United Soybean Board's "See for Yourself" Program Announces 2011 Participants

ST. LOUIS (June 6, 2011) -The road from the typical U.S. soybean farm to a major poultry, pork and dairy operation in western Mexico may not seem clear at first, but, as 10 U.S. soybean farmers are about to find out in the United Soybean Board's (USB) "See for Yourself" program, it's more direct than they may think.

The soybean checkoff selected the 10 farmers, who raise soybeans and other crops on farms from the Dakotas to Ohio, to take part in the fourth annual "See for Yourself" program to see their checkoff dollars in action, says Rick Stern, USB Audit & Evaluation program chair and a soybean farmer from Cream Ridge, N.J. "There's no better way to show someone the value of their investment than to show them the results firsthand," Stern says. The program will be held from July 25-30.

Participants will learn about the use of soy biodiesel at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, travel on a barge that transports U.S. soy and visit a company that makes soy ink, before heading to the number one market for U.S. soybean meal - Mexico - to get a firsthand look at the massive PROAN farm in the western Mexican state of Jalisco. They will visit the state-of-the-art facility and hear why PROAN chooses to source soybean meal from the United States over other countries. They will also visit an aquaculture farm and a refinery that produces soy and palm oil.

These U.S. soybean farmers will participate in the 2011 "See for Yourself" program:

• Britt Anderson - Nebraska
• Gary Berg -  Illinois
• Drew DeSutter - Illinois
• Timothy Dunn - Michigan
• Tim Even - South Dakota
• Mark Huseth - Minnesota
• Crystal Martodam - North Dakota
• Trent Profit - Ohio
• Fred Paul Robinson - North Carolina
• Jeffrey Sorenson - Minnesota

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.

For more information on the United Soybean Board, visit us at www.unitedsoybean.org
Visit us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/UnitedSoybeanBoard
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/unitedsoy
View our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/UnitedSoybeanBoard

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GALESBURG, IL (06/06/2011)(readMedia)--

• Illinois National Guard and the Yellow Ribbon program

WHAT:

• Yellow Ribbon Reintegration event for servicemembers targets veterans of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, but is open to all branches and all conflicts/wars.

• Event offers resources for servicemembers and their families following deployment.

WHEN/WHERE:

• June 11 Carl Sandburg College; 2400 Tom L. Wilson Blvd. Galesburg 8 a.m.-9 a.m. registration; 9 a.m-4:30 p.m. event

WHY:

• Approximately 450 Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers recently returned from a one-year deployment to Sinai, Egypt helping enforce a 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.

• The Illinois National Guard's goal is to ensure every returning Soldier and Airman receives the training and care they need for a successful reintegration to citizen-Soldier.

• Representatives from several different agencies will be available. Some agencies attending include TRICARE (medical and dental insurance), Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, Internal Revenue Service and Veteran's Health Administration. There will also be several workshops providing guidance and information on issues like marriage after deployment, finances, challenges Soldiers face reuniting with their children and using college education benefits. Counselors will also be available for private consultations.

• Recent statistics indicate only half of veterans that need help actually seek help.

• Approximately 35% of Illinois National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are married.

• Department of Defense (DoD) statistics reveal a 3.5% divorce rate for Army Soldiers following deployment, a statistic that has risen each of the last three years.

• Reintegration is a process that does not happen overnight. It can take several months for a servicemember to feel whole again following a deployment. This is why the Illinois National Guard is dedicated to helping its troops when they return from overseas.

• The Illinois National Guard was one of the first states in the country to start a reintegration program for their servicemembers, with the program growing exponentially since 2007.

• Reintegration events are held in all parts of Illinois so servicemembers do not have to travel far to get valuable information.

• Illinois National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are required to go to two events after they return from overseas.

• Events are open to any servicemember of any branch who recently returned from deployment or veterans that served in previous conflicts/wars and still need assistance.

Become our Facebook Fan!

www.facebook.com/illinoisnationalguard

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The Independent Scholars are collecting derogatory words to be compiled in a list held in the library at The Institute as well as circulated on the internet. These are the words being used, at this time, in our social history, and words which are to be generally avoided, since they can be taken as humiliating, hostile and derogatory or 'fighting'  words to the listener.

These words are also very revealing, reflecting the underlying prejudices and bias that weave in all societies and cultures.

Please bring in your personal lists of  words you consider derogatory.

You can also access this list on our QC Institute Independent Scholars on LinkedIn.

We will continue to expand it as our Independent Scholars bring in their contributions.

First session in compiling the list is on

Thursday. June 9^th. 2011

7.00 p.m.

2nd floor of  The Moline Club

Free and Open to the Public,

Light snacks and wine and refreshments are served. 

The Independent Scholars' Evenings are sponsored by

The Institute for Cultural and Healing Traditions, Ltd. a state and federal level 501(c)3 since 1996 according to US laws.

309-762-9202 www.qcinstitute.org

by U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley

Family members in Iowa are among the legions of caregivers across the country who sacrifice time, careers and money to provide care for loved ones who no longer are able to live independently or care for themselves.

The family safety net for generations has helped loved ones stay longer in their own homes and helped to enhance the quality of life for aging parents and grandparents.

Sometimes, it becomes impossible for these laborers of love to provide the 24-hour care and medical attention that America's most vulnerable population requires.

In communities across Iowa, trusted long-term care facilities provide a valuable service close to home for families who are no longer able to provide the level of care an aging or disabled loved one requires.

To be sure, America's aging population is creating increased demand for long-term care services. Nearly 1.7 million elderly and disabled Americans live in 17,000 nursing home facilities. The percentage of the U.S. population living in a nursing home is on the rise as Americans continue to defy life expectancy estimates from even a generation ago.

The two giant government health programs, Medicare and Medicaid, spend an estimated $70 billion each year for nursing home services. As a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Medicare and Medicaid programs, I've conducted extensive oversight of these programs to strengthen patient safety, track accountability within the U.S. health care system, and protect the integrity of tax dollars.

A recent federal report I requested to analyze how anti-psychotic drugs are being prescribed in nursing homes raises important questions in these areas. The audit shows an increase in the use of anti-psychotic drugs, such as Risperdal, Seroquel and Zyprexa, for so-called "off-label" use for patients suffering from dementia. The Food and Drug Administration requires makers of this class of drugs to put a "black box" warning on the product label (the FDA's strongest patient safety warning) about using these drugs for patients with dementia. In this way, the FDA warns that elderly patients with dementia who take these drugs have an increased risk of death.

Most Americans have grown accustomed to the risk of side effects when taking medication. Do nursing home residents, who are receiving powerful drugs not intended for their underlying condition, understand the risks? Are these drugs being prescribed in the best interest of the patient?  Also, to what extent are Medicare and Medicaid paying for drugs that may not be in the best interest of the patient?  Separately, I've examined the link between payments that pharmaceutical companies make to physicians. Some reports suggest some health care practitioners might be unduly influenced by drug companies to prescribe drugs "off label."

As more elderly patients are diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, policymakers, patient safety advocates and health care professionals have a responsibility to protect this vulnerable population. The rising use of anti-psychotic medicines -  which are FDA-approved to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder - may not be the best treatment for a nursing home patient exhibiting symptoms of age-onset dementia.

My list of credentials does not include a medical license. I'm not telling physicians what to prescribe to their patients. However, we all have a moral obligation to try to make sure the most vulnerable among us, the frail elderly, are not victims of medication misuse.  And, as I serve Iowans in the U.S. Senate, I have a legislative license to hold to account those who receive payments from taxpayer-financed public health programs.

Friday, June 3, 2011