AG Mag Grundy County Area
Time to Recover
Forecast for 2013 growing season better than last year Farmers: Ready for spring planting season The Farm Bill: what you need to know A fresh approach: Grundy County Farm Bureau Young Leaders approach agriculture with new ideas Drought effect: Corn crops prompt ethanol debate A Publication of Shaw Media
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1 Grundy County Area Ag Mag
Spring 2013
2 Grundy County Area Ag Mag
Grundy County Area
AG Mag
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Grundy County Area Ag Magazine is published by the Morris Daily Herald, 1804 N. Division St., Morris IL 60450. The entire contents may not be reproduced in any manner, either in whole or part, without written permission of the publisher. Advertisements appearing in Grundy County Area Ag Magazine are not endorsements by the publisher. The publisher is not responsible or liable for errors or omissions in any advertisement beyond the paid piece of that advertisement. ©2013, Morris Publishing Company.
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Farmers Ready for Spring Planting Season BY JEANNE MILLSAP • HERALD CORRESPONDENT
The spring planting season is gearing up for its start this year in the area. Farmers are going over their planters and equipment one final time to make sure they’re in tiptop function. They’re getting seed delivered and ordering fertilizer if they didn’t order it in the fall. Planting season in our location is normally around mid-April, although it can vary quite a bit. “Thinking back to March of last year, it was 80 degrees out, and we were in t-shirts,” said Jeff Brockman, with GRAINCO FS. “We had customers who planted all their corn in March.” Last spring was hot and dry, Brockman said, and farmers didn’t know quite what to expect of the crop. “When I look at the forecast for next week,” he said in mid-March of this
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year, “that looks more normal, which I’m more comfortable with.” Neil Gallagher, agronomist with Hintzsche Fertilizer, said planting too soon can be a huge gamble. A nighttime low of 20 or 25 can really take its toll on newly-planted crops. “It’s driven by Mother Nature,” he said, “but usually no earlier than April 15 or 18. Maybe even a little before in southern Grundy County, but there’s more risk.” Hintzsche said corn yields are driven by viable stands and ear counts. When new crops are hit with an early freeze, both of those can be fewer. “If there’s any doubt,” he said, “my rule of thumb is rip it up and replant.” Replanting can come with a hefty cost, though, he added. “Seed costs are astronomical.”
Planting in the Grundy County area is almost all corn and soybeans. There is also a small amount of wheat that went in last fall, Gallagher said, but that’s about it. Farmers plant corn and beans for economic reasons and because there is precious little livestock in the area that needs other crops like alfalfa. It’s difficult to predict a growing season, but Gallagher said the soil is starting off with enough ground moisture to get things going on a good foot. There has been quite a bit of snow and rain in recent weeks, he said, although a lot of it ran off because of the frost layer underneath. “We don’t need a lot of rain,” Brockman said, “we need timely rain. We are still at a little bit of a deficit right now.” But even with the drought of the past couple of years, area crops did alright.
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The northern parts of our area did well, Brockman said, but farther south, around Odell, it was “really rough.” Gallagher said he does have one doubt. The United States Department of Agriculture is predicting the country will plant an overall 99 million acres of corn this season, he said. Last year, 90-91 million acres were planted. “I don’t see how that’s going to happen,” he said. “That’s a big, big corn crop.” Brockman reminds those on the roads to remember to be cautious around farmers driving equipment around. “There will be some huge equipment going up and down the roads,” he said, “and they can’t see behind them, and they can’t see to the side of them. Be cautious.” n
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Drought affecting corn crops prompts ethanol debate Story submitted by metrocreativeconnections.com
A drought that plagued most of the United States in the summer of 2012 decimated soybean and corn crops across America’s heartland. According to Reuters, during the drought ratings for corn and soybeans fell to their lowest since the major drought of 1988, and major farm states were not able to produce enough crop necessary to meet food and feed demands. To further exacerbate the shortage, the United States government still mandates that 42 percent of this year’s crop be turned into ethanol as part of the Renewable Fuel Standard adopted in 2005, angering some farmers. Livestock producers who rely on corn for feed are angry that the mandate has not been modified in lieu of the record-breaking drought and shortages. Corn prices already are at all-time highs, and requiring that 42 percent of the yield be relegated to fuel will considerably drive up the cost of the re-
maining corn. Not only will livestock farmers be affected but so will those who enjoy corn in everything from breads to cereals. Consumers on limited budgets may find corn is simply too expensive. Ranchers and farmers are not the only ones hurting as a result of the corn shortage. The ethanol plants themselves are also feeling the crunch. A lack of corn means that many plants are remaining idle or not working at capacity. Some plants are not breaking even in terms of operational costs, potentially costing individuals their jobs. However, supporters of the ethanol requirement are concerned that removing the allotted ethanol amounts from fuel will further drive up the cost of filling up at the pump. Drivers have already experienced high gas prices, and many are feeling the effect on their wallets. Despite the talks, some economists
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say that the ethanol mandate suspension may do little to lower the cost of corn. Agricultural economist Scott Irwin from the University of Illinois says that because of the backlog of demand of corn for fuel, it would be a few months before any price change would reach the market. Plus, the change would be nominal because it would be hard to implement such widespread changes in corn for fuel consumption since the country has come to depend on a set amount. High summertime temperatures combined with historically low rainfall totals this past season devastated many corn crops that would be put to use as animal feed and ethanol fuel. The debate over whether or not ethanol mandates should be temporarily ceased is bound to continue until corn supplies are replenished. n
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A Fresh Approach
BY CHRISTINA CHAPMAN-VAN YPEREN • HERALD WRITER
Grundy County Farm Bureau 4000 Division St. • Morris, IL 60450 815-942-6400 8 Grundy County Area Ag Mag
The goal of the Grundy County Farm Bureau Young Leaders group is to spread interest in agriculture with new ideas, and in recent years the members have come up with fresh ideas to reach even more people. The farm bureau’s Young Leaders group has been around for decades, said Tasha Bunting, manager of the Grundy County Farm Bureau. The group goes through times of being really active and then less active as members age out. It currently has 35 members, about 15 of which are regularly active. The group is for men and women 18 to 35-years-old who have an interest in agriculture in Grundy County. They must be a member of the farm bureau to join the Young Leaders.“The biggest goal of the Young Leaders is to bring together young people who have an interest in agriculture to share ideas and network,” said Bunting. Those ideas have ranged from the start of a “Shopping Cart Challenge” to bring
attention to eating healthy on a budget, to donating farm rescue equipment to local fire departments. This August will be the ninth year for the Grundy County Agricultural Safety and Education Golf Benefit, which raises money for educational items and health and safety equipment. On average the Young Leaders’ golf outing raises about $15,000 and the last couple of years the money has been used to purchase grain rescue equipment, said Bunting. That equipment was donated to local fire departments who were also trained on the equipment. On March 15 the Morris Fire Protection & Ambulance District was able to use the grain rescue tubes to extract an employee at Elburn Cooperative in Morris. The man was buried waist deep in a bin that could hold about 220,000 bushels of
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Kaitlyn Harlow of Verona and Brad Yusko from Mazon are presenting the food collected during the recent shopping cart challenge to the Coal City Food Pantry.
grain and it had about 70,000 bushels in it at the time. When grain goes into the bins, it comes down on an angle so there is more grain on one side of the bin than the other. The man was in the bin doing routine work when some of the grain fell. He was
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originally buried shoulder deep, but was able to dig himself out to his waist, but then emergency workers were called. The fire department brought in the rescue tubes to assist in his rescue. The man was extracted and only had minor injuries. This was the first time the rescue tubes were used since the Young Leaders donated them in February 2012, said Bunting. “A lot of times, unfortunately, by the time the rescue is completed it is not generally the outcome they had,” she said. “Usually it is a recovery mission, not a rescue mission. But this time they were able to rescue him and get him out of the grain and everything went well.” Bunting said generally grain is fast moving so it is often times difficult to get to someone trapped in a grain bin in time. Also, many times the person working in the bin is a farmer who is working alone and not surrounded by people who can help as the man at Elburn Cooperative was.
The Young Leaders were thrilled to know their donation helped save a life, she said. Vice-Chairman of the Young Leaders, Jeff Brockman of Verona, said he is most actively involved in the annual golf outing. In addition to purchasing safety equipment, they also give scholarships from the proceeds, he said. The golf outing will be Aug. 2 this year at Nettle Creek Country Club. The golf outing and the Young Leaders group in general allows him to network with others in the farming business, he said. Brockman works for an agricultural retail company. “I joined for the camaraderie of being around people in the same business and industry we are in,” he said. The Young Leaders committee also makes feeding the hungry locally a priority. Every February a “Shopping Cart Challenge” is held, and every May a door to door food drive. This year’s “Shopping Cart Challenge” was held at the Coal City Berkot’s Super Foods where the Young Leaders team competed
against the Coal City Intermediate School staff team. This was the first time the event was held outside of Morris, said Bunting. The hope is to move it around the county from now on. “We want to give back to other areas in the county,” she said. The goal is for teams to race through the store trying to collect as many nonperishable items as possible for the cheapest amount — in just two minutes time. The food collected during the competition is then donated to a local food pantry. This year it went to the Coal City Food Pantry. “The point is to show how you can still eat healthy on a stretched budget,” said Bunting. For the first time in three years, the Young Leaders teams won the contest. The Coal City Intermediate School team gathered 262 items compared to the Young Leaders’ 177. The Young Leaders won
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with 70 cents per item, while the school team shopped at 94 cents per item. The challenge collected $375 worth of food. For the food drive in the summer, the committee members will put grocery bags and fliers on people’s door knobs that state which days they will pick up food items in the bags. Those who want to participate can donate whatever food they want to in the bags. In the past, this food drive has been done in Gardner, South Wilmington and Mazon. The Young Leaders are considering doing the event in Coal City this year, said Bunting. It usually collects 400 to 500 pounds of food annually. Other activities the Young Leaders sponsor is the Pedal Pull Contest at the Grundy County Corn Festival and an annual blood drive in July. The members also volunteer at numerous events throughout the year such as the farm bureau’s Liberty 5K and the Ag Jeopardy tournament in local schools.
The Grundy County Young Leaders meet every other month on the first Thursday at 7 p.m. The location varies throughout the county. To be a member of the Young Leaders is free, but they must be a member of the Grundy County Farm Bureau. Anyone can be a member, but to be a voting member he or she must have $2,500 a year in gross annual income from farming production or other specific interest in agriculture. To be an associate member only, it is $20 a year. To be a voting member it is $80 a year. Once a member of the farm bureau, being a Young Leader member is free. “(Young Leaders) is a great opportunity to network and meet people throughout the county and become better voices for agriculture,” said Bunting. For more information on the Grundy County Farm Bureau or the Grundy County Farm Bureau Young Leaders call (815) 942-6400. n
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There has been a lot of rumbling as of late regarding what’s commonly called, “The Farm Bill.” The Grundy County area has a large number of those who depend on farming and many who count on programs designed to help local agriculture. The current Farm Bill was approved in 2008, but it expired last September, and no new bill has yet been approved by Congress. An extension has been
approved, and programs within the bill are affected differently. Some nutrition funding programs and crop insurance programs continue to be funded by a continuing resolution approved in Congress, but that’s said to expire on March 27 of this year, according to local USDA reports. According to background issued by the Illinois Farm Bureau and passed along by Grundy County Farm Bureau
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Bill Manager Tasha Bunting, the federal bill in the past was named, “The Food and Agriculture Act,” and “Freedom to Farm.” Simply, it’s always been referred to just as “The Farm Bill.” The Farm Bill spending plan is approved by Congress every five years and is included in the United States Department of Agriculture’s budget. It has stated goals of “helping rural America to thrive; to promote agriculture production sustainability
that better nourishes Americans while also helping feed others throughout the world; and to preserve and conserve our Nation’s natural resources through restored forests, improved watersheds, and healthy private working lands.” Farm and commodities programs in 2013 are outlaid at 16 percent of the USDA’s budget, with conservation and forestry at six percent and nutrition assistance at 72 percent.
The broad categories of the Farm Bill include rural development; food, nutrition and consumer services; food safety; natural resources and environment; marketing and regulatory programs and research, education and economics. An example of how this funding is used locally is in the Beginning Farmer Development Program. Funds have not Story continues on page 17
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The forecast for the 2013 growing season is better than last year’s, according to Bill Morris of the National Weather Service’s Romeoville office. But it will still take time to recover from the massive drought that spread over the region in 2012. “We’ve seen a bit of a recharge of the soil,” Morris said. “But not as much as we’d like.” According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the 2012 Drought covered 80 percent of agricultural land in the US and was the most significant since than 1950s. “We’ve certainly seen droughts before,” Morris said. “The expanse of the country that was covered this time, in many cases severely, is what I think set this one apart.” And it will take more than just a little rain to make up for that. “There are still lingering effects,” Morris said. The soil remains dry, river levels remain low and our recent string of winter storms failed to penetrate the frost spread over the ground.
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“It takes a while to recover completely.” Tasha N. Bunting, manager of the Grundy County Farm Bureau, said that although the primary effect of the drought is poor crop production, low precipitation levels have a ripple effect that can be felt elsewhere. “The biggest thing now is the loss of crop and overall yield,” Bunting said. “The long term effects that continue into the coming years is the loss of crop to feed cattle.” That, she said, has contributed to dwindling cattle numbers. Not only that, but the Illinois River is still at a below average water level. That’s impacted the transportation of commodities. “Farmers have had to be able to roll with the punches,” Bunting said. Though some parts of LaSalle County continue to experience drought, Grundy County is now just at “abnormally low” levels of precipitation. Morris and Bunting note that conditions this spring and into growing season are supposed to be better. “The longer range forecast for spring is for normal to above-normal amounts of precipitation,” Morris said. “We still aren’t up to normal levels,” Bunting said. “But if precipitation continues, we’ll probably be caught up.” n
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FARM BILL – continued from page 13 increased to this program, according to Ron Burling, of the USDA Farm Service Agency in Morris, but the need has increased, and there is already a waiting list for the loans. That program helps beginning farmers purchase real estate to start farms. Applicants must have between three and ten years farming experience to qualify for the loans, he said. The program will also grant loans for operating expenses with low interest rates. The program has been well-used, Burling said, and interest has grown steadily the past few years. At around $9,000 an acre and up, he said, it’s very difficult for a beginning farmer to afford land. Burling said the extension of the 2008
Farm Bill left some programs at a reduced amount of spending and some that did not get renewed. The disaster program was not renewed, he said, but most area farmers have crop insurance that covers most conditions. “The disaster program was an additional safety net,” he said. During the drought last year, Burling said, farmers’ losses were covered fairly well with their crop insurance. “We would like to see a farm bill passed, of course,” he said, “but until they pass a budget, there’s not a lot we can do.” Burling said the department is currently signing farmers up for the 2013 Farm Program, through August 3, which includes the Direct and
Counter-Cyclical Program (DCP) and the ACRE Program. Those interested may also sign up for the conservation program beginning May 20, which places highly-erodible land into a set-aside. The Farm Bill, Burling said, helps not only farmers, but consumers as well. “It helps keep food prices at a reasonable level,” he said. “Having a good farm program is beneficial for helping farmers stay in business, and it’s beneficial for consumers.” The bill helps keep food prices stable, he said, and other products made from corn and soybeans, such as some plastics, ethanol, biodiesel, and livestock feed. n Sources: Illinois Farm Bureau and the United States Department of Agriculture
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