Today’s Farm New
aws
for the new year
Find out about changes to laws for hauling heavy loads, hunting and more: PAGES 2-3
Also inside ... Oregon family still growing after more than 100 years – Page 4 Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2019
A supplement to Sauk Valley Media
Sauk Valley Media • January 8, 2019
| TODAY’S FARM
2
New
aws
for the new year
KAY SHIPMAN FarmWeekNow.com
The new year ushered in more than 250 new state laws, including some of particular interest to farmers. During the 2018 legislative session, Illinois Farm Bureau successfully helped gain passage of a couple of state legislative priorities. Harvest season truck permit: Starting Jan. 1, Illinois farmers gain a new ability to efficiently haul crops on state highways between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31 without requiring a gubernatorial declaration. The new law allows farmers to apply for a free special permit from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). A farmer may apply to IDOT to haul up to 10 percent more than the gross vehicle weight on a state route, excluding interstate highways. The harvest season permit will allow gross and axle weight overages for a divisible load and the vehicle’s weight to exceed its registered/ license plate weight. LAWS continued on 34
VandeVoorde Sales Inc SMARTER PROTECTION FOR SMARTER FARMING. MAINTAIN. IMPROVE. PROTECT.
The parts you choose matter – and so does the partner you trust to keep your equipment running strong. We have everything you need – from the high-quailty OEM parts that your machine is made of to Certified Maintenance Inspections. Protect your investment and maintain your machine’s performance with the Ready Check Maintenance Event, where you’ll find everything you need for better performance and smarter farming.
FOR ALL YOUR GRAIN BIN & DRYER SALES AND SERVICE 18854 E 2750th Street Annawan IL 61234 309.935.6382
11399 Maple Grove Road Lanark IL 61046 815.493.2210
PEABUDY’S INC 2900 POLO ROAD STERLING, IL 61081 815-626-4600 www.peabudysinc.com New Holland is a registered trademark, in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates. MRC
Hunters are now allowed to think pink t
2019 brings new rules for dicamba use Operators must now be certified applicators, too FarmWeekNow.com
Planning to use crop protection products containing dicamba in 2019? You’re going to want to read this. The new label means some changes for those who apply the product. “You have to be a certified applicator in 2019,” said Lyndsey Ramsey, associate director of natural and environmental resources for Illinois Farm Bureau. “Previously, you could be a licensed operator working under a certified applicator.” That’s no longer the case. If you have a private applicator’s license or commercial applicator’s license, you are good to go heading into 2019. But, “if you are a licensed operator, you have to go in and take
your field crops test and pay the difference to get yourself to the level of a commercial applicator,” Ramsey said. Dicamba specific training is also now an annual requirement for applicators. “Even if you went to dicamba training last year, you have to go again this year,” Ramsey said. For 2019, it all boils down to the word “use” under the Illinois Pesticide Act. “Anybody that’s going to use the product has to be a certified applicator,” Ramsey said, adding that even if you only mix or load the product, or just open the jug, you have to be certified applicator. “The only difference is that if you’re transporting only, you do not have to be a certified applicator.”
We have protected area farm families for over 150 years and will continue to do so for many more. Find out how important local, hometown insurance can be. Call one of our friendly agents today! First Class Insurance Agency Milledgeville
815-225-7777
Dixon
815-284-7070
SM-ST1610964
Hugh F. Miller Insurance Agency, Inc. Rock Falls 815-626-1300
Dimond Brothers Insurance Agency Ohio 815-376-2954
Scholl Insurance Agency Polo 815-946-2324
Sauk Valley Insurance Services Dixon 815-288-2541
Harrison Insurance Group Dixon IL 815-284-7737
• January 8, 2019
Farmers are required to check with local road jurisdictions about the possible need for permits on their roads and may need to seek a permit from each road’s jurisdiction. Each jurisdiction can specify the dates for which a permit is valid based on the law designating Sept. 1 through Dec. 1 as the available permit season. Local jurisdictions have the ability to allow or not allow trucks to operate at higher rates on their roads and may waive the requirement to carry a written permit. Covered Farm Vehicle Designation: Farmers with vehicles registered for 8,000 pounds or less with specialty plates can now receive a covered farm vehicle (CFV) designation on the vehicle registration card. Vehicle owners requesting the CFV designation must pay an additional $10 surcharge for the designation. To qualify for the CFV exemption, the vehicle must be driven by a farmer or employee of a farmer and used only for that farming operation; registered with a farm plate; driven anywhere within Illinois or less than 150 miles outside Illi-
nois; if weighing more than 26,001 pounds; not driven for hire; and not transporting hazardous materials. Dairy farm inspection reports: The Illinois Department of Public Health or the local public health inspector is required to provide a paper copy of a dairy farm’s inspection report to the dairy farm being inspected at the time of inspection. Previously, the department could provide an electronic notification and copy of the inspection report. Wooded land transfers: The law allows a transfer of wooded property from one spouse to another without disqualifying the wooded acreage from the provisions for the assessment of the untransferred wooded acreage. Urban agriculture zones: Municipalities may create urban agriculture zones and offer tax incentives to businesses associated with qualified agricultural products. Municipalities would also be allowed to authorize local utilities to offer wholesale or reduced rates for businesses in urban agriculture zones. Wildlife hunting clothing: Hunters in Illinois may wear solid blaze pink clothing in addition to blaze orange clothing during firearm deer season and upland game season.
TODAY’S FARM | Sauk Valley Media
LAWS
CONTINUED FROM 2
3
LEFT: Bob Groenhagen takes his daughter, Linda, for a ride on a Case tractor during the 1950s. BELOW: An aerial view of Circle G Farms & Feedlots, its headquarters at left, and one of its feedlots at right.
Harry’s Farm Tire, Inc. “Serving the area for over 30 years”
16262 WALLER RD (RT 84) FULTON, IL.
309-887-4447
Submitted photos
ON-FARM SERVICE
Farming comes full circle An Oregon family has been growing for more than 100 years, and they don’t plan to stop anytime soon BY VINDE WELLS Shaw Media vwells@oglecountynews.com
There’s more than just corn growing on Circle G Farms & Feedlots. There’s a family tree with roots that go deep. They should – they’ve been growing for more than 100 years. Three generations of the Groenhagen family raise corn and cattle at Circle G Farms & Feedlots on Limerick Road northeast of Oregon, a farm that has been in the family since 1898. That 100-plusyear legacy of hard work and family values has earned the farm the distinction of being designated a Centennial Farm by the Illinois Department of Agriculture. The program honors farms that have been in the same family for at least 100 years.
who is in high school, also helps out. With the help of five full-time employees, they farm 6,000 acres of mostly corn, and finish 6,000 to 7,000 Angus cattle for market each year in their feedlots, which can house 4,000 steers at a time.
The family raises corn and cattle at the farm on Limerick Road, northeast of Oregon. Bob Groenhagen, 90, and his wife, Leona, live on the property they bought from her grandfather, John Roos, in 1950. Both of their families have farmed in the area since the 1860s. Bob said he enjoys farming and seeing his family take part in the operation. “I get so much satisfaction from seeing crops grow and the cattle mature,” he said. “I like seeing the other generations take over.” In addition to Bob, Circle G includes his brother, George, 80; Bob’s sons, Larry, 64, and Gary, 55; and Larry’s son, Chad, 32, who all live within 2 miles of the each other. George’s grandson, Jonathan,
CIRCLE G continued on 54
• RIMS AND WHEELS • SEMI TRACTOR TRAILER • FARM & IMPLEMENT TIRES ALL MAJOR BRANDS
Firestone, Titan, Goodyear, Michelin, BF Goodrich, General, Bridgestone, Cooper, Uniroyal, Multi-Mile, Michelin, Bandag and Recaps STOP IN OR CALL FOR PRICES SM-ST1613408
“Community banking since 1934…We understand the importance of experience, growth, local decisions and longevity in your farming business.”
Matt Hermes Managing Broker
Chas Cross
David Lloyd
Susan Gomez
Todd Muur
Amanda Sandrock
Colleen Henkel
Specializing in Farm Sales & Management
1254 N. Galena, Dixon 815-288-4648 Lee Co.: 47 +/- ac S. Dixon Twp. Good producing farm. Lee Co: 445 +/- ac, Palmyra Twp. 96% till, good producer Whiteside Co: 143 +/- ac, Clyde Twp. 138 +/- tillable
SOLD Ogle Co: 71PENDING +/- ac Brookville Twp, great location just N of RT 64
The First National Bank in Amboy
Whiteside Co: 60 +/- Acres, Excellent Soils
SM-ST1616235
Sauk Valley Media • January 8, 2019
| TODAY’S FARM
4
SM-ST1618480
Amboy • Dixon • Franklin Grove 220 East Main Street, Amboy, Illinois 61310 (815) 857-3625 | www.fnbamboy.com
CIRCLE G
What is a Centennial Farm?
CONTINUED FROM 4
• FARM • VEHICLE
• CROP • HAIL
Mickley Insurance Agency Todd Mickley, Luke Sandrock, Drew Emery
102 W. Main St., Morrison 815-772-2793 ToddMickley@2cornerstone.com
was formed. Since then Gary and Chad have joined the corporation. “Over the years, the dairy, hogs, and chickens were dropped, and we concentrated on cattle and raising corn,” Bob said. The farm does more than just provide a living, it provides learning opportunities, too. The family has hosted several farm visit days, and the Rockford tourism bureau has brought visitors from other countries to see the operation.
• PROPERTY • HEALTH
More than 9,200 Illinois farms have been named Centennial Farms since the program was created in 1972. Every county in the state has at least one Centennial Farm. Ogle County has more than 150 on its list. Whiteside has 105, Lee County 121, Bureau County 209 and Carroll County 86. The Sesquicentennial Farms Program recognizes farms that have been held by descendants of the same family for 150 years or more. To qualify for Sesquicentennial Farm status, an agricultural property must have been owned by the same family of lineal or collateral descendants for at least 150 years. Applicants who complete a form and meet all requirements of the Sesquicentennial Farms program receive an official Sesquicentennial Farm sign and certificate. A $50 application fee is charged. More than 600 Illinois farms have been named Sesquicentennial Farms since the program was created, and 22 of those are in Ogle County. Go to shawurl.com/3aet for more information.
Each family member has his own area of expertise. Bob works with landlords, keeps up with the mowing and spraying, and does overall quality control. Larry plants, harvests and handles the bookwork. George feeds the cattle, while
Gary specializes in their health as well as overseeing the spraying and grain elevators. Chad is what his grandfather called “the tech man.” He takes care of data management and integration. CIRCLE G continued on 64
We offer services including, but not limited to… • Sewer Rodding • Sewer Televising & Steaming • Franklin Livestock Waterers • Site Plumbing • Drainfields & Septics • Backhoe • Boilers • Furnaces • Air Conditioning • Goulds Jet Pumps • Submersible Water Pumps • Sump Pumps • Ejector Pumps • Water Service Repairs • Underground Boring
• LIFE • COMMERCIAL
Sandrock Insurance Agency Greg Sandrock, Widolff, Greg Sandrock,Gerard Drew Emery,
Tyler Sandrock 107 Main St., Tampico 815-438-3923 sanins@essex1.com
www.2cornerstone.com
RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • FARM • INDUSTRIAL IL Licensed 055-000988
Family owned and operated since 1967.
502 IL Rt. 2, Dixon • 815-284-2044
• January 8, 2019
Larry said he’s proud of his family farm roots. “You see what your father and grandfather have built and you want to keep it for the next generation. You want the ball to keep rolling,” said Larry. “I can’t think of a better life than living on the farm and working with family.” That pride runs in the family. “I’m proud to see where we started and that we’ve kept it up and expanded,” George said. “I enjoy working with the family.” Gary appreciates the legacy his father and previous generations built. “I like the pride and the challenge,” he said. “There’s a lot of pressure to succeed when you’ve started with what we started with.” Chad also feels that pride and challenge. “I feel it’s an incredible opportunity to take what my father, grandfather, and uncles have done and got from their ancestors and build on that,” he said. When Bob started farming in 1950 with 400 acres, he raised dairy and beef cattle, hogs, sheep, and chickens, as well as rotating crops and planting corn, oats, and hay. When Larry and George joined the operation in 1973, Circle G
The Illinois Department of Agriculture’s Centennial Farms and Sesquicentennial Farms programs honor generations of farmers who have worked to maintain family farms in the state. To qualify for Centennial Farm status, an agricultural property must have been owned by the same family of lineal or collateral descendants for at least 100 years. A lineal descendant is a person in the direct line of descent, such as a child or a grandchild. A collateral descendant is not a direct descendant, but is otherwise closely related, such as a brother, sister, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece or cousin. Applicants who complete a form and meet all requirements of the Centennial Farms program receive an official Centennial Farm sign suitable for outdoor display and a certificate bearing signatures of the Governor of Illinois and the Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture. A $50 application fee is charged to offset the cost of the sign.
SM-ST1616090
t
5
TODAY’S FARM | Sauk Valley Media
Family farm’s operations have evolved through the years
Despite changes, family pride has remained a constant CIRCLE G
CONTINUED FROM 5 t
“When I came back from college they told me I needed to focus on this,” Chad said, and that’s just what he did. Today’s technology helps with planning and mapping, soil sampling, tractor guidance, crop scouting, fertilizer application, data analysis, and determining yields. Chad can pinpoint where rows of corn should be planted, how far apart seeds should spaced, and exactly where to apply fertilizer and herbicides. Each tractor has a computer connected to Chad’s in the farm’s office. “When we pull into field, he’s got the lines set for us,” Larry said. “We’re 100 percent automated and remotely monitored,” Chad said. “We can come within 6 inches of telephone poles.” That’s quite an improvement from days past, when human error could cause on a occasional headache, especially for a budding young farmer. Bob recalled a mishap that happened when he was about 10 years old. “I wrecked my first barn because I couldn’t reach the clutch on the tractor,” he said with a grin. “Many changes have taken place through the years, from horsepower to tractors, and now all the technology,” Bob said. But one thing has never changed: His passion for farming. “Farming is all I ever wanted to do,” he said.
Vinde Wells/vwells@shawmedia.com
ABOVE: Three generations of the Groenhagen family raise corn and cattle at Circle G Farms & Feedlots on Limerick Road northeast of Oregon. From left: Bob Groenhagen, his son Gary, brother George, son Larry, and grandson Chad stand in the operation’s newest cattle building.
Hear What You’ve Been Missing! Call 815-626-3220
Sterling Hearing Aid Center Latest Digital Technology • Maintenance & Repair Friendly Service • Experienced Staff
603 Freeport Rd., Sterling Hours: Mon-Fri 8-4 • Sat 9 - Noon
Where we are “Moore” than just tires!
SM-ST1613415
Sauk Valley Media • January 8, 2019
| TODAY’S FARM
6
Tires - Alignments Ag Wheels - Foam Fill On The Farm Service Calls
308 W. 2nd Street Kewanee, IL 61443 (309) 761-8533
1103 E. Jackson Street Macomb, IL 61455 (309) 421-0832
1348 S. Main Street Monmouth, IL 61462 (309) 715-7145
MooreTires.com
1901 13th Avenue Mendota, IL 61342 (815) 539-5606
2411 E. Rock Falls Road Rock Falls, IL 61071 (815) 625-1800
SM-ST1618172
FarmWeekNow.com
WE PROTECT THIS. This farm. This family. This dream.
7
• January 8, 2019
Gov.-elect J.B. Pritzker announced his choice to head the Illinois Department of Agriculture, selecting former state Sen. John Sullivan of Rushville. Sullivan, who represented Illinois’ 47th state senate district from 2002 to 2016, served as chair of the Senate’s Agriculture and Conservation committee and was a strong advocate for the state’s agriculture industry while in office. Sullivan’s appointment “is a great win for Illinois agriculture,” Illinois Farm Bureau President Richard Guebert Jr. said. “During his tenure as state Senator, John’s leadership in the Senate Agriculture and Conservation Committee was evident as he successfully negotiated appropriation of state monies for agricultural programs.” Sullivan also helped pioneer the state’s new agricultural John and renewable fuel programs and championed legislation Sullivan to create jobs, improve industry and infrastructure, and grow the economy. More importantly, Sullivan used his influence to ensure successful passage of the state sales tax exemption to benefit Illinois farmers. Sullivan took active roles working with the Illinois Farm Bureau’s Adopt-A-Legislator program and the IAA Foundation, serving as the auctioneer during the Foundation’s live auction fundraiser at the IFB Annual Meeting. He earned the Friend of Agriculture award from IFB ACTIVATOR and was named the Illinois Farm Bureau Distinguished Service Award winner in 2016. Prior to serving in the state Senate, Sullivan earned his real estate license, served as a loan officer for Production Credit Association, and as a farm manager and loan officer for Rushville State Bank. He is still active in his family’s auction business, Sullivan Auctioneers, and manages his own farm in Schuyler County.
LOOKING FOR A LITTLE MORE HORSEPOWER?
TODAY’S FARM | Sauk Valley Media
Former senator picked to lead state Department of Agriculture
“Great Deals, Great Service, Since 1926”
Rt. 52 N. Sublette, IL Ph. 815/849-5232 or 1-800-227-5203 After 6, 849-5251
WWW.VAESSENBROTHERS.COM This world is made of dreams like yours and at American Family Insurance, we believe everyone’s dream deserves protection. That’s why our local agents specialize in building customizable plans that protect the hard work of farmers and ranchers like you.
Contact me today to learn more or get a quote.
Robert Maltry, Agent 709 N Brinton Ave Dixon, IL 61021 Bus: (815) 288-4206
American Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. and Its Operating Companies 6000 American Parkway, Madison, WI 53783 015410 – 10/18 ©2018 – 9227715
Sauk Valley Media • January 8, 2019
| TODAY’S FARM
8
Illinois Case IH plant bounces back GOODFIELD (AP) – It’s been a decade since one of Woodford County’s biggest employers bounced back from the brink of closure. The rebound of the Case IH plant in Goodfield faced the same obstacles to growth as other manufacturers of heavy equipment across the country, and it has not restored the employee population to the historic highs of decades before the 2006 announcement that CNH Industrial would shutter the facility. Ever since the corporation reversed course in 2008, however, the factory that churns out tillage and fertilizer application equipment in an almost infinite variety of configurations – possible combinations literally number in the millions – has been transformed. The most visible part of that transformation began in 2013 with an expansion that increased manufacturing floor space by twothirds to today’s total of 593,000 square feet. Less tangible but no less significant in plant manager Brian
Hansche’s mind has been a shift in operational perspective set into motion with the World Class Manufacturing methodology introduced in February 2015. The strategy, which CNH Industrial first adopted in 2008, has its fair share of white-collar buzz words and corporate Power Point illustrations, but it also relies on blue-collar input from the laborers who actually make the products on the factory floor. “It really requires engagement from everybody in the plant,” Hansche said during a recent factory tour. “It can’t be a top-down methodology, it really has to be floor-up. ... If these guys aren’t buying into it, it’s not happening.” By WCM standards, and other more universal measurements such as man-hours worked without a lost-time injury, the Goodfield plant is continuously improving, Hansche said. It earned a bronze WCM rating last fall – the first CNH Industrial plant in North America to achieve the rating on the first try. First-aid incidents are down
Trust COUNTRY Financial® for farm and crop insurance coverage With on call to a COUNTRY Financial representative, farmers can get all the insurance coverage they need. Whether it’s crop insurance or protection for buildings and equipment, we can help. Larry Farley Financial Representative Dixon , IL 61021 (815)284-7790 Policies issued by COUNTRY Mutual Insurance Company®, Bloomington, IL., an Equal Opportunity Provider. 0415-543HC-03984-2/22/2017
89 percent since WCM was first implemented, according to factory figures, and 2018 is on track to be the safest year in plant history. Against that backdrop, Case IH in Goodfield maintains other relevant rankings – top Woodford County tax revenue generator, one of the county’s top three employers – while cross-training its welder-heavy workforce to optimize agricultural component production across six different factory configurations arranged according to season.
On a broader scale, the company constantly refines and redesigns its components to meet farming industry trends and advance technological capabilities for greater precision and automation. “Our equipment provides the perfect seed bed floor to plant seeds on,” Hansche said. “Our products really are geared for sustainability, in the way we make them and for farm operations by improving efficiency to increase yields and reduce inputs [such as fertilizer].”