A compound found in soybeans almost completely prevented the spread of human prostate cancer in mice, according to a study published in the March 15 issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Researchers said the amount of the chemical, an antioxidant known as genistein, used in the experiments was no higher than what a human would eat in a soybean-rich diet.

Investigators from Northwestern University found that genistein decreased metastasis of prostate cancer to the lungs by 96 percent compared with mice that did not eat the compound in their chow, making the study the first to demonstrate genistein can stop prostate cancer metastasis in a living organism.

"These impressive results give us hope that genistein might show some effect in preventing the spread of prostate cancer in patients," said the study's senior investigator, Raymond C. Bergan, director of experimental therapeutics for the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University.

"Diet can affect cancer and it doesn't do it by magic," Bergan said. "Certain chemicals have beneficial effects and now we have all the preclinical studies we need to suggest genistein might be a very promising chemopreventive drug."

Local wheat prices at government parity levels

The American Agriculture Movement (AAM) said improving markets have moved wheat prices to 85 percent of parity and soybeans to 58 percent parity. Corn and grain sorghum also exceed 50 percent of parity, the group added.

According to USDA's Economic Research Service, the "parity price" was originally "the price per bushel, pound, or bale that would be necessary for a bushel today to buy the same quantity of goods (from a standard list) that a bushel would have bought in the 1910-14 base period at the price then prevailing."

But AAM said the prices farmers received for many crops and livestock are still less than 50 percent of parity, with cotton still cotton only receiving 29 percent of parity. Hogs fell to only 33 percent of parity.

Based on closing grain bids from the Aurora Coop Elevator last Thursday, corn is at 70 percent of the parity price of $7.75 per bushel; soybeans at 67 percent of the parity price of $19.10 per bushel; and wheat at 110 percent of parity price of $12.30 per bushel.

Larry Matlack, president of AAM, said a recent contract for some July delivery wheat to a local elevator at $11.90 per bushel made him think perhaps he had equaled in value the sale his dad had made in 1974 at $5.25.

"I checked the CPI for an inflation calculator and found that my contract would need to be $24.51 to equal my dad's sale," Matlack said. "If you look at agriculture's improved efficiencies in wheat production since 1974 and parity at $12.40 it would be hard for any rational person to argue parity does not work and that agriculture is not entitled to its equality."

Government energy loans available

Nearly $221 million in loan guarantees and grants are available to agricultural producers and rural small businesses through USDA Rural Development's Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Program.

Funds can be utilized for a wide range of projects: irrigation, motor upgrades, HVAC, lighting, windows/doors, insulation and a variety of other energy-saving endeavors, as well as wind, solar, biomass, geothermal and hydrogen renewable projects. Residential improvements are not eligible.

Eligible applicants may seek loan guarantees to cover up to 50 percent of a project's cost, not to exceed $10 million. Grants are available for up to 25 percent of a project's cost, not to exceed $250,000 for energy-efficiency improvements and $500,000 for renewable energy systems.

One grant solicitation will be issued for two separate competitions in FY2008. For the first competitive window, grant-only applications must be submitted no later than April 15.

For the second competitive window, grant-only applications must be submitted no earlier than April 16 and no later than June 16.

Applications for loan guarantees, as well as those for loan/grant combinations, must be completed and submitted no later than June 16.

USDA Rural Development awarded $1 million in energy grants in Fiscal Year 2007, assisting in 101 energy efficiency improvements projects and two renewable energy projects in Nebraska.

Section 9006 of the 2002 Farm Bill established the USDA Rural Development Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements grant program. Since the program's inception, Nebraska has received nearly $4.2 million for 314 energy projects.

For more information, call (402) 437-5551.

Applications are to be submitted to the USDA Rural Development State Office, Room 152 Federal Building, 100 Centennial Mall North, Lincoln, NE 68508, by stated deadlines.

New eXtension Web site offers expert advice

A groundbreaking new Web site, eXtension.org, offers a gateway into some of the nation's leading expertise on just about any topic one can imagine.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension is a leader of the national effort, with Nebraska extension faculty providing their expertise in several content areas. Also, the national director of eXtension is based at UNL.

"University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension has long been proud of its development and delivery of educational programs to Nebraskans," said Elbert Dickey, dean and director of UNL Extension. "This new partnership with extension colleagues nationwide brings together the best of the best in the land-grant university system.

"The result is a Web-based portal into extension expertise across the country a trove of research-based, unbiased information for all Americans," Dickey added. "This will help assure that extension remains as relevant as ever in the 21st century as it brings this know-how to consumers in the comfort of their homes, 24/7."

The Web site currently is organized into 16 "communities of practice," with more to come. So far, topic areas include entrepreneurship, horticulture, agrosecurity, family caregiving, beef cattle, wildlife damage management, horses, science and technology for youth and more.

The communities of practice are typically multi-institutional, multi-state and multi-disciplinary, bringing a range of expertise to each topic.

Through eXtension.org, consumers also can interact with each other, forming "communities of interest" in various subject areas. An "Ask an Expert" feature allows consumers still another way to tap into expertise in the land-grant university system. Users also can subscribe to RSS feeds, and eXtension will automatically send updates on items of interest.

The public launch of eXtension.org will be celebrated at UNL with activities beginning at 2:30 p.m. Monday in the Nebraska East Union.