Business Beat

KBIA News brings you a look at business issues important to mid-Missouri, on Business Beat. Hosted by Matt Tarnawa.

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05/14/08 Not all farming is about corn and beans. There’s a type of farming called aquaculture, meaning the farm raises anything from shrimp to fish to sell later. Only a handful of aquaculture farmers exist in Missouri. KBIA's Amy DiFrancesco visited one to find out more.

High gas prices don’t surprise many people these days, but just because they know they'll have to shell out more at the pump, doesn't mean they're happy with it. KBIA's Meredith Miller asked local residents about their recent fill-ups, and found out what some people are doing to deal with soaring prices.

05/07/08 There are probably worse ways to spend a Saturday than enjoying some fresh air and fresh food at a local farmers' market. Farmers' markets take away the middleman, and let farmers bring their produce straight to the consumer. In this audio postcard, KBIA’s Whitney Wallace went shopping at the Columbia Farmer's Market to learn how producers there are taking care of business. >You’ve just heard an audio postcard from the Columbia Farmers’ Market. Vera Gelder is also on the market’s board of directors, and all the music was taken from a live performance of the Curreykorn Family Band.

Last week, we told you about Columbia's search to find a new air carrier for its regional airport. Now it's official ... Mesaba Airlines is the latest to fly out of Columbia Regional under the Essential Air Service Program. KBIA's Christine Gerli has more.

04/30/08 Columbia Regional Airport has been struggling recently, at least according to projections from 2003. Those numbers said 70,963 passengers would fly out of the airport in 2007, and only 9,090 actually did. KBIA's Stephen Bell examines the airport's struggles, and the debate over which new air carrier is the best to replace departing Air Midwest.

Airports are nothing without airplanes, and Canadian firm Bombardier might choose Missouri as the place to build some more. The aeronautics company is considering Kansas City as the location for its newest airplane assembly plant. To entice the company, the Missouri House and Senate have reviewed separate bills that would give Bombardier tax breaks if it chooses to open for business here. As KBIA's Martin Winkler reports, lawmakers must now decide if new jobs for Missourians are worth losing state revenues.

04/23/08 A bill in the Missouri Senate would ban what some say are misleading labels on milk. Under the bill, dairy farmers would be unable to label their milk as hormone free. The Food and Drug Administration say cows treated with growth hormones produce identical milk as those without treatment . . . and that's lead hormone producers like agribusiness giant Monsanto to push for the bill's passage. KBIA's Austin Coates talked to a couple of farmers about what this measure could mean to them.

As Columbia's downtown district expands, some owners are choosing to build up business by adding stories to their buildings. Quinton's Bar and Deli is one such business, but its efforts to expand have been stalled. KBIA's Syed Shabbir has more on why the expansion isn't finished yet, and if the reason behind the delay will eventually be resolved.

A recently released economic index paints a mixed picture of Columbia's real estate market. KBIA's Sarah Damian explains why.

04/16/08 With the return of spring, it's not surprising to see bicyclists pedaling around Columbia. But it might be a bit unusual to see a bike with nearly 300 pounds of equipment behind it... and a rider who's eager to mow your lawn. KBIA's Andrea Chalfin takes us for a ride with the Green Team.

Click here for more information on the Green Team.

04/09/08 USDA reports say the overall cost of food has risen by 4.5% over the past year, and some experts say that number could jump as high as 7.5% during 2008. KBIA's Stephen Bell has more on how forking over more dollars to eat is affecting Mid-Missouri residents.

With costs going up and the overall economy going down, the chances of starting a successful new business seem rather slim. But as KBIA's Tyson Sprick reports, some Columbia business owners are taking chances and hoping to see their efforts pay off.

04/02/08 Farm reports might not track most people's attention, but the government's planting prediction statistics turn everyone's heads. That's because commodities traders can use the information to make money in the markets, based on how much of each crop might be planted in a given year. This year in Missouri, more soybeans and less corn are planned to go into the ground, and the effort to keep that fact underground until the proper time is a serious matter. Elizabeth Wynne Johnson takes us inside the secure room where the numbers are first released, and tells us what they mean for Missouri's changing markets.

These days, internet access allows consumers the chance to offer their opinions online. People who rate businesses online might be in love with its ease, but the ones running those businesses would rather be able to help customers personally. As KBIA's Whitney Wallace found out, the personal touch is already beginning to fade away in Mid-Missouri.

03/26/08 A problem faced by cities of all sizes across the country is how to attract new business owners to settle into aging downtown areas. In the era of the strip mall, some businesses stay away from downtown because the costs of setting up shop can be quite high. But cities do have some tools to attract owners and entrepreneurs to head downtown...and Columbia is looking at using one of them. As KBIA's Sean Powers explains, Columbia is considering a unique way to keep taxes low for businesses that choose to open in the heart of the city.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, for the period between 1979 and 2003, there were 8,015 deaths in the US because of exposure to heat. That averages out to 276 deaths per year, which might not seem like much...until you consider that's more than the amount of people killed by hurricanes, lightning, tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes combined. To help fight against heat-related deaths in Missouri, State Senate Minority Leader Maida Coleman introduced a bill that would prohibit gas and electric services to be discontinued during hot weather days. KBIA's Ken Boehlke has more on how the bill might help you keep cool at the most critical of times. Encore broadcast from 02/27/08.

03/19/08 Cattle rustling might seem like a crime reserved for old western movies, but it is on the comeback in recent years. Southwestern Missouri has seen its share of cattle thieves, and Jennifer Moore tells us more about the crime and what ranchers are doing to stop it.

A $45 million arena and entertainment center is in the works between Columbia and Moberly. KBIA's Matt Jeffries lets us know what the venue might offer.

And, self-service is a trend that is crossing over into all kinds of businesses ... even libraries. The Adair County Public Library has recently installed an automation system that lets people check out their own books, and KBIA's Janet Li tells us what else the new-look library has to offer.

03/12/08 Our nation's economy has certainly seen better days than these, but exactly where it stands is open to interpretation. KBIA's Andrea Chalfin sat down with University of Missouri economics professor Joe Haslag to talk about the economy, and to help filter through the sound-bites that drift in and out of the daily news. She began by asking him about "recession."

Their conversation took place before the latest unemployment numbers were released. To hear the full forty-eight minute conversation, click here.

03/05/08 Today's Business Beat is all about things that are "big." For instance, federal tax rebates will be bigger than usual this year due to the government's economic stimulus package. KBIA's Martin Winkler found out what some Mid-Missourians are going to do with the fatter checks.

Also, a big development - $200 million big - is rolling along in La Plata, a small town south of Kirksville. As KBIA's Matt Jeffries found out, some residents there are concerned about how such a large investment will affect their town.

That, and a big new bus line that plans to stop in Columbia.

02/27/08 A problem faced by cities of all sizes across the country is how to attract new business owners to settle into aging downtown areas. In the era of the strip mall, some businesses stay away from downtown because the costs of setting up shop can be quite high. But cities do have some tools to attract owners and entrepreneurs to head downtown...and Columbia is looking at using one of them. As KBIA's Sean Powers explains, Columbia is considering a unique way to keep taxes low for businesses that choose to open in the heart of the city.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, for the period between 1979 and 2003, there were 8,015 deaths in the US because of exposure to heat. That averages out to 276 deaths per year, which might not seem like much...until you consider that's more than the amount of people killed by hurricanes, lightning, tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes combined. To help fight against heat-related deaths in Missouri, State Senate Minority Leader Maida Coleman introduced a bill that would prohibit gas and electric services to be discontinued during hot weather days. KBIA's Ken Boehlke has more on how the bill might help you keep cool at the most critical of times.

02/20/08 Getting residents to invest in their community can be a challenge when so-called "big box" stores compete with local or regional shops. To help keep more money close to home, the town of Boonville has its own local currency, called Boonville Bucks. The currency works a bit like a gift certificate, but instead of only one store accepting it, many local businesses treat it just like cash.

Missouri House Representative Charles Portwood introduced a bill last month that would phase out the property tax on most motor vehicles by the year 2012. And while the idea of fewer taxes might be appealing, KBIA's Austin Coates tells us why the state would be in a funding crunch if all that money went away.

The Federal Commerce Department released data last week that says retailers suffered the worst December sales in five years, followed by a January rebound. But did the same trend happen in Columbia? That's all on today's Business Beat.

02/13/08 Missouri farmers are getting older - their average age has increased to 56, which is more than two years older than it was in 1992. The young farmers that are replacing this aging population are discovering the challenges that face them in the future, as KBIA's Whitney Wallace discovered at a recent conference.

Columbia offers a diverse menu of restaurants, and some of the cooks that work in them are just as unique as the food. KBIA's Steve Weinman caught up with a few of these quirky cooks and shares their stories from the kitchen.

To access the 2007 archive of Business Beat features in streaming audio, click here.