>>>>>>>>>Oh, and don’t forget under the 100% use of corn for Ethanol to replace Gasoline we may not have any other use of corn: this includes Bourbon Whiskey, corn bread, corn on the cob, tortillas, etc; I guess it’s safe to say that corn should also not be used for “pie in the sky”.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>The effects are already being seen in the price of meat. Have a look at the current price of chicken at your local store, and then look at it 6 months from now.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Is a corn shortage anticipated? That's news to me.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>The price of corn has almost doubled in the past year as more ethanol plants have come online and the demand has gone way up.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Here's some of the news:
>>>>>>Meat : http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/03/12/usa_corn_diet/
>>>>>>Tortillas : http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/miami/23758.html
>>>>>>Soda : http://money.cnn.com/2007/03/12/news/companies/coke.reut/
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Thanks for the info. I did not know that. You wouldn't know it from supermarket prices, that's for sure. Around here corn sells for anywhere between 10 cents and 25 cents an ear. (Which has to be the nutritional steal of the century). It's out of season now. Maybe I should be prepared for sticker shock this summer.
>>>>
>>>>The 'corn on the cob' humans eat is 'sweet corn'. The corn fed to livestock is a different variety of corn, so I'm not sure the prices would track each other.
>>>
>>>
>>>Do you know which kind ethanol is made from?
>>
>>I don't know for sure but I guess it is 'field corn', the kind grown for livestock feed.
>
>You are correct. Sweet corn tastes too good to make fuel out of... ;-)

I thought so. I've never farmed, but my parents were raised in the NW corner of IA, near Sheldon. I have an uncle that farmed up there until a couple of years ago. Like you have said, it is tough out there for the small-scale family farmer.