15 DAYS REMAIN UNTIL THE NOV. 6 ELECTION
FaRmeRS at thiS year’s Illinois Commodity Conference will be encouraged to work together for the common good of the industry. ...........................................2
Monday, October 22, 2012
a NeW WeaN-to-FiNiSh barn will increase the cash flow for a Carlinville family and it also opens the door for a son to remain in the family operation. ..................5
Two sections Volume 40, No. 43
NRCS handling ‘hodgepodge’ of conservation authorities cations for the Environmental Quality Incentives ProRecord CSP gram (EQIP) and the Wildlife Habitat Incentive enrollment Program (WHIP). BY KAY SHIPMAN FarmWeek
Periodicals: Time Valued
The Illinois Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is signing up farmers for some popular conservation programs but not for others because of the farm bill’s expiration, the state conservationist told the Illinois Farm Bureau Board of Directors last week. “We’re kind of stuck Ivan Dozier in a hodgepodge,” Ivan Dozier said of his agency’s extended authority for some programs but not others. Farmers should not anticipate a new Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) offering, he said. “Our authority expired; we’re not allowed to do any more signup,” Dozier said. Likewise, authority for the Wetland Reserve Program also expired. But NRCS is taking appli-
Earlier in the year, Congress extended NRCS’ authority for EQIP, WHIP, and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) through 2014, Dozier noted. “We are going to go ahead and run with those programs,” he added. Although final numbers were not available, preliminary data showed Illinois made strides in acreage and dollars invested in conservation last fiscal year, according to Dozier. Illinois received about a $1.9 million increase for conservation programs. “We hadn’t been able to do that before,” Dozier noted. Statewide, about $14.2 million was obligated for EQIP, including $2.1 million for an air quality initiative in northeast suburban and metro east counties. Dozier attributed much of the EQIP increase to practices related to livestock, such as watering systems and grazing enhancements. About 64 percent of the state’s EQIP funding was spent on practices related to livestock, he said. Illinois experienced major growth in CSP. About $4.7 million was obligated for roughly 228,000 acres. “It was the biggest (CSP) enrollment that we’ve ever done,” Dozier said. The previous year’s enrollment was 178,000 acres. Dozier thanked IFB for its support of conservation programs and for comments on issues. “I’ve been glad to hear feedback that there are opportunities we can work on,” he said.
Farming partners Ron Vieth, left, and Kyle Brase discuss wheat sowing progress last week during a break in a field south of Alhambra in Madison County. Brase estimated their wheat planting was 70 percent complete prior to rainstorms the middle of last week. Brase believes farmers in his area could plant as much as 25 percent more wheat this fall than they did last year. (Photo by Daniel Grant)
Wheat planting accelerates; acres could grow
a lot higher quality product.” Farmers also may be planting more wheat to Interest in wheat production is strong this fall take advantage of nitrogen in the soil that was and acres could grow from a year ago, according unused by the drought-stressed corn crop, to growers who recently stepped up the pace of according to Steve Stallman, a wheat grower from winter wheat planting in Illinois. Chester (Randolph County) and IWA president. Kyle Brase, a grower from Edwardsville “I’m anticipating a few more acres this year,” (Madison County) and secretary of the Illinois he said. Wheat Association (IWA), last week said wheat Wheat acres in Illinois from 2002 to 2012 averplanting was about 70 percent complete in his aged 760,000 per year. But farmers this year hararea. vested just 630,000 acres compared to 765,000 “There’s a lot more interest in wheat this year,” acres in 2011. Brase said. “It’s competing for acres.” “Wheat planting started later than normal as a Brase farms in an area where many farmers lot of soybeans, with the late-season moisture, make wheat acreage decisions on a year-by-year took a second growth and had green stems, which basis, depending in part on the economics of delayed soybean harvest,” Stallman said. “But wheat production, seed quality and availability, we’ve had good progress recently, although it’s and fall planting conditions. been somewhat spotty (due to rain).” This year, he estimated Wheat planting as of the first of FarmWeekNow.com wheat acreage in his area could last week was 46 complete statewide View a video of Kyle Brase disincrease by as much as 25 percompared to the five-year average of c ussing wheat planting at cent. 48 percent. “I think there’s a couple dif- FarmWeekNow.com. “With the rains last week, more ferent things (driving renewed wheat was planted,” said Pete interest in wheat),” Brase said. Tekampe, a FarmWeek Cropwatch“The economics of wheat have been strong and er from Grayslake (Lake County). “The earlywe’re coming off a year in which quality was planted wheat on dry ground has emerged.” excellent.” Livestock producers also have renewed Intensive management is a key to increasing interest in wheat as the crop not only provides the likelihood of better yields and quality in straw, but also a possible feed grain next year wheat, he noted. that will be available two to four months before “If it needs more nitrogen or fungicide, we do corn harvest, added Brase, whose family operit,” Brase said. “When we do that, we end up with ates a dairy.
BY DANIEL GRANT FarmWeek
FarmWeek on the web: FarmWeekNow.com
Illinois Farm Bureau®on the web: www.ilfb.org