As any new business owner has likely found, there are several basic hurdles that need to be crossed as a business gets itself moving. In a general sense, a fledgling company needs to reach a certain critical mass to get past the first year and avoid failure. Once that first year hurdle is crossed, a company’s management can begin to concentrate a bit more on growth and full execution of its business plan.

From an investor’s point of view, this is when becoming involved begins to appear a bit more interesting, as opposed to becoming involved when the company was working to simply survive. Given current economic conditions, finding companies that fit this mold is a bit more difficult, but if they can be found, a solid investment is likely to be available for profit.

Organic To Go Food Corp., a USDA organically certified “grab and go” food retailer/wholesaler, provides organic food

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If automakers are lining up at the trough, why not Big Agra?

Scott Irwin alerts me to this story from DomesticFuel.com:

Ethanol plants that have been hurt by dramatic fluctuations in commodity prices this year could be eligible for assistance from the US Department of Agriculture.

Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer told reporters after an address to the World Food Prize breakfast in Des Moines Friday that "some plants are under pressure because they've been speculating on corn."

Schafer said there are USDA programs that could, for example, help the companies refinance and reduce their interest rates on operating expenses such as corn purchases. USDA's Rural Development Program can lend up to $25 million to refinance or loan guarantees. "We have several ways we can help with dollars in rural areas," Schafer said.

Some ethanol companies, most notably VeraSun, speculated on corn prices during the summer and locked in prices when

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Ultrapetrol is expanding its river system business as commodities shipping booms. The company reported record revenues in the second quarter as revenues rose 50%. Ultrapetrol has surprised the last two quarters by an average of 135.90%. It's trading at only 5.1x forward earnings.

Company Description

Ultrapetrol Bahamas Limited (ULTR) is an international industrial shipping company that transports grain, vegetable oils, minerals, crude, petroleum and supplies the offshore oil platform market and the leisure passenger cruise market.

The company, a Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy), operates 591 barges, including river barges and pushboats that transport dry bulk and liquid cargoes in rivers throughout South America that feed to ocean ports. It is the largest operator through the Hidrovia Region of South America, which is rich in agriculture, forests and mineral resources.

ULTR's offshore supply business operates 5 vessels that provide transportation and other support for offshore petroleum platforms in

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Citigroup is out negative on Bunge (NYSE:BG) saying that given what their Cir Emerging Markets Economist teamviews as the possible beginnings of a potential slowdown within the emerging markets, they believe that the risk of moderating demand growth has increased and thus future earnings at Bunge could come under pressure. This translates into a reduction in price target to $95 (from $130) on a reduced target PE multiple of 9.5x as they are becoming more concerned with the viability of '09 numbers at BungeCurrently, CIR economist team is forecasting a slowdown in emerging market GDP growth to 6.3% in '08, down from 7.4% in '07, with growth expected to moderate further in '09 at 6.0%. This ties in with USDA projections for global soy demand over the next 12 months at 3.0%, down from the previous 10-yr CAGR of 4.8%.Adding to the risk profile surrounding 2009 ...

Food prices to post biggest rise since 1990: USDA WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. consumers should brace for the biggest increase in food prices in nearly 20 years in 2008 and even more pain next year due to surging meat and produce prices, the Agriculture Department said on Wednesday. Food prices are forecast to rise by 5 percent to 6 percent this year, making it the largest annual increase since 1990. Just last month, USDA forecast food prices would climb between 4.5 and 5.5 percent in 2008. "It's a little bit of a surprise how strong some of the numbers were in July," USDA economist Ephraim Leibtag, who prepared the forecast, said in an interview. "We've been waiting for some moderation, but especially with some of the meat prices and how much has come through relatively recently (at the retail level) leads me

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There was a report out yesterday that said milk prices are expected to fall this year and next. The only thing is, the reason they give just do not make a whole lot of sense.

The USDA, in its survey of 30 cities spread across the country, reported an average price in August of $3.87 per gallon of whole milk, an increase of 1.8 % over July’s $3.80. So, what reasons are bring given for the upcoming decline?