FarmWeek February 8 2010 edition

AN ADMINISTRATION proposal to target direct farm program payments — and consequently reopen the farm bill — likely will spark little interest on Capitol Hill. ..4

A $4 BILLION federal commitment to carbon sequestration technologies increased hope for a cutting-edge Illinois coal research facility planned for Mattoon. .........5

A MOVE TO BAN the use of antibiotics in farm animals for other than treatment of illness could backfire, a swine specialist maintains. .................................................6

Monday, February 8, 2010

Two sections Volume 38, No. 6

Land use theory still ‘unreliable’

EPA proposes a more corn ethanol-friendly RFS2

BY MARTIN ROSS FarmWeek

Corn ethanol’s potential expanded significantly last week with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson’s announcement that EPA had recalculated ethanol’s carbon footprint.

Jackson joined with Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack to release details of the federal government’s revised renewable fuels standard (RFS2), which targets 36 billion gallons of alternative motor fuels use by 2022.

While that future energy mix will include fuels made from cellulosic biomass and other yet-to-be-developed “advanced biofuels,” Jackson said corn ethanol could now capture a larger share of the eventual RFS2 market.

Renewable fuel rules had capped use of corn-based ethanol to meet RFS2 goals at a maximum 15 billion gallons per year, based on the assumption that newer fuels would improve greenhouse gas emissions.

But EPA re-examined a number of criteria affecting ethanol’s greenhouse impact, including use of ethanol co-

products to produce added fuel, projected crop productivity, and the effect of corn and ethanol production on global “indirect land use change.”

By expanding its land use focus from a mere 40 countries to 160, Jackson said “new” corn ethanol produced more efficiently with cleaner energy scores at 20 percent less greenhouse impact than gasoline — the benchmark for advanced RFS2 eligibility.

“This really unlocks the door,” not only for ethanol but also for soy biodiesel, Jackson stressed. Soy diesel fuel use was capped at a meager 1 billion gallons per year by 2022 under the original RFS, but she maintained that under new calculations, “biodiesel is a good investment.”

The American Soybean Association applauded the announcement, arguing RFS2 is “absolutely critical to the continued success of soybeans as a homegrown renewable fuelstock.”

The Illinois Corn Growers Association (ICGA) was more guardedly optimistic: ICGA President Tim Lenz maintained that “although this rule looks good on the surface, it’s really only as good as its

worst science.”

“Illinois Corn has been working for months to have

the international land use change model removed from EPA’s considerations,” he told

FarmWeek. “It’s unreliable See RFS2, page 5

DIFFICULT LESSON

Franklin County farmer Kent Sickmeyer shows land he and his wife, Sarah, reclaimed after it was damaged in 2007 by an oil developer (lower left photo).

Farm Bureau played a key role in passing legislation to protect surface landowners, but potential problems still exist, according to Sickmeyer and his attorney, Tom Crosby. See the story on page 2. (Photo by Ken Kashian)

Redistricting initiative Periodicals: Time Valued

Collecting petition signatures requires precision

BY KAY SHIPMAN FarmWeek

Farm Bureau members interested in collecting signatures to put a redistricting initiative on the November ballot should be aware of the steps needed to ensure the signatures will be valid, according to Jan Czarnik, executive director of the League of Women Voters, one of the initiative supporters.

“It’s absolutely essential that directions be followed exactly,’’ Czarnik told FarmWeek.

Illinois Farm Bureau is sup-

porting the Fair Map Amendment Initiative, which seeks to put a proposal to amend the state Constitution before vot-

FarmWeekNow.com To learn more about precise procedures for collecting petition signatures, go to FarmWeekNow.com.

ers. The amendment would change the method used to draw state legislative districts.

A petition may be downloaded from the Illinois Fair

FarmWeek on the web: FarmWeekNow.com

Map Amendment initiative website {www.ilfairmap.com}.

County Farm Bureaus also have received information.

Petitions are specific for each election authority, which are county election authorities in most cases. However, eight cities require a specific city petition. Those are: Aurora, Bloomington, Chicago, Danville, East St. Louis, Galesburg, Peoria, and Rockford.

The text of the proposed amendment must be printed on the back of each petition page that is being circulated.

Pages cannot be printed separately and then stapled or glued together, Czarnik stressed.

Each individual who signs a petition must be a registered voter and live in the county or city listed on the petition, Czarnik said. For example, Will County voters must sign a Will County petition, while Galesburg voters must sign a Galesburg petition.

Each petition sheet should include only voters from one See Petition, page 2

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

FarmWeek Page 2 Monday, February 8, 2010

Quick Takes AFBF PUSHES FOR CONTINUED ATRAZINE USE — American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman last week called for continued use of atrazine in a letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson.

“Having access to one of the most important crop protection products is vital to the success of America’s farmers in providing a safe and abundant food supply,” Stallman wrote. “Accordingly, we felt heartened two years ago, that, having gone through a rigorous and fair re-registration process, atrazine continue to be available to farmers who abided by its strict label requirements.”

EPA is studying potential health risks related to atrazine. At the end of this process, the agency will determine whether to revise its current position on atrazine or if current use restrictions are sufficient.

“We hope, as the EPA’s review goes forward, you will not confuse the voice of a few special interests with America’s broad and vital community of farmers, agricultural workers, and associated industries — and that you will work with all authentic and responsible stakeholders in an open, transparent, and fair process,” Stallman wrote.

OBAMA CLAMORS FOR CAP AND TRADE — President Barack Obama is urging the U.S. Senate not to give up on climate change legislation.

“I don’t want us to just say the easy way out is for us to just give a bunch of tax credits to clean energy companies,” Obama said in a televised question-and-answer session with Senate Democrats last week. The president praised efforts by Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) to craft a compromise bill that blends greenhouse emissions limits with new support for nuclear power, low-emissions coal plants, and offshore drilling.

The White House supports a “comprehensive” energy and climate bill that includes an emissions cap-andtrade plan. Illinois Farm Bureau opposes cap-and-trade legislation approved last year by the House.

MORE AMERICANS IN NEED — A study released last week by Feeding America reports more than 37 million people — one in eight Americans, including 14 million children and nearly 3 million seniors — receive emergency food each year through the nation’s network of food banks and the agencies they serve.

The findings represent a stag gering 46 percent increase compared to Feeding America’s previous 2006 study. Hunger in America 2010 reportedly is the first research study to capture the significant connection between the recent economic downtur n and an increased need for emergency food aid.

ENVIRONMENT

Tough lessons are learned in aftermath of oil drilling

BY KAY SHIPMAN FarmWeek

Kent Sickmeyer teaches agriculture at Kaskaskia Community College, but he and his wife, Sarah, at one point became the students and learned a hard lesson about surface rights vs. mineral rights.

Sickmeyer wants to make other landowners and political leaders aware of potential problems and issues surrounding surface rights.

“I feel surface (rights) owners need better protection. I learned a lot. I didn’t dream they (an oil drilling company) could come in and do what they did,” Sickmeyer told FarmWeek, relating damage done to his property.

Tom Crosby, Sickmeyer’s attorney, who specializes in energy law, noted the state law dealing with oil drilling was amended after the drilling occurred on the Sickmeyer land. “The Farm Bureau played a key role in getting legislation passed and the amendment (passed),” Sickmeyer said.

“It used to be more drilling by ambush,” he added.

However, Crosby noted additional protections are needed.

The Sickmeyers knew they didn’t own the mineral rights under their 40 acres in Franklin County. An independent operator leased the mineral rights under the Sickmeyers’ property and decided to drill for oil.

To make matters worse in January 2007, the township had posted weight limits on the road adjacent to the Sickmeyer property. Without an access road, the developer moved off the pavement and used two bulldozers to pull and two bulldozers to push the oil rig across the Sickmeyers’ land in muddy conditions, cutting huge ruts in the ground. Then he drilled about 200 feet from their home.

After that rig struck oil, the oil developer

Corps seeks comment on Rice Lake project The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island District is seeking public comments on the proposed Rice Lake habitat rehabilitation and enhancement project. A 30-day comment period started Jan. 28.

Comments should be mailed to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island Dis-

Petition (ISSN0197-6680) Vol. 38 No. 6

February 8, 2010

Dedicated to improving the profitability of farming, and a higher quality of life for Illinois farmers.

FarmWeek is produced by the Illinois Farm Bureau.

FarmWeek is published each week, except the Mondays following Thanksgiving and Christmas, by the Illinois Agricultural Association, 1701 Towanda Avenue, P.O. Box 2901, Bloomington, IL 61701. Illinois Agricultural Association assumes no responsibility for statements by advertisers or for products or services advertised in FarmWeek.

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STAFF Editor Dave McClelland (dmcclelland@ilfb.org) Legislative Affairs Editor Kay Shipman (kayship@ilfb.org) Agricultural Affairs Editor Martin Ross (mross@ilfb.org) Senior Commodities Editor Daniel Grant (dgrant@ilfb.org) Editorial Assistant Linda Goltz (Lgoltz@ilfb.org) Business Production Manager Bob Standard Advertising Sales Manager

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dragged his equipment across the Sickmeyers’ land again to drill a couple of wells on a neighbor’s property.

“As they moved back and forth, they took about six acres out of 40 to move their equipment in winter. That’s the absolute worse time to do that in Southern Illinois. It was a loblolly,” Sickmeyer said.

The Sickmeyers sued the developer and eventually settled out of court. They received their final settlement payment late last year. Meanwhile, they had paid for reclaiming the land themselves.

In 2008, the state Drilling Act was amended to stipulate the method of advance notice a developer must give and require the operator to give a copy of the Drilling Operations Act along with the notice to a surface owner prior to drilling a well.

An operator also must compensate the surface owner for losses of ag production, personal property, and improvements.

However, the law does not explicitly cover non-productive land, such as a woodlot, Crosby noted. “The issue is open whether you can be compensated for diminished value” of such land, he said.

With high oil prices, “a lot of operators are being less than careful stewards of the surface,” Crosby continued.

“The theme in the long term is you have to protect surface owners more so than those who want to exploit the minerals. The public good is served more by protecting the surface.”

Sickmeyer and Franklin County Farm Bureau manager Larry Miller favor putting more teeth into state law to protect surface owners.

“We recognize, and always have recognized, the right of minerals to be explored and captured,” Miller said. “But what happened to Kent can happen to anyone.”

trict, Attention: Darron Niles, technical coordinator, Clock Tower Building, P.O. Box 2004, Rock Island, Ill., 612042004.

Rice Lake is a 6,800-acre backwater complex located 24 miles southwest of Peoria in Fulton County.

The project lands are owned

Continued from page 1 election authority.

Individuals circulating petitions do not have to be registered voters, but they must be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen, and an Illinois resident.

After signatures have been collected, the individual who circulated the petition must have each page notarized. Notaries may be located in such places as local banks or attorney offices.

Notarized petitions need to be mailed to the Fair Map initiative group by April 1. The mailing address is: Illinois Fair Map Amendment, c/o League of Women Voters 332 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 1150, Chicago, Ill., 60604.

For more information, contact your county Farm Bureau or Czarnik at 312-939-5935.

by the state and managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources as the Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area.

The recommended plan includes constructing a perimeter levee to protect vegetation growing on interior wetland areas from summer fluctuations of the Illinois River, a spillway to protect the perimeter levee from overtopping flood damage, a pump station to allow for timely flooding of the protected vegetation for use by migratory birds, fish egress structures to ensure access to deep water areas during the summer, and vegetation plantings to restore historic floodplain cover diversity and provide food and cover for resident and migratory birds.

The report, additional information about the project, and the Corps’ Upper Mississippi River Restoration-Environmental Management Program are available online at {www.mvr. usace.army.mil/emp}.

FarmWeek Page 3 Monday, February 8, 2010

STATE General Assembly

Intense, shortened session now ahead?

BY KAY SHIPMAN FarmWeek

Fast and furious aren’t terms usually applied to the spring legislative session in Illinois, but they might fit this year.

With a tentative May 7 adjournment, state legislative leaders apparently will focus on passing a budget and addressing only “emergency” issues, according to Kevin Semlow, Illinois Farm Bureau director of state legislation.

“It’s our understanding the leaders are encouraging their members to be judicious about the issues they deem to be important,” Semlow said.

This is the second year of a two-year legislative term, and second-year terms are limited by law to dealing with the budget and only issues that are considered emergencies, Semlow explained.

A shortened legislative session translates into less time to introduce and move IFB’s legislative priorities through the process.

Thursday is the deadline for bill introduction in the House.

IFB has secured bills for its legislative priority related to all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and utility-terrain vehicles (UTVs). SB 2566 is sponsored by Sen. John Sullivan (D-Rushville) and HB 4909 is sponsored by Rep. Rich Myers (RColchester). Both bills propose to restore the ability of an ATV or a UTV to be used on roads for farming purposes and to allow those vehicles to cross roads.

Meanwhile, results from last week’s primary election will not be certified as official until March 5, an Illinois State Board of Elections spokesman told FarmWeek. On that date, official results will be posted online at {www.elections.state.il.us}.

As of Friday, primary results were considered tentative because provisional ballots needed to be counted and challenges in close races were possible, Semlow said.

No election results are official until they are certified by each county clerk and forwarded to the State Board of Elections, Semlow added.

While the Democratic race for governor has been conceded, the Republican race for that office remained close on Friday with Sens. Bill Brady and Kirk Dillard separated by a few hundred votes.

Farm Bureau members encouraged to share their spray drift opinions The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will take public comment on proposed more stringent pesticide drift rules until March 5.

Illinois Farm Bureau is encouraging members to share their views about the potential impact of a zero-drift standard.

“Preventing every molecule of crop protection product from drifting in every conceivable circumstance is technically impossible,” said Nancy Erickson, IFB director of natural and environmental resources.

EPA’s proposed action may subject farmers to enforcement actions and frivolous lawsuits, Erickson added.

EPA has drafted a pesticide registration notice on pesticide drift labeling.

The agency is proposing to add a general statement on spray drift that Erickson described as being vague and excessively broad.

“Individual comments or letters to EPA from farmers will be helpful to ensure EPA understands the full impact of its actions,” Erickson said.

County Farm Bureaus have received additional information and talking points.

Information also has been posted online at {www.ilfb.org}.

Comments should be mailed to: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Regulatory Public Docket (Mail Code 7502P), Docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0628, Office of Pesticide Programs, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20460-0001.

Comments can be submitted by going to {http://capwiz.com/ilfb/state/main/?state=IL}. — Kay Shipman

State readies for broadband competition, several projects still in hunt State officials are seeking proposals for $4.8 billion in federal broadband stimulus funds while hoping some Illinois projects still might be selected in the first round of broadband funding.

Although no Illinois projects were announced as recipients in mid-December, less than 20 percent of the total amount was awarded “so the governor ... remains hopeful awards for Illinois will be announced,” Ryan Croke, the governor’s deputy chief of staff, said last week.

The state again will commit

matching funds for selected proposals from Illinois and will offer help from university grant-writing experts, according to Croke. Information is online at {www2.illinois.gov/ broadand/Pages/default.aspx}.

“Governor (Pat) Quinn has made this a priority and has set aside funds,” Croke said last week during a meeting of the Illinois Broadband Deployment Council.

Quinn earmarked $50 million for broadband from last year’s capital plan, and those dollars, which came from the sale of bonds, will be available,

Croke assured council members.

He estimated $35 million may be available in matching funds to support second-round submissions, but that amount could increase with the return of any matching funds that were committed for unsuccessful first-round projects.

State officials are working to improve the chances for Illinois’ projects.

For example, the federal government will give additional consideration to projects that have raised 30 percent of project funding.

Illinois now is requiring proposals to have obtained at least 10 percent of the cost before applying for state matching funds, said Lori Sorenson with Illinois Central Management.

For selected proposals, the state will commit up to 20 percent of the project cost, she added.

Public-private partnerships also receive additional points on the federal application, so Illinois is seeking requests from public-private projects, Sorenson noted.

Croke anticipated the federal government will announce

selected projects on Feb. 16, but cautioned previous announcements have been delayed several times. Illinois has set a Feb. 18 deadline to apply for matching funds.

Croke urged people with project ideas to contact the Broadband Council “even if it’s (the proposal) not ready for prime time” or they’re unsure what other entities might join their proposal.

“The best chance we have to secure federal funds is only if we have a real spirit of cooperation,” Croke concluded. — Kay Shipman

Participants say GALC offers many unique opportunities Farm Bureau leaders have busy schedules and attend many winter conferences, but the Illinois Farm Bureau Governmental Affairs Leadership Conference (GALC) offers unique opportunities, especially allowing attendees to talk with state lawmakers and agency officials, according to three past participants.

The 2010 GALC will be Feb. 23-24 in the Crowne Plaza, Springfield. General sessions and workshops on a variety of topics are designed to provide leaders with critical information. The early registration deadline is Friday.

“I go to meet with the legislators. It’s a more relaxed atmosphere,” said Jefferson County Farm Bureau President Rick Corners.

IFB Young Leader Committee member Alan Chesnut of Vermilion County agreed. Chesnut said he talked with his

‘It’s a chance to make connections I wouldn’t have otherwise.’

— Alan Chesnut IFB Young Leader Committee member

own legislators and also met lawmakers from other parts of the state — some who have run for statewide offices.

“That was a big plus. It’s a chance to make connections I wouldn’t have otherwise,” Chesnut added.

Corners pointed out conversations with legislators are even more important in an election year.

A statewide legislative reception Feb. 23 will give participants the opportunity

to discuss issues with their legislators and others involved in the Adopt-a-Legislator program.

The variety of issues discussed at the conference interests Marshall-Putnam Farm Bureau President Kenneth McKee, who has attended many GALCs. Not only has McKee gained information that has helped him as a county Farm Bureau president, he said, but he’s also obtained information that has been helpful for his

other roles in township and county governments.

The breakout sessions allow participants to ask questions of federal and state agency leaders, Corners said. It’s efficient because representatives of many agencies are in one location, he added.

“It’s well worth it,” Chesnut said.

The registration fee is $50 to attend the first day, $30 for the second day, or $70 for both days. Pre-registration is encouraged.

Hotel accommodations are separate and must be made directly with the Crowne Plaza or the Holiday Inn Express.

For more information or to register, contact your county Farm Bureau office or go online to {www.ilfb.org}. — Kay Shipman

FarmWeek Page 4 Monday, February 8, 2010

GOVERNMENT

Administration program cuts ‘non-starter?’

The ag budget: Rueful ‘reality’?

BY MARTIN ROSS FarmWeek

An administration proposal to target direct farm program payments — and consequently reopen the farm bill — likely will spark little interest on Capitol Hill, according to American Farm Bureau Federation policy analyst Tara Smith.

But the president’s fiscal 2011 budget proposal, released last week, offers producers “a sense of how they’re perceived by this administration” and a taste of the likely debate over the next farm bill, Smith told FarmWeek.

The plan proposes to reduce the cap on annual direct payments from a current $40,000 to $30,000, as well placing limits on adjusted gross income (AGI) producers can receive from farm and nonfarm sources to be eligible for commodity and conservation payments.

The proposal reportedly is aimed at targeting farm landlords and other so-called “wealthy” program recipients.

Currently, producers with annual adjusted non-farm income exceeding $500,000 or farm income of more than $750,000 are ineligible for farm payments. The presidential budget proposal would reduce income thresholds by $250,000.

Smith stressed the administration has “absolutely no discretionary authority” to adjust

AGI limits because they are prescribed by the 2008 farm bill. Direct payment reductions and AGI changes would require reopening the 2008 farm bill, making it a “nonstarter,” Smith said.

She noted similar proposals were raised and rejected during negotiations leading to the farm bill’s approval. Respective House and Senate Ag Commit-

do anything with this. There’s nothing in this document that forces Congress’ hand: They (congressmen) ultimately pass a budget; they ultimately pass appropriations; they ultimately pass authorizing language.

“It’s important for folks to know that before it sends them into fits of panic that their direct payments are going to get cut. Both Senator Lincoln

tee chairmen Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) and Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) appeared to share Smith’s sentiment last week.

Peterson and Lincoln must sign off on any plan to tinker with existing programs.

“The beauty of the president’s budget is that the president proposes and Congress disposes,” Smith said.

“Congress doesn’t have to

and Congressman Peterson have expressed a lack of interest in this proposal. I don’t think anyone wants to open this farm bill.”

That said, she sees direct payments and payment eligibility as “lightning rods” in prospective 2012 farm bill debate. “We don’t need to think about that until closer to 2012,” Smith said.

Expanded trade dollars welcome, but ‘not at the expense of MAP’ As the administration touts a sweeping new “export initiative” — potentially at the cost of an export program credited with helping U.S. pork producers weather recent H1N1 concerns — commodity groups plan to re-educate Congress.

As part of a new export growth initiative offered during President Obama’s State of the Union address, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack last week announced a proposed $234.5 million in the fiscal 2011 administration budget to help 70 U.S. trade groups promote food and ag products overseas.

The funding would be allocated under USDA’s Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) Cooperator Program. However, while it supports a boost in FMD funding, the president’s budget includes a reported 20 percent ($40 million) cut in annual MAP spending.

The MAP uses USDA Commodity Credit Corp. funds to partially reimburse participants for foreign market promotion activities. The 2008 farm bill set MAP funding at $200 million annually through fiscal 2012. American Soybean Association President Rob Joslin said he supports increased FMD funding, “but not at the expense of MAP.” U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) spokesman Joe Schuele noted MAP cuts have

been proposed regularly in recent years. Ultimately, MAP “always seems to generate excellent support on Capitol Hill,” and even amid budget constraints, “we’re hopeful that will happen again,” Schuele said.

While Schuele said USMEF is not involved in legislative lobbying, he told FarmWeek MAP has proven especially effective in helping U.S. beef and pork sellers address potential market crises such as disease outbreaks that impact consumer confidence.

“It seems that each time (MAP cuts) are proposed, there’s more education done on Capitol Hill about exactly how effective this program is in keeping U.S. products competitive in the global market,” Schuele said.

“Probably the best example is our ability to maintain and even increase demand for pork in certain markets, even in light of the H1N1 situation.

“When H1N1 was all over the news, we had a slump in Mexico for a few weeks, but we really rebounded tremendously, to the point where we’ll set a single-year record for pork exports in Mexico.”

Under FMD, USDA and trade groups pool technical and financial resources for market development efforts. USMEF has been allocated $15.6 million in MAP and $1.7 million in FMD funds for the current fiscal year. — Martin Ross

Last week’s proposed USDA budget left ag interests with questions not only about farm programs and trade (see accompanying stories), but also with concerns about future rural development efforts and producer risk management.

Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack last week stated the fiscal 2011 budget plan essentially freezes funding for discretionary programs at a fiscal 2010 level and thus reflects the administration’s fiscal “reality” — a reality potentially adjusted last week as the U.S. House voted to raise the federal debt ceiling by $1.9 trillion.

“However, limits we placed on select programs and efforts to eliminate earmarks and one-time funding actually result in a bottom line reduction to our discretionary budget authority of over $1 billion,” Vilsack related.

Nutrition and food assistance programs (see accompanying chart) are major beneficiaries under the plan, which proposes $10 billion over 10 years in added funding “aimed at ending childhood hunger, reducing childhood obesity, and improving the diets of children, and raising program performance to better serve our children.” The American Soybean Association (ASA) noted ag spending — “not including nutrition programs” — is projected to account for a mere 0.5 of a percent of the estimated $3.8 trillion fiscal 2011 budget.

Meanwhile, the administration proposes changes in the federal crop insurance program aimed at reducing its cost by $8 billion over a 10-year period. Proposed reductions in reimbursements for insurers who offer federally supported policies and other cuts would be in addition to roughly $6 billion trimmed in the 2008 farm bill in part to help provide standing disaster assistance.

While proposed cuts would not impact federal producer premium subsidies, Illinois Farm Bureau risk management specialist Doug Yoder suggests cuts in reimbursements could trickle down to reductions in claims and other staffing that ultimately could impact customer services and costs.

“This is one area where USDA does have more discretion — its negotiating its standard reinsurance agreement (with insurance companies),” American Farm Bureau Federation policy analyst Tara Smith told FarmWeek. “Crop insurance gave $6 billion — now, you’re asking it to give $8 million. You can only make so many cuts without assuming that at some point, they’re going to trickle down. And $8 billion is a lot to cut.”

Smith questioned the administration’s commitment to a stated goal of “rural revitalization,” given an estimated $10 billion in long-term rural and ag program cuts. Vilsack touted a proposed research funding boost, including $429 million for USDA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative in fiscal 2011 over a current $262 million, but Smith said new money is aimed largely at climate studies and strategies.

ASA President Rob Joslin noted ag research was absent from last year’s federal stimulus package, though “research is the driving force behind innovation in American agriculture.”

— Martin Ross

ISU seeking growers for switchgrass project Illinois State University (ISU) researchers are seeking six to 10 farmers for a switchgrass project.

ISU received a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) grant for the project. DOE is interested in farm production of switchgrass to begin developing a market for cellulosic ethanol production, according to Paul Walker, ISU animal science professor and the project’s lead investigator.

Switchgrass fields will be established during the spring of 2010. Researchers are seeking farmers who each will establish about 10 acres of switchgrass on productive land and grow switchgrass for two years.

Participating growers will receive an annual stipend of $200 per acre for their participation. Growers are responsible for all field operations, but the seed will be provided by grant funds.

Participating producers will be expected to describe their experiences at least one field day during the second production year.

Anyone interested in participating or seeking information may call Walker at 309-438-3881 or e-mail him at pwalker@ilstu.edu.

FarmWeek Page 5 Monday, February 8, 2010

ENERGY

Plan addresses biofuels ‘chicken or egg’ issue

BY MARTIN ROSS FarmWeek

Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack last week outlined a regional, multi-agency approach to bringing next-generation, ag-based renewable fuels to market.

A newly released federal Biofuels Task Force report offers “a roadmap that will require us to set a series of mileposts and guideposts” for cellulosic and other fuels needed to meet targets under the U.S. renewable fuels standard, Vilsack said.

The new plan “clearly delineates” individual USDA, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and even Interior Department responsibilities in getting new biofuels feedstocks “involved in the economy and getting them to work as soon as possible.”

USDA will help explore a variety of viable feedstocks, with “each region of the country playing to its strengths.”

In addition, the agency last week released details of its biomass crop assistance program (BCAP), which will provide incentives for production especially of “non-food, nonfeed biomass.”

Vilsack believes BCAP should address the “chicken or

egg dilemma” that has stalled biomass development to date — the need to make production of energy crops essential to large scale bioTom Vilsack fuels production also profitable for growers.

BCAP and other provisions under the 2008 farm bill address “every phase in which we need investment,” from encouraging new crop production and providing resources to build new “biorefineries” and retool existing biofuels plants to providing incentives for more communities to increase biofuels use.

“It is our hope, over time, that biorefineries dot the landscape in all regions of the country, creating jobs in rural America,” Vilsack said.

The administration’s fiscal 2011 budget proposes funding five regional feedstock research/demonstration centers through which universities, industry, and federal and state agencies will accelerate feedstock research and development and forge a supply chain to move biofuels to market “as

THE READ ON RFS2 Here are some added views on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ruling regarding corn ethanol’s place in the revised renewable fuels standard (RFS2).

“We still don’t like indirect land use as a factor that goes into this calculation, but we applaud the announcement that both corn and soybean-based fuels qualify under EPA’s (RFS2) designation.”

Philip Nelson, President, Illinois Farm Bureau “The biofuels industry now has some reliability that will hopefully encourage investment and development. I am still opposed to the consideration of international indirect land use.”

John Shimkus, U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee member Collinsville Republican “EPA was right to recognize that ethanol from all sources provides significant carbon benefits compared to gasoline. As structured, the RFS is a workable program that will achieve stated policy goals of reduced oil dependence, economic opportunity, and environmental stewardship.”

Bob Dinneen, President, Renewable Fuels Association “The U.S. biodiesel industry stands ready to provide the (soybean-based) fuel that will be needed to meet the readily attainable biomass-based diesel goals established in RFS2.

We look forward to working with all industry stakeholders to successfully implement this worthwhile program.”

Joe Jobe, CEO, National Biodiesel Board “The new RFS2 is a strong framework, and by moving to E15 (15 percent ethanol blends) and increased accessibility of E85, the biofuels industry can create more long-lasting, high earning jobs that will help transform the way the U.S. and world use and consume fuel.

“At the same time, it‘s important to recognize indirect land use change modeling is still in its infancy and lacks consensus in the scientific community. Moving forward, the U.S. government should act thoughtfully and deliberately and continue to study this issue.”

Steen Risgaard, CEO, Novozyme, ethanol industry technology provider

quickly and efficiently as possible,” Vilsack said.

At the same time, efforts are under way to develop new biofuels feedstocks from the existing corn crop. EPA has scored ethanol made from corn stover as offering a 130 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions over gasoline, vs. cornstarchbased ethanol at 21 percent.

In late January, Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen cut the ribbon for a cutting-edge cellulosic ethanol demonstration facility in Vonore, Tenn. The 74,000-square-foot plant has started producing ethanol and reportedly will market “low-

cost” technology for commercial production of ethanol

from corn cobs, switchgrass, and other materials.

RFS2 Continued from page 1 and burdensome, and definitely not sound science.”

Jackson suggested the retailored RFS2 would contribute $13 billion in additional annual U.S. income by 2022. She refuted suggestions that EPA adjusted land use and related greenhouse criteria to produce a more favorable “outcome” for ethanol and biodiesel.

“Through the public comment process, through a peer review process that was openly conducted, the (EPA) staff came forward with a recommendation that based on what we know now — and based on including an indirect land use analysis — there is no basis to exclude these fuels,” Jackson said.

“In fact, as these fuels get cleaner and more renewable, there is a real benefit to this country in security and jobs and, of course, the environment.”

Budget threatens coal growth Illinois’ coal industry has tapped a new vein of optimism: Expansion is under way, job numbers have rallied, and, with a powerful new partner on board, hopes are high for a cutting-edge “clean coal” facility in Mattoon.

However, hopes for sustained growth in the coal industry are threatened by a continued administration push for “cap-andtrade” legislation and budget proposals Collinsville Republican U.S. Rep. John Shimkus equates to a “coal use tax.”

The administration’s fiscal 2011 budget proposes to boost industry taxes by a possible $2.3 billion over 10 years and anticipates receiving revenues from greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caps not yet cleared by Congress.

Shimkus said he found it “unbelievable” the president would bank on revenue from policy “that‘s not been enacted, that will not get enacted into law.”

The budget would target existing industry tax credits, depreciation allowances, and capital gains treatment. Arguing “Illinois is coal,” Shimkus warned higher taxes would hurt Central and Southern Illinois communities.

Coal production statewide has “inched up” from a low of 31 million tons in 2003, and the industry is poised for expansion that could boost production 20 million more tons, Illinois Coal Association President Phillip Gonet told FarmWeek.

“If you increase our costs (through higher taxes), you make our product less competitive,” Gonet said. “Is this catastrophic?

I don’t think so. But it’s kind of an annoyance: Here we are trying to make a comeback, and we’re going to have to pay higher costs.

“It’s probably not as bad as cap and trade, but I’m sure cap and trade will be wormed in here somewhere. That’s the death knell for the industry.”

Meanwhile, the administration proposes to cut $90 million from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Fossil Fuel Energy Research and Development. While that would not “kill” new coal research, Gonet finds it “contrary” to Obama’s claim of supporting clean-coal technology.

Illinois coal and economic interests are awaiting federal approval for FutureGen, a 275-

megawatt power plant at Mattoon that would capture carbon dioxide underground.

“I don’t see any problem in the president’s budget for FutureGen,” Gonet said. However, Shimkus said he is concerned about funding for a new Taylorville Energy Center at which coal would be converted into gas for electrical generation. — Martin Ross

Feds’ sequestration push good sign for FutureGen? Announcement of a new task force and a $4 billion federal commitment to carbon sequestration technologies last week leveraged hopes for a cutting-edge Illinois coal research facility.

Last week, federal officials announced a new task force charged with accelerating development of carbon capture and sequestration technology, which would trap atmospheric carbon dioxide underground, ostensibly reducing potential for climate change. Energy Secretary Stephen Chu called the task force “a critical part of our response to climate change.”

The administration has set a goal of having five to 10 sequestration projects online by 2016 and “widespread, affordable deployment” of carbon capture technologies within 10 years.

That 10-year goal is “necessary and within reach,” said Chu, citing a planned $4 billion federal investment matched by a projected $7 billion from private industry.

Federal funding includes $1 billion in congressional stimulus money set aside last year, potentially for the long-delayed FutureGen coal research/power project at Mattoon. Anthony Pleasant, vice president of the Mattoon-area economic development group Coles Together, was encouraged by the announcement and what it may mean for FutureGen approval.

“It’s a good sign that they’re trending in this direction,” he told FarmWeek last week.

According to Pleasant, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) likely will announce within the next month whether FutureGen will move forward. The project, shelved in 2007 but brought back for consideration by the Obama administration, would store carbon dioxide within Illinois’ Mt. Simon sandstone formation, beneath the South-Central Illinois facility.

Hopes for FutureGen spiked with the Jan. 30 announcement that Exelon Corp., one of the nation’s largest electrical utilities, was joining the FutureGen Alliance, the coal-utility coalition that has spearheaded the project.

Exelon, which boasts roughly $19 billion in annual revenues and some 5.4 million Illinois customers, “will bring significant industry support to the project and will further strengthen the Alliance team,” FutureGen Alliance CEO Michael Mudd said.

“This is another very good indication that we’re going to see some very good news,” Pleasant argued. “One of the biggest steps left (for DOE approval) is proving that the alliance can sign up some new members.” — Martin Ross

FarmWeek Page 6 Monday, February 8, 2010

LIVESTOCK

Swine nutritionist: Ban of antibiotics could backfire

BY DANIEL GRANT FarmWeek

A legislative proposal in the U.S. House of Representatives to ban the use of antibiotics in farm animals for other than treatment of illness could backfire, a swine specialist maintains.

Hans Stein, a swine nutritionist and associate professor of animal sciences at the University of Illinois, told

FarmWeekNow.com For additional information about legislation banning antibiotics in livestock, go to FarmWeekNow.com.

FarmWeek the legislation, if enacted, actually could lead to an increased use of antibiotics on farms.

“I think everybody agrees sick animals need to be treated,” Stein said last week at the Illinois Pork Expo in Peoria.

“But if you take way the continued use of (preventive) antibiotics, you just increase the amount of antibiotics needed to treat disease, and you increase the mortality rate (of livestock).”

That combination could drive some pork producers, who already have endured twoplus years of losses, out of business.

Hans Stein The legislation, if enacted, also ultimately could lead to higher food prices.

“Consumers are the ones who benefit from low production costs as you get less expensive food products,” he said.

Meanwhile, Stein noted the jury is still out on whether the legislation would accomplish its goal of reducing antibiotic resistant in humans.

Some case studies seem to suggest otherwise.

“The ultimate reason to take it (antibiotics) away (from livestock producers) is to reduce the number of resistant microbes in humans,” Stein said. “But some countries that have taken away antibiotics in the last 10 to 12 years actually have seen an increase in resistant microbes in humans.

“It’s difficult to interpret the data,” he continued. “But it suggests the use of antibiotics in livestock is not a major contributor to resistance in humans.”

The issue is scheduled to take centerstage this week.

The CBS Evening News plans to air a two-part report on the use of antibiotics in food animals on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Many in the pork industry attending the Pork Expo last week believe the report will cast agriculture in a negative light. The Illinois Pork Producers Association earlier this month sent a fact sheet about the use of antibiotics in animal ag and a contact list to Illinois media members so they have access to the ag industry’s side of the story.

Elsewhere, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and Michael Apley, a veterinary clinical pharmacologist at Kansas State University, traveled to Capitol Hill last week to discuss the issue with lawmakers.

“It’s extremely important that data-driven review and analysis be the guiding force

Pork producers ‘cautiously optimistic’ about future A return to profitability in the pork industry obviously would provide near-term help for brothers Bruce and Brent Scholl, who own and operate a hog operation in Polo.

But it also is vital to their future plans: The brothers hope to pass their centennial farm on to the next generation of their family.

They currently are the fifth generation on the operation, and farm it with the help of their father, Irvin.

Brent Scholl discussed the situation last week at the Illinois Pork Expo in Peoria. He was elected president of the Illinois Pork Producers Association (IPPA) prior to the event and said his top priority this year is profitability for the industry.

“After two years of losing a lot of money, we need to get back to building equity,” Scholl, a Lee County Farm Bureau member who was chairman of the IFB Young Leader Committee in the mid-1980s, told FarmWeek.

Mark Greenwood, vice president of commercial

lending for AgStar Financial Services, reported at Pork Expo the owner equity for his clients in the swine industry the past Brent Scholl two years has declined from about 70 percent to less than 35 percent.

Hog farmers in 2009 lost an average of $25 per head, he said.

“I actually think we’ll see people in the black (last month) for the first time in 26 months,” said Greenwood, who based his prediction on improved hog prices and lower feed costs so far this year.

Scholl, who recently sold a load of hogs that averaged $50-plus per hundredweight, believes a smaller swine herd in the U.S. and Canada; feed prices that have eased from all-time highs; and farmers’ increased used of futures markets to lock in better prices for their hogs and inputs will improve the financial situation for hog farmers.

“I think the next four to

five years look better than the last four to five years,” he said.

The Scholls recently started using distillers dried grains (DDGs) on their hog operation and lowered the cost of their feed rations by about $20 per ton.

Meanwhile, breakeven costs, which topped out near $160 per head, have come down to about $130 to $135 per head, Greenwood said.

“We’ve been in survival mode the last two years,” said Tim Maiers, director of public relations for IPPA. “Now I think folks are cautiously optimistic.”

Maiers noted IPPA lost about 200 members the past two years, but membership since has been holding steady near the 1,300 mark.

“It’s not as bad as it could’ve been,” he said.

Looking ahead, Greenwood believes hog producers in the Midwest have a better chance improving their financial situation than those in the Southeast due to feed cost advantages, including access to DDGs. — Daniel Grant

‘If you take way the continued use of (preventive) antibiotics, you just increase the amount of antibiotics needed to treat disease.’

— Hans Stein University of Illinois swine nutritionist

behind every decision that affects the care of our animals and the safety of the food we eat,” Apley said.

“Unfortunately, there are a

lot of misconceptions and outright misrepresentations out there about why and how antibiotics are used in the cattle industry.”

Will U.S. be forced to import its meat, milk, eggs?

Chad Gregory, senior vice president for the United Egg Producers (UEP), believes livestock producers are “in for a major fight” if they want to continue to operate in the U.S. Activist groups such as the Human Society of the United States (HSUS) continue to build momentum from successful initiatives that could limit commercial livestock production, according to Gregory.

States such as California, Arizona, and FloriChad Gregory da have banned the use of various production practices, which include gestation crates for pigs and cages for egg layers.

“California, which is the fifth-largest egg-producing state, has until 2015 before it goes out of (the egg) business,” said Gregory, a native of Gibson City, who spoke last week at the Illinois Pork Expo in Peoria.

HSUS last week made a power move in Ohio when it announced plans to put a measure on the November ballot that, if approved, could allow HSUS to dictate decisions of the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board.

The board was created last year after Ohio voters approved a measure, Issue 2, to allow a cross section of experts from within the state to set the livestock care standards.

“The enabling legislation hasn’t passed, the board hasn’t been appointed, and the first discussions on what standards Ohioans find acceptable hasn’t been held,” said Jack Fisher, executive vice president of the Ohio Farm Bureau. “And yet the Humane Society of the United States is saying, in effect, Ohioans got it wrong.”

Gregory believes the intensity of such moves by activist groups to eliminate animal agriculture will intensify in the future.

He told Pork Expo attendees the actual goal of some activist groups is to ban all animal slaughter, stop all hunting and fishing activities, close zoos, eliminate research on animals, and remove all animal products from the plates of U.S. consumers.

Eventually, the top issue about livestock production “may not be how it’s produced, but where it’s produced,” he said.

The U.S. egg industry apparently is a primary target of animal activist groups because it is one of the most concentrated segments of ag.

Gregory reported 200 egg producers operate in the U.S. — compared to 10,000 in 1976 — with an average flock of 1 million layers.

If cages are eliminated from current production systems nationwide, UEP estimates it would require 15 million more chickens and one million more acres of corn and soy production, due to lower feed conversion rates, to maintain current egg production levels.

“We’re fearful cheaper eggs would come from China, Brazil, or Mexico,” Gregory added. “That could pose all kinds of food safety issues, environmental issues, and animal welfare issues.” — Daniel Grant

FarmWeek Page 7 Monday, February 8, 2010

PRODUCTION

NCBA president: Farmers must ‘step up to the plate’

BY DANIEL GRANT FarmWeek

Steve Foglesong, owner of Black Gold Ranch in Astoria, last week was asked what his top priority will be this year as the newly elected president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).

FarmWeekNow.com For more on NCBA President Foglesong’s priorities, go to FarmWeekNow.com.

Without hesitation, Foglesong said, “We need to encourage farmers and ranchers to step up to the plate and become advocates” for agriculture.

Otherwise, attacks from outside organizations, proposed legislation, and misunderstandings about food production by consumers could

have a negative impact on the way farmers do business.

“We need to do a much, much better job talking about what we do,” Foglesong told FarmWeek.

“That will be our challenge.”

Foglesong was elected to a one-year term as NCBA president recently at the Cattle Industry Convention in San Antonio.

NCBA members at that event also approved a number of policy recommendations that deal with current threats to the livestock industry.

One key recommendation called for reform of the Equal

Access to Justice Act (EAJA).

EAJA was established to ensure individuals or groups with limited financial resources could

Non-profit environmental groups in a six-year period filed more than 1,500 lawsuits and collected billions of dollars in government settlements, ‘We need to do a much, much NCBA better job talking about what reported.

“It’s we do.’ appalling,” Foglesong — Steve Foglesong said.

“There are President of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association environmental groups seek recourse from unreasonfunding their activities under able government actions.

EAJA.” But a lack of federal overElsewhere, legislation was sight allowed EAJA to be proposed in the U.S. House of abused, particularly by enviRepresentatives that would ronmental activist organizarestrict the use of antibiotics tions that often target farmers in livestock production with a under the guise of “public stated goal of slowing antibiinterest,” according to NCBA. otic resistance in humans.

New policy approved at the convention directs NCBA to work to maintain producers’ ability to keep their cattle healthy through the use of approved antibiotics.

“We need to make sure those tools are in our toolbox,” Foglesong said of use of approved antibiotics. “In 50 years, we’ve got to double the amount of food we produce today, and we’re not going to do that with 40 acres and a mule.

We need technology” to increase food production, he maintained.

On the marketing front, NCBA urged Congress to ratify the U.S. free trade agreement with South Korea and to work on other market access issues to help boost U.S. meat exports.

“We’ve got a backlog of protein,” Foglesong said. “We need to get serious about moving that.”

Harsh weather takes toll on state’s winter wheat crop Periods of harsh weather so far this winter, particularly the sub-zero temperatures during the first half of January, appear to be taking a toll on what’s left of the state’s wheat crop.

John Brink, a wheat grower from Washington County and president of the Illinois Wheat Association, last week applied nitrogen to his crop. And he was somewhat surprised with what he saw in his fields.

“In my opinion, it is in worse condition than I expected it to be,” said Brink, who was able to plant only about one-third of his wheat acres last fall due to challenges with wet weather and a late corn and soybean harvest.

“It looks like at this point in time there has been some winterkill,” he continued. “But that

won’t be 100 percent confirmed until it comes out of dormancy.”

Frigid temperatures are the main culprit for the poor conditions, Brink said.

The statewide temperature in January averaged just 21 degrees, which was 3.8 degrees below normal, the National Agricultural Statistics Service state office reported. The average temperature in December, 28.9 degrees, also was below normal by 1 degree.

“We had some snowcover, but it was very light and dry, so it didn’t provide much insulation,” Brink said.

More than one-fifth of the state’s wheat crop (21 percent) last week was rated poor or very poor and 41 percent was fair. Just 38 percent was rated good to excellent.

2009 county yield estimates will be delayed The release of 2009 county crop yield estimates will be delayed in six states for corn and in four states for soybeans, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

USDA last week finished re-surveying farmers who had not completed harvest prior to the survey for the January crop production report.

NASS plans to publish county yield estimates for major row crops on Feb. 26.

However, county yield estimates for corn in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin won’t be published until March 26 due to harvest delays.

County estimates for corn in North and South Dakota will be published on a yet-to-be-determined date.

NASS also will wait until March 26 to publish county yield estimates for soybeans in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.

A complete schedule of release dates for 2009 county yield estimates is available at {www.nass.usda.gov}.

U.S. crop production estimates, based on the January report, stand at records of 13.15 billion bushels for corn and 3.36 billion bushels for beans.

National yield averages in January were estimated at 165.2 bushels per acre for corn and 44 bushels for beans. Illinois yields were projected at 175 bushels per acre for corn and 46 bushels for beans.

“In general (wheat crop potential) is probably well below average, at least in my immediate area,” Brink said.

“There are a few fields that were planted in early October that don’t look bad, but those are few and far between.”

Illinois farmers managed to seed just 350,000 acres of winter

wheat last fall, which is a record low and down 59 percent compared to the previous year.

Looking ahead, Brink believes the crop could “hold its own” as long as temperatures don’t nosedive again.

Temperatures this week were forecast to be in the teens to upper 20s with a

chance of a low temperature of 10 degrees on Wednesday, according to Heather Stanley, meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

“We’re not quite done with the bitterly cold, but we’re not back to negative temperatures, either,” she said. — Daniel Grant

EQIP funding available for pilot tunnel project As part of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will fund a tunnel structure for growing vegetables and other specialty crops.

Known as high tunnels, the structures are at least six feet in height, do not have a floor, and are covered with polyethylene. They create favorable growing conditions for vegetables and other specialty crops produced in soil beneath the structure.

A three-year pilot project is being conducted to study conservation benefits and any issues related to the tunnels’ use, according to Illinois NRCS State Conservationist Bill Gradle.

Ruth Book, Illinois NRCS state conservation engineer, noted Illinois farmers’ experiences and data will help develop final operating rules and practice standards in the state and the nation.

“Illinois is one of 38 states participating in this study to verify if high tunnels can effectively reduce pesticide or fertilizer use, keep vital nutrients in the

soil, extend the growing season, increase yields, and provide other benefits to growers,” Book said.

Producers must submit an EQIP application and follow specific NRCS rules and standards to receive technical and financial assistance.

Participating farmers may receive funding for one or more of the tunnels. However, financial assistance for tunnels will be limited to 5 percent of one acre or 2,178 square feet — about the equivalent of a 30-by-72-foot structure — for each farming operation.

Participation is limited to operations where commodity crops were grown previously, and the same crops again must be grown under a tunnel.

Participating producers will be expected to develop a conservation plan for their farms. Funding recipients also must provide annual reports on the tunnels’ performance.

Any interested farmers should call or visit the NRCS office at a local USDA Service Center and submit an application.

IDOA offering organic cost-share funding The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) has money available through USDA for the 2009-2010 Illinois Organic Cost Share Program.

The program provides costshare assistance to organic producers and handlers receiving certification or continuation of certification by a USDA-accredited certifying agent from Oct. 1, 2009, to Sept. 30, 2010.

Cost-share payments are limited to 75 percent of certification costs for an individual producer or handler up to a maximum of $750 per year.

To be eligible for reimbursement, an organic production or handling operation must be located within Illinois, comply with the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) regulations for organic production or handling, and have received certification or continuation of certification by a USDAaccredited certifying agent between the eligible dates.

Under Illinois’ current agreement with the USDA, producers and handlers may apply to IDOA for reimbursement by submitting the

required documents and a completed application.

Expenses for noncertification activities, such as, membership associations or farm operation inputs, are not eligible for reimbursement.

Based the date IDOA receives a completed application, reimbursements will be made on a first-come, firstserved basis until the limited program funds are exhausted.

For more information, contact Delayne Reeves at 217524-9129 or delayne.reeves@illinois.gov.

FarmWeek Page 8 Monday, February 8, 2010

TRADE

Farmer tour group sees rail line and big soybean crop

BY PHIL CORZINE

Greetings from Tocantins, where I am joined by a group of 13, mostly farmers from Illinois and Iowa, on a frontier tour of Brazil.

On Thursday, we visited Phil Corzine the small biodiesel company, Biotins, located near the center of the state. The 16-million-gallonper-year plant buys its feedstock, mostly soybean oil, from crush plants in the region but has plans to add its own crush plant in the next year.

Another stop for the group was the North-South Railway, which eventually will provide rail access to the northern port of Sao Luis for the center of the country, where a large percentage of the current and future production is located.

The new rail line has reached Palmas and is impressive with heavy gauge rail and concrete ties, but a contract dispute has delayed construc-

tion, and the start date at Palmas has been pushed back to August of this year.

The group was to visit our farms on Saturday (Feb. 6). I was there last week, and even though the rains have been uneven for us this year, the beans look good.

If the rains are normal through March, I think we may have some fields top 55 bushels per acre, and I’m still hoping for a 45 bpa average for our entire 1,290 acres of beans.

It’s still a busy time at the farm. Topdressing of the 122 pounds of potash per acre is completed, but we continue to have infestations of insects that require a second application of insecticide. Even though we haven’t found any rust yet, we also are applying our preventative application of fungicide.

As for Mato Grosso and other regions where harvest already has started, I am hearing the same reports that apparently are being heard at the Chicago Board of Trade — it looks like it’s going to be

a big crop here in Brazil.

Phil Corzine is general manager of South American Soy, a global production, management, and investment company. His e-mail address is pcorzine@agpage.com.

MOISTURE TESTER LESSON

Ag scholarship digest Land of Lincoln Purebred Livestock Breeder’s Association (LLPLBA) Scholarship — LLPLBA is offering two scholarships of $750 each to one male and one female student between 17 and 20 years of age by Jan. 1 of the application year and studying an agriculture-related field.

Eligible applicants or their families must be LLPLBA members and involved in purebred beef, dairy, goats, horses, llamas, sheep, or swine industries.

Applications must be postmarked by March 15. Applications are available online at {www.lolpurebredlivestock.com}.

Mail completed applications to: Darrell Rincker, R.R. #1, Box 170, Stewardson, Ill., 62463.

Kankakee County Farm Bureau Board member Paula Karlock, Momence, demonstrates a grain moisture tester for Gray School fourth graders in northwest Chicago. Recently Karlock, Mark Johnson, Melba Novack, and Lisa Habeeb discussed modern agriculture and technology during an annual visit with teacher Brian DeVarenne and the Farm Bureau’s adopted classroom. Farm Bureau leaders helped students with two hands-on activities. (Photo by Chad Miller, Kankakee County Farm Bureau manager)

Auction Calendar Wed., Feb. 10. 11 a.m.

328.45 Ac. Hancock Co. George W. Nash II Trust, CARTHAGE, IL. Ufkes Auction. www.yourauctionpage. com/ufkesauction Thurs., Feb. 11. 10 a.m.

157 Ac. Livingston Co. Joan A. Rimer and Trudy L. Wilson, DWIGHT, IL. Immke and Bradleys’ Auction Service. www.biddersandbuyer s.com/immke Thurs., Feb. 11. 9:30 a.m. Late Model Farm Eq. LA PORTE CITY, IA. Backes Auctioneers and Realty. www.backesauction.com Fri., Feb. 12. 10 a.m.

Farm Eq. Close-Out. Tom Fornoff, MANITO, IL. Nehmelman Auction Co. topauctions247.com/nehmelman Sat., Feb. 13. 10 a.m.

124 Ac. Warren Co. Darius and Betty Rankin Heirs, ROSEVILLE, IL. Van Adkisson Auction Service, LLC. www.biddersandbuyer s.com Sat., Feb. 13. 9:30 a.m.

3 Generation Collection of Farm Eq. Larry and Clara Julius, FREEPORT, IL. Pro Auctions, LLC. www.mudcreekfarms.

com/Pro-Auctions.html Sat., Feb. 13. 10 a.m.

161 Ac. Mercer Co. William J. and Margaret M. Morris, ALEDO, IL. Steve Relander, Auctioneer.

Mon., Feb. 15. 6 p.m.

151.2 Ac. Coles Co. Elizabeth Thrall Estate and Sycamore Holding LLC, HINDSBORO, IL. Stanfield Auction Co. Tues., Feb. 16. 10 a.m.

Farm machinery and misc. Hank Buckles Estate and Rickard “Slip Gleason”, LAKE FORK, IL. Mike Maske Auction Service. www.maskeauction.com Tues., Feb. 23. 10 a.m.

82.53 Ac. McDonough Co. Farmland.

Constance Purdum, MACOMB, IL. Van Adkisson Auction Service, LLC. www.biddersandbuyer s.com Wed., Feb. 24. 10 a.m.

322 Ac. Effingham Co. Carl Curtis, EFFINGHAM, IL. Stanfield Auction and Pierce Farm Mgmt.

Thurs., Feb. 25.

Sangamon Co. Farmland. www.soycapitalag.com Tues., Mar. 2. 10 a.m.

Farm machinery. Bradd Farms, Inc., Gene Bradd, COOKSVILLE, IL. Bill Kruse, Auctioneer.

Tues., Mar. 2. Christian Co. Farmland. www.soycapitalag.com Wed., Mar. 3. 2 p.m. 175 +/- Ac. Stark Co. Ron Elliott, BRADFORD, IL. Rick Rediger and Bob Johnson, Auctioneers. www.rickrediger.com or www.biddersandbuyers. com Thurs., Mar. 4. 10 a.m.

Farmland Auction.

Lorna, Kurt, Kendall and Roberta Klokkenga, EMDEN, IL. Nehmelman Auction Co. topauctions247.com/nehmelman Thurs., Mar. 4. McLean Co. Farmland. www.soycapitalag.com Fri., Mar. 5. and Sat., Mar. 6. 9 a.m. Both Days. Consignment Auction. RANTOUL, IL. Gordon Hannagan Auction Co. www.gordyvilleusa.com Thurs., Mar. 18. Spring Farm Closeout and Consignment Auction.

Agri-Tech, Inc., RAYMOND, IL. Mon., Mar. 20. 9 a.m.

Large Multi-Farmer Auction. Okawville, IL. Riechmann Bros., LLC. Mon., Mar. 22. 9:30 a.m.

Large Spring Machinery Auction. TAYLORVILLE, IL. Micenheimer Auction Service. www.micenheimer.com

FarmWeek Page 9 Monday, February 8, 2010

FROM THE COUNTIES

B

UREAU — The Young Leaders Committee will sponsor a farm labor pool listing for Bureau County residents. The committee will compile a list of people who are looking for agriculture-related work.

Deadline to sign up for the listing is March 19. Call the Farm Bureau office at 815875-6468 or e-mail jillfrueh.bcfb@comcast.net to be added to the list. The Farm Bureau or the Young Leaders Committee do not intend this listing to be an endorsement of any person and will be not be responsible for any actions of the workers.

• Farm Bureau Farmers’ Market vendors will meet at 10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 22, to discuss the upcoming farmers’ market sales season. Those interested in selling items at the market may attend.

ARROLL — The Quality of Life Action Team will sponsor a Pretty in Pink program from 6 to 8 p.m.

Thursday, March 4, at the Naaman Diehl Auditorium, Mt. Carroll. The program will focus on breast health education with a cooking demonstration, meal, skit, and more.

Call the Farm Bureau office at 815-244-3001 by Friday, Feb. 19, for reservations or more information.

• Carroll County Farm Bureau Foundation scholarships are available. There are four $1,000 general ag scholarships, a $1,000 Harold Schmidt Memorial Forestry scholarship, and two $500 Viola Rath Memorial scholarships.

Applications are available at the Farm Bureau office or on the website {www.carrollcfb.org}. Deadline to return applications is March 24.

• Farm Bureau will sponsor two computer classes — Intro to Word on March 8 and Intro to Excel on March 15. Classes will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and will be held at Eastland High School. Cost for members is $15 per class or $25 for both. Call the Farm Bureau office at 815-244-3001 for reservations or more information.

OLES — Kevin Rund, Illinois Farm Bureau senior director of local government, will be the speaker at an ag breakfast meeting at 7 a.m. Thursday at the 4H/Extension Building, Coles County Fairgrounds. The topic will be truck regulations.

Cost is $6. Call the Coles County Extension office at 345-7034 for reservations or more information.

• Coles County Farm Bureau Foundation, Robert M. and Virginia C. Moore Memorial, Jim Shrader Memorial, and James Metzger

C

C

Memorial scholarships are available for students who are or will be studying an agriculture-related course. Students must be a Farm Bureau member or a dependent of a Farm Bureau member in good standing. Applications are available from high school guidance counselors, Lake Land College, or the Farm Bureau office. An e-mail copy is available from colescfb@consolidated.net.

Deadline to return applications is 4 p.m. March 15. Call the Farm Bureau office at 345-3276 or 234-2125 for more information.

OOK — Farm Bureau is offering professional income tax preparation with Illinois Agricultural Auditing Association. Available locations are at the Farm Bureau office and Country Financial offices in Schaumburg and South Holland. Call Peggy at the Farm Bureau office at 708354-3276 for an appointment or more information.

• Farm Bureau has Chicago Wolves hockey discounted tickets available for the Feb. 20, March 7, and April 10 games. Call the member service center at 708-354-3276 for more information.

ANCOCK — Mike Roegge, crop systems educator, will provide an ag update at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Towne House Restaurant, Carthage. Call the Extension office at 217-357-2150 by Tuesday for reservations or more information.

NOX — The Young Farmers will sponsor a leadership boot camp for FFA and 4-H students from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 15, at the Best Western Prairie Inn, Galesburg. Topics will include communications, personal image, etiquette dining, and resume writing. Call the Farm Bureau office at 309342-2036 or e-mail kwagahoff@knoxcfb.org for more information.

ADISON — The annual meeting will be at 7 p.m. Friday at the American Legion, Edwardsville. Rita Frazier, radio broadcaster, will be the speaker. Call the Farm Bureau office at 618-656-5191 for reservations or more information.

ONROE — The annual meeting will be at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 6, at St. Mary’s Parish Center, Valmeyer. A silent auction will be held to benefit the Monroe County Farm Bureau Foundation. The Sting Connections will provide the entertainment.

Tickets are $9. Deadline to purchase tickets is Wednesday, Feb. 24. Call the Farm Bureau office at 618-939-6197 for

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more information.

EORIA — John Roach, a marketing consultant, will be the speaker at a meeting at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16, at Exposition Gardens, Peoria.

Call the Farm Bureau office at 686-7070 for reservation or more information.

• Mike McClelland, a climatologist, will present a weather outlook at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 18, at the Farm Bureau office. Call the Farm Bureau office for reservations or more information.

TEPHENSON — The District 2 Young Leaders fun night will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28, at Eastland Middle School, Shannon. Basketball and volleyball will be available. Pizza and pop will be served.

• Stroke Detection Plus will perform screenings from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. March 17-18, at the Farm Bureau office.

Members will receive a discount. Call 877-732-8258 for an appointment or more information.

•The District 2 Young Leaders moonlight bowling will be from 9 to 12 p.m. Friday, March 19, at Spare Time Lanes, Lena. Cost for four games and shoes is $5.

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• A complete listing of all Farm Bureau bus trips is available at {www.stephensoncfb.org} under “2010 Bus Trips” link. Trips included are Deer Combine Works/Kinze Mfg. on March 9; “Gathering of the Green” Deere convention on March 19; Fair Oaks Farms Dairy adventure on April 17; and Amana Colonies on May 29. Trip flyers are available online or reservations or more information are available by calling 815-232-3186.

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ARREN-HENDERSON — The Education Focus Group and Young Farmers Committee will sponsor a trucking compliance seminar at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 19, at the Farm Bureau office. Jeffrey Alexander, Illinois Department of Transportation compliance officer, will talk about new laws and truck audits. Call the Farm Bureau office at 309734-9401 for more information.

ADOPTED LAWMAKER CHAT

During a recent stop in Salem, Sen. Matt Murphy (R-Palatine) third from left, visited with Marion County Farm Bureau leaders, left to right, Steven Brummel, legislative chairman; Edward Gerstenecker, president; and Paul Chitwood, vice president. Murphy, the county Farm Bureau’s Adopted Legislator, discussed the state budget and all-terrain-vehicle legislation as well as other issues. (Photo by Gary Kennedy, Marion County Farm Bureau manager).

FarmWeek Page 10 Monday, February 8, 2010

PROFITABILITY

Agricultural trade aids farmer profitability

BY JIM CHARLESWORTH

Abraham Lincoln was a strong supporter of agriculture and agricultural trade.

During his early years, agricultural exports were approximately $25 million, mostly cotton. Agricultural exports have grown over the last two centuries to more than $100 billion, with a large array of prodJim Charlesworth ucts.

The most recent USDA agricultural trade report estimates fiscal 2009 agricultural exports will reach $96.6 billion — the second highest on record. The weaker U.S. dollar and positive global economic growth aided the

robust agricultural trade growth.

Fiscal 2010 agricultural exports are forecast to reach $98 billion, $1.4 billion above FY 2009. Though the forecast is below the record 2008 level, 2010 exports are expected to be the second highest ever.

A recovering global economy is expected to boost demand for U.S. high-value products. Livestock, dairy, and poultry product exports are forecast to remain strong through 2010.

USDA anticipates that U.S. soybean meal exports in 2009/10 will eclipse a 12-yearold record. Sales to Asian countries, especially China, have been particularly good. The forecast for oilseed exports is increased due to large exportable supplies and strong early-season sales, while meal

exports benefit from reduced South American competition.

Grains are up due to higher corn export prices, while increased global demand for wheat is expected to be mostly met by foreign suppliers. Horticultural product sales are expected to reach a new record this year, due primarily to slightly lower processed product volumes and lower tree nut prices.

On the import side, fiscal year 2009 imports fell $5.9 billion from 2008 due to the global recession. However, FY 2010 agricultural imports are forecast to be up to $77.5 billion.

U.S. agriculture has experienced a positive trade balance for five decades. In 2009, the net trade balance finished at $23.2 billion. Although this is significantly lower than the pre-

vious year, it remains well above the historical average. Looking forward into 2010, the net trade balance is estimated slightly lower due to import growth exceeding export growth.

The U.S.’ overall trade deficit is forecast to surpass $380 billion this year. The agricultural sector is an exception, reflecting a positive trade balance of more than $20 billion for 2010. This is projected to remain well above the historical average.

I remain optimistic agricultural trade will continue to celebrate a positive trade balance while aiding farmer profitability well into the future.

Jim Charlesworth is GROWMARK’s marketing research director. His e-mail address is jcharlesworth@growmark.com.

Cattle inventory, beef production projected to decline

BY DANIEL GRANT FarmWeek

The weak economy, which has taken a bite out of beef demand, could continue to affect the size of the U.S. cattle herd.

USDA last month reported the total number of cattle and calves in the U.S. (93.701 million head) was down 0.9 of a percent from last year and was the smallest cattle inventory since 1959.

Overall, the number of

beef cows (31.4 million) as of Jan. 1 (see graph) was down 1 percent from the previous year while the number of milk cows (9.1 million) was 3 percent smaller than a year ago.

“Demand remains the biggest challenge for the beef industry in 2010,” said Randy Blach, CEO of CattleFax, a Denver-based market analysis and information organization.

Blach last month during

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 $31.78-$49.00 $40.98 $49.00-$55.00 $54.57 n/a n/a This Week Last Week 18,140 22,222 *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 $61.82 $62.32 $45.75 $46.12

Change -0.50 -0.37

USDA five-state area slaughter cattle price (Thursday’s price) Steers Heifers

This week $84.00 $85.00

Prv. week $83.58 $83.58

Change 0.42 1.42

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 98.43 96.82 1.61

Lamb prices Confirmed lamb and sheep sales This week 534 Last week 552 Last year 427 Wooled Slaughter Lambs: Choice and prime 2-3: 90-110 lb., $105-$115; 110-130 lbs., $102. Good and choice 1-2: 60-90 lbs., $135.

Slaughter Ewes: Utility and good 1-3: $56-$60. Cull and utility 1-2: $56.

Export inspections (Million bushels)

Week ending Soybeans Wheat 01-28-10 40.0 17.8 01-21-10 46.2 16.9 Last year 38.4 12.1 Season total 932.5 546.9 Previous season total 667.4 726.2 USDA projected total 1375 825 Crop marketing year began June 1 for wheat and Sept. 1 for corn and soybeans.

Corn 36.8 23.4 28.5 661.4 649.5 2050

the 2010 Cattle Industry Convention in San Antonio predicted cattle supplies this year could decline by 1 to 1.5 percent.

The inventory of all cattle and calves in Illinois as of Jan. 1, 1.17 million head, was down 2 percent compared to the same time a year ago.

And beef producers have yet to show any appetite for expansion, according to the CME Group’s Daily Livestock Report.

The number of heifers held back for beef herd replacement (5.436 million) declined 1.7 percent from a year ago.

The dip in cattle numbers is expected to lead this year to a 2.8 percent reduction in beef production, CattleFax reported.

In fact, red meat production last month declined 6.2 percent compared to the same time last year, USDA’s Ag Marketing Service reported.

Meanwhile, CattleFax predicted U.S. beef exports in 2010 could increase by 8 percent compared to 2009.

“Longer term, the reduction in the beef herd continues to point to smaller U.S. slaughter rates, smaller U.S. production levels, a smaller beef industry, and higher beef prices,” analysts noted in the Daily Livestock Report.

Blach predicted 2010 “should be a better year for the beef industry” particularly if there is a rebound in demand.

“Though the supply situation is very bullish, demand must stabilize in order for prices to turn significantly higher,” he said.

Milk price declines; first time since August The Class III price for milk adjusted to 3.5 percent butterfat for the month of January was $14.50 per hundredweight. This is a 48-cent decrease from the previous month and the first month since August that milk prices have retreated.

Producers are hoping this is simply a resting point and milk prices will move higher once again. Prices at this point are just at break-even for most producers.

FarmWeek Page 11 Monday, February 8, 2010

PROFITABILITY Corn Strategy

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

Economic forces weighing on markets Macroeconomic forces may be starting to become a driving negative force in commodity markets again. Some of the impact is of a direct nature, while some may be indirect via the implications macroeconomic forces are having on the value of the dollar, crude oil, etc.

Our problems in the U.S. serve as an example of the struggle major economies are having in turning around from 2008’s economic collapse.

The latest weekly unemployment claims number released last week was higher than anticipated. The stall in job growth may be a sign the feeble economic gains that occurred in late 2009 could be stalling out.

Pending home sales are inching higher, but the number of vacant homes continues to rise too. At the same time, the home foreclosure problem has not yet started to significantly decline, implying sustained strength in the housing sector is still some time off.

Amid the economic struggles, many of the major developed economies, including the U.S., are having to deal with ongoing government fiscal issues.

Over the last month, fiscal issues in peripheral European Union countries have deterio-

Basis charts

rated, dragging the euro lower.

That and developments in other major industrial countries have shifted investment interest back to the dollar, lifting it to its highest level since last July.

Concern about our mounting government deficit, and perceptions it is going to continue at a relatively high level had been one factor helping keep the dollar on the defensive in late 2009. It wasn’t until the election of a Republican senator from Massachusetts that anxieties over our government’s deficit started to recede, allowing the dollar to more easily appreciate.

The changes in relative economic strength and fiscal issues are now expected to keep the dollar strong for the near future. Not only will that subdue buying of dollar-based commodities, but dollar strength itself will be a psychological drag on commodity prices as well.

While dollar strength has direct implications on demand for U.S. grains, it has indirect implications as well affecting value perceptions.

Dollar strength also will inhibit demand for the two key commodities, gold and crude oil, from the investment community. If prices for those two erode over time because of dollar strength, their decline will add to the psychological drag on grain prices.

Economic weakness in the developed economies of Europe and the U.S. will soften demand for energy. That will add to underlying psychological weakness because of a stronger dollar, further undermining energy prices. In turn, that adds more to the drag on grain prices.

In short, the changing economic forces over the next few months could become as big of a drag on grain and livestock markets as possible supply issues. There’s been a lot of talk about a possible “double dip” recession, and given recent indications, one wonders if that might be a stronger possibility than some currently perceive.

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Cents per bu.

2009 crop: Corn prices act as though they want to pull out of their 20-week cycle low but haven’t been able to confirm a turn yet. A March close above $3.68 should accomplish that. Increase old-crop sales to 60 percent if March rallies to $3.85. We may boost sales even more; check the Cash Strategist Hotline frequently. Do not plan to store corn into spring unless you are confident of its quality. We are already hearing of deteriorating conditions.

2010 crop: If December futures rebound to $4.10, make a 20 percent new-crop sale.

Check the Cash Strategist Hotline daily; we could adjust that target and recommend selling more.

Fundamentals: Macroeconomic problems dragged corn prices lower this past week. However, the new Environmental Protection Agency guidelines removed an uncertain hurdle regarding demand for corn to be processed into ethanol.

Traders should start to talk of a need for 3 million acres more to be planted next year to meet demand.

Soybean Strategy 2009 crop: Forecasts of even larger crops in South America and macroeconomic influences are keeping the soybean market on the defensive.

However, the decline is getting overdone; a rebound should soon occur. Boost sales to 50 percent if March rebounds to $9.75. That price or the amount could change at any time; check the Cash Strategist Hotline frequently.

2010 crop: Leave an order to make a 20 percent sale if November futures reach $9.59. Check the Cash Strategist Hotline occasionally for changes.

Fundamentals: Production forecasts continue to rise for both Argentina and Brazil, but the conditions are not universally great as the trade might have you believe. Even though the crops appear to be headed to better production levels than last year, we think current expectations are getting a little too large. While

heat doesn’t seem to “lock in” for more than three or four days at a time, temperatures are high enough to stress to crops somewhat.

Wheat Strategy 2009 crop: Action in wheat has been choppy with prices gaining modest upside momentum on short-covering activity. However, there’s still no confirmation of a 20-week low.

March needs to clear $4.96 to signal the short-term trend might be turning up again.

Make a 10 percent sale if Chicago March futures hit $5.44,

bringing the total to 90 percent.

2010 crop: Use a rally to $5.65 on the Chicago July futures to make an initial 25 percent sale. Check Cash Strategist Hotline daily as this target could be adjusted at any time.

Fundamentals: The monthly crop progress/condition report recently was released for Kansas.

It showed only 56 percent of the crop was in good to excellent condition, compared to 69 percent last month. The region has been dry this winter, but the latest storm tracks have brought some modest relief to that state.

FarmWeek Page 12 Monday, February 8, 2010

PERSPECTIVES

Animal rights groups: It’s time to bite back One of the hottest agricultural issues today has to be animal agriculture and the animal rights groups’ people for the ethical treatment of animals (peta) and the humane society of the United States (hsus).

Yes, their names should be capitalized, but, personally, I don’t think they are worth it.

Currently, we DAVID SHUPE are devoting guest columnist tons of time and money to consumer education programs concerning these issues and, for the most part, they are worthwhile efforts.

We are passing along a lot of good scientific information and explaining the importance of agriculture to people who have lost touch with their food supply.

The sad thing is one 10-second celebrity sound bite backed up by a talk show host wipes out 50 years of indisputable scientific research that has been peer reviewed at every turn.

There has been a move lately to put farmers in front of cameras. I think it helps, but if you stand in front of a modern livestock facility, you sometimes create more problems than you

solve. At that point, we run the risk of being labeled factory farms and environmental disasters. I think these efforts should continue, but when it comes to peta and the hsus (yeah, I

‘The sad thing is one 10-second celebrity sound bite backed up by a talk show host wipes out 50 years of years of indisputable scientific research that has been peer reviewed at every turn.’

know) I propose a different approach.

I’m tired of these groups taking a chunk out whenever they please. Let’s bite back. Ratings-grabbing reporters are always looking for a good fight, so let’s give them one.

I would love to see a headline or 10 p.m. news lead that says, “hsus takes

funding from local animal shelters.”

The story could go on to tell how many people are misled by clever websites and ads that get them to donate money thinking it will help local animal shelters. The truth is the money goes toward lobbying for animal ownership laws and a vegetarian agenda.

How about, “hsus saves stray cats, lets kids starve”?

One of that group’s ad campaigns sports a celebrity offering a gutwrenching plea for people to send $19 a month to save animals. The head of the World Food Program says it can feed a child for 25 cents a day.

I am no math whiz, but I can figure out that’s 76 starving children fed per month per donor. One of those kids could end up discovering some medical breakthrough or inventing a new piece of technology. I’m not going to hold my breath for a stray cat to do the same.

Let’s not leave peta out. You cannot turn on the TV, pick up a newspaper, or look on the Internet without seeing stories about the environment.

We need to save forests, prairies, endangered species, and ecosystems.

This group has been famous for

showing shocking videos. Wonder what people would think if you showed videos of mange-infested stray cats brutally killing a cute little bunny or a pretty song bird? That would be great on YouTube.

In today’s sound-bite culture, it would not be long before you might hear a group of people talking and someone mentions the hsus. The next thing you know someone might say, “Hey, I’ve heard of them, they steal money from animal shelters.” Or “peta, yea they support killing endangered species.”

Let those groups spend a few million countering those claims rather than chewing on us. I could keep going and probably come up with several more examples, but this is driving me crazy.

I’ve got to go get some floss or a toothpick. I think I have a piece of hsus stuck . . . right . . . there.

David Shupe has held numerous volunteer positions within Illinois Farm Bureau, both at the state and county level. He continues to be active in policy development. Shupe farms near Toledo and can be reached at shupeag@gmail.com.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ‘Scientists’ mislabeled in climate change report Editor: I find it offensive that you used the word “scientists” in Quick Takes “Climate Summit?” on page 2 in the Jan. 11 issue.

These people are at best functioning as pseudoscientists no matter their training since they obviously have not followed unbiased scientific research procedures accepted and practiced for the last several centuries.

The results of unbiased scientific research procedures would verify or contradict the results which led to the claims of “scientific evidence of climate change.”

The “scientists” “requesting a meeting” and use of the word “marginalized” verifies the fact that no unbiased searching for facts was used. If these “scientists” had used unbiased scientific research procedures they would have used wording, charts, and graphs describing and illustrating their procedures and the results of their work.

Unless the Postal Service was delinquent in delivering the letter, it was sent to Bob Stallman after the public admission in December that biases were used in the so called “research” done to give the desired results about global warming.

Since the letter most likely was mailed after this public admission, these “40 scientists”

are nothing more than deluded, emotion-driven people.

No matter how much “scientific education” these people may have, they have abandoned basic scientific research procedures taught and used in science demonstrations, education, and research beginning in elementary school in one’s life.

DAVE ZIEBART, Turlock, Calif.

Must stop anti-American attack on U.S. farmers Editor: Farmland preservation is premised on food production, but in reality it strips you of your right to sell off building lots and ties the ground up as tillable forever.

It pits farmer against landowner, as they are not always the same, and one must recognize that the concerns of the farmer do not necessarily reflect the concerns of the landowner.

But really folks, why would any understanding American want to freely give away the development rights of his property or his neighbor’s?

Once this zoning is passed — and it has been slipped through in numerous counties throughout this country — the land will be tillable for eternity with no more rural development allowed.

What happens when a government intentionally pens a trade agreement that is unprofitable for the farmer or removes needed subsidies?

You would no longer have the justifiable option to sell off a highly profitable building site for income.

Cap and trade was proven to be a blatant lie with the intention to spread the wealth internationally through egregious taxation.

Don’t be fooled by these claims about green house gases, they are just as exaggerated as they are flawed due to the exact same agenda; consider that the Environmental Protection Agency’s threats are based on carbon offsets, taxes. It’s not about the environment.

Farm Bureau must address these extremely important points and strive to unite patriotic farmers to combat this anti-American government and its well-funded allies.

The Champaign County Board is addressing this issue in March, and we should fight it. Contact Mark Thompson at marktconserves@live.com or 217-417-2447.

MARK THOMPSON, Dewey

Spend cold days with organic ag book Editor: In the ongoing debate over GMOs (God Move Over) in recent issues of FarmWeek, it surprises me that Jim McCarthy, an Irishman (Nov. 9, 2009, column), would be so in favor of it since the press in Europe does a much better job of informing the public of the

down side of GMOs than those here in the U.S. For example, in India, farmers who have grown Bt cotton have turned sheep and goats into the fields to graze the residue after the cotton was harvested. Many of the animals became sick and some died. In addition, some people who ate the meat from these animals became sick.

Since the introduction of GM soybeans into the food supply, there has been a marked increase in soy-related allergies.

How about StarLink? Does anyone remember it? That was a fairly well publicized ooops.

In Lawrence Labertew’s letter of Dec. 21, he references an article he saw in Time magazine

by Adam Fisher and mentions Sheryl Crow.

Remember that Time is a general news magazine. It occasionally prints a story about agriculture, but that is not its

stock in trade.

Sheryl Crow is a celebrity musician. I have attended several organic agricultural conferences and read literature from other conferences that I have not attended, and Sheryl Crow has never been a speaker at any of them.

For reliable information on organic farming, it would be better to ask Neil Kinsey; Joel Salatin; Elaine Ingham, PhD.; and Arden Anderson, D.O., PhD. for advice. These are just a sampling of people who have real-world experience with organic research and production practices.

Books by these people and many others are available at several libraries around Illinois including West Frankfurt, Mr. Labertew’s hometown.

A great way to spend a cold winter day is in a nice, warm library with a good organic ag book.

ROBERT A. SAYRE, Dundas

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