Page B-1 Monday, February 14, 2011 Woodford County
Jolene Neuhauser
Jolene’s Journal
A few months ago I wrote about the Harvest for the Holidays prog ram that was spearheaded by Meghan Grebner, Agribusiness Director with WIRL/WMBD. The premise of the program was fairly simple. Call your local grain elevator and tell them you wanted to donate 10 bushels of corn or soybeans for the Harvest for the Holidays Program. On December 13 all the donated grain was sold for the cash price and the proceeds were donated to the Midwest Food Bank that services all of Central Illinois. I know that when Meghan announced this program, her goals were modest – hoping to raise $6,000. Thanks to the generosity of Central Illinois Farmers her goal was achieved – and shattered! The total amount of money raised was $28,700! Of that amount, $5,801.41 came from the donations of Woodford County Farmers. I know I speak for Meghan and those with the Midwest Food Bank when I say THANK YOU for your generosity. Another follow up I need to let you know about is a meeting we had on January 12 regarding the SPCC (Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures) Rules set forth by the EPA. The SPCC rule pertains to farms that have above-ground oil storage with an aggregate capacity greater than 1,320 gallons or completely buried storage capacity of more than 42,000 gallons. The r ules require far ms that meet a certain storage threshold to prepare and implement a plan and have a secondary containment structure around their tanks. Under the rules, there are different compliance requirements based on a facility’s storage capacity. If you fall into the requirements listed above, it is recommended that you have your Plan in place as soon as possible. From what I have read and heard, I would say that November 10 would be the absolute deadline for having this plan established. Evergreen FS has had a series of meetings across their 5 county territory. While they have had decent attendance at these meetings, there is concern that there are still many of you out there that are not aware or compliant. A second meeting has been scheduled for June 30 at 7 p.m. Rest assured there will be plenty of reminders between now and then! If you have any questions about this issue, your fuel representatives should have the necessary information and knowledge to answer your questions. And by all means, just because this second meeting isn’t scheduled until June, don’t wait until then to start getting yourself compliant!
Woodford County FB to host Legislative Event T h e Wo o d f o r d C o u n t y Farm Bureau will host a Legi s l a t i v e C o f f e e o n F r i d a y, March 11, at 9:30 A.M. at the Woodford County Farm Bureau Building in Eureka. State Senator Dale Risinger along with State Representatives David Leitch and Keith Sommer will be in attendance to provide insight on issues they will be facing in Springfield. Newly appointed State Senator Shane Cultra has been invited as well as Congressman Aaron Schock. Opportunity will be given for the audience
Defensive Driving Class to be offered March 1 The Woodford County Farm Bureau will be offering a Defensive Driving Class on March 1 starting at 9 a.m. The class will be an all day session with a break for lunch. Cost for the program will be $12 per person and will cover materials for the class. State Trooper Dustin Pierce will be the instructor for the class. To register, please call t h e Fa r m B u r e a u a t 4 6 7 2347. Class size is limited to 30 participants.
Comments from the President By Wayne Blunier
What do far mers do in the winter when the fields are frozen or covered with snow? Most are found at farm meetings. Winter is prime time to hold farmer meetings. There are meetings put on by the crop insurance companies to explain the new combo policies that replace the old federal crop policies that we have used in recent years. There are marketing meetings put on by the Farm Bureau or some of the marketing companies that want to provide a service to farmers by helping them market grain or livestock better. There are meetings put on by seed companies that want to inform farmers of the new seed genetics and the new seed treatments. There are agronomy meetings to present information on how to control weeds including some that have developed resistance to the chemicals being used today. There are some new tillage tools available to control weeds, manage residue, and prepare seed beds for our crops. Farmers are also busy preparing and mailing IRS For m 1099 to landlords and other vendors. There are meetings with far m ac-
countants and tax preparers. Seed is arriving at our farmer seed dealers and soon seed will have to be picked up for use in the fields this spring. There is machinery that needs to be repaired or have preventive maintenance done to it before we take it to the field this spring. Winter, spring, summer, or fall there is alw a y s wo r k t o b e d o n e a r o u n d t h e f a r m . Spring is busy with getting the crop planted in a timely fashion. Fall is a busy time getting the crop harvested while the good harvest weather holds. Winter and summer are the times when the machine maintenance, building repairs, and other jobs can be done. Winter and summer are also a time when a farmer might be able to take a short vacation. You will not find farmers taking a vacation in the spring or fall. Demand for meat and grain is higher than it has ever been as the standard of living has grown in foreign countries and this has increased demand for the grain and livestock produced in our countr y. Can we feed the world? I know farmers in Woodford County will do their part to feed the domestic market and our trading partners in the world.
to also provide their opinions on issues important to Agriculture and Woodford County.
Fo r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , contact the Woodford County Farm Bureau at 467-2347.
Summer Ag Institute to be held June 13-17 T h e Wo o d f o r d C o u n t y Farm Bureau is partnering with several area County Farm Bureaus and Illinois Central College to sponsor the Summer Agricultural Institute June 13-17. The SAI is designed for Pre School through High School educators who wish to expand their curriculum to include topics related to agriculture. The class will provide resources and hands-on activities about agriculture and the environment. Participants will also learn about t h e s t a t e ’s l a r g e s t i n d u s t r y through Industry Field Trips. Class size is limited. Applicants will be accepted on a first
come, first served basis. Registration Deadline is May 6. The fee for the Summer Ag Institute is $150. 35 CPDUS or 2 hours of Graduate Credit is available through Aurora College. Tuition will be $100 per credit hour, in addition to the SAI fee. Fees cover transportation, materials and meals. Payment should accompany the application. If you are interested in participating in the Summer Ag Institute please call the Woodford County Farm Bureau at 309467-2347 to request an application or for further information.
Scholarships available for Agriculture students The Illinois Farm Bureau Foundation has various scholarships with different/specific criteria – all of which is available on their website. Applications are available by going to their website: www.iaafoundation.org Another scholarship from First Farm Credit Services is available by going to www.1stfarmcredit.com. All their criteria is listed there as well. The Woodford County Farm Bureau Foundation will be offering a $750 scholarship. This will be for a Current College or University student. The recipient must be pursuing a degree in agriculture or a related field, a member or dependent of a Woodford County Farm Bureau Member, not been a past recipient of a WCFB Foundation scholarship, exhibit potential for successful completion of course of study and be a resident of Woodford County. To request an application, contact the Woodford County Farm Bureau at 467-2347 or wcfb@mtco.com. Applications are due March 18.
High-speed internet offered The Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB®) and Hughes Network Systems, LLC, have signed an agreement to offer HughesNet High Speed Internet Service at a special rate to Far m Bureau members. The service will provide IFB members in rural areas a workable solution to upgrade from slow, dial-up internet access. IFB members will be eligible to receive a 10-percent discount on the cost of a HughesNet monthly service plan. HughesNet provides three levels of service packages for internet access. “HughesNet provides its ser vice via satellite receiver,
rather than a slow dial-up phone line or cable DSL,” said Illinois Farm Bureau Membership Director Melissa Rhode. “This is a valuable tool for farmers and rural families who don’t always have access to high-speed internet, because with HughesNet, you can get a high-speed signal anywhere. We’re excited to be able to add this member benefit,” Rhode added. Members can sign up for the service and get the discount by visiting their local county Farm Bureau office, or they can call HughesNet directly at 1866-556-9661.