential for Michigan to ship apples to Mexico, said McManus, who was a part of the study tour.

Nelson also recognized the help of the former Mexican Consul Benjamin Ruiz y Avila, who toured Michigan apple orchards last fall at the invitation of Garcia.

"We're hopeful this agreement will be a foretelling of things to come and we'll be able to open more markets to Mexico for our farmers," Garcia said.

"The farm tour was an opportunity for President McPherson and the others involved to discuss, in an open and natural environment, the future of Michigan's agriculture industry and the partnerships we may form," said Wood, who is serving his second term as president of the state's largest general farm organization.

"There's always been a strong relationship between Michigan's agriculture industry and the state's land-grant university," Wood said. "Michigan farmers look to MSU for guidance on how to add value to Michigan's agricultural commodities. I think it's always beneficial to spend some time with your customer. MSU leadership did just that on Monday."

Topics addressed included "mutual concerns about funding for Extension and research," said Wood.

Contact: Jill Haake, (800) 292-2680, ext. 6585

Michigan wheat farmers expect to harvest 460,000 acres, down 100,000 acres from last year. Winter wheat in Michigan is forecast at 67 bushels per acre, up 3 bushels from 2001 but 5 bushels short of the record high of 72 bushels per acre set in 2000. Wheat production in the state is expected to total 30.8 million bushels, a decrease of 14 percent from 2001.

Offsetting that negative news somewhat was USDA's predictions of the second largest U.S. corn and soybeans crops on record. The corn crop is pegged at 9.935 billion bushels and the soybean crop is forecast to be 2.85 billion bushels.

Michigan farmers intend to plant 2.3 million acres of corn and 2.15 million acres of soybeans.

Contact: Bob Boehm, (800) 292-2680, ext. 2023

Biodiesel is fuel made from vegetable oil, and is the only alternative fuel that runs in conventional, unmodified diesel engines. It contains no petroleum, is biodegradable, nontoxic and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics, as well as bring renewable and domestically produced from agricultural resources.

According to the Michigan Department of Agriculture, the Department of Management and Budget has been using biodiesel for several months in its state highway trucks and other diesel vehicles.

Biodiesel also has positive impacts on the state economy. A recent study conducted at Iowa State University revealed that states benefit from biodiesel in three ways:

• Biodiesel expands demand for soybean oil, causing processors to pay more for soybeans,
• Soybean farmers near the biodiesel plant would receive slightly higher prices for soybeans and,
• The presence of a facility that creates energy from soybeans would add value to the state's industrial and income base.

"It doesn't go as far as we'd like. But it is a step in the right direction, and we're going to continue to work with the Commission on this issue," said MFB Associate Legislative Counsel Rob Anderson. MFB policy supports a statewide ban on feeding and baiting of free-ranging deer.

Last week, the NRC announced it was contemplating a statewide ban on supplemental deer feeding and a uniform, statewide deer bait limit of two gallons. Commissioners are expected to act on the proposals at the NRC's next meeting, June 6-7 in Tawas City.

Last September, MFB opposed an NRC decision allowing hunters in Deer Management Unit (DMU) 452 to use up to a gallon of corn or grain as deer bait daily during the early archery and regular firearm seasons from Oct. 1 to Nov. 30.

DMU 452 encompasses portions of Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency and Oscoda counties. At the time of the NRC order, more than 340 deer and 18 beef and dairy herds in DMU 452 had tested positive for TB, a contagious respiratory disease believed to spread from deer to livestock through nose-to-nose or saliva contact.

Commissioners issued the order citing expectations that baiting would help to increase the number of deer harvested in the area and benefit statewide TB eradication efforts. But Farm Bureau argued that the risk of TB transmission far outweighed the potential benefit of additional deer harvested.

The Commission's openness to consider closing the "core TB area" to baiting this year shows the NRC acknowledges that last fall's "experiment" to allow limited baiting in DMU 452 was unsuccessful.

"We're encouraged that the NRC is looking toward more consistency and more easily enforceable regulations on bait," Anderson said.

Contact: Rob Anderson, (800) 292-2680, ext. 2046

Two sacred oxen in Thailand recently drank bowls of alcohol and ate rice at Bangkok's Grand Palace, predicting the coming year will be good for the economy and agriculture. The sacred oxen are brought to the palace every year to mark the beginning of planting season and choose from seven bowls heaped with rice, alcohol, sesame seeds, water and corn. According to the Thais, the drinking of the alcohol and rice means transportation will be more convenient, international trade will improve and the economy will prosper. A word of caution: the oxen don't always get it right. At a similar ceremony in Cambodia two years ago, the oxen didn't touch water or alcohol, which would have signaled rain, but the country suffered its worst floods in 70 years.

What's the difference between Canadian bacon and just plain-old bacon? Canadian bacon comes from the loin of the pork carcass, an area that originates just behind the shoulder and travels along the backbone to the hip region, while regular bacon is from the belly. Ironically, "Canadian bacon" isn't called "Canadian bacon" in Canada. It's called back bacon. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Nutrient Database, an ounce of cooked regular bacon - about four slices - has about 14 grams of fat, compared with about 2.5 grams of fat in an ounce (about one slice) of grilled Canadian bacon. Calorie savings are similar: An ounce of cooked bacon contains about 160 calories, compared with 50 calories in an ounce of cooked Canadian bacon.

Did you know that if you pick a tomato or strawberry from the vine and eat it almost immediately, you'll get more nutrients than if you buy it from the store several days later? Nutrients in fruits and vegetables are at their peak when the fruit is fully ripe and on the vine. While fruits and vegetables are still growing, their cells get nutrients from the soil and sir. Once they're cut off from that supply, enzymes begin breaking down the cell walls and they begin to lose nutrients.