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Articles by Ben Brown
How I Built Mental Skills Through Life and Hunting
To Feed or Not to Feed Do you need to feed your pond or waterway? And if yes, with what? The answer to the first question is dependent on what you’re trying to achieve – are you wanting to keep ducks on the water, or attract them to you?
Preparing for Agricultural Lease Negotiations in 2026: A Missouri Producer's Guide
Rental expenses are a major cost in farm management, and selecting the right contract type can help align with production risks, income variability and management style. Rental terms tend to adjust gradually due to multiyear lease structures, local market conditions and negotiation dynamics. The “endowment effect,” where landowners assign higher value to land simply because they own it, can make rent reductions difficult, even when justified by economic realities.
The Hidden Threat in Probate: How Fraudsters Are Exploiting the System
The Inheritance Tracing Team at Taylor Emmet are sadly no strangers to the disturbing rise in probate fraud. A recent BBC investigation has laid bare how criminals are exploiting loopholes in the probate process in order to steal millions from the estates of the deceased. But what’s more troubling is how little can and is being done to stop them — a reality we have seen time and again in our own cases.
Shopwave Point of Sale v4: Omnichannel
Shopwave POS V4 seamlessly integrates retail and restaurant functionalities in a single app for mid-market and enterprise brands, bridging the gap between online and in-store experiences. This allows for a cohesive and streamlined omnichannel operation, crucial for scaling brands. Revolutionise your pricing strategy with Quantum Pricing: Quantum Pricing offers unmatched flexibility in managing global pricing, taxation, and product configurations.
Restaurants in Manchester you can still book Christmas Day Dinner 2023
Enjoy a Christmas Day without the stress and let someone else do the cooking at one of these brilliant Manchester restaurants or delivery services. Loads of places are already fully booked, but fear not… you can still find some accepting last-minute bookings for the big day. £7.90 per pizza If you don’t fancy the traditional turkey and trimmings, let Rudy’s do the cooking and enjoy their signature fresh dough and Neapolitan ingredients at home.
Is ingredient choice killing your restaurant brand?
You don't even need the expensive analyst data pack to see that the F&B industry is hurting. It is no longer financially viable for many restaurants in tier-one global cities to open on Monday or Tuesday, for breakfast, or late into the night. Many owners attribute it to remote working, the cost of living crisis or inflation. What is really responsible, and why do some brands appear immune? A quick walk around Soho early morning or late at night, and you will realise something is wrong.
Into the Woods and Searching for Hope in Act 2
An amusing moment happened several years ago during a community theater production of Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods.” For those unfamiliar, a production of “Into the Woods” usually runs a little over 2.5 hours. It’s a long show, and the plot is tremendously complicated. The first act runs long, maybe 90 minutes, and at this point in the show, the initial plot is beginning to resolve. The song at the end of the act is a reprise, and it feels like the curtain may fall at any moment.
Insufficient AD capacity for mandatory food waste collections
In 2018, the UK Government released the Resources and Waste Strategy for England, a landmark strategy which aims to transform approaches to waste and resource management as part of the Government’s wider 25-year Environmental Plan and Environment Act (2021). The strategy significantly moved the importance of biowaste recycling up the waste policy agenda as it includes a mandatory requirement for all local authorities to collect and recycle food waste from domestic properties by April 2025.
Mandatory food waste collections require regional treatment capacity expansion
In 2018, the UK Government released the Resources and Waste Strategy for England, a landmark strategy which aims to transform approaches to waste and resource management as part of the Government’s wider 25-year Environmental Plan and Environment Act (2021). The strategy significantly moved the importance of biowaste recycling up the waste policy agenda as it includes a mandatory requirement for all local authorities to collect and recycle food waste from domestic properties by April 2025.
Steelers-Browns TNF Betting Preview: Best Bets, Player Props, Picks
• BET: Steelers +4.5 (-107 at PointsBet): PFF Greenline shows no value, but the play-by-play simulation is buying Pittsburgh. • BET: Steelers-Browns O 37.5 (-118 FanDuel): Greenline and PFF's play-by-play simulation like the over. • BET: RB Nick Chubb O 6.5 rec. yards (-115 BetMGM): Ran route on 45.5% of drop backs, now sits at 35.5%; Chubb's targets per route run are at a reasonable 16%. • New users who bet $10 or more at BetMGM will receive a free year’s subscription to PFF+ — a $79.99 value.
Off-grid skills you need to learn and do even if you're living in the city
Many people viewing the best YouTube channels for preppers are fascinated by the off-grid lifestyle of the real-life characters. The videos show the skills people use to survive without access to modern technology, public utilities, basic services, and supplies. However, many of those who would have liked a self-sufficient off-grid lifestyle are prevented from doing so by their jobs or family responsibilities.
The Tequila & Taco Tasting Experiences coming to the Northern Quarter
El Capo invite you to experience the very best in tequila, mezcal and of course, tacos... Northern Quarter Mexican cantina and proper party bar El Capo will be hosting a series of Tequila & Mezcal Experiences every week throughout February, in partnership with some of the world’s greatest liquor brands.
COMING SOON: A 90s Video Store themed bar in the Northern Quarter
There's a new bar coming to Oldham Street and it looks like a Blockbusters... Nostalgia is a wonderful thing. Everyone loves to hark back to ‘the good old days’, when a can of pop cost 30p and a Wagon Wheel was actually the size of a wheel. TV was better, movies were better, music was better, just about everything was better really. But was it? I’m not so sure. But one thing that was actually really good was a Friday night visit to Blockbusters to get a film.
When David Bowie, Elton John & Black Sabbath played B&Q in Stretford
Articles | News This place was only open for a couple of years but it made a massive impact... By Ben Brown | 3 August 2021 Share this story I’m always amazed at some of the history knocking about this city, and none more so than when I heard that an old B&Q in Stretford, right near my house, played host to a dazzling array of musicians in the early 70s, including David Bowie during his wildly popular Ziggy Stardust tour.
Corn Exports Fuel Demand
Recommended citation format: Brown, B. "Corn Exports Fuel Demand." farmdoc daily (11):67, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, April 26, 2021. Permalink Introduction Spring planting continues across the Midwest United States. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported corn plantings as a percentage of planting expectations of 17 percent for the week of April 25, 2021.
5 Observations on Last Week’s USDA Reports
Planting soybeans. Photo: Bruce Schultz, LSU AgCenter This article recaps the information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the March 31, 2021 release of March 1 Grain Stocks and 2021 Prospective Plantings.
Corn: Estimating Tomorrow’s U.S. Stocks Report
Harvested corn pouring into grain truck. Photo: University of Tennessee On March 31, 2021, USDA (US Department of Agriculture) will release its March 1 survey estimates in its March 31 Grain Stocks Report. This article provides estimates of US corn stocks as of March 1. A complimentary article estimating March 1 soybeans stocks can be found in the March 22, 2021 farmdoc daily article.
Estimating March 1st US Soybean Stocks
By Ben Brown College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources University of Missouri Carl Zulauf Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics Ohio State University This article provides an estimate of US soybean stocks as of March 1, 2021. On March 31, USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) will release its March 1 survey estimates in the Grain Stocks Report.
U.S. Farming Distribution by State - 50 Years of Little Change
On-farm storage bins. Photo by Mike Staton, Michigan State University Specialization is a defining attribute of US farming over the last 50 years. For example, share of farms that had beef cows, grew corn, grew wheat, sold hogs, and sold milk declined from 72%, 44%, 23%, 25%, and 20% to 36%, 15%, 5%, 3%, and 2%, respectively, between the 1964 and 2017 Censuses of Agriculture.
COMING SOON: The Manchester Flower Show 2021
A city-wide trail of floral displays, green installations, entertainment and more... Around this time last year, once lockdown had started to kick in and the weather was glorious for ages – many of us turned our attention to the greener things in life. We all got outdoors to tend to our gardens, if we had one, and if we didn’t? Well, balconies, windowsills and the odd pantry became literal hotbeds of flowers, plants and anything else that we could try and grow within the confines of our boredom.
Grain Markets: How Has Trade Concentrated, Diversified?
Export restraints, including taxes and embargos, are a food security risk for importers. Diversification of sources is one way to manage the risk. Since the early 1990s, a marked decline in the US share of world corn, soybean, and wheat exports has been accompanied by a diversification of corn and wheat export sources but little diversification of soybean export sources. Background of Analysis The 1996 Farm Bill eliminated annual land set asides.
Chef Simon Wood sets out to "show what £30 worth of food from a supermarket SHOULD look like"
The chef has joined forces with Manchester-based communications agency with #FEEDINGFAMILIESFOR30 Joining forces with acclaimed MasterChef champion, Simon Wood, the team at specialist communications agency – Down At The Social have launched the #FEEDINGFAMILIESFOR30 initiative, to showcase what £30 worth of food from a supermarket should look like, compared to the free school meal parcels provided by the government.
The Bottom Line
Photo Credit: Matt McIvor Working with restaurants to earn placements in major media outlets and pump up Instagram followings with mouthwatering food photos is a true art form, albeit very different from the craft of the chefs themselves. It’s extremely rare to see someone cross from one threshold into another, but 2020 has been a catalyst for just about all that’s otherwise seemed improbable.
This Manchester Artist has created an EROTIC Roald Dahl Calendar!
You'll never look at The BFG the same way again! Sometimes when I’m lay in bed at night, wife asleep beside me, my mind goes wandering and I come up with some mad ideas. There was the Solar Powered Cigarette Lighter, bags of Ready Salted Chicken Skins and the Double-Sided Mobile Phone – but I’ve never, ever thought something as mad as this… Manchester artist Dominic Oliver has created The Roald Dahl Erotic Calendar and it’s – pretty weird to say the least.
The Bottom Line
Photo Credit: Josh Kopel The hospitality world has been littered with questions since this pandemic has taken hold. And in a naturally fragmented field where so many small, independent operators may feel like they’re wandering through the dark, one industry vet is bringing some answers. Josh Kopel, a Michelin-rated restaurateur and tech entrepreneur, has brought in some of the country’s biggest names to discuss hard-hitting issues around how businesses both small and large can effectively reopen.
The Bottom Line
Photo Credit: Troy Hooper Troy Hooper’s Kiwi Restaurant Partners have seemingly cracked the code for how to get a restaurant up, running and scaled for multiple locations. He and partner Mark Bailey have teamed up with huge names such as Jim Mizes, founding CEO of Blaze Pizza, and Massimo Noja De Marco, founder of Kitchen United, to execute a new type of launch process that integrates technology and experiential dining for innovative, quick service restaurant concepts.
The Bottom Line
Photo credit: John Kelly Marketing is one of the toughest hurdles for a restaurant owner. Too often seen as a necessary evil, tactics to ‘get the word out’ are employed in a spray-and-pray fashion, where owners spend big money on ads sent into the ether and simply hope that something sticks. Outlets like Google, Facebook and Instagram have upped the game substantially, tailoring ads to specific target audience demographics.
Ohio’s Country Journal & Ohio Ag Net Podcast |Ep. 156 | Coyotes and Cross
Home / Multimedia / Audio / Ohio’s Country Journal & Ohio Ag Net Podcast |Ep. 156 | Coyotes and Cross June 1, 2020 Audio, Fair, Featured Audio, Ohio Farm Bureau, Podcasts, Slider, Top Headlines WE ARE BACK this week- and yes, the quarantine chronicles move on. State Representative Jon Cross joins Matt, Kolt, and Dusty this week and talks about about the fate of county fairs for summer 2020, and two issues that include rural broadband and coyotes.
The Bottom Line
Photo credit: Eddie Navarette Eddie Navarette, also known as ‘Fast Eddie,’ is the Founder and Chief Consultant of FE Design and Consulting.
The Bottom Line
Photo credit: Lawry’s Ryan Wilson is a fourth-generation Lawry’s executive, leading the brand’s marketing, strategy, finance and operational growth. Beginning his career as an entry-level cook, Wilson has risen up the ranks through his decades with the company.
Bottom Line
Photo credit: Prendergast & Associates Jerry Prendergast, Founder of restaurant consulting firm Prendergast and Associates, has been a driving force behind myriads of restaurant projects, from sole proprietorships to large-budget operations around the world.
Farm bill decision deadline fast approaching
Ben Brown February 24, 2020 Crops, Top Headlines By Chris Zoller, Mary Griffith, Ben Brown, Ohio State University Extension Enrollment in the 2018 Farm Bill programs (PLC, ARC-CO, and ARC-IC) ends on March 16. If you do not enroll by this date you will default to the election you made in the previous Farm Bill and receive NO PAYMENTS for the 2019 program year. This same election holds true for 2020.
The Taxi Charity for Military Veterans' work
The Taxi Charity for Military Veterans has been supporting ex-servicemen and women since 1948, but it wasn’t until 2016 – when the charity won the National Lottery’s Best Charity Award – that we really began getting noticed. The £3,000 was, of course, a fantastic help, however, the real prize was the associated publicity, which raised our profile and introduced us to a wider audience. 2019 was the busiest and most varied year in the Taxi Charity’s history.
The Bottom Line
Dave Eldredge serves as the Director of Marketing for Elite Restaurant Group, owner of Slater’s 50/50, Daphne’s Mediterranean, Paxti’s Pizza and Gigi’s Cupcakes. This longtime restaurant veteran (literally…he served in the Air Force) has embraced the challenges of not only managing four very different products and brands, but doing so with the added variable of the franchise model.
The Bottom Line
Photo credit: Botanical Hospitality Group Melbourne born and raised, Grant Smillie began his career as a musician, touring the world as a DJ and record label owner. Now, the co-owner of LA’s famed E.P. & L.P. in West Hollywood has built himself up in the F&B world to create equally electric experiences for his audience, namely in the form of restaurant and rooftop bar guests.
The Bottom Line
Photo credit: Ben Brown High-alcohol kombucha seems to deliver it all: the alcohol content equal to that of a craft beer and the nutritional properties of the probiotic drink that’s all the rage. With national sales growth of 462% over the past year, it’s a product that a lot of restaurants and retailers are paying attention to. “Most people don't even know that they can get health-conscious alcohol.
18 E-commerce Sites With Flawless UX-Design (& 3 Big Names That Suck)
18 E-commerce Sites With Flawless UX-Design (& 3 Big Names That Suck) By Ben Brown November 20, 2019 Product & User Experience Advertising Disclosure If you joined us for for our UX article earlier this month, you’ll know that we discussed the 25 essential UX design elements for your website. The basic idea is this: UX design is all about getting inside the head of your visitor. It’s about creating a simple, seamless, and enjoyable experience for your users.
Corn, Soybeans: Decoding Prevent Plant Acres
Spring floods and soils that just didn't dry out led to prevented plant acres being reported on more than 400,000 acres of Nebraska cropland. Photo: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Puzzlement has surrounded prevent plant acres for corn in 2019. Specifically, using November 1 data from USDA, FSA, how can corn have 11.4 million prevent plant acres when corn planted (plus failed) acres are 87.1 million?
Come Hang Out with Hacienda legend Dave Haslam at Wilderness
Manc legend and former Hacienda resident Dave Haslam will be heading down to Withington for tunes and chat. Head on down to the brilliant Wilderness Record Store in Withington this Sunday 18th August and you’ll be able to meet Manchester legend Dave Haslam, have a chat, listen to some tunes and generally have a bloody good time.
Conditions improving (finally) around Ohio
July 8, 2019 2019 Between the Rows, Slider Nathan Brown — Highland County We have missed some of the rains but you don’t have to go very far north, south or west of us and they have caught a lot of the rains. We have been fortunate enough to get some dry spells and get some work accomplished. We got the wheat all run and got the straw baled. We should finish sidedressing today and finish post- spraying the corn and I will start post- spraying beans today too.
Ohio Crop Progress: Summer finally arrives
July 1, 2019 2019 Ohio Crop Progress Update, Top Headlines Last week was the single best week for fieldwork of the 2019 growing season, according to Cheryl Turner, State Statistician, USDA NASS, Ohio Field Office. There were 4.5 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending June 30. The week was the warmest week in the 2019 growing season and most areas saw their first 90 plus degree day this year.
New Print Store
As a photographer, my favourite way to express myself is through capturing light, the opportunity to hold onto a moment in time that is gone forever has always fascinated me! I’ve learned recently that the human creative expression is incredibly important, this articulation of the feelings that flow through us help bring us back to our humanity.
The Next Chapter
I tried to prepare some notes for a podcast about this new chapter of my existence, but I’m worried I’m not yet able to get into a flow of communicating this important topic, so here I am throwing it back to a good old blog post, where I can (hopefully!) make clear what I’m trying to share.
17 Facebook Ad Tricks That Actually Boost Sales!
17 Facebook Ad Tricks That Actually Boost Sales! By Ben Brown April 11, 2019 Marketing Advertising Disclosure Are you using Facebook adverts? They’re a fantastic way for online shop owners to get their products in front of a bigger audience. Most importantly, they get your products in front of the right audience. For ecommerce owners, Facebook gives you an easy way to target a very specific customer, and drive them back to your website.
New Perceptions with Ben Brown on Apple Podcasts
14 episodes Hi, welcome to my podcast! Regular episodes covering topics of personal development, shadow work & ‘journey notes’ where I share learnings as I go. I’m into photography, film, music, esoteric learning, physical and psychological health, consciousness, being human & striving to understand my/our place in this reality! My intention for this podcast is to broaden my communication, with the purpose of discussing life lessons, insights and cheat codes to taking back ownership of our minds.
Manage your working capital in an economic downturn - Farm and Dairy
It’s no secret that many sectors of agriculture are suffering financially. USDA, in the annual farm income forecast, reported that farm income is projected down in 2018 compared to 2017 on lower received prices and higher input costs. Cash flow across commodities is expected to be tight or negative for most agricultural sectors. For people involved in the industry, one does not have to look at their checkbook to know cash flow is tight; it is felt in conversations and observations.
Ohio Pork Council announces 2018 scholarship recipients
The Ohio Pork Council recently awarded seven scholarships for a total of $6,500 to students across Ohio. The Ohio Pork Council awards scholarships annually to a select group of students who have shown exemplary service to the pork industry and an interest in a career in the industry.
Sow housing transition deadline looming for Ohio swine production
Back in 2009, Ohio’s livestock industry was facing growing pressure regarding farm animal welfare and, in response, introduced Issue 2 on the November ballot. Ohio voters overwhelmingly supported Issue 2 that created the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board. Now in 2018, Ohio’s nearly 3,500 swine producers are in the process of transitioning to group housing for pregnant sows by 2025 as a part of the requirements of standards set by the board.
Time Vs. Intensity
Recently I’ve had to make some life changes, both big and small, thanks largely to a series of challenging events, which I now see as some of my most valuable experiences in my life so far. If you’ve read my last blog post you’ll know I’ve been working on my communication, I’ve become better at listening and I've realising a few things which I’d like to share. Lessons and realisations often evolve in our own minds, but they’re brought to life through conversations.
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