An open letter to Advocate readers
Feb. 26, 2009
Dear Readers:
This is not the letter I hoped to be posting four months after starting the Advocate, but if an online news service is going to yell 'transparency' at every turn, it had better be willing to play by it's own rules.
Put plainly, as a business venture, the Advocate is failing.
Our business model has four indexes to track growth and predict success of the venture: Readership, community involvement, classified use and, of course, paid advertising. I am sad to report that we are faltering badly on three of those.
While readership numbers have climbed steadily since it's inception, now topping 3000 total page hits, and over 300 readers a week, the sparse use of the 'Classifieds' section, and almost no interest in paid advertising has failed to instill lender confidence, thus denying us access to funding needed to expand the staff, or to go to print with a weekly paper.
These are failures that I blame on my own lack of salesmanship and failure to factor in funding for advertising, believing that word-of-mouth and easy internet linking would be sufficient to get the word out.
Community involvement has to be graded as mediocre. Institutions such as the local colleges, government offices and law enforcement, realizing that every information outlet has value, have been willing contributors.
But surprisingly, organizations like ISD boards, economic development agencies and even chambers of commerce have been less than cooperative, many failing even to return messages or respond to letters of introduction.
In short, the shoe-string budget we were operating on is gone, and the need to pay personal bills now has to override both desire to publish and belief in the need for a service like this for Upshur County.
The site will stay open, but article postings won't be daily events.
In closing, I would like to thank everyone who is providing information and news releases, and the readers who return daily looking for timely and topical news of interest to Upshur County and the surrounding area.
Sincerely,
DeWayne Spell
Read More...
Summary only...
Feeder prices trend lower. Slaughter prices steady from last week.
ATHENS, TX, Feb. 20, 2009 -- Compared to last week, feeder steers steady to 2.00 lower. Feeder heifers 2.00-3.00 lower. Slaughter cows and bulls steady.
Bulk of the supply was medium and large 1-2 400-600 lb feeder steers and heifers. Slaughter cows made up 8 percent of the offering, slaughter bulls 2 percent, replacement cows 5 percent, and feeders 85 percent. The feeder supply included 47 percent steers and 53 percent heifers. Near 12 percent of the run weighed over 600 lbs.
Cattle and Calves: 1,065
Week Ago: 955
Year Ago: N/A
Steers:
Medium and Large 1:
300-400 lbs 117.00-120.00, few to 127.50;
400-500 lbs 107.00-110.00, few to 112.50;
500-600 lbs 98.00-100.00.
Medium and Large 2:
300-400 lbs 104.00-111.00;
400-500 lbs 100.00-108.00;
500-600 lbs 90.00-97.00;
600-700 lb calves 86.00-90.00;
700-800 lbs 75.00-78.00.
Medium and Large 3:
400-500 lbs 91.00-97.00;
500-600 lbs 81.00-85.00.
Heifers:
Medium and Large 1:
400-500 lbs 92.00-97.00;
500-600 lbs 85.00-90.00.
Medium and Large 2:
300-400 lbs 90.00-95.00;
400-500 lbs 84.00-92.00;
500-600 lbs 75.00-84.00;
600-700 lb calves 74.00-79.00.
Medium and Large 3:
300-400 lbs 80.00-85.00;
400-500 lbs 79.00-82.00.
Slaughter Cows:
%Lean Weight Avg Dressing Hi Dressing Lo Dressing
Boners 80-85 1200-1600 41.00-48.00
Boners 80-85 1000-1200 42.50-46.50
Lean 85-90 1000-1200 34.00-39.50
Lean 85-90 800-1000 30.00-38.00
Lean 85-90 under 800 25.00-28.50
Slaughter Bulls:
Yield Grade 1-2 1300-2100 lbs 50.50-59.00
Low Dressing 1000-1300 lbs 45.50-48.00
Replacement Cows:
Medium and Large 1-2:
young 780-950 lb cows 2-8 months bred 56.00-78.00 CWT;
middle aged 800-1245 lb cows 2-8 months bred 45.00-71.00 CWT;
aged 970-1230 lb cows 5-8 months bred 34.00-46.00 CWT.
Cow/Calf Pairs:
Medium and Large 1-2:
middle aged 925-1240 lb cows w/75-300 lb calves 560.00-860.00 per pair;
aged 750-900 lb cows w/75-200 lb calves 410.00-560.00 per pair.
Source: Texas Dept of Ag Market News-USDA Market News, Amarillo, TX
Read More...
Summary only...
Broadband access may be coming to a farm near you, according to the Texas Farm Bureau
AUSTIN, TX, Feb. 20, 2009 -- The nearly $800 billion economic stimulus bill signed into law by President Barack Obama may be meeting mixed reviews around the country, but there are several items within the bill that could bring direct benefit to the farmers and ranchers, Farm Bureau analysts say.
The following are a few of the bill’s provisions that bear significance rural Texas:
Broadband
$7.2 billion for grants to deploy broadband in underserved and unserved areas, of which $4.7 billion would be for a new grant program run by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and $2.5 billion for the existing deployment program run by the Agriculture Department's Rural Utilities Service. Internet service providers would be required to provide open access to broadband networks (net neutrality) built using the federal funds.
USDA provisions
• $150 million of budget authority to support $3.1 billion in rural business loans and grants for rural businesses.
• $1.4 billion of budget authority to support $3.8 billion in loans and grants for water and waste disposal facilities in rural areas.
• $130 million of budget authority for rural communities facilities to support $1.2 billion in loans and grants for hospitals, health clinics, health and safety vehicles/equipment, public buildings and child and elder care facilities.
• $50 million to upgrade Farm Service Agency (FSA) information technology systems.
• $24 million for USDA buildings and facilities to address priority maintenance, repair and modernization.
• $176 million for Agricultural Research Service (ARS) to upgrade laboratory and research facilities.
• Increased revenue guarantees for the supplemental disaster program for 2008.
• $17.3 million for direct farm operating loans.
• $50 million in assistance to catfish farmers for increased feed costs.
Transportation provisions
• $27.5 billion from the general fund for highway projects.
• $4.6 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers for construction and operation and maintenance of the nation's flood control and navigation infrastructure and environmental restoration projects.
• $375 million for Mississippi River and tributaries projects, programs, or activities.
Health care provisions
• $19 billion for health information technology infrastructure and Medicare and Medicaid incentives to encourage doctors, hospitals, and other providers to use health IT to electronically exchange patients' health information.
• $500 million for community health centers to provide care to uninsured and underserved rural and urban populations and $1.5 billion for community health center modernization.
• $500 million for training programs for primary care providers, including pediatricians, dentists, nurses, and professionals working in family medicine and internal medicine.
Miscellaneous
-The “Buy America” provision in the bill says the requirement to use U.S. steel, iron and manufactured products for stimulus funded projects must be consistent with international trade agreements.
- Farm Bureau opposed language to expand regulations banning the processing of nonambulatory livestock was not included in the bill.
- Farm Bureau opposed language that would have required entities receiving stimulus funding to use the E-Verify program was not included in the bill.
Source: Texas Farm Bureau Release
Read More...
Summary only...
