Croatian wine

Croatian wine (, pl. ) has a history dating back to the Ancient Greek settlers, and their wine production on the southern Dalmatian islands of Vis, Hvar and Korčula some 2,500 years ago. Like other old world wine producers, many traditional grape varieties still survive in Croatia, perfectly suited to their local wine hills. Modern wine-production methods have taken over in the larger wineries and EU-style wine regulations have been adopted, guaranteeing the quality of the wine.
There are currently over 300 geographically defined wine regions and a strict classification system to ensure quality and origin. The majority of Croatian wine is white, with most of the remainder being red and only a small percentage being rosé wines. In 2014, Croatia ranked 32nd in wine production by country with an estimated 45,272 tonnes.
Wine is a popular drink in Croatia, and locals traditionally like to drink wine with their meals. Quite often, the wine is diluted with either still or sparkling water—producing a drinks known as (a combination of white wine and carbonated water) and (a combination of red wine and still water).
History.
Like the rest of Central Europe and Southern Europe, viticulture in the present-day Croatia existed hundreds of years before the rise of the Roman Empire. Recent research has shown that the Illyrians living in Dalmatia during the Bronze Age and Iron Age may already have grown grapevines. However, the true beginning of grape cultivation and wine production in Croatia is related to the Ancient Greeks settlers, who arrived on the Croatian coast in the 5th century BC. The Greek writer Athenaeus wrote 18 centuries ago about the high quality wine produced on the Dalmatian islands of Vis, Hvar and Korčula. Coins from the period have motifs related to grape cultivation and wine, demonstrating the importance of wine in the economics of the ancient Greek colonies.
Under the Roman Empire, wine production grew, becoming more organized. Wine was exported to other parts of the empire. Artifacts from this time include stone presses for squeezing grapes and amphoras from sunken Roman galleys. Decorations on numerous religious and household items bear witness to the wine-making culture.
As the Croatians arrived and settled the area, they learned from their predecessors, and wine production continued to expand. During the Middle Ages, there was a royal court official called the "royal wine procurer", whose responsibilities included the production and procurement of wine. Free towns adopted legal standards on winegrowing and protected it accordingly. For example, a statute of the town and island of Korčula in 1214 contains strict rules protecting the vineyards.
In the 15th century, the Ottoman Turks arrived in South Eastern Europe, and imposed strict anti-alcohol laws as part of the new Islamic law. Fortunately, the Ottoman Empire was tolerant of Christianity.
Catholic church traditions involving wine may have “saved” local wine production from complete extinction—as priests and monks were permitted to continue making wine for church services.
In the 18th century, much of present-day Croatia came under control of the Habsburg Empire, where wine production flourished through the 19th and 20th centuries. The history of wine changed dramatically in 1874, when phylloxera, a hazardous grapevine pest, started to appear in Europe. Wine production dropped, first in France and Germany, as growers struggled with the blight. For a time, Croatian vineyards remained unaffected, and wine exports greatly increased to fill the demand. Some French companies even planted vines in Croatia with a view to expanding operations in the safe area. However, by the turn of the 20th century, Croatian vines had also succumbed to phylloxera, leading to the destruction of the vineyards and the collapse of the local economy in many areas. Large numbers of winegrowing families moved to the new world, contributing to the growth of wine production there.
Under the communist system of Yugoslavia, wine production was centered in large cooperatives, and private ownership of vineyards was discouraged. Quantity rather than quality became the main focus. The Croatian War of Independence in the early 1990s saw many vineyards and wineries once again destroyed. However, with the move back to small, independent producers, Croatian wines are once again competing with the best in the world wine market.
Geography and climate.
Croatia is a Mediterranean country, lying to the east of Italy, across the Adriatic Sea. Towards the north lie the Alps, and to the north-east the country forms the western end of the great Pannonian Plain.
The interior of Croatia has a continental climate, with cold winters, and hot summers with enough rain to make it a major agricultural area. Winegrowing is concentrated in the hilly areas bordering on the Pannonian Plain.
The Dalmatian Coast is typically Mediterranean in climate, though the Dinaric Alps mountain range creates pockets of alpine climate at higher altitudes. The coastline of the Adriatic Sea is ideal for grape cultivation with its hot, humid summers and mild winters. Further down the coast, and on the islands, grapes are grown on the karst hillside, sometimes steep slopes with little rainfall. Some of the best-known wine-production areas are on the Dalmatian islands. Located along hillsides and slopes, wine regions along the coast receive many hours of sunlight, ideal for grape production. Croatia is also home to the Slavonian oak forest, which provides oak for the casks favoured by many European winemakers for aging their finest wines.
The average inland temperature is between 0 and 2 °C in January, and between 19 and 23 °C in August. Average coastal temperatures range from 6–11 °C in January to 21–27 °C in August. Sea temperature averages 12 °C in winter and 25 °C in summer.
Wine styles.
There are two distinct wine-producing regions in Croatia. The continental region in the north-east of the country produces rich fruity white wines, similar in style to the neighbouring areas of Slovenia, Austria and Hungary. On the north coast, Istrian wines are similar to those produced in neighbouring Italy, while further south production is more towards big Mediterranean-style reds. On the islands and the Dalmatian coast, local grape varieties, microclimates and the rather harsh nature of the vineyards leads to some highly individual wines, and some of Croatia's best known.
The majority (67%) of wine produced is white and produced in the interior, while 32% is red and produced mainly along the coast. Rosé is relatively rare. Some special wines, such as sparkling wine ( or ) and dessert wine, are also produced.
Wine Regions.
Croatia has three main wine regions: Eastern Continental (Istočna kontinentalna), Western Continental (Zapadna kontinentalna) and Coastal (Primorska), which also includes the islands. Each of the main regions is divided into sub-regions, which are divided yet further into smaller vinogorje (literally wine hills). Altogether, there are more than 300 geographically defined wine-producing areas in Croatia. More than half of the wine production is concentrated in three counties: Istria, Osijek-Baranja and Vukovar-Srijem.
Eastern Continental Croatia.
The eastern inland wine region includes Slavonia and the Croatian Danube. It is a relatively flat area bordered by three rivers: the Danube, Drava and Sava. Vineyards are generally located on the low hills rising from the plain. It has a typical continental climate with cold winters and hot summers, and production is concentrated in white wine varieties. The best-known area within this region is Slavonia; the most widely planted grape is Graševina, which yields light, crisp, refreshing, mildly aromatic wines.
The continental region is divided into the following sub-regions:
Western Continental Croatia.
The western inland wine region includes the Croatian uplands and is characterized by rolling hills and a cool climate with very cold winters. The sloping vineyards ensure sufficient sun and wind during the growing season, and the wines here display intense aromas and high levels of acidity. Production is concentrated in white wine varieties.
The continental region is divided into the following sub-regions:
Coastal Croatia.
Officially, the coastal wine region runs from Istria in the north to Dalmatia to the south. However, due to the widely differing growing conditions, the grape varietals, and the resulting wines, the coastal region is often divided into two parts: Istria/Kvarner and Dalmatia.
Istria and Kvarner are where the warmth of the Mediterranean meets the cold from the Alps, making for a cooler climate than the southern part of the coastal region. A very rich red soil, rich in iron oxides, combined with the mild climate make this area ideal for wine production. In Istria and the north coast, the focus is on fruity, dry white wines from a wide range of grape varieties, but mostly Malvazija, as well as bold, dry reds including Teran.
Further south, in Dalmatia, with its rocky landscapes, the islands and hillsides have an infinite variety of microclimates resulting in a winegrowing area where terroir is a crucially important factor. A wide range of indigenous grape varietals are grown here, the best known being Plavac Mali, the child of Zinfandel and Dobričić. The coastal region is divided into the following sub-regions (listed from north to south):
Grape Varieties.
The grape varieties in use in Croatia can be very confusing to foreigners, not simply because the Croatian names are unfamiliar, but because many of the varieties may not be in use beyond a very limited area. There are indeed many foreign "international" grape varieties grown in Croatia but its long history of wine production has left it with a rich tradition of indigenous varieties, especially in the more out-lying areas and the more extreme growing conditions. Some of these have been so successful that they are in widespread use within Croatia, yet remain relatively unknown outside the country. One such is Plavac Mali, the foundation of many highly regarded Dalmatian red wines.
The well-known Napa Valley winemaker Miljenko "Mike" Grgich is a Croatian native, and he has argued the case for Zinfandel being descended from the Plavac Mali grape. DNA testing has now demonstrated that Plavac Mali is in fact a child of the true original Zinfandel, which is a little-planted grape from the same area named Crljenak Kaštelanski.
Following the devastation of the vines by phylloxera at the end of the 19th century, Croatian vineyards were replanted by grafting the traditional varieties on to American root stock. Only a very few pre-phylloxera vines still survive today on a couple of the islands (Korčula, and Susak). In recent years, foreign-based winemakers and investors are taking an interest in Croatia's many indigenous grape varieties. As the battle against phylloxera continues, broadening the gene pool may be one way to help prevent a recurrence.
The tables below give an overview of the common varieties, alternative names, and where they are grown.
Classification.
In 1961, Dingač and then, in 1967, Postup were registered for Yugoslav state protection.
The Croatian Institute of Viticulture and Enology was set up in 1996 to oversee the country's wine industry, and be responsible for regulating winegrowing and wine production. Standards, similar to the EU wine regulations, were set up to ensure the consistent quality of the final product. Croatian wines are classified by quality, which is clearly marked on the label.
In addition, wines may qualify for a geographical origin stamp, if it is produced from grapes grown in the same winegrowing region. The definition becomes stricter for higher-quality classifications, so that a premium quality wine with geographical origin stamp must meet criteria for the type of grape, the position in the vinogorije (winegrowing hill) with the distinct quality and characteristics for the variety. If the wine has a grape varietal stamp, it must be at least 85% of the grape type whose name it carries. Distinctive quality wines have a special quality, attained in certain years, in special conditions of maturation, manner of harvesting and processing, and must be produced only from the recommended sorts of grape for the particular winegrowing hills.
Wines qualifying for a vintage designation, known as Arhiv, must be kept in cellar conditions longer than its optimal maturation period, and not less than 5 years from the day of processing grape into wine, of which at least 3 years in a bottle.
Despite these various classifications systems, Croatian wines don't have a DO or AOC system like Spain, Italy, or France, which can make it confusing to understand a wine's grade or origin.
Wine production.
As of 2018, the five largest wine producers are:


Joseph Blowick

Joseph Blowick (13 March 1903 – 12 August 1970) was an Irish politician. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann in 1943 as a Clann na Talmhan Teachta Dála (TD) for Mayo South. He succeeded Michael Donnellan as leader of the party in 1944. Blowick was appointed to the Cabinet in the two Inter-Party governments, serving under John A. Costello as Minister for Lands on both occasions. Blowick was elected to Dáil Éireann at every election until 1965 when he retired from politics. He died at Belcarra in 1970.
Joseph Blowick was born at Belcarra, Ballycarra, County Mayo, on March 13, 1903, the son of John Blowick (a farmer) and Honoria "Norah" (née Madden) Blowick. He had one sister, Nora, and three brothers, all of whom became priests: Rev Stephen, a diocesan parish priest serving at Saint Patrick's Church, in Islandeady, County Mayo; Rev John Blowick, founder of the Maynooth Mission to China (Missionary Society of St. Columban); and Rev Peter, a priest of the Missionary Society of St. Columban.
References.


Agricultural Engineers Association

Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA) is a trade association in the United Kingdom which represents manufacturers and importers of agricultural machinery and outdoor equipment to Government, Parliament, and the media.
History.
The AEA was established in 1875 to promote the commercial, technical and trade interests of British manufacturers and suppliers of agricultural machinery and celebrated its 125th anniversary in London on 18 April 2000. It was incorporated in 1955 as private company limited by guarantee without share capital. It now also champions the cause of manufacturers of outdoor power equipment and its current members cover a broad spectrum of manufacturers of land based equipment.
The AEA issues trade statistics and commentary for the national media and organises large events for the industry such as Tillage Live, an annual UK cultivations event focusing on all aspects of crop establishment, and ScotGrass, a triennial grassland event.
The AEA became a member of the Engineering and Machinery Alliance, UK, in 2010.


Chateau Musar

Chateau Musar is the name of a Lebanese winery in Ghazir, Lebanon, north of the capital Beirut. Musar grapes grow in the Beqaa Valley, a fertile sunny valley at an elevation of , situated east of Beirut.
History.
The winery was established by Gaston Hochar in 1930 after returning from Bordeaux. Gaston Hochar was succeeded by his sons, Ronald and Serge Hochar, with the latter managing the estate from 1959 till his death in 2014, and Ronald Hochar assuming marketing and finance department responsibilities from 1962. Serge Hochar's sons have succeeded him at the winery. Gaston Hochar is now in charge of the day-to-day running of the winery, and Marc Hochar is in charge of the winery's commercial aspects.
In 1959, Serge Hochar becomes Chateau Musar winemaker, while completing his winemaking studies at the University of Oenology in Bordeaux, under the tutorage of Jean Riberau and Emile Peynaud.
The international discovery of Musar took place at the Bristol Wine Fair of 1979 when auctioneer and taster Michael Broadbent and journalist Roger Voss selected Musar 1967 as the "discovery of the Fair".
Despite war in Lebanon and frequent tension, with the exception of the 1976 vintage, wine has been produced at the Château every year, with employees sometimes working under high-risk conditions. (1984 was made, despite difficulties in transporting the grapes to the winery. It has not yet been released commercially.) The 1992 red Chateau Musar production was declassified due to a weak vintage.
Though comparisons are sometimes made with Bordeaux wine, Burgundy wine or Rhône wine, it is most frequently maintained that the wine of Musar is unique. Due to the winemaking philosophy of Serge Hochar, its vintages are notoriously inconsistent.
According to Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade Review, Serge Hochar died in a swimming accident in Mexico in late December 2014.
Production.
The red wine, which is the best known is made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Carignan, Grenache, and Mourvèdre grapes in varying amounts each year. The whites are made from Obaideh (related to Chardonnay) and Merwah (related to Sémillon). Both wines contain classic Bordeaux grapes, however they are very different, as they are made in a natural wine style with significant bottle variation. The wines generally improve with age, both the red and whites.
They also produce a single vineyard wine, Hochar, which is similar to the red Musar but is oak aged for only 9 months, and can be drunk younger, as well as the Cuvée Musar range, both produced as a red, white and a rosé. Hochar Père et Fils is released earlier and can be used as an indication of what the Chateau Musar wine will be like. It is usually around half the price of the regular Chateau Musar. They have also begun production of a restaurant range, Musar Mosaic, and a wine from their younger grapes, Musar Jeune.


George Henderson (Northern Ireland politician)

George Henderson was a farmer and politician in Northern Ireland.
Henderson worked as a farmer in County Antrim. Around the time of his retirement, he was appointed Chairman of the Unbought Tenants' Association. Standing as a representative of that group, he won a seat in Antrim at the 1925 Northern Ireland general election. The seat was abolished at the 1929 general election, and Henderson instead contested Bannside on behalf of the Ulster Liberal Party. He took second place, and was not elected. He also contested the Westminster seat of Antrim as a Liberal at the 1929 general election, but was not close to being elected.


Los Altos History Museum

The Los Altos History Museum (LAHM) is a museum in Los Altos, California. Founded in 2001, the museum showcases the history of Los Altos and surrounding areas, including the transformation of the agricultural paradise once known as the "Valley of Heart's Delight" into the high-tech Silicon Valley. The Los Altos History Museum is situated in one of the few remaining apricot orchards in the San Francisco Bay area.
The museum features both a permanent exhibit as well as temporary exhibits. The permanent exhibit is called "Crown of the Peninsula" and describes the history of the city of Los Altos, featuring a diorama of Los Altos as it appeared in 1932 with an operational O-scale model train representing the rail line through town that was removed in 1964 and replaced by Foothill Expressway.


John Meredith Bass

John Meredith Bass (January 19, 1804– March 14, 1878) was an American banker, planter and Whig politician. He served as the Mayor of Nashville, Tennessee from 1833 to 1834, and again in 1869.
Early life.
John Meredith Bass was born on January 19, 1804 in Nashville, Tennessee. His father, Peter Bass, was a real estate investor in Nashville. His mother was from Kentucky.
Bass was educated in Kentucky. He graduated from the University of Nashville, and earned a law degree from Transylvania University. He was "admitted to the bar in 1830."
Career.
Bass served on the board of aldermen of Nashville from 1831 to 1832, and as the mayor of Nashville in 1833 as a Whig. Additionally, he was "one of the commissioners who built the Nashville water-works."
Bass became the president of the Union Bank of Tennessee in 1837. He was also the founding president of the Southern Life Insurance Company. Additionally, he was the owner of plantations in Louisiana and Arkansas.
Bass served on the board of trustees of the Nashville Female Academy (also known as the Old Academy), and the University of Nashville. In 1869, Bass served as the "receiver" of Nashville, for which he gave a $1 million bond.
Personal life and death.
On January 7, 1829, Bass married Malvina Grundy, daughter of Senator Felix Grundy, after she eloped at the age of eighteen. He was a personal friend of slave trader John Armfield. Like him, he owned a cottage in Beersheba Springs, Tennessee.
Bass died on March 14, 1878 in New Orleans, where he was visiting his daughter. He was buried with his wife in the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Nashville.


Max Ringelmann

Maximilien Ringelmann (10 December 1861, Paris – 2 May 1931, Paris) was a French professor of agricultural engineering and agronomic engineer who was involved in the scientific testing and development of agricultural machinery.
Ringelmann's interests were wide-ranging: he developed the Ringelmann scale which is still used to measure smoke.
He also discovered the Ringelmann effect in social psychology, viz, that when working in groups, individuals slacken.
Education.
After graduating from the public schools of Paris, Ringelmann studied at the Institute National Agronomique (National Institute of Agronomy), where he was an outstanding student. He also attended Hervé Mangon’s evening course in rural engineering at the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts). (Charles-François Hervé Mangon (1821–1888) had been trained as a civil engineer, but his interest shifted to agriculture, where he studied irrigation, drainage, fertilizers, etc.)
Ringelmann also attended courses at the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (National School of Bridges and Roads), a civil engineering school.
Career.
Starting in 1881, Ringelmann tutored the course in rural engineering at the École Nationale d’Agriculture (National School of Agriculture) in Grand Jouan, Nozay, France. By 1883, he was contributing a weekly column to the "Journal d’Agriculture Pratique" (Journal of Practical Agriculture).
Up to that time, the development of agricultural machinery had been done largely by amateurs. Eugène Tisserand, a director at the Ministry of Agriculture, wanted to apply a scientific approach to the development and evaluation of farm machinery. He therefore requested that Ringelmann draft plans for a facility for testing agricultural machinery, which after many vicissitudes opened in 1888. The facility was established on Jenner Street in Paris and Ringelmann was named its director.
He adapted industrial instruments where possible, but he also designed and had built instruments such as traction dynamometers, rotational dynamometers, profilographs, etc. He aimed to determine the efficiency of agricultural machinery, its economics, the quality of the work performed, etc. His wide-ranging interests soon led him to extend his research to include all branches of rural engineering: construction, drainage, irrigation, electrification, hydraulics.
In 1887, Ringelmann was elected to the Académie d'Agriculture, and in the same year, he became professor of mechanics and rural engineering at the École Nationale d’Agriculture in Grignon. In 1897, he succeeded his former professor Hervé Mangon as professor of rural engineering at the Institute National Agronomique. He became in 1902 professor of colonial rural engineering at the École Nationale Supérieure d’Agriculture Coloniale in Nogent-sur-Marne.
Ringelmann traveled within Europe and to North America in order to observe those areas where mechanization of agriculture had progressed rapidly. He also traveled to France's colonies—particularly in North Africa—in order to study the special problems posed by the local climate and by the pre-industrial technology that was used by the native farmers. His expertise in agricultural engineering was sought by inventors, industrialists and farmers.
Ringelmann smoke charts.
In 1888 Ringelmann proposed a specification for a simple set of grids for measuring the density of smoke. This became known as the Ringelmann scale.
By 1897, printed cards were available showing the smoke charts.
In the United States, local ordinances in many cities were passed to prohibit smoke of greater than 3 (60% opacity) on the Ringelmann scale. These charts are still used.
History of Rural Engineering.
During 1900-1905, Ringelmann wrote a monumental, four-volume study "Essai sur l’Histoire du Génie Rural" (Essay on the History of Rural Engineering), which traced the progress of rural engineering from pre-history to the modern age.
Ringelmann effect.
Ringelmann also discovered the Ringelmann effect, also known as "social loafing". This research was carried out at the agricultural school of Grand-Jouan, between 1882 and 1887, but the results were not published until 1913. Specifically, Ringelmann had his students, individually and in groups, pull on a rope. He noticed that the effort exerted by a group was less than the sum of the efforts exerted by the students acting individually.
"Original text" : Pour l’emploi de l’homme, comme d’allieurs des animaux de trait, le meilleure utilisation est réalisée quand le moteur travaille seul : dès qu’on accouple deux ou plusieurs moteurs sur la même résistance, le travail utilisé de chacun d’eux, avec la même fatigue, diminue par suite du manque de simultanéité de leurs efforts …
"Translation" : When employing men, or draught animals, better use is achieved when the source of motive power works alone: as soon as one couples two or several such sources to the same load, the work performed by each of them, at the same level of fatigue, decreases as a result of the lack of simultaneity of their efforts …
This finding is one of the earliest discoveries in the history of Social Psychology, allowing Ringelmann to be described by some as a founder of Social Psychology.
Max Ringelmann died in Paris on 2 May 1931.
Bibliography.
Ringelmann's publications include:


Timothy Brooks (Lord Lieutenant)

Sir Timothy Gerald Martin Brooks, KCVO (1929–2014) was an English landowner, farmer, politician and public servant.
Brooks' father, the Hon. Herbert William Brooks (1890–1974), was a younger son of the 2nd Baron Crawshaw. After Eton College, he attended the Royal Agricultural College, completing a National Diploma in Agriculture in 1951. That year, he married the Hon. Ann Fremantle, daughter of the 4th Baron Cottesloe; when Lord Cottesloe died in 1958, she inherited Wistow Hall and its connected estate.
The couple spent many years renovating the hall, improving the estate's farms and organising the Wistow Rural Centre (which Brooks had established in 1953). Brooks became involved in local affairs, becoming a magistrate in 1960 and serving as the High Sheriff of Leicestershire for the 1979–80 year. He sat on Harborough District Council from 1975 to 1989 and chaired it in the 1983–84 year. In 1989, he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire. Between then and his retirement in 2003, he received two honorary degrees (from De Montfort University and the University of Leicester) and was appointed a Knight of the Order of Saint John.
On retiring, Brooks was appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order. He died in 2014. His son Richard served as High Sheriff of Leicestershire in 2012.


James Specht

James "Jim" Specht is an American agronomist, focusing in soybean genetics and physiology and agronomics of soybean response of water, currently Emeritus Professor and formerly the Francis & Dorothy Haskins and Charles E. Bessey Professor of Agronomy and Horticulture at University of Nebraska and an Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and American Society of Agronomy.


Corn production in the United States

The production of corn ("Zea mays mays", also known as "maize") plays a major role in the economy of the United States. The US is the largest corn producer in the world, with of land reserved for corn production. Corn growth is dominated by west/north central Iowa and east central Illinois. Approximately 13% of its annual yield is exported.<ref name="2014/2015Statistic"></ref>
History.
Corn spread across North America a few thousand years ago. The original corn plant known as teosinte is still grown in Mexico. Newer varieties are much larger, due to plant breeding efforts of Native Americans and scientific research. It is now the third leading grain crop in the world.
According to "Tribes That Slumber" by Thomas Lewis and Madeline Kneberg, corn was "the staff of life to the Cherokee", who grew three types of corn. "Flour corn" had "very large, white kernels". "Six weeks corn" was a type similar to popcorn, roasted at milk stage. "Hominy corn" came in different colors of "smooth, hard kernels" which might be white, blue, red or yellow, or a mix of any of these.
By the time scientific assessment of conduciveness to grow corn in the United States was undertaken by Meriwether Lewis in 1804, the immigrant settlers had already spread its growth in many parts of the country due to its suitability in varying climatic and soil conditions. Once the suitability of land in the central part of the country, the Midwestern United States, was scientifically established by Lewis and Clark, settlers moved to the area in large numbers, and started reaping large corn crops.
Over the centuries, the crop varieties underwent changes to get better yields, while farming methods were improved. As a result, the fertile belt soon came to be known as "the Corn Belt". Hybrid cropping techniques were widely practiced from the late 1880s, and the hybrid corn varieties developed with cross and re-cross breeding techniques developed by university research. This ushered a new age of agriculture. The 1% area devoted to hybrid varieties in 1934 rose to 78% in the 1940s and continued to rise thereafter. In the 1950s, Henry A. Wallace, former Vice President and former Secretary of Agriculture, and an early developer of hybrid seeds, observed that "the Corn Belt had developed into the most productive agricultural civilization the world has ever seen". This trend has continued and now the corn production level in American farms is a significant 20% higher per acre than in the rest of the world.
As the growth of corn has spread to extensive production in 14 states (though it is grown to a lesser extent in all the other US states), the Corn Farmers Coalition was formed. This is a union of the National Corn Growers Association and 14 state corn associations.
Production.
The total production of corn in the US for the year 2019 is reported to be 13.016 billion bushels, of which the major use is for manufacture of ethanol and its co-product (Distillers' Dried Grains with Solubles), accounting for 37% (27% + 10%), or 4,845 million bushels (3,552 + 1,293). The other uses are given in the table.
cereals.
The final estimate of corn production for the years 1950 to 1959 in the United States is given as some three billion bushels and in recent years, some nine billion bushels are produced each year. Corn growth is dominated by west north central Iowa and east central Illinois. In 2018, the national average production was 176 bushels per acre. Based on a national contest in 2011 when an average of 300 bushels per acre was achieved others are sure to follow suit which result in a yield of 300 bushels per acre by 2030 from the same extent land holdings under corn.
Ethanol.
Two methods are used to produce ethanol from corn and other plants such as sugar cane. The residual product (DDGS) is about 33% of the input stream and is used as livestock feed. Ethanol is blended with gasoline to produce E10 and E85 fuels for automobile vehicles. The addition of ethanol to gasoline reduces the net greenhouse gases released by an average of 34%. One bushel of corn can produce 2.8 gallons of ethanol in as well as 17-18 pounds of DDGS. Compared to other major sources, corn is the least efficient means of ethanol production. In 2007, the production process used 75% of the energy extracted.
On account of great demand for ethanol, corn is fetching higher prices. This has resulted in farmers increasing acreage under corn by adopting crop rotations between corn and soybeans; causing a decline in soy production. The Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 also allowed more acreage under corn, overriding the act of 1983, which had fixed it at .
Agriculture.
There are of land dedicated exclusively to corn cultivation in the United States. The US is the world's leading producer of corn, having produced of the crop in the year 2009.
Out of 316,000 corn farms, about 300,000 farms (95% of them) are family-owned. More than 30% of corn farms are operated by women.
Highest yield of over 12 billion bushels have been recorded up to 2011 with 12.4 billion bushels reported in 2011 with yields of more than 140 bushels per acre. Farming practice is based on irrigation only in about 11% area while the balance area is under un-irrigated conditions. The farm practices have also resulted in implementing conservation measures which have reduced soil erosion to the extent of 44%.
Subsidies.
"See also US Agricultural subsidies"
Corn in the United States has been subsidized since the 1930s, when a drop in demand from post-war Europe caused a food glut and prices crashed. In the 1980s, subsidies increased substantially.
US subsidies for corn have averaged 4.7 billion dollars per year over the twenty years from 1995-2014 inclusive. 2014 projections were that the US would spend $97.29 billion/year on farm and food programs over the next decade.
The subsidies have been criticized for:
Value.
US$267 is spent by the average American annually on purchasing corn. In 2015, one bushel of corn costs $3.50. The value of individual corn farms varies from location to location, depending on the amount of bushels produced and the quality of corn. Other factors such as the weather or economic crises may cause corn prices to fluctuate or to rise. The value of corn is increasing, due to the country's greater demand and reliance for corn.
By state.
Iowa, the largest producer of corn in the US, grows three times as much corn as Mexico. Iowa harvested of sweet corn in 2007. In 2011, the state had 92,300 corn farms on , the average size being , and the average dollar value per acre being US$6,708. In the same year, there were 13.7 million harvested acres of corn for grain, producing 2.36 billion bushels, which yielded 172.0 bu/acre, with US$14.5 billion of corn value of production. Almost 1.88 billion bushels of corn were grown in the state in 2012 on 13.7 million acres of land, while the 2013 projections are 2.45 billion bushels of corn on 13.97 million acres of land.
Nebraska is known as the "Cornhusker State" – and is the third-largest corn-producing state in the United States.
Corn is Minnesota's largest crop. In 1922-1931, production averaged 30.4 bushels per acre; in 1947-1956, it average 46.6 bushels per acre; in 1973, it averaged 91.4 bushels per acre; and in 1994, the average was 142 bushels per acre. In 1935-1946, a shift to hybrid varieties occurred. In 2010, the state produced 1.29 billion bushels. In 2012, Minnesota's farmers produced the largest corn crop in the state's history, at 1.37 billion bushels harvested, equaling 165 bushels per acre, on 250,000 acres.
The first corn varieties grown in Illinois were those obtained from local Indians or varieties brought to Illinois from the New England states. After the Civil War, varieties were developed which were adapted to the state's soils and climate, such as Reid's Yellow Dent. During the period of 1900-1905, there were 10,500,000 acres planted, with a decline to 8,862,000 acres in 1925-1930. In 2012, Illinois sowed 12.8 million acres of corn in 2012, ranking fourth in corn production, behind Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska. The state averaged 105 bushels per acre in 2012, down from 157-bushel per acre in 2010 and 2011.
Although the state of Alaska has a cold temperate climate, some Alaskan farmers still manage to grow corn, through means such as greenhouse farming. Corn is popular among Alaskans.
Corn is a popular crop in the state of Indiana; it is mostly grown as animal feed. Indiana is located in the United States' Corn Belt.
The state of Texas is a large producer of corn; the final estimate of corn produced in 2010 was some 301 million bushels on of land, totaling to $1.2 billion of crop.
Corn was introduced to Alabama in around the eighteenth century; there have been traces of corn found in Nuyuka's Upper Creek village which dates back to the period.


Cinque Terre DOC

Cinque Terre is a small DOC white wine region in Liguria, North Italy. The DOC was granted in 1973 and production is limited to the coastal areas of the Cinque Terre in the Province of La Spezia, and specifically to the territories of the communes of Riomaggiore (including Manarola), Vernazza (which includes the village of Corniglia, whose wine has been known since Roman times) and Monterosso al Mare, together with two adjacent areas within the commune of La Spezia: Tramonti di Biassa and Tramonti di Campiglia.
The wine is produced from a must containing at least 40% of the Bosco grape, but may also contain up to 40% of Albarola and/or Vermentino and up to 20% of other white-berried grapes approved and/or recommended for the Province of La Spezia.
The wines tend to be dry, with straw yellow colour, and a delicate aroma.
Food Matches.
Typically, it is best drunk with the local cuisine, and especially with seafood — until the arrival of the railway in 1874, the five villages of the Cinque Terre were little fishing hamlets, accessible only by sea.
Sciacchetrà.
Sciacchetrà DOC is also produced in the same Cinque Terre area and is a 'vino passito' or Straw wine of the Cinque Terre DOC wine, and is typically drunk with cheese or desserts.


M. D. Banda

Mohottalage Dingiri Banda (known as "M.D Banda") was a former Divisional Revenue Officer (DRO) and subsequently a Cabinet Minister and Member of Parliament in Ceylon (Sri Lanka).
Under the British Colonial Regional Administration system in 1939, Divisional Revenue Officer's (DRO's ) were appointed to succeed the then “Rate Mahattayas” in the Kandyan regions, “Mudaliyars” of the Maritime regions, “Maniagars” of the Jaffna Districts, “Vanniyars” of the Batticaloa and Trincomalee Districts, and “Atikarams” of the Mannar District. They were collectively known as Chief Headmen. Mr. M. D. Banda was in the first batch of (Kandyan) DRO's appointed in 1939. He was first appointed to Uda-Hewaheta which covered areas encompassing Hewaheta, Hanguranketa, Walapane and a good part of Nuwara Eliya District.
He first entered politics during the Second State Council by-election of 1943 from Nuwara Eliya, under the Donoughmore Constitution of Colonial Ceylon.
He then entered The First Parliament in 1947 from the Maturata seat as its first Member of Parliament. Under the leadership of the Rt. Hon. D.S. Senanayake, the First Prime Minister of Independent Ceylon. Mr. M. D. Banda succeeded Hon. T. B. Jayah as Minister of Labour and Social Services in 1950.
During the 2nd Parliament (1952-1953) he was Minister of Education, in the Cabinet of Hon. Dudley Senanayake. He held the same position under Hon. Sir John Kotelawala's Cabinet (1953-1956).
In 1956 Hon. S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike lead SLFP won the general election and as a result, the United National Party was routed and reduced to eight seats in Parliament, only two former Cabinet members managed to survive, namely the Prime Minister Sir John Kotelawala from Dodangaslanda seat and Minister of Education M. D. Banda from the Maturata seat. Such was the admiration and high esteem his constituents held him for his great public service.
In 1960 at the delimitation of seats two new seats came up replacing Maturate - Hanguranketa and Walapane and M. D. Banda was elected through the Hanguranketa seat. He was appointed Minister of Agriculture and Lands, Minister of Food, Commerce and Trade under the Hon. Dudley Senanayake Cabinet.
At the 1965 General Elections, Mr. Banda decided to contest from his native place and contested the Polgahawela seat in the Kurunegala District. He was then appointed as Minister of Agriculture and Food (1965–1970) in the Hon. Dudley Senanayake Cabinet.
After primary education in the village school he entered Nalanda College Colombo. Later, he was educated at St. Anthony's College, Kandy and passed the London Matriculation and entrance to University College. It is on record that he was a good athlete and an outstanding cricketer in school as well as the Ceylon University College.
Hon. M.D. Banda stands out as an example of a life of honour and integrity.


Jang Deok-jin

Jang Deok-jin (; 27 June 1934 – 20 April 2017) was a South Korean lawyer and politician.
A native of Chuncheon, Jang attended Korea University, where he earned a law degree in 1960. Jang began his political career in 1968 at what became the Ministry of Strategy and Finance. He led the Korea Football Association from 1970 to 1973. Elected to the National Assembly in 1971, Jang served one term and in 1973 was named vice minister of agriculture. Four years later, in 1977, he was nominated to head the agriculture ministry.
After retiring from politics, Jang became an economic adviser for the provinces of Heilongjiang and Jilin in China and also taught at Harbin Institute of Technology. He died, aged 82, on 20 April 2017.


Frank Jenkinson

Francis Joseph Jenkinson, OBE, JP (died 12 January 1965), frequently referred to in print as F. J. Jenkinson, and in person as Frank Jenkinson, was an English farmer, local politician and magistrate, who served as Chairman of Kesteven County Council and Chairman of the West Kesteven Rural District Council.
Early life and family.
Jenkinson was the second of two sons born to George Augustus Jenkinson (died 1929) and his wife Mary Elizabeth (1845–1936), a native of Saltfleetby near Louth. The elder Jenkinson's family had lived in Barrowby for generations; he was educated at Sedgebrook Grammar School and farmed at Barrowby until he was 60 (initially with his father), before moving to the larger Highfield Farm at Great Gonerby in about 1905. A staunch churchgoer, he represented Great Gonerby on Kesteven County Council for nine years, sat on the Parish Council and chaired the Gonerby Conservative Association. His elder son was George Augustus Jenkinson, of Old Somerby, who also served on Kesteven County Council.
On 21 April 1920, Francis Jenkinson married his cousin, Mary Pleasance Cummings (died 1952), a daughter of Rev. T. S. Cracknell, vicar of Sutton St James. She was a widow: her first husband, Dr W. G. Cummings, of Ealing, had died in 1917 while fighting in France in the Royal Army Medical Corps. Her only child, Elizabeth Pleasance "Betty" Cummings, was born of the first marriage. In 1938 she married Dr Herbert Beaton Giles (died 1953), son of Rev. Charles Giles, of Aberdeen. By 1952, she had married again, to John Norton, a Grantham solicitor. On 21 June 1954, Jenkinson married for a second time, to Mary Wilson, who had lived in East Yorkshire before residing at Great Gonerby for a year prior to the marriage.
Career.
Rural District Council.
Jenkinson was elected a member of the Grantham Rural District Council (later West Kesteven Rural District Council) in 1913; in 1928, he was elected its chairman, and served continually for 35 years. At the end of 1964 the Council presented him with a silver casket and inscribed scroll to commemorate his 50 years' service as a councillor, which was thought to be a national record.
County Council.
Jenkinson was elected to Kesteven County Council in 1919 and became an alderman in 1922. In 1940, the council's vice-chairman, Alderman J. H. Bowman, died. In November, Councillor Rev. Cecil St John Wright proposed Jenkinson to succeed him, which was seconded by Alderman W. King-Fane. Councillors M. T. Chambers and J. S. Reeve also proposed Lieutenant-Colonel F. D. Trollope-Bellew, but the council voted 31 to 23 for Jenkinson. During the proposals, Reeve quoted Sir Charles Welby as saying that Jenkinson's work in West Kesteven had shown him to be "a splendid chairman with a most statesmanlike and wide point of view". After the death of Sir Robert Pattinson, Jenkinson was unanimously elected chairman of the Council in February 1955; presided over by Mrs G. H. Schwind, that meeting marked the first time that a woman had taken the chair in the council's history. Jenkinson served in the post until 1962, when deafness prompted him to resign.
Other posts and later life.
Jenkinson served as chairman of the Grantham branch of the National Farmer's Union between 1919 and 1929. On his retirement, E. C. Newton, his successor, presented an illustrated address and the branch members presented two chairs to him in gratitude of his service. He subsequently chaired the Lincolnshire county branch of the NFU, and in 1937 was presented with a gold watch and silver salver in recognition of his eight years of service in that position. He took an active interest in the NFU's labour committees, and was on the Lindsey and Kesteven Wages Committee at the time of his death. For many years, Jenkinson also represented the NFU on the Agricultural Wages Board and was a life member of both the Lincolnshire Branch and the Executive Committee.
Jenkinson died at his home at Great Gonerby on 12 January 1965, aged 82. The NFU issued a statement saying that he was an "able negotiator" who "devoted the better part of his life serving his fellow man, particularly in the agricultural sector".


Calcialiment

Calcialiment is an animal feed producer based in Brittany.
History.
Calcialiment was founded in 1930 in Brittany. As a family business specialising in animal nutrition, the company has developed around 3 core areas: minerals for producing livestock farmers, infancy feed, and premix for industrial farmers.
1935: Théophile Lognone, a hen farmer in the Mont Saint-Michel Bay area, noticed that the eggs produced by his hens were stronger and hatched better when he gave them bits of shell to peck. His discovery earned him the first prize at the 1936 Ministry of Agriculture Competition.
1937: He set up a company that specialised in feed for laying hens.
1952: His sons Pierre and Xavier shifted the company’s activity towards mineral feed for pigs and, in 1955, created the first Breton “Piétrain” breed pig farm.
Nowadays, Calcialiment is managed by Yves Reneaume and François Lognone; the historical owner is the company president. The company employs 100 people, working at 4 production sites. Calcialiment has expanded to operate at the national level.
DLG Group.
Calcialiment-Vilofoss is owned partly by Vitfoss and by DLG, which is one of the biggest premix producers in Europe.