Ag Matters
Fall 2021
INSIDE
• Farmland values jump • Corn rootworm comeback • High demand for high oleic and more... A publication of est. 1851
Shaw Media/ September 2021
| AG MATTERS
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Farmland values see 20% jump By Tom C. Doran
AGRINEWS PUBLICATIONS
DECATUR, Ill. — Illinois farmland values increased 20% in the first half of 2021, marking only the fourth time there has been this size of positive change in values since 1970. The mid-year survey was conducted by the Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers and results released Sept. 1 at the Farm Progress Show. According to Gary Schnitkey, University of Illinois Extension farm management specialist, and Luke Worrell, Worrell Land Services, Jacksonville, the price increases occurred across the entire state and affected land from all productivity levels. The survey was conducted in mid-August among ISPFMRA members and others associated with farmland sales and valuations. The survey also asked respondents their farmland price expectations for the second half of 2021 with 33% expecting increases of more than 3%,
45% expect farmland prices to increase between zero and 3% and 22% expect prices to remain the same. Just over half of those surveyed expect interest rates to be stable and 26% anticipate a 0.5% increase in the second half of 2021. Most farm managers expect cash rents to increase in 2022 over the year’s level. The average increase across land classes is 11%, according to the survey.
increases in farmland prices, with 51% believing that farmland prices will be 1% to 10% higher. Twenty-four percent believe farmland prices will be lower in five years compared to today. • Most respondents expect cash rents to be modestly higher in five years than they are now, with 51% believing that cash rents to be 1% to 10% higher. • Those surveyed anticipate average prices over the next five years to be $4.52 per bushel for corn and $11.58 per bushel for soybeans. The averages are higher than from 2014 to 2019. • Most members expect inflation over the next five years, with 29% expecting inflation to pose a problem and 57% anticipate that moderate or low amounts of inflation will occur. • Fifty-seven percent of society members expect interest rates to increase by less than 2% over the next five years and 41% expect rates to increase 2% to 5% over that same timeframe.
rent leases, 22% share rent, 19% variable cash rent, 16% modified share rent and 6% custom. Shifts in rental agreements occur slowly over time, and many farm managers expect a shift to more variable cash rental arrangements.
ORGANIC FARMING Thirty-one percent of farm managers indicated that they had more interest in converting farmland to organic farming. The mid-year survey is an abbreviated version of the more comprehensive Farmland Values and Lease Trends report that is prepared annual by the ISPFMRA. The 2022 survey will be done in January 2022 with the results released at the organization’s annual Illinois Land Values Conference on March 17 in Bloomington.
EXPECTATIONS Society members were asked what their expectations were for commodity prices and farmland values. • The average selling prices of the 2022 crop across all responses were $4.86 per bushel for corn and $12.52 for soybeans. If realized, these prices would be higher than the 2014 to 2019 averages, but likely below selling prices for the 2021 Tom C. Doran can be reached at crop. 815-410-2256 or tdoran@shawmedia. • While ISPFMRA members expected com. Follow him on Twitter at: @Agfarmland prices to be higher than they RENTAL ARRANGEMENTS currently are, they do not expect rapid Respondents indicated 37% are cash News_Doran.
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Soybean yield 63 bushels per acre
By Tom C. Doran -AGRINEWS PUBLICATIONS h MCHENRY, Ill. — A nationwide producer-based survey found a few more bushels than what was projected sby the U.S. Department of Agriculture nlast month. . The 32nd annual Allendale survey -found a U.S. average of 176.27 busheels per acre for corn and soybeans at -50.14 per acre based on conditions -when the survey was taken Aug. 16n27. USDA’s August estimates were 174.57 and 50.03 per acre for corn t and soybeans, respectively. d These estimates were based on pronducer calculated yields in 31 states. Ample surveys gave Allendale the numbers needed to project yields in 12 states. This covers 86% of corn production and 83% of soybean production. For this survey, the smaller states were assumed using USDA’s Aug. 12 estimates. Ha-rvested acres
also were assumed using USDA’s the top soybean producing states with Aug. 12 estimates. Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska ‘I’ STATE YIELDS The survey’s “I” state yield projec- and Minnesota all tions for corn were Illinois, 213 bush- within 1 or 2 bushels per acre (USDA estimated 214); els of USDA’s AuIndiana, 199 bushels per acre (USDA gust estimates.” Over the past 10 194); and Iowa, 194 bushels per acre years Allendale has (USDA 193). Soybean yield projects were 63 been quite close to Nelson bushels per acre in Illinois (USDA had USDA’s September it at 64), Indiana was estimated it at 59 numbers. “In 2020, we were actually within bushels per acre (USDA 60), and Iowa was at 56 bushels per acre (USDA 58). 0.2 bushels per acre of USDA’s Sep“The main message of the survey tember report for corn and right on as far as the overall numbers, a little USDA’s soybean number. Keep in higher corn and minimally higher soy- mind this is a survey meant for estibean yields,” said Rich Nelson, Allen- mating September’s report,” Nelson said. dale chief strategist. “In nine of the past 10 years, AllenIllinois, Iowa and Nebraska were within 1 to 3 bushels of USDA’s Au- dale’s survey has been under USDA’s gust estimates for corn while Indiana September estimate — overall 1.7 bushand Minnesota were each 5 bushels els per acre within the 10-year average per acre above USDA, Nelson noted. for corn and that tightens ups to 1.4 “There are some states that differ, bushels per acre if you take out 2012. but the top three, more or less in our In 10 of the past 10 years, our survey viewpoints at least, were relatively has been under USDA’s September close to USDA’s Aug. 12 corn esti- soybean estimate by an overall average of 1.3 bushels per acre.” mates,” he said. Of the eastern Corn Belt states, Il“There were no major changes in
linois was the only one with an estimated average yield below USDA’s August estimate, and most of the western Corn Belt states were higher than USDA with Nebraska and South Dakota as the exceptions. MARKETING The survey also polled respondents on marketing of old crop and new crop sales. Producers have 99% of their old crop corn sold, 4% above 2020, and 35% of their new crop corn is sold (24% in 2020). Ninety-eight percent of old crop soybeans are sold, 2% more than in last year’s survey. Producers have sold or hedged 31% of new crop soybeans compared to 28% a year ago. “That’s pretty aggressive compared with historical standards which are generally 15% to 20% in most cases,” Nelson said. High prices are attracting wheat sales as 50% of this current crop has been sold. Tom C. Doran can be reached at 815-410-2256 or tdoran@ shawmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at: @AgNews_Doran.
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3 AG MATTERS | Shaw Media/ September 2021
Illinois corn yield 213 bushels in Allendale survey
Shaw Media/ September 2021
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Corn rootworms stage a comeback By Jeannine Otto
AGRINEWS PUBLICATIONS
DECATUR, Ill. — Corn rootworms, which once headlined on agronomists’ and farmers’ lists of “most unwanted” pests, are making a comeback throughout the Midwest. “Growers kind of got in a lull 2019 and prior. We saw corn rootworm pick up quite a bit in 2020 and it’s coming with a vengeance in 2021. We’ve seen a lot more pressure, a lot heavier pressure, in a wider span of geography,” said Travis Coffman, traits marketing manager for corn and regional crops for Bayer Crop Science. Coffman said one factor contributing to the resurgence of the unwelcome guest in cornfields has been changing weather conditions. “Corn rootworms do not like cold, wet soil in the winter and early spring before you get into the ground. If they’ve got those mild winters and they’ve got good soil, then they are going to continue to breed and build on the populations. The weather patterns have worked out in their favor and the populations just keep grow-
ing,” said Coffman at the Farm Progress Show in Decatur. Coffman said the pressure has increased in both intensity and geography. “It’s not just ‘I saw a couple of beetles,’ or ‘I saw a little root damage.’ Corn rootworm pressure is on the rise,” he said. Scouting fields, even close to harvest, can give growers and agrono-
mists a firsthand look at how intense pressure is in fields. “I highly recommend growers go out and scout. It might be a little late to scout for beetles, but they can do some root digs and see what the roots look like. If you catch it early, if you know what you are going into for 2022, you can set yourself up for success,” Coffman said. One of the primary weapons against corn rootworms is crop rotation, particularly for growers who are committed to a corn-on-corn program. “If they are corn-on-corn for more than five years and they are seeing that really heavy pressure, then I highly recommend that they rotate their crop, go to soybeans, use some insecticides and do some different things to get those populations down,” Coffman said. For those who don’t want to leave that corn-on-corn program, Bayer Crop Science will introduce another tool in the SmartStax lineup for 2022. “SmartStax PRO with RNAi technology is coming in 2022. We are really excited about that trait. It is going to be the strongest biotech defense available for corn rootworm. It’s going to be a third mode of action for corn root-
worm, so it’s going to be that much better against corn rootworm compared to a lot of the other traits on the marketplace that just have two,” Coffman said. The SmartStax PRO with RNAi technology will be available in limited quantities in 2022 and has received export approvals. “We were excited to get that approval early on in 2021, so we can get volumes out in 2022. We’ve been working this year, in 2021, so we can get it ready for 2023.” Coffman said a program using a non-rootworm trait can also be effective. “If they are struggling with the traits we have today, we recommend they go in with a VT Double PRO, which is a non-corn rootworm trait, and then use some insecticides and beetle bombs to get those populations down. Then they can come back with SmartStax technology or, hopefully, SmartStax’s PRO technology next year and it will be a really good set up,” he said. Jeannine Otto can be reached at 815-410-2258, or jotto@shawmedia. com. Follow her on Twitter at: @AgNews_Otto.
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Short-stature corn could have big payoff AGRINEWS PUBLICATIONS
DECATUR, Ill. — Short-stature corn could pay off in more ways than one for growers. “We are really excited about short corn,” said Travis Coffman, traits marketing manager for corn and regional crops for Bayer Crop Science. Short corn, or short-stature corn, is in development at Bayer Crop Science. The corn plant is bred to be shorter and sturdier, thus being more able and likely to withstand strong wind events than taller corn plants. Coffman said short-stature corn provides PAY — Protection, access and yield. “Protection that wind damage that growers are seeing this year and that they saw last year with the derecho; access — you’ve got all-season access with the short corn with the current equipment; yield — yield potential at the end of the year,” said Coffman at the Farm Progress Show in Decatur.
Coffman said short corn is bred to withstand high wind events better than taller hybrids. “It’s not derecho-proof by any means, but it will definitely help in those greensnap and lodging scenarios,” he said. The access offered by short corn will be available throughout the growing season, including late-season applications. “If growers need to get in there, from a fungicide standpoint, nitrogen, insecticide, you name it, they have that access,” Coffman said. Coffman said growers will manage short corn similarly to the current taller varieties and should notice few differences. “Ear height is going to be a little shorter, the corn plant is going to be a little shorter, but at the end of the day, they are going to manage short corn very similarly to what they do in their standard corn today,” he said. With more extreme wind events, such as the derecho that swept across
The next great sustainable agricultural innovation for tackling climate change could be short-stature corn. the Midwest, from Nebraska to Indiana, in August 2020, causing crop damage and losses, Coffman said the short-stature corn will help growers gain an edge. “I don’t want to say it is derecho-proof because nothing is. We saw grain bins go down. But in our trials so far, we’ve seen that it has been able to withstand a little bit over 50 mile per hour winds in certain scenarios. It’s another option when those wind storms do happen.”
Coffman said a limited rollout in 2023 is expected. “That will probably be in the Corn Belt, probably around the RM 100 to 110 in 2023, but we will look to expand that as quickly as we can.” he said. Jeannine Otto can be reached at 815-410-2258, or jotto@shawmedia. com. Follow her on Twitter at: @AgNews_Otto.
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AG MATTERS | Shaw Media/ September 2021
By Jeannine Otto
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High demand for high oleic Soybean oil meets consumer needs By Tom C. Doran
AGRINEWS PUBLICATIONS
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Soybean oil demand in the food processing and cooking industry began losing its foothold in the marketplace over a decade ago, and researchers have found an answer in SOYLEIC trait technology. SOYLEIC is a non-GMO soybean variety containing high oleic trait technology that is aimed at meeting consumer demands for healthier foods. With funding and partnership support from the soy checkoff, the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council teamed up with the University of Illinois and other land-grant universities to develop this new public trait technology that nears commercial release in the Midwest. The development of SOYLEIC varieties at U of I and plots were featured at the annual Agronomy Day Aug. 19. Brian Diers, U of I professor and Soybean Genetics and Breeding chair, has been working on the SOYLEIC
breeding program for the past six years. “We got germplasm from the University of Missouri where they developed this high oleic trait and we started to breed this into Illinois-adapted varieties,” Diers said. As of 2006, if a serving of a product contains more then 0.5 grams of trans fat, it must appear on the nutrition facts label, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The public’s growing awareness of the negative impact of trans fats forced the food industry to move away from traditional soybean oil. Diers’ breeding program is developing seed varieties with high-quality oil, which boasts greater than 80% oleic acid and less than 3% linolenic acid. Soybean oil typically contains about 22% to 28% oleic acid. The oil from these varieties is very stable and can increase the market share of soybean oil for food and industrial uses. “The breeding is supported by the United Soybean Board and the Illinois Soybean Association in cooperation with other universities,” Diers said. “By increasing the oleic acid content in soybeans, processors and food
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companies will be able to again use soybean oil in, for example, crackers, chips and things like that without having to deal with these trans fats. High oleic soybeans provide much more stable oil in baking and frying.” Diers said there are four SOYLEIC lines adapted to northern Illinois with relative maturity from 2.6 to 2.8. Most have SCN resistance and other resistance. Five lines for southern Illinois have relative maturity of 4.1 or 4.2, and 11 lines have been developed for central Illinois with relative maturities from 3.0 to 3.9. “We’re still evaluating the lines coming out of Illinois, and we’ve got many locations of testing this year so that we can make a final decision about what varieties we’re going to release. They’ll be increased this winter in South America, so we’ll have seed for commercial production soon,” Diers said. “Plenish soybeans that are already in the marketplace are a GMO trait and are able to get high oleic acid through genetic engineering. SOYLEIC soybeans can be sold as a non-GMO, so you can get the non-GMO premiums for these varieties.”
Illinois varieties will be available in 2023, and determination of what varieties that will be released will be based on 2021 yield results.
MEAL ADVANCES The project also includes improving the quality of soybean meal through a reduction of oligosaccharides. “We’ve combined two genes together that will drastically reduce oligosaccharides. Oligosaccharides are a problem especially in feeding swine and poultry because it makes it more difficult for the animals to eat the meal because of stomach indigestions, gas and things like that. By removing it we can have better weight gains,” Diers explained. “The idea is if we’re going to have an (intellectual property) product with the SOYLEIC trait we could also have an IP product for the meal, as well. The SOYLEIC trait doesn’t seem to change the protein level. They’re basically the same level as other varieties.” “This is a really important piece of checkoff research coming to commercialization,” said Bryan Stobaugh, Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council director of licensing and genetics.
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Schnebly said the export market’s interest in SOYLEIC has been a pleasant surprise. “Not only do you typically think about Southeast Asia, but also we’re looking at Central America and Mexico where we have some very strong interest from partners, as well from a non-GMO prospective. It’s something we didn’t really plan on, but it’s going to be a great opportunity in the near-term to launch this product,” Schnebly noted. The USB recently agreed to expand funding for SOYLEIC trait development. “It’s a public program that’s developing this trait. We are testing well over 100 products this year from Group 1 SUPPLY CHAIN to Group 7. We’ve got a great pipeline Important next steps include aggres- coming along, as well,” Schnebly added. sively building the SOYLEIC brand, further development of the seed portfolio PATENT, LICENSING and establishing a solid supply chain. A partnership between the Univer“It’s not only about genetics and get- sity of Missouri, U.S. Department of ting the growers, but it’s also the other Agriculture, the Missouri Soybean steps in terms of the elevators, the Merchandising Council and USB led to processors and the downstream man- U.S. Patent No. 9,035,129 being issued ufacturers and trying to tie all of those in 2015 for the “method to produce pieces together,” said Steve Schnebly, soybeans with high oleic acid content Missouri Soybean Merchandising developed through soybean breeding.” Council consultant who previously The curators of the University of was a soybean breeder at Pioneer. Missouri and the USDA Agricultural “We’re doing the same things with Research Service are joint owners of SOYLEIC as with Plenish from a total the patent, and MSMC is the exclusive supply chain perspective of seed develop- licensee. ment and distribution. Grower engagement is absolutely critical. If we don’t get Tom C. Doran can be reached at AGRINEWS PHOTO/TOM C. DORAN the growers we don’t have a program, 815-410-2256 or tdoran@shawmedia. period, and bringing the processor and com. Follow him on Twitter at: @Ag- Brian Diers, University of Illinois professor and Soybean Genetics and Breeding chair, stands in rows of SOYLEIC trials. News_Doran. end-user demand linkage together.”
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“SOYLEIC is a registered trademark for seed sales going forward. We’re working in maturity groups 1 through 7. This project started many years back and these breeders that we’ve been working with, including Missouri, but not excluding anyone else. We made sure it got into every portfolio we could possibly get it into. “We’re now reaching from Minnesota, Michigan State, Illinois, Arkansas, two breeding programs in Missouri, one in Tennessee and Georgia.” The varieties are being developed according to what maturity groups are used in those states.
Processing firm sees high demand for specialty soybeans By Tom C. Doran
AGRINEWS PUBLICATIONS
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Global demand for organic and non-GMO soybeans continues on an upward spiral, and the new high oleic soybeans provide additional opportunities for farmers. Representatives from Global Processing, headquartered in Kanawha, Iowa, were on hand at the recent University of Illinois Agronomy Day to hear details of the new SOYLEIC high oleic non-GMO soybean varieties that are near launch in the Midwest. Global Processing’s facility is equipped with the latest in sorting and sizing technology to ensure a high-quality supply of raw whole non-GMO soybeans delivered directly to food manufacturing operations. The facility is designed and operated to continually guarantee variety purity and quality. Its bagging and bulk loading operation minimizes stress on the soybeans and prepares the commodity for local, national and international destinations in shipping containers. Mark Albertson serves as the company’s director of global aquaculture and strategic initiatives. Albertson was Illinois Soybean Association director of strategic market development and served as interim CEO before moving on to Indigo Ag and then to his current post.
Albertson noted the opportunities for soybean growers in an interview during Agronomy Day. “Global Processing is a small, but quickly growing company. We specialize in ag products that are the niches — so, for instance, organic soybeans that are used for tofu or soy milk, non-GMO soybeans for tofu and soy milk, and also high oleic soybeans and waxy sorghum, and we’re exporting all of these products overseas. We do have some domestic customers, as well,” Albertson said. “We specialize in high quality ag products that we clean and bag Albertson and export in shipping containers.” What is the logistics in terms of farmers delivering their organic, non-GMO or high oleic soybeans to your facilities? “Most of the soybeans we buy are in Iowa, but we also buy some in Minnesota, Missouri and Illinois, as well. Especially organic, if we can find more organic farmers we want hear from them because organic soybeans are in short supply right now. “We just bought two plants in central Nebraska and one in western Nebraska. Our main plant is in northern Iowa in
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Kanawha, and we are getting ready to buy two facilities in north-central Iowa. One of them is a soy processing plant.” What is the outlook for demand? “We’ve seen double-digit demand growth for both organic and non-GMO soybeans in the U.S. Organic, in particular, has been interesting because the organic soybeans that the U.S. normally import from India are no longer viable because there has been some questionable organic certificates coming out of India. So, now no one is accepting organic soybeans from India. That puts everyone in a big shortage. “In addition, there have been some organic soy companies who have discontinued operating and so they don’t have the supply they used to have, as well. There’s a huge shortage on organic right now. The premiums are through the roof. “We cater to the export demand that continues to grow year after year for non-GMO and organic. Most of the volume that we handle is in non-GMO and those soybeans typically go to Japan. We’re starting to do a lot more in South Korea, Indonesia and other places in Southeast Asia.” What do you see going forward in terms of the high oleic soybean market? “The high oleic business is the most exciting business that we’re getting into right now. We are contracting with farmers to grow high oleic soybeans. Our par-
ticular varieties are non-GMO and there are some great premiums right now for those varieties. So, I think farmers who are willing to try something new should take a look at high oleic soybean oil. “We’re here at this event working with the Missouri Soybean Association and the Illinois Soybean Association who have been involved with high oleic soybean oil. “Without the checkoff, high oleic soybean oil wouldn’t exist, just like biodiesel. This is a very tangible way that the soybean checkoff is able to bring back higher prices to soybean farmers especially if they’re willing to be open-minded and think outside the box. “Right now, high oleic is used primarily on a commercial scale by restaurants and other factories that produce prepared foods. The great thing about high oleic is that it has an oil profile that’s very similar to olive oil. So, it’s much healthier than soybean oil or most other oils out there. “It also has a better oxidative stability which means that when you fry foods in high oleic soybean oil you don’t have to change the oil as often. You can continue to use the same oil two and three times as long as regular oil and it also allows for a better shelf life.” Tom C. Doran can be reached at 815410-2256 or tdoran@shawmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at: @AgNews_ Doran.
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AGRINEWS PUBLICATIONS
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The past 18 months have been a roller-coaster in the ag economy, and farmers are feeling the whiplash. David Widmar, agricultural economist at Purdue University, discussed the journey at a seminar hosted by Halderman Real Estate and Farm Management. “Let’s turn the clock to January 2020,” he said. “There was a lot of optimism when we signed that ‘Phase 1’ trade agreement. And then we got to March and April. The pandemic took off. The USDA thought we would plant 97 million acres of corn. … We also had commodity prices across the board tumble. At the end of April, oil prices traded negative.” Last summer, Chinese purchases were not just lackluster, they were abysmal, Widmar said. A year ago, December corn futures hit $3.20 a bushel. But from the end of August to the end of September in 2020, things turned around dramatically. “Commodity prices started to rally in September,” Widmar said. “The USDA started shaving off some bushels. CFAP2 payments hit. China started
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David Widmar, agricultural economist at Purdue University, was a speaker at a seminar hosted by Halderman Real Estate and Farm Management. buying, and they bought big. The grain stock situation went from extremely burdensome to very tight. “Not only did the farm economy have an improvement, the improvement went from very pessimistic to very optimistic. It was a wild shift, and it happened in a short period of time.” Although no one knows what will happen next, Widmar said he is opti-
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mistic about the farm economy in 2021 and cautiously optimistic about 2022. It’s important to balance being optimistic and enthusiastic and acknowledging that there’s an uncertain future, he said. He encouraged farmers to think long term and be strategic with risk management, as well as deploying profits and pursuing “good deals.”
ASK YOURSELF: • What decisions can we make in 2021 that will improve our position in 2026? • What decisions can we make in 2021 that will undermine our position in 2026? For more information, visit www. aei.ag.
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AG MATTERS | Shaw Media/ September 2021
Farmers feel whiplash of ag economy
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Shaw Media/ September 2021
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The Power of Two ICGA, ISA partnership on display at show
different crops, same farmer, and they’re going to benefit if they both do well,” Lumpe said. “We talked about it with the governor and agriculture director today and both are very supportive. We’ll see where that goes. I talked to the governor and he asked what’s one your biggest priorities and I said both biodiesel and ethanol bills because I believe very strongly in partnering and want to make sure this isn’t just about soy, it’s not just about ethanol, it’s both bills doing well.” “We have a number of other areas that we’re talking about putting together, but those are two really big ones and both of them matter to the farmers throughout Illinois and as everybody knows almost all farmers are growing both corn and soybeans,” Weinzierl said.
By Tom C. Doran
AGRINEWS PUBLICATIONS
DECATUR, Ill. — The “Power of Two” associations teaming up to work on behalf of Illinois corn and soybean farmers was showcased at the Farm Progress Show. Illinois Corn Growers Association and Illinois Soybean Association, along with numerous related groups and initiatives, were highlighted under one tent and drew keen interest from show visitors. This marked the first time in many years ICGA and ISA worked together at the show and even more collaboration is anticipated going forward. “The renewed partnership with Illinois Soybean and the Illinois Corn has really been great to watch over the last 18 months,” said Rodney Weinzierl, ICGA executive director. “Obviously with COVID going on, the pandemic, it’s been a little bit harder to get people together and actively work together, but we have some really big programs that we’re working together on.” When John Lumpe took the helm as ISA CEO in early 2020 he told Illinois AgriNews in an interview of the importance of partnering with other commodity organizations. “This is a culmination of that, but it’s also not just me. You had to have willing participants on both sides and also the boards have been involved with each other now. The staff, legislative staff, communication staff, everybody holistically is working better together. There are mutual programs going on and it’s been a lot of fun to see and to see this today, it really makes me feel good,” Lumpe said. “It’s not about me. I was charged with doing this, but this is a group effort on both sides.” PARTNERS IN ACTION This tag-team of commodity groups goes beyond sharing a tent for three days at a farm show. Weinzierl and Lumpe noted the new ICGA/ISA partnership in the Precision Conservation Management program that was announced last December as another example. ICGA launched PCM in 2015. Initiated through funding from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service-Regional Conservation Partnership Program, PCM combines precision technology and data management with farm business and financials to help farmers manage, adopt and adapt conservation practices long-term and improve on-farm decision-making. There are 827,000 acres of farmland in the PCM program this year. “That’s something that Illinois Corn started, really trying to work with farmers to look at all of the different practices that they’re using, agronomic practices, their tillage systems, their nitrogen management strategies, and evaluate that on an economic basis, but also an environmental basis, because we know Illinois does not have a lot of money to help move conservation practices like a lot of surrounding states do and we know it’s going to take economics to drive these practices,” Weinzierl said. “But the first thing is to kind of get an idea of what these practices are doing from an economic standpoint. Just because a practice might not yield as
AGRINEWS PHOTO/TOM C. DORAN
The Illinois Corn Growers Association and Illinois Soybean Association jointly showcased their collaborative efforts at the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois. John Lumpe (left), ISA CEO, and Rodney Weinzierl, ICGA executive director, see a multitude of benefits through this renewed partnership.
much, if that has significant cost savings that might be a better economic practice and that’s important for the individual farmers to understand. “What’s nice about the program is a farmer actually gets a feel for what the practices are doing on specific fields. So, it’s almost like enterprise analysis where you really get into the weeds on expenses to see if corn is better on this field or is soybeans better on this field, is this field better than this field. “That’s what we’re attempting to do with PCM and then bring the conservation piece in. Soybeans thought that was a great idea. They know that this is an important issue for them as an association and they thought, hey, why come up with something new, let’s just tagteam with Corn and it’s been really good.” Lumpe said he approached Weinzierl about the PCM program and eventually the partnership was formed. “So, instead of soybeans creating their own program and corn having one, we should merge them. We merge the thoughts, ideas and the funding and so now we’re able to take it statewide and we are 50-50 partners in the program,” Lumpe explained. “To me, it’s the farmers’ dollars. It’s that same dollar, why spend it two times. Spend it once and do it right.” “Now we’re in an expansion. We’re doubling the size of PCM in Illinois over the next probably 12 to 15 months as we bring on new people,” Weinzierl added.
COMMON PARTNERS The ICGA/ISA tent also featured the valued partners that are important to one or both organizations. “We work with a lot of the same organization. We have the American Lung Association in here that’s done a lot biodiesel work and ethanol work over the years for both of us and are an important partner. We have Illinois Beef, Illinois Pork, both customers of ours. They don’t just eat corn. They don’t just eat soybean meal. They actually eat a ration that’s built with those two products,” Weinzierl noted. “The Nature Conservancy and American Farmland Trust are also here. It’s a place where we can invite the partners that we each have. Most of the partners we both have, so there’s a lot of synergy around that, as well.” “It’s showing again that partnership that we want to extend out to, as we call it, the family. It’s very important that we showcase what we are doing as organizations, but a lot of this we’re doing together,” Lumpe said. Representatives from the National Corn Growers Association and American Soybean Association were also on hand at the tent to meet with farmers. “Our ASA president and vice president are both here and we’ve had representatives from our boards collectively both at the state level and our national representatives have all been here,” Lumpe continued.
BEHIND THE SCENE It takes a team to make a team and Lumpe credited the ISA and ICGA communications staffs for making it all happen. “Rachel Peabody (ISA communications director) and Lindsay Mitchell (ICGA communications and marketing director) started working on this over a year ago. What could we do? What should we do? How can we come together? So, I give a lot of credit to them because they’re the designers behind this. They just had all of our support,” Lumpe said. “It’s just a great feeling because this is how it should be, us working together collaboratively.” “It’s great to be here in the same location as ISA at the Farm Progress Show in 2021. It also makes it really easy for the elected officials to swing by and see what Illinois agriculture is doing in their state and it gives us a chance to educate them as to what we’re doing trying to make the state better from an environmental standpoint and better from an economic standpoint,” Weinzierl concluded.
BIOFUELS Another example of partnership is in promoting and expanding biofuels. “We’ve been working on a plan to present to the governor’s office. They have a heavy interest biodiesel and our interest is in the ethanol space. So, we put together a task force last fall. We invited the Farm Bureau, the biodiesel plants, the ethanol plants to join us in that effort and we came up with what we think is a pretty good plan,” Weinzierl said. “We have been working to try and incorporate that into some of the ideas around climate and around energy that our governor is working on in Springfield. It’s just been a good tag-team to be able Tom C. Doran can be reached at 815-410-2256 or tdoran@shawmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter to do that and kind of get on the same page.” “There are the different fuels, different markets, at: @AgNews_Doran.
A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF A FARMER
Follow the Kindred family throughout the entire year. Each month, look for updates about the family members and the decisions they make on their farm. By Tom C. Doran
AGRINEWS PUBLICATIONS
DECATUR, Ill. — Ron Kindred spent the Farm Progress Show’s opening day promoting the Illinois Soybean Association’s Voice for Soy program booth. Illinois Soybean Growers’ Voice for Soy Action Center is ISA’s advocacy arm for Illinois soybean farmers and agriculture supporters that provides information on the most current legislative issues and puts subscribers into direct contact with lawmakers. The program allows constituents a voice in the legislative and regulatory process to ensure the needs of Illinois soybean farmers. Kindred serves as ISA’s chairman of the Illinois Soybean Growers SoyPac along with his duties as an ISA director and vice chairman. “I did the 8-to-11 shift this morning. I’m promoting advocacy for the Illinois Soybean Association. We’re promoting our Voice for Soy program that’s with the Legislative Action Center that we’ve had for a few years,” Kindred said. “We’re just trying to get more members signed up for it, so we have a bigger impact when we have something that’s important on the legislative front come up and we need to respond to it.” The Voice for Soy booth was among the many exhibits and features of the combined ISA/Illinois Corn Growers Association tent at the Farm Progress Show. Those interested in becoming part of the Voice for Soy program were able
AGRINEWS PHOTO/TOM C. DORAN
Ron Kindred (left) chats with Rob Shaffer, El Paso, at the Illinois Soybean Association’s booth promoting the Voice for Soy program at the Farm Progress Show Aug. 31. Shaffer is a member of the American Soybean Association’s board and was an ISA director. to sign up at the booth and automatically be entered into a drawing for a Yeti cooler. “Turnout has been pretty good. This is an important issue. We aren’t just doing it to give away a cooler. We’re doing it to get more farmers involved. We think the more farmers we get involved the better it is for our industry,” Kindred noted. This marked the second time in many years that ISA and ICGA teamed under one tent at the Farm Progress Show and Kindred was pleased with the result. “I’d say we’ve done it much better this time. I think there was more collaboration between our staffs to get all of this lined up. We have some of our corporate sponsors in here with us. We’re hitting a lot
of different areas. We’re doing our Illinois Soy Advisor, we’re doing conservation, corn is promoting ethanol, we’re promoting biodiesel, there’s a rainfall simulator here. It’s a just really good to have corn and soybean under the same tent working together for the benefit of the soybean and corn farmers in Illinois,” he added. After he finished his duties Tuesday morning at the Voice of Soy booth, Kindred checked out the show. “The Farm Progress Show is a way to see what’s new out here, what the opportunities are for agriculture now and in the future. There are a lot of futuristic ideas that are here and you just need to stop and talk to people and education yourself on what’s going on in agriculture,” he said.
CROP UPDATE Kindred was asked how his crops are progressing in his fields. “They’re getting mature. I think we’re still a ways away on our soybeans. They haven’t really started turning like I thought they would by this time. It may be the third or fourth week of September before they are ready to go, but they’re looking good,” Kindred said. “We’ve been out looking at the corn and it looks like we have some pretty deep kernels, the ears are filled pretty well and we think it’s going to be a good crop.” Tom C. Doran can be reached at 815-410-2256 or tdoran@shawmedia. com. Follow him on Twitter at: @AgNews_Doran.
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AG MATTERS | Shaw Media/ September 2021
Promoting Illinois Voice for Soy program
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Shaw Media/ September 2021
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