Farmweek january 6 2014

More than 1,600 hog operations in 20 states, including Illinois, are affected

by PEDV.................................3

The beginning of 2014 finds farmers still waiting for a new farm bill and solutions to state problems....................6

The Illinois EMS Alliance aims to preserve and bolster rural emergency service provider efforts.........8

A service of

®

New IFB president leading Cattlemen ready AFBF resolutions effort for arctic blast Illinois Farm Bureau mission: Improve the economic well-being of agriculture and enrich the quality of farm family life.

Monday, January 6, 2014

In his new role as Illinois Farm Bureau president representing Illinois farmers across the state and nation, Richard Guebert Jr. plans to be on the road nearly the entire month of January.

Elected at the IFB annual meeting in early December, Guebert took a stack of Illinois policy priorities to the American Farm Bureau’s resolutions committee a week after his election. The Randolph County farmer said most of the policies received a positive reception.

The AFBF process included Guebert and other state Farm Bureau presidents, who decide which proposed policies will advance for deliberation and debate when farmers from Illinois, 49 other states and Puerto Rico set policy at the upcoming AFBF convention.

Guebert said a new policy for consideration concerns data collection and ownership, an emerging issue as global positioning systems and Internetbased technology use increases on Illinois farms.

“The issues with big data include who controls the data.

Is it the farmer’s data? What can companies do with the data

Two sections Volume 42, No. 1

Things looking up for state’s beef, dairy

BY MIKE ORSO

BY DANIEL GRANT FarmWeek

Newly elected Illinois Farm Bureau President Richard Guebert Jr., left, takes care of some year-end bills at Gateway FS in Red Bud with Bryce Parsons and Connie Muench. Guebert’s new duties mean he’ll be home a total of four days this month. (Photo by Mike Orso)

once they have it? Does the data have any value? How will farmers be compensated for that data?” Guebert questioned.

IFB delegates approved policy at their annual meeting stating that data collected from farming and agricultural opera-

FarmWeekNow.com

Periodicals: Time Valued

Listen to President Guebert’s comments on policy debate at the upcoming AFBF annual meeting in San Antonio at FarmWeekNow.com.

tions is valuable, should remain the property of the individual and warrants protection.

The measure further supports efforts to require companies collecting, storing and analyzing data to provide full disclosure of intended data use.

IFB members will continue as active participants in industry discussions regarding development of protocol involving proper data disclosure, privacy and user agreements.

For the third year in a row,

Illinois farmers serving as delegates to the Illinois Farm Bureau annual meeting cited increased regulations as their biggest concern.

Guebert pointed to a new U.S. Department of Transportation regulation requiring federal certification of medical doctors to conduct physicals for drivers seeking commercial drivers’ licenses as yet another example of regulatory overkill.

“Illinois’ resolution is to repeal that law — not to require physicians to be certified,” Guebert said. “I believe AFBF needs to take the lead on this since it is a federal regulation and get it repealed.”

Illinois will send more than 400 farmers to the American Farm Bureau Federation convention Jan. 12-15 in San Antonio, Texas, with more than 20 serving as voting delegates who set national Farm Bureau policy.

Mike Orso serves as IFB director of News & Communications.

FarmWeek on the web: FarmWeekNow.com

The mercury has been on a downward trend so far in the new year, but things are looking up for many cattle and dairy producers around the state.

Beef and dairy prices posted gains late last year and so far in 2014.

Feed prices, meanwhile, moderated from droughtinduced spikes experienced the last two years.

“We’re enjoying steady profits right now (from beef cattle sales),” Alan Adams, president of the Illinois Beef Association and beef producer from Sandwich, told FarmWeek. “Our cow/calf producers are enjoying one of the best years ever after one of the most difficult springs in recent memory.”

The U.S. inventory of cattle and calves ended the year down 5 percent in December. It was the second smallest inventory for Dec. 1 since 1996.

Prices subsequently are expected to remain in the $130-per-hundredweight range, although a USDA proposal to allow fresh beef imports from Brazil to ease tight supplies could put some downward pressure on U.S. cattle prices.

Dairy producers, meanwhile, benefitted in recent months from lower feed costs and increased sales of nonfat dry milk to China, according to Doug Block, a Pearl City dairy producer and member of the Midwest Dairy Association board.

“Demand for nonfat dry milk has been very

strong,” Block said.

Class III milk prices last month reached the highest level of 2013 at nearly $19 per hundredweight.

“The (milk) prices have been a pleasant surprise and the costs of protein and grain are going down, which helped the cost of byproducts go down,” Block said.

“It makes me cautiously optimistic this year.”

Livestock producers took extra precautions in recent and coming weeks as below freezing temperatures, snow and the arrival of an arctic blast this week could add stress to outdoor animals.

“The cows this past week held steady, but I’m not sure how more (sub-freezing) days like last week (and current arctic temperatures) will affect (milk) production,” Block said.

Block estimated milk production could decline 5 percent if the cold weather persists.

“Our milk production is getting a little slower,” he said late last week.

Adams advised fellow cattle producers to make sure their animals have proper bedding, feed and access to water.

“Keep them (cattle) shedded, keep them bedded and keep them fed,” Adams said. “Animals can lose a lot of heat when they’re forced to lay down in snow.”

Cattle producers during the cold snap likely will spend more time with their animals to make sure they’re as comfortable as possible, Adams added.

The arctic blast isn’t as much of an issue for the state’s hog industry as most swine are housed in heated facilities with regular access to feed, water and bedding.

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

Quick Takes

WEATHER

FarmWeek Page 2 Monday, January 6, 2014

RECORD SOY EXPORT VALUE — The U.S. soy industry has done it again. Exports hit an eye-popping 1.7 billion bushels valued at more than $28 billion in the 201213 marketing year. That’s a 19 percent increase from 20112012.

Top buyers of whole U.S. soybeans included China (772 million bushels), Mexico (98 million bushels) and Japan (63 million bushels).

The leading soybean meal buyer was Mexico at 59 million bushels, while China ranked first in soybean oil purchases of 37 million bushels.

Soy exports for the 2013-2014 marketing year are off to a good start with 87 percent of the total 2014 export forecasts already sold.

CORN CONTEST YIELDS BURST BINS — Chalk up bin-busting corn contest yields to advanced production techniques, informed growing practices and improved seed varieties.

David Hula of Charles City, Va., won the 2013 National Corn Grower Association National Corn Yield Contest with a record yield of 454 bushels per acre.

Dan Arkels of Peru produced the top Illinois corn yield of 319.77 bushels per acre on nonirrigated land.

A record five national entries surpassed the 400-plus bushel per acre mark. To view more contest winners, visit {ncga.com/for-farmers/national-corn-yield-contest}.

ILLINOIS FARM BLOG RANKED FOURTH — Western Illinois farmer and blogger Emily Webel of Farmington wrote one of the nation’s Top 10 ag blog posts last year, according to the AgChat Foundation. She received high praise for her piece, “A Reflection from a Dr. Oz Episode.”

Webel, a mother of four, writes “Confessions of a Farm Wife” at {webelfamilyfarm.blogspot.com}. She launched her blog in January 2010 when she provided readers a glimpse into the life of an average farm family.

Webel also reaches nonfarmers through her participation as a farm mom in Illinois Farm Families (IFF) activities. IFF is a coalition of commodity groups for beef, corn, pork and soybeans and the Illinois Farm Bureau.

WOLVES ON COMEBACK TRAIL — The sighting of gray wolves in Illinois is becoming more of a regular occurrence as the population continues to grow.

The U.S. government last year lifted federal protection for the gray wolf in the Great Lakes area due to growing numbers. Gray wolves were nearly hunted to extinction in Illinois by the 1860s.

Now there are an estimated 800 wolves in Wisconsin and some are making their way to Illinois, the Associated Press reported. Several wolves were shot in Jo Daviess County in recent years.

There are, however, state protections still in place that prohibit the killing of wolves in Illinois.

(ISSN0197-6680) Vol. 42 No. 1 January 6, 2014 Dedicated to improving the profitability of farming, and a higher quality of life for Illinois farmers.

FarmWeek is produced by the Illinois Farm Bureau.

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STAFF Editor Chris Anderson (canderson@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 Margie Fraley (mfraley@ilfb.org) Business Production Manager Bob Standard (bstandard@ilfb.org) Advertising Sales Manager Richard Verdery (rverdery@ilfb.org) Classified sales coordinator Nan Fannin (nfannin@ilfb.org) Director of News and Communications Michael L. Orso Advertising Sales Representatives Hurst and Associates, Inc. P.O. Box 6011, Vernon Hills, IL 60061 1-800-397-8908 (advertising inquiries only) Gary White - Northern Illinois Doug McDaniel - Southern Illinois Editorial phone number: 309-557-2239 Classified advertising: 309-557-3155 Display advertising: 1-800-676-2353

Ken Ropp, a farmer from Normal (McLean County), distributes extra bedding to a dairy calf to protect it from the frigid temperatures gripping the state. Ropp Farms produces award-winning Jersey cheese and other ag products sold at an on-farm country store and in local stores and restaurants. (Photo by Ken Kashian)

2014 begins the way 2013 ended — cold and snowy

locations in central Illinois received between 6 and 10 inches of snow in December.

The statewide average temperature in The forecast this month calls for a continuaDecember, much like the weather so far this tion of the cold, snowy pattern as the first month, can be summed up in one word – brrr! snowfall of the new year blanketed much of the The temperature last month state late last week.

FarmWeekNow.com averaged just 25.5 degrees in Illi“The outlook, at least through nois, which was 4.4 degrees below Listen to Jim Angel’s weather the first couple weeks of January, o u t l o o k f o r J a n u a r y a t calls for an increased chance of normal.

FarmWeekNow.com.

In fact, it was the 20th coldest below normal temperatures and December on record since 1895, above average precipitation,” according to Jim Angel, state climatologist with Angel said. “And when you say that in January, it the Illinois State Water Survey. means more snowfall.”

“It (December) was a very winter-like Just how cold could it get this week as an month,” Angel said. “It’s a continuation of the arctic blast moves into the state? pattern we’ve seen since November.”

The daytime high on Monday may not get Statewide precipitation last month averaged above zero in much of the northern half of the 2.5 inches, which was close to average. state, while high temps in southern Illinois But most of the precipitation fell as snow. could be in single digits.

“A lot of places up north got over a foot (of “Cold, arctic air will move into the region by snow) in December,” Angel said. “And, down Sunday and should be in full force by Monday,” south, some areas got quite a bit of snow.” said Angel, who noted the daytime high in Fairfield (Wayne County) in southeast IlliGalena today (Jan. 6) could be a bone-chilling nois last month received a whopping 14.5 minus 13 degrees, with Chicago possibly topinches of the white stuff. Elsewhere, most ping out at a high of just minus 6 degrees.

BY DANIEL GRANT FarmWeek

Dairy Summits to be held at three Illinois locations Dairy producers can get the latest updates on production practices and policies affecting the industry this month.

The Illinois Milk Producers Association and the University of Illinois Extension will host the 2014 Dairy Summit at three locations around the state Jan. 21-23.

The regional Dairy Summits will be held Jan. 21 at Highland Community College in Freeport; Jan. 22 at the Illinois Farm Bureau/IAA building in Bloomington; and Jan. 23 at Kaskaskia College in Centralia.

Registration for each event will begin at 9:30 a.m. The event, which includes lunch

and an exhibitors area, will end at each location at 2:55 p.m.

The program, which will feature production and policy updates from U of I dairy specialists, also will include a producer panel at each location in which milk producers and dairy specialists discuss ways to find the next 10 pounds of milk.

“I always pick up an idea or two from other dairymen that helps me on my operation,” said Doug Block, a dairy farmer from Pearl City and member of the Midwest Dairy Association board. “That’s why I like these programs.”

Block will be a featured

speaker on the producer panel at the Dairy Summit in Freeport.

There is no single solution or feed additive that will boost milk production by 10 pounds per cow, he noted. It takes a combination of feed and management adjustments.

“The big thing about finding the next 10 pounds of milk is doing all the things we know that are good to do and having the management ability to get them in place,” Block said.

For details and registration information about the regional Dairy Summits, visit the website {illinoismilk.org} or call 309557-3703. — Daniel Grant

or call 217-244-1693.

Jan. 28 Conservation cropping seminar, Mendota. Visit {ccswcd.com} for information.

Jan. 28-29 Cattle breeding workshop, Dixon Springs Agricultural Center, Simpson. Registration deadline Jan. 21. Call 618-695-4917.

Jan. 30 Food entrepreneur conference, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., CGH Medical Center, Sterling. Call 815-626-2665.

Feb. 26-27 Illinois Farm Bureau Governmental Affairs Leadership Conference, Crowne Plaza, Springfield. Contact county Farm Bureau for information.

Datebook Jan. 8-10 Illinois Specialty Crops, Agritourism and Organic Conference, Crowne Plaza, Springfield. Visit {specialtygrowers.org} for information.

Jan. 18 University of Illinois Herb Day, Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Center, Urbana.

To register, visit {http://tinyurl.com/n5n9rdg}

LIVESTOCK

Page 3 Monday, January 6, 2014 FarmWeek

Lower hog inventory numbers bode well for prices

U.S. hog producers apparently aren’t willing or able to expand their herds just yet despite a return to black ink.

USDA in its quarterly hogs and pigs report last month estimated the total swine inventory — 65.94 million head — declined 1 percent compared to the previous year. The hogs and pigs count as of Dec. 1 was down 2 percent from the previous quarter.

The breeding inventory (5.76 million head) was down 1.1 percent from the previous year. The average trade guess prior to the report projected the breeding inventory would be up 1 percent.

“The breeding herd is significantly smaller than expected at a time when the profit potential is excellent,� said Steve Meyer, livestock economist and president of Paragon Economics.

Altin Kalo, chief economist with Steiner Consulting Group, agreed the breeding herd estimate was somewhat puzzling to many analysts. “You would think with lower feed costs and the promise of positive returns (the breeding herd estimate would be larger),�

Kalo said during a teleconference hosted by the National Pork Board.

The number of pigs saved per litter from September through November was a record 10.16. But litter sizes

actually declined in November compared to the same time in 2012. “PEDV (Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus) is having some impact,� said Dale Durchholz, AgriVisor senior market analyst.

Kalo noted the most recent hogs and pigs report suggested a death loss in the last quarter of about 4 percent compared to the normal rate of about 2.5 percent.

He estimated about 1.45 million pigs didn’t come to market last quarter due to the higher death loss rate. “The death loss number this report implies is significantly higher than it’s been in previous reports,� Kalo said.

Slaughter rates are expected to slip from 2.3 million head per week in November and December to about 2.1 million head per week in January/February, according to the CME Group’s Daily Livestock Report.

And hog supplies could get tighter in May and June, according to Meyer. He projected strong hogs prices near $100 per hundredweight in the second and third quarters as a result. “The whole PEDV thing has gotten worse and worse,� Meyer said. “The largest pig losses are ahead of us.�

Hog producers could counter some of the PEDV losses by increasing production, Durch-

holz noted. USDA in last month’s report raised farrowing intentions relative to year-ago levels.

But projected farrowing intentions up 1.3 to 1.4 percent in the months ahead are “awfully big numbers relevant to the smaller breeding herd,� Meyer said.

Pork producers also could face increased competition from the broiler industry this year, particularly if soybean meal prices decline in a similar fashion as the corn and wheat markets, Durchholz noted.

USDA last month estimated the market hog inventory totaled 60.2 million head, down 1 percent from the same time a year ago.

Outbreaks of a mysterious and lethal porcine virus intensified last month as the ambient air temperature plummeted across much of the nation.

The National Animal Health Laboratory Network reported 119 new cases of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV) nationwide the week prior to Christmas.

That boosted the number

of operations affected by PEDV to 1,645 in 20 states, including Illinois, since the virus was discovered in the U.S. in May 2013. “It’s enough to affect production,� Dale Norton, vice president of the National Pork Board, said during an interview with Mike Orso, IFB director of news and communications. “It’s been a real challenge.�

Pork industry leaders believe the virus is spread via manure, but the origin of PEDV is uncertain.

A study conducted by researchers at Virginia Tech recently concluded the virus likely originated in China’s Anhui Province. “It’s fatal to nearly all (preweaned) pigs under 28 days,� Norton noted. “Older pigs are not affected as much.�

Since the discovery of PEDV, the National Pork Board stepped up efforts

and investments to improve biosecurity and to develop a vaccine to treat animals with PEDV. Other research is focused on disinfectants and the temperature of water used to clean trailers to stop the spread of the virus. “The Pork Board has expedited efforts (to research and stop the spread of PEDV),� Norton said.

The private sector also is racing to develop a vaccine for PEDV.

An animal pharmaceutical company in Iowa reportedly developed a vaccine and currently hopes to secure conditional USDA approval of it by the first half of this year, Reuters news service reported last week.

So far, the hog industry has been hit hardest by PEDV in Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Iowa, according to Norton.

For more information about PEDV and efforts to stabilize it, visit the website {pork.org}. — Daniel Grant

Farm Bureau members recently were named to the Strength With Advisory Teams (SWAT) for 2014.

Each of the three teams will identify issues and provide input to the Illinois Farm Bureau Board of Directors on issues relating to farmers, production practices, rural life and other agriculture-related issues.

Team members and the county Farm Bureaus they represent are as follows: Conservation and natural resources: Doug Scheider, Stephenson; Lon Lovellette, Greene; Ray Dieter and Dennis Haab, Livingston; Dick Steiner, Tazewell; Dick Heinz, Peoria; Blake Roderick, Pike Farm Bureau manager; Leonard Krusemark, Logan; David Wessel, Cass-Morgan; Ken Schafer, Jersey; Barb Gard, Clark; Randy Darr, Macoupin; and Lyle Wessel, Monroe.

Farming production and

marketing: Gene Boppert, McHenry; Brent Riewerts, Rock Island; Danelle Burrs, Lee County Farm Bureau manager; Randy Faber, Lee; Krista Swanson, Knox; Bianca Miller, Schuyler; Andy Bolsen, Moultrie; R.D. Elder, Christian; Pat Titus, Douglas; Bev Ehler, Champaign; John Hurst, Coles; Larry Johnson, Clinton; and Don Ahrens, Gallatin.

Local and state government: Mike Kenyon, Kane; Mark Tuttle, DeKalb; Mike Zecher, Mercer; David Myer, LaSalle; Elaine Stone, Fulton Farm Bureau manager; Fred Meyer, Tazewell; Terry Boydstun, Knox; Michael Evans, Jasper; Carl Miller, Cumberland; Norbert Soltwedel, Effingham; Mike Painter, Greene; George Obernagel, Monroe; and Glen Bowers, Washington.

The teams will meet four times a year for one-day meetings. The first meeting will be Jan. 30.

BY DANIEL GRANT FarmWeek

Pork industry scrambles to stabilize PEDV outbreak

IFB announces SWAT members for 2014

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AROUND ILLINOIS

FarmWeek Page 4 Monday, January 6, 2014

Hands-free calls only when driving in Illinois

BY KAY SHIPMAN FarmWeek

Illinois drivers must use hands-free devices, such as Bluetooth technology, to communicate after a new state law took effect Jan. 1.

The new year brought other new state laws, including increased speed limits on some highways.

Illinois became the 13th state to adopt a uniform ban on drivers’ use of hand-held cellphones.

Drivers may use voiceactivated devices or earpieces. A state ban on texting while driving already was in place.

The fine for a first offense is $75 and increases to as much as $150 for repeat violations, Sgt. Matt Boerwinkle, Illinois State Police spokesman, told FarmWeek.

A driver using a hand-held cellphone also faces stiff penalties for causing an accident that results in injuries

or death, Boerwinkle added.

Drivers legally may call on hand-held phones in emergency situations, he noted.

While speed limits increased to 70 mph on some divided, four-lane interstate highways, drivers shouldn’t go faster until the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) posts new signs, according to Boerwinkle.

“IDOT will start posting new signs as soon as possi-

ble,” he explained.

The higher speed limits do not apply in Cook County or the collar counties, he noted.

The new law also lowers the threshold for speeding violations and strengthens the penalties.

Those who drive 26 to 34 mph above the limit face a Class B misdemeanor.

Those who drive 35 mph or more above the limit face a Class A misdemeanor.

Illinois Farm Bureau conserves energy by using technology and and training at its home office in Bloomington, according to Mark Wilson, IFB director of facility management services and administration.

Recently Wilson proudly displayed an Environmental Protection Agency energy star plaque that denotes superior energy efficiency. IFB’s rating is 92 out of 100, significantly higher than the national average of 50 for similar facilities.

“We’ve done a good job watching our power costs,” Wilson said. Since 2008, energy consumption has gone down consistently, he added.

Wilson attributes those energy conservation achievements to upgraded equipment, such as new chillers to replace obsolete ones, and employee training that has

surfaced new ideas to further enhance energy efficiency.

Energy audits have disclosed potential energy savings that resulted in removal of original, larger equipment for smaller equipment without reduction of power, he noted.

IFB also reduces costs through aggressive pricing and by taking advantage of rebates. Since 2008, IFB has received $19,000 in rebates, according to Wilson.

In 2013, IFB reduced its electricity costs by $79,000 and gas costs by $13,000.

Wilson encouraged farmers to consider energy audits and other practices to lower their farm energy costs.

“Stay in touch with your energy providers because they have different programs available with audits,” he advised. — Kay Shipman

IFB conserves energy, reduces costs at home

Jerry Ripley, Illinois Farm Bureau building mechanic, checks the boiler efficiency last week at the IFB building.

(Photo by Cyndi Cook)

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Ameren offers farm customers incentives

Farm customers of Ameren Illinois may receive cash incentives when they make energy-efficient improvements, according to Meaghan Murphy, marketing manager for Ameren’s Act On Energy business program.

The savings may be significant. A central Illinois farmer received $1,900 in incentives to install high efficiency fans and lighting, he was able to reduce his energy bill by nearly $2,800 annually, according to Ameren.

Likewise, a southern Illinois agribusiness received $1,150 in incentives and replaced five older industrial fans with a single high-volume, low-speed fan. The annual cost savings is about $1,000.

Installing high performance grain dryers could save a farmer up to 30 percent on his energy bill. Incentives vary by project.

Interested customers may download the custom project guide for details at {ActOnEnergy.com/Ag}.

Upgraded fans in livestock buildings may reduce the farm energy bill by as much as $100 per fan. High performance motors and fans use less energy and make less noise. Incentives for the upgrades range from $25 to $100 for exhaust and circulation fans and $1,000 for high-volume fans.

Open waterers for livestock waste energy compared to enclosed, insulated waterers may reduce energy cost for providing water by up to 80 percent. The incentive ranges from $75 to $100 per insulated waterer.

Act On Energy also offers farmers incentives for light and water heater improvements.

For more information, Ameren customers may call Act On Energy at 866-800-0747. — Kay Shipman

EDUCATION

Page 5 Monday, January 6, 2014 FarmWeek

IFB members named Midwest Central FFA reaping to 2014 Action Teams alumni, community support

Forty-three Illinois Farm Bureau members recently were selected to serve on the 2014 IFB Action Teams.

Action Teams will meet twice in 2014 to develop recommendations to the IFB Board for statewide organization projects and programs in Education, Membership, Quality of Life and Public Relations.

Recent team projects include bus ads at the University of Illinois, Rules of the Country Road booklet highlighting rural road safety, the initiation of Collegiate Farm Bureau groups at state universities and the placement of signs identifying family farms along busy highways in Illinois.

Team members, including leaders, and their county Farm Bureaus are as follows.

Education: Dana White, Woodford, chairman; Deanna Keeney, Clark, vice chairman; Adam Bane, McLean; Audrey Davis, McHenry; Megan Dwyer, Henry; Jesse Faber, Livingston; Marie Denzer-Farley, McLean; Linda Hardy, CassMorgan; Gayle Harris, Clay; David King, Tazewell; Abby Marten, Effingham; John O’Neil, Fulton; and Heather Poppy, Henry.

Membership: Monica

Green, Douglas, chairman; Bridgett Verbeck, Henry, vice chairman; Glen Bowers, Washington; Tom Feltes, DuPage; Carly Holcomb, McLean; Claire Sturgeon, Champaign; and Kaylee Williams, Champaign.

Public Relations: Deborah Moore, Warren-Henderson, chairman; Diane Murphy, Montgomery, vice chairman; Jesse Edlefson, Henry; Roger Hardy, Cass-Morgan; Mitch Heisler, Henry; Heather Henkhaus, Madison; Mike Hennenfent, Knox; Elaine Kapraun, Woodford; Kevin Miller, Effingham; Rob Sharkey, Bureau; Leonard Sheaffer, Lee; Karl Spencer, Jasper; Katrina Stoller, Livingston; Kevin Urick, Henry; and Nick Wurl, Effingham.

Quality of Life: Steve Launius, Washington, chairman; Roger Christin, WinnebagoBoone, vice chairman; Ray Dieter, Livingston; Don Duvall, White; Tamara Halterman, Grundy; Bob Kapraun, Woodford; Paul Rickey, Warren-Henderson; and Dale Wachtel, Effingham.

Leaders selected for the Action Coordinating Council are Chairman Monica Green, Douglas, and Vice Chairman Steve Launius, Washington.

A conference for individuals interested in creating a food product will be offered from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Jan. 30 at the CGH Medical Center’s Ryberg Auditorium, Sterling. Whiteside County Farm Bureau is one of the conference sponsors.

Conference topics will include: food safety for small businesses, packaging and preserving products, regulatory compliance and labeling issues, marketing and pricing, and

insuring a small business.

The program will conclude with a tour of the Kitchen Incubator of N.W. Illinois, a commercially licensed kitchen.

The registration fee is $30 before Jan. 30. Registration is $35 at the door.

To register, contact Krista Morthland of the Kitchen Incubator at 815-626-2665 or kmorthland@sterlingdevelopment.org or visit {kitchenincofnwil.org}.

Food entrepreneurship conference planned

BY KAY SHIPMAN FarmWeek

Midwest Central FFA Chapter members are learning a valuable lesson about community support, courtesy of irrigated test plots near their Mason County school.

The chapter farms a 14-acre plot located between the high school and grade school. Students learned about the importance of irrigation on sandy soils when they harvested dismal yields some years, according Steve White, agriculture teacher and FFA adviser.

“Some years there was basically nothing,” White said.

Two years ago, a couple of alumni decided to help the school’s ag program and FFA chapter turn the plot into a steady source of income. Within a couple of months, alumni and ag education supporters raised between $75,000 and $76,000, White said.

The ag program bought a new quarter-turn

pivot system to irrigate slightly less than 13 acres. Midwest Central farms the state’s only irrigated FFA plot “to the best of anyone’s knowledge,” White said.

Last year, the chapter made record profits from its first harvest of the newly irrigated plot and harvested a good crop from its second growing this year. The chapter pays the electric bill and any other costs incurred.

Two student plot chairmen, both juniors this year, gather and manage donated seed for the test plot.

They have planted corn for the last two years, but may plant soybeans next year although that hasn’t been decided, White noted.

A new advisory panel will help with volunteers as well as planting and harvesting.

“The students have a sense of pride in the agriculture program. At our school, FFA is one of the largest clubs,” White said.

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2013 HEADLINES

FarmWeek Page 6 Monday, January 6, 2014

Year in review; unfinished business, record yields mark 2013

BY JOHN HAWKINS 2013 ended much as it began with farmers looking for a new farm bill, concerns about regulations and fixing the state’s financial problems.

But for many Illinois farmers, 2013 will likely go into the record books as one of the best ever for corn and soybean production.

Yields rebounded from the historic 2012 drought, despite delays during planting and harvest.

Here’s a recap of 2013 in Illinois agriculture: January Congress avoided the “fiscal cliff,” reaching an 11th hour agreement that provided a permanent $5 million individual/$10 million per couple estate tax exemption. Lawmakers also approved a nine-month extension of the 2008 farm bill.

Rock removal in the Mississippi River near Thebes progressed well, as the Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Coast Guard worked to keep river navigation channels open.

Illinois Farm Bureau joined McDonald’s in co-hosting several Midwest Farm Bureaus at McDonald’s corporate headquarters for a dis-

cussion of ag-related issues.

February IFB supported proposed regulations for horizontal fracking of oil and natural gas wells in Illinois.

USDA Chief Economist Joe Glauber said the farm economy is strong and should remain that way for the remainder of 2013.

Pork producers expanded their outreach efforts to consumers and retailers. At the Illinois Pork Expo, leaders said the job for producers has expanded beyond raising quality pork at affordable prices.

March A proposal to update the Illinois Farmland Assessment law was introduced. The amendment better reflected the ability of different soils to produce different crop yields, thus making property taxes more equitable.

A campaign to save lives and prevent farm machinery/traffic accidents will be expanded statewide after being endorsed by the IFB board of directors.

Gov. Pat Quinn challenged Illinois lawmakers to reform the state’s underfunded pension system, blaming a $6 billion pension payment for cuts to education

funding in his FY2014 budget.

December corn futures hit a yearly high at $7.49 per bushel.

April Illinois farmland prices broke new ground as the average value of excellent (prime) farmland from 2011 to 2012 increased 21 percent to an average value of $11,400 per acre, according to the latest farmland values and lease trends report.

The calendar said April, but field conditions were about the same as those in February and March — cold and wet. That meant untimely delays in corn planting statewide. Torrential rains caused widespread flooding around the state.

May The Illinois Department of Public Health began working on regulations for the production and sale of raw milk.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Monsanto in a case involving an Indiana farmer, who had argued Monsanto could not control his use of Roundup Ready soybeans because they came from seed previously sold by farmers to a local grain elevator.

After several weeks of rainy

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weather, farmers finally began planting corn and soybeans in mid-to-late May. June Illinois hog farmers visited their counterparts in the European Union to see how they adjusted to a ban on the use of gestation stalls that took effect on Jan. 1, 2013.

The Illinois General Assembly approved concealed-carry gun legislation before a federal court’s deadline. While lawmakers approved changes to the state’s farmland assessment law, they failed to reach an agreement on pension reform.

The National Pork Board approved $450,000 in checkoff funds for research of a new swine virus that threatens the pork industry.

IFB launched an updated brand and new tagline — “Farm. Family. Food.”

July The first six months of 2013 were the wettest on record in Illinois, but crops were reported in good to excellent condition.

Nearby soybean futures hit a yearly high of $16.30 per bushel.

USDA issued a “spectacular” surprise in its planted acreage report. Illinois farmers learned they could see a choppy summer when it comes to pricing corn and soybeans.

In a move opposed by IFB, the U.S. House passed a farm bill plan stripped of nutritional provisions that have been crucial in garnering urban farm bill support.

August Large crop expectations were priced into the grain markets, according to analysts. USDA issued its first official crop report of the year.

A U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance survey found consumers want information about the food they buy and will choose food with information over the same item without it.

AT&T presented the Illinois Ag in the Classroom program with $25,000 for agriculture literacy efforts during Ag Day festivities at the Illinois State Fair.

The Illinois Commerce Commission approved most, but not all, of Ameren’s proposal to build a high-voltage electric line across 20 Illinois counties, from Missouri on the west to Indiana on the east.

September IFB President Philip Nelson announced plans to grow members’ political involvement and influence through a Political Leadership Cabinet during a news conference at the Farm Progress Show in Decatur.

The Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers said farmland values in general were steady going into mid-2013.

GROWMARK and its member cooperatives gave $70,000 to support county-based Illinois

Agriculture in the Classroom programs.

Illinois Farm Bureau members testified against the Rock Island Clean Line transmission line project.

October Illinois farmers dodged an early frost, but harvest crept along at a slow pace due to late-planted crops. Nearby soybean futures hit a yearly low at $12.55 per bushel.

Archer Daniels Midland Co. announced it was looking for locations outside Decatur for its new world headquarters.

Meanwhile, Smithfield Foods was purchased by Shuanghui International, a major meat processor in China.

Congress finally reached a budget/debt deal after a 16-day federal government shutdown that closed USDA service centers and canceled a crop production report for the first time ever.

Officials attending the Illinois Food and Agriculture Summit favored strategic planning to make Chicago and Illinois a national, even global epicenter for the food industry.

November The Pontiac FFA Chapter won the 2013 Model of Excellence award at the National FFA Convention in Louisville, Ky. IFB President Philip Nelson said agriculture, consumers, and most of all, science won in a key Washington state vote on biotech labeling. Voters there rejected a proposal to label all biotech foods.

The American Farm Bureau Federation’s 28th Thanksgiving dinner price survey found the average feast for 10 people cost $49.04, down 44 cents from 2012.

Farmers and biofuels groups plan to race into overdrive to prevent the national Renewable Fuel Standard from stalling. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed reducing renewable fuel requirements in 2014.

December Carlyle-based pork producers, The Maschoffs, LLC, acquired GNP Company, a leading provider of premium quality chicken in the Midwest.

The state’s beekeeping community created quite a buzz this year. The number of registered Illinois beekeepers increased 38 percent.

IFB annual meeting delegates elected Richard Guebert Jr. from Randolph County as their 15th president. David Erickson of Knox County was elected vice president.

Negotiators failed to reach agreement on a new farm bill.

The current farm bill was extended, and leaders hope to approve the measure in January.

Nearby corn futures hit a yearly low of $4.10 per bushel.

John Hawkins serves as IFB farm information web editor.

INFORMATION

Page 7 Monday, January 6, 2014 FarmWeek

Cattle breeding, synchronization workshop slated Extension unveils farm webinars The latest developments in cattle breeding and synchronization will be discussed Jan. 28-29 at the University of Illinois Dixon Springs Agricultural Center, Simpson. The registration deadline is Jan. 21.

The workshop will start at 8 a.m. Jan. 28 and conclude at noon the next day.

The program is designed for cattlemen and college students studying livestock reproduction. Topics will include synchronization of estrus in cattle, anatomy and reproductive diseases, embryo transfer and advances in cattle reproduction, and semen handling and placement.

“This unique workshop includes both class-

room instruction and a field component,” said Frank Ireland, research animal scientist at the center. Participants will receive hands-on training in reproductive examinations and artificial insemination, he added.

The registration fee is $50 and includes lunch on Jan. 28, refreshments, lab supplies and program materials. Seating is limited and advance registration is required.

Call 618-695-4917 for details and to register or visit {http://web.extension.illinois.edu/dsac/index.html}.

The workshop is sponsored by the U of I Extension, U of I animal sciences department, U of I College of Veterinary Medicine and Shawnee Community College.

Healthy lifestyle resolution doable

• Even a 10-minute walk two or three times a day helps to manage weight, improves energy and contributes to better overall health.

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Tuesday: • Bryce Anderson, DTN • Michelle Damico, Michelle Damico Communications: top 10 digital media trends • Steve Meyer, Paragon Economics: livestock update Wednesday: • Tim Schweizer, Illinois Department of Natural Resources • Jean Payne, Illinois Fertilizer & Chemical Association (IFCA): IFCA Convention and Nutrient Research & Education Council • Rodney Weinzierl, Illinois Corn Growers Association • Richard Breckenridge, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Thursday: • Alan Jarand & Rita Frazier, live from the Illinois Specialty Crops, Agritourism and Organic Conference in Springfield • Rachel Coventry, Curtis Orchard: 2013 apple crop • Harry Alten, Illinois Specialty Growers Association: Illinois Specialty Crops, Agritourism and Organic Conference • Richard Guebert Jr., Illinois Farm Bureau: my vision of our future • Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant, University of Illinois Extension: organic educational programming Friday: • Martin Ross, FarmWeek: a look back at his FarmWeek career • Mark Gebhards, Illinois Farm Bureau: state and federal issues To find a radio station near you that carries the RFD Radio Network®, go to FarmWeekNow.com, click on “Radio,” then click on “Affiliates.”

• Buy foods that are in season, such as oranges, grapefruit and other citrus fruits now available for winter.

MA D

If you haven’t made any resolutions for 2014, it’s not too late.

Caitlin Huth, a University of Illinois Extension nutrition and wellness educator, suggests making small changes that can lead to bigger, long-term health benefits.

For example, consuming 100 fewer calories each day can result in a 10-pound weight loss over one year, the registered dietician said.

That weight loss is doable by exchanging 2 cups of whole milk each day with 2 cups of 1 percent milk. Or eat a cup of orange segments instead of a toaster pastry, Huth suggested.

Other small changes that can add up include: • If time to cook is tight, add healthy conveniences to your shopping cart. For example, use plain instant brown rice or plain instant oatmeal that cooks quickly or use frozen vegetables without sauces so you don’t need to spend time cutting or washing.

The University of Illinois Extension will offer a weekly online educational series for small farm operators each Thursday from 1 to 2:30 p.m. January through March. The free programs may be accessed from participants’ personal computers.

Sessions also are archived for later viewing and will be provided via email. This year’s series includes two tracts on small orchard management and organic pest control.

Contact your local Extension office for more information regarding attending the webinars on-site.

January session dates and topics are: Jan. 9, pasture management of laying hens; Jan. 16, organic agriculture overview; Jan. 23, pumpkins and gourds; and Jan. 30, small-scale farm composting.

February dates and organic topics are: Feb. 6, insect management; Feb. 13, disease management; and Feb. 20, weed management. Feb. 27 will be asparagus production.

March dates and topics for small orchards are: March 6, insect management; March 13, orchard management; and March 20, disease management. March 27 will be growing for ethnic markets.

To register online, visit {go.illinois.edu/winterwebinar}.

For more information, contact Miki White, U of I Extension small farms program coordinator, at 309-342-5108 or miki7047@illinois.edu.

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RURAL HEALTH

FarmWeek Page 8 Monday, January 6, 2014

EMS Alliance gears up to raise responder profile

BY MARTIN ROSS FarmWeek

While it may seem obvious to anyone who’s ever relied on lifesaving care on the road or in the field, emergency medical services (EMS) is “essential,� especially in rural Illinois.

However, unlike fire and police services, EMS has never been legally designated an “essential service� in Illinois and thus has been vulnerable to state funding cuts.

Gaining equal significance for the state’s EMS providers and bringing diverse providers together are key goals of the Illinois EMS Alliance. The alliance effort is about more than mere status. Alliance CoChair Mary Ann Miller stressed increased EMS costs “can drive folks out of the business� to the detriment of rural residents.

The alliance was launched roughly a year ago to unify statewide emergency medical service providers. Greg Scott, director of the McLean County Area EMS System, reported

Illinois’ EMS community previously was “pretty fragmented.�

The group’s founding members included Scott; Miller, then-vice president of air medical services and EMS system with DuPage County’s Superior Ambulance Service and vice chair with the Illinois EMS Advisory Council; and representatives of the Illinois Fire Chiefs’ EMS Committee, the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network, the Southern Illinois University Rural Medical Transportation Network and the American Heart Association (AHA).

Miller, EMS Alliance cochair, highlights the myriad interests and complex networking involved in Illinois emergency response. With complexity “comes financial difficulty,� she emphasized. “There are many different types of emergency medical service providers,� Miller told FarmWeek. “We have fire 911 (responders), we have volunteer 911, we have private ambulance companies that

dabble in 911 but whose main role usually is to do inter-facility transports. “We have helicopter EMS. And we can’t forget our partners in the hospital settings.

We have resource hospitals that help organize services and provide education and medical direction for the EMS practitioner in the field. We needed an organization where we could bring all the concerned EMS parties together to work for common causes.�

The alliance was inspired by the bipartisan Illinois House EMS Task Force, which in November 2012 had issued funding proposals aimed at bolstering EMS services. Several future alliance members had attended task force hearings and began to ponder “common themes� facing emergency responders.

At the same time, AHA’s Illinois chapter had designated improvement of EMS services as one of its key priorities, and the alliance was formed under the AHA umbrella. Over the past year, alliance partners

have sharpened the group’s structure and mission, while AHA has solicited statewide support to have EMS formally designated an “essential service� meriting increased local, state and federal attention.

The alliance will continue in 2014 to seek “dedicated funding streams� for EMS services, including new state revenues or federal grants for equipment, training, recruitment and retention.

Scott noted rural EMS services generally lack “expertise in writing grant applications,� and the alliance is eyeing opportunities to serve as a “centralized information source� for responders statewide.

Miller meanwhile cited EMS “viability� issues related to but not limited to funding.

In Illinois, lawmakers have approved provisions to hold the line on rigorous and timeconsuming continuing education requirements for rural emergency medical technicians and paramedics.

But Scott noted rural EMS recruitment and retention remain “huge issues� (see accompanying story). At the

same time, more training is conveniently available at the community level, thanks to programs conducted by local emergency departments and the Champaign-based Illinois Fire Services Institute and online training resources.

Among other things, the Illinois Department of Public Health has been working with the Veterans Administration to evaluate the possibility of fast-tracking individuals with military medic experience into domestic EMS or related services. U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Channahon, has championed that effort on the federal level.

But overall, Scott believes the greatest hope for extending community EMS capabilities lies in regional “collaborative projects� — within, of course, new rural guidelines under the federal Affordable Care Act. “We’re looking at how neighboring agencies and (fire/ambulance) districts can work together to streamline the services they’re offering, so there’s not a duplication of services,� he told FarmWeek.

Rural EMS recruitment poses challenges, offers opportunities

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Wanted: A few good men and women willing to adjust their busy lives for their community’s welfare, a potential shot at a medical career and, incidentally, the opportunity to save lives.

Greg Scott and his partners with the Illinois EMS Alliance hope to ramp up efforts to recruit and retain rural/volunteer emergency medical responders. Beyond the challenge of finding volunteers willing to respond to potential life-and-death calls and submit to rigorous emergency training “and maintain that training,� Scott, McLean County Area EMS System director, noted “there’s not as large a workforce pool to draw from in the rural areas.�

The rural demographic has shifted dramatically with fewer local businesses and more rural Illinoisans working outside their communities, he told FarmWeek. “And our societal demographics have changed,� Scott added. “There are many more activities that are drawing on the time of families and individuals, so people just don’t have the time to volunteer any more. That’s really impacted EMS drastically, especially in rural areas.�

That places a new importance on early EMS education. Scott notes a number of successful models for attracting high schoollevel students to an EMS career, including a McLean County Area EMS-supported Bloomington Area Career Center program.

Those prospects frequently seek placement with larger metropolitan and/or fire-based EMS services. But Scott argues service with a rural squad “opens many doors� for a future in urban departments, private EMS services, critical care or air medical EMS, or even hospital technicians.

Volunteer EMS service can also serve as a “launching pad� for nursing, respiratory therapy or a career as a nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant, he suggested. “A lot of our EMS students will get that EMT and then their paramedic certification, and they’ll have the ability to earn income while they’re advancing their education,� Scott related. “And if they do decide to go into full-time EMS, many of those full-time opportunities are 24 hour-on, 48 hour-off-type shifts. That provides opportunities for them to have secondary incomes as well. They can have a full-time EMS position and also have time off to spend with their family or have their own business.� — Martin Ross

FROM THE COUNTIES

Page 9 Monday, January 6, 2014 FarmWeek

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ROWN — Farm Bureau’s annual meeting will be at 7 p.m. Jan. 15 at the Farm Bureau office. Call the Farm Bureau office at 773-2634 for more information.

UREAU — Farm Bureau scholarships are available to students who are Bureau County Farm Bureau members or a dependent of a Bureau County Farm Bureau member and are pursuing a degree in an agriculture-related field. Applications must be postmarked by Feb. 28 or hand delivered to the office by 4 p.m.

Feb. 28. Call the Farm Bureau office at 875-6468 for applications or more information.

• Farm Bureau has a 2014 summer internship available for an agricultural student who has completed at least two semesters of college classes and is enrolled for an upcoming semester. Submit an application, resume and two personal recommendation forms to the Farm Bureau office by Feb. 28. For more information or to obtain an application call Jill at 875-6468 or email jillfrueh.bcfb@comcast.net.

OLES — Farm Bureau will sponsor family bowling at 2 p.m. Saturday at Charleston Lanes. Cost is $2 per game. Call the Farm Bureau office at 345-3276 for reservations.

• Farm Bureau’s annual meet-

B

ing will be at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 20 at the Lumpkin Health Education Center in Mattoon. Joe Bierman, Jasper County Farm Bureau president, will speak on the Illinois Farm Bureau Market Study Tour to Cuba. Cost is $11. Call the Farm Bureau office at 3453276 for reservations by Friday.

OOK — Members may purchase discounted tickets to Chicago Wolves matches on selected dates. For more information visit, the Members Only section of {cookcfb.org}.

ULTON — The Farm Bureau Marketing Committee will sponsor a “Landowner 101” workshop from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 16 at the Farm Bureau Building. Kevin Brooks, First Financial Bank, will be the speaker. Call the Farm Bureau office at 547-3011 or email ful-

C F

K

tonfb@att.net before Friday to register.

ANKAKEE — Farm Bureau will sponsor a WILL-AM 580 market panel discussion with Dave Dickey at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the University Extension office in Bourbonnais.

Call the Farm Bureau office at 932-7471 to register.

EE — Farm Bureau’s annual meeting will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Farm Bureau office. Steve Sheaffer will speak about his travels to Germany with the McCloy Fellowship Program.

EORIA — Farm Bureau will sell tickets for the Bradley Braves versus Missouri State basketball game at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Peoria Civic Center. Cost is $5. Tickets are available at

L P

the Farm Bureau office.

• Young Leaders will meet at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 13 at 1st Farm Credit Services near Kickapoo.

The Midland FFA will debate GMO food labeling in preparation for a contest. Members aged 18 to 35 are invited to attend.

• The Peoria County Corn/Soy Promoters annual meeting will be held at 5:45 p.m. Jan. 14 at Gil’s Supper Club. Call the Farm Bureau office at 686-7070 for reservations by Friday.

AYNE — Farm Bureau and COUNTRY Financial will host a crop insurance seminar at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Frontier Community College Foundation Hall in Fairfield.

Call the Farm Bureau office

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W

at 842-3342 to register.

HITE — Farm Bureau’s annual meeting will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the Farm Bureau office. Call the Farm Bureau office at 3828512 to register.

• Farm Bureau and COUNTRY Financial will host a crop insurance seminar noon Wednesday at the Farm Bureau office. Doug Yoder, Illinois Farm Bureau senior director of affiliate and risk management, will be the speaker. Call the Farm Bureau office at 3828512 to register.

• Farm Bureau will host a concealed-carry training course from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at the Farm Bureau office. Cost is $115. Call the Farm Bureau office at 382-8512 to register or for more information.

STANDING STRONG WITH FARMERS

C

Since 1925

Brown County member visits adopted classroom

Brown County Farm Bureau Director Tom Luthy along with his wife, Sara, and their daughters recently visited the county’s Adopted Classroom at Portage Park Elementary School in Chicago.

Together, they read “Soybeans” by Susan Anderson and JoAnne Buggey. The Luthys also helped the class make a “Bean Book” and “Beanie Charm.”

The family showed students

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Sessions will run from December–March 2014. a real soybean plant, which helped the students better understand what the plant looked like when it was ready to be harvested. They also discussed some products that were made from soybeans.

Each student received a soybean Ag Mag and facts about soy products that they may encounter in their everyday lives. The Luthys answered questions about farming and life in rural Illinois. Anyone interested in corresponding with a classroom should contact their county Farm Bureau.

To register, go to www.countrycrop.com/update.

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PROFITABILITY

FarmWeek Page 10 Monday, January 6, 2014

Emergency responders provide vital lifeline to farms

Whether on a farm or commercial business, we must know the things that can cause an injury and what needs to be done to avoid them. The best way to deal with an accident is to exercise good habits that will prevent them from occurBY KEVIN FRYE

ring in the first place. However, in the unfortunate event of an accident, what actions will you take to protect yourself or others?

Proper response to emergencies often requires the right type of training and equipment most farmers do not possess.

Stephenson County farmers’ cover crops feed soil, cattle

BY KAY SHIPMAN FarmWeek

Cereal rye provides many benefits to Stephenson County brothers Ross and Chad Bremmer. Not only do the Bremmers plant the cover crop to improve the soil of their Pearl City farm, but to also provide feed for their livestock.

“It’s been very beneficial. It adds tonnage and we can get another crop (from the field),” Ross Bremmer, a Stephenson County Farm Bureau member, told FarmWeek. In addition to growing corn and soybeans, the brothers also feed about 600 replacement heifers for an area dairy.

For about four years, the Bremmers have planted cereal rye as a cover crop after corn that was chopped for silage. They also chop the cereal rye for silage when the growth is boot height in the spring.

The Bremmers are known for their conservation work, according to Jim Ritterbusch, district conservationist with Stephenson County Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Ross also serves on the Stephenson County Soil and Water Conservation District Board.

Cover crops aren’t new to northwestern Illinois, but Ritterbusch said he is fielding more questions about them.

“I’m seeing renewed interest in cover crops,” Ritterbusch said.

“There’s soil health benefits that we weren’t aware of previously.”

The Bremmers selected cereal rye as a cover crop because it is a northern grass that germinates and grows best in their area, soils and growing conditions.

The brothers also have noticed a yield difference in crops following the cereal rye. “It seems the soybeans following the rye have done better than the corn,” Ross said.

M A R K E T FA C T S Feeder pig prices reported to USDA* Total Composite Weighted Average Receipts and Price (Formula and Cash): Weight Range Per Head Weighted Ave. Price 10-12 lbs. (formula) $38.00-$81.00 $50.21 40 lbs. (cash) $89.00-$103.00 $94.73 Recipts

This Week 71,618 *Eastern Corn Belt prices picked up at seller’s farm

Last Week 56,215

Eastern Corn Belt direct hogs (plant delivered) Carcass Live

(Prices $ per hundredweight) This week Prev. week Change $76.28 $76.40 -$0.12 $56.45 $56.54 -$0.09

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

This week $137.36 $137.29

Prev. week $134.23 $133.58

Change $3.13 $3.71

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

(Prices $ per hundredweight) Prev. week Change This week $169.47 $164.67 $4.80

Lamb prices NA

Export inspections (Million bushels) Week ending Soybeans Wheat Corn 12/26/2013 43.2 13.4 24.9 12/19/2013 55.3 19.5 37.3 Last year 35.9 7.8 8.0 Season total 865.6 729.4 448.8 Previous season total 779.9 515.4 255.8 USDA projected total 1450 1100 1400 Crop marketing year began June 1 for wheat and Sept. 1 for corn and soybeans.

Otherwise, a bad situation can become worse.

For example, in confinedspace incidents — such as manure pits — rescuers typically account for two out of three fatalities because in their eagerness to assist, they are inadeKevin Frye quately equipped to deal with poor ventilation.

Both staff and volunteer emergency responders receive training to deal with a variety of emergency situations that may include grain bin engulfment, hazardous chemicals, confined spaces, equipment rollover, auger entanglement and electricity.

Many are trained on how to buy time with ventilation techniques or cutting into the side of

a grain bin until specialized responders arrive. These specialized responders often have the necessary equipment and training to enter confined spaces, conduct high angle retrieval at the top of grain bins and deal with hazardous chemicals.

The Illinois Fire Service Institute is nationally respected for training volunteer and staffed emergency responders to deal with agriculture rescue techniques. They provide hands-on training to nearly 4,000 rescue personnel annually to respond safely to agriculture emergencies. In addition to an impressive agriculture rescue training facility at their location in Champaign, they also have mobile capability to train emergency responders throughout the state.

The National Education Center for Agricultural Safety in Peosta, Iowa, also has a top training facility, and uses mobile simulators to go off-

site to train emergency responders in grain engulfment and confined space rescue. In the last year, they trained more than 2,800 emergency responders to deal with a variety of agriculture disasters in a safe and efficient manner.

Let’s be grateful for the selfless services emergency responders provide and all the training they go through to provide assistance in our times of need. If something were to occur, know how to contact and effectively communicate with emergency responders.

We need do our part to support and protect them as well.

The best way to do this is to avoid putting them or ourselves in harm’s way. After all, an emergency call usually occurs when something was done where someone knew better.

will assess the size of South American crops to decide where to place future orders.

Chinese cancellations of some U.S. corn shipments last month likely served as a stall tactic to see if prices go lower, he noted.

“The first two to three weeks (of this month) the situation in the Southern Hemisphere will really be scrutinized,” Bower told the RFD Radio Network®. “I can assure you the Chinese are really watching what’s happening there (South America) to decide whether they want to pull back on future purchases of corn.”

The Chinese also stocked up on soybeans last summer to gain more leverage this year,

according to Durchholz.

“They (the Chinese) won’t be caught having to scramble to cover beans like they did a year ago at this time,” the analyst said.

Prices moving forward could remain steady for corn and wheat and possibly lower for soybeans, Durchholz predicted.

“For wheat and corn, there could be opportunities to sell higher than where we are today,” he said. “But the world should have plenty of beans.

That doesn’t argue for $13 beans” moving forward.

The decline in crop prices will shift the market’s focus to building the demand base, Durchholz added.

Kevin Frye is GROWMARK’s safety services manager. His email address is kfrye@growmark.com.

USDA to release key reports; trade’s focus migrates south

BY DANIEL GRANT FarmWeek

Many traders expect USDA on Friday (Jan. 10) to confirm U.S. farmers last year harvested bin-busting corn and soybean crops with the release of its much anticipated final production report for 2013 crops.

USDA on Friday also will release a key grain stocks report and its first estimate of winter wheat plantings.

The most recent crop production estimates pegged U.S. crops at a record 13.989 billion bushels of corn and 3.258 billion bushels of beans, which would be the third-largest crop on record.

The expectation of such large crops in the U.S. eroded prices, particularly for corn and wheat, and put more emphasis on demand moving forward.

Now, traders and end-users around the world will turn their attention to South America. Some industry analysts projected soybean production there could also set a record of nearly 6 billion bushels.

“Some harvest (of soybeans) has started in Northern Brazil,” Dale Durchholz, AgriVisor senior market analyst, said last week. “And the weather forecast (in South America) is relatively normal, which will allow soybeans to be harvested and make more soybeans available to the world sooner than last year.

“If they start shipping (beans) out of Brazil, that says our bean export campaign could slow down a lot sooner than it did last year,” the analyst continued. “The bean market has the most downside risk (relative to corn and wheat).”

Jim Bower, of Bower Trading, believes Chinese buyers

Milk prices end the year on a high note

The Class III price for milk adjusted to 3.5 percent butterfat for the month of December was announced at $18.95 per hundredweight. This marks a 12-cent improvement from the previous month’s announcement, and closes out 2013 with five straight months of higher prices.

Demand for dairy products across the board has been strong.

Exports have been encouraging and are looking very positive for 2014.

Domestic demand has also been steady, and consumers are heading into a time when the football playoffs mean more cheese consumption.

PROFITABILITY

Page 11 Monday, January 6, 2014 FarmWeek

Corn Strategy

CASH STRATEGIST

Historically high relative bean price

There’s already been a lot of talk about the impact of the relatively high soybean price the last couple of months. It did impact the mix of soybean and corn planting in South America. And it will continue to be a part of the mix going forward as it impacts both protein and the mix of spring plantings in the U.S. Historically, the soybean/corn price ratio doesn’t have a history of staying over 3.25 to 1 for any length of time, other than 1973 and 1977.

Unlike the 2007-08 move in commodity prices to new alltime highs that was led by corn, the one in 1973-74 was led by soybeans. Grain markets were much more sensitive to protein supply and prices in the 1970s than those for grains. Hence, the ratio moved well beyond the 3.25 to 1 level in both 1973 and 1977, and managed to stay over that mark for a longer period.

Historically, the index has also had a tendency to peak in late spring/early summer. But that fits with the existing production parameters in which world oilseed production was dominated by Northern Hemisphere output, that itself was dominated by the U.S. In the 1970s/1980s, U.S. soybean output accounted for 30

to 35 percent of the total global oilseed output. South American production had just begun to blossom, with their portion of the output only reaching 13 to 15 percent by the early 1980s.

This year, U.S. and Brazilian soybean output each account for 18 percent of the world output. Total South American soybean output now accounts for about 32 percent of the world output closing in on double that from the U.S. That’s the reverse of the 1970s/1980s.

The shift in output to the Southern Hemisphere over the last 40 years, and the last 10 in particular, is starting to alter the seasonality of soybean prices, and potentially the timing of peaks in the soybean/corn price ratio.

Hence, one could argue the November peak could be the peak for this move up in the ratio.

The one thing the ratio does tell us is that soybean prices have more downside risk than upside potential. One could argue an improvement in the price of corn could play a part in seeing the ratio move the other way.

But given corn supplies in the U.S. and the world, that’s doubtful for the next few months.

Clearly, if the ratio is to hold current levels or move higher, soybean prices need to move up. A crop problem in South America is about the only thing that can make that happen.

But in absence of that, prices are poised to move lower.

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ü2013 crop: Even though corn prices continue to slip, downside risk still looks relatively small. We would not recommend making sales at this time unless you need to generate cash flow. Even then we’d prefer to use a tool that would keep pricing open. Producers might consider using a government loan to generate cash, and yet maintain ownership. ü2014 crop: There are many reasons to remain bearish long term on corn prices, but with the 20-week cycle due to bottom, short-term downside risk should be limited. At worst, December futures could drop to the $4.20 to $4.32 range the December 2013 contract traded at as it expired. At some point this winter/spring, December futures should trade above $4.75. vFundamentals: Much of the attention this week will be placed on Friday’s USDA reports. But we don’t believe USDA will forecast a significantly more negative environment than the one that already exists.

Cents per bu.

Soybean Strategy

ü2013 crop: The shift in Argentine weather hit the soybean complex hard last week.

The shift in weather and break in prices increased the odds the short-term trend has turned down. Use any rally to get sales up to recommended levels. Spot cash sales may be the best alternative with the forward bids at a discount. ü2014 crop: Last week’s break dropped prices below our target, triggering our recommendation to get sales up to 20 percent. Wait for November futures to rebound to $11.40 to make catch-up sales. vFundamentals: Argentina had decent rains during the last week, but their moderate drought has not yet been broken. But the persistence of rains, and short-term forecasts, hint the pattern may be shifting.

At the same time, harvest has started in northern Brazil, and the short-term weather forecast looks good for allowing it to continue. The Chinese rejection of U.S. dried distillers grains dropped prices $25 to $30 per

ton in the U.S., dragging soybean meal prices lower with them.

Wheat Strategy

ü2013 crop: For now, wheat prices appear to be closing in on the end of this decline. That fits with the cycle count indicating a short-term low could come at any time.

Hold off making sales for now.

Still, nearby Chicago futures aren’t likely to easily get above $6.25 to $6.45 this winter. ü2014 crop: Like old-crop prices, new-crop prices should offer better marketing opportunities this winter/spring than they do at present. Target a move to

$6.30 to $6.50 on Chicago July futures to initiate sales. vFundamentals: The most significant number for the wheat market on the coming USDA reports is the winter wheat planting forecast. Interestingly, the trade has been relatively consistent in recent years of forecasting a planting number higher than USDA. News out of India suggests their plantings could hit a record this year, boosting chances for another large crop.

The government is offering more wheat to exporters to make room for what could be another large crop.

PERSPECTIVES

FarmWeek Page 12 Monday, January 6, 2014

Build the infrastructure for innovative ag research

A barge floats past Lock and Dam 18 on the upper Mississippi River near Gladstone, Ill., and Burlington Iowa. (File photo by Ken Kashian)

Modern locks, dams top to-do list

We need to modernize our water transportation system.

Our locks and dams on the Upper Mississippi are old and inefficient. Our harbors need to be dredged and made ready to accommodate new ships that can carry two or three times as much cargo as today’s vessels. The Panama Canal is being widened and deepened to accommodate new, bigger ships.

Two-thirds of the ships going through the Panama Canal are U.S. ships. The future is bigger ships and our harbors need to be able to handle them. Today, only a JOHN handful of our ports can do that.

BLOCK The last time I was back on the farm, I landed in Moline — right on the Mississippi River. The corn and soybeans that I grew this year were shipped down the Illinois River and then down the Mississippi.

The grain goes through locks all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico and, from there, to countries all over the world. We need to bring

Ameren wrong to use expedited provision

our waterway system up-to-date. The Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for 12,000 miles of inland waterways plus 900 ports.

I cannot overstate the importance of this project. Agriculture and our nation’s economy depend on our water system. More than half of our crops exported are shipped through the Gulf.

The House and Senate both have strong bipartisan support for the water system modernization that I’m talking about. The challenge will be to get the money appropriated to do the job.

The funding of the project will be a combination of federal funds and state matching funds.

Also, an increase in barge diesel fuel tax will be necessary. That is the same as our gas tax to build and repair our roads and bridges.

In this new year, keep the pressure on Congress to get this done.

John Block, former U.S. agriculture secretary and a hog farmer from Knox County, is a senior policy adviser with the Washington, D.C., firm of Olsson, Frank, Weeda and Terman.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Editor: I’m a family homeowner and small cow-calf rancher in Edgar County. The Ameren Transmission Co.’s proposed Illinois Rivers project that stretches from Palmyra, Mo., through Vigo County, Ind., is causing quite a stir in Illinois.

This 345,000-volt power line project has used new expedited review provisions of the Illinois Public Utilities Act to unethically acquire easements from private homeowners and landowners on a hybrid route segment from Kansas, Ill., to Sugar Creek, Ind. Our state lawmakers were told this new law was for small projects. Ameren’s 373-mile project is being challenged by private landowners’ attorneys across Illinois for using this expedited provision with no regard to homeowners’ and landowners’ rights.

Illinois Farm Bureau delegates at the 2013 annual meeting passed policy to change the expedited review provisions.

Ameren’s lawsuit, Ameren ver-

sus Tom Ogle, is in the 5th Judicial Circuit Court of Edgar County, Ill. Ameren is suing me because I am denying surveyors access on my land until this pending case is heard in the 4th Appellate Court.

I look forward to showing the facts. We only had nine days to appeal for a rehearing on the most recently designated hybrid route through Edgar County.

I didn’t receive prior notice from Ameren — that was both ethically and legally improper. I will continue to deny access to my property until someone with common sense decides which of six very different routes is best. No new state law should be allowed to condemn anyone’s home or private property without due process under the law.

If land agents continue to purchase easements before this mess is resolved in the courts, irreversible damage may not be avoided as these easements are forever. Increasing monetary offers for easements before the legal matter is resolved only shows Ameren’s determination

to receive a 12.38 percent return on investments. Good citizens will suffer. The facts will show the expedited review provisions should never have been attempted on a 373-mile project.

To comment, go to {icc.illinois.gov/contactus}.

TOM OGLE Paris

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Recently three American scientists shared the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries on how cells transport molecules. It was a triumph not just for the three men, but also for a type of institution where two of them work — Medical Research Organizations (MROs). Created by Congress in 1956, MROs were designed to promote private philanthropy into the study of human health.

For more than half a century, MROs have helped people live longer and healthier lives.

More HOPE PJESKY than 200 guest columnist now operate in the United States, ranging from Michigan’s Van Andel Research Institute to Maryland’s Howard Hughes Medical Institute, which employs two of the recent Nobel laureates.

Now it’s time to take the proven approach of MROs to solving big problems and adapt it to what may be the greatest scientific challenge of the 21st century — growing enough food to keep pace with a world population expected to surpass 9 billion by 2050.

The Charitable Agricultural Research Act (CARA), a bill with bipartisan support, would modify the federal tax code to allow the creation of Agricultural Research Organizations (AROs) that would use private dollars to improve nutrition and food production. In the fight for global food security, AROs would help develop crops that make better use of water and nitrogen, defeat diseases such as citrus greening and come up with ways to grow more food on less land.

Demographers estimate farmers and ranchers like me will have to double their food production between now and the middle of the century just to keep pace with population growth as well as the demands of an emerging middle class in China, India and elsewhere. As we work to achieve this ambitious goal, we’ll have to attend to environmental concerns, resource depletion and volatile weather.

That’s a tall order, and it will require all the scientific ingenuity we can muster.

Right now, the United States spends tens of billions of dollars on scientific research every year, but the amount that supports competitive agricultural research comes to less than $500 million. Worldwide, only about 5 percent of all scientific

funding focuses on agriculture.

AROs would build food and agricultural research capacity in the United States by channeling private philanthropic dollars.

Just as MROs must collaborate with hospitals, AROs would be required to work with landgrant and agricultural colleges.

Best of all, in an era of debt ceilings and tight budgets, AROs would not require new government spending.

This is a mainstream idea that has already garnered broad, national support, including dozens of farm groups and universities across the country.

In congressional testimony earlier this year, Steven Rhines of The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation illustrated the potential of AROs. If a new law generates only 10 of these groups with individual research budgets of $25 million — a conservative estimate, he said — their combined efforts would boost public agricultural research by 50 percent.

On a purely economic level, that’s good news. Studies suggest that every $1 of agricultural research returns $10 in benefits.

Additionally, AROs would create jobs in the American heartland. This is a positive side effect rather than their main purpose.

The goal of AROs would be to help feed a hungry planet through scientific innovation.

The United Nations says that there are already 1 billion undernourished people in the world. As we struggle to provide the food for an additional 2 billion people by 2050, we’ll have to find ways to encourage our brightest minds to innovate.

Next year marks the centenary of Norman Borlaug, the father of the Green Revolution.

His agricultural improvements are sometimes credited with saving a billion lives. For this accomplishment, he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970.

We shouldn’t merely hope for a future in which the Nobel Foundation honors the Borlaugs of the 21st century. We must create the conditions for this to actually happen.

Congress should pass CARA, President Obama should sign it into law and we should let AROs help us confront one of history’s greatest tests.

Hope Pjesky and her family farm and ranch in northern Oklahoma where they raise cattle and wheat. She volunteers as a board member for Truth About Trade & Technology {truthabouttrade.org}.