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Great Plains is a vertically integrated company, taking camelina from seed to fuel. The company pioneered camelina production on a commercial scale three years ago, contracting with growers throughout the United States and Canada to grow the crop. In addition, the company has invested over 10 years in the science and agronomic of camelina and continues to develop higher-yielding, higher oil-content camelina varieties.

Valent U.S.A. Corporation markets and sells fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, bio-insecticides, insect growth regulators, nematicides, baits and plant growth regulators for the agricultural, horticultural, turf, ornamental, industrial vegetation management and professional pest control markets. For more information about Valent products, Valent U.S.A. Corporation or the full product line, call 800-6-VALENT (682-5368) or visit the Valent Web site at www.valent.com.

Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) is the world leader in BioEnergy and has a premier position in the agricultural processing value chain. ADM is one of the world’s largest processors of soybeans, corn, wheat and cocoa. ADM is a leading manufacturer of biodiesel, ethanol, soybean oil and meal, corn sweeteners, flour and other value-added food and feed ingredients. Headquartered in Decatur, Illinois, ADM has over 26,000 employees, more than 240 processing plants and net sales for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2006 of $37 billion. Additional information can be found on ADM’s Web site at http://www.admworld.com/.

Hows does the government expect farmers to grow cotton and be able to make money with the price it’s at? Is there a turn around in this trend? Another thing is how do fertilizer companies expect farmers to be able to pay these unreal prices on fertilize? Input costs are getting out of hand! On the bright side fuel price went down....some.

The Operating Division Intermediates of the BASF Group develops, produces and markets the world’'s largest range of intermediates. Key representatives of the more than 600 products include amines, diols, polyalcohols, acids and specialties. Among other applications, intermediates are used as starting materials for coatings, plastics, pharmaceuticals, textile fibers, detergents and crop protection agents. Innovative BASF intermediates help to improve the properties of the final product and the efficiency of production processes. The ISO 9001:2000-certified operating division Intermediates has access to plants at production sites in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. In 2006, this BASF operating division with 2,600 employees generated world sales of about 2.3 billion euros. For more information, go to www.basf.com.

BHS Energy designs and manufactures biomass briquette fuel presses and is currently taking orders for pre-production Slugger systems for field testing. Normal production is planned to begin in the Summer of 2009. For more information please visit our website at www.bhsenergy.com

Kent Braathen is a custom harvester. With this blog he will cover the harvest trail starting out in Vernon, Texas, continuing on to Kiowa, Kan., Eades, Colo., Phillip, S.D., Onida, S.D. and Minot, N.D. He will also report throughout the fall during soybean, corn and sunflower harvest in N.D. and S.D. Kent and his partner, along with a crew of nine young men from South Africa and a nephew, run five John Deere 9770 combines, two tractors and carts and five semi tractors and trailers.

Farm Journal’s Machinery Doc brings his tractor-seat common sense to AgWeb Iron. As a full-time farmer and former machinery salesman, Doc knows the value of a good used-equipment buy. He applies his horse sense and farmer perspective to working with IRON Solutions to track used machinery values for his Machinery Doc column. He and his wife, Layna, farm near Pine Village Ind.

I was raised in Marshall, MO although I was gone several years to attend college, manage a rock quarry and farm, and then returned to my home. While in college I earned a bachelors degree in psychology and political science and later a masters degree in clinical psychology. For over twenty years I owned and managed a private system of comprehensive clinical mental health clinics in rural Missouri and I manage our family farm, which currently is approximately 1500 acres. Farming has been a big part of my life since I was a child as I started “helping” when I was a ripe old age of 5. I have been married for over 30 years to the most wonderful lady in the world (I hope she is reading this!) and it amazes me that she has put up with me all these years. Jerri Lou and I have three adult children and one granddaughter and a grandson who is soon to join us.

Chet Esther farms in Beardstown, Ill., with his wife Lori and two sons Ryan and Chad. The Esther Family is in the process of transferring the family farm to the next generation and was chosen to participate in the Farm Journal Legacy Project.