Washington, D.C. - March 25, 2011 - Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced that the U.S. Department of Education's had awarded Iowa $2.9 million through the School Improvement Grants (SIG) program to turn around its persistently lowest achieving schools. Harkin is the Chairman of the Senate panel that funds education initiatives and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee.

"Investing in our children's future means directing resources where they are needed most.  When schools consistently have low graduation rates, it is important we focus our attention there," Harkin said.  "Today's funding is a step in the right direction.  It will help districts take the necessary steps to improve their weakest schools.   And, it could not have come at a better time for districts that are already struggling with tough budgeting decisions."

The $2.9 million made available to Iowa is being distributed by formula to the state and will then be competed out by the state to school districts. Iowa's application, which includes its list of persistently lowest-achieving schools, as defined by the state, can be found here.

School districts will apply to the state for the funds this spring.  When school districts apply, they must indicate that they will implement reforms to the lowest achieving schools.

Once schools receive SIG funds, they will be able to begin to spend them immediately to turn around schools this fall.  Iowa may apply to the Education Department for a waiver to allow them to spend funds over a three-year period.

• Seth Godin, Entrepreneur, marketing expert, best-selling author of 12 books including "Linchpin"
• Robin Roberts, Anchor of ABC's Emmy-Award Winning Show, "Good Morning, America"
• John C. Maxwell, Leadership expert and best-selling author of "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership"
• Dave Ramsey, Money-management expert, radio personality, best-selling author of "The Total Money Makeover"
• Sir Ken Robinson, Best-selling author & leader in the development of creativity, innovation and HR
• Dan Cathy, President and COO of Chick-Fil-A, Inc.
• Muhtar Kent, Chairman of the Board and CEO of the Coca-Cola Co.
• Suzy Welch, Best-selling author, TV commentator, noted business journalist
• Mack Brown, Head Coach of the Texan Longhorns, 2009 Big 12 Coach of the Year
• Erin Gruwell, Founder and President of Freedom Writers Foundation
• Frans Johansson, Best-selling author of "The Medici Effect"

But Animal Farmers Also Benefit from Biodiesel Production, Checkoff-Funded Study Shows

ST. LOUIS (March 25, 2011) - An updated, independent study funded by the United Soybean Board (USB) and soybean checkoff shows production of biodiesel continues to positively impact U.S. soybean farmers' on-farm profitability as well as the bottom lines of poultry and livestock farmers.

According to the study, the biodiesel industry's demand for U.S. soybean oil supported U.S. soybean prices by as much as 27 cents per bushel over the past five years, bringing U.S. soybean farmers an additional $2.7 billion in net returns.

The study also found good news for the U.S. soybean industry's biggest customer, the U.S. animal agriculture sector, which uses nearly 98 percent of the domestic supply of U.S. soybean meal. The increased demand for soybean oil resulted in a larger supply of U.S. soybean meal, decreasing feed prices paid by U.S. poultry, livestock and fish farmers by between $16 and $48 per ton in marketing years 2005-2009.

"As a soybean farmer, I'm thrilled to see that biodiesel puts this much extra money back in our pockets," says Jim Schriver, chair of USB's Domestic Marketing program and a soybean farmer from Montpelier, Ind. "But the study also shows that biodiesel helps us support our best customers by making feed more affordable. Lower feed prices help U.S. animal farmers stay competitive."

Soybean oil remains the dominant feedstock for biodiesel production, and the soybean checkoff funds a large portion of the research and promotion of biodiesel through the National Biodiesel Board. Much of this funding has been used on testing to prove biodiesel's performance, economic and environmental benefits.

Biodiesel improves fuel lubricity by 66 percent compared with petroleum diesel and performs similarly to petroleum diesel in terms of torque, horsepower, haulage rates and fuel mileage. Additionally, biodiesel bolsters the U.S. economy, supporting more than 20,000 jobs and generating more than $800 million in tax revenue as recently as 2009. And biodiesel can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 75 percent, which helps fight global warming.

These environmental benefits helped biodiesel qualify as the United States' first domestically produced advanced biofuel under the revised federal Renewable Fuel Standard. This requirement calls for the use of at least 800 million gallons of biodiesel this year and at least 1 billion gallons per year in 2012 and beyond.

The increased biodiesel production needed to meet this demand will be important. In 2006, the federal government required food containing trans fat to be labeled. Partially hydrogenated soybean oil creates trans fat, and the study shows biodiesel demand helped mask U.S. soybean oil demand losses after some food manufacturers switched to other oils to avoid trans-fat labeling. These declines in demand could continue over the next couple years.

Centrec Consulting Group, LLC, conducted the study with funding from USB's Domestic Marketing program. A summary of the study can be found on the soybean checkoff website at www.unitedsoybean.org.

USB is made up of 69 farmer-directors who oversee the investments of the soybean checkoff on behalf of all U.S. soybean farmers. Checkoff funds are invested in the areas of animal utilization, human utilization, industrial utilization, industry relations, market access and supply. As stipulated in the Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soybean checkoff.

by U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley

In the last half-century, U.S. farmers have answered the call to help feed, clothe and fuel a growing world population. In 1960, a U.S. farmer on average fed 25 people. Thanks to a blend of advances in mechanization, pest control, biotechnology, animal husbandry and veterinarian medicine - along with conscientious stewardship of soil, water and resource management -- each U.S. farmer today feeds more than 144 people.

Even as farmers respond to marketplace demands for affordable, abundant supplies of food, leaner cuts of meat and wholesome grains and produce, an ever widening disconnect exists between production and consumption. From grocery shoppers to public policy makers, fewer people share an appreciation for the supply chain that exists from the farm to fork, let alone from the farm to fuel pump.

That's right. The fuel pump. The farmers hitting the fields this spring are not only working to feed an expanding world population, they are helping to displace U.S. dependence on foreign petroleum. For decades, political instability in the Middle East has influenced U.S. public policy. Taxpayers support strategic military and foreign policy decisions to protect U.S. national, economic and energy security, stemming in part from our dependence on foreign petroleum.

The risks to U.S. economic growth also are growing, especially as developing heavyweights, such as China and India, increase their consumption of the world's finite fossil fuels.

The simple truth is that the United States must take bold steps to sever foreign petroleum's stranglehold on America's economy and security. From my leadership position in the U.S. Senate, I have long championed public policy that would increase energy efficiency and conservation; support domestic energy production; and, develop alternative and renewable energy sources, including wind, biomass, hydroelectric, solar, geothermal and biofuels.

Consumers in the United States - who anticipate $4 per gallon gasoline by the peak summer driving season - understand how important it is to diversify and expand access to reliable, affordable energy. The extra money spent at the pump, now averaging about $3.56 per gallon for gasoline (I paid $3.39/gallon in Cedar Falls this week), shrinks consumers' purchasing power. That's bad news in a U.S. economy driven by consumer spending. Higher fuel prices also drive up the costs for goods and services throughout the U.S. economy, making it harder for businesses to expand, increase wages and create new jobs.

Congress has supported public policy to encourage growth in homegrown biofuels, such as ethanol. A federal tax incentive, called Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit - or VEETC -- was created to get the domestic ethanol industry off the ground. It's paired with an import tariff to prevent foreign ethanol producers from taking advantage of the domestic tax break.

Critics of America's domestic biofuels industry, who spew anti-ethanol propaganda, are putting America's energy, economic and national security at risk. Not to mention thousands of U.S. jobs. When the biodiesel federal tax credit lapsed in 2009, nearly 23,0000 jobs were wiped out. The U.S. ethanol industry supports nearly five times as many jobs.

Congress also created the Renewable Fuels Standard to get more biofuels at the pump. In 2010, nearly 90 percent of all gasoline sold in the U.S. contained ethanol. And the 13 billion gallons of homegrown ethanol reduced oil imports by 445 million barrels of oil.

Despite the long-term good investments clean-burning ethanol brings to the American public, from reducing dependence on foreign oil; creating jobs; protecting national security interests; helping the environment; and, diversifying U.S. fuel supplies, critics are still bad-mouthing ethanol.

In recent years, Big Oil has teamed up with Big Food Manufacturers to spread bad publicity about ethanol. They'd like to make ethanol a scapegoat for bigger grocery bills and higher prices at the pump. It's rather incredulous to consider they are playing into the hands of the likes of Hugo Chavez and Moammar Kadafi.

America's farmers understand that corn-based ethanol is better than dirty fossil fuels any day of the week. Would the taxpaying public rather support energy policies that support American agriculture's efforts to increase U.S. energy independence, or would taxpayers rather support policies that maintain the stranglehold of foreign petroleum?

In the United States Senate, I will continue my crusade in Washington to champion homegrown biofuels. Corn-based ethanol is just the beginning to even more biofuels breakthroughs. Just consider the first generation of ethanol, made from corn, has made possible the development of biofuels from cellulosic materials such as switch grass, corn stover and wood waste.

Rolling back the clock on the amazing contributions American agriculture has made to U.S. energy independence, a cleaner environment and national security would be a tragic mistake.

Friday, March 25, 2011