I had the honor this week of accompanying my fellow members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources, as well as members of various House agriculture-related committees, as we visited St. Louis on a two-day agriculture briefing. My colleagues and I had the opportunity to visit an ADM barge facility and learn firsthand how the barge industry plays an integral role in Missouri agriculture.

An international company, ADM processes enough corn each day to produce 99 million boxes of corn flake cereal, enough oilseeds to produce 6 million gallons of vegetable oil, enough wheat to produce 90 million loaves of whole wheat bread and enough cocoa to make 48 million chocolate bars. In Missouri alone, ADM employs 1,100 people in 19 communities, including 800 in the St. Louis area.

Agriculture as an industry is more than just the farmer and the consumer. After the harvest, the crops must be transported to a processing facility, and then from there to the final product completion, wherever that may be, even half-way around the world. So agriculture in the Show-Me State consists of a variety of people, vendors, transportation, and factories, all combining to make agriculture our top industry.

The most efficient way to transport our agricultural commodities still relies on our state’s waterways. I learned a great deal about barge transportation by the committee spending time on the river on one of these large transportation vessels. ADM invited us to ARTCO, its St. Louis barge facility, so we could learn more about the large part barge travel plays in today’s agri-business. Barges are a huge asset to agriculture here in Missouri. A “tow” consists of 15-60 barges hooked together and can carry as much as 1,800 semi-trucks over the road. By using the Missouri and Mississippi rivers to their full potential, we could reduce both time and wear and tear on our infrastructure moving items over our nation’s already heavily traveled road systems.

These barges are larger than I expected, with five stories and air conditioning, as well as an around-the-clock crew who work 30 days on and 30 days off. Viewing the river from the bank is certainly a different experience than from on the water. There is a reason it’s called the Mighty Mississippi. That broad waterway between the banks is an entity all its own. I certainly have a new appreciation for bargemen.

Meeting with the St. Louis AgriBusiness Club was a highlight of the two-day event. When we think of agriculture, we tend to think of fields, not high-rises. But big cities are often agricultural hubs. Between transportation needs and sales of products, urban areas are where the businesses tend to center, and agriculture is certainly a business, as well as a way of life to many Missourians. The St.  Louis AgriBusiness Club works with local farmers and growers to continue the partnership that has long been enjoyed between big-city businesses and small-town farmers. Proving that agriculture spans many different types of companies, members of the St. Louis AgriBusiness Club include banks, law offices, food banks, international consulates, media outlets, construction trades, finance consultants, and schools, all of which have a hand in some aspect of Missouri’s top industry. As a matter of fact, 20 percent of all jobs in St. Louis are somehow based in agriculture. According to a 2007 USDA census, the St. Louis region, which consists of 15 counties in Missouri and Illinois, accounts for more than $1.1 billion in yearly sales of agricultural products from 3 million acres of farm land.

Out of all the new things I learned on this tour of St. Louis’ agriculture-based businesses, it is that farming will continue to be an important aspect of life in Missouri, no matter how urban the area might be.

As always, please feel free to contact me or my staff with any questions or concerns at any time. We look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions and trying to answer any questions you may have. You can reach us by phone at 866-277-0882 (toll-free) or 573-751-2272, or by fax at 573-526-7381.