Foundation Journal

In 2004 an encounter with a methamphetamine addict enlightened me to the devastating impact the drug holds on those that use it. In reaction to a shaky personal relationship with a boyfriend, we co-signed a car loan for a family member to help her keep her job at an area retailer. She seemed to be inspired by the work for the national retail outlet, rising to a manager position and receiving a wage sufficient to keep her in an apartment. Early signs appeared that made us question the relationship -- more than one physical attack by her boyfriend, frequently moving to different apartments, loss of the good-paying job. One occurrence resulted in his breaking into our home in search for his girlfriend and their newborn baby. His threatening behavior caused my daughters to hide in the corner of the basement, while my wife talked him out of the house and waiting for police to arrive. Another early sign -- during attendance at a concert at Sandstone Ampitheatre in Kansas I remember him wal...

photo: Tammy Ljungblad / Kansas City Star In my quest to learn about the food cycle in the United States and here in the "bread basket" of the Midwest, I took a tour of the Kansas City Board of Trade (KBOT). The tour provided insights into the methods of commodity trading in one of the nation’s three large sites. A communications professional and former trader introduced herself, shared a “Voices of Vision” video, then led a group of personal investors to a viewing area above the trading floor. The video highlighted the success of the wheat growing capability of the US and the Midwest. The facilitator noted how problems with Russian wheat production, excess moisture in Europe, and dry climate in Argentina and Australia have elevated the price of wheat in recent months. This price increase is evident despite the highest volume in wheat production in the history of KBOT since 1856. In a seeming self-serving comment, the facilitator emphasized these were heady days for t...