August 22 - Chesterfield Village Research Center in Chesterfield, Missouri
Chesterfield –Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives Rod Jetton, R-Marble Hill, spent this morning touring the Monsanto Company facility in the Chesterfield Village Research Center. The Monsanto Company does plant sciences and biotechnology research to develop new strains of crops like cotton, corn and soybeans.
“It has been amazing to see how today’s successful farming operation is so closely linked to science and technology,” commented Jetton. “Companies like Monsanto are allowing farmers to increase crop yields, lower production costs, and improve our air and water quality. Farming is less labor intensive and a lot safer than it was when I was spraying chemicals on Marshall Farms back in 1985.”
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Gary Barton, Biotechnology Guest Relations for Monsanto, explains the benefits of one genetically modified cotton plant compared to one that is unaltered as House Speaker Jetton examines them
From left to right - Gary Barton, House Speaker Jetton and Rep. Joe Smith, R-St. Charles, examine some of the corn crops in the greenhouse
From left to right - Biotechnology Educator for Monsanto, William Kosinski; Rep. Jane Cunningham, R-Chesterfield; Director of the Missouri Biotechnology Association Kelly Gillespie; Speaker Pro Tem Carl Bearden; and House Speaker Rod Jetton. Kosinski is explaining the process developing and growing plants from individual genes.
William Kosinski explains to House Speaker Jetton and Reps. Joe Smith and Jane Cunningham how they implant desirable genes into seeds
Gary Burton explains some of the testing equipment used at the center to House Speaker Jetton and Rep. Jane Cunningham
William Kosinski explains more of the processes involved in creating genetically modified plants to Rep. Jane Cunningham, Speaker Pro Tem Bearden and House Speaker Jetton