FarmWeek July 19 2010

W I N D FA R M P RO J E C T S don’t harm property values, according to two studies presented last week at the Advancing Wind Power in Illinois conference. .....................3

ILLINOIS AG LEADERS last week pushed lawmakers in Washington to move on trade ag reements with South Korea, Panama, Colombia, and Cuba. ....4

NEW WRINKLES have developed as debate continues over new energy legislation and whether to extend the soon-to-expire federal ethanol blenders tax credit. ..............5

Monday, July 19, 2010

Two sections Volume 38, No. 29

RC eyes proposal to rein in federal regulators

BY MARTIN ROSS FarmWeek

Amid concerns about federal control of the nation’s air and water, Illinois Farm Bureau’s Resolutions Committee (RC) is eyeing proposals to limit what RC leader Brian Duncan sees as “the excessive power given to regulatory agencies.”

The RC is considering a Vermilion County Farm Bureau policy proposal that urges Congress to set new guidelines for and restraints on regulatory agencies.

Lawmakers should provide “strong congressional oversight of regulatory and significant agency actions as well as a willingness to override unacceptable agency actions,” the proposal states.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) heads the list of agencies under the RC microscope. Duncan, RC Natural Resources Subcommittee chairman, cites EPA’s current focus on greenhouse gas (GHG) controls — according to Vice Chairman Alan Chesnut, an example of officials “overstepping their bounds” with possible consequences for ag input costs.

“We could be headed

toward some choices that affect our finances,” Chesnut warned. “(EPA) has no checks or balances within that area without legislative action.”

The Vermilion County proposal supports more vigorous scrutiny to prohibit agencies from “administering laws” and adopting rules and actions “that circumvent statutory intent.” It specifically targets EPA rulemaking authority.

American Farm Bureau Federation regulatory specialist Rick Krause sees a significant increase in EPA rulemaking on a number of fronts, from greenhouse emissions reporting and vehicle GHG compliance to livestock manure management and new water quality parameters for East Coast farmers.

As rulemaking assumes more of Congress’ traditional lawmaking role, policies become “less and less tied to reality and legality,” Krause told FarmWeek.

EPA’s “tailoring rule,” allowing it to identify specific industries and businesses subject to or exempt from rules, raises troubling concerns about individual state authorities, he said.

Congress recently provided livestock producers a temporary reprieve from some new requirements. Last year’s appropriations legislation withheld funds for enforcement of new

manure management rules, though operations could be exposed after fiscal 2010 spending measures expire Oct. 1.

Meanwhile, bipartisan congressmen recently challenged EPA proposals to treat GHG emissions from renewable biomass roughly the same as fossil fuel emissions. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) called the agency’s move “an absurd effort to stop the development of clean and renew-

able woody biomass energy.”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) last week met with key committee chairmen to map out potential energy/climate legislation. U.S. Rep. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) continues to push a two-year moratorium on EPA regulation of non-transportation “stationary” GHG sources.

That would delay “that next step to regulate farms and ranches” while giving Congress time

to reach possible climate consensus, Krause said. Time nonetheless could run short should lawmakers choose to move energyclimate measures during a postelection lame-duck session.

“We certainly feel any bill, whether it’s energy-only or has caps, has to have some provision that would pre-empt EPA from regulating greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act,” Krause said.

SAGE SAYING

Tom Zachary, a LaSalle County Farm Bureau member from Ottawa who has farmed since 1948, displays a Case Farm Machinery sign he acquired from a dealership that went out of business in Grand Ridge. Zachary, who restores Case tractors and displayed them recently at Historic Farm Days in Penfield, also posted a sign that reads, “Caution: Old tractors are hazardous to your wealth.” See more on antique tractors on page 9. (Photo by Daniel Grant)

Periodicals: Time Valued

Illinois, U.S. wind industry facing challenges

BY KAY SHIPMAN FarmWeek

Illinois’ wind energy industry continues to grow with more and larger wind farms and promising supply and education sectors.

While some wind energy supporters seek to protect the state’s homegrown industry, federal officials want regional cooperation in planning for national power transmission.

Those issues and many others related to the wind industry were debated last week during the Advancing Wind Power in Illinois conference at the Peoria Civic Center. The meeting was hosted by the

Illinois Wind Working Group and Illinois State University’s (ISU) Center for Renewable Energy.

The federal government is seeking to ensure the nation can integrate large quantities of electricity from variable power sources, such as wind farms, into the power grid, said John Schnagl, director of transmission adequacy with the Department of Energy (DOE).

“We face challenges, not insurmountable challenges, but they won’t be easy,” Schnagl told conference participants.

Schnagl emphasized the federal government wants regional cooperation and coordination of power development and

FarmWeek on the web: FarmWeekNow.com

transmission. A steering committee planning for the eastern half of the U.S. met for the first time in Chicago last week.

Schnagl urged conference participants to participate in any subcommittees and to be sure their sectors were represented in the planning process.

Illinois electricity suppliers have more immediate concerns.

By late August, the Illinois Power Agency is expected to unveil the first long-term, 20-year power purchase agreements for ComEd and Ameren. At question is how much power will be bought See Wind, page 3

Illinois Farm Bureau®on the web: www.ilfb.org

FarmWeek Page 2 Monday, July 19, 2010

STATE

Quick Takes REFORMS TO AFFECT AG LENDERS? — As sweeping financial reform legislation heads to the president’s desk, ranking Senate Ag Committee Republican Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) suggested new derivatives/swaps provisions could adversey affect future ag lending.

The measure approved by the Senate last week will force banks to spin off some swap trading derivatives operations, allowing them to retain the bulk of their books but barring them from commodity and other “riskier” derivatives.

“This legislation would force the Farm Credit System institutions to run their interest rate swaps through a ‘clearinghouse,’ which will result in additional costs, in the form of higher interest rates to their customers,” Chambliss maintained.

“And let me be clear on who this will ultimately affect. It is very clear that our farmers and ranchers, our electric cooperatives, and our ethanol facilities, who seek financing from these institutions, will bear this burden.”

IPPA PRODUCERS DONATE PORK — Several pork producers donated more than 2,800 pounds of ground pork to a Central Illinois food bank in Springfield last week as part of the “Pork Power: Partnering to Fight Hunger in Illinois” initiative.

In 2008, the Illinois Pork Producers Association (IPPA) launched Pork Power with the goal of helping fight hunger in Illinois. It provides a system for farmers to donate pork to food banks associated with Feeding Illinois, a partner to Feeding America — the largest hunger relief organization in the U.S. IPPA has partnered with the Illinois Corn Marketing Board, the Illinois Soybean Association, and the Illinois Association of Meat Processors in this effort. In just two years, Pork Power has generated more than 124,500 pounds of pork — enough for 500,000 servings — for families throughout Illinois.

FARMERS AT RISK — Americans who work in farming and food service may face greater risk factors for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke, according to the National Nutrition Examination Survey. The study shows health professionals, scientists, and artists are among those with the lowest rates of so-called metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome refers to a collection of risk factors for diabetes, heart disease, and stroke —- including abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, low levels of “good” HDL cholesterol, and high triglycerides.

The national survey shows farm workers and food service workers (other than waiters and waitresses) had the highest rates of metabolic syndrome at 30 percent.

That compares to an overall U.S. risk of about 22 percent, according to the survey.

(ISSN0197-6680) Vol. 38 No. 29

July 19, 2010

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Quinn signs measure

Bill expands livestock board duties important to have professionals at the table to deal with animal diseases.”

Gov. Pat Quinn signed legislation last week Illinois Farm Bureau, the Illinois Pork Proexpanding the responsibilities of the state Advi- ducers Association, and the Illinois Beef Assosory Board of Livestock Commissioners to ciation supported the legislation. ensure the well-being of poultry and domestic Under the law, the Illinois Department of animals, including cats and dogs.

Agriculture (IDOA) will be required to submit “It is important that all animals — from rules and regulations involving animal welfare household pets to livestock — are treated in a issues that the board previously did not oversee. manner that is ethical and “The Illinois Department of humane, and this bill is an Agriculture is committed to the ‘ I t i s i m p o r t a n t positive well-being of all aniimportant measure to ensure just that,” Quinn said in a prethat all animals — mals, and we look forward to pared statement. f r o m h o u s e h o l d working with the board on conUnder SB 3604, sponsored by tinuing that effort,” IDOA pets to livestock Director Tom Jennings said.

Sen. Michael Frerichs (D-Cham— are treated in a paign) and Rep. Brandon Phelps IFB President Philip Nelson (D-Harrisburg), the livestock said he was pleased Quinn manner that is commissioners became responsigned the legislation. “It’s a ethical and husible for approving administragood approach to have people mane.’ tive rules related to the wellwith knowledge of livestock being of poultry and domestic care, such as farmers and veteri— Gov. Pat Quinn narians, involved with the board animals.

Board members also will of livestock commissioners,” work to prevent, eliminate, and control diseases Nelson said. that affect those animals.

The board has 25 members, including 17 As chairman of the House Agriculture and appointed by the governor. Under the new law, Conservation Committee, Phelps said he sponeach member appointed by the governor will sored the legislation, which takes effect immedi- serve a five-year term. Previously, there were no ately, because it addresses important issues, term limits for the governor’s appointments. including rules for animal diseases.

The governor also will have the authority to “I will represent my constituents and others replace inactive board members under the new in agriculture on the board,” he said. “It’s also law.

BY KAY SHIPMAN FarmWeek

Wind farm assessment process extended, green energy funding OK’d by Quinn Last week Gov. Pat Quinn removed some uncertainty for the state’s wind energy industry by signing legislation extending the current property tax assessment system for wind farms.

HB 4797, sponsored by Rep. Frank Mautino (D-Spring Valley) and Sen. Don Harmon (D-Oak Park), extends the current uniform assessment system through 2016 and prevents it from ending on Dec. 31, 2011. Illinois Farm Bureau supported the bill.

Before the state adopted a uniform system, county supervisors of assessment used varied methods to assess wind farms, causing problems for multi-county projects.

The governor last week also signed legislation that gives local governments the authority to offer special financing for green energy improvements in unincorporated areas.

HB 4758, sponsored by Rep. Michael Tryon (R-Crystal Lake) and Sen. Pamela Althoff (R-Crystal Lake), expands existing law for Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing.

Under PACE financing, a municipality can sell bonds to raise money to make loans for renewable energy systems or energy efficiency improvements outside their boundaries. The loans are repaid by

increased property taxes collected from the improved properties.

However, a recent federal announcement has cooled some interest in the program across the nation. The Federal Housing Finance Agency declared that residential PACE financing programs do not meet the financial requirements of the federal mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Quinn signs honey bill Gov. Pat Quinn recently signed legislation that allows beekeepers to sell raw honey without having to meet stringent processed food requirements.

Illinois Farm Bureau supported SB 2959, which was sponsored by Sen. David Luechtefeld (R-Okawville) and Rep. Dan Reitz (D-Steeleville).

The bill defined raw, unadulterated honey as an unprocessed agricultural commodity and not processed food.

The state requires processed foods to be prepared in a kitchen certified by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Farm Talk meetings slated around state Illinois Farm Bureau President Philip Nelson and IFB Vice President Rich Guebert Jr. will conduct five regional Farm Talk meetings later this year throughout the state.

Dates, times, and locations are: • Wednesday, Aug. 18, 5:30 p.m., Sangamon County, Sangamon County Farm Bureau, 2631 Beechler Court, Springfield.

• Monday, Aug. 30, 11 a.m., Effingham County, Joe Thoele farm, 13550 N. 2100 St.,

Teutopolis; 5:30 p.m., Williamson County, John A. Logan College, 700 Logan College Rd., Carterville.

• Wednesday, Sept. 1, 11 a.m., Warren County, American Legion Post 136, 1110 N. 11th St., Monmouth; 5:30 p.m., LaSalle County, Pitstick Pavilion, 3401 N. State Rt. 23, Ottawa.

You may register by contacting your county Farm Bureau or the IFB president’s office at 1800-676-3217.

FarmWeek Page 3 Monday, July 19, 2010

WIND ENERGY

Studies: Wind farms don’t harm property values

BY KAY SHIPMAN FarmWeek

Wind farm projects don’t harm property values, according to two studies presented at the Advancing Wind Power in Illinois conference last week.

Both studies, a national one that included Lee County, Ill., data and another focused on a McLean County wind farm, did not find long-term negative impacts to property values.

Both did find a similar short-term impact only to properties that were closest to a proposed wind farm. Those properties experienced a slight short-term decrease in value but returned to their earlier value after the wind farm construction was complete and operation started.

Illinois State University’s (ISU) Center for Renewable Energy conducted the McLean County study, while the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California conducted the national study.

“The assumption … is that there is an adverse effect to property values,” reported Ben Hoen with the Berkeley lab.

“Any (short-term) impacts occur very near the turbine.”

The 176-page Berkeley study covers 24 wind facilities in nine states, including Illinois, and examines 7,459 residential property sales.

The ISU study analyzed 3,951 property sales from January 2001 through December 2009 in a three-mile radius of the Twin Groves Wind Farm in eastern McLean County.

ISU examined sales before and after the wind farm started operating. The study also compared sales for the period immediately after the project was announced and up to the time the wind farm started operating, explained Dave Loomis, ISU economics professor.

Be sure you are covered on these wind project points

Wind turbines, such as this one in McLean County, do not have a longterm negative impact on property values, according to new studies by Illinois State University and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

(FarmWeek file photo)

Loomis found a short-term fluctuation of values in the three-stage comparison of prewind farm, between project announcement up to the start of operation, and post-operation.

Property values dropped 11.7 percent after the county awarded the construction permit, but then bounced back up 11.7 percent after the wind farm started operating, according to Loomis.

He reported surrounding property values increased 17.2 percent after the wind farm started operation.

ISU’s finding was corroborated by the Berkeley study that also found a small drop in property values within a mile of a turbine, but those values returned to the previous levels after construction, Hoen said.

“Prior to wind farm construction, there is a perceived

impact on property values and that is the period of greatest risk (for depressed property sales),” Hoen said. He added the study found no negative impacts on property more than one mile from a turbine — even if a turbine was visible from the property.

Loomis agreed: “Property values increase after the wind farm started operating. My advice is don’t sell after (the project announcement). That is the low point in the market and your property values won’t be affected long term.”

ISU plans to publish its study results.

A copy of the Berkeley study “The Impact of Wind Power Projects on Residential Property Values in the United States” is available online at {http://eetd.lbl.gov/ea/ems/re -pubs.html}.

Wind Continued from page 1 from Illinois wind power providers.

“The in-state (wind power preference) is sunsetting in 2011, so the winning (power source) bidders may come from out of state,” said Kate Tomford of the Illinois Energy Office. Legislation to extend the in-state preference provision failed in the spring legislative session.

That failure means the future of the state’s wind industry is threatened by out-of-state power firms, especially existing Iowa wind farms, warned Barry Matchett with the Environmental Law and Policy Center.

“Without an in-state wind preference, Iowa wind would be bought and the Illinois wind industry would suffer,” Matchett said.

But Jonathan Fiepel, the deputy director of the Illinois Energy Office, questioned whether out-of-state wind power would flood Illinois’ transmission lines.

“We have transmission constraints (in Illinois). All this talk about of importing energy from out West or Iowa — there are constraints in transmission,” Fiepel noted.

Transmission line constraints are occurring in the state’s windiest areas and slowing the building of projects, added ISU’s Dave Loomis.

From the federal perspective, states must work together to address transmission shortages and the nation’s energy needs, according to DOE’s Schnagl.

“Each state is struggling with issues, looking at the economics of developing (power) industry within the state,” Schnagl said.

“Each state is struggling with public utility commissions to keep rates down. States should get together and talk about common interests and how to meet those objectives that will allow those industries to prosper, but also keep the rates down,” he said.

Landowners with wind power projects being proposed on their land and those with developed projects need to be familiar with their county’s wind power development ordinances, according to Jerry Quick and Ryan Gammelgard, both attorneys with Illinois Farm Bureau.

County ordinances are available by contacting the county clerk or searching the county government’s website online.

Key points include: • Specific land involved in the project, length of agreement, and length of development phase; • Landowner’s rights, including impact on farming operation and conditions for terminating the lease; • Setback requirements for each wind turbine; • Project construction standards; • Deconstruction of turbines and required insurance; and • Compensation for land and any damage to crops and soil.

Quick and Gammelgard advised landowners to work with a lawyer who is familiar with wind power projects and not to sign any contract until they are comfortable with it.

County Farm Bureaus will receive additional information related to wind power development in the near future. — Kay Shipman

RC seeks county input on wind energy issues

BY MARTIN ROSS FarmWeek

Illinois Farm Bureau’s policyshaping Resolutions Committee (RC) hopes to find which way — or ways — the wind blows on rural electricity generation.

RC Natural Resources Subcommittee Chairman Brian Duncan reported the committee seeks input from county Farm Bureaus on “the impacts, positive and negative” expanded wind energy could have on Illinois agriculture.

In November, the committee will draft any necessary wind policy proposals for December delegate consideration in St. Louis.

FarmWeekNow.com Learn more about wind power issues by going to FarmWeekNow.com.

The RC also plans to review wind energy issues such as turbine setbacks, infrastructure needs, health and safety, and implications for community growth. Existing IFB policy recommends development of “minimum statewide standards” that can be applied as wind opportunities spread across Illinois.

“Most of the state has been contacted about wind energy, and as it becomes more efficient, as it requires less wind, more of the state will probably be explored,” Natural Resources Vice Chairman Alan Chesnut told FarmWeek.

The RC prioritized wind energy discussion as President Obama endorsed Rock Island Democrat U.S. Rep. Phil Hare’s Security in Energy and Manufacturing Act, which proposes continued federal stimulus funding specifically to encourage development of wind and other renewable energy infrastructure.

In a recent speech, Obama backed passage of the bill, which would provide $5 billion for the Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit program.

A new report by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) board, the environmental/labor partnership BlueGreen Alliance, and the United Steelworkers suggests the wind industry can create tens of thousands of added jobs manufacturing turbines and components if policymakers “create a stable market for the domestic wind energy supply chain.”

The federal government must “play its part by providing policy certainty and a national renewable electricity standard as a clear signal for investors that this nation is committed to renewable energy for the long term,” said new AWEA President Vic Abate, GE’s renewable energy chief.

Through July 30, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will seek public input on a planned Wind Energy Workforce Roadmap which would cover the current “workforce landscape” in the wind industry and outline future steps needed to train and develop a workforce for the wind sector.

FarmWeek Page 4 Monday, July 19, 2010

GOVERNMENT

Nelson: Science an ally in antibiotics debate

BY MARTIN ROSS FarmWeek

Despite continued headlines and heated dialogue, Illinois President Philip Nelson believes science is gaining on emotion regarding the livestock antibiotics use issue.

Collinsville Republican U.S. Rep. John Shimkus’ House Energy and Commerce health subcommittee last week fielded testimony on the theoretical impact on human antibiotic resistance of meat and other products from treated animals.

Legislation spearheaded by Rep. Louise Slaughter (DN.Y.) and the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) seeks to restrict “sub-therapeutic” or preventative use of antibiotics. The bill would require U.S. Food and Drug Administration re-review under new

criteria of seven classes of antibiotics used in both veterinary and human care.

The measure potentially could remove disease-fighting tools that also contribute to animal feed efficiency and weight gain. Meeting with Shimkus prior to the hearing, Nelson argued producers are “good stewards in not abusing these antibiotics,” emphasizing strict livestock drug withdrawal periods aimed at protecting meat consumers.

Randal Singer, a University of Minnesota associate professor of epidemiology who has studied antibiotic uses and resistance for 12 years, told lawmakers “all uses of antibiotics improve animal health, and these improvements in animal health can substantially improve human health.”

“All the hype and media

have been saying we’re using so many antibiotics in livestock that it’s carrying over into resistance factor for antibiotics in humans,” Nelson said.

“Science has proven that that is not the case, but yet emotion is entering this discussion. We need to be sure we keep science on our side in this thing.”

While Nelson said supporters of the antibiotics measure “don’t have the votes to move the bill,” the issue continued to gain headlines in major publications last week.

USDA Deputy Administrator for Veterinary Services John Clifford suggested “it is likely that the use of antibiotics in animal agriculture does lead to some cases of antibacterial resistance among humans and in

Illinois farm leaders seek trade movement Illinois ag leaders last week pushed D.C. lawmakers to book South Korea, Panama, Colombia, and Cuba on their 2010 itinerary, before other countries lock in key market share at the U.S.’ expense.

Trade was a major concern for the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) Council of Presidents and the national Corn Congress, both convening last week in Washington.

Auburn’s Garry Niemeyer, elected National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) vice president at the NCGA congress, nonetheless was “working the Hill” with other producers to generate support for the FTAs. Niemeyer argued “trade is extremely important in these tough economic times.” Corn growers “have to grow our markets to continue to advance and keep viable,” he told FarmWeek.

‘(We) h ave t o g r ow o u r m a r ke t s t o c o n t i n u e t o a d va n c e a n d k e e p v i able.’

— Garry Niemeyer Vice President-elect, National Corn Growers Association

Estate tax reform, extension of biofuels tax credits, food safety, and Mississippi lock funding also were on leaders’ agenda.

U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, a Springfield Democrat, told Illinois Farm Bureau President Philip Nelson Congress likely would not take up Korea, Panama, and Colombia free trade agreements (FTAs) until after fall elections.

“Canada and other countries are going in and taking the Colombian market while we have an FTA waiting for congressional approval,” said Nelson, a member of AFBF’s presidents’ council.

“On the flip side, look at Korea: We used to be their No. 1 trading partner, but we’ve slipped to fourth with China and the European Union is in front of us. I stressed to Senator Durbin that we have to stay on top

of these agreements or we’ll trade ourselves into extinction.”

Meanwhile, Niemeyer noted “Cuba’s on the table right now,” urging immediate passage of bipartisan legislation that would ease current federal restrictions on travel and trade with the nearby Communist nation.

In his meeting with Durbin, Nelson stressed “the severity of Congress doing nothing about the estate tax.” The senator said he would consult Senate Ag Chairman Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) about her plan to boost the individual estate tax exemption from $3.5 million to $5 million, with a 35 tax percent rate, over 10 years (see accompanying story).

Durbin was less optimistic about inclusion of farmer indemnification in food safety legislation. Nelson cited lost ag income resulting from product recalls and media reports eventually found to be in error, warning such problems could occur more frequently with “increased regulatory oversight.”

“You can almost shut down an industry, and yet farmers don’t have the funds to fight it,” he said. However, Durbin questioned the availability of government funds for indemnification. — Martin Ross

the animals themselves.”

But while he agreed “these medically important antibiotics” must be used judiciously, Clifford noted a federal Interagency Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance is developing a guidance document that will assess actual human health risks posed by food and feed and offer risk management advice. The document likely will be completed

by October.

Over the last decade, swine productivity has appeared unphased by a Danish ban on antibiotic use for “growth promotion,” according to Per Henriksen, head of the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration Division for Chemical Food Safety, Animal Welfare, and Veterinary Medicinal Products.

But Singer told the House

subcommittee the number of pig producers in Denmark dropped from roughly 25,000 in 1995 to less than 10,000 in 2005, leaving “only those with the highest productivity and efficiency.” That raises questions about Henricksen’s assumptions, the scientist said.

Even “production” uses of antibiotics “have the clear and documented effect of improving animal health” and thus potential consumer safety, Singer testified.

“Simply removing antibiotics from use in animal agriculture may help reduce some of the antibiotic resistance circulating today, but it might also have severe unintended consequences,” he said.

“The best way to manage antibiotic uses in animal agriculture is through sound, rational, science-based policy.”

Estate tax relief also crucial

Sound risk policies key for beginning farmers Sound farm bill risk management policy is crucial for beginning producers who lack the security of family ties, National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) Vice President-elect Garry Niemeyer told FarmWeek.

As Illinois Farm Bureau’s new Farm Policy Task Force gears up for late July review of ag policy issues, NCGA is focusing on several possible approaches to bolstering future risk management options.

According to Niemeyer, proposals discussed at last week’s Washington Corn Congress covered the range of “risk management tools,” from crop insurance to changes in the average crop revenue election (ACRE) program.

Last week, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack told the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) Council of Presidents he is urging Congress to set a farm bill goal of adding 100,000 new and beginning farmers. “We better get serious in this country about who’s going to farm,” he said.

Reliable risk management resources will be increasingly important for young farmers struggling to gain a foothold in a competitive economic environment, Niemeyer argued.

“We’re trying to grow markets so we can get our money out of the market, not out of the government,” the former Illinois Corn Growers president said. “But we do need risk management from the government to support growers in times when we have disasters. Nobody’s farm has ever had a consistently good season year after year after year.”

House Ag Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) appears focused on shifting away from direct farm payments, spurring examination of ways to improve ACRE protections.

Current proposals include calculating program yields by county or crop reporting district, instead of on a state-triggered basis or eliminating the program’s 85 percent base-acre cap.

Meanwhile, AFBF last week asked Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to allow an amendment to small business financing legislation that would permanently set the federal estate tax rate at 35 percent, with a $5 million individual exemption phased in over 10 years and indexed for inflation.

Without congressional action, the estate tax is scheduled to return in 2011 at a 55 percent rate and a mere $1 million individual exemption. The bipartisan amendment “will help transfer family-owned operations from one generation to the next,” AFBF President Bob Stallman said.

“If you don’t have a family background, it’s just going to be pretty tough to get started in large corn or large soybean production,” Niemeyer said. “We have to keep the people in farming on the farm and keep them in business.” — Martin Ross

FarmWeek Page 5 Monday, July 19, 2010

ENERGY

Ethanol group proposes tax credit redirection

BY MARTIN ROSS FarmWeek

Passage of new energy legislation, with extension of soonto-expire federal ethanol blenders tax credit, is “highest on the priority list” for incoming National Corn Growers Association Vice Presidentelect Garry Niemeyer.

At the same time, a national ethanol coalition is promoting a plan aimed at transitioning the industry from incentive-driven development to broad market access by redirecting a portion of the credit to help fund ethanol pipelines, “blender pumps,” and

related infrastructure.

Last week, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) told growers a Senate energy package likely will include extension of the ethanol credit, a tariff on imported ethanol also set to expire at year’s end, and a $1per-gallon biodiesel tax credit which expired Dec. 1.

Sen. Majority Whip Dick Durbin, a Springfield Democrat, told Illinois Farm Bureau President Philip Nelson he supports biofuels extensions.

Niemeyer seeks a five-year extension of the 45-cent-per-gallon ethanol credit in order to bol-

Push for ‘advanced’ status

Does RFS2 target lower expectations?

While they may reflect current realities, new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) renewable fuels targets also could slow realization of long-term ethanol goals.

So warn producers and ethanol industry representatives who believe corn ethanol could help fill “advanced” biofuels needs until cellulosic ethanol comes online.

EPA last week opened a 30-day public comment period on proposed 2011 biofuels targets under the federal renewable fuels standard (RFS2).

The agency proposes 13.95 billion gallons of renewable fuels use for the coming year, including 5 million to 17.1 million gallons of cellulosic biofuels produced from crop or wood wastes or emerging energy crops and 1.35 billion gallons of “advanced biofuels” designated for their potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gases.

Based on “market availability,” EPA proposes a 2011 cellulosic volume lower than an original 250-million-gallon target under 2007 energy law.

Despite EPA’s stated optimism in future cellulosic supplies, Renewable Fuels Association spokesman Matt Hartwig fears a reduced near-term target could “send a chilling effect throughout the investment community.”

While cellulosic ethanol “isn’t quite ready yet, either technically or economically,” EPA’s plan “probably sends the wrong messages to financial institutions,” Illinois Corn Growers Association industry specialist Dave Loos told FarmWeek. A lack of financing options may be a prime obstacle to cellulosic development, Loos said.

At the same time, the issue underlines frustrations within the corn ethanol industry, which is limited to 15 million gallons of an annual 36 billion-gallon RFS2 target for 2022 based on EPA’s assumption that corn-based fuel has a greater carbon impact than next-generation biofuels.

That conclusion is based on theories about the impact of corn ethanol production on global cropping and other land use patterns and on future greenhouse emissions. Setting “indirect land use” factors aside, Loos argued new ethanol efficiencies should enable corn-based plants to qualify for advanced-fuel status.

“Cornstarch ethanol is poised to fill these gaps that can’t be met with cellulose ethanol or advanced biofuels under (EPA) definitions,” he said. “We’re going to have 15 billion gallons of capacity just in the next couple of years.

“We could easily offset advanced biofuels or cellulose ethanol if we were given the green light to do it by allowing cornstarch ethanol to be an advanced biofuels or moving up the 15 billion gallons allowed for conventional ethanol.”

The Government Accountability Office last week reported shortcomings in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) loan guarantee program for energy projects that reduce greenhouse emissions. The ethanol group Growth Energy called program deficiencies a “road block” to developing cellulosic ethanol.

Loos sees the need to beef up DOE loan programs, but believes the greater problem is that “DOE will not talk about corn ethanol, whether it’s corn starch ethanol or corn fiber ethanol” — a potentially key link in hastening the transition to next-generation cellulosics. — Martin Ross

ster biofuels investor confidence.

Meanwhile, the industry group Growth Energy last week unveiled a “Fueling Freedom” plan to phase out ethanol supports by redirecting a portion of tax credit funds to “build out” infrastructure for ethanol distribution and use and shifting the remaining portion “away from the oil companies to opening the market.”

The ethanol credit now goes to fuel blenders to offset biofuels costs and reduce pump prices. Under Growth Energy’s plan, a portion of credits would shift to fuel retailers to install new blender pumps which offer a range of ethanol blends and to federal support for new ethanol pipelines.

Further, the proposal would require all U.S.-sold automobiles be flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) capable of running on higher ethanol blends.

The plan reflects Klobuchar’s Securing America’s Future with Energy and Sustainable Technologies Act, which seeks extension of biofuels credits, loan guarantees for pipeline construction, blender pump tax credits, and an “open fuel standard” that would encourage FFV use.

House Energy and Commerce member John Shimkus, a Collinsville Republican, is backing a proposal to extend ethanol credits through 2015. Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis said his

Illinois Farm Bureau President Philip Nelson, center, meets with U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, a Springfield Democrat, right, on Capitol Hill.

Durbin, seen here greeting IFB national legislative director Adam Nielsen, reiterated support for continued biofuels incentives. (Photo courtesy of Durbin staff)

group’s plan is intended to provide one more option for lawmakers mulling ways to ensure future replacement of fossil fuels with renewables.

“We want an extension of the amount of money that’s going to the tax credits,” he told FarmWeek. “Down the road, we think the biggest challenge we have is not producing ethanol; it’s access to the marketplace. We want to redirect some of those funds, not wait two years or five years to get started, because it won’t happen overnight.”

Buis reported a five-year extension of “the value of the credit” would be ideal. Growth Energy favors leaving the credit’s special blenders carve-out for cellulosic ethanol intact as

biomass fuel technologies and investment take root.

Growth Energy Co-Chairman Jeff Broin, CEO of Iowabased cellulosic ethanol developer POET, said an ethanol pipeline “looks very feasible” based on research not yet released by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

POET is working with DOE to craft a loan guarantee program for pipeline development, which Broin said “is going to be critical.”

Other groups, including the national Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), are wary of Growth Energy’s proposal — “Now is not the time to add uncertainty and complexity to the energy/tax debate,” RFA President Bob Dinneen said.

Fortunate

4

Rural America

Show what makes you fortunate for rural America in the 2011 1st Farm Credit Services Calendar!

For the upcoming calendar, we are again asking our clients and friends to submit images of life in rural America. Selected images will appear in the 2011 calendar. Deadline for submission is August 31.

Be sure to include your name, address, phone number and a short description of why the image means rural America to you.

For more information go to our website at www.1stfarmcredit.com

Email pictures to: kblatte@1stfarmcredit.com Mail images to: 1st Farm Credit Services, Attn: Karen Blatter 2000 Jacobssen Drive, Normal, IL 61761 (309) 268-0254 y (800) 444-3276

FarmWeek Page 6 Monday, July 19, 2010

CROPWATCHERS Bernie Walsh, Durand, Winnebago County: Good growing conditions again last week, with two different rain showers that brought 0.3 of an inch Sunday (July 11) and about two tenths Monday night. We have been missing the bigger rains and now we are starting to measure the rain we get in tenths.

We were able to finish combining wheat on Thursday night with the help of a neighbor.

The wheat was good quality and averaged about 85 bushels per acre. The corn and beans still look good. We are definitely getting plenty of growing degree units this year.

If we could add a few more rains, we could have a great crop.

Pete Tekampe, Grayslake, Lake County: We had a great growing week in Lake County.

We had 0.4 of an inch of rain early and hot and humid the rest of the week. Corn is a lush green and mostly tasseled out. Beans have a great color and are growing fast. About 50 percent of the winter wheat is cut and a lot of the straw baled. Spring grains are turning fast. Most of the first cutting hay is baled and some have started second cutting. We could use more rain. Have a safe week.

Leroy Getz, Savanna, Carroll County: Rain on July 11 and 12 totaled 2 inches in my area.

Very heavy on Sunday afternoon. Planes were flying fungicide and some ground sprayers are going after wild cucumber and other escapes in soybeans.

Most corn is in good condition, but there is a nitrogen deficiency in some of the compacted fields. I did combine some oats on Thursday. First yields were 80 to 85 bushels per acre at 11 to 12 percent moisture. Hot, humid days have been stressful on livestock. Growing degree units now total 1,532.

Larry Hummel, Dixon, Lee County: Perfect weather all through pollination. Insect populations have been on the low side of normal, but the Japanese beetles are starting to climb in numbers. Big yield potential is there, especially here in the corners of Lee, Ogle, and Whiteside counties.

As I travel the state this year, I’ve come to appreciate our rolling topography. It’s tough to have a drowned out spot on the side of the hill. Our soybeans that were hailed on two and a half weeks ago are starting to green back up and looking better. At a little over knee-high, they have a long way to go to catch up with another field that was planted the same day with the same variety and is above the waist.

Joe Zumwalt, Warsaw, Hancock County: A few rains moved through the county early last week, but the predominant weather story has been the very hot and sultry temps these past few days. Crops are progressing, but they are still showing signs of the perhaps the wettest spring on record. The early yield predictions are all over the board for both corn and soybeans. Several grain drills were still moving last week. Crop-dusters continue to be busy and there has been a lot of activity with hay baling and roadside mowing. County fair season is just beginning, so take a little time off to enjoy some of the festivities that summer has to offer. I will be taking in a few Cardinals games. Perhaps even more importantly, take advantage of the state legislators being on summer break and give them a call.

Express your opinions on the financial condition of the State of Illinois.

Ken Reinhardt, Seaton, Mercer County: About an inch of rain fell around the area early last week. In some of the betterlooking cornfields, nitrogen deficiency is firing the lower leaves and gray leaf spot is advancing rapidly. Timing of fungicide application is tricky with the unevenness of corn-on-corn. There are millions being spent in the area to upgrade drying and grain handling facilities including an all-new facility just south of the county.

They had better hurry — with early planting and higher growing degrees, harvest will be here before we know it.

Ron Moore, Roseville, Warren County: Not much to report this week. It was hot and humid.

Fungicide has been applied and the corn is now pollinating. The early-planted beans have closed in on 30-inch rows and no disease to report yet, but we will keep looking. The cattle have plenty of grass, but still like my neighbors corn better. We will keep checking the fences the rest of the summer.

Jacob Streitmatter, Princeville, Peoria County: There has been very little rain to speak of around the area. Hot and humid weather has moved in and so far the crops are not showing signs of suffering. A nice rain would be beneficial to the crop. Airplanes have been flying and there is a lot of rust showing up in the corn crop. Have a good week.

Tim Green, Wyoming, Stark County: A pleasant week but it was a little warm. As we scout fields, we are seeing gray leaf spots showing up in spots. There are planes flying around spraying fungicide to control some of those diseases. Hopefully, it will pay. Corn looks a little better after a couple of weeks of nice, dry weather. Our yellow spots have become green. Corn is a little short, but at least it is green, so it looks a little bit better when you drive by. People getting ready for fall, trying to get bins put up and maintenance done.

Mark Kerber, Chatsworth, Livingston County: More hot and dry weather. Some were fortunate enough to receive a little rain, but our area was completely dry all week. Hot weather has everyone complaining — weathermen say this week could be more of the same with a dome of hot air over the Corn Belt. Crops would respond to a rain, but without it the corn is deteriorating. Everyone seems to be caught up with spraying and mowing, etc. Maybe a good time for a vacation. We will be watching for aphids and spider mites in soybeans. Markets are responding to the weather.

Ron Haase, Gilman, Iroquois County: We received an isolated shower on Tuesday that produced 0.9 of an inch on half our farms and 0.35 of an inch on the other farms. So for the month of July, we have received 0.4 to 1 inch of rain.

With all the heat and the shallow root systems, we are in need of more rain to handle the 90-plus degree weather that is projected for next week. Corn in the local area is anywhere from the R1 (silking) growth stage up to the R3 (milk) stage. Some corn already is robbing the plant to fill the ear. Cropdusters have been flying everyday applying fungicides in some cornfields.

Soybean fields are anywhere from V2 up to R4 or the full pod growth stage. The local closing prices for Thursday were $3.64 for nearby corn, $3.67 for new-crop corn, $3.81 for fall 2011 corn; $10.36 for nearby soybeans, and $9.59 for new-crop soybeans. With the Iroquois County Fair having just started, the heat and humidity should not come as a surprise.

Brian Schaumburg, Chenoa, McLean County: Corn pollination is now complete and kernel fill begins. Some corn is firing at the lower leaves showing signs of lack of nitrogen. Subsoil moisture is more than adequate if roots can get to it. Soybeans look good with little problems as yet. Crop ratings are still good to excellent. Scouting continues for insects and disease. If you have not sold, this is your bailout! Corn, $3.59, fall, $3.63; soybeans, $10.43, fall, $9.43; wheat, $5.36.

Carrie Winkelmann, Menard County: It was a pretty uneventful week on the farm. No measureable rain. Hot conditions are causing poorer-looking areas of fields to show heat stress. A lot of farmers are out mowing.

Steve Ayers, Champaign, Champaign County: Just another hot, muggy week punctuated by sporadic pop-up storms. The areas that need the rain cannot buy one, while other areas are under water.

We had 0.66 of an inch of rain Tuesday and another 0.66 of an inch Thursday. Ag cats are buzzing cornfields spraying fungicide.

Some corn is firing. Beans are growing through the ugly stage as volunteer corn and weeds die off. Some water hemp is popping through the bean canopies. More days in the 90s on tap with a chance of popups. See you at the Champaign County Fair that begins Friday in Urbana.

Wilfred Dittmer, Quincy, Adams County: Did someone turn the spigot off? We had another dry week and looks like crops around here are actually enjoying it. Corn for the most part is improving in looks, at least from the windshield, and the soybeans are stretching up also. Still a little aerial spraying happening, as well as general mowing and the odd jobs. I think what few wheat fields there were are harvested by now. Have a safe week.

Tom Ritter, Blue Mound, Macon County: It was a hot, dry week that added a lot of stress.

We are at the point where we need moisture. A lot of corn is curling up to protect itself to prevent loss of moisture. A couple of showers just wet the roads, but didn’t develop after they passed Central Illinois.

Overall, crop prospects still seem to be very good. Corn completed pollination. Spraying the fungicides is slowing down. Herbicide application on soybeans is pretty well finished. Farmers are taking time for vacations and preparing storage and equipment for the coming fall.

Todd Easton, Charleston, Coles County: The exceptionally rainy growing season continues here in Coles County as periodic rain showers last week brought 2 to 3 inches of precipitation. These rain events have been separated by very hot and muggy conditions that seem to be speeding crop development. With remaining field work narrowed down to mainly just scouting, many producers are finally finding time to catch up on other tasks such as mowing and grain hauling. Earlier cornfields are just entering the blister stage and looking like pollination went pretty well. Not many firm guesses ventured on this corn crops potential yet. Soybean fields are beginning pod development or will be this week and seem to be enjoying the moisture with the exception of the drowned out ponds, which will not do very well once again this year. The earlier Mayplanted beans may have a noticeable yield advantage over the ones that couldn’t be planted until later in the month due to wet weather. Don’t forget to take it slow, keep cool, and watch out for pets and young ones outdoors during these hottest days of summer.

Jimmy Ayers, Rochester, Sangamon County: This past week we received very little rain in the area, although there was some spots that got from 0.3 to 1.5 inches. The crops are feeling a bit of stress from the high heat.

Corn in many fields are firing at the bottom and showing signs of compaction or shortage of nitrogen. I was told that some of the earliest planted corn has started denting. There is not a great deal of great-looking corn. Some guys in the area who fly ultra lights say a lot of fields are 25 to 50 percent yellow damaged. A couple of guys found green snap damage from the heavy winds and storms we had that they didn’t realize had occurred.

Most of the 30-inch rows of soybeans have closed their canopies and are using the full photosynthesis process. Volunteer corn has been taken down by chemicals sprayed two or three weeks ago. It appears the markets are seeing a shortage of crop here also.

Hope you all have a safe summer, and any of you guys mowing roadsides, be careful — that can be a dangerous thing.

Page 7 Monday, July 19, 2010 FarmWeek

CROPWATCHERS Doug Uphoff, Shelbyville, Shelby County: We sold the last the of the ‘09 bean crop last week and, of course, it has gone up every day since. We are sold out on corn. We had 14 inches of rain in June and have had 1.4 this month. Some of the corn is firing and bean stands are spotty. We need rain now with this heat and humidity. A lot of gray leaf spot disease is popping up in corn. We sprayed some with Headline, but right now rain is going to make more yield than the fungicide. Beans are in R1, and corn is all past brown silk except for our neighbor‘s field. Not sure how the big boys who farm this way and pay the high cash rents are going to make it with fields like they have.

The county fair is starting today (July 19) and hot temps are forecast. We aren’t showing this year. It feels kind of weird, but I am not going to miss the heat. Farm No. 2 diesel, $2.445; soy No. 2 diesel, $2.36; truck No. 2 diesel, $2.92; soy No. 2 truck diesel, $2.81; gas, tanker, $2.71; town gas, $2.59; cash corn, $3.64, fall corn, $3.71, January corn, $3.86, fall 2011, $3.92; new wheat, $5.61, July 2011 wheat, $6.03; cash beans, $10.31, fall beans, $9.56, January beans, $9.73, fall 2011 beans, $9.50.

David Schaal, St. Peter, Fayette County: It was been a hot and humid week here with heat indexes above 100. There was a little rain that came through on Tuesday morning that varied again from road wetting to more than an inch in the eastern part of the county. Also, some showers on Thursday night left less than 0.1 of an inch in my gauge. Corn crop is still looking very good. Soybeans are looking better. Some are starting to take off and finally do some growing. Commodity markets are not sure what to do. They are still doing the widening basis thing. Keep cool and have a good week.

Rick Corners, Centralia, Jefferson County: We had another 1.4 inches of rain Tuesday morning in the wee hours.

Places not too far from here had zero rain. Now they know how I felt last year. Early corn is filling ears now and some of the Group 3 beans are starting to bloom. I think the ground now has thawed out completely on the north side.

Ted Kuebrich, Jerseyville, Jersey County: Jersey County received more rain last week with parts of the county getting as much as 2.5 inches. The weather is still very hot with temperatures in the high 90s. The beans look real good and are putting on lots of blooms. When you drive down the road along some of the cornfields, you can start to see some yellowing and firing on the corn plant. It looks like the plant is under stress from being too wet. Prices at Jersey County Grain, Hardin: July corn, $3.62, fall corn, $3.71, January 2011 corn, $3.91; July 2010 beans, $10.42, fall 2010 beans, $9.75, January 2011 beans, $10.01; July wheat, $5.22.

Dan Meinhart, Montrose, Jasper County: We still have excess moisture in this area. On July 8 and 9, some locations received 4 to 5 inches. Last Tuesday, heavy rains hit again with 2 to 3 inches, flooding fields and roadways.

Thursday evening, the area got hit once again. Our gauge showed 1.25 inches. The May- and June-planted corn is showing signs of extreme stress due to all the excessive moisture. Some of the later-planted beans are having trouble emerging. There are beans that need to be sprayed with post chemicals, but ground conditions do not permit travel. The weather has been hot and humid with the heat index in the 100s. More of the same is expected this week.

Bob Biehl, Belleville, St. Clair County: We received a nice 0.6 of an inch of rain Thursday night, but showers were isolated.

The western edge of the county did not receive much. Our crops look pretty good after the hot, humid week. In areas to the south, rain has been limited and reports are the corn is really hurt. Silks are brown in many of the fields and some are in the grain-fill stage. Beans continue to add height and are blooming and really seem to soak up the warm, humid weather.

Cleaning out grain bins and cleaning up around the farm are the main activities around here.

Kevin Raber, Browns, Wabash County: Hot and humid weather returned to Southeastern Illinois. Rainfall of 1.5 inches has been holding the crops so far. The continued 95-degree days will take their toll sooner or later. The river bottom ground has been slow to dry, so I don’t know if I will get any beans replanted.

Dean

Shields,

Murphysboro, Jackson County: Another hot week in Southern Illinois. The high humidity had a lot of sweating going on.

Corn has been pollinating and has black silks. Beans are growing pretty well. We had showers with a few tenths here and there last week. Still doing a lot of spraying of beans, and still having a hard time killing the water hemp and the pig weed. There are a lot of questions about whether to plant wheat this year and how much. We are hoping for a little rain this week. We are getting pretty dry. The river is still up high, and we are still pumping water out of the river bottom ground. Some parts of Jackson County are pretty dry, though.

Ken Taake, Ullin, Pulaski County: We had a nice shower the weekend of July 11. We ended up with a total of about 1.25 inches of rain between Friday and Monday (July 12). It was really nice.

The crops really needed it.

The rain still was very spotty in our area. I heard of totals anywhere from half an inch up to more than 3 inches. Since then, it has been really hot and humid. The rain really did make crops look a lot better. The grass in the yard is starting to green up again. It was starting to look really brown. As far as activities in the area, there is some fungicide being applied to corn, and of course, the weeds just keep showing up in the beans. Please try to stay cool and enjoy your county fair.

Reports received Friday morning.

Expanded crop information available at FarmWeekNow.com

Fast-growing crops could be challenged by heat stress

BY DANIEL GRANT FarmWeek

The warmer, drier conditions in recent weeks were a relief to many farmers.

The average rainfall in the state for May and June totaled 1 3 . 4 8 i n ch e s, 5 . 1 2 i n ch e s above normal, according to the Illinois State Water Survey.

The excess moisture delayed the end of planting, slowed efforts to control weeds and apply fertilizer, and drowned out crops in numerous low spots around the state.

“It (the corn crop) really came around from being too wet in June,” said Tim Lenz, a Shelby County far mer and president of the Illinois Corn Growers Association. “The majority of the crop already is through pollination.”

In fact, the growth rate of corn and soybeans so far this season is well ahead of the pace last year and the five-year average.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service Illinois field office reported a whopping 72 percent of the corn crop was silking as of July 11 compared to just 10 percent at the same

time last year and the average of 41 percent.

Meanwhile, 43 percent of the soybean crop in the state was blooming as of the first of last week compared to 10 percent last year and the five-year average of 38 percent.

“A lot of (the corn crop) could reach physiological maturity by Sept. 1,” Lenz said. “We’re ahead of schedule. Hopefully, we won’t have the drying problems we had last fall.”

The key concern now seems to have shifted from too much rain to a combination of not enough moisture and rising temperatures.

The condition of Illinois’ corn crop the past two weeks deteriorated from 67 percent good to excellent to 65 percent good to excellent. Twelve percent of the state’s crop last week was rated poor or very poor.

Elsewhere, seven other states have double-digit, poor- to-verypoor corn condition ratings (Iowa 10 percent, Ohio 11 percent, Indiana 12 percent, Tennessee 21 percent, Missouri 22 percent, Pennsylvania 28 percent, and North Carolina 35 percent).

“We lost some of the crop

to ponds that will take the top end off yields,” Lenz said.

“But we continue to need to get rain (to maximize remaining yield potential).”

Dale Mohler, ag meteorologist with Accuweather.com, predicted the crops could face more stress. Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri this week could experience three to five days with temperatures reaching the mid- to upper 90s.

Corn leaves generally roll

when the temperature hits 90 degrees or greater, which causes the loss of water vapor from the leaf surface to exceed water uptake by the roots, according to Kevin Black, insect/plant disease technical manager for GROWMARK. If the plants have enough moisture, they generally will unroll in the evenings.

However, “leaves that remain rolled overnight sug-

gest that the moisture stress will likely impact plant growth and yield,” Black said.

Soybeans also may experience sunburn, a superficial injury most often associated with discoloration of the lower leaf surface, due to the ongoing heat wave. Sudden death syndrome symptoms also may show up a littler earlier this year than usual, Black added.

Illinois Forage Expo scheduled Wednesday The 2010 Illinois Forage Expo will be held Wednesday at Law-Rae Dairy Farm, 5898 E. 7000 N Road, Manteno in Kankakee County. The Expo will start at 9 a.m. and conclude at 3 p.m.

The dairy farm is a grazing-based operation currently milking 150 cows. The operation uses 40 four-acre paddocks for intensive grazing of grass/clover pastures under irrigation.

The Forage Expo will include field demonstrations of forage-harvesting equipment and commercial displays of forage-related products and equipment. In addition, educational sessions will be presented that focus on forage species selection and animal preference; forage fertility and weed control; hay preservatives and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs.

In addition, a quality hay and haylage contest will be available for producers to enter 2010 har-

vested bales and haylage. Entries in the contest must be delivered on site from 9 to 10 a.m.

There is no entry fee and near infrared spectroscopy analysis will be provided free of charge.

Bales weighing more than 100 pounds will need an official scale weigh ticket.

For further information on the contest, contact Greg Clark, University of Illinois Extension, Whiteside County, phone 815-772-4075 or via email at gmclark@illinois.edu.

The Forage Expo site is located about 4.5 miles southeast of Manteno. Additional information concerning the Illinois Forage Expo is available at {http://www.illinoisforage.org/}.

For information on exhibiting a commercial display, contact Gale Imig, GROWMARK Inc., at 309-557-6397. The Forage Expo is sponsored by Illinois Forage and Grassland Council, University of Illinois Extension, and USDA’s NRCS.

FarmWeek Page 8 Monday, July 19, 2010

PRODUCTION

IFB conference speaker to analyze Ohio decision

BY DANIEL GRANT FarmWeek

Illinois farmers have a chance this month to learn more about how their counterparts in Ohio handled a recent challenge from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and why Ohio farm leaders recently opted to sign a memorandum of understanding with HSUS. David White, senior director of issues management for the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF), will be a featured speaker July 28 at the IFB Commodities Conference at the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Normal.

Registration at the event will open at 7:30 a.m. and the program will begin at 8:30 a.m. White is scheduled to address conference attendees from 10:25 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. in a breakout session titled “Ohio’s Animal Care Standards Board: Draw or Checkmate?”

Leaders of ag groups in

Ohio and HSUS last month signed a memorandum of understanding that proposed: phasing out veal crates in 2017; phasing out new hog gestation crate use this year with a 15-year phase-out on existing equipment; implementing a “timeout” on new battery cage permits; and instituting standards for downer livestock and euthanasia practices.

“The agreement preserves the integrity and operation of the Livestock Care Standards Board,” White told FarmWeek. “The four recommendations (listed above) now go to the board, which has the final say.”

Ohio voters last year approved through a ballot initiative the formation of the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board, which generally was viewed as a victory for ag interests.

But HSUS, prior to last month’s agreement, was gearing up for its own ballot initiative this year. That initiative, if

approved by voters, could have overridden the authority of the new livestock care board.

“HSUS now recognizes the Livestock Care Standards Board and made a commitment to work with it,” White said.

The alternative to signing the agreement with HSUS could have been a big gamble for ag groups in Ohio.

“Is it a perfect agreement?

No,” White said. “But a ballot initiative would have cost Ohio farmers (and other industry representatives) $10 million to $15 million with a 50-50 chance of winning.”

“And even if we won, our deep-pocketed opponent (HSUS) likely would have returned year after year until we ran out of money (to protect ag interests),” he continued.

The agreement provides

Ohio’s livestock industry some certainty about the future and protects its grain market, White said.

Ohio, which is in the top 10 nationwide for egg, veal, and pork production, uses 94 percent of its soy meal and 30 percent of its corn for livestock rations, White added.

For more information about the IFB Commodities Conference, visit {www.ilfb.org}.

Pest problems just scattered around state so far this season There have been no reports of a widespread pest outbreak in Illinois so far this season.

But farmers still should continue to scout their fields thoroughly because some “hot spots” of various insect populations have appeared around the state, according to Dale Baird, University of Illinois crop systems educator.

The population of western bean cutworms, a relatively new pest to Illinois that spread from Iowa in the early 2000s, is up this year. Japanese beetles are heavy in some areas, as well.

And in Northern Illinois, heavy infestations of potato leafhoppers have been reported in some alfalfa fields.

“The number (of western bean cutworm moths) is higher than in the past,” Baird said.

“But we don’t have the high numbers Iowa had.”

Producers should consider treating a field for western bean cutworms if at least 8 percent of corn plants are infected with eggs or larvae, according to the U of I Pest Management Bulletin.

Meanwhile, pest traps and field scouting so far this season have uncovered relatively low populations of western corn rootworms and soybean aphids. Trap reports, however, indicated an early start to the corn earworm infestation window in the southern Corn Belt.

“Growers need to be vigilant about scouting for corn earworm,” said Bruce Battles,

Japanese beetles, such as the one pictured here, have been prevalent in isolated parts of the state. The pest potentially could clip corn silks and in some cases farmers may want to consider treatment. (Photo by Chris Gekas)

agronomy marketing manager for Syngenta Seeds. “Scouting and applying insecticide can recover some yield loss when completed within critical timeframes. Unfortunately, predicting when corn earworm will arrive is difficult.”

A Pyrethroid treatment may be of interest to some producers to protect corn silks from clipping by corn rootworm and Japanese beetle adults, said Mike Gray, U of I Extension entomologist.

But the population of western corn rootworm adults appears to be low so far this year.

“I suspect the very wet springs in recent years along with the increasing use of Bt hybrids may be setting this perennial pest on its heels a

bit,” said Gray.

Disease pressure in corn so far this season has been fairly light considering the amount of rain that fell in May and June, Baird said.

The four pathogens most common in Illinois cornfields are common rust, eyespot, northern corn leaf blight, and gray leaf spot, according to Kevin Black, insect/plant disease technical manager for GROWMARK. “Gray leaf spot is likely to be the predominant summer corn leaf disease over much of our area,” said Black, who noted the recent warm temperatures and high humidity in the state favor the development and spread of gray leaf spot.

— Daniel Grant

DATEBOOK July 21 Illinois Forage Expo, Manteno. More information at {www.illinoisforage.org/}.

July 22 Prairie Rivers Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) annual meeting dinner at Mona’s Restaurant, Toluca, and tour of Oak State Products, Wenona. Call RC&D

at 309-365-3979 for reservations.

Aug. 13-22 Illinois State Fair, State Fairgrounds, Springfield.

Aug. 17 Ag Day, Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield.

FarmWeek Page 9 Monday, July 19, 2010

FARM INCOME

Market for antique tractors keeps chugging along

BY DANIEL GRANT FarmWeek

The recession-induced slump that cut into retail tractor sales last year apparently had little effect on the antique tractor market.

Enthusiasm was evident and the value of some of the top antique tractors on display this month at Historic Farm Days in PenJohn Fredrickson field was high as an estimated crowd of 10,000-plus people showed up for the four-day show.

“I was talking to an aftermarket parts dealer who said that, in terms of the tractorcollecting hobby, there is no recession,” John Fredrickson, president of the I & I Antique Tractor & Gas Engine Club, told FarmWeek.

More than 1,000 antique tractors and pieces of farm equipment were displayed at the recent farm show.

“There are tractors here (at Historic Farm Days) worth $20,000 to $30,000 and a few tractors worth considerably more,” Fredrickson said of the antique tractors, some of which retailed years ago for as little as $5,000.

The retail tractor market, on the other hand, plummeted last year during the height of the recession. Total retail sales of farm tractors last year declined 21.3 percent while

Auction Calendar Mon., July 19. 10 a.m.

Farm machinery. Schultz Bros., HERSCHER, IL. Mike Peterson Auctioneers. www.mikepetersonauct ioneers.com Sat., July 24. 10 a.m.

Antique tractors, farm museum and miscellaneous. U.S. Bank Trustee, FREEPORT, IL. Troy Rudy, Auctioneer/Realtor. www.rudyontheweb.co m Sat., July 24. 9:30 a.m.

Farm machinery and miscellaneous. Phil Schmillen, RUTLAND, IL. Lauf Auction Service. www.auctionzip.com Sat., July 24. 9 a.m.

Auction. Northwest Eq., OREGON, IL. Cal Kaufman and Todd Wills, Auctioneers.

Sat., July 24. 10 a.m.

Farm machinery. Bill and Arlene Hamilton, LINCOLN, IL. White Auction Co. lincolndailynews.com or auctionzip.com Tues., July 27. 7 p.m.

96.5 Ac. Farmland.

Carole Bratton and William Atchley, Family of Lowell Peddicord, JOHNSONVILLE, IL. Carson Auction, Realty

U.S. exports of ag-related machinery dropped 23 percent in 2009 compared to 2008, according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM).

Retail sales of farm tractors through June of this year posted a slight recovery of 2.4 percent, AEM reported.

“I don’t think it (the recession) showed up a bit” in the antique tractor market, said Tom Zachary, a LaSalle County Farm Bureau member from Ottawa, who has farmed and operated a trucking business since 1948. He also restores Case tractors.

Nick Cleer, a corn and soybean grower from Ipava and Fulton County Farm Bureau member who restores International tractors, agreed the antique tractor market has remained strong through the recession.

“I think the good tractors that have been restored are still bringing top dollar,” he said.

A reason the antique market has held up during the stressful economic times is that for many collectors it’s a hobby, and they’re passionate about it.

Meanwhile, it’s rare to find some of the old tractors in such good shape. Zachary displayed his Spirit of 76 Case tractor at Historic Farm Days.

He said only 200 of the tractors, with the patriotic paint scheme, were made.

“Everyone likes to recall the tractor their dad had or maybe one of the first tractors they

& Appraisal Co. www.carsonauctionan drealty.com Thurs., July 29. 10 a.m.

158 Ac. Farmland. Marjie Munsson, ROBERTS, IL. Bill Kruse, Auctioneer.

Thurs., July 29. 10 a.m.

158 Ac. Farmland. Marjie Musson, ROBERTS, IL. Bill Kruse, Auctioneer. billkruse.net Sat., July 31. 8:30 a.m.

Estate Auction. Ward “Joe” Cain Estate, PANA, IL. Cory Craig, Auctioneer. www.corycraig.com Sat., July 31. 10 a.m.

Machinery and collector tractors. Larry Armstrong Estate, ODELL, IL. Immke and Bradleys’ Auction Service. biddersandbuyers.com/immke and bradleyauctionsinc.com Sat., July 31. 10 a.m.

Monroe Co. Land Auction. Edward Rickert Trust, WATERLOO, IL. buyafarm.com Sat., July 31. 9:30 a.m.

Estate Auction. Estate of Julius Kartheiser, YORKVILLE, IL. DeBolt Auction Service, Inc. www.deboltauctionser vice.com Wed., Aug. 4. 10 a.m.

Farm machinery. Harold and Mary Becker, EMINGTON, IL. Immke

and Bradleys’ Auction Service. www.biddersandbuyer s.com/immke Fri., Aug. 6. 10 a.m. Lg. Farm Eq. Auction. Estate of Lloyd E. Nafziger, HOPEDALE, IL. Jerry Watkins Auction Team. www.watkinsauctionte am.com Sat., Aug. 7. 9:30 a.m.

Equipment. Dale Convention Center, Organizers, DALE, IL. Jamie Scherrer Auction Co. www.jamiescherrerauc tion.com Thurs., Aug. 12. 7 p.m.

240 Ac. Clay Co. Farmland. Linda Love and Veronica Wilkey, Family of Thomas L. and Kathryn M. Clark, CLAY CITY, IL. Carson Auction, Realty & Appraisal Co. www.carsonauctionan drealty.com Sat., Aug. 14. 10 a.m.

Farm machinery and misc. Aileen West, OMAHA, IL. Jamie Scherrer Auction Co. www.jamiescherrerauc tion.com Sat., Aug. 21. 10 a.m.

Farm machinery and misc. James and Mary Frey, MCLEANSBORO, IL. Jamie Scherrer Auction Co.

FarmWeekNow.com View Daniel Grant’s photogallery of antique tractor owners at FarmWeekNow.com.

drove when they were a boy,” said Fredrickson, who grew up two miles east of the Historic Farm Days grounds and currently resides in Kentland, Ind.

For Cleer, he inherited a passion for restoring antique vehicles from his father, who restores old cars.

“It’s kind of my hobby,” said Cleer, who keeps his finished products for show rather than for sale or profit. “We (restore) about one tractor per winter. We do all of our own work.”

Zachary also restores tractors as a hobby. He doesn’t sell them, but after all the time and effort it takes to restore an antique, he knows what they’re worth.

He displayed a sign at Historic Farm Days that read, “Caution: Old tractors are hazardous to your wealth.”

Landowners to receive $4 million for CSP acres The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) last week announced the awarding of contracts for the first signup of the 2010 Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP).

Illinois has 265 contracts that cover 175,941 acres of cropland, pastureland, and non-industrial private forestland, according to Bill Gradle, Illinois’ state conservationist. Participating landowners will receive $4.018 million for conservation activities on enrolled Illinois land.

Of the Illinois acres, more than 97 percent was cropland with pastureland and non-industrial private forestland acres comprising the remainder.

Nationally, NRCS announced 10,630 contracts on 12,688,937 acres will be obligated for $144.968 million in payments.

“Whether producers have used NRCS programs or our technical assistance, or if they just did it on their own over the years, the end result is the same,” Gradle said.

“Depending on your ground, the natural resource problems you face and those you’ve fixed, CSP could be the perfect solution to reward you for all the conservation measures you’ve taken — and it’ll help you keep going and do even more,” Gradle added.

CSP is a continuous signup program, and interested farmers may apply at any time. For more information, visit with the local NRCS staff or go online to {www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/new_csp/csp. html}.

Come Stick Your Neck Out at Your Young Leader Discussion Meet.

Show your art of discussion for hot agricultural topics - and compete for great prizes, including a chance to represent Illinois in the National Discussion Meet.

District & State Discussion Topics:

State Winner

• Farm Bureau is the leading voice for agriculture but not the only voice.

How do we encourage other agricultural groups to work together for the common good of our industry?

• Has technology become essential for American farmers? Should Farm Bureau influence and encourage all generations of farmers, ranchers and agriculturalists to embrace technological opportunities?

June 1 - Aug. 1, 2011 (2 mo. use) or 100 hrs. use maximum (whichever comes first) on a Massey-Ferguson MF8650 4WD tractor, 200 PTO hp. CVT transmission (additional terms apply) (courtesy of AGCO) $ 1,000 Cash (courtesy of IFB) Trip to 2011 AFBF® Annual Meeting, January 9-12, Atlanta, GA

Additional State Topics: • Government has always been involved in agriculture. Is the current level of government involvement a net hindrance or a net benefit to agriculture?

• How will food movements such as “foodie” and “locavore,” which are focused primarily in urban centers, influence national agricultural production and federal programs?

• Given recent challenges, such as volatile food prices and limited world food supplies, do American consumers adequately appreciate the importance of US-produced food? Will American consumers consider American agriculture important to our security in the future?

Entry Deadline August 3 (to Illinois Farm Bureau)

Trip to 2011 IFB® Young Leader Conference, January 28-30 Trip to 2011 GROWMARK Annual Meeting

First Runner-Up $600 Cash (courtesy of 1st Farm Credit Services & Farm Credit Services of Illinois)

Four State Finalists

Contact your county Farm Bureau® for eligibility and contest information.

$ 200 Cash (courtesy of COUNTRY® Financial)

IAA District 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 & 12 13 & 17 14 15 & 16 18

1 yr. membership to Illinois Soybean Association (courtesy of IL Soybean Association)

Date August 25 August 30 August 12 August 23 August 24 August 23 August 23 August 25 August 24 August 26 August 26 August 26 August 31 August 24 August 23

Starting Time 7:00 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

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8:00 p.m.

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6:30 p.m.

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Location DeKalb County FB, Sycamore Carroll County FB, Mount Carroll Henry County FB, Cambridge Quality Inn & Suites, Dixon Grundy County FB, Morris Livingston County FB, Pontiac Woodford County FB, Eureka Knox Agri-Center, Galesburg Hancock County FB, Carthage Menard County FB, Petersburg Macon County FB, Decatur Edwards County FB, Albion Effingham County FB, Effingham St. Clair County FB, Belleville Williamson County FB, Marion

1 free registration to IL Commodity Conference (courtesy of IL Soybean Association)

District Winners COUNTRY® prize $50 Fast Stop gift card for fuel or merchandise (courtesy of GROWMARK, Inc.) Trip to 2010 IAA Annual Meeting in St. Louis with specific expenses to be paid

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FarmWeek Page 10 Monday, July 19, 2010

RURAL LIFE

Hospice center, state rep fulfill farmer’s wish

BY SETH GILLMAN

Maynard Bye was born and raised on his family farm in Boone County’s Garden Prairie, living what he calls “the good life” for more than 70 years.

“The best life you can get is living on a farm,” said Bye, a long-time Boone County Farm Bureau member.

Bye, who goes simply by “Skee” to his family and friends, has had three great passions in his life: farming, flight, and his wife, Imogene.

Bye was a student pilot in the 1940s, squeezing in his flight time after the cows were milked and the crops were tended.

He owned a small Cub airplane with his twin brother, housed in a hangar near the barn.

Then he met Imogene, and life at home was simply too busy to keep flying.

Together, the Byes grew soybeans, corn, and wheat.

They bought dairy cows, then

added beef cows and pigs to their farm. Although he was happy as a farmer, Bye often wondered what it would be like if he had completed his pilot training.

“I wanted to see what the crops look like from the air,” Bye said.

Bye farmed full time until he was 84 and began experiencing some health problems. He and Imogene sold the farm to their grandson, Scot Sell, and moved into town.

Bye has been back to the farm several times, still wondering if he would be able to tell from the air whether the corn had tasseled.

Then one day earlier this month, he found out. Bye’s hospice provider, Passages Hospice, arranged an aerial tour of his farm with Winnebago County Rep. Dave Winters (R-Shirland). Winters is a private pilot and owns a farm in Shirland.

“We connected as farmers,” Representative Winters

said. “You’ve always got something to talk about, about raising crops and raising kids.”

Winters flew Bye, Imogene,

and a nurse from Passages Hospice over the farm, where Bye finally saw his crops from above.

“I couldn’t believe it up

Maynard “Skee” Bye of Garden Prairie prepares to take his dream flight with Rep. Dave Winters over his Garden Prairie farm. The flight was sponsored by the Passages Hospice Dream Program and Representative Winters.

there,” Bye said. “You could see everything.”

Bye happily noted that the corn had indeed tasseled, and that the soybeans had covered their rows.

He worried aloud to Imogene that they’d had too much rain lately, and there were wet spots in the fields.

Bye’s flight was part of the Passages Hospice Dream Program, which enables hospice patients to fulfill an unmet wish and experience an event, project, or trip that is good for their spirit.

The costs for Bye’s flight were shared by the Passages Hospice Charitable Foundation and Representative Winters.

For more information about the foundation, visit {www.passageshospicefoundat ion.com}.

Seth Gillman is administrator of Passages Hospice. Information about the center is available at {www.passageshospice.com}.

Chinese partnership may curb Asian carp Illinois has partnered with a Chinese meat processing firm and an Illinois fishing company to reduce Asian carp populations and prevent the fish from reaching the Great Lakes, Gov. Pat Quinn announced last week.

The first-of-its-kind partnership will create about 180 jobs and reduce pressure on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ electric barrier system, according to the governor.

Quinn signed an agreement with Chinese meat processing company Beijing Zhuochen Animal Husbandry Co. and Big River Fisheries, located in Pearl, to harvest 30 million pounds of carp from Illinois rivers.

Big River will process, package, and ship the fish to Zhuochen for resale in international markets where the fish is a delicacy. The company is expected to harvest at least 30 million pounds of fish for the purpose of this agreement by the end of 2011.

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity will invest $2 million in capital funds to help Big River retrofit its existing facility, increase its processing capacity, and expand new production facilities in Pittsfield, which will create 61 new jobs and 120 indirect jobs.

Commercial fishermen contracted by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) already have started removing Asian carp from the Illinois River.

“The high quality and taste of the wild Asian carp from Big River Fish far exceeded our expectations. We see a tremendous market in China for the wild Asian carp,” said Liang Chang, chairman of Beijing Zhuochen Animal Husbandry.

“As Big River Fish’s production capacity increases, we will be able to expand our marketing efforts in China.”

Rick Smith, president of Big River Fish Corp., added, “Big River Fish can now retrofit and expand its facilities to meet our production commitment to Zhuochen. The Asian carp can become an economic engine for Illinois rather than a threat.”

IDNR in conjunction with the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee has established an Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework, which includes both short- and long-term actions intended to keep Asian carp from establishing populations in the Great Lakes.

To learn more about the committee’s efforts, visit {www.asiancarp.org}.

FarmWeek Page 11 Monday, July 19, 2010

RESEARCH

U of I’s SoyFACE study on climate impact remains vital

BY KAY SHIPMAN FarmWeek

The anticipated atmosphere of the year 2050 drifts across University of Illinois research fields where scientists are studing the potential impact on Illinois soybean and corn crops.

Since September 2000, SoyFACE (Free Air Concentration Enrichment) has collected information about agronomic impacts due to atmospheric changes. SoyFACE was a feather in the cap of the Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research (CFAR), which funded the project. Today, USDA and the U.S. Department of Energy fund SoyFACE research.

Ten years ago, little attention was paid to the impact climate change might have on agriculture, but that has changed. “Now it’s (global change and agriculture) in the public and the government sectors,� said Don Ort, U of I professor of crop sciences and a USDA scientist. Ort has been involved with Soy-

FACE since the beginning.

SoyFACE started with researchers examining the impact of different atmospheric changes on yields, agronomics, and genomics.

Now researchers can create a hypothesis and test it based on the years of SoyFACE data, Ort explained.

SoyFACE research has maintained its focus on the impact of global climate change on Midwestern soybean and corn production.

However, researchers continue to add different scenarios and explore different atmospheric combinations, Ort said.

Currently, researchers are studying the effect on soybeans of increased ozone; drought; increased carbon dioxide and ozone; and a combination of increased carbon dioxide and drought.

Another study looks at the effect of higher canopy temperatures during the soybean growing season.

A third experiment involves the impact of a possible heat wave during different plant life stages — some climate change

Amy Betzelberger, center, a University of Illinois graduate student in crop sciences, discusses with students how wind speed and wind direction apparatus are being used to control the carbon dioxide concentration in a research soybean field. Elevated carbon dioxide experiments are being conducted in both corn and soybean fields at the U of I’s SoyFACE (Free Air Concentration Enrichment) facility. (Photo courtesy U of I)

scenarios predict more frequent heat waves. “We looked back in history to find the frequency of heat waves, the duration, and the amplitude,� Ort said. “Our hypothesis is that the plant’s reproductive (stage) would be the most sensitive to heat waves.�

SoyFACE research already has yielded important information indicating yields will suffer unless crops are adapted to climate changes.

If the same soybean cultivars of today were planted in 2050, future farmers could expect an additional 20 percent drop in yields due to expected higher ozone levels, according to Ort. “The SoyFACE experiment and historical data recorded over the past 10 years both indicate that for every addi-

tional one part per billion of ozone, soybean yields will decrease 1.5 bushels per acre,� Ort said.

Researchers also hope to study the sensitivity of corn to higher ozone levels.

The U of I’s SoyFACE research facility, the largest of its kind in the world, is one of only five such facilities. The project was started to put Illinois farmers ahead of the growing curve and plans are to continue that research into the future.

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4:30 p.m. – BANQUET & AUCTION Elks Country Club • Dinner • Prizes

Registration Fees: Individual golf & banquet........................ $130 Banquet only .............................................. $50

Reservation Form & event details online at:

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FarmWeek Page 12 Monday, July 19, 2010

FB IN ACTION

Illinois agriscience student takes national honor Rosemary Chapple, a 2010 Waterloo High School graduate, last week personally dispelled the myths that students from rural high schools and those who study agriculture can’t compete with the nation’s elite.

Chapple, a member of the Waterloo FFA Chapter, was one of three high school students nationwide awarded the first agriscience award from the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation and the American Farm Bureau Federation in Washington, D.C. She received $5,000 for innovative research into amino acids that are essential for poultry growth. “I know we live in a small community, but that hasn’t stopped me from looking into opportunities,� said Chapple, who plans to study aerospace engineering at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

She is the daughter of Monroe County Farm Bureau members Richard and Carey

Chapple of Fults and grew up on a cattle farm.

Chapple credited her high school agriculture Rosemary Chapple teachers, Tim and Mindy McDermott, for challenging their students by adding biotechnology into the curriculum, developing honors courses for agriculture classes, and helping ag students earn dual credits at a community college. “My ag teachers did a good job of finding resources to get grants for this technology,�

Chapple said. She noted ag programs are struggling in other districts. “I think that’s a shame because they don’t see the application (for studying agriculture),� she added. “Rosemary has exhibited a great deal of knowledge about agriscience research for the past four years,� said her teacher, Mindy McDermott. “The reason for her success is a lot of hard work.�

Chapple began her amino

acid experiments in eighth grade. Eventually her goal became to find less expensive feed for her chicks, and she accomplished that by replacing soybean meal with amino acids and corn.

Chapple also credited Debbie Clinebell, her eighth grade science teacher, for supporting her research throughout her high school career.

As for the future, Chapple said she isn’t sure what she’ll do

as an aerospace engineer, but was inspired last week by another award winner, an engineer who uses satellites to detect the moisture content of soil. “Who knows?� Chapple asked.

Harvest for All

Carroll County Young Leaders garner another record donation

BY CHAS WELCH

Four Carroll County Young Leaders volunteered to each drive a semi while another four volunteered to be copilots on a recent Saturday for the annual Carroll County Farm Bureau Young Leader

Harvest for All program.

After contacting county farmers for corn donations, the semis rolled out to pick up the donated corn. This is the sixth year the Carroll County

Semi trucks loaded with donated corn and driven by Carroll County Farm Bureau Young Leaders make their deliveries for the 2010 Harvest for All program. The Young Leaders this year collected a record nearly $17,000 in cash and corn bushel donations. (Photo courtesy of Carroll County Farm Bureau)

Farm Bureau Young Leaders have hosted a corn drive for Harvest for All. All proceeds each year are split among the four food pantries that serve the county.

With the generosity of just 52 farmers this year, the Young Leaders collected more than 3,480 bushels of corn and $4,253.96 in cash donations to set a record donation year with a total of $16,999.75.

Over the course of the six years, donations have totaled $75,230.37.

“Each year, we wonder if we have tapped out our resources or if farmers will no longer being willing to donate, but each year our county farmers exceed our expectations,� stated Carroll County Farm Bureau Young Leader Chairman Ed Livengood. “We certainly acknowledge them for being the reason our program is so successful.�

Chas Welch is manager of the Carroll County Farm Bureau. She can be reached at 815-244-3001.

Where Ideas That Grow Mean Policies That Glow Join a Glowing GrassRoots Issue Team When you join one of Illinois Farm Bureau s eight GRITs Teams (GrassRoots Issue Teams), you bring to the table big-picture ideas– thoughts you and your neighbors have about the future of agriculture.

IFB s GRITs teams bring together ideas from across the state. Some ideas grow into other ideas. Some get energized and become action plans. Others light the way to new and improved policies.

To Apply Call your county Farm Bureau or IFB at (309) 557-3984, or go to ilfb.org.

Applications must be submitted by August 16. ‹ *52:0$5. ,QF $ )DUP %XUHDX $IÀOLDWH $

d ie ith tion rif w Ac P ct la e ns El

Your Idea

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Apply for One of These Teams • Conservation and Natural Resources • Crop Production and Trade • Equine • Livestock and Dairy • Renewable Resources and Energy • Risk Management and Farm Programs • Rural Life • Specialty Crops and Labor

Grassroots R ng es i ow

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BY KAY SHIPMAN FarmWeek

FarmWeek Page 13 Monday, July 19, 2010

FROM THE COUNTIES

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HAMPAIGN — Farm Bureau will sponsor a renewable energy seminar from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday at the Farm Bureau office.

Breakfast will be served. Topics include Farm Bureau organizational policy, wind energy, updates on renewable energy, climate change and its impact on ag, and the industry’s outlook on corn and soy-based renewable fuels. Registration forms are available at the Farm Bureau office or on the website at {www.ccfarmbureau.com}.

Call the Farm Bureau office at 217-352-5235 for more information.

• Farm Bureau will sponsor a land use seminar from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 3, at the Farm Bureau auditorium.

Cost is $10. Registration forms are available at the Farm Bureau office or on the website at {www.ccfarmbureau.com}.

Call the Farm Bureau office at 217-352-5235 for more information.

OUGLAS — Plat books are available at the Farm Bureau office. Voting members’ cost is $25.

ULTON — The Women’s Committee will sponsor the Best Milk Mustache contest at 2 p.m.

Thursday, July 29, during the Fulton County Fair at the Farm Bureau booth in the Merchant Building.

• The Young Farmers will sponsor a pedal tractor pull at 2 p.m. Friday, July 30, during the Fulton County Fair. There will be four weight classes from 30 to 100 pounds. Cash prizes and trophies will be awarded to the top three individuals in each class. Each participant will receive an award.

Call the Farm Bureau office at 547-3011 for more information.

ACKSON — The Young Farmer’s annual antique tractor pull will be at 11 a.m.

Sunday at Vergennes Equipment. Pedal pull begins at 2 p.m. There will be pulling and barnyard tractor classes. Call the Farm Bureau office for more information.

• A fish fry and fun night will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, July 31, at the Murphysboro American Legion. Proceeds will benefit Jackson County Farm Bureau Foundation. Big Muddy Fryers will serve the food. A silent auction, live music, and a 50/50 drawing will be held. Tickets are $7.50 for adults (12 years or older), $3.50 for children 4 to 11, and children 3 and under are free. Tickets are available at the Farm Bureau office. Call the Farm Bureau office at 618684-3129 for more information.

• The Women’s Committee needs to borrow antique farm tools and equipment for an exhibit at the John A. Logan

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Museum. Items will be on display from January to June. The committee needs a picture and measurements to submit to the museum before the end of August. Call the Farm Bureau office at 618-684-3129 for more information.

EE — Farm Bureau and the Lee County Fair Association will sponsor an American Red Cross blood drive from noon to 6 p.m. Thursday at the Lee County Fairgrounds.

Call the Farm Bureau office at 815-857-3531 or e-mail leefb@comcast.net if you can volunteer or donate.

• The Young Farmer Committee will have a ribeye food stand from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the 4-H Fair. Sandwiches are $5 and a meal is $7.

• Two informational meetings on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s spill prevention, control, and countermeasure rule will be Monday, July 26. The first meeting will be at 9 a.m. at the Bureau County Farm Bureau office, Princeton, and the second at 1 p.m. at the Marshall-Putnam Country Farm Bureau office, Henry. Farmers in Lee, Bureau, Marshall-Putnam, and Stark counties are invited. Call the Farm Bureau office at 815857-3531 by Monday (today) for reservations or more information.

• The Young Farmer Committee will sponsor a “Harvest for All” food drive that will kick off Thursday at the Farm Bureau booth at the 4-H Fair and run through Aug. 15. The committee will collect non-perishable food items that will be donated to Lee County food pantries. Cash donations will be accepted. Collections will be at the Farm Bureau booth, the Lee County Farm Bureau office, and the Woodhaven Association main office, Sublette. Call the Farm Bureau office at 815-857-3531 or email leecfb@comcast.net for more information.

IVINGSTON — The Young Leaders will sponsor a kiddie pedal tractor pull at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Livingston County 4-H Fair. Prizes will be awarded for different weight categories.

Call the Farm Bureau office at 815-842-1103 for more information.

• The Marketing Committee will sponsor a horse owners’ workshop at 11:30 a.m.

Wednesday at the Pizza Tent at the Livingston County 4-H Fair. Drew Cotton, Black Hawk East College equine instructor, will be the speaker.

Door prizes will be given.

Lunch will be served. Call the Farm Bureau office at 815-8421103 for more information.

ONTGOMERY — A customer appreciation dinner for Farm Bureau members, patrons of M&M

L

Service Co., and clients of Montgomery County Country Financial agents will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, July 31, at the Knights of Columbus Hall, Taylor Springs. Tickets are available at the above locations.

Call the Farm Bureau office at 217-532-6171 for more information.

• The Prime Timers will sponsor a bus trip Sunday, Aug. 22, to New Salem State Park.

The group will see the play “Dividing the Estate” at the outdoor theater. Dinner will be at the Golden Corral. Participants must be a Montgomery County Farm Bureau member and 55 years of age or older. Cost is $39. Call the Farm Bureau office at 217-5326171 for reservations or more information.

OULTRIE — Plat books are available at the Farm Bureau office. Voting members’ cost is $25.

• The Farm Bureau appreciation picnic will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the 4-H building. Call 728-4214 for reservations or more information.

IATT — Farm Bureau will sponsor a drainage workshop at 8 a.m. Tuesday at the Farm Bureau office. John

Seevers and Jim Ayers will be the speakers. Call the Farm Bureau office at 762-2128 for reservations or more information.

ANGAMON — A Farm Bureau policy development “tailgate talk” will be at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Farm Bureau office. Rich Guebert Jr., Illinois Farm Bureau vice president, will provide a policy issue update. Members will have an opportunity to express concerns on policy. Call the Farm Bureau office at 7535200 for reservations or more information.

• The Marketing Committee will sponsor a bus trip Wednesday to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and Chesapeake Energy group. The bus will leave the Farm Bureau office at 6 a.m. Cost is $10 for members and $20 for non-members.

Call the Farm Bureau office at 753-5200 for reservations or more information.

• Farm Bureau will sponsor an auction of used office furniture at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 31, at the Farm Bureau office.

Call the Farm Bureau office at 753-5200 for more information.

TARK — The Young Farmers will sponsor a

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kiddie pedal pull at 2:30 p.m.

Sunday during the Wyoming Corn Boil. Trophies will be awarded to the top three in different age divisions. Call the Farm Bureau office for more information.

ERMILION — Orders for Southern Illinois peaches from Rendleman Orchards are due Friday.

Cost for a 25-pound box for members is $23 and $28 for non-members. Delivery will be the first part of August. Call the Farm Bureau office at 217422-8713 or go online to {www.vcfb.info} for more information.

AY N E — Farm Bureau will sponsor the annual Young Leader golf scramble at noon Saturday, July 31, at the Wayne County Golf Course, Fairfield. Cost is $50, which includes golf, cart, dinner, and prizes. Call the Farm Bureau office at 618-8423342 or go online at {www.waynecfb.com} to register or sponsor a team.

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“From the counties” items are submitted by county Farm Bureau managers. If you have an event or activity open to all members, contact your county Farm Bureau manager.

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®

Don’t miss our Early Season Sale from March 17-31, 2010 Member Company Name Contact: Name

website

Phone: (000) 000-0000 ©2010 GROWMARK, Inc. A11424_6x8_aod

FarmWeek Page 14 Monday, July 19, 2010

PROFITABILITY

Summertime scouting is critical for next year

BY MATT HYNES

Now is the time to evaluate your seed selections for 2010.

I encourage you to go to your field and get intimate with your livelihood. Being in the fields right now will pay dividends as you make your cropping plans for 2011.

The farms you have (fields, soil types, etc.) will not change. The seed you select is subject to the Matt Hynes environment and what it has to offer, but the farms (fields) you have pretty much stay the same.

As you well know, each year is different and there are more than 1,000 factors that you

cannot control — Mother Nature really has the upper hand.

So what can we control?

You are capable of controlling the product you plant, the fertility you want, and the crop protection you use to help protect the yield you expect.

Mother Nature will take care of the rest.

Let’s go back to what I said earlier — get to know your farms (fields) intimately.

Being in your fields and scouting is the most important thing you can do right now, except for marketing your grain for a profit. Walking through corn and soybeans at this time of year is not fun, but it will pay dividends in the future.

Your FS crop specialist is trained and willing to help

M A R K E T FA C T S

Feeder pig prices reported to USDA*

Weight 10 lbs.

40 lbs.

50 lbs.

Receipts

Range Per Head Weighted Ave. Price $35.10-$42.00 $39.06 $55.91-$69.00 $61.31 n/a n/a This Week Last Week 25,897 20,897 *Eastern Corn Belt prices picked up at seller’s farm

Eastern Corn Belt direct hogs (plant delivered) Carcass Live

(Prices $ per hundredweight) This week Prev. week $72.76 $74.85 $53.84 $55.39

Change -2.09 -1.55

USDA five-state area slaughter cattle price Steers Heifers

This week $93.95 $94.00

(Thursday’s price) Prv. week Change $92.50 1.45 $92.37 1.63

CME feeder cattle index — 600-800 Lbs. This is a composite price of feeder cattle transactions in 27 states.

(Prices $ per hundredweight) This week Prev. week Change 112.70 113.94 -1.24

Lamb prices Confirmed lamb and sheep sales This week 730 Last week 756 Last year 886 Wooled Slaughter Lambs: Choice and prime 2-3: 90-110 lb., $114-$116; 110-130 lbs., $130. Good and choice 1-2: 60-90 lbs., $122-$125.

Slaughter Ewes: Utility and good 1-3: $44-$46. Cull and utility 1-2: $38-$44.

Export inspections (Million bushels)

Week ending Soybeans Wheat Corn 07-08-10 6.5 14.1 34.5 07-01-10 3.0 16.9 40.8 Last year 11.2 10.0 39.5 Season total 1370.7 85.1 1564.7 Previous season total 1158.7 76.2 1458.8 USDA projected total 1455 900 2000 Crop marketing year began June 1 for wheat and Sept. 1 for corn and soybeans.

evaluate what is best for your future cropping plans. He has all the tools needed to assist you with evaluating how you can improve your profitability.

Call your crop specialist and ask him or her to walk your fields with you. The specialist will help you objectively evalu-

ate what you should do for the 2011 cropping year.

He can assist you in hybrid and variety selection, crop protection products needed to optimize your greatest yield potential, and the fertility recommendations to achieve the production capa-

bility you are expecting.

Now is the most important time to evaluate your needs for 2011.

Matt Hynes is FS Seed sales and marketing manager. His email address is mhynes@growmark.com.

Importance of co-ops stressed at USDA workshop

BY DANIEL GRANT FarmWeek

A number of dairy farmers who spoke at a public workshop hosted by USDA and the Department of Justice (DOJ) stressed the importance of cooperatives to an industry that has gone through some tough times.

And the message apparently was received: DOJ reportedly reiterated it will not challenge the right of farmers to market their products through cooperatives under the protections of the Capper-Volstead Act, according to Jim Fraley, Illinois Farm Bureau livestock program director, and Jerry Quick, IFB senior counsel.

The dairy industry workshop was the third in a series of five this year. The workshops are the first ever to be held by USDA and DOJ to discuss competition and regulatory issues in ag.

“A number of producers who testified talked about the benefits of belonging to a cooperative, the fact that competition is good in their area, and they chose to belong to a cooperative,” said Fraley, who attended the recent workshop in Madison, Wis. Illinois has a relatively small dairy industry.

It ranks 20th nationwide in milk production, but farmers here rely heavily on the co-op system, said Fraley.

About 86 percent of the milk produced in Illinois is marketed through cooperatives, according to Fraley. Nationwide, about 75 to 80 percent of milk is marketed through the co-op system.

The top five dairy co-ops in Illinois, listed alphabetically, are Dairy Farms of America, Foremost Farms, Midwest Dairymen’s Co., Prairie Farms, and Swiss Valley Farms.

Another key point stressed by members of the dairy industry at the workshop is the possible over-reliance on “thinly traded” cheese contracts as a means to establish milk prices, Fraley said.

“The issue of pricing milk based on cheese prices is something we need to take a hard look at,” he said.

Milk prices in recent years bounced from a

high of $22 per hundredweight in 2008 to $9 per hundredweight last year. Producers currently are “treading water” with milk prices near break-even, Fraley noted.

“The dairy industry has been hit particularly hard over the past 18 months and, like other agricultural sectors, is experiencing consolidation and shrinking farm numbers,” said Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack. “A fair and competitive marketplace is important not only for produc-

‘A fair and competitive marke t p l a c e i s i m p o r t a n t n o t only for producers but also for consumers.’

— Tom Vilsack U.S. Ag Secretary

ers but also for consumers.”

The final two USDA/DOJ workshops will be Aug. 27 in Fort Collins, Colo., with a focus on swine and beef cattle, and Dec. 8 in Washington, D.C., where the focus will be margins and the discrepancy between prices received by farmers and prices paid by consumers.

IFB will continue to have a presence at the workshops, according to Quick.

“We believe it is important to attend as many of these workshops as possible, given this organization’s continuing concerns about the need to maintain fully competitive conditions among those who buy our members’ products, as well as those who sell production inputs to our members,” he said.

Quick and Laura Harmon, IFB assistant general counsel, will make two presentations intended to help farmers understand ag contracts July 28 during breakout sessions at the IFB Commodities Conference in Normal.

FarmWeek Page 15 Monday, July 19, 2010

PROFITABILITY Corn Strategy

C A S H S T R AT E G I S T

Grain and gold prices in better relationship The recent surge in grain prices — and the weakness in gold prices — has brought their relationship back to more tolerable levels. Over the last few months, the steady decline in grain prices and rise in gold prices had pushed grain prices relative to gold prices to new record highs.

Much of the shift in the push to new highs had to do with investors losing confidence in major industrial currencies, the dollar included. In lieu of investing money in traditional vehicles, investors

Basis charts

pushed more of their portfolios into gold, driving its price to a new record high. June’s $1,264.80-per-ounce record high substantially eclipsed January 1980’s $875 record.

Back in 2006 when the gold/grain relationships pushed near the prior record highs, it was easier to foresee grain prices moving higher to bring the relationship back into a balance. But at that time, investors had confidence in the world’s economies and their associated currencies.

At current levels, grain still appears to be undervalued to gold. Will grain prices move up, or gold move down, to bring the price relationship back into balance? In 2006, that was an easier question to answer than today.

Today, there’s a lack of confidence in many economies and their respective currencies.

Still, recent changes in currency cross relationships hint the anxiety that lifted gold prices to new highs may be softening.

As long as there are no more unexpected shocks, that could translate into a softer gold market for a few weeks or months.

Unlike 2006, when grain prices rallied to bring the relationship back into balance, it may be that gold slides lower this time.

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Cents per bu.

2009 crop: Use current strength to make catch-up sales.

2010 crop: December futures penetrated key resistance at the psychological $4 mark. Boost sales to 50 percent if December futures hit $4.12.

Fundamentals: Weather is the key ingredient guiding trading. However, corn is quickly passing the most critical development phase, pollination. Even if conditions remain warm and dry over the next few weeks, soil moisture reserves should be adequate to keep yields from being severely impacted. Weekly export sales were supportive this last week — 1,023,400 metric tons (40.08 million bushels), slightly higher than expectations.. It was confirmed China bought 125,200 tons (4.9 million bushels) of U.S. corn for 2009/2010 delivery. ✘Fail-safe: Get new-crop sales to 50 percent if December futures fall through $3.98.

Soybean Strategy 2009 crop: Because old-crop prices continue to command a premium to newcrop prices, it’s important to use strength to complete sales.

2010 crop: Last week’s rally triggered the order to increase new-crop sales to 50 percent. We may add another 10 percent over the next few weeks. Check the Cash Strategist Hotline occasionally for an update.

Fundamentals: Weather and crop fears are driving the rally more than indications of real damage. The condition rating is slipping lower, but that’s a normal pattern into August. Export activity remains robust, but users could just as quickly choose to stand aside if they feel prices are getting too high.

Because of this year’s acreage, it will take significant problems with the crop to drop production far enough to push the fundamental structure toward becoming too tight.

✘Fail-safe: Leave an order to boost sales to 60 percent if N ove m b e r d r o p s t h r o u g h $9.50.

Wheat Strategy 2010 crop: The trend in wheat remains strong.

Prices are holding key levels. The market hit important resistance at $6.10 on Chicago September. Sales were increased to 60 percent when Chicago September reached $5.42. If September reaches $6, boost sales to 70 percent. Use current strength for catchup sales.

2011 crop: A 10 percent sale was triggered when Chicago July 2011 futures reached $6. Make an additional 15 percent sale if July reaches $6.60.

Fundamentals: The basic fundamental picture remains unchanged with global wheat supplies still abundant. However, weather continues to negatively impact crops in the Black Sea region. In addition, Strategie Grain, a private analyst, lowered its European Union wheat estimate 2.8 percent because of hot/dry conditions.

FarmWeek Page 16 Monday, July 19, 2010

PERSPECTIVES

LEVELING THE FIELD Broadband equalizes opportunities for rural areas Broadband is changing the way we live. For those of us lucky enough to have access to highspeed Internet, it’s difficult to remember how we got along without it.

With access to broadband, we can easily sell a car, rent an apartment, look for a job, read the news, or manage a business.

The best advantage of the broadband network is that it can connect us to the rest of the world whenever it suits our schedule and from almost anywhere we happen to be.

That is, unless we are in rural America.

Today too few rural Americans can take advantage of the opportunities broadband provides. Only half of rural residents subscribe to broadband, compared to 65 percent nationwide, because too many rural communities lack broadband infrastructure.

Simply put, building a broadband infrastructure is critical to creating jobs and economic opportunity in rural America.

With investments in broadband, we are fostering innovation and bringing America’s rural communities into the digital age. A young person doesn’t have to move to the nearest city to make a living. He or she can create, develop, and run a business at home in rural America.

COLLEEN A young parent can work, CALLAHAN raise a family, and still connect with business partners across the country or around the world. With new or enhanced broadband access, the door to economic growth is open.

If rural communities had better access to high-speed Internet, the opportunities would be endless.

Farmers and ranchers would have up-to-theminute commodity and weather information; schools could expand limited course offerings through distance learning; and first responders would have information they need to keep their communities safer.

Rural health care would improve, as medical specialists would be able to use telemedicine to provide advanced diagnosis for patients or to consult with colleagues at other hospitals.

At USDA, we are focused on creating thriving rural communities where people want to live and raise families. We want every parent and grandparent in rural America to be able to tell their child or grandchild that their hometown has the economic opportunities necessary to offer them a bright future.

The Obama administration recently announced investment in 66 new broadband projects nationwide, the second round of funding for broadband infrastructure from President Obama’s Recovery Act. Thirty-seven of these projects will help expand broadband access in rural America.

These projects not only will directly create more than 5,000 jobs up front, but they also will spur economic development in some of the nation’s

hardest-hit communities, creating jobs for years to come.

These funds will put people to work constructing new facilities, erecting towers to transmit signals, and installing high speed broadband services in homes, businesses, and community education, safety, and public health centers.

The investments also will foster long-term economic growth. The $7.5 billion provided will benefit tens of millions of Americans and more than 685,000 businesses, 900 healthcare facilities and 2,400 schools in all 50 states.

Illinois will see the impact of broadband when the Shawnee Telephone Co. connects homes, businesses, and community service providers in five small communities in Southeastern Illinois to its fiber optic broadband network.

Rural Development is supporting the project with a loan and grant totaling more than $7 million. As a result, homes, businesses, and community institutions, such as public schools, libraries, law enforcement, and medical care facilities, will be able to tap into the Internet.

The impact of bringing broadband to rural Illinois cannot be overstated or expressed any more significantly than through the experience of one Illinois farmer/businessman who wrote me.

The unnamed author wrote how the absence of adequate internet bandwidth affected his livelihood and his family.

He wrote: “Like many rural residents, I operated my business from my home (for 21 years) . . . In April of 2010, the company I represented put all information on a system that was only available by Internet . . . In areas without broadband, it simply makes commerce grind to a near halt.

“I was forced either to relocate my business to a larger town, continue to be increasingly crippled by slow service and decreased ability to serve my clients, or simply quit doing business with and for the company (I represented).” The writer did the latter.

Broadband, much like education, is the great equalizer. Until we complete the initiative to bring high-speed Internet to our rural communities, rural Illinois will continue to be at a disadvantage in receiving quality health care, improved educational opportunities, and potential business advantages.

USDA Rural Development is eager to help make these possibilities possible.

President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 into law with a vision of knowing it will help America. In addition to the jobs it will create and save in Illinois and across the country, it will stimulate the national economy.

In the longer-term, it is the foundation for sustainable growth and keeping us competitive within the global economy.

Colleen Callahan is state director of USDA Rural Development. Her family raises cattle on their Kickapoo farm. Her e-mail address is Colleen.Callahan@ il.usda.gov.

South African ag on world’s stage Sports fans everywhere turned their attention to South Africa as my country hosted the biggest athletic event on the planet — the World Cup. Teams from just about every nation competed, and people from all over the world watched in rapt attention.

There was no way of knowing how many folks tuned into the championship match between the Netherlands and Spain, but some estimates put the television audience at more than 1 billion viewers.

It’s no exaggeration to say that South Africa was truly on the globMICHAEL al stage.

ALLEN I think guest columnist we’ve proven that South Africa can shine.

When the tournament kicked off a month ago, tourists poured in. Along with huge numbers of television viewers, they not only cheered goals and saves but they also learned about my country, its history, and its inhabitants.

Most of these guests and onlookers came away with a positive impression. South Africa is a beautiful country.

It’s full of friendly people.

Although we have our problems, we also have a lot to offer.

In one area, we are an undisputed leader: agricultural biotechnology.

Farmers in South Africa have embraced genetically modified (GM) crops. Last year, we planted more than 5 million acres of genetically enhanced corn, soybeans, and cotton.

The International Service for the Acquisition of AgriBiotech Applications (ISAAA) lists South Africa as one of 15 “biotech mega-countries.”

Among other African nations, only Burkina Faso shares this distinction.

My personal experience is typical. I harvest corn and soybeans on about 2,400 acres in the northeastern part of South Africa, near the town of Middleburg in the province of Mpumalanga — a Zulu name that means “place of the rising sun.”

I began to research biotech crops more than two decades ago, planting strip trials for seed companies. At first, these early versions of GM corn didn’t outperform conventional varieties. Yet they were easier to manage, so I started working with them.

In recent years, there’s been a remarkable turnaround. The yields of GM crops have beaten non-GM plants by

substantial margins.

Over the last decade, my food production has doubled.

We owe this to biotechnology — all of my soybeans are GM as is most of the corn I plant — and other technology innovations.

I have access to the latest equipment technology and use precision farming tools.

Many of my immediate neighbors have enjoyed similar levels of success. We’re hoping to make even greater strides in the future, especially if drought-tolerant crops become available.

Unfortunately, a larger group of other neighbors — the farmers in nearby African countries — have not reaped the benefits of biotechnology.

Although the experience of South Africa shows how much can be gained from using agriculture’s latest tools, their governments have resisted GM crops.

Part of this reluctance owes to a simple lack of understanding. But they’ve also come under pressure from European governments that provide foreign aid and export markets.

The European Union has remained irrationally hostile to GM crops — and its hostility has blocked agricultural progress in Africa.

This is tragic. All around the world, farmers are learning how to grow more food for more people with biotechnology and other 21st-century tools. Africa, however, is different: It’s the only continent where food production is in actual decline.

Things don’t have to be this way. The example of South Africa proves that my fellow Africans shouldn’t suffer the curse of food insecurity.

By taking advantage of biotechnology and other new approaches to agriculture, farmers in my country are growing a lot more food than we did just a few years ago.

Other farmers should have the same opportunity.

This is the way forward for Africa and its people.

There was a time, not so long ago, when South Africa received a lot of unwelcome attention. My country was treated as an international pariah. Yet much has changed.

Today, in the areas of agriculture and biotechnology, we can be a model for Africa and the rest of the world.

Michael Allen farms with his son in the South African province of Mpumalanga. He is a member of the Truth About Trade & Technology Global Farmer Network.