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Do or die
Leap for joy!
I didnt get caught today.
Thanks, that one will likely do better than HFD.
Looks that way...
The HBP Financials Bear + ETF seeks daily investment results, before fees, expenses, distributions, brokerage commissions and other transaction costs, that endeavour to correspond to two times (200%) the inverse of the daily performance of the S&P/TSX Capped Financials Index.
Mystery Die-Off Worries Beekeepers
By WAYNE ORTMAN – 15 hours ago
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The California winter has been a tough one on South Dakota beekeepers like Richard Adee.
Last fall he sent 155 semitrailer trucks to California loaded with hives containing bees fit and ready to pollinate the almond crop.
"We lost 40 percent of the hives we sent there. We sent 70,000 out and lost 28,000," said Adee, whose Adee Honey Farms in Bruce is considered the largest beekeeping operation in the nation.
"I would say overall the losses of South Dakota bees — from what I've heard — from what they started in the spring of '07 until they came out of the almonds is at least 50 percent. It's not good."
Now, in preparation for the honey-making season in South Dakota, he's working to get back to full strength from a mystery called colony collapse disorder.
No one's really sure what's causing the disorder, evident when adult bees abandon the hive.
It's a concern for South Dakota beekeepers, who ranked third nationally last year for honey production and for the number of colonies.
"It's very serious," said Heath Bermel, a Java beekeeper and president of the South Dakota Beekeepers Association. "There's a lot of beekeepers all over the U.S. who are losing hives."
The U.S. Agriculture Department has earmarked money and research to solving CCD because it says one-third of the human diet comes from insect-pollinated plants, and the honeybee is responsible for 80 percent of that pollination.
"As beekeepers we're confused and the scientific community is even more confused because they feel like they should be able to figure this out and get a handle on it, and yet there are so many variables they are just having a problem," said Adee, chairman of the legislative committee for the American Honey Producers Association.
Researchers with the Agricultural Research Service within the U.S. Department of Agriculture are chasing various theories about CCD, said Jon Lundgren, an ARS entomologist in Brookings not directly involved in the research.
Among the possible causes are parasites, a virus, or pesticides.
It may be a several factors resulting from stress on the bees, he said.
"Shipping these things across the country — that's not the way that honeybees have evolved, so we're really changing and manipulating these colonies quite a bit to suit our needs," Lundgren said.
"It's necessary if we want cheap almonds and other fresh produce, but on the flip side, by the changing agricultural landscape — both in terms of the actual landscape itself and how we approach agriculture — there's probably any number of factors that are ultimately involved in what we're seeing with CCD right now."
Without answers and a possible remedy, the financial impact will extend beyond the beekeeping business to the dinner table, said Bermel.
"It's going to hurt everything," he said. "People at the grocery store are going to see significant increases in their grocery bill."
The California almond industry covers about 600,000 acres and prefers two bee colonies per acre to do a good job during a pollinating season that lasts about six weeks.
HFD ...
Well these guys know how to drum up the news...
Potash mines being explored on Indian lands
By Donna Beutler Date: March 31st, 2008
In a move that could see some strong economic gains for First Nations people in this area, Encanto Resources out of Calgary has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) to explore the potential for potash mines on Indian lands in this province.
An agreement was signed last Wednesday by FSIN vice-chief Morley Watson and president and CEO of Encanto Resources Jeffrey Standen. The goal will be to find potash reserves on First Nations lands that can be mined economically.
Encanto, a private oil and gas company, has held some preliminary discussions with various Saskatchewan bands and hopes to be able to sign MOUs that will permit them to do seismic exploration on First Nations land. If there are reserves of potash found on First Nations land, agreements would be entered into with the individual bands involved.
Three per cent royalties would be paid to a band by Encanto Resources if a potash mine is developed on their land. There would also be a royalty paid to the band’s trust fund in Ottawa if a potash mine is constructed. This trust fund is one that is monitored by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.
Exploring for potash on Indian lands in an area that covers Saskatoon to the north, Regina to the south and the Manitoba border to the east, could cost in the neighbourhood of $20 million. 400,000 acres of Indian land are considered to be potash-bearing. The Herald was unable to confirm whether Indian land in this area is part of the 400,000 acres as several calls to Morley Watson’s office were not returned.
If a potash mine were to be built on First Nations land, the cost would be around $1 billion and would employ hundreds of people. Construction of a mine would take approximately five years following two to three years of environmental impact assessments.
Watson hopes the agreement signed with Encanto will give First Nations an opportunity to create jobs and wealth for individual band members. “We, as First Nations governments,” he said, “have to start looking at developing what we call own-source funding. We have to take it upon ourselves to do what we have to do to improve the quality of life for band members.”
According to today the bank troubles are over :)
Farmers Feed Fertilizer Maker's Top Line
By Jack Hough April 1, 2008
LAST WEEK IN a write-up of tractor maker Deere (DE1) I noted2 that the price of corn has more than doubled since 2004. Yet on Monday the Department of Agriculture reported that America's farmers are expected to plant 8% less corn this year. That sounds counterintuitive; higher prices, any economics teacher will tell you, are supposed to act as an incentive to produce more.
But other crop prices are inflated, too, and corn is costly to grow. A bushel of corn sells for about $5.65 and a bushel of soybeans around $12. Yet it takes 1.5 to 2.0 pounds of fertilizer nutrients to grow a bushel of corn, vs. 1.0 to 1.5 pounds for a bushel of soybeans, according to the Fertilizer Institute. Those nutrients, like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, have soared 130% in price since 2000. Industry experts cite five reasons for the run-up: surging demand for protein-rich foods in emerging markets; increased transportation costs; a subsidized corn-for-fuel effort in America; high prices for natural gas (a fertilizer feedstock); and a weak dollar, which raises the cost of imported fertilizer.
All this has done marvelous things for Calgary-based Agrium (AGU3), a major fertilizer producer. This column called its stock a bargain at $15 and change in December 20034. It's about $62 now. The stock lost nearly 4% Monday on news of farmers forsaking corn for soy, since corn uses 43% of America's fertilizer. Soy planting is expected to increase 18% this year. Aside from the cost advantages, soy is said to be an excellent third-year rotation crop for corn farmers, since it replenishes nitrogen in soil.
Last year sales for Agrium surged 26% to $5.27 billion. Adjusted profit soared 161% to $441 million. The stellar year earned the company a spot in our Accelerating Sales Growth screen. It looks for companies whose sales have increased by at least 20% a year over the past three years, and by faster rates over the past year and past quarter. See the screen recipe5 for details on all the criteria and use SmartMoney's stock screener6 anytime to run the search for Yourself. It recently produced eight7 survivors from a starting database of 8,000.
Agrium has offered $2.65 billion for UAG, the largest retailer of stuff needed to run farms in the U.S. and Canada. Canada's competition regulators approved the deal in January. U.S. Federal Trade Commission approval is pending. Agrium says it's confident the deal will close this summer. That seems reflected in Wall Street's forecasts. Sales and profits this year are expected to increase 70% and 69%, respectively.
The growth puts shares at just 11.7 times this year's earnings forecast, well below the S&P 500 index median of 14.3. Remarkably, the stock carries a far more modest price/earnings ratio than when we highlighted it in 2003. Back then it sold for 19 times the current-year forecast. The low P/E suggests that investors believe the earnings on which the ratio is based are temporarily swollen by abnormally high fertilizer prices. Industry groups contend that prices aren't all that abnormal relative to other crop resources. The Fertilizer Institute notes that while fertilizer started the year 141% above its early 1990s price, the price of seed, farm machines and labor increased between 78% and 111% during that period, while fuel shot up 195%.
Jack Hough is associate editor at SmartMoney.com and the author of "Your Next Great Stock8."
Presentations will be broadcast live and archived at:
http://www.bmocm.com/conferences/globalfertilizer2008/default.aspx
An up-to-the-minute agenda with presentation times for the conference is also available on the web site
For those interested in following related sectors of this market, BMO Capital Markets will host its annual Agricultural and Protein Investor Conference in New York City on May 15, 2008. For more information, or to register, visit http://www.bmocm.com/conferences/agricultureprotein2008/default.aspx
Decent day for FOS what a month though high of $1.62 low of a buck!
Looks like our next potash play but why have the properties up for sale?
Kind of hokey that people with contacts they must have need to put up a website like that.
Ya maybe a good day to buy HAU
Massive cut in U.S. corn area to boost prices: panel
Mon Mar 31, 2008 10:22am EDT
By Sam Nelson
CHICAGO (Reuters) - A shocking reduction in U.S. corn acreage estimated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday will give corn prices a huge boost, possibly to record highs, a CME Group panel said.
A big rebound in estimated soybean and wheat area is expected to knock soybean and wheat futures prices sharply lower, the panel said.
"Very seldom do you see a report that would give you limit-up new-crop corn and limit-down new-crop beans, but this report certainly has that chance," said Don Roose, analyst and president of U.S. Commodities, Des Moines, Iowa.
USDA on Monday said U.S. farmers would plant 86 million acres of corn this year, down 8 percent from last year's 93.6 million -- the most in 60 years.
The government's planting estimate was below an average of analysts' estimates and also near the low end of a range of estimates.
Soaring corn prices early last year led farmers to plant corn at the expense of soy but a surge to record-high prices for soy early this year helped cause a big reversal of acreage plans.
USDA also said the supply of corn in the United States on March 1 totaled 6.859 billion bushels which was well below most estimates, adding further bullish momentum to the Chicago Board of Trade corn futures market.
"Corn certainly had a supportive planting number and the lower stocks suggest better feed usage and tightening corn stocks," said Terry Roggensack, owner and analyst for The Hightower Report.
"It's a double bullish setup for corn, with the lower acres and feed usage up ... also the hogs and pigs report on Friday was a good prelude of increased feeding and lower corn stocks," Roose said.
USDA on Friday said the U.S. hog herd was sharply above expectations, leading to outlooks for limit losses on Monday in Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures.
The panel also said even further shifts in corn/soy area were likely this year because of cold and wet weather across many key crop areas of the U.S. South and southern Midwest.
U.S. farmers always try to plant their corn crop early and before soybeans to achieve maximum yield potential, and the current soggy weather is preventing early spring field work.
"If you throw in a lot of rain in the Midwest that's slowing plantings, it's even more bullish for corn," Roggensack said.
Roggensack said his objective for CBOT December new-crop corn futures was $6.20 per bushel, above the close in Asian trade on Monday of $5.81-3/4 per bushel and above the contract high for that month of $5.90-3/4.
USDA forecast 2008 U.S. soybean seedings at 74.8 million acres, above an average of analysts' estimates for 71.7 million and a huge 17.5 percent increase from last year.
"The soy acreage number is big and suggests the crop could go back over 3.1 billion bushels," Roose said.
Because of the low soy acres last year, U.S. soy output totaled only 2.6 billion bushels, according to the USDA.
The analysts said U.S. and global corn supplies were likely to fall sharply and the stocks-to-usage ratio would plunge to a record low, indicating an extremely tight global supply of corn.
However, soybean supplies should increase and the wheat supply, while tight, should begin increasing ... assuming normal weather.
"Weather is the dominant factor and right now we have wet weather," Roose said, referring to the less-than-ideal spring planting conditions in the United States.
USDA said 2008 U.S. wheat area totaled 63.8 million acres, slightly above an average of analysts' estimates for 63.6 million and up from last year's 60.4 million. The supply of wheat in the United States on March 1 totaled 710 million bushels, up from an average of analysts' estimates for 666 million but below the 857 million on March 1, 2007.
Analysts said the bigger wheat numbers released by USDA would lead to pressure on global wheat prices.
Some background from July 2002
Global engineering powerhouse opens offices at Innovation Place
One of the world’s largest engineering firms, AMEC Inc., now has a corporate presence at Innovation Place in Saskatoon.
AMEC E&C (Engineering & Construction) Services Limited is one of 250 worldwide AMEC plc offices. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, the engineering giant employs a combined workforce of 50,000 employees. In November of 2001, the global engineering firm relocated its offices from the Sutherland industrial area to Innovation Place, occupying 15,800 square feet of office space in the newly-dedicated Dr. Jack McFaull Building, located at 421 Downey Road.
AMEC’s Saskatoon office specializes in engineering, construction, environmental and technology solutions for the mining, mineral processing, chemical production, forestry, power, oil/gas and food processing industries. The Saskatoon staff of 65 offers multi-disciplinary engineering capabilities in consultancy, design, delivery and commissioning through to maintenance and operation.
The engineering construction division works with many of Canada’s largest resource companies, including Agrium, International Minerals Corp., Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan, Asia Pacific Resources, Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting, Cameco Corporation, Cogema Resources, TransGas, SaskPower and Weyerhaeuser.
Potash mining is a particular specialty of the engineering firm, which has served the Saskatchewan market through its predecessor companies (Cominco Engineering, H.A. Simons Ltd., Cambrian Engineering, AGRA/Simons) for more than 30 years. AMEC is one of the very few companies worldwide which can offer integrated services specific to potash, from mining to material handling, ore processing to product delivery.
In just the last decade, AMEC has undertaken more than 25 studies and projects at potash mines and mills around the globe. Included in the range of consulting services offered by AMEC E&C are deposit assessments, supervised process testwork, feasibility studies and preparation of efficient and cost-effective mine and plant designs.
Three corporate guide words best describe AMEC - Knowledge, Innovation and Technology - says AMEC E&C manager of operations Mike Ferguson. “Our business is a technology business, bringing state-of-the-art technological solutions to our clients through knowledge and innovation,” says Ferguson.
AMEC E&C marketing co-ordinator Natalie Johnson says, “We do a lot of feasibility studies on new mine development. We also provide solutions for modifications and improvements to existing mines and structures.
“Because we are a multi-disciplinary engineering firm, we bring significant expertise to all aspects of mining - including structural, mechanical and electrical engineering. The disciplines all work together within the different functions of a mine.”
The specialized expertise of AMEC E&C engineers is in demand around the globe. “Our manager Will Brandsema promotes this office internationally as a potash and uranium knowledge centre. Obviously, the Saskatchewan market drives what we do here, but potash is mined around the world. Mr. Brandsema is currently conducting a phosphate mining feasibility study in Australia,” says Johnson. Other engineers in the AMEC office have recently consulted on projects in Jordan, Thailand and Argentina.
“The expertise of our staff is recognized around the world. Companies from around the world frequently request specific individuals on our staff for their particular knowledge and expertise. They are truly world-renowned.”
Among AMEC E&C’s current Saskatchewan projects is consultation involving Cogema Resources’ JEB mill at McClean Lake.
“Clients want the best knowledge that they can draw. They are also looking for the most cost-effective ways to solve a problem or improve production. Project management is another strength of AMEC E&C. We have significant expertise in managing large industrial projects. This, coupled with the latest in project management software, helps us manage every aspect of a project, from small to large,” says Johnson.
Being part of an international engineering firm also means that AMEC’s Saskatoon office can source experts from within the corporation’s global network of 50,000 employees. “We can draw on global resources, either through our international marketing department, or through our intranet search function. The search engine will produce a lengthy list of AMEC experts in a specific area of specialty. There are times when we need to pull in a specialist from the U.K., for example, or where they’ve needed to use some of our people. It’s a great business resource,” says Johnson.
What advantages does Innovation Place bring to one of the world’s largest engineering firms?
“Innovation Place has an atmosphere of invention and inventiveness, which we believe matches our own approach,” says Ferguson. “We hope to take advantage of the synergy of outlook and approach to help grow our business.”
By locating at Innovation Place, AMEC E&C now enjoys proximity to several of its clients who are also located in the park. “By being here, we hope to be closer to them in their day-to-day work. We also hope to gain additional clients from our interaction with tenants of the research park,” says Ferguson.
Potash One appoints Ferguson as Legacy project director
2008-03-31 09:59 MT - News Release
Mr. Paul Matysek reports
POTASH ONE APPOINTS MIKE FERGUSON LEGACY PROJECT DIRECTOR
Potash One Inc. has appointed Mike Ferguson as project director for its Legacy potash project in southeastern Saskatchewan.
Mr. Ferguson is a professional engineer and senior project manager with significant experience in the Saskatchewan uranium and potash industries. Mr. Ferguson's potash experience started in 1984 working in an underground potash mining operation, continuing through maintenance engineering work in a potash mill, and onto engineering design and project delivery. He has worked for all the major potash producers in Saskatchewan including Mosaic, Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan and Agrium. Mr. Ferguson also led projects overseas in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
Most recently, Mr. Ferguson served as a general manager for Wardrop Engineering and operations manager with AMEC prior to that. He earned his BSc in mechanical engineering from the University of Saskatchewan and graduate certificate in project management from Pennsylvania State University.
Paul F. Matysek, president and chief executive officer of Potash One, said: "I am very excited to welcome Mike Ferguson to our team. He has over 20 years of direct project management experience in potash industry and brings wealth of knowledge to Potash One. Mike's direct experience in building engineering and project teams and successfully delivering projects ranging from small in-plant upgrades to major greenfield works, at both the study and implementation phases, will bring the necessary focus and organization to Potash One in order to successfully develop the Legacy project."
The company has also granted an additional 500,000 stock options pursuant to its previously approved stock option plan to directors, officers and consultants. These options were granted at an exercise price of $3.85 per share for a period of three years.
that four letter word can be a nuisance!
I think this was posted before mind you without the reference to Denison.
I am surprised they are not doing some CPC companies for these properties but maybe they are.
Original-Style Ground Jerky:
5 lbs. lean meat, ground (beef or venison)
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon curing salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons black pepper, 1/4 ground
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 cup soy protein concentrate, or non-fat-dry milk
coarse black pepper
Light Pepper Jerky:
5 lbs. lean meat, ground (beef or venison)
1 tsp. curing salt (pink)
2 tbsp. table salt
2 tbsp. white pepper
2 tbsp. black pepper, table grind
2 tsp. coriander, ground
1/2 cup non-fat-dry milk
1 to 2 teaspoons liquid hickory smoke, depends on individual taste
2 cups cold water, more if needed to make the mixture pliable.
Hot & Spicy Jerky:
5 lbs. lean meat, ground (beef or venison)
1 tsp. curing salt (pink)
2 tbsp. table salt
2 tsp. red chili peppers, crushed
2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. coriander, ground
1 to 2 teaspoons liquid hickory smoke, depends on individual taste
2 cups cold water, more if needed to make the mixture pliable.
Don Coxe figures the commercial real estate will be next
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=28023179
Complete with Smith & Wesson?
We could meet for a beer.
Try and pick the bottom, where at?
Its the high end stuff thats coming down.
Did you have any puts on Bear-Stearns?
good, last year was very good to the accounts
did some boarding this winter, no trips
maybe coming to Vancouver this spring (Alberta spring) for some golf
lol i dint know that
Oh ya its an exclusive club John has. So how ya been?
How the hell are ya man?
Who's going between the pipes tonight?
Beer
Stop by for us and ask lots of questions http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/replies.asp?msg=28023179
Puddle of Mudd: She Fucking Hates Me [Live]
Puddle of Mudd - Away From Me (Live)
ya 3/3 tie
So are you going to be at the Raytec booth in a bathing suit?
http://www.woodlandbiofuels.com/
Toronto, ON, March 25, 2008 – Investeco Capital Corporation (ICC), a leader in environmental investing, today announced an investment in Woodland Biofuels, Inc. (Woodland) of Mississauga, Ontario.
Woodland has developed a patented and proprietary thermo-chemical process for the conversion of cellulosic biomass into fuel ethanol. Forest, agricultural or other common sources of biomass are gasified and processed through a series of catalytic reactions to produce ethanol, distillation water and steam.
“Based on Investeco’s due diligence, we believe Woodland’s patented Catalyzed Pressure Reduction technology is extremely efficient in its conversion of biomass and is highly scaleable”, stated Andrew Heintzman, President, ICC. “Woodland’s process is significantly more efficient than traditional ethanol production and its cellulosic competitors”, he continued.
“While the energy conversion ratios and greenhouse gas mitigation for traditional corn based ethanol is marginal at best, the potential for Woodland’s process of producing ethanol from waste streams is significantly superior.”
”Demand for this "next generation" ethanol is expected to be enormous over coming years. For example, the United States has set an objective of 36 billion gallons of renewable and alternative fuels by 2022; most of that would come from cellulosic ethanol”, concluded Mr. Heintzman.
“We are very pleased that Investeco is the first institutional investor to recognize the potential of our Catalyzed Pressure Reduction technology and is financing its further development and commercialization”, said Greg Nutall, President, Woodland. “Investeco’s recognized expertise in environmental investing will assist us as we seek other investors and partners in the future”.
Woodland is also a recently announced recipient of $9.8 million in assistance from Sustainable Development Technology Canada towards the commercialization of its technology and development of a demonstration plant.
Amateurs - they didn't call me.
watch for crosses