Farmweek june 23 2014 by Illinois Farm Bureau

Illinois Farm Bureau claimed national awards last week, including best Farm Bureau newspaper. page 3

Monday, June 23, 2014

Twelve farmers have been chosen for the IFB Infrastructure Market Study Tour in August. page 11

An ag teacher shortage has Illinois leaders searching for scholarship and loan solutions. page 8

Ag groups fight interpretive rule on ‘waters of U.S.’ Two sections Volume 42, No. 25

MAKING HAY WHILE THE SUN SHINES

BY DEANA STROISCH FarmWeek

Agricultural groups say voluntary conservation practice standards would become mandatory under an interpretive rule associated with proposed changes to the definition of “waters of the United States.” Representatives of the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), National Corn Growers Association and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) testified before the House Committee on Agriculture last week. The groups urged the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to withdraw the interpretive rule. “For 37 years, farmers could conduct normal agricultural practices on their land,” said Don Parrish, AFBF senior director of regulatory affairs. “But now, practices are only going to be exempt if you follow NRCS’ (National Resources Conservation Service) conservation practices.” Andy Fabin, a farmer and NCBA member, said he fears farmers use of conservation methods could decline. “If you tell a farmer that he

Periodicals: Time Valued

Charlie Meyerscough mows alfalfa on Paul Reynolds’ field near Mansfield in Piatt County. Wet weather delayed mowing, resulting in a first cutting rather than the usual second one this time of year, Meyerscough said. Instead of an optimal 20 percent bloom, this alfalfa reached nearly full bloom. In addition to custom baling, Meyerscough also raises Simmental cattle and grows corn and soybeans with his cousin Gary Meyerscough. (Photos by Ken Kashian)

either has to comply with NRCS standards or face the permitting requirements or violations of the Clean Water act and its fines of $37,500 per day, he hasn’t been given real choice at all,” Fabin said. “The only real choice is whether to do it the NRCS way or not at all. I’m afraid that most farmers and ranchers will pick the latter.” EPA released the interpretive rule at the same time it released its proposed rule defining “waters of the United States.” The interpretive rule, which went into effect immediately, outlines 56 agricultural conservation practices exempt from dredge and fill (Section 404) permits under the Clean Water Act. According to the interpretive rule, an exemption would be granted if conservation practices: • “are part of an “established (i.e., ongoing) farming, silviculture or ranching operation, consistent with the statute and regulations;” and • “implemented in conformance with NRCS technical standards.”

Stallman: Immigration reform ‘a heavy lift’ BY DEANA STROISCH FarmWeek

American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Bob Stallman said getting immigration reform passed this year will be a “heavy lift,” but he doesn’t blame the recent primary defeat of House majority leader Eric Cantor, R-Va. “I think it’s too simplistic to say that race in and of itself is going to be the death nail for the immigration issue,” Stallman said during an interview last week with the RFD Radio Network®. “Now, it has sent some shockwaves, no question about it.” Stallman said the Republican leadership

quickly in the new Congress if there’s a willingness to move forward.” Stallman visited Illinois Farm Bureau headquarters in Bloomington last week and provided an update on immigration reform — and other issues — with the IFB Board of Directors. Stallman told the board that its special, six-state immigration pilot program is temporarily on hold until the House leadership decides whether to pursue immigration reform. Illinois is one of the states participating in the pilot. Stallman and Julie Anna Potts, executive vice president and treasurer, outlined

“clearly understands that the issue can’t be left undone.” He also noted that the Hispanic community can influence elections, particularly presidential elections. “At the end of the day, if this issue isn’t resolved, I think it’s political baggage for the Republican party,” Stallman said. “And I think that a lot of the leaders know that.” Members of Congress are reassessing the issue, and it should be clearer in the next few weeks whether the issue will advance this year. “Obviously, the closer you get to the November election the more difficult it will become,” he said. “I think a lot of groundwork could be laid to move forward

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See Interpretive, page 2

See Stallman, page 2

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Quick Takes

POLICY

FarmWeek Page 2 Monday, June 23, 2014

FINANCIAL SECURITY SENTIMENTS DIP — Positive economic progress, including lower unemployment rates, continues to evade Americans’ pocketbooks. The latest COUNTRY Financial Security Index showed Americans’ confidence in their financial security at a three-year low. The index fell 1.7 points from last December to 64 percent this month. That’s the lowest level since October 2011 when the nation was reeling from a credit downgrade, 9 percent unemployment, depressed housing markets and a 1,800-point drop in the Dow. Surveyed Americans said they have less confidence in their overall financial security. Fewer respondents said they have enough money to enjoy a comfortable retirement and can pay debts as they come due. Gen X respondents (ages 30-49) proved the most pessimistic about their overall financial situation than any other age group.

FAST TOOLS TRAINING OFFERED — An in-depth look at Farm Analysis Solutions Tools (FAST) will be offered by the University of Illinois Farmdoc team Aug. 1820. Participants will attend sessions on FAST spreadsheets and resources for farm and financial management. The tools can assist farmers with production, crop insurance, grain management and machinery decisions. The $140 workshop will be held on the University of Illinois campus. For more information, contact Ryan Batts at 217-333-1817 or email batts@illinois.edu. DAIRY COWS INVADE EAST PEORIA — Ayrshire and Brown Swiss dairy cattle owners will conduct their national convention Wednesday through Friday in East Peoria. The convention includes a cow sale with cattle housed in a parking lot adjacent to the hotel. Breeder and youth awards will be presented. A new national Ayrshire queen will be crowned and youth will participate in a dairy quiz bowl and Jeopardy. River Valley Dairy, owned by the Sauder family of Tremont, will be a featured tour stop. For more information, visit {swissayrconvention.com}. TOP FARMER CONFERENCE SET — The 47th Purdue Top Farmer Conference gets under way July 15-16 at the Beck Agricultural Center in West Lafayette, Ind. A joint effort of Purdue University and the University of Illinois farmdoc team, the workshop will include sessions on what the 2014 farm bill means to your farm, key marketing strategies, using results of Big Data and future farmland prices. Registration costs $275 per person before July 1; the cost increases to $325 per person after the early deadline. Certified crop advisers can earn continuing education credits. For more information or to register, visit {agecon.pur due.edu/commercialag/progevents/topfarmer.html}.

(ISSN0197-6680) Vol. 42 No. 25 June 23, 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. 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. FarmWeek is published by the Illinois Agricultural Association for farm operator members. $3 from the individual membership fee of each of those members goes toward the production of FarmWeek. “Farm, Family, Food” is used under license of the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation.

Address subscription and advertising questions to FarmWeek, P.O. Box 2901, Bloomington, IL 61702-2901. Periodicals postage paid at Bloomington, Illinois, and at an additional mailing office. POSTMASTER: Send change of address notices on Form 3579 to FarmWeek, P.O. Box 2901, Bloomington, IL 61702-2901. Farm Bureau members should send change of addresses to their local county Farm Bureau. © 2014 Illinois Agricultural Association

STAFF Editor Chris Anderson (canderson@ilfb.org) Legislative Affairs Editor Kay Shipman (kayship@ilfb.org) Agricultural Affairs Editor Deana Stroisch (dstroisch@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

Illinois Farm Bureau President Rich Guebert Jr., left, thanks Bob Stallman, American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) president, and Julie Anna Potts, AFBF executive vice president and treasurer, for meeting with IFB’s Board of Directors. (Photo by Cyndi Cook)

Stallman

AFBF’s structure, priorities and future goals with IFB board members. Top issues for the year include: labor, renewable fuels, Big Data, Clean Water Act and tax reform. IFB President Rich Guebert Jr. asked Stallman how AFBF continued from page 1

Interpretive

FarmWeekNow.com Go to FarmWeekNow.com video section to view AFBF President Bob Stallman’s interview with RFD Radio Network.

will continue to deal with the never-ending challenges — such as proposed rules from

continued from page 1 “So long as these activities are implemented in conformance with NRCS technical standards, there is no need for a determination of whether the discharges associated with these activities are in ‘waters of the United States’ nor is site-specific pre-approval from either the Corps or the EPA necessary before implementing these specified agricultural conservation

the Environmental Protection Agency — and get Farm Bureau’s message heard. Stallman said there’s no “silver bullet, no magic solution.” “We just have to keep doing more, better,” he said. “And we have to be willing to adjust our tactics as rapidly as our opponents are.”

practices,” the interpretive rule states. Robert Bonnie, USDA’s undersecretary for natural resources and environment, told the committee that the interpretive rule expands the number of agricultural practices exempt from the federal permitting process. Parrish disagreed. The interpretive rule, he said, “provides farmers with nothing they didn’t already have.”

Ag strategy connects with Chicago food BY KAY SHIPMAN FarmWeek

A statewide agriculture strategy and Chicago’s food industry may forge new working relationships and develop a comprehensive plan. Recently, Illinois Farm Bureau President Rich Guebert Jr. discussed the Vision for Illinois Agriculture during the Illinois Agricultural Legislative Roundtable. Begun in 2008, the Vision for Illinois Ag involved leaders representing many agriculture sectors. The strategy’s three major goals are for Illinois to rank among the top three states in both food manufacturing and in crop and animal production, and to lead the nation in bio-based product technology and services. Work with Chicago’s food sector continued following a state food and agriculture

be presented across the food chain,” Guebert said. The plan would analyze the state’s and Chicago’s strengths and weaknesses related to the food industry. Possible topics summit in Chicago last Octomay include strategies to ber, Guebert explained. attract young people to careers The Chicago Community in the agriculture and food Trust became interested in industries, agriculture and funding a plan for food and food producagriculture tion and proafter attendcessing chaling last year’s Illinois Farm Bureau leaders con- lenges, and summit and learning about tinue to work on a strategic plan. areas for sustainable ecothe economic nomic growth. potential for food and agriculThe plan also would offer ture even in the Chicago region. Those dollars — along recommendations to leaders of the state and city farm and with additional contributions from the ag industry — would food business sectors, state and city officials, legislators support development of a and university leaders. comprehensive, integrated Guebert said a leadership plan to guide Illinois and council would be formed to Chicago in addressing global define challenges to be food security issues. addressed in the plan. “The strategic plan would

POLICY

Page 3 Monday, June 23, 2014 FarmWeek

EPA regional office already expanded its jurisdiction

BY DEANA STROISCH FarmWeek

Although a proposed rule defining “waters of the United States” hasn’t been finalized, Illinois Farm Bureau says the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) already operates under the belief it has more control in Illinois. Officials from EPA’s Region 5 office told IFB and Illinois Pork Producers Association officials repeatedly during a recent meeting that members should assume any surface-discharging septic system will flow into federally-protected waters. EPA now requires a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for new and replacement surface-discharging septic systems — if they discharge into “waters of the United States.” That’s in addition to construction permits issued by local county health departments. “They’re already operating like they have jurisdiction over all water and land in the country,” said Lauren Lurkins, IFB

director of natural and environmental resources. According to information on the EPA’s Region 5 website, Illinois homeowners must determine whether the aboveground sanitary system will discharge into federal waters. Violators without a permit face fines of up to $37,500 a day for each discharge. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, questioned EPA’s Deputy Administrator Robert Perciasepe about the matter during a recent House Transportation and Rodney Davis Infrastructure committee hearing. Perciasepe told him the EPA doesn’t regulate septic tanks and that waste treatment systems are -– and have been — exempt from the Clean Water Act. “Maybe what you see and what you hear in Washington isn’t getting to your regional offices,” Davis said.

Davis read from an EPA document that specifically stated it’s the responsibility of the potential discharger to determine whether the system might discharge into federal waters. “I’m at a loss,” Perciasepe

ried about the EPA determining whether or not there’s going to be an enforcement action based on this NPDES permitting process that seems to be so vague and seems to be in direct contradiction to this proposed rule.”

Bills would block ‘waters of the U.S.’ changes Two separate proposals in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate would block attempts to change the definition of “waters of the United States.” More than two dozen senators co-sponsored a bill, called “Protecting Water and Property Rights Act of 2014,” that prohibits the heads of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers from finalizing the proposed rule defining “waters of the United States.” American Farm Bureau Federation supports the bill, which was introduced last week. Meanwhile, a FY2015 Energy & Water appropriations bill in the House also would block changes to federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act. The House bill prohibits funds from being used to “develop, adopt, implement, adminis-

ter, or enforce” any change to the definition of “waters of the U.S.” IFB and other agricultural groups are opposed to the 370-page rule, which has been in the works for years. EPA says the rule merely clarifies which wetlands and streams are “waters of the U.S.” The proposed rule states that the following are federally-protected under the Clean Water Act: • Most seasonal and rain-dependent streams. • Wetlands near rivers and streams. • Other types of waters may be protected, if a case-specific analysis shows that they have a “significant nexus” — either alone or in combination with similarly situated “other waters” — to a traditional navigable water, interstate water, or territorial seas. — Deana Stroisch

IFB receives national communication awards

Quinn urged to lead waterways upgrades

(FarmWeek fIle photo)

Members of Illinois’ Congressional delegation last week called on Gov. Pat Quinn to help initiate public-private partnerships that could improve the state’s deteriorating locks and dams. Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Springfield, and Mark Kirk, R-Highland Park, and Reps. Cheri Bustos, D-East Moline, and Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, wrote Quinn urging him to bring together stakeholders from all sectors — including agriculture, mining and shipping industries — to take advantage of a pilot program included in the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA). “This pilot program seeks to decentralize the often slow Army Corps of Engineers planning, design and construction process by allowing communities and other stakeholders to develop new, innovative financing structures and project delivery plans,” legislators wrote. “These new partnerships could significantly

said, promising to look into the matter. Davis said: “Many rural communities in Illinois, some of the poorest areas of Illinois, have to rely on an aboveground septic system. It is an issue where they can’t be wor-

reduce the Corps’ current $60 billion backlog in projects. “Part of that backlog is a series of projects very important to Illinois and the Midwest — the expansion and improvements to the locks and dams on the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers.” The legislators noted that Illinois locks and dams are outdated and deteriorating. “Each passing day brings with it a greater chance of a catastrophic failure,” they wrote. Dave Blanchette, Quinn spokesman, said the state “has been preparing for this opportunity with our public and private partners to be a leader on this critical issue for navigation that affects not only the great state of Illinois but the entire country. “With President Obama approving the Water Resources Reform and Development Act, now is the perfect opportunity to call everyone together to help solve issues critical to our

Illinois Farm Bureau’s Rita Frazer and Dan Grant, along with FarmWeek, won national awards last week during an American Farm Bureau Federation conference in Kansas City. Frazer, RFD Radio Network anchor, won best audio feature story Rita Frazer in concert with Nic Anderson, Illinois Livestock Development Group livestock business developer. They featured Merle Snodgrass, a long-time, sight-impaired Ogle County beef producer. Judges called the story “wonderful and uplifting. The interviewer did a nice job letting this man tell his story in his own words.” Grant, FarmWeek senior commodities editor, claimed the best news series award for his extensive coverage of the 2013 IFB Animal Care Study Tour of the European Union. The judging panel said the entry contained good news writing. They also

praised Grant for providing a large amount of information in short, easy-to-read stories. FarmWeek earned the best newspaper award for state Farm Bureaus with membership exceeding 80,000. Judges noted CropWatchers as a “great feature.” They Daniel Grant also cited a good mix of “broad policy articles and state-specific farm articles.” IFB also won three honorable mention awards: • Single blog item, editorial or column — Kay Shipman, FarmWeek legislative affairs editor; • Single photo — Cyndi Cook, photographic services manager; and • Promotional or educational video or documentary — Dave Stille, training and development manager; Jim Polus, senior audio visual producer; and Philip Gangler, senior illustrator and designer.

BEEF

FarmWeek Page 4 Monday, June 23, 2014

U.S. beef trade looks promising; Hong Kong reopens market BY DANIEL GRANT FarmWeek

It took more than a decade, but U.S. beef producers finally regained full access to the Hong Kong market. USDA last week struck a deal with Hong Kong that will permit the import of a full range of U.S. beef and beef products consistent with access prior to December 2003. “This is great news for American ranchers and beef companies,” said Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Hong Kong is already the fourth largest market for U.S. beef and beef product exports with sales there reaching a historic high of $823 million in 2013.” Hong Kong banned the import of U.S. beef and beef products in 2003 after the U.S. confirmed the presence

of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a cow in Washington State. Hong Kong partially reopened its market to U.S. beef in 2005 to deboned beef from U.S. cattle younger than 30 months of Reid Blossom age. The U.S. last year was placed at negligible risk status for BSE by the World Organization for Animal Health. “Hong Kong is a big market for us,” Reid Blossom, executive vice president of the Illinois Beef Association (IBA) said last week at IBA’s annual summer conference in Bettendorf, Iowa.

“It’s been over 10 years since (the finding of) BSE plunged our market and drove U.S. beef prices through the floor,” he continued. “We’ve rebounded from that and far exceeded where we were in the fall of 2003.” U.S. beef exports last year increased 3 percent and eclipsed the $6 billion mark for the first time to establish a new annual value record of $6.157 billion, according to the U.S. Meat Export Federation. “The international market is where the real excitement is,” Blossom said. “We have record prices and also record demand for beef.” International sales contribute more than $300 to the value of every steer that leaves an Illinois feedlot, Blossom noted.

Export sales could help trigger expansion of the U.S. cattle herd as domestic consumers shy away from high-priced beef cuts. Annual per capita consumption of beef in the U.S. could decline from 54 pounds this year to 53 pounds next year, Don Close, Rabobank vice president of food and agribusiness research, predicted. “The fact that (the export market) contributes so much to (the value of) every (U.S.) animal is so important,” Blossom said. “If we’re going to grow more beef, we want a market for it.” IBA’s next goal on the trade front focuses on reaching a deal on the proposed Trans Pacific Partnership trade agreement with 12 nations, including full access to Japan.

‘Close’ call: Tight cattle supplies, high prices signal herd expansion

Historically tight cattle supplies and subsequent record prices at feedlots so far this year represent a boon to beef producers. Live cattle prices last week hovered close to $150 per hundredweight and profitability on many farms remains exceptional. Calves at numerous auction barns around the Midwest currently fetch $1,000-plus. “I’ve lived my entire life to see this market,” Don Close, Rabobank vice president of food and agribusiness research, said last week at the Illinois Beef Association’s summer conference in Bettendorf, Iowa. “There’s a set of dynamics going on like nothing we’ve seen before.” Global demand for beef remains strong even as cattle supplies dwindle. The U.S. cattle herd totaled just 87.7 million head on Jan. 1, the lowest total to start a year since 1951. Herd numbers declined the past seven consecutive years. Cattle and calves on feed as of June 1 totaled 10.59 million head, down 2 percent from last year, USDA reported in its monthly cattle on feed report Friday. Placements in feedlots (1.91 million head, down 7 percent) and marketings of fed cattle (1.87 million head, down 4 percent) also declined from a year ago. U.S. cattle slaughter as a result of the tight supplies declined

‘ Without question, the economic signal to the industry is we need to expand.’ — Don Close Rabobank vice president of food and agribusiness research

about 13 percent so far this year and as as much as 23 percent the previous two weeks. “We’re using available cattle supply at a fast pace,” Close said. The situation has been difficult for many consumers to swallow. Ground beef prices nationwide climbed 76 percent since 2009 and reached a record $3.85 per pound in May. Close believes strong demand and record prices send a signal to producers. “Without question, the economic signal to the industry is we need to expand,” he said. “We need to rebuild numbers.” But even if producers retain more animals in spite of record sales potential, rebuilding the cattle herd won’t be easy. “From a simple physiological standpoint, it could be two years (before there’s significant growth in the cattle herd),” Close said. “I think we’re looking at a three- to five-year baseline for growth.” A wild card in the beef and cattle price equation, though,

Cows and their calves relax in a pasture near Sesser in Franklin County. The size of the U.S. herd continues to shrink as the latest cattle on feed report shows a 2 percent decline from a year ago. (Photo by Ken Kashian)

revolves around demand. “Overall, beef demand is still growing,” Close said. “My concern is can we maintain beef demand with a contracting amount of product and escalating prices? (The price of) beef is running away from the other protein choices.” Pork prices last week were about 75 percent of the price of

beef, while broiler prices were just 35 percent of the cost of beef. “Between now and September, I think the (cattle) market will stay incredibly strong,” Close said. “But I think we’ll see a summer correction.” Close predicts cattle prices this summer will drop to the high-$130s or low-$140s per hundredweight. — Daniel Grant

IBA seeks to reactivate state checkoff

BY DANIEL GRANT FarmWeek

Fifty cents doesn’t buy what it did in 1983 when the National Beef Checkoff took effect. The national checkoff collects $1 per head. Half of that money remains at the national level, while the other 50 cents from each cow sold in Illinois remains in the state. Illinois Alan Adams Beef Association (IBA) members last week responded with a push to reactivate a voluntary, state checkoff program. That program, if approved in a statewide vote, would collect an additional 50 cents per head that would go to Illinois beef programs and promotions. “Inflation and fewer cattle numbers have decreased the buying power of those (national checkoff) dollars over the years to the point it’s made it difficult to carry on a lot of worthwhile programs,” Alan

Adams, IBA president and beef producer from Sandwich, told FarmWeek. IBA members last week at the association’s summer conference in Bettendorf, Iowa, approved by a unanimous vote a bid to reactivate the 50-cent state checkoff that was discontinued 27 years ago when the national checkoff took effect. IBA now must gather 700 required signatures on a petition to trigger a statewide referendum of cattle owners, a process spelled out in state statute with oversight from the Illinois Department of Agriculture. “State law allows us to ask for a referendum to reactivate the 50-cent state checkoff,” said Adams, who noted the buying power from the original $1 checkoff from 1983 eroded to about 44 cents today. State checkoff money would remain in Illinois for state programs, such as producer profitability, rural youth education, local beef market development and research/extension education efforts. It would be a voluntary pro-

FarmWeekNow.com

Go to FarmWeekNow.com for additional information on what’s happening with Illinois beef.

gram, so cattle producers who don’t want to participate in a state checkoff, if approved, could request a refund. “Because the Illinois beef checkoff can be used on programs like marketing beef raised here in Illinois and training producers and youth to be profitable on their farms, we have a chance to help familyrun beef farms in Illinois be more sustainable,” said Mike Martz, IBA vice president and beef producer from DeKalb. The timing of the request appears good. Cattle prices this year raced to record highs. “I don’t think you can be anything but optimistic right now,” Adams said. “We’re looking at record calf prices for commercial producers and record profits in the beef feeding industry.” For more information, visit the website {illinoisbeef.com} or call IBA at 217-787-4280.

MARKETS

Page 5 Monday, June 23, 2014 FarmWeek

Crop conditions favorable; USDA to release key reports BY DANIEL GRANT FarmWeek

Concerns this spring about the impact of early-season planting delays on corn acres and production potential seem to have disappeared like a weed under a newly formed crop canopy. Many farmers in the Corn Belt, with exceptions in areas of such states as Minnesota and the Dakotas, stuck with their planting intentions and were rewarded in recent weeks by a favorable start to the growing season. “Weather conditions over the past month have been generally favorable for corn emergence and development, resulting in high yield expectations in spite of more than the usual amount of late planting,” said Darrel Good, University of Illinois ag economist. The vast majority of the

crops — 76 percent of corn and 72 percent of soybeans — last week ranked good to excellent statewide, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service Illinois field office. Meanwhile, soybeans emerged ahead of schedule last week with 89 percent of the crop out of the ground in Illinois compared to the five-year average of 75 percent. “The current high (crop condition) ratings along with a mostly favorable weather outlook are keeping yield expectations high,” Good said. The crop ratings and favorable outlook hurt crop prices in recent weeks, though. “After we caught up (with planting), it certainly took the top off things (in the market),” Joe Camp, AgriVisor risk management specialist, told FarmWeek. “The market senti-

Vilsack discusses market access with EU ag leaders BY DANIEL GRANT FarmWeek

The European Union could be a tough market to crack, but it presents tremendous potential for U.S. ag exporters. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack last week met with 28 European ag ministers and commissioners in Brussels, Luxembourg, Paris and Dublin to discuss geographic indicators and other issues in hopes Tom Vilsack of expanding trade via the proposed U.S./EU Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). “It’s a tremendous opportunity for American agriculture,” Vilsack said of TTIP during a teleconference. “Agriculture has got to be a significant part of trade negotiations.” USDA recently projected U.S. ag exports during the current fiscal year could reach a record $149.5 billion. Asian countries accounted for much of the recent growth. The issue with geographic indicators results from the EU’s desire to protect names of ag products produced in specific regions, such as French wines, Greek yogurt and Feta cheese. Vilsack believes a trademark system for specific products could sufficiently protect the names of regional ag products without denying others the right to produce and market similar products. “(Geographic indicators) create some serious issues in terms of market access,” Vilsack said.

A trademark system could protect the brands, but not deny someone from producing similar products and using generic terms, he noted. Parmigiano cheese from Italy goes by the designation of Parmesan cheese in the U.S. It originally was named after the producing areas of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Bologna, Modena and Mantora, Italy. Only cheese produced in those areas may be called “Parmigiano-Reggiano” under Italian law. Many other issues must be ironed out before the U.S. and EU sign a free trade agreement. Sanitary issues, tariffs, the use of biotechnology and regulatory simplification must be resolved before the two sides reach an agreement, according to the Ag Secretary. “These are all serious issues that require a willingness to figure out creative solutions,” Vilsack said. “It (often) takes a long time for these agreements to come to fruition.” Vilsack emphasized to European ag leaders his belief that ag diversity and various production practices must co-exist to feed a growing population and provide consumers with enough food choices to meet various demands. Science should be the “common language” used by both sides to settle differences about the use of biotechnology in food production systems, he noted. “A diversity of opportunity is key to a free and fair trade agreement,” Vilsack added. The EU previously reached a tentative trade agreement with Canada.

ment certainly is bearish since the crop’s been in the ground.” USDA this month projected crop prices this season could average just $3.85 to $4.55 per bushel for corn and $9.75 to $11.75 for beans, well below a year ago. The Ag Department next week (June 30) will clarify its current outlook for production with the release of its crop acres and stocks reports. In March, USDA predicted planted acres this year will total 91.7 million acres of corn and a record 81.5 million acres of beans. If realized, this year’s corn plantings would measure the lowest since 2010, but still rank as the fifth largest on record. “We know there were some acres switched to beans because of the (price) premium of beans to corn (this spring),” Camp said. “But I’m not too worried the corn acres number will drop (significantly from the current level),” he continued. “Farmers like to plant corn and conditions (during a stretch from late April through most of last month) were really favorable for planting corn.” Brian Hoops, market analyst

with Midwest Market Solutions, agreed. “I don’t think we’ll see much of a major change (with the current mix of crop acres),” he said. “A large portion of the crop acres were planted” in a timely manner. Any surprises in the acreage

or stocks estimates, or major shift in the weather, could ignite rallies in the crop markets in coming weeks. “We’ve taken so much out of the market, any sort of surprise could lend the corn market a source of support,” Camp added.

Two northwestern Illinois dairies will showcase the latest advances in dairy technology July 29 during a tour sponsored by the Illinois Milk Producers’ Association (IMPA). For the third year, the tour will be hosted by former University of Illinois Dairy Educator Dave Fischer along with Mike Hutjens and Phil Cardoso, University of Illinois dairy specialists. Koester Dairy, owned and operated by the Dan and Amber Koester family, will host the first stop from 10:30 a.m. until noon. Located at 1099 E. Angle Road, Dakota, the Koester family built a new milking facility to maximize technology, management and cow comfort. The Koester family leads the state in Dairy Herd Improvement Association

production, topping an average of 30,000 pounds of milk per cow. The Doug and Dan Scheider families will host the second stop from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on their farm at 1730 West Buckeye Road, Freeport. The Scheiders optimize milk production and cow comfort with sand-bedded freestalls and modern forage storage methods. Each farm stop will include an organized tour conducted by the dairy owners along with question-and-answer sessions. Lunch will be on your own from noon to 1 p.m. No registration is required. For more information, contact IMPA Manager Jim Fraley at 309-557-3109 or Dave Fischer at 618-830-4957.

Tour set to showcase dairy technology

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FarmWeek Page 6 Monday, June 23, 2014 Bernie Walsh, Durand, Winnebago County: It has been a very rainy week here in northern Illinois. The current totals as of Thursday night are between 3.5 and 4 inches. The first 2.5 inches soaked in pretty good, but now the ground is saturated and the rain is running off. Hopefully, the flash flood warnings won’t happen and the rain lets up soon. The corn and beans are growing very fast with all the rain and warm temperatures. There is still lots of hay that hasn’t been mowed for first cutting because of the wet weather. Have a good week. Pete Tekampe, Grayslake, Lake County: We received .9 of an inch of rain in three days — Monday (June 16) through Wednesday, and then Thursday night we received almost another .9 of an inch. Pretty tough on hay baling. I cut some hay three weeks ago and got it baled without any rain, and there’s not been a three-day window since. I still have about 8 acres to do. Second cutting is almost ready. Early corn is waist high and looking dark green. The later corn has good color, but only approaching knee high. Beans are in various stages with some just sprouting to some looking great. I saved about 30 acres of wheat. It looks fair and is all headed out. Oats look great. Rain is forecast five of the next seven days. Still no window to cut the rest of the hay. Let’s hope they are wrong. Leroy Getz, Savanna, Carroll County: Heavy storms dominated northwest Illinois on Monday night (June 16) and Tuesday morning and then again on Wednesday morning through Thursday. I have had 7.3 inches of rain and it was still raining Thursday night. Strong winds damaged and downed trees, power lines and destroyed buildings in Carroll, JoDaviess and Stephenson Counties with some areas out of power for more than a day. Flash floods rolled over hundreds of acres of crops and fences, especially in eastern Carroll County. Only time will tell if these fields will recover. The winds tangled oats and flattened wheat and rye fields that had looked so good. Mowed hay was washed right out of the fields in one location. I don’t know when it will get dry enough to bale those fields that I mowed last Monday. The Mississippi River is on the rise and will soon be at flood stage. Larry Hummel, Dixon, Lee County: This was a week of rain with little to no fieldwork. The total rainfall for the week was 6.5 inches with more than 4 inches of that falling Wednesday night. As you would suspect, a lot of Wednesday’s rain did not soak in, so creeks are running full and several secondary roads were closed due to flooding. Except for a field of soybeans that needs to be replanted, the soybeans look good from the road. I have to admit I haven’t been brave enough to plod through the mud to do a good job at scouting. Ken Reinhardt, Seaton, Mercer County: I had 1 inch of rain in my gauge from Thursday’s showers to go with the .3 earlier in the week. Corn is in the oooh and ahh “never seen it grow any faster” stage that you hear everywhere annually. The wonders of nature. Ron Moore, Roseville, Warren County: We received 1.2 inches of rain last week. I did get my hay mowed and baled last week before the rain. At this point in the season, rain is always welcome even if the hay gets wet. The corn is now fence post tall and looking very good. The soybeans are all sprayed and almost closed in the rows on 30 inches. No insect pressure to report. We are expecting Japanese beetles to be here soon. We will keep looking for them. Pastures and streams are normal for this time of year. We will soon be updating fences and preparing equipment for harvest. Jacob Streitmatter, Princeville, Peoria County: More rain across the area. Small amounts of less than a inch. Crops look decent. Most corn has been sprayed, but soybeans need sprayed now. Rain showers make it hard to get everything done, but not complaining.

Tim Green, Wyoming, Stark County: It was a pretty wet week with 3.5 inches of rain plus or minus some, depending on where you live throughout the county. No really big heavy rains all at once, but it seemed like we got 1 inch with .6 in the morning and .4 of an inch in the afternoon. We are watered pretty well right now and set up for a pretty decent crop. A lot of postspraying beans to get done and just a little bit of touch up on the corn. Mark Kerber, Chatsworth, Livingston County: A hot and humid week with scattered downpours accelerating growth of this crop. Soybeans seem slow to get going, but are finally adding trifoliates and new growth. Corn is sprayed and nitrogen is on. Next major job will be spraying soybeans. Those who put down a residual or another mode of action on soybeans can wait for good canopy of this crop. Mowing roads between jobs is taking place for some. Don’t get stuck in the ditch. My neighbor did. We have been waiting on cooler weather to clean up spring machinery and put it away. Might as well sweat it out and get it done. Then it will be time to take in a ball game, but it will not be the Cubs! Markets will be summer weather sensitive. Ron Haase, Gilman, Iroquois County: We were able to finish our nitrogen application, but the rain has prevented us from finishing the post-emergence herbicide application in our cornfields. Rain on Wednesday and Thursday put a halt to field activity. Our farms received a range of 1.7 to 2 inches of rain. We were hoping to get all the corn sprayed before it passes the V8 growth stage, but now that does not look possible. The range in corn development is anywhere from the V3 growth stage up to V10 with most of the corn being between V7 and V9. Those plants entering V9 will begin rapid stalk growth through internode elongation. With the heat and moisture available, the fields at V9 are gaining a lot of height each day. The range in soybean development is between the V2 and V7 growth stages. The local closing prices for June 19 were nearby corn, $4.32; new-crop corn, $4.14; nearby soybeans, $14.34; new-crop soybeans, $11.96. Brian Schaumburg, Chenoa, McLean County: Spraying soybeans is winding down and agronomists’ warnings about herbicide resistant weeds are painfully evident. Water hemp is making a stand, and pouring on more glyphosate is not the answer. Corn is V8 to V10 and GDU’s are 802 or about average. Ratings remain excellent. The summer solstice is here as is our 34th anniversary! Where did the time go? Corn, $4.44, new, $4.22; soybeans, $14.20, new, $11.92; wheat, $5.53. Steve Ayers, Champaign, Champaign County: A quiet, hot, humid week until just before midnight Thursday when the dark and stormy night rumbled through with lightning, thunder and .5 of an inch of rain. Earlier in the evening, massive thunderheads were north and east of us as radar indicated strong storms. Farmers were able to catch up with fieldwork last week, and sprayers, mowers and balers were working in many fields. Corn and beans continue to leap out of the ground. See you at the Vermilion County Fair near Oakwood that runs June 2428. Wilfred Dittmer, Quincy, Adams County: And we got rain — some over 2.3 inches or more since last week. If rain makes grain, then this should help. Some areas got hail the first of the week. Most corn is well above the knee-high stage and beans 4 to 6 inches. A lot of hay also put away before the rains came. Sprayers have also been busy trying to get over all the fields. Have a safe week.

Carrie Winkelmann, Tallula, Menard County: What a hot and humid week it has been!!! It was raining as I wrote this and from the sound of it not blowing anything around too much. We received .71 of an inch of rain Thursday night. Wheat is turning nicely in the county and so is the rye that we will probably harvest in a couple weeks. Saw some hay being mowed and baled, but the weather seems to be playing havoc with everyone who is trying to get hay put up. Good week for killing weeds in the garden! Tom Ritter, Blue Mound, Macon County: Our corn was leading the good life this week with adequate moisture and 85 to 90 degree temperatures. We saw a tremendous amount of growth, as well as good, dark green leaf texture. Corn is off to an excellent start and is already head high. It will definitely be tasseling before the Fourth of July. Beans also continue to improve as they probably needed the drier weather much more than the corn. Beans had a lot of good growth and are starting to get rid of the yellow color from saturation the last couple of weeks. The only field activity going on is some post-application spray of soybeans and some of that was hindered by some very windy conditions. We will be ready by the first of the week, if not before, for some additional showers. We are not lacking on moisture, but we would like to keep the pump primed to work towards a good yield this fall. Todd Easton, Charleston, Coles County: Clear skies have let us back in the fields to finish spraying and sidedress applications. Extremely healthy and dark green corn fills the countryside with most of it being in the V5 to V7 stages. Soybeans are looking good as they approach their V3 stage with sprayers moving rapidly across them to kill out what few weeds are in them. Two tenths of an inch of rain came down early Friday morning to slow applicators down, but I’m sure they will be going again in the afternoon. Good looking corn sure grows fast. The knee-high corn I was standing in just two weeks ago is now up to my neck. Please remember that country intersections can never be trusted, especially when the crops are up. The time you take to come to a complete stop is time well spent. Jimmy Ayers, New City, Sangamon County: We had a little rain Thursday evening anywhere from .2 at our place to 1.5 inches in the northern side of the county. Sangamon County Fair usually brings the rain with it, and that was the case Thursday evening. Corn is deep and dark green. Some of it is as tall as 6 feet now and growing rather well. A lot of soybeans were sprayed this week and quite a bit of hay went up. Wheat is turning a little bit, but it still has a week or two on it. Please take your time going through intersections as they have become dangerous. The life you save may be your own. We don’t need to be in that big of a rush. Doug Uphoff, Shelbyville, Shelby County: It was raining again as I wrote this Friday. Beans were sprayed last week. Bean planting was finished on Thursday in the southern part of the county. Corn is V7 to V8 and beans are about the same. Field days suitable for work have been few and far between this month, but at least there have been a few. I have seen a lot of roads being mowed. Some with narrow frontend tractors and others with no cabs — neither with rollover protection, close to deep ditches. All it takes is one wash that you didn’t know was there. Is it really worth it to have grass mowed while risking your life? Have a good week and be safe out there. David Schaal, St. Peter, Fayette County: It has been a calm week around here as far as weather. Some heat and humidity has moved in. On Monday morning (June 16), rain came across the northern part of the county, but nothing here. There has been hay cut and baled this week without a drop of rain on it. Have not been able to accomplish that in the past few weeks. Along with the haying, a lot of post bean spraying going on. A lot of the corn has taken grasp of the nitrogen and is green and growing. April corn is looking excellent. Soybeans looking good also with no bugs or worms to report at this time. Wheat harvest is right around the corner. Have a good week.

Page 7 Monday, June 23, 2014 FarmWeek Jeff Guilander, Jerseyville, Jersey County: There always seems to be that one week a year that the growing season gets kicked into high gear. With the heavy rains the week before and the rising temperatures last week, crops have really taken off. Possibly a tassel or two around, but still a week or so from anything widespread. Soybeans took a good jump with a lot of second pass spraying taking place as the rows are coming together quickly. Looks like this crop is rapidly starting to take shape. Dave Hankammer, Millstadt, St. Clair County: Wheat harvest started as temperatures climbed to the mid-90s and dry air prevailed for the week. Farmers are pleased with the yields of 60 to 80 bushels to the acre. Moisture content varied from 13 to 17 percent varying from one field to the next. Grain quality is good. Farmers also were busy catching up on the post application of herbicides on corn and soybean fields. Weed pressure has been light so far, but the window of effective control is narrowing as these crops start to canopy over the row. The growing crop looks good as most of the corn is reaching shoulder height with the earliest-planted corn starting to tassel by the end of the month. The big news in the media last week was the peach crop being reduced due to the cold winter, eliminating the pick your own fruit in some orchards. Local grain bids are corn, $4.57; soybeans, $14.24; wheat $5.81. Have a safe week.

Dan Meinhart, Montrose, Jasper County: It has been a dry and hot week with no rain, letting farmers get back to field activities. Farmers resumed planting and replanting. A lot of sidedressing and post-emergence spraying took place. Some wheat fields are getting close to harvest while others will be a while yet. By now, most farmers would welcome a shower. Rick Corners, Centralia, Jefferson County: Wow! Only had 1 inch of rain locally this week, but with 90-plus degree temperatures, crops are looking better. I heard that some south of me missed the last rain. So, maybe those folks can finally get the rest of their crops planted. Wheat harvest is just barely starting, but some reports note terrible quality problems. Kevin Raber, Browns, Wabash County: Warmer, drier days have helped all the crops. Wet areas of cornfields are getting a better color. Soybeans are growing quickly. Wheat harvest has started as the warm, windy weather dried it down quicker than I would have imagined. Yields, quality and moisture are widely varied, so I will have to wait to say what the wheat crop will average out to.

Dean Shields, Murphysboro, Jackson County: We received very little rain last week. The river crested at flood stage and is now receding. Corn is from knee high to waist high. Still planting beans and spraying some of the early beans. I was hoping to finish planting beans Friday. Wheat harvest is in full swing. Yields are good to better than average. Most farmers are double-cropping back to soybeans. Be safe and take care. Randy Anderson, Galatia, Saline County: We went from swamp land to the Sahara desert in a week. Hills are dry and hard, and valleys still muddy, so it’s a juggling act trying to finish beans. Corn is starting to turn around, but the damage is done on some low spots. Some started cutting wheat. Reports are it’s not too bad and most say it’s better than expected, but there are some quality issues on some wheat. My weed of the week is fall panicum. Ken Taake, Ullin, Pulaski County: We finally had an open week here in deep southern Illinois. It’s been a busy week with a lot of soybeans planted and replanted. We finished sidedressing our corn, and we should have finished spraying by Saturday. Wheat harvest is in progress. I haven’t heard any reports of yields yet, but I know the weather has been good for harvest so far. Please be careful as we are in this busy season.

El Nino summer could benefit Midwest crops Reports received Friday morning. Expanded crop and weather information available at FarmWeekNow.com.

BY DANIEL GRANT FarmWeek

Developments in the Pacific Ocean could play a key role in Midwest crop conditions and yield potential this summer. It appears conditions favor the development of a modest to strong El Nino, war mer than normal temperatures in t h e Pa c i f i c O c e a n , i n t h e weeks ahead. So what does that have to do with crop development in the Midwest? El Nino summers typically favor cooler and wetter weather patterns in Illinois and sur rounding states, according to Eric Apel, meteorologist with Mobile Weath-

er Team in Washington. “E l N i n o seem s to b e a pretty good certainty at this point,” Apel told FarmWeek. “That would favor growing conditions for us (in the Midwest).” If El Nino develops, Apel believes its influence on Midwe s t e r n we a t h e r c o u l d b e strongest the second half of summer. Summer officially began Saturday. He predicted summer weather could be cooler and wetter than normal from late July into September under an El Nino scenario. If realized, the mild conditions could benefit the critical pollination phase of corn development

along with soybean flowering and pod set. “The latter half of summer is when I see this thing (El

vice Climate Prediction Center’s seasonal drought outlook, from May through Aug. 31, called for neutral conditions in Illinois

‘The latter half of summer is when I see this thing (El Nino) having the most effect.’ — Eric Apel Nino) having the most effect,” Apel said. “August typically is cooler and wetter than normal for most of Illinois (during El Nino).” The National Weather Ser-

Meteorologist

Plains as well. “I expect the Southern Plains to see some (drought) relief from El Nino,” Apel said. Temperatures in Illinois last week heated up to highs so far this year with multiple reports in the 90s. Apel predicted temperatures could cool down the rest of this month before a possible warm up the first half of July. “The latter half of June it’s looking like a cooler pattern,” he said. “But the first half of July I anticipate some hot temperatures before the El Nino effects take hold.” Dryness issues in Illinois were alleviated this month. “The past two weeks, all but in a few northwestern counties rainfall has been 1.5 to 4.5 inches above normal (in Illinois),” Apel added.

The Illinois Rural Health Association (IRHA) will host its 25th annual education conference Aug. 1415th at the Keller Convention Center in Effingham. Rural health care professionals will enhance their skills through continuing education and professional development. First organized in 1989, IRHA combines the efforts of medical schools, hospitals, health clinics, health departments, practitioners, consumers and public officials to strengthen health systems

and the eastern U.S., and for drought removal in states such as Kansas and Nebraska. Areas where drought could persist or intensify include Texas, Oklahoma and parts of the West Coast, according to the Climate Prediction Center. However, the possible for rural residents and communities. arrival of El Nino could beneSession speakers will discuss Medicaid-man- fit dry areas in the Southern aged care expansion and a federal look at rural health issues. Fifteen workshops, ranging from veteran’s mental health to telehealth, will be offered over two days. Back problems rank as one of the most common disabling Registration costs $160 for IRHA members, $210 conditions, according to AgrAbility at Purdue University. for nonmembers and $50 for students. For informaAgrAbility developed a new, free publication, entitled tion and a detailed brochure, visit {ilruralhealth.org} “BACK on the Farm, BACK in the Saddle,” focused on helpor call Margaret Vaughn at 217-280-0206. ing farmers, ranchers and anyone involved in agriculture reduce

Research-based information on a wide variety of policies currently being analyzed and discussed in government and private sectors populate a new University of Illinois website. Economists in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences teamed to provide {policymatters.illinois.edu}. Visitors can subscribe to email posts or an RSS feed. Paul Ellinger, head of the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, said the site parallels the style and function of

t h e d e p a r t m e n t ’s p o p u l a r f a r m d o c d a i l y sites. “The College of ACES is well known for its expertise in agricultural economics, but the public may not be as aware of its broad base in other types of policy matters, such as energy and environmental policy, international, food and nutrition policy,” Ellinger said. “This site was created as a new way to deliver discussions and analysis about policies that affect our state, country and world.”

State rural health association to mark 25 years

Tips to save farmers’ backs

University of Illinois develops policy website

back problems or manage existing ones. The 21-page booklet discusses many back problems common among those who work in agriculture. Proper lifting involves bending the hips and knees so legs, not the back, perform most of the work. While lifting, keep the back upright and straight throughout the lift. Equipment and technology may help with jobs that can cause or aggravate back problems. The booklet discusses several tools, including squeeze chutes, ergonomically designed tractor seats and anti-fatigue floor mats. Farmers must consider the publication as a resource, not a replacement for professional medical advice. To obtain the publication, visit {agrability.org/Resources/back}.

EDUCATION

FarmWeek Page 8 Monday, June 23, 2014

Ag ed supporters moving on answers for teacher shortage BY KAY SHIPMAN FarmWeek

Illinois fails to graduate enough future agriculture teachers, but efforts under way seek potential solutions for that critical need. State agriculture leaders and ag educators last week shared progress and ideas for challenges ranging from state license requirements to growing college expenses. In mid-April, somber reports raised several existing reasons and pending changes that contribute to the shortage. As of last week, 22 ag teacher positions remained open on an Illinois ag education website. However, Illinois education officials donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t recognize agriculture education as a highneed teaching field. Having ag ed be considered as a highneed field would provide federal financial incentives for college students studying ag ed and would allow retired ag teachers to temporarily fill a position and teach full time without losing benefits, according to state education officials. The Illinois Leadership Council

for Agricultural Education (ILCAE) and Illinois Committee for Agricultural Education (ICAE) reported members are pursuing options to have agriculture considered a high-need teaching field. College costs and increasing student debt impact future ag teachers as much, sometimes more, than other ag students. Student teaching requirements add to student expenses without an opportunity to earn money, several educators noted. In comparison, industry and organizations offer paid internships to other ag students. Ag leaders and educators discussed a variety of financial options from grants to lowinterest loans and from local funding efforts to university funding matches. Nebraska Farm Bureau recently launched a scholarship program for student ag teachers and a loan program for new ag teachers. ILCAE members volunteered to explore different funding ideas and report on their findings. Increased certification

The demand for high school agriculture teachers in Illinois outstrips the supply. Illinois agriculture leaders and agriculture educators are working on potential solutions to increase the number of college graduates in agriculture education and to encourage more of those graduates to start careers in education instead of industry. (FarmWeek file photo)

requirements pose another challenge for future high school ag teachers who also would teach exploratory junior

high classes. Currently, between 70 to 80 Illinois high school ag programs also offer classes to junior high students. Ag ed leaders are investigating possible license requirements to teach ag in

kindergarten through 12th grade instead of obtaining separate high school and middle school licenses. The state already offers teachers these credentials in certain subjects, such as music and art.

Illinois 4-H livestock judges representing U.S. in Scotland

The Illinois 4-H Livestock Judging Team headed last week to Edinburgh, Scotland, to represent the United States after winning the National 4-H Livestock Judging contest in Louisville, Ky. The Illinois 4-Hâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ers beat teams from 31 states for the top honor. The team includes Carson Hank of Aledo, Gabrielle Lemenager of Kankakee, Rob Johnson of Niantic, Amy Loschen of Kankakee and Tyson Schulte of Milan. The team will compete at the Royal Highland Show in a contest similar to those in the U.S. However, contestants will find more emphasis on judging beef and dairy cattle as well as sheep rather than poultry and hogs. During the last portion of the trip, the team will tour local farms in Scotland, Ireland and Great Britain.

Field day planned for July 12 Spence Farm Foundation and the Central Illinois Sustainable Farming Network (CISFN) will host a July 12 field day featuring four young Livingston County farmers. Registration will start at 1:30 p.m. followed by the program from 2 to 5 p.m. Guest speaker Marty Travis will share insights and experiences working with the young farmers and discuss how others can help the next generation as educators, mentors and business owners. The event will start at Garden Gate Produce, 6423 N. 2300 E. Road, Fairbury. The

group will travel to Spence Farm, 2959 N. 2100 East Road, Fairbury. Register by visiting {cisfn.org}. CISFN members may attend at no charge. Nonmembers will be charged $5. The University of Illinois Extension with direction from an advisory group of central Illinois farmers facilitates programs for CISFN. For information, contact Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant, U of I, at 217-782-4617 or cvnghgrn@illinois.edu or Erin Meyer, Spence Farm Foundation, 309-370-6441 or e.meyer @spencefarmfoundation.org.

CONSUMER OUTREACH

Page 9 Monday, June 23, 2014 FarmWeek

CHEESECAKES AND CALVES OUTREACH

Right: Carol Glennon of Lexington greets a dairy calf while her husband, Mike, and 21-month-old daughter, Fiona, look on. The Glennons joined families in Lexington last week at Cheesecakes and Calves, a free, consumer outreach event that combined dairy information with samples of That’s So Sweet cheesecakes and Prairie Farms Dairy milk. Lindsay Bachman, the bakery owner and operator who grew up on an Angus farm, and Mary Mackinson Faber, whose family operates Mackinson Dairy Farm, Pontiac, organized the activity at the bakery in Lexington. Visitors learned how milk moves from a dairy farm to a milk processor and how a business, like That’s So Sweet, obtains milk to produce cheesecakes. Above: Free samples of three cheesecake flavors made the link between consumers’ tables and dairy farms. (Photos by Kay Shipman)

200 golfers and 35 volunteers enjoyed a great day of golf and fundraising for Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom at ƚŚĞ / &ŽƵŶĚĂƟŽŶ͛Ɛ ϭϴƚŚ ĂŶŶƵĂů ŐŽůĨ ŽƵƟŶŐ ŝŶ WŽŶƟĂĐ͕ />͘ dŚĂŶŬƐ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ŐĞŶĞƌŽƐŝƚǇ ŽĨ ƐƉŽŶƐŽƌƐ ĂŶĚ ƉĂƌƟĐŝƉĂŶƚƐ͕ ƚŚĞ / &ŽƵŶĚĂƟŽŶ ŝƐ ŽŶ ƚƌĂĐŬ ƚŽ ƌĂŝƐĞ ΨϰϬ͕ϬϬϬ ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚŝƐ ǇĞĂƌ ͛Ɛ ĞǀĞŶƚ͘ dŚĞ / /d ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵ ǁŝůů ƌĞĂƉ ƚŚĞ ďĞŶĞĮƚƐ ŽĨ ĐŽŶƟŶƵĞĚ ĨƌĞĞ ƌĞƐŽƵƌĐĞƐ ĂŶĚ ŐƌĂŶƚƐ ĨŽƌ ƚĞĂĐŚĞƌƐ ĂŶĚ Ő >ŝƚĞƌĂĐǇ ŽŽƌĚŝŶĂƚŽƌƐ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚŽƵƚ ƚŚĞ ƐƚĂƚĞ͘

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Champaign County Farm Bureau David L. O’Dell Insurance Agency, Inc. Driscoll Motor Company, Inc. DuPage County Farm Bureau® Evergreen FS Heritage FS, Inc. Illinois Fertilizer & Chemical Association Kelly Sauder Rupiper Equipment, LLC. Ogle County Farm Bureau Copper Sponsor Marquis Energy Inc.

FB IN ACTION

FarmWeek Page 10 Monday, June 23, 2014

State Rep. Ann Williams, D-Chicago, experiences tractor power as Edgar County farmer and tour host Don Rowe explains modern machinery technology. Williams toured the grain farm operated by Rowe and his daughter and son-in-law, Tiffany and Matt Ehler.

Edgar County cattleman Delmer Bell, left, discusses the challenges of a livestock farm with state Rep. Ann Williams, center, and Edgar County Farm Bureau manager Kristine Book. Williams toured Bellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beef cattle operation during her recent whirlwind ag tour of the county. (Photos by Christina Nourie)

Edgar County Farm Bureau provides â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;adoptedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; legislator whirlwind tour

State Rep. Ann Williams, D-Chicago, recently embarked on a whirlwind agriculture tour hosted by Edgar County Farm Bureau, her â&#x20AC;&#x153;adoptedâ&#x20AC;? county Farm Bureau. Farm Bureau matched Williams and Edgar County in 2011, and she hosted the farmers for a summer district BY CHRISTINA NOURIE

tour that year. The farmers planned a jam-packed agenda for her first visit to Edgar County. Several county Farm Bureau members greeted her at the county Farm Bureau office and then traveled to tour Matt and Tiffany Ehlersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; farm. The Ehlers, who farm with Tiffanyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s father, explained the

planting process for corn and soybeans. Williams not only climbed into some farm equipment, but she also drove a tractor. Williams said she was impressed with the technology used to operate machinery. The farmers took that opportunity to discuss the importance of the state sales tax

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just storing grain. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s storing quality.

exemption on agricultural inputs. The farmers and Williams discussed many current issues during lunch at the Eagle Ridge Country Club. After lunch, the group toured the Coshocton grain elevator, a new facility. Coshocton Chief Executive Officer Rhoda Crown and Elevator Superintendent Ron Warnock helped the representative understand grain elevators and provided an overview of grain storage and marketing issues. Livestock farming provided the next topic at the beef cattle farm of Delmer Bell. Bell discussed how he keeps his cattle farm running smoothly from the time the calves are born to the time they go to market. The farmers also dis-

cussed challenges in raising livestock, including the impact weather and markets have on an operationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bottom line. Castle Finn Winery provided the final stop and tour of the facility and overview of winemaking. The group sampled a number of wines. The representative stated she learned quite a lot about Illinois agriculture, and the farmers appreciated her time and effort to visit the county. The farmers hope to serve as a resource for Williams when agricultural issues arise in the General Assembly and they look forward to visiting her district again. Christina Nourie serves as the Illinois Farm Bureau northeast legislative coordinator.

Learn to Shine with IFBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Young Leader Discussion Meet Friendly Competition That Builds Your Leadership Skills Show your art of discussion for hot agricultural topics - and compete for great prizes, including a chance to represent Illinois in the National Discussion Meet.

District & State Discussion Topics:

Additional State Topics:

The farm bill crop insurance provisions offer a safety net for crop lost due to natural disaster and/or price risk. Should a safety net for livestock producers be developed and what provisions might it include?

How would the conditions of government managed public lands change if they were managed privately? What are the pros and cons of government ownership of land versus private ownership?

+RZ VKRXOG RXU QDWLRQÂˇV SROLFLHV EDODQFH FRQFHUQV DERXW food insecurity against concerns about the safety or environmental impact of modern agricultural technologies? What role should farmers have in discussing and debating these issues in our society and with our lawmakers?

Should farmers and ranchers be held liable for possible food borne illnesses when the food item of concern can be traced back to their farms or ranches? Why or why not? How can young farmers and ranchers work to encourage membership growth and member engagement for the county, state and national Farm Bureau organizations?

Entry Deadline July 23 (to Illinois Farm Bureau)

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IAA District

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INFRASTRUCTURE

Page 11 Monday, June 23, 2014 FarmWeek

IFB announces 2014 infrastructure study tour participants BY DEANA STROISCH FarmWeek

Twelve Illinois farmers this summer will get a firsthand look at U.S. port infrastructure needs in the southwest. Illinois Farm Bureau last week announced the names of the farmers selected for this year’s tour, scheduled for Aug. 30-Sept. 6. The farmers include: Larry Beck, White County; Paul Beisiegel, St. Clair County; Nelda Burnett, Massac County; Dave Carr, Macon County; Rock Katschnig, Henry County; Jeff Kirwan, Mercer County; Jim Malley, Warren-Henderson counties; Brian Nie-

Farm Service Agency

Rule changes for planting fruit, vegetables and wild rice — Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced new fruit, vegetable and wild rice provisions that may affect farmers intending to participate in certain programs authorized in the new farm bill. “Similar to previous programs that we’ve administered, planting fruits, vegetables or wild rice on base acres on a farm may result in a payment reduction for program participants,” said Scherrie Giamanco, state executive director for the Illinois FSA. Farmers who intend to participate in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs may be subject to an acre-for-acre payment reduction when fruits, including nuts, vegetables except mung beans, dry peas, lentils, and chickpeas, or wild rice are planted on the payment acres of a farm. Planting fruits, vegetables or wild rice on acres not considered payment acres will not result in a payment reduction. Farms eligible to participate in ARC/PLC but not enrolled for a particular year may plant unlimited fruits, vegetables and wild rice for that year. Eligibility for succeeding years is not affected. Planting and harvesting fruits, vegetables and wild rice on ARC/PLC acreage is subject to the acre-for-acre payment reduction when those crops are planted on either more than 15 percent of the base acres of a farm enrolled in ARC using the county coverage or PLC, or more than 35 percent of the base acres of a farm enrolled in ARC using the individual coverage. For more information, contact your local FSA office or visit {fsa.usda.gov}.

mann, Montgomery County; J.C. Reitmeier Jr., Champaign County; and J. Larry Miller, IFB director from Franklin County. Ron Pierson and Chet Esther from GROWMARK and Scott Sigman of the Illinois Soybean Association will also attend. “We have an excellent group of farmer-leaders on this trip from across the state and anticipate they will be active participants in future advocacy for infrastructure maintenance and improvements,” said Tamara Nelsen, IFB senior director of commodities.

“All of them are keenly aware of the critical function that infrastructure plays in their farm opera-

tion, bottom line, and the long-term success and competitiveness of U.S. agriculture.”

Nelsen leads the tour. The 2014 Illinois Farm Bureau Market Study Tour includes visits to ports in Georgia, Louisiana, Texas and Virginia. This year’s study tour is the first to be held within the United States. IFB typically hosts more than a dozen farmers on the annual trip. Participants applied for the tour and were selected by a panel of judges. Upon return and thereafter, participants will be expected to do presentations and give media interviews regarding their tour experience.

TRAIN LIKE A

100-BUSHEL YIELDER.

Training Training sstarts tarts Tuesday, July 15, near near H Heyworth, eyworth, IILL at 7 AM. Register Register now at soyyiel soyyieldchallenge.com/SoybeanCollege dchallenge.com/SoybeanCollege or ccall all (8 (877) 77) 48 482-7203. 2-7203. Keynote Keynote Speaker Speaker

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Machinery Ma M Mac chinery hi PPete tee “Soybean College is a great learning opportunity and investment for your soybean operation. No other program out there walks you through the different high-yield tactics and tips for managing soybean pests and disease with such a direct impact to your bottom line.” – Lynn Rohrscheib, Grower and ISA At-Large Director, Vermilion County

NATURAL RESOURCES

FarmWeek Page 12 Monday, June 23, 2014

Seeking solutions for termination problems with annual rye

Q. A Monmouth farmer asks, “Is there a better product and/or faster working product than what I’m doing if the rye has any size to it? Burndown of annual rye is frustrating and slow. I was told to always use Roundup 32-44 oz., 1 pt. 24-D, A.M.S. on the first trip. Then the second trip put down my residual. Sometimes with the wet and busy spring, it is tough to fit in. I want to keep a cover crop on in the winter.” Dean Oswald, Illinois Council on Best Management Practices: Annual ryegrass is well established with a deep root system when terminating in March or April. Points to consider: Timing; rate and

product; weather; varietal and blend differences. On timing, annual ryegrass can be killed fairly easily at flowering but may set viable seed. The residue will decompose slower and tie up nitrogen for a longer period of time. Termination is easier at a more vegetative state of growth. Be sure to read the product label. Glyphosate is the most commonly used herbicide for annual ryegrass control. The minimum rate recommended is

1.25-1.5 pounds acid equivalent (ae) per acre with ammonium sulfate and surfactant. Roundup PowerMax is a 48.7 percent glyphosate product with 4.5 pounds per gallon of ae. A 41 percent glyphosate product only contains 3 pounds per gallon of ae. One burndown application should control annual ryegrass, but growers should have plan B ready for application if conditions were cool. Use a product with a different mode of action. As for weather conditions,

annual ryegrass should be actively growing five to seven days for optimum results. Spray before noon and give four hours for glyphosate translocation. Daytime temperatures should be between 55 to 60 degrees. Temperatures at night should be 40 degrees for three nights. As for cover crop species variety, there is a large difference in germination and establishment between varieties. Blends may be cheaper but more difficult to control, and blends of varieties are very common. Mike Plumer, Illinois Council on Best Management Practices: Glyphosate does work slow in cool weather. Spraying the annual ryegrass in

the morning will help speed up the translocation and kill. The use of additional surfactants and other glyphosate additives have shown an increase in speed of burndown. Weed scientists recommended residual products that can be added with the glyphosate to increase control, such as rimsulfuron and pyroxasufone. For a fast burndown, use paraquat followed by a second paraquat spray with the residuals in two weeks. It does take two applications for control. Weed scientists have shown that a paraquat application followed in two weeks with an application of clethodim or glyphosate for soybeans has given good control, but it is still two applications. It is also a good management practice to use different herbicides to reduce chances of resistance developing. Your second option would be to grow cereal rye, which is easier to control with one herbicide application. But be aware that cereal rye gets really big fast in the spring. To view previous questions and answers, visit {farmweek now.com/customePage.aspx?p =544}.

Questions may be emailed to kayship@ilfb.org; add “Discover Cover Crops” in the subject line or mail to Discover Cover Crops, Kay Shipman, 1701 Towanda Ave., Bloomington, Ill. 61701.

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East-central water-ag tour planned July 25

The Mahomet Aquifer Consortium and the Regional Water Supply Planning Committee offer a July 25 field trip showing water use and agriculture in Mason County. Registration starts at 9 a.m. at the Mason County Farm Bureau office, Havana. Tour sites include the Central Illinois Irrigated Growers Association research plot, an Illinois River terminal and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Jake Wolf Fish Hatchery. Attendees will be transported via charter bus. The registration fee is $45 and includes lunch. For a registration form and agenda, visit {mahometaquiferconsortium.org /ECIRWSCagenda2014-rev1. pdf}. For information, contact Robbie Berg with the consortium at MAC1998_15@ yahoo.com or call 217-493-7404. Send registrations and fees to the Mahomet Aquifer Consortium, Box 8555, Champaign, Ill. 61826.

FROM THE COUNTIES

Page 13 Monday, June 23, 2014 FarmWeek

HRISTIAN — Farm Bureau will co-host a 2015 farmland assessment values seminar at 6 p.m. July 8 at Kreiger’s. Brenda Matherly, Illinois Farm Bureau, will speak. Call the Farm Bureau office at 824-2940 to register by July 3. • Farm Bureau will co-host an ag appreciation luncheon at 11:30 a.m. July 24 at the Christian County Fairgrounds. Laura Harmon, IFB Office of the General Counsel, will speak. Call the Farm Bureau office at 824-2940 to register. • Young Agriculture Leaders will sponsor Plowing the

Streets 5K and 1 Mile Family Fun Run at 8 a.m. July 26 at the Christian County Fairgrounds. Cost is $15 for an individual and $30 for a family and will include a T-shirt if registered by July 9. After July 9, cost is $20 for an individual and $40 for a family. Call Melissa McMillan at 824-2940 for reservations. Proceeds will benefit the Young Agriculture Leaders scholarship fund. ENRY — Farm Bureau will sponsor a cover crop workshop at 8:30 a.m. July 2 at Black Hawk College East Campus, Galva. Call the Farm Bureau office at

Intermediate training for new, veteran beekeepers offered

The Southern Illinois Farming Network will offer an intermediate-level beekeeping field day Sunday at the University of Illinois Extension office, Murphysboro. Space is limited, and preregistration is required. Scott Martin and Angie Kuehl, seasoned local beekeepers, will discuss swarm characteristics and detecting and controlling beetle and mite infestations. They will provide hands-on instruction on the use of hive inspection equipment. Southern Illinois Farming Network members may attend free; nonmembers pay $20. To register, visit {eat southernillinois.org}. For information, contact Dayna Conner at 618-319-0542 or dayna@eatsouthernillinois.org.

Workshop focuses on warm season grass for forage and bioenergy

A warm season grass workshop and plot tour will be offered July 8 at Richland Community College, Decatur. The program will run from noon to 5 p.m. followed by a plot tour from 6 to 8 p.m. The registration deadline is July 3. Participants will learn about use of perennial grasses for heat and power. Ed Ballard, retired University of Illinois Extension educator, will discuss use of warm season grasses to

Tuesday: • “FarmWeek: the Early Word” • Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey climatologist • Lt. Gov. Shelia Simon: campaign for Comptroller Wednesday: • Tim Schweizer, Illinois Department of Natural Resources: black bear in northern Illinois • Troy Frerichs, COUNTRY Financial director of investments-wealth management: COUNTRY Financial security index • Jason Emmert, U of I College of ACES assistant dean; Gary Ochs, U of I teaching assistant; Luke Allen,

extend the grazing season through summer and for hay. Tour participants will view the Caterpillar bioenergy grass plots and a soil pit to glimpse subsurface changes. Participants may attend the workshop, the tour or both. To register, call 217-8775640 or email tmcmahon@ag watershed.org. The workshop is sponsored by the U of I Extension, the Agricultural Watershed Institute and Illinois Biomass Working Work.

District 2 FCAE adviser: agriculture teacher shortage Thursday: • Ron Moore, Illinois Soybean Association director: consumer outreach • Colleen Callahan, USDA Rural Development Illinois director • Jonathan Perkins, Beck’s Hybrids southern Illinois Practical Farm Research® director Friday: • Harry Cooney, GROWMARK energy manager: customer risk management • Sabrina Burkiewicz, Illinois Farm Bureau promotions manager: Ditch the Rule campaign • Nancy and Carey Schalber, Gifford: rebuilding after a tornado • “Horse Talk”

937-2411 for reservations. EE — Correction: Farm Bureau will cosponsor a crop marketing workshop at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Ogle County Farm Bureau office. Steve Johnson, Iowa State University Extension, will speak. For more information, call the Farm Bureau office at 857-3531. ACON — The Foundation will sponsor a photo contest — Picture Macon County. Members, spouses and children under the age of 22 may submit an original photo taken in Macon County from April 1, 2014 through June 30, 2014. Email photos to tstock@maconcfb. org by July 11. For more information, email tstock@macon cfb.org. ASSAC — The Young Leaders Committee will sponsor Touch a Tractor from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Fort Massac State Park 5th Street entrance. Call the Farm Bureau office at 5245811 for more information. CDONOUGH — Farm Bureau will cosponsor a marketing seminar at 7 p.m. Monday at Spoon River Outreach Center. Steve John-

M M M

son, Iowa State University Extension, will speak. Cost is $10 for nonmembers. ERCER — Farm Bureau will sponsor a bus trip to Wrigley Field in Chicago to see a Cubs/Cardinals baseball game. The bus will leave at 8:30 a.m. July 26 from the Aledo VFW. Cost is $100. Call the Farm Bureau office at 582-5116 or email mcfb1@frontiernet.net by July 1 to register. EORIA — Farm Bureau will sponsor a bus trip to St. Louis from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. July 29. The tour will include the Breeding and Agronomics Technology facility in Creve Coeur, Mo., lunch at Monsanto and the Biotechnology facility in Chesterfield. Cost is $50. Call the Farm Bureau office at 6867070 for reservations by July 10. • Farm Bureau will take Michigan blueberry orders for July 17 pickup at the Farm Bureau auditorium. Cost is $12 for 5 pounds and $20 for 10 pounds. Call the Farm Bureau office at 686-7070 to place orders by July 10. IATT — Farm Bureau and Piatt County Service Company will co-sponsor a

M P

customer appreciation and ethanol promotion from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at the Monticello Fast Stop Express on Marion Street. HITE — Young Leaders will sponsor a pistol shoot at 8:30 a.m. July 19 at Carmi Trap Range. Cost is $25 before July 1 and $35 after July 1. Visit {whitecfb. com/pistolshoot.html} for complete details and a registration form. Call Ruth Weaver at 382-8512 for reservations by July 19. ILL — Young Farmers will sponsor a harvest kickoff golf outing from noon to 7 p.m. Sept. 5 at Cinder Ridge Country Club in Wilmington. Cost is $100 if registered by Aug. 5. Dinner only is $30. Proceeds will benefit the Agriculture in the Classroom program. Call the Farm Bureau office at 7274811 for sponsorship forms or reservations. Reservation deadline is Sept. 1.

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

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PROFITABILITY

FarmWeek Page 14 Monday, June 23, 2014

World markets provide direction on U.S. wheat prices The USDA will be fine tuning its estimates for the new-crop wheat balance sheet in the months ahead with most of the adjustments reflecting changing global export/ import scenarios. During the 2014-15 crop years, look for world trade projections to continue guiding United States prices. While the winter-spring wheat rally was a partial product of harvest concerns in the U.S., prices also climbed in reaction to events taking

place outside of the country. Futures jumped considerably in response to political unrest in Ukraine as grain handlers worried exports from that country would be disrupted. Now that tensions in the Black Sea region have deescalated, the trade will return its focus to new-crop trade prospects. The European Union is set to take over as the world’s top supplier and Canada is on track for another year of robust production. Brazil is

USDA last week granted a conditional license for use of a vaccine, RNA with SirraVax RNA Particle Technology, to help slow the spread and effects of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV). The license allows the vaccine producer, Harrisvaccines of Ames, Iowa, to sell the vaccine directly to veterinarians and swine producers battling the virus. PEDV causes vomiting and diarrhea in older animals, and extreme dehydration and mortality of up to 100 percent of piglets less than one week of age at the time of infection.

“Since late 2013, we have sold nearly 2 million doses of this vaccine through veterinary prescription,” said Joel Harris, head of sales and marketing for Harrisvaccines. “We are now thrilled to say it has been granted a USDA conditional license.” This marks the first USDA conditional license granted for a PEDV vaccine since the initial outbreak in the spring of 2013. PEDV to date killed more than 7 million piglets in 30 states, including Illinois. It doesn’t represent a human health or food safety threat.

USDA licenses vaccine to slow spread of PEDV

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) $36.50-$56.40 $46.86 40 lbs. (cash) $98.00-$125.00 $115.27 Receipts

This Week 75,250 *Eastern Corn Belt prices picked up at seller’s farm

Last Week 98,621

Eastern Corn Belt direct hogs (plant delivered) Carcass Live

(Prices $ per hundredweight) This week Prev. week Change $117.74 $112.97 $4.77 $87.13 $83.60 $3.53

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

Steers Heifers

This week $ 149.77 $149.78

Prev. week $148.68 $148.53

Change $1.09 $1.25

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 $204.92 $198.91 $6.01

Lamb prices Negotiated, wooled and shorn, 124-166 lbs. for 136-165 $/cwt. (wtd. ave. 147.31); wooled and shorn 170-196 lbs. for 133-165 $/cwt. (wtd. Ave. 139)

Export inspections (Million bushels) Week ending Soybeans Wheat Corn 6/12/2014 7.9 14.6 43.4 6/5/2014 4.6 19.1 45.4 Last year 2.8 21.6 14.1 Season total 1560.1 27.6 1414.6 Previous season total 1274.1 41.8 560.9 USDA projected total 1600 925 1900 Crop marketing year began June 1 for wheat and Sept. 1 for corn and soybeans.

expected to have planted a considerably larger wheat crop, which will reduce that country’s reliance on imports. The early thought is that the U.S. will continue to face plenty of formidable export competition in the new-crop year, but there remains uncertainty over production in some key growing areas. Early-season dryness in Russia and Kazakhstan could impact production in those major wheat-exporting countries and an expected El Niño

threatens the usually abundant Australian wheat crop. Countries like Argentina and India should have ample surpluses to offer world markets, but policymakers have failed to remove export restrictions that limit their competitiveness. The USDA estimates that U.S. wheat exports will fall by almost 22 percent on the year, citing lower hard red wheat production and increased supplies abroad. U.S. wheat still commands a

FSA announces 2014 acreage reporting dates — The new farm bill eliminates direct payments and any program that resulted in direct payments. Currently Agriculture Risk Coverage/Price Loss Coverage (ARC/PLC) program regulations and policy are being developed by the national Farm Service Agency (FSA). After all rules, regulations and processes are determined, ARC/PLC program sign up will begin and will be retroactive to include the 2014 crop. It is important farmers not only complete their 2014 crop acreage certification with their crop insurance agents, but also stop by their county FSA office and report their 2014 planted crop acreages. Farmers who file accurate and timely reports for all crops and land uses, including failed acreage, can prevent the potential loss of FSA program benefits for crop year 2014. Pay close attention to the acreage reporting dates below as some dates have changed for 2014. To comply with FSA program eligibility requirements, including crop year 2014 and delayed ARC/PLC program enrollment for crop year 2014, all farmers should visit their local county FSA office to file an accurate crop certification report by the applicable deadline. The following 2014 acreage reporting dates are applicable for Illinois: • July 15: All spring seeded crops (corn, soybeans, grain sorghum, etc.); perennial forage with an intended use of cover only, green manure, left standing or for seed; and cabbage planted between March 15 and May 31; and • Aug. 15: cabbage planted between June 1 and July 20. The following exceptions apply to the above acreage reporting dates: • If the crop has not been planted by the above acreage reporting date, then the acreage must be reported no later than 15 calendar days after planting is completed. • If a farmer acquires additional acreage after the above acreage reporting date, then the acreage must be reported no later than 30 calendar days after purchase or acquiring the lease. Appropriate documentation must be provided to the county FSA office. • If a perennial forage crop is reported

premium over world supplies and the export program will suffer until better parity is achieved. The U.S. still holds a strong stake in the global wheat trade, but it will become increasingly necessary for prices to adjust within the reflection of world markets. Joe Camp serves as AgriVisor’s risk management specialist. His email address is jcamp@agrivisor. com.

Farm Service Agency

with the intended use of “cover only,” “green manure,” “left standing,” or “seed,” then the acreage must be reported by July 15. Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) policyholders should note the acreage reporting date for NAP covered crops is the earlier of the dates listed above or 15 calendar days before grazing or harvesting of the crop begins. For questions regarding crop certification and crop loss reports, please contact your local FSA office. County Farm Service Agency (FSA) committee election — Through Aug. 1, FSA accepts nominations of eligible farmers to run for the county FSA committee. Nomination forms (FSA-669A) can be obtained by: • visiting {fsa.usda.gov/elections}, scrolling down to the links under “Election Materials” and clicking on “2014 Nomination Form,” • calling the local FSA office and asking that FSA-669A be sent to you, or • obtaining FSA-669A at the local FSA office.

USDA seeks summer food sponsors — The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) seeks sponsors to ensure low-income children eat nutritious food when school is not in session. USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service administers SFSP. SFSP reimburses approved sponsors for serving meals that meet federal nutritional guidelines. Sponsors receive payments from USDA based on the number of meals served. Eligible children who are 18 or younger eat free at approved SFSP sites in low-income areas. Sponsors include organizations that manage SFSP feeding sites and can manage a food service program. Sponsors may be public or private nonprofit schools, universities or colleges; local governments; and private, nonprofit organizations or camps. For information, contact Nancy Heriford at 217-241-6600, extension 201 or visit {fns.usda.gov/sfsp/summer-food-serviceprogram-sfsp}.

PROFITABILITY

Page 15 Monday, June 23, 2014 FarmWeek

CASH STRATEGIST

Acreage report in crosshairs

The USDA June acreage report is always important in defining new-crop potential, some years more than others. This looks like one of those years in which the USDA estimates may play a more important role in setting the table for the fundamental structure of the 2014 crops. A number of variables have played roles that might impact this year’s acreage forecasts. First was the persistence of the high soybean/corn price ratio. For the first time since 2009, soybeans have been able to economically compete with corn for acres in major producing areas. Second, the slow, early start to planting may have impacted producer planting decisions during planting, especially those areas in which planting was somewhat delayed. Third, the slow progress across the northern tier of states is likely to have shifted some acreage with significant area of corn and/or spring wheat to be planted when the final insurance planting dates were reached. In the end, we settled on thinking corn and spring wheat acres were trimmed slightly,

while soybean plantings expanded. We see corn plantings dropping to 91.5 million, down from USDA’s 91.7 million estimate. Spring wheat plantings may have dropped to 11.5 million, down .5 million from USDA’s March forecast. Meanwhile, soybean plantings could have jumped as much as 1.5 million acres from their March forecast to 83 million. If you remember, the acreage allotted to all crops in March still left about 2.5 to 3 million acres unaccounted for. The lateness of planting in those northern states should push more area into prevent plant. But based on the last progress numbers, there was something less than 2 million acres to be planted in North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. We have revised our prevent plant total to 4.5 million acres this year. Even then, our total for all acres including those planted, put in CRP and designated prevent plant still falls 1.4 million from last year. The final soybean acreage will have some uncertainty depending on the outcome of double-crop plantings. Nearly all of the plantings to do yet are double crop. The final size of them will depend on the speed of soft red wheat harvest. But there is good moisture to get a crop started this year. That will induce producers to take a chance unless it gets too late.

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Corn Strategy

ü2013 crop: Corn prices are showing some early signs of possibly turning up out of a 20-week cycle low. But given the fundamentals, it’s difficult to foresee anything other than a modest rebound. Target a move to $4.65 on December futures to make sales. Get basis locked up on hedge-toarrive contracts and other unpriced inventory. ü2014 crop: Even though we don’t expect a major rebound, the new-crop price decline has gotten overdone. Early conditions point to a good crop, but important parts of the growing season still lie ahead. Wait for December futures to get back to $4.65 before making sales. vFundamentals: The heavy rains and flooding in the northwestern part of the Corn Belt have stirred talk about 1993, but this situation is nowhere near the problem that occurred then. Meanwhile, rains in the western Corn Belt have improved the moisture profile in an area that was still relatively dry. The June 30 USDA reports will provide some fundamental clarity.

Cents per bu.

Soybean Strategy

ü2013 crop: Soybean prices should eventually rebound, but it may come from an even lower price level. Use any rally to wrap up old crop sales. ü2014 crop: Spread unwinding with old-crop futures has been supporting new-crop prices, but that will slowly start to evaporate, allowing new-crop prices to decline, too. Use rallies to get sales to recommended levels. ü2015 crop: Given longterm downside risk and prices nearly as high as the 2014 crop, price the first 15 percent of an expected crop. vFundamentals: Amid the flood talk, it’s important to remember broader areas are getting good rains, which should keep the condition of the new crop relatively high. Look for a lot of volatility before and after the June 30 USDA reports. Even though old-crop prices have lost their luster, June 1 stocks will be a key factor in how prices perform until the new crop enters the pipeline.

The acreage number has longterm implications, but mostly it’s a question of how big it will be.

Wheat Strategy

ü2014 crop: If you are comfortably marketed on newcrop production and have the ability to store wheat on farm, hold off making additional sales until more is known about quality and yield. Those that will price bushels directly off the combine need to keep an eye on the pace of harvest. Make sales before the majority of cutting is finished if significant delays do not materialize. ü2015 crop: With the 9-year

cycle having turned up this winter, there is little need to make 2015 wheat sales at this time. vFundamentals: Markets have reached an important crossroad as we approach the busy period of the Midwest harvest. While just weeks ago the soft red crop looked as if it was in great shape, persistent rains are threatening quality and progress. The pace of harvest will determine the extent to which a seasonal tendency for harvest glut weighs on prices. At the current price levels, there exists less downside risk. Continued weather uncertainty should support wheat at recent lows.

PERSPECTIVES

FarmWeek Page 16 Monday, June 23, 2014

Ground dwelling bees important pollinators

Bees and wasps are not the kind of insects that elicit warm, fuzzy feelings. One of the biggest reasons for our dislike of them is that these insects have the ability to sting. And being stung by insects is something that we humans don’t relish. Most dictionaries define wasp as a social or solitary winged insect that has a narrow waist. Bees are defined as any of several winged, hairy-bodied, usually stinging insects. Entomologists include both of these types of insects along with sawflies and ants in TOM the order TURPIN Hymenoptera. Bees and wasps both have social and solitary species. Both types of insects have four membranous wings. The females of most bees and wasps can sting. What is the difference between bees and wasps? Structurally, it boils down to two things: Bees tend to be fuzzier and more heavier-bodied than wasps. There are other differences between bees and wasps. Bees gener-

ally are associated with collecting pollen as food for their young. So, the hairs on bees’ bodies are generally branched, which helps pollen stick to bees. Wasps, on the other hand, generally do not use pollen as food for their offspring. Consequently, hairs on wasp bodies lack the branching feature found in bees. Some baby wasps are parasites within the bodies of other insects; others eat food such as spiders and insects that their mother captures for them. Because of the association with pollen, bees tend to be around in the early season when many plants are producing pollen at a high rate. Some of the more noticeable, larger wasps are social insects, meaning there is a queen and workers in the nest. Yellow jackets, paper wasps and baldfaced hornets are social wasps.

A mated queen starts a social wasp nest each season, and insect numbers in a nest reach peak numbers in the fall of the year. Two species of social bees exist in the U.S. — the honeybee and the bumblebee. Honeybees live in perennial colonies, and bumblebees live in a colony that exists for only the summer. Both of these social bees can have large numbers of individuals in a colony. But occasionally in early spring, a few people encounter a great mass of small bees flying around near the ground. These are not social bees even though they appear in the same area in great numbers. Such bees

often turn out to be a type of ground nesting bee. Some are called plasterer bees, and some are called mining bees, but all nest in the ground. Because these solitary bees gather pollen, including those that nest in the ground, they play an important role in plant pollination. This has garnered renewed attention in recent years as more and more people recognize that honeybee colonies are not as numerous as they once were. Another difference between bees and wasps is that all bees are defensive stingers, meaning they use their stinger to protect themselves. Wasps can also use their stingers in self-defense, but some species use the stinger to paralyze prey, a process that is defined as an offensive sting. In general, the ground nesting bees only sting if someone grabs them or they get caught in clothing. That is why I tell people to leave the bees alone and they will not sting. Tom Turpin is an entomology professor at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind.

What’s in a food name? More than you can imagine

A recent column on quinoa prompted a reader to alert me to a similar grain, which is grown in Illinois, named amaranth. I did some research and learned a lot about amaranth, which has been in the food chain for a long time. Amaranth was important to the WILLIAM Aztecs and BAILEY can today be purchased at our local grocery store under the name “Bob’s Red Mill Organic Amaranth.” I also learned it is referred to, in some circles,

Editor’s note: Liz Koehler, IFB News and Communications intern, asked FFA members attending the recent state FFA convention how they will use skills gained in FFA in their future careers.

as pigweed, since it apparently has been fed to pigs. Given the choice, I prefer the name amaranth to pigweed. It certainly seems to have considerably more commercial appeal. “Bob’s Red Mill Organic Pigweed” doesn’t really do it for me. Amaranth is not the only food product that benefits from a consumer-friendly name. For example, kiwi fruit has traditionally been called Chinese gooseberry. When farmers in New Zealand started to commercially harvest and export the fruit, they sold it as ‘kiwi fruit’ to emphasize its country of origin. There are two fish whose names have been modified to sound a little

more attractive. Patagonian toothfish is now sold as Chilean sea bass, and the fish called slimehead has been renamed to orange roughy. Another area where names are important is in the dairy industry. The nation’s largest dairy farmer organization, the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), doesn’t approve of nonanimal-based products being sold as milk. For example, there is soy milk, almond milk and rice milk, all of which are available in the local grocery store’s refrigerator cheek by jowl with milk from dairy cows. The NMPF doesn’t like that and has been battling

for several years to stop the use of ‘milk’ by their competitors when they name their products. This is important to the dairy industry because per capita fluid milk consumption has steadily declined for the past 25 years. On the other hand, until recently, soy milk sales had steadily increased. Almond milk has started to take market share away from soy milk, and fluid milk consumption continues to fall. NMPF is frustrated that a white fluid is put into a container identical to milk, sold as a substitute for milk and that nondairy interests benefit from the ability to use ‘milk’ on their products.

“Being in FFA, I went through a bunch of interviews, which will prepare me for job and college interviews in my future.”

“I aspire to be an engineer, which requires a lot of organization and is detail-oriented. FFA has helped me realize how much agriculture affects everyday life, which is why I want to work for John Deere or Case IH.”

“I will use the skills I’ve learned in my (livestock) foot trimming Career Development Event in my future because it’s important to know the animal skills and health and nutrition information for maximum production.”

Hannah Ward Pittsfield Chapter

Chris North Galva Chapter

Tyra Waner Carlyle Chapter

Clearly, names matter. Or do they? William Shakespeare wrote, and Juliet spoke, in “Romeo and Juliet:” “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” In keeping with this thought, I suspect Shakespeare would agree that a slimehead tastes the same as orange roughy. In contrast, both the NMPF and its fluid competitors think everything is in a name. They just can’t agree on that name — ‘milk’, ‘soy milk’ or ‘soy juice’. What do you think? William Bailey teaches agricultural economics at Western Illinois University’s School of Agriculture, Macomb.

tary) service.”

“I will use the leadership skills I learned in FFA to stand up and volunteer for what people haven’t and in my future in the (mili-

Nicholas Welsh Lincolnwood Chapter