Missouri grain dealer jailed in grain Ponzi Monday, April 5, 2010 Missouri grain dealer Cathy Gieseker promised some farmers too much for their grain and paid them off by selling the grain of other farmers. She led a high life, spending millions of dollars on properties, gifts to friends and buying and showing cattle.According to the St. Louis Business Journal Gieseker was sentenced to nine years in jail in February in connection with a $27 million Ponzi scheme, the largest grain brokerage failure in Missouri history. She pleaded guilty to one felony count of mail fraud and forfeited millions of dollars in personal property, but it won't be nearly enough to cover the losses of scores of farmers with no grain and no payment for their crop.Gieseker had told farmers she had a special deal with a major grain company and offered prices twice the spot market at harvest. As futures prices rose in 2008, she was forced to pay an ever greater rate of return, according to Feedstuffs magazine.The state is still pondering whether to file fraud charges. BF Brazilian beef company now Oz's largest lamb slaughterer Compostable bags for chips find special market
Mother’s Day Q&A with Anna McCutcheon Thursday, May 8, 2025 Mother’s Day is only a few days away (that’s another reminder), and this week Farms.com has connected with moms in ag for their thoughts on motherhood, its challenges, and how being a parent has changed them. Anna McCutcheon (AM) and her husband Mark are the first generation on their... Read this article online
Looking for the Perfect Mother’s Day Gift for Women who work in Agriculture? Thursday, May 8, 2025 Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and what better way to show appreciation for the incredible women in agriculture than by supporting products and services created by women in agriculture? Whether she’s managing livestock, growing crops, running a farm-based business—or all of... Read this article online
Creating Safe Farms for Kids Wednesday, May 7, 2025 The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) is hosting the second annual Kids FarmSafe Week from May 12 to 18, with the theme “Nurturing the Future of Agriculture.” The initiative aims to raise awareness about health and safety risks for children and youth on farms. According... Read this article online
Encouraging Consumers to spend 1 Percent More at Farmers Markets Could Make a Big Difference Wednesday, May 7, 2025 A recent study led by University of Northern British Columbia professor David Connell reveals that farmers’ markets, while growing in popularity, still make up only a small share of household food spending. The research was conducted across 70 markets in British Columbia and involved... Read this article online
2025 Election Results Prompt Concern and Reflection Among Prairie Farmers Tuesday, May 6, 2025 Users on Agriville.com weigh-in on the 2025 federal election outcome As news broke that Mark Carney’s Liberals had won the 2025 federal election, many western Canadian farmers on Agriville.com shared their reactions. The mood was largely one of disappointment, with concerns about the... Read this article online