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FarmWeek on the web: FarmWeekNow.com Illinois Farm Bureau®on the web: www.ilfb.org

Five-year-old Joseph Charles,who has been diagnosed with can-cer, wanted to be a farmer for aday. He got his wish — and muchmore. ..............................................12

24 ILLINOIS FARM BureauYoung Leaders have been selectedfor the two-year Prairie FarmerCultivating Master Farmers pro-gram. ...............................................11

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOISExtension no longer will allow auc-tions of youth 4-H livestock to besponsored by a local Extensionoffice. ...................................................3

Monday, May 20, 2013 Two sections Volume 41, No. 20

Crop insurance key IFB focus in Senate debateBY MARTIN ROSSFarmweekWith Senate farm bill debate

anticipated this week, FarmBureau is girding up to protectcrop insurance and other keyprograms in what could shapeup as a heated floor fight.After months of delay and

2008 farm bill expiration andsubsequent reactivation, Senateand House ag committees lastweek approved new provisionsproposing to replace existingfarm programs with a two-tiered revenue/price safety netfor most commodities andaimed at bolstering crop insur-ance.The Senate plan would

reduce the federal deficit by$23 billion over a 10-year peri-od largely by eliminating directpayments. It proposes $17 billion in

commodity program spendingreductions, $4 billion in Sup-plemental Nutrition AssistanceProgram (SNAP) or “foodstamp” savings, and $4 billionin conservation cuts.The House Ag Committee

proposes $39.7 billion in sav-ings, including $20 billion inSNAP cuts, $4.8 billion in con-servation savings, and $18.6billion in long-term commodi-ty/crop insurance “savings.” Illinois’ three House Ag

especially “any attempt tochange crop insurance” such aseligibility means testing.Farm Bureau and other ag,

conservation, and crop insur-ance groups recently reachedagreement on a plan that wouldlink conservation complianceto crop insurance coverage, inexchange for conservationinterests staying out of anydebate over farm program pay-ment limitations or means test-ing.Conservation compliance

was included in the Senate planbut not in the House plan.American Farm Bureau Federa-tion senior economist Bob

Young told FarmWeek theSenate plan offers a “forward-looking” approach to bringingpolicyholders into compliancewhere necessary vs. a punitiveapproach that threatens existingcoverage. Budget constraints and phi-

losophy largely dictated the dif-ferences between Senate andHouse proposals. Young nonetheless suggest-

ed “I could probably talk a lotmore about similarities thanabout differences.”“Both provide producers

with a choice between a target

See Insurance, page 3

Committee members — Tay-lorville Republican RodneyDavis, East Moline DemocratCheri Bustos, and BellevilleDemocrat Bill Enyart — voted

for the House proposal.Illinois Farm Bureau Presi-

dent Philip Nelson applaudedcommittee action and, in partic-ular, cited “enhanced” cropinsurance provisions in the Sen-ate version.

The Senate plan would boostlong-term crop insurancespending by $5 billion. “Crop insurance is essential

for effective risk management,”Nelson said.“That was borne out during

the 2012 drought. There are nofederal farm disaster programsin place.“Purchasing crop insurance

will enable many farmers wholost crops in the drought tofarm for another year.” As debate moves to the Sen-

ate floor, IFB National Legisla-tive Director Adam Nielsensaid Farm Bureau would watchfor “harmful amendments” —

Todd Bruegger of rural Ridott in Stephenson County wraps up a long day of planting after finishing a 75-acrecornfield near Freeport. Bruegger, who farms with his wife, Rose, and sons, Stanley and Neil, also growssoybeans and raises beef cattle. Farmers throughout the state enjoyed virtually an open week for fieldworklast week for the first time this spring and put in many long hours. (Photo by Ken Kashian)

Finally! Significant planting progressBY DANIEL GRANTFarmWeekMost farmers in Illinois last

week finally were able to workfields for multiple days.Temperatures warmed into

the 80s and even low 90s atsome locations last week andrains were less frequent acrossmuch of the state compared toprevious weeks this spring.“There are a lot of tractors

out,” Jim Hopkins, a farmerfrom Kendall County, toldFarmWeek last Tuesday.“We’re just about done (planti-ng) corn and will be startingwith beans the end of (last)week if the weather holds.”The weather forecast as of

Friday called for chances ofshowers over the weekend andearly this week in some parts ofthe state.Farmers as of the first of

last week had planted just 17percent of the corn crop in thestate compared to the five-yearaverage of 64 percent. Thatfigure no doubt will be muchhigher when the planting figureis released today (Monday).Nationwide, 28 percent of

the corn crop was planted as ofthe first of last week comparedto the average of 65 percent. U.S. farmers also planted 6

percent of the soybean crop,

although none was reported inIllinois as of the first of lastweek, compared to the averageof 24 percent.“The ground is working

very well,” Hopkins said. “Butit’s a little harder than I thoughtit would be.”Most farmers have not devi-

ated from their previous plant-ing intentions.“We’re getting everything in

we wanted to plant,” Hopkinssaid.In McLean County, Mark

Hines of Downs was about 20percent done with corn plant-ing early last week and made

significant progress theremainder of the week.“I haven’t really made any

major (variety or rotation)changes yet,” Hines said duringan Illinois Farm Bureau videointerview. “And I don’t expectto (make cropping changes) aslong as I get my corn plantedby the end of May.”Hines said fieldwork in his

area as of last week was abouttwo to three weeks behindschedule due to the cold, wetspring.“Right now, we’re getting to

a critical time period where westart to lose possible yield (for

each day planting is delayed),”he said. Topsoil moisture in Illinois

last week was rated 53 percentsurplus and 47 percent ade-quate.The eastern Corn Belt,

including all of Illinois, wasdrought-free last week. Butnearly 50 percent of the nationremained in moderate or worsedrought, according to the U.S.Drought Monitor.The worst of the drought

last week included Texas, Okla-homa, southeast Colorado,eastern New Mexico, westernKansas, and Nebraska.

FarmWeekNow.comVisit FarmWeekNow.com toview details of the latest farmbill proposals.

ROLLOVER TECH— University of Missouriresearchers have developed a smartphone application thatuses GPS systems to locate farmers who have rolled theirtractors.The app, called VRPETERS (Vehicle Rollover Preven-

tion Education Training Emergency Reporting System),uses sensors and GPS capability built into smartphones todetect rollovers. Once the app detects a rollover, it sends an automatic

emergency email and phone message with the coordinatesof the accident location to family members or emergencyresponders.The app also could be used on construction vehicles,

trucks, snowmobiles, military vehicles, riding lawnmowers,and all-terrain vehicles. The developers have tested the appon a standard tractor and are looking for an industry part-ner to help market it.

FIELD MOMS’ FARM TOUR II — Twenty-four Illi-nois Farm Families (IFF) field moms, including a 2012field mom, were scheduled to tour Paul and DonnaJeschke’s farm near Mazon in Grundy County last Satur-day. The Jeschkes farm 3,500 acres of corn and soybeanswith Donna’s brother and sister-in-law. Donna also is hosting the field moms’ acres this year,

growing an acre of soybeans and another of corn that willbe monitored during the growing season at {WatchUs-Grow.org}. In February, the moms toured Steve Ward’s wean-to-

finish hog farm near Sycamore in DeKalb County. IFF is a coalition of commodity groups for beef, corn,

soybeans, pork, and the Illinois Farm Bureau.

PULLING FOR BIODIESEL— The partnershipbetween U.S. soybean farmers and the National TractorPullers Association (NTPA) has reached another mile-stone: NTPA will allow 100 percent biodiesel use in alldiesel pulling classes this season. This is the seventh season the soy checkoff has part-

nered with the NTPA to promote the use of biodiesel topulling fans, including many farmers, truck drivers, andother diesel users. A study funded by the state soy checkoff board in Min-

nesota and conducted by United Pullers of Minnesotafound using biodiesel in pulling competition can provide a4 percent increase in torque and horsepower. “Performance results like these are an added bonus to

the environmental and economic benefits of usingbiodiesel,” said Larry Marek, soy checkoff farmer-leaderand a soybean farmer from Riverside, Iowa. “If NTPApullers can get these kinds of results on the track, we cancertainly get great results using B100 (pure biodiesel) onthe farm.”

FarmWeek Page 2 Monday, May 20, 2013

(ISSN0197-6680)

Vol. 41 No. 20 May 20, 2013

Dedicated to improving the profitability of farm-ing, and a higher quality of life for Illinois farmers.FarmWeek is produced by the Illinois FarmBureau.

FarmWeek is published each week, except theMondays following Thanksgiving and Christmas, by theIllinois Agricultural Association, 1701 Towanda Avenue, P.O.Box 2901, Bloomington, IL 61701. Illinois AgriculturalAssociation assumes no responsibility for statements byadvertisers or for products or services advertised inFarmWeek.

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STAFFEditorDave McClelland (dmcclelland@ilfb.org)

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Quick Takes GOVERNMENT

RACING FOR AG LITERACY

Runners jockey for position at the start of the IAA Foundation’s third annual 5K Grow and &Go May 11 on the grounds of the Illinois Farm Bureau family of companies’ building inBloomington. More than 360 adult and child runners, walkers, their families, and volunteersgathered to cheer participants and learn about the role of agriculture and family farms. Afterseveral events and learning activities for kids, the morning culminated with awards for firstand second places in five age categories. The IAA Foundation is on track to raise $15,000from the event from donations of sponsors and participants. (Photo by Ken Kashian)

Quinn seeking federal aidfor 16 additional countiesFEMA urges registrationin 11 approved counties BY KAY SHIPMANFarmWeekGov. Pat Quinn Friday

asked the federal govern-ment to add 16 additionalcounties to a disaster decla-ration due to widespreadflooding.Those counties are:

Bureau, Crawford, Hender-son, Knox, Livingston, Mar-shall, Mason, McDonough,Peoria, Putnam, RockIsland, Schuyler, Stark,Tazewell, Warren, andWoodford. Governmentofficials reported more than800 homes were damaged byflooding in those counties. President Barack Obama

already approved federaldisaster assistance for Cook,

DeKalb, DuPage, Fulton,Grundy, Kane, Kendall,Lake, LaSalle, McHenry, andWill counties. Residents inthose counties may call orgo online to register for dis-aster assistance from theFederal Emergency Manage-ment Agency (FEMA),according to state and fed-eral officials.As more damage assess-

ments are completed, thegovernor will seek assis-tance for other counties. Residents of the 11 coun-

ties may apply for assistanceby calling 800-621-3362 orgoing online to {disasteras-sistance.gov} or via web-enabled phone or tablet atm.fema.gov.The toll-free telephone

number will operate from 6

a.m. to 9 p.m. central time,seven days a week.In most cases, a FEMA

inspector will make anappointment within a fewdays to arrange a visit to thedamaged home or apart-ment. A FEMA inspector will

always have an officialbadge visible during theinspection. Residents who qualify for

FEMA assistance willreceive a federal govern-ment check or the funds willbe directly deposited into adesignated bank account. Aseparate letter also will besent explaining how themoney may be used.Direct questions about

FEMA assistance to 1-800-621-3362.

A one-act play about a disabled farmerwill not be performed June 24 at Chica-go’s Greenhouse Theater’s festival.The disabled actor who was to portray

the farmer will not be available for theperformance, according to Chicago play-

wright Wendy Whiteside.The next performance of “Farm Hands” will

be sometime in 2014. Whiteside interviewedand incorporated comments from ChristianCounty farmer R.D. Elder for her play about adisabled farmer named “Mike.”

Disabled farmer play now postponed

STATE Page 3 Monday, May 20, 2013 FarmWeek

U.S. Rep. Bill Enyart, a Belleville Democrat, second row left, reviews ma-terials during last week’s House Ag Committee farm bill debate. Thecommittee, led by Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), top center, andRanking Democrat Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) to Lucas’ right, voted to ap-prove a $940-billion, five-year farm bill a day after the Senate passedits version. (Photo courtesy of Ken Root, Iowa Agribusiness Network)

Continued from page 1price option or a revenue product,” hesaid.“On the Senate side, with its shallowloss (revenue) program, producers canchoose to cover either an individual loss ora county loss, as opposed to the Houseplan, where they’re only allowed to pick anarea loss trigger.“They both have SCOs (added Supple-

mental Coverage Options that build on cropinsurance). There are some different cover-age and subsidy rates. The House does havehigher ‘reference’ (target) prices than theSenate. But the mix of products is more orless the same.” Efforts to garner support from southern

states were apparent in committee proposals.While House target or “reference” prices fallclose to current levels for corn and soybeans,rice producers would see a roughly 30 per-cent increase.Nutrition spending could prove a stum-

bling block in Senate debate — the House

Ag Committee rejected 27-17 a proposal torestore SNAP funding following a flurry ofbiblical quotations from members concernedabout food and nutrition cuts.Young questioned the impact a $20-bil-

lion “nick” in an $800-billion-plus 10-yearnutrition budget would have on truly needyrecipients. Re-evaluation of federal “cate-gorical qualifications” — broad, automaticSNAP eligibility for those who receive vari-ous low-income benefits and/or a crack-down on individuals or states “gaming thesystem” could help officials achieve key sav-ings, he said.House Ag Chairman Frank Lucas (R-

Okla.) said his plan would attempt to controlSNAP growth and focus benefits more onpeople living at 130 percent of the federalpoverty level or below. House language would end categorical eli-

gibility, limiting eligibility to people whoreceive cash benefits from federal welfare orstate assistance programs.

Insurance

BY KAY SHIPMANFarmWeekSeveral contentious, unresolved

issues loom in the General Assembly.Three of those are pension reform,high-volume horizontal fracturing, andconcealed carry weapons.Both the House and the Senate

have their own proposals on how toaddress the unfunded state pensionsystem.Illinois Farm Bureau supports SB 1,

which passed in the House and issponsored by House Speaker MichaelMadigan (D-Chicago), according toKevin Semlow, IFB director of statelegislation. IFB has no position on SB 2404,

which passed in the Senate and issponsored by Senate President JohnCullerton (D-Chicago). Both bills areawaiting votes in the opposite cham-ber.Madigan’s proposal would make

across-the-board changes in cost ofliving adjustments (COLA), retirementages, and employee contributions.

Cullerton’s proposal would giveemployees two options — accept aCOLA reduction or keep the 3 percentcompounded COLA in return for oth-er concessions.

Hydraulic fracturing movementApparently, hydraulic fracturing

stakeholders reached an agreementon a regulatory and tax structurefor high-volume horizontalhydraulic fracturing wells, saidBill Bodine, IFB associatedirector of state legisla-tion.All issues have been

addressed, and itappears SB 1715 canbegin to move for-ward after anamendment (amend-ment 1) containingthe agreements wasfiled last week. “Weare hopeful the bill soon will be calledfor a vote in the House,” Bodine said. “Throughout negotiations on this

significant legislation, Illinois Farm

Bureau consistently has maintainedthe legislation should include thepoints outlined in IFB grassroots poli-cy established on hydraulic fractur-ing,” Bodine said.He explained that among the final

agreements reached was the creationof a tax credit that would reduce aproposed severance tax for working-interest owners by 0.25 of a percentonly for wells at which Illinoisworkers work more than half ofthe total hours on the wellsite and are paid at least theprevailing wage. The meas-ure was seen as an avenueto encourage hiring ofIllinois workers forhydraulic fracturingjobs.During negotia-

tions, environmentalistalso had raised con-

cerns about technical points in previ-ously proposed regulations. Theenvironmentalists and the oil and gasindustry compromised on proposed

language to define high-volume hori-zontal fracturing last week.IFB supports the agree-upon lan-

guage contained in Amendment 1 toSB 1715.

Concealed carry weaponsThe Senate Executive Committee

last week passed HB 183 that wouldcreate a concealed-carry process tobe managed by the Illinois StatePolice, according to Semlow.There would be several steps for

individuals to take to qualify to carrya concealed weapon, and there wouldbe a list of numerous places in whichconcealed weapons would be prohib-ited. The bill also would allow home-rule local governments to adopt fur-ther restrictions for the first sixmonths after law’s enactment.“IFB supports the creation of a

process for the concealed carry offirearms, but HB 183 has severalareas that need clarification andwould create a confusing patchworkof regulations across the state,” Sem-low said. IFB opposes HB 183.

Contentious issues loom in General Assembly

Starting this fair season, theUniversity of Illinois Exten-sion no longer will allow auc-tions of youth 4-H livestock tobe sponsored by a local Exten-sion office.

Extension focuses on edu-cation and outreach, but a sep-arate “fiduciary organizationor agent” must sponsor or beresponsible for a youth live-

stock auction, Denise Legvold,4-H assistant dean and directorof the state 4-H office, toldFarmWeek.“It must be apparent that

the auction is sponsored by aseparate organization” fromExtension, Legvold said. Fidu-ciary responsibilities were citedas a contributing factor for thenew rule.County fairs, 4-H fairs, and

their respective sales of prize-winning livestock and projectsvary across the state. Somecounty/4-H fairs offer auc-tions for young people, othersdon’t.Of 20 some counties where

Extension was involved with ayouth livestock auction, abouthalf reported they have foundanother sponsoring entity, suchas a foundation, a buildingassociation, or a county Farm

Bureau, Legvold said. Sheanticipated an update from theremaining counties by the endof May.“I want to convey our

appreciation to partners thathelp 4-H be a strong youthorganization,” Legvold said.Those partners include adultswho serve as mentors, agribusi-nesses that provide suppliesand/or support youth livestockauctions, and 4-H families andsupporters.Asked about a grace

period for the first fair sea-son under the new rules,Legvold said one would beextended, “As long as (they)are making movement”toward having a non-Exten-sion entity take responsibil-ity for the youth livestockauction.Over the past several

months, a couple of com-monly asked questions havesurfaced.For example: Can a local

Extension office serve as thelocation where young peoplemay pick up their auctionchecks? Yes; however, thecheck must clearly denote thesponsoring entity that issuedthe payment and that it wasnot the Extension Service,Legvold explained.May a livestock auction

notice appear in a local fairbook? Yes, such a notice canbe in a local fair book, but theinformation must clearly statethat a non-Extension entity isresponsible for the auction,she said. The same rule ofthumb applies to auctionadvertisements.As for use of the 4-H

clover and name in auction

promotions, a county Exten-sion director may authorize theclover’s use for a single countyunit. However, Cook Countyremains the only single countyunit in the state.In all the other multi-county

units, state 4-H office authori-zation is required for the useof the clover and name in con-nection with youth livestockauctions, Legvold said. The goal is not to prevent

use of the clover or 4-Hname, but for the state staffto know how the clover andname will be used, she said.Any county Farm Bureau

leader or manager with ques-tions about county FarmBureau sponsorship of youthlivestock auctions should con-tact Ryan Gammelgard, anIllinois Farm Bureau attorney.— Kay Shipman

U of I Extension implementing changes for youth livestock auction sponsors

BIOTECHNOLOGYFarmWeek Page 4 Monday, May 20, 2013

USDA assessments could delay new weed weapons BY MARTIN ROSSFarmWeekUSDA is moving “back-

ward” in its decision todelay new biotech weaponsin the war against weeds, aNorthern Illinois growerargues.USDA’s Animal and Plant

Health Inspection Serviceplans to conduct full envi-ronmental impact statementson soybean, corn, and cottonvarieties designed to tolerate2,4 dichlorophenoxyaceticacid (2,4-D) and dicambaherbicides.That could delay U.S.

commercialization of newherbicide tolerance traits forat least 15 months, potential-ly offering competitiveinroads for Brazil orArgentina, Illinois FarmBureau Senior CommoditiesDirector Tamara Nelsenwarned.USDA’s decision impacts

Monsanto’s RoundupReady 2 Xtend for soy-beans and Bollgard IIXtendFlex for cotton andDow’s Enlist corn and soy-bean weed control system.Monsanto had planned a2014 roll-out for its soy-bean product.“Anytime they delay these

kinds of approvals withchemicals that really areneeded, we’re going back-

ward,” Yorkville-area growerand Illinois Soybean Associa-tion Chairman Bill Wykestold Farm-Week.“These are chemicals that

have been tested andproven. To be able to usethis new science, a soybeanthat’s tolerant to thesechemicals, is something wereally need.”American Farm Bureau

Federation President BobStallman argued USDA hasnot provided “scientific justi-fication” for its decision.The move appears

“activist-driven,” withUSDA seemingly succumb-ing to a f lood of “cut-and-pasted” comments fromgroups such as the SaveOur Crops Coalition whichallege new biotech cropswould spur expanded useof the two popular,decades-old herbicides,Nelsen said.Herbicide tolerance traits

are designed to address con-cerns about weed resistanceto existing chemicals and anexpanding range of weedspecies pressures and aresulting call for multiplechemical modes of action.Wykes cited area pressure

from mare’s tail and giantragweed and concerns aboutwater hemp moving north.Multiple options are

important “especially in ayear like this.” Wet condi-tions forced Wykes to shiftsome acres from corn tobeans without time to applyprotections prior to plant-ing. New tolerance traits

would provide greater post-emergence treatmentoptions, he said.Nelsen has toured a half-

dozen dicamba-tolerant soy-bean plots. She stressed thatalong with trait development,2,4-D and dicamba productshave been reformulated toreduce drift, noting “the off-target movement I saw wasvery minimal.”She said she recognizes

USDA “wants to be reallycareful,” particularly in lightof court challenges follow-ing approval for RoundupReady alfalfa. But given existing reams

of “robust data” on 2,4Dand dicamba tolerance traits,she questioned why officialswould impede “the oneindustry that’s provided avery competitive trade bal-ance for the U.S.”“That’s not a predictable

regulatory system for agricul-ture — it’s not a predictableregulatory system for any-thing,” Nelsen argued. “Couldyou imagine if this were a can-cer drug?”

Monsanto plans further testsof products during USDA reviewExecutives of St. Louis-based Monsanto said they intend to

use a federal hitch in approval for dicamba-tolerant crops tofurther prepare for their anticipated commercialization.Monsanto stated it would cooperate with USDA’s Animal

and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in developing anenvironmental impact statement on its Roundup Ready 2Xtend soybean and Bollgard II XtendFlex cotton traits (seeaccompanying story) in an effort “to complete this action assoon as possible.”As APHIS drafts its statement, Monsanto U.S. Row Crops

Lead Lisa Safarian reported “we’ll use this time to continue toadvance the development of these next-generation products.”Xtend is a key focus for Monsanto’s “Ground Breakers”

program in 2013 and 2014. Ground Breakers is a sort of limit-ed pre-market producer “beta test” used to evaluate the on-the-ground performance of various products and strategies.Monsanto reported roughly 100 growers in 16 states will

evaluate Xtend in 2013. At the same time, Safarian said, thecompany will attempt to “broaden” development of higher-yielding Xtend varieties prior to commercial release and con-tinue ongoing product stewardship education. At last week’s Monsanto Media Days in St. Louis, Monsanto

President Brett Begemann argued that while Roundup remains“a foundational treatment,” continued weed control is “aboutmultiple molecules in the field at the same time,” as well assound management practices.Begemann defended industry decisions to develop traits

around 2,4-D and dicamba — a product that Monsanto CEOHugh Grant said “has gotten yield results.” Grant cited a yieldadvantage of nearly five bushels per acre in previous BrazilianXtend soybean trials.Begemann said he was “highly confident” no significant

drift issues would arise as a result of dicamba-tolerant varieties. “We’ve already made substantial improvements in formula-

tions,” he stressed. Grant reported “we’re looking at newmodes of action, as well,” possibly through expanded industrycollaboration. — Martin Ross

Supreme Court ruling seen as intellectual property win Monsanto CEO Hugh

Grant last week hailed a U.S.Supreme Court decision hedeemed crucial to protectingbillions in annual biotechinvestment and continuedadvances for farmers.In the case of Bowman v.

Monsanto, the high courtruled unanimously that farm-ers could not save and replantseeds from Monsanto’sRoundup Ready soybeanswithout paying the company atechnology fee (see accompa-nying details). Indiana farmer Vernon

replicating product.” Grant nonetheless suggest-

ed the ruling’s impact “ismuch broader than agricul-

ture,” offering a precedent forpharmaceutical and other sec-tors that rely on technologyprotections.Kagan warned “patents on

seeds would retain little value”if Bowman were granted anexception to seed-savingrestrictions.“We’re investing $1.25 bil-

lion — to $1.5 billion a year (inproduct research and develop-ment) every year,” Grant not-ed. “If we decided this after-noon what that new productwas going to be, it’s 10 yearsbefore we’d have it on the mar-ket — seven years for a hybrid,10 years for a new biotech trait.

“Having the knowledge orthe security or the comfortthat intellectual property’sgoing to be respected doesn’t

guarantee that investment, butat least it makes the odds fair-er.”Grant suggested the high

court ruling could influencethe global environment forbiotech development, as well.He sees “significant improve-ment” in international respectfor intellectual property rightsover the past 15 years, notingIndian farmers with as little as1.5 acres “are buying littlesachets of seed and paying forthe technology.” Grant noted Monsanto’s

case was supported by briefs“from a whole range of indus-tries.” — Martin Ross

Hugh Bow-man, who hadsigned a Mon-santo techagreement forhis initialRoundupReady soy-bean crop,subsequentlybought and

replanted seeds in a mixed lotfrom a grain elevator in thehope that many of themwould include Monsanto’spatented herbicide-resistancetrait.

Grant told FarmWeek theSupreme Court’s 9-0 decisionhelps cement U.S. intellectualproperty rights. “It removesany ambiguity that was there,”he said.Justice Elena Kagan

stressed the court’s ruling waslimited, “addressing the situa-tion before us, rather thanevery one involving a self-

Hugh Grant

Bowman v. Monsanto: Beans and the benchIn Bowman v. Monsanto, Hoosier Vernon

Hugh Bowman attempted a “patent exhaustion”defense, arguing Monsanto couldn’t control hisuse of Roundup Ready soybeans because theycame from “seed” previously sold by farmers toa local grain elevator.

The patent exhaustion principle states thatthe first sale of a patented item “exhausts” thepatent holder’s control over that particular item.

However, Supreme Court Justice ElenaKagan argued the exhaustion doctrine did notallow Bowman to make what amounted to addi-tional patented soybeans without Monsanto’spermission, “either express or implied.”

Justice Stephen Breyer said Bowmaninfringed on patent protections when he gener-ated the seeds’ third generation. “There are cer-tain things that the law prohibits,” Breyer said.“What it prohibits here is making a copy of thepatented invention. And that is what he did.”

American Farm Bureau Federation biotechspecialist Tyler Wegmeyer told FarmWeek thecourt’s opinion “has reaffirmed important intel-lectual property rights of significance to theentire agricultural biotechnology industry.”

“This ruling makes clear that patent exhaus-tion does not apply to second-generationseeds, even if grown from ‘commodity seed,’”Wegmeyer maintained. “This is an importantaffirmation and protection of intellectual proper-ty rights which are essential to the biotechnolo-gy industry continuing efforts to bring valuableproducts to the American farmer.”

Bowman also argued soybeans naturally“self-replicate or ‘sprout’ unless stored in a con-trolled manner,” and thus the planted soybeansactually created replicas of Monsanto’s patent-ed beans. According to Kagan, “we think theblame-the-bean defense is tough to credit.” –-Martin Ross

‘Having the knowledge or the securityor the comfort that intellectual proper-ty’s going to be respected doesn’tguarantee that investment, but at leastit makes the odds fairer.’

— Hugh GrantCEO, Monsanto

FarmWeekNow.comFor details of Bowman v. Mon-santo and the high court’s deci-sion, visit FarmWeekNow.com

SUSTAINABILITY Page 5 Monday, May 20, 2013 FarmWeek

Monsanto execs stress globalization, ‘ecosystems’BY MARTIN ROSSFarmWeekIn public circles, Monsanto

is perceived as synonymouswith biotechnology. But fromemploying the smallest plantmicrobes to using “big data”to optimize global productivi-ty, the St. Louis biotech com-pany today is looking at a farbigger picture.Biotechnology, convention-

al breeding, information tech-nology, and “biologicals” —research into organisms thatshare the crop environment— all are part of Monsanto’sformula for boosting per-acreyields necessary to feed apotential 8.5 billion people

The program employs 60-some technical parameters andenables Monsanto to test seedin “every imaginable soil envi-ronment,” Preete said.FieldScripts results have

indicated both under-plantingand over-planting “in theworst parts of the field,” Fra-ley said. “Even though it lookslike a 100-acre field, there easi-ly are 20 to 30 yield zones inthat field,” Preete emphasized. Using “big data,” Preete

hopes someday that climaticshifts and long-term weathertrends can be incorporatedinto “the fine-tuning of the(FieldScripts) prescription.”At the same time, Fraley

reported Monsanto is workingto identify “microbial associa-tions” that drive crop produc-tivity and, possibly, identifynew crop protection traitsfrom bacteria or othermicroorganisms. “We are more bacteria and

more microorganism than weare human cells,” Fraley toldFarmWeek. “It’s the same thing with the

corn or soybean plant. Thatroot system, the nodulationsystem, the coating of theleaves — there are a lot ofmicroorganisms there. It’sabout understanding the goodones and how to promotethem.”

worldwide by 2030, accordingto Kerry Preete, Monsantoexecutive vice president forglobal strategy.“We’ve evolved our think-

ing a lot,” Chief TechnologyOfficer Robb Fraley relatedduring Monsanto Media Dayslast week. “It’s truly an ecosys-tem we’re trying to optimize.”A prime example of that

integrated approach is Mon-santo’s Ground Breakers pro-gram — a sort of pre-marketfarmer “beta test” used toevaluate on-the-ground per-formance of products andstrategies. “It’s become, for us,a standard way of commer-cializing,” Fraley said.

Monsanto is using GroundBreakers this season to assessits Xtend dicamba-resistantsoybean trait (see page 4) andFieldScripts integrated farm-ing systems research platform.Globally, Monsanto hasrecruited Brazilian GroundBreakers to evaluate its newIntact soybean insect protec-tion trait.More than 150 Illinois,

Indiana, Iowa, and Minnesotafarmers are testing the Field-Scripts system, which com-bines producer field andMonsanto hybrid data to gen-erate variable-rate plantingprescriptions for individualplots.

International alliance seeks improved ag understanding, acceptanceBY DANIEL GRANTFarmWeekFarmers around the world are under constant pressure to

produce more with less.And that challenge will intensify in the future as the popu-

lation expands and more land is developed for uses otherthan producing food.Farm organizations from the U.S. and South America in

response plan to educate consumers about the challenges offood production and some of the possible solutions, such asbiotechnology, via a newly formed alliance.The U.S. Grains Council (USGC), National Corn

Growers Association, and corn grower associations fromArgentina and Brazil last week agreed to create TheInternational Maize Alliance, which otherwise will beknown as MAIZALL.“The world population is expected to increase more than

30 percent in the next 40 years, and economies continue togrow,” said Don Fast, chairman of USGC. “The increase inpopulation and buying power has led to an ever-growingdemand for maize (corn) and other food and feed ingredi-ents.”The primary focus of the new alliance is to emphasize the

need for better consumer understanding of production ag,including the benefits of biotechnology and advancing theglobal acceptance on the capacity to grow corn for feed,food, and fuel.“Farmers in exporting countries are challenged to grow

more with less while improving stewardship and sustainabili-ty,” said Alberto Morelli, chairman of the Argentine cornproducers association. “Biotechnology is a critical component of the larger bio-

economy that is necessary to sustainably provide for theneeds of the growing global population and mitigate theimpacts of climate change.”Fast, a farmer from Montana, said advancements in

biotechnology and farming practices allowed farmers to pro-duce more crops in different areas of the U.S.“The tools we have are unbelievable,” Fast said. “Because

of genetics, the Corn Belt is expanding.”Biotechnology boosts yields and grain quality, reduces the

intensity of chemical and fertilizer applications, and con-serves soil and water, according to Morelli.Last year was the worst drought in 80 years, yet U.S. farm-

ers still produced the fifth-largest corn crop (10.8 billionbushels) on record.This year USDA projected U.S. farmers will produce the

largest corn crop on record, 14.1 billion bushels (up 3.4 bil-lion bushels from last year) and 3.39 billion bushels of beans(up 375 million bushels from a year ago).

Buffett emphasizes urgencyin protecting soil ‘asset’Howard Buffett, an Illinois

farmer whose Howard G. Buf-fett Foundation helps guideglobal ag development, stressesthe need to significantly boostworldwide productivity in asustainable way.

“There area lot of peo-ple who thinkthat those twoactivities can-not be com-patible,” Buf-fett noted lastweek in St.Louis. He dis-agrees, but

warns continued soil lossesthreaten those dual endeavors.Buffett said he seeks “a

larger vision of stewardship,”not only in the U.S. but indeveloping countries wheremalnourished populationsfeel they have other priori-ties. The U.S. can lead theway in global sustainability,he said: “We have the knowl-edge, the technology, and theabundant resources.”Buffett nonetheless is con-

cerned some have becomecomplacent about soil lossamid U.S. technological andagronomic gains and argues“we’re missing what’s goingon under our feet.” He main-tained the U.S. requires “bet-ter policies and better prac-tices to protect our mostvaluable asset — soil.”The U.S. has lost an aver-

age of 600 square miles of“productive agricultural land”a year since 1950, he said.“In 2007, in Iowa on aver-

age every acre of croplandlost 5.7 tons of soil, andmost farmers produced onaverage the same amount incorn,” Buffett related. “Soilhas to regenerate over many,many years; the corn is gone

to the processor like that.That’s not a very sustainableapproach.“I think this should scare

farmers; it should scare con-sumers, politicians, and gov-ernment agencies. But itdoesn’t, for a very simplereason: We don’t suffer theconsequences. We pay ourseed bill, we pay our fertiliz-er bills now, as we farm. It’sgoing to be another genera-tion that pays MotherNature.”Buffett endorsed the soil

conservation value of covercrops, which in his view “payfrom an economic stand-point.” Biotechnology offerskey sustainable productionbenefits, and, “in the longterm, it’s foolish not to useit,” he said.On a global level, soil loss

contributes to “hunger, mal-nutrition, and actions thatfurther degrade our environ-ment,” Buffett said. Lack of policy foresight

compounds those concerns:He cited Ethiopia as a primeexample of “short-termthinking” in terms of weigh-ing foreign land investmentagainst domestic farmer/-resources needs.“There are so many gov-

ernment policies (in theAfrican country) that preventyou from making the kind ofinvestments you need to —

SOIL AND THE PLANET

Last week, Howard G.Buffett, a Pana-area farmerand global ag philanthro-pist, crunched the numbersin assessing the worldwideimportance of soil conser-vation:

23 million acresAccording to Buffett,

cumulative U.S. soil lossover the past 60 years.That’s “an area the size ofIndiana,” he pointed out.

100 million acresCurrently, the amount of

highly erodible land acrossthe U.S.

$37 billionThe estimated annual

cost of U.S. soil loss.

$400 billionThe estimated cost of

soil loss worldwide. “Iwould say that’s grosslyunderestimated,” Buffettsaid.

to have the right kind ofExtension services, the rightkind of research services,”Buffett told FarmWeek. —Martin RossHoward Buffett

Bernie Walsh, Durand, Winnebago County: I have lots ofplanting progress to report. Someof the fields dried out enough toget started again on Monday,May 13, and we went strong allweek. Most of the corn is plantednow, except for the wettest fields.Several farmers are well alongwith their soybean planting. The

warm temperatures and ample moisture havebrought the corn up fairly fast. There still islots of work to catch up on, such as sprayingherbicides because the weeds are growingvery fast, also. One neighbor cut some haylast week because he was short on feed. Hesaid the hay dried quickly.

Pete Tekampe, Grayslake, Lake County: It was a greatweek for planting in Lake County.Corn is about 80 percent planted,but no beans have been planted. Ihad about 20 acres of corn to fin-ish Friday morning. Winter wheatlooks good, but some late-plantedwheat saw goose damage. Hay isgrowing fast. Rain is in the fore-

cast for four of the next seven days.Remember — slow down and be careful.

Leroy Getz, Savanna, Carroll County: No rain for the week.After two mornings of light frost,temperatures went as high as 92degrees. The soils dried and mostcorn has gone into the fields.Soybean planting is progressing.Chopping of rye and then plantingit to corn is under way for somedairy producers. A little hay has

been made for double-cropping to corn.Sprayers are keeping up with the planters.

Ryan Frieders, Waterman, DeKalb County: It was a veryproductive week on the farm. Thefields dried out and plantingresumed Monday morning (May13). Corn planting is 80 percentcomplete. The earliest-plantedcorn is emerging from the soil.Soybean planting also hasbegun.

Larry Hummel, Dixon, Lee County: Except for some coldmornings at the beginning of theweek, it was perfect weather toplant and get crops growing.Most everything is planted now,so if I could put an order in, itwould be for a nice shower to getcrops off to a good start. Early-planted corn is up, stands look

good, and now with the warm temperatures,it’s a nice, dark color. Basis has remainedstrong, while futures are struggling. Someethanol plants are bidding 50 cents above oncorn, and soybean bids are pushing a dollarabove for old crop.

Joe Zumwalt, Warsaw, Hancock County:What a differencea week can make. The corn cropseems to be going in at almost arecord pace. Many producersstarted one week ago and arenearing completion while othersare just beginning. Earlier-plant-ed corn is up and stands lookgood. Several area producers

were planting soybeans as well. While someof the crop has been planted in perfect con-ditions, many acres were planted in less-than-ideal soil conditions. Weighing the riskbetween planting date and soil conditions isalways difficult, especially when so much isinvested in every acre. Good luck to everyonewith their planting progress.

Ken Reinhardt, Seaton, Mercer County: We had a fewdrops of rain just about every day.Most everyone was trying to runby Tuesday. The dust and mudwere flying. Conditions were notfavorable. A neighbor, who is avolunteer fireman, used a firetruck to cleanup his 24-row afteran adventure in the mud. If the

rain held off during the weekend, more thanhalf the corn should be in.

Jacob Streitmatter, Princeville, Peoria County: What adifference a week can make. I willventure to guess that by the timeyou read this, many farmers willbe done with corn and workingon getting soybeans in theground IF the rain holds off.Some of the early-planted cornhas emerged.

Ron Moore, Roseville, Warren County: We received0.3 of an inch of rain last weekthat made it wet enough todelay planting for a few days.We started again late Monday,May 13. Every field has a wetspot in it now. It is late enoughto plant corn under less-than-ideal conditions. We should fin-

ish corn in a few days if the rain forecastfor the weekend holds off. I would estimateabout 50 percent of the corn is planted inthis area now. A few people have plantedsome soybeans, and we will start as soonas corn is finished. Hay will be ready tomow this week and pastures are nowgrowing very fast with the warm weather.

Tim Green, Wyoming, Stark County: A lot of corn wasplanted last week. Fridaymorning, rain was in the fore-cast. This area is probably 50to 60 percent done plantingcorn with a few beans planted,too. Conditions were marginalat the beginning of last weekbut were a little better by

Friday. Corn is going in fast. There is sometalk about replanting crops that wereplanted a week ago in marginal condi-tions. Have a safe week.

Mark Kerber, Chatsworth, Livingston County: It was agood week to get corn planted.No rainouts in our area, butthere was some spotty show-ers elsewhere. Soybeans arebeing planted at a rapid rate asthe seed is larger this year.Many of our black boxes are 40units instead of 50. It started to

get a little dry. You could see clouds ofdust where tractors were running. We arestill getting this crop planted in a timelyfashion for maximum yields. Markets arenot doing much.

Ron Haase, Gilman, Iroquois County: A few tractorsreturned to the field onSaturday, May 11, and a lot offield activity started on Sunday,May 12, and continued throughFriday. We had a shower popup on Wednesday that sloweddown activity for a short timeas we waited to let the moisture

soak in. Corn planted the week before hasemerged. Some cornfields are at the V1growth stage. Many soybean fields wereplanted over the last few days. We are nowon our second half of planting. It has beena mad rush for sprayers to try to keep upwith all the fields being planted in thearea. Fields that have not been plantedare starting to show a green tone, as theweeds have been growing rapidly with thewarmer weather. The local closing bids forThursday: nearby corn, $6.69; new-cropcorn, $5.08; nearby soybeans, $15.07;new-crop soybeans, $11.88.

Brian Schaumburg, Chenoa, McLean County: Cornplanting is wrapping up, andsoybeans are going in theground at a furious pace. Fiveconsecutive days of goodweather have us on track for apossible weekly plantingprogress record. Corn plantedMay 2 and May 7 has emerged

with good stands and populations. Thereis nothing like the sight of a newlyemerged cornfield at dawn. Corn, $6.74,fall, $5.08; soybeans, $15.21, fall, $11.96;wheat, $6.47.

Steve Ayers, Champaign, Champaign County:Finally, f ields dried andplanters started rolling lastweek in nearly ideal condi-tions. Impressive progresswas made. We have come along way on planting tech-nology since Squanto andthe Pilgrims used dead fish

and a pointed stick. We are now 40 per-cent done with our corn planting; apleasant surprise considering the fore-cast last week. We carried a 50 percentshower chance into the weekend andtoday. There is potential for thunder-storms and heavy rain today intoTuesday. Bug of the week is the alfalfaweevil popping up in some fields, but notenough to warrant treatment yet. Let’sbe careful out there!

Wilfred Dittmer, Quincy, Adams County: A lot of planterswere rolling Friday and mostfields were drying out after a pret-ty, rain-free week in our neck ofthe woods. Anhydrous nursetanks have been moving at agood pace. Rain was predictedabout every day after Wednesday,but the gauge was still empty on

Friday. Are we going to have a repeat of lastyear’s drought? Only time will tell.

Carrie Winkelmann, Tallula, Menard County: After beingrained out for more than a week, itwas nice to see tillage equipment,spray coupes, and planters runninglast week. A large amount of workwas accomplished in the area, withthe forecast for inclement weatherand the lateness of the seasonbeing the driving forces.

Tom Ritter, Blue Mound, Macon County: Farmers got in afew good days of work. Somewere able to start on Monday, May13, and the others on Tuesday orWednesday, depending on howmuch rain they received. A lot ofcorn planters were going. Therewere isolated showers onWednesday night that made some

modify their plans. If the showers were avoid-ed, there should have been a major push toget more than 50 percent of the corn planted.A few soybeans were planted in isolatedareas. Weed control has been a problem onsome fields that have turned green or were notsprayed early enough, causing some extratillage trips. Corn planted a couple of weeksago is up and at the two or three leaf stageand looking good. It is starting to get somegood color with the 80-degree temperatures.

Todd Easton, Charleston, Coles County: I am declaring thismy first in-field edition ofCropwatchers as I sit here fuel-ing up my Deere friend. Farmersacross Coles County have beenburning the candle at both endsand in the middle, too, since thebeginning of last week in a majorattempt to catch up. Monday

morning, May 13, fields were dry enough forsprayers to start battling the tall weed infesta-tions. The next day, cultivators and plantersstarted into less-than-ideal conditions. Thelong hours moved the area from almost noneto 50 percent of the corn seed in the groundwith more going in rapidly. A handful of soy-bean planters have been out. Man andmachine will keep going until Mother Naturestops us again, which could be any timebetween Friday and the beginning of thisweek. With the record hours that I and myneighbors are putting in, remember safety firstbecause it’s all for nothing if we don’t make itback to the house safely.

David Schaal, St. Peter, Fayette County: We had a warm,dry week — finally. You name it,things were happening: spraying,spreading of fertilizer, anhydrousapplication, tillage, and plantersrolling. Fungicide also was beingaerial-applied on wheat. Theground seems to be pulling prettyhard this year, I guess due to the

later heavy rains. I’m hoping the weatherholds here so we can continue to makeprogress on getting the crop in the ground,although showers are in the forecast for thenext few days. Maybe we’ll get lucky and missa rain or two. Everyone stay safe.

Dave Hankammer, Millstadt, St. Clair County: The oneadvantage of following high schoolbaseball is having an excuse totravel to other parts of the regionand observe farm fields beyondtownship or county lines. Duringthe past week, I saw mostly wet,shiny fields with little to no activityoccurring. We received some wind

and gradually increasing warm temperatures,allowing some fields to dry off. Some fieldworkoccurred with manure applications and forageharvest for some of the livestock farmers. Asthe week progressed, field activity increasedto include tillage, fertilizer and herbicide appli-cations, and corn plantings. These activitiesare still limited by field conditions. A few rainshowers moved through the area toward theend of the week with rainfall amounts rangingfrom a couple of tenths to 1.5 inches. Localgrain bids: corn, $6.46; soybeans, $15.23;wheat, $6.90. Have a safe week.

FarmWeek Page 6 Monday, May 20, 2013

CROPWATCHERS

Randy Anderson, Galatia, Saline County: It was a goodweek for planting. Getting close to50 percent done here. The mainproblem is the little wet pockets inthe fields and springs. I heardsome reports of replanting cornthat was planted three weeks ago.Dealers say the seed for replant isvery, very short. The wheat crop is

looking very good considering all the mois-ture it has had. The other main event lastweek and next is my nephew and my songraduating out of junior high. Now we willhave two high schoolers in the family. Thenext four years are going to bring some realchanges to the farm. The hours might belong, but please take the time to take a breakbecause there is someone looking for you tomake it back home safely!

Ken Taake, Ullin, Pulaski County: We finally had an openweek here in deep SouthernIllinois. There was a lot of cornplanted over the last week. I thinkeveryone is running as hard aspossible. We managed to plant alittle more than half of our corn. Itsure is a lot better than we were aweek ago. Please take time to be

safe in this busy season.

Rick Corners, Centralia, Jefferson County: I never thoughtthat on Friday, May 10, with waterstanding in the field that byMonday, May 13, we would be inthe field — but we were. We hada couple of days of running andthen Thursday morning it pouredagain. I had 0.8 of an inch of rain,but some places around had

none and, of course, other places had more.Took a drive Friday morning and a little cornhas been planted, but still acres and acres togo. With the forecast, the panic button mayhave to be pushed. We had frost Mondaymorning, May 13. The wheat fields werewhite. Some of the early varieties that wereheaded may have been hurt. Only time willtell.

Kevin Raber, Browns, Wabash County: Fieldwork wasvery hectic last week. Manyacres of corn and soybeanswent in the ground. There are alot of acres in the river bottomsthat are too wet to farm. Thewheat looks good. Most fungi-cide has been applied, so nowwe will just have to see how

Mother Nature treats the wheat crop fromnow until harvest.

Jeff Guilander, Jerseyville, Jersey County: Last week beganwith a few people scratchingaround, but by Wednesday it wasfinally off to the races. With theupgrades farmers have made toequipment the last few years it wasa pretty impressive week. I imaginethat corn progress will be wellabove half complete and I would

not be surprised if some beans weren’t planted,although at a lot slower pace for now. I think wecan officially welcome in the 2013 crop year.

Dan Meinhart, Montrose, Jasper County: The EmbarrasRiver was out of its banks duringthe weekend of May 11-12. A lim-ited amount of planting was doneWednesday and Thursday. Mostof the field activity consisted ofpreparation for planting — mostlyapplying preplant anhydrous,spreading dry fertilizer, and spray-

ing Burndown. Most farmers were shy aboutplanting corn with all the showers in the fore-cast for the this week. Wheat is heading out.Most people are having a hard time keepingup with the lawn mowing.

Page 7 Monday, May 20, 2013 FarmWeek

CROPWATCHERS

Reports received Friday morning. Expanded crop and weather infor-mation available at FarmWeekNow.com

Nitrogen monitoring, post-planting applications key trendsBY KAY SHIPMANFarmWeekIllinois farmers and fertilizer

retailers are managing nitrogenfertilizer differently this spring,according to Jean Payne, presi-dent of the Illinois Fertilizerand Chemica l Assoc ia t ion(IFCA).“We’re looking at nitrogen

like we’ve always looked at P(phosphorous) and K (potassi-um). We’ve always soil testedfor phosphorous and potassi-um, but never really did for

is the different applicationequipment. Many retailers haveinvested in post-applicationnitrogen equipment — “Some-thing we didn’t see in Illinoiseven five years ago,” Paynenoted.“We have really seen farm-

ers look at nitrogen as a systemnow and not just, ‘I need toget my nitrogen down and bedone with it,’” she said. “Whenyou see retailers make signifi-cant investment in the equip-ment, that means the farmers

want it.” Although farmers may not

save input costs with multiplef e r t i l i z e r a p p l i c a t i o n s ,increased yield benefits out-weigh the input cost or “farm-ers wouldn’t be interested,”Payne said. “Conservat ion happens

w h e n f a r m e r s h a v e t h eresources to help provide it.When you have profitability,that’s when farmers want tomake the investments,” shesummarized.

nitrogen because we alwaysassumed we’d have to startover every year,” Payne saidrecently in a FarmWeek/RFDRadio Network interview.Throughout last fall, soil

nitrogen levels were moni-tored as par t of an indus-t r y -Un iver s i t y o f I l l i no i sproject dubbed “N Watch.”T h e t e s t r e s u l t s o f s o i ln i t r o g e n l e v e l s t h a tremained af ter har vest oflast year’s drought-strickenc r o p r a i s e d a w a r e n e s s

among farm-e r s , a c co rd -ing to Payne.“Nit rogen

i s an expen-sive input, andfarmers wantto know whathappens to itw h e n t h e ya p p l y i t o r

how much they need to apply,”she said.One significant signal that

farmers’ approach has changed

Jean Payne

SCOUTING THE FIELD

Gerald Schultz of rural Lanark in Carroll County last week scouted a 90-acre field heplanted to corn on May 7 to judge when he would have it sprayed. Schultz decidedto have herbicide applied Thursday. He and his brother, Ron, have 75 acres of alfalfa,and they have a 100-head dairy herd. (Photo by Ken Kashian)

The University of Illinois Weed Sci-ence Field Day will be Wednesday, June26 , a t t he U o f I C rop Sc i ence sResearch and Education Center, locatedimmediately south of the Urbana cam-pus. Coffee and refreshments will be

available, starting at 8 a.m. The tour willend about noon with a catered bar-beque lunch at the Seed House.Similar to past years, a car pool will

take participants to the fields for aguided, informal tour.“The tour will provide ample oppor-

tunity to look at research plots andinteract with weed science faculty, staff,and graduate students,” said AaronHager, associate professor of weed sci-ence.Participants may compare their corn

and soybean herbicide programs toother commercial programs and get anearly look at some new herbicide activeingredients, he said.The cost is $10, which includes

the field tour book, refreshments,and lunch. The department will continue its

field research at the DeKalb, Perry,and Brownstown research centers, butit will not have formal weed sciencetours at those locations, Hager said.However most of the weed scienceplots will have signs displayed duringthe Agronomy Day f ie ld tours atthose centers.For more information on the Weed

Science Field Day, call Hager, DougMaxwell, Lisa Gonzini, or Brad Stier-walt at 217-333-4424.

U of I Weed Science Field Day set for June 26

Tuesday: • Ag weather with Chesapeake Meteorology• Monty Whipple, president of the LaSalle County Farm Bureau• Richard Verdery, Fellowship of Christian Farmers

Wednesday:• Kim Hamilton, international marketing representative for the National Restaurant Show• Marsha Salzwedel, agricultural youth safety specialist, National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety• Lisa Lunz, U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance board member

• Karen Scanlon, Conservation Technology Information

Thursday:• Representative from Illinois Corn Growers Association.• Mark DePue, director of oral history for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library

Friday: • Sara Wyant, Agri-Pulse publisher• “Town and Country Partners”• Philip Nelson, president Illinois Farm Bureau

To find a radio station near you that carriesthe RFD Radio Network, go toFarmWeeknow.com, click on “Radio,” thenclick on “Affiliates.”

TRANSPORTATIONFarmWeek Page 8 Monday, May 20, 2013

Senate OKs WRDA, weather/partnership proposalsBY MARTIN ROSSFarmWeek

The Senate last weekdelivered a long-awaitedWater Resources Develop-ment Act (WRDA) packagethat proposes new measuresto fund river infrastructureand better protect futurewaterways transportation.

Scott Sigman, Illinois Soy-bean Association (ISA)transportation and exportinfrastructure lead, said hewas hopeful the Housemight act on WRDA prior tothe August recess. He hailedthe Senate package as anexample of “the bicameral,bipartisan way that getsthings done in Washington.”

Sens. Dick Durbin, aSpringfield Democrat, andMark Kirk, a Highland ParkRepublican, have joined Tay-lorville Republican Rep.Rodney Davis and DemocratReps. Cheri Bustos of EastMoline and Bill Enyart ofBelleville to sponsor provi-sions that address lock fund-ing concerns and weather-related issues on the Upper

sumer of all resources on theriver” amid congressionalfunding delays and resultingcost overruns “that belongmore on the (federal) generalrevenue side.”

The Senate WRDA pack-age does not include anindustry-supported proposal

to increase barge fuel taxesthat feed the trust fund. Sig-man said such budget-relatedmeasures are outside theSenate’s scope, but he antici-pates Senate support for aHouse “fee” increase whenWRDA reaches joint confer-ence negotiations.

Mississippi.Sigman

said he wasparticularlyencouragedby an Illinois-sponsoredproposal toauthorizepilot public-private part-

nerships in navigation infra-structure investment.

“The Soybean Associationhas been in dialogue with the(U.S. Army Corps of Engi-neers), both in Washingtonand in Rock Island, to helpnurture the opportunitiesthat might spring from thatkind of authorization,” hetold FarmWeek.

Those include possible useof bond-based financing toencourage private invest-ment.

He cited “some initialreceptivity” to bond invest-ment especially among “thevery biggest shippers.”

Illinois senators alsosecured proposals to improve“extreme weather” response

on the rivers.Durbinstressed needfor moreaccurate riverforecastingcapabilities“after comingso close toeconomiccatastropheearlier this year” because oflow river levels.

The Senate bill authorizesa study of how the entireMississippi River Basin func-tions and can be managed asan overall system. It propos-es using modern technologyto monitor river levels, “asopposed to the old way oflooking at painted lines on abridge,” Sigman said.

The bill proposes to freeup money within the InlandWaterways Trust Fund(IWTF) — a repository usedto fund the private share oflock projects — by removingOlmsted Lock and Dam con-struction from the fund. Sig-man argued the Ohio Riverproject has become “a con-

Sen. Dick Durbin Sen. Mark Kirk

ISA seeks grassrootsshowing for Joliettransportation summit

Farmers are invited — indeed, encouraged — to attendthe Illinois Soybean Association’s (ISA) second annualExport Transportation Summit June 13 at the Universityof St. Francis in Joliet.

The free eventis funded by theIllinois soybeancheckoff and willaddress currentISA infrastruc-ture improve-ment issues. Thesummit will explore ways farmers, shippers, and otherindustry partners can collaboratively overcome transporta-tion roadblocks and improve Illinois soy competitiveness.

“We’re really encouraging farmers to come — we wantto see at least 50 percent of the audience be from the agri-cultural community,” ISA transportation consultant ScottSigman told FarmWeek.

“This is not just a transportation forum — its onewhere agribusiness is represented at a grassroots level.” Summit speakers will include Scott Fredericksen, presi-dent of transportation with Archer Daniels Midland Co.;Informa Economics CEO Bruce Scherr and senior vicepresident and analyst Ken Eriksen; and William DunavantIII, CEO of logistics firm Dunavant Enterprises.

Jeff Blais, finan-cial manager of theU.S. Department ofTransportation Fed-eral HighwayAdministration’sIllinois Division,will address the“infrastructurefunding imbalance.”

Mike Steenhoek,executive directorof the Soy Trans-portation Coali-tion, will discusswaterway and portneeds, whileClarkson GrainPresident LynnClarkson willaddress efforts topreserve commod-ity value in transit.

The program will conclude with observations on publicprivate partnerships from Eric Gilbert, senior vice presi-dent for infrastructure and logistics with CenterPointProperties.

Gilbert’s company “has been very successful in estab-lishing rail logistics facilities and is turning its eye towardthe inland waterways” in Will County and other areas, Sig-man said.

To register or for information about the summit, visitISA at {www.summit.ilsoy.org}. — Martin Ross

‘ Th i s i s no t j us t atransportation forum— i t s o n e w h e r eagribusiness is rep-resented at a grass-roots level.’

— Scott SigmanIllinois Soybean Associationtransportation consultant

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Page 9 Monday, May 20, 2013 FarmWeek

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CEOs: State offers advantages, but could grow wind industry

Illinois, especially the Chicago area, hasemerged as a hub of the U.S. wind energyindustry.The headquarters of at least 31 global or

American major wind energy corporations arelocated in the Chicago area, according to “Illi-nois: Windy City, Prairie Power” by the Centerfor Renewable Energy at Illinois State Univer-sity.Those corporations include Goldwind

USA, Invenergy LLC, Suzlon, and AccionaEnergy. The state also is home to companies that

supply parts for wind energy installations

and/or provide services related to wind ener-gy development. About 170 Illinois compa-nies provide goods and services to the windenergy industry, according to the RenewableEnergy Center and the Environmental Lawand Policy Center.In direct impacts, wind energy farm opera-

tions annually added $16.52 million to localeconomies, while project construction addedanother $217 million, according to a 2012study by the Center for Renewable Energy. In local property taxes, wind farms generate

about $28.5 million annually, the Center forRenewable Energy reported. — Kay Shipman

State home to wind energy firms, suppliersmind (with its RPS) but

because (windenergy suppli-ers) can’t getlong-termcontracts …the RPS is notworking prop-erly,” Alonsosaid. Alonso,

chief execu-tive officer of EDP Renew-ables North America LLC,knows Illinois’ wind energyindustry from his experiencedeveloping three wind farms inthe state.Asked how wind energy can

economically compete withcheap natural gas, Rosenzweigresponded that wind energysuppliers are “selling a long-term product” with 20- to 25-year contracts. Those long-term contracts offer price sta-bility that other energy sourcesdo not, he added.

ness model … . We are invest-ing in America’s renewableenergy future,” TimothyRosenzweig, Goldwind USAchief executive officer, toldFarmWeek during the recentWindPower 2013. Goldwind established itself

in the U.S. market at ShadyOaks, which was finished in

April 2012, and then sold thewind farm to Algonquin PowerCo. last December. The bladesand towers used at Shady Oakswere made in the U.S., Rosen-zweig noted.Rosenzweig and Gabriel

Alonso, new American WindEnergy Association chairman,agreed that Illinois offers tan-

talizing development incen-tives with a strong renewableportfolio standard (RPS) butfails to deliver without long-term power agreements.Under the Illinois RPS, state

utilities must produce 25 per-cent of their power fromrenewable resources by 2025.“Illinois has a great goal in

BY KAY SHIPMANFarmWeekIllinois’ advantages attracted

one of the world’s largest windturbine manufacturers to joinother industry leaders andlocate its North Americanheadquarters in Chicago. Butthe state isn’t living up to itsfull economic potential forwind energy, according to twocorporate leaders.Goldwind USA not only

based itsNorth Ameri-can headquar-ters in Chica-go in 2010,but the Chi-nese firmmade LeeCounty’sShady OaksWind Farm ademonstration

model for its new turbine tech-nology.“We are proving a new busi-

TimothyRosenzweig

Gabriel Alonso

State treasurer to sponsor youth ag photography contestPeople should not be includedin the photos.Participants must be Illinois

residents and amateur photog-raphers. The photo must have been

taken in the state and no earli-er than May 15.Contestants will compete in

three age categories: 8 to 10,11 to 14, and 15 to 18. Each

contestant is limited to twophoto entries.Photo entries must be in

JPG format, 300 dpi, and nolarger than 5MB. To find morecontest rules and to submitphotos, go to the treasurer’soffice website{treasurer.il.gov}. Click on theCream of the Crop PhotoContest link and follow upload

instructions or read the rules.Winners and runners-up

will be notified by phone calland email. Other contestantswill receive an email. Winningentries will be published onlineand in print. For information, go online

to {treasurer.il.gov}, call 217-558-6217 or email aginvest@treasurer.state.il.us.

I l l inois Treasurer DanRutherford is sponsoring anew photography contestfor I l l inois photographersages 8 to 18. The submission dead-

l ine is July 12. The photo may depict any

image related to agricultureand/or farms, including crops,livestock, animals, equipment,farm buildings, or farm scenes.

June 8Illinois Junior Preview Sheep Show, Woodford CountyFairgrounds, Eureka. Check-in begins at 8 a.m. withshows at 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. For more information, emailroyerfarm@aol.com, call Bill Royer at 309-472-3231, emailcroelf@mtco.com, or call Cheryl at 815-795-5030.

June 13Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom golf outing, Elks &Wolf Creek golf courses, Pontiac. Call 309-557-2230 orgo to {iaafoundation.org} for more information.

June 26University of Illinois Weed Science Field Day, U of I CropSciences Research and Education Center, Urbana cam-pus. For more information, call Aaron Hager, DougMaxwell, Lisa Gonzini, or Brad Stierwalt at 217-333-4424.

July 30-31The National Grain and Feed Association and the SoyTransportation Coalition, “A Modern Infrastructure forModern Agriculture” conference, Westin O’Hare nearChicago. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service will co-sponsor the summit. {www.soytransportation.org} or{www.ngfa.org/meetings.cfm} to register.

DATEBOOK

Illinois FFA’ers report food drive totalsFFA chapters around Illinois collected 48,256 pounds of non-

perishable food items and $13,159 in cash and contributed 1,628hours of service for the Illinois Farm Bureau Harvest for Allprogram. The chapters surpassed last year’s totals in all three cat-egories.The food, money, and community service were applied to

local efforts in the state.During the state FFA convention in June, the West Central

FFA will be recognized for the largest donation. Other top chap-ters listed in order are: Williamsville, Orion, Cissna Park, andNewark.

LIVESTOCKFarmWeek Page 10 Monday, May 20, 2013

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Large cattle placements could be bearish near-termBY DANIEL GRANTFarmWeekThe trend of fewer cattle

on feed in the U.S. continuedlast month.USDA in its monthly cattle

on feed report Friday estimatedcattle and calves on feed for

the slaughter market as of May1 totaled 10.73 million head,down 3 percent from a yearago.It’s the ninth consecutive

month cattle numbers werebelow year-ago levels, accord-ing to the CME Group’s DailyLivestock Report.However, USDA for the

second consecutive monthreported a significant, albeitexpected, jump in the numberof cattle placed in feedlots.USDA estimated April

placements totaled 1.75 millionhead, up 15 percent from thesame time last year. This fol-lowed a 6 percent increase inMarch placements.“Overall, the report will

have a bearish impact (on themarket),” Derrell Peel, ag econ-omist at Oklahoma State Uni-versity, told FarmWeek.“That’s two months in a row oflarge (feedlot) placements.”Peel said he believes place-

ments jumped in March due toeffects of the drought in Okla-homa and Texas.The increase last month

could be related more tounseasonably cold spring tem-peratures that limited pasture

and forage development. Someof the largest increases inplacements in April were inIowa and Nebraska.“The long, cold winter

exhausted a lot of the feedresources,” Peel said.The jump in placements

also should be taken with agrain of salt as it’s compared toan unusually low number a yearago, Peel noted. There also wasan extra business day in Aprilthis year, which produced ahigher placement number, theeconomist said.Meanwhile, the boost in

placements doesn’t change thefact that the overall supply ofcattle is down 3 percent from ayear ago.“It (the increase in place-

ments) changes the timing, butthe supply of feeder cattle has-n’t changed,” Peel said. “Thefact that we’re placing morenow means we could seetighter supplies later.”Peel predicted the markets

may react bearishly to thereport near-term.However, he predicted an

improved profitability outlookfor cattle feeders in the secondhalf of this year.

“Even with planting delays(USDA) still expects a good(corn) crop, which should leadto significantly lower feed

prices,” Peel said.Marketings of fed cattle in

April totaled 1.86 million head,up 2 percent from a year ago.

FarmWeekNow.comFull details of the latest cattle-on-feed report are available atFarmWeekNow.com.

Cows relax as the temperature recently warmed up. But the long, coldwinter exhausted a lot of feed resources, according to Derrell Peel,Oklahoma State University ag economist. (Photo by Ken Kashian)

Poison hemlock presents challengeto livestock owners in MidwestLivestock owners should be on the lookout for poison hem-

lock in pastures, according to Purdue Extension specialists.Often the toxic plant grows along roadsides, edges of cultivat-

ed fields, stream banks, and pasture fencerows. It can be identi-fied by purple spots or blotches on the stem. If eaten, all parts ofthe plant can be fatally toxic to cattle, horses, swine, sheep, andgoats.Typically animals won’t eat poison hemlock unless they have

no other forage; however, farmers need to be especially cautiouswhen cutting hay in fields with poison hemlock to avoid mixingit with the forage, said Ron Lemenager, Purdue Extension beefspecialist.Poison hemlock has a two-year life cycle, and herbicides work

best when applied early in the first year of growth, when plantsare newly emerged, according to Travis Legleiter, Purdue Exten-sion weed scientist.The most common herbicides used to control the weed in

pastures are growth regulators such as 2,4-D, dicamba, or a com-bination of 2,4-D and tryclopyr, said Bill Johnson, PurdueExtension weed scientist. While those pesticides will damagelegumes, most times the legumes need to be sacrificed to controlpoison hemlock, he said.“Then come back and reseed the legumes,” Johnson added.Animals that eat poison hemlock will begin showing symp-

toms within an hour. Those symptoms start with nervousnessand may progress to respiratory paralysis within two to threehours. Treatment is available, but it requires a veterinarian andmust be administered immediately.Poison hemlock also is found in crop fields, but there it sim-

ply is more of a nuisance, according to Johnson.For more information, download a free Purdue Extension pub-

lication “Poison Hemlock — The Toxic Parsnip.” The location is{btny.purdue.edu/weedscience/2003/articles/PHemlock03.pdf}.

Poison hemlock is toxic when eaten by livestock. Livestock ownersshould monitor pastures and kill the weeds as early as possible. (Photocourtesy Purdue Agriculture)

IFB IN ACTION Page 11 Monday, May 20, 2013 FarmWeek

Young Leader to share an urban farming viewBY DANIEL GRANTFarmWeekJim Hopkins, 30, said he is

excited to gain valuable newinsights into farming throughthe Cultivating Master Farmersprogram.He is one of 24 Illinois

Farm Bureau Young Leaders(YL) recentlyselected toparticipate inthe two-yearprogram,which linksyoung farmerswith PrairieFarmer Mas-ter Farmers.

“One of my buddies was init (the program) this year andhe told me the insights he’sreceived have been very use-ful,” said Hopkins of Yorkville,who serves on the YL StateCommittee.But Hopkins will be able to

do more thanjust listen toMaster Farm-ers share theirexperiencesand advice. He also will

provide aunique per-spective toprogram par-ticipants basedon the chal-lenges of hisfarm’s location.Hopkins, a fifth generation

farmer, grows corn and soy-beans with his father, Dave, inhighly urban Kendall County.“We’re considered a suburb

of Chicago,” Hopkins said. “Ican give a perspective of whatcity people think of farmers.”So what’s different about

farming in the suburbs com-pared to the rural areas of Illi-nois?Imagine looking across the

farm and seeing a golf courseor guiding a tractor throughtraffic and 17 stoplights to getto a field. That’s a typical day

for Hopkins.“I’ve actually been stuck in

rush hour traffic in a com-bine,” said Hopkins, who notedhe had to slow the combinedown because it was goingfaster than the pace of traffic.It also is quite common for

Hopkins to receive phone callsfrom his neighbors any time afield is sprayed with chemicals.“We get quite a few phone

calls from people wonderingwhat we’re spraying,” he said.“The disconnect from modernagriculture is very present inmy area.”That’s part of the reason

Hopkins got involved in YoungLeaders and the CultivatingMaster Farmers program.He wants to be more proac-

tive as a leader in ag and beable to better connect withconsumers.Other Young Leaders

selected for the new class areAdam andDenise Alb-smeyer (AdamsCounty), Brockand Natalie Boe-lens (Henry),Scott andTiffany Brown(LaSalle), MariaCox (Greene),Matthew andHannahGarlisch(Mason), Brian

Gordon (Champaign), BrettHaas (McLean), Brandon andSarah Hastings (Champaign),Andrew and Katie Pratt (Lee),Kraig and Jodie Soltwedel(Effingham), Jay and KristenSpringer (Woodford), MonicaStevens (Knox), Wes andJamie Strode (Fulton), andElliott Uphoff (Shelby).Master Farmers have yet to

be selected for the new class.The program is sponsored

by 1st Farm Credit Services,Farm Credit Services of Illi-nois, GROWMARK, IllinoisFarm Bureau, Monsanto, andPrairie Farmer.

New class of Cultivating Master Farmers

Jim Hopkins

MOBILE BARN VISITORS

Sangamon County Farm Bureau volunteers used the county Farm Bureau’s mobile barn while visiting eightelementary schools and approximately 2,000 students earlier thismonth. The barn is filled with farm animals, and volunteers go fromclass to class giving a 10-minute lesson before the students walkthrough the barn. Through use of the barn, kids learn about animalsvia sight, sound, smell, and touch. The program not only impacts the

students, but the teachers walk away with a better understanding of the origin of their food, as well. A falltour is planned for September. (Photo by Ashley Etherton-Beutke, assistant county Farm Bureau managerand communications specialist)

‘I can give a per-spective of whatcity people thinkof farmers.’

— Jim Hopkins Yorkville farmer

FB IN ACTIONFarmWeek Page 12 Monday, May 20, 2013

Community helps make a child’s wish come trueBY KAREN SCHRADER

Will you do it? Yes! That’swhat residents of MonroeCounty said when presentedwith the opportunity to makea dream come true for a youngboy from Kansas City, Mo. —

Disney World or a theme park.“Jo-Jo” responded that hewanted to be a farmer and acowboy.

Monroe County Farm Serv-ice Agency Executive DirectorLinda Mathews made contactsthroughout the county, puttingtogether what one of theMake-A-Wish Foundation rep-resentatives called the best“wish” she had ever experi-enced.

With the help of the Water-loo Walmart and other busi-nesses, the Waterloo SchoolDistrict, and several localfarmers, it was indeed a day toremember.

Joseph, his twin brother,Patrick, and their parents, Tomand Angela Charles, started theday with a limousine ride cour-tesy of farmer George Ober-nagel and rode around townon a hook and ladder truckcourtesy of the Columbia FireDepartment.

Next came the fulfillment ofthe actual wish, when theyarrived at the Don and KarenSchrader farm outside ofWaterloo. There they pettedbaby ducks, a rabbit, and tur-tles; gathered eggs from thechicken house; saw cows andcalves and sheep and lambs;and held newborn pigs.

They then experienced “realfarming” by riding in a Terra-gator and helping field cultivateand plant in a big John Deeretractor. Finally, they went fish-ing, where Jo-Jo and Patrickeach caught a big catfish.

In Waterloo they hopped on

a real stagecoach driven by areal cowboy, Kevin Hirsch, andwere paraded past the Waterlooschools where more than 2,000kids and the junior high bandgreeted them with cheers andsigns and pink and purple bal-loons (Jo-Jo’s favorite colors).

Then they were off to theMonroe County Fairgrounds,where another farmer, RonNiebruegge, had rounded upthe local saddle club to put on

a horse show just for the boys.Both Joseph and Patrick

received ribbons and champi-onship belt buckles, as well astrophies for “Farmer of theYear” and “Cowboy of theYear.” Jo-Jo also was givencustom-made Western chinksand a blue corduroy FFA jack-et with his name embroideredon the front.

Now, you may think that thebest part of this great day werethe memories Joseph and hisfamily took home with themwhen they left Monroe County.

But what they left behindwas even greater — the love,warmth, and joy in the heartsof hundreds of MonroeCounty residents who had apart in making a little boy’sdream come true.

Karen Schrader is chairman ofthe Monroe County Women’s Com-mittee. Don Schrader is secretary ofthe Gateway FS Board of Direc-tors.

a young boy no one had everheard of until then.

Five-year-old JosephCharles was diagnosed withneuroblastoma at age 2 andhas gone through months ofradiation, chemotherapy, and

blood and platelet transfu-sions, as well as multiple sur-geries. Joseph’s cancer is nowin remission.

When asked by the Make-A-Wish Foundation what hisdream would be, he didn’t say

Five-year-old Joseph (Jo-Jo) Charles was uncertain he wanted to pet arabbit held by his farmer host, Don Schrader. “Jo-Jo,” whose cancer isin remission, was granted his wish to be a farmer for a day. He actuallyreceived much more. (Photos by Cassie Becker, publications and mediarelations specialist for GROWMARK)

It appeared that virtually the entire town of Waterloo with its nearly 10,000 souls turned out recently to greetyoung Joseph Charles and his twin brother, Patrick, as they took to the streets in a stagecoach driven by KevinHirsh. Actually, the parade route was past the Waterloo schools and more than 2,000 students cheered onthe pair. “Jo-Jo” of Kansas City, Mo., who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma at age 2, wished through theMake A Wish Foundation that he could be a farmer and a cowboy for a day. The Monroe County communitywent all out in making certain the wish was granted.

FROM THE COUNTIES Page 13 Monday, May 20, 2013 FarmWeek

CHAMPAIGN — TheFarm Bureau Founda-

tion will sponsor the Coun-tryside 10K and two-milewalk at 8 a.m. Saturday, June1, at Witt Park in Sidney.

COLES — FarmBureau will sponsor

an informational meetingregarding the creation of awomen’s group at 5 p.m.Thursday, June 27, at the U-Hotel in Charleston. Thewomen’s group will offereducational, networking,social, and community-ser-vice opportunities. Call 354-3276 to register or for moreinformation. Reservationdeadline is June 24. • Women Caring for the

Land will host a conservationdiscussion and field tourfrom 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.Wednesday, June 26, at theLumpkin Family Center forHealth Education in Mat-toon. Women who own ormanage farmland in Coles orDouglas counties are invitedto participate. Call TeresaBullock at 815-753-6365 oremail tbullock@niu.edu toregister or for more informa-tion. Deadline to register isJune 14. • Farm Bureau Foundation

will sponsor a ball dropfundraiser at 7 p.m. Friday,Aug. 23 at Morton Park. Callthe Farm Bureau office or afoundation director to pur-chase tickets. Proceeds willbenefit the foundation schol-arship/education fund. • Illinois Farm Bureau and

the Grain Handling SafetyCoalition will co-sponsor afarm safety training from 1to 5 p.m. Friday, June 28, atthe Lumpkin Health Centerin Mattoon. Call the FarmBureau office at 345-3276 toregister. Registration dead-line is June 24.

LIVINGSTON —Farm Bureau will host

an informational meeting formembers affected by the pro-posed Line 78 Enbridgepipeline project at 7 p.m.Tuesday, June 4, at theDwight Emmanuel Lutheran

Church. Rae Payne, IllinoisFarm Bureau senior directorof business and regulatoryaffairs; Ryan Gammelgard,attorney with the IllinoisFarm Bureau Office of theGeneral Counsel; and TerrySavko, Illinois Departmentof Agriculture Bureau ofLand and Water Resources,will speak. Call 842-1103 oremail livcfbmgr@yahoo.comfor reservations.

KANKAKEE — FarmBureau will host an

informational meeting formembers affected by the pro-posed Line 78 Enbridgepipeline project at 7 p.m.Tuesday, June 4, at theDwight Emmanuel LutheranChurch. Rae Payne, IllinoisFarm Bureau senior directorof business and regulatoryaffairs; Ryan Gammelgard,attorney with the IllinoisFarm Bureau Office of theGeneral Counsel; and TerrySavko, Illinois Departmentof Agriculture Bureau ofLand and Water Resources,will speak. Call the FarmBureau office at 932-7471 forreservations.

PEORIA — FarmBureau will sponsor a

Stroke Detection Plus healthscreening from 9 a.m. to 4:30p.m. Thursday, May 23, inthe Farm Bureau auditorium.Cost is $100 for membersand $135 for non-members.Call 877-732-8258 for reser-vations. • Farm Bureau will host a

Believing in New GreatOpportunities (BINGO)meeting from 6:30 to 8 p.m.Thursday, June 6, for women25 to 45. Call DeAnnaThomas at 241-5604 or emaildeannathomas@jmpradio.-com for reservations or moreinformation. Reservationdeadline is May 31.

STARK — Farm Bureauwill sponsor a tractor

drive from 7:30 a.m. to 3p.m. Saturday, June 1, begin-ning at the Farm Bureauoffice. Proceeds from thedrive will benefit the Foun-dation. Cost is $30. Registra-

tion forms are available atthe Farm Bureau office. Callthe Farm Bureau office at286-7481 for more informa-tion. • Prime Timers will host a

picnic from noon to 2 p.m.Wednesday, May 29, at theFarm Bureau office. Upcom-ing trip information will beavailable at the picnic. Callthe Farm Bureau office at286-7481 to register. Regis-tration deadline is May 27.

STEPHENSON —Farm Bureau will

sponsor a “StephensonScenes” photo contest. Sub-mission deadline is June 7.Contest details are availableat {stephensoncfb.org}. • Farm Bureau will spon-

sor a blood drive and agbreakfast from 6:30 to 11

a.m. Saturday, June 22, at thefairgrounds. All donors willreceive a free breakfast, andfirst-time donors will receivea free season pass to theStephenson County Fair. • Farm Bureau will spon-

sor a bus trip to Michiganand Ontario Aug. 12 to 18.Deadline to register is June1. Complete details are avail-able at {stephensoncfb.org}. • Farm Bureau Foundation

college scholarships areavailable. Application formsare available at {stephenson-cfb.org}. Application dead-line is May 31.

WHITE — TheYoung Leader Com-

mittee is seeking sponsorsfor the Young Leader PistolShoot Saturday, July 13, atthe Carmi Rifle Club. Pistol

shoot information is avail-able at {whitecfb.com/pis-tolshoot.html}. • Farm Bureau has extend-

ed the deadline to submitWhite County photo contestentries to June 7. The win-ning photograph will be usedon the cover of the 2014county plat book. Contestrules are available at{whitecfb.com/press/photo-contest.html}.

“From the counties” items aresubmitted by county Farm Bureaumanagers. If you have an event oractivity open to all members, con-tact your county Farm Bureaumanager.

Auction CalendarMon., May 20. 10 a.m.

McDonough Co. Farmland Auc.Lowderman Auction & RealEstate. www.lowderman.com

Sat., May 25. 10 a.m. Real EstateAuc. Loren “Hank” Best Est.,ALHAMBRA, IL. Ahrens andNiemeier Auction Service. www.a-nauctions.com

Fri., May 31. 10 a.m. LaSalle Co.Land Auc. Robert Anderson,

UTICA, IL. Marty McConville, DickMcConville and Joe McConville,Auctioneers. mcconvillerealty.com

Fri., May 31. 10 a.m. Piatt Co.Land Auc. FARMER CITY, IL.Hertz Real Estate Services.

www.hertz.agSat., June 1. 9 a.m. Farm Eq.Estate of Wendell Smith, CISNE,

IL. Barnard Auctions. www.auctionzip.com id #2008

Sat., June 1. 9:30 a.m. Farmmachinery. Muhs Sales and

Service, ELDORADO, IL. JamieScherrer Auction Co.

www.jamiescherrerauction.comTues., June 11. 6 p.m. BentonCo., IN Land Auc. OXFORD, IN.Schrader Real Estate and Auc.Co., Inc. schraderauction.com

Tues., June 18. 10 a.m. VermilionCo. Land Auc. ROYAL, IL.

www.hertz.agTues., June 18. 7 p.m. Bureauand Lee Co.’s Land Auc. LorenaWallace Est., DEER GROVE, IL.

Wallace Land Co. www.wallaceland.com

Sat., June 22. 10:30 a.m. OgleCo., IL Est. Auc. Loren and ElsieRicholson Est., DAVIS JUNCTION,IL. Lenny Bryson and Todd Wills,

Auctioneers. www.lennybrysonauctioneer or www.toddwillsauctioneering.com

THANK THANK YOU

Participants were reminded of the farm families who grow their food with care, thanks to the breakfast sponsored by Illinois Farmers!

A special thanks to our breakfast sponsors: Prairie Farms Dairy Illinois Soybean Association Illinois Pork Producers Illinois Dept. of Agriculture & the American Egg Board Midwest Dairy Association Illinois Specialty Growers

The IAA Foundation held its 3rd annual 5K Grow & Go on Saturday, May 11, 2013. This family friendly event not only raises funds for Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom, but also raises awareness with consumers about the important role of agriculture and the family farms that put food on our table.

More than 360 runners, walkers, kids dashers, families and volunteers gathered at the Illinois Farm Bureau, COUNTRY Financial, and GROWMARK headquarters in Bloomington, IL, for a great day of fun and fellowship.

After the kids Cock-a-Doodle Dash, the 5K Run and 1 Mile Walk, participants gathered for an open house that included a hot breakfast and learning activities for the kids. The morning culminated with presentations of the coveted tractor awards, given for 1st and 2nd place in 13 age categories.

Because of our generous sponsors and event participants, the IAA Foundation is on track to raise $15,000 from this year’s event. Bronze Sponsors

Roger Tornow5K Race Grow & Go Committee Chairman

Copper SponsorsMitch Murch’s Maintenance Management

Above and Beyond Sponsor

Platinum Sponsors

VIP Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

PROFITABILITYFarmWeek Page 14 Monday, May 20, 2013

This week Prev. week ChangeSteers $125.00 $126.00 -$1.00Heifers $124.94 $126.00 -$1.06

Export inspections

Feeder pig prices reported to USDA*Weight Range Per Head Weighted Ave. Price10-12 lbs. $29.20-48.00 $36.33 40 lbs. NA NA

Receipts This Week Last Week 81,123 103,264*Eastern Corn Belt prices picked up at seller’s farm

MARKET FACTS

Eastern Corn Belt direct hogs (plant delivered)(Prices $ per hundredweight)

This week Prev. week ChangeCarcass $90.31 $89.28 $1.03Live $66.83 $66.07 $0.76

USDA five-state area slaughter cattle price

This is a composite price of feeder cattle transactions in 27 states.(Prices $ per hundredweight)

This week Prev. week Change $135.40 $134.35 $1.05

CME feeder cattle index — 600-800 Lbs.

Lamb prices

(Thursday’s price)

Slaughter Prices - Negotiated, Live, wooled and shorn 121-163 lbs. for107.06-137 $/cwt. (wtd. ave. 119.45); 171-192 lbs. for 112-117$/cwt. (wtd. ave. 114.73)

(Million bushels)Week ending Soybeans Wheat Corn5/13/2013 3.4 24.0 12.75/06/2013 6.4 17.9 6.8Last year 20.6 28.1 27.7 Season total 1255.8 945.0 501.7Previous season total 1123.3 972.3 1137.8USDA projected total 1350 1025 750Crop marketing year began June 1 for wheat and Sept. 1 for corn and soybeans.

Propane use expands across the farmBY SCOTT LONGNearly 900,000 farms in the

United States use propane,according to the Propane Edu-cation Resource Council —and with good reason. Propaneis a clean-burning, reliable, andefficient energy source. Farmers can depend on

propane to effectively andresponsibly run their opera-tions both in and out of thefield. Activity has been increasing

with propane engines through-out the country. This isbecause companies are startingto do a better job of designingequipment, properly trainingpotential users, and spreadingthe propane message.Propane-fueled engines thatpower irrigation systems, vehi-cles, generators, and lawnmowers are becoming the“newfangled” way to helpfarmers get the job done.Propane has been about 40

percent cheaper than gasolinefor the past 20 years, and thatgap has widened with theincrease in natural gas produc-tion in the United States. We read and hear so much

about natural gas, but whatmost people don’t realize ispropane that is produced inassociation with natural gas inthe United States has nowreached about 70 percent. Itused to be split about 50-50between oil and natural gas.

Approximately 84 percent ofthe propane consumed in theU.S. was produced with NorthAmerican resources. Natural gas liquids produc-

tion from shale gas is expectedto increase by more than 6.9billion gallons per year between2010 and 2015, which in turnwould create 1.8 billion gallonsof new propane supply. This

could benefit agriculture greatlyby having a cheaper source ofenergy for operations such ascorn drying and irrigation. During the coming months

and years we expect to seeactivity continue to rise forpropane engines and auto gas.There are a number of schooldistricts and municipalities tran-sitioning to the newer propane

technology in their fleets. They have “gone green” not

only for the environment butalso for the green in their bankaccount. Most companies that

switch from gasoline or dieselfuel to propane for theirschool buses, irrigation equip-ment, and/or vehicles see anoteworthy payback period

within two years or less. Propane is an excellent alter-

native fuel that is domesticallyproduced, environmentallyfriendly, and can result in signif-icant cost savings.

Scott Long is GROWMARK’spropane marketing and businessdevelopment manager. His emailaddress is slong@growmark.com.

U.S. pork exports slip; beef sales on record pace BY DANIEL GRANTFarmWeekU.S. pork exports so far this

year haven’t maintained therobust pace of a year ago.But beef exports through

the first quarter are on pace toset a new record for value thisyear.Beef exports the first three

months this year were down 4percent in volume but 5 per-cent ahead of last year’s recordpace in value of $1.3 billion.“Beef exports are a lot

more upbeat,” Dan Halstrom,senior vice president of mar-keting and communications forthe U.S. Meat Export Federa-tion, told FarmWeek.“Demand in Asia has beengood.”Japan in February eased

import restrictions on U.S. beefto products from cattle up to30 months of age compared to20 months. The change qualifies beef

from 90 percent of cattle in theU.S. for sale to Japan comparedto 20 percent of cattle thatwere eligible under the tighterrestrictions. U.S. beef exportsto Japan subsequently increased30 percent in the first quarter.“We should see more sup-

port for the cattle marketthrough exports, especiallywhen we get to the summermonths,” Halstrom said.U.S. pork exports, on the

other hand, declined 12 percentin volume and 11 percent in val-ue during the first quarter com-pared to the same time last year.

“We’re coming off a recordyear (for pork exports in 2012)that totaled $6.3 billion in saleswhich contributed about $56per head,” Halstrom said.“That’s a tall marker to go upagainst.”U.S. pork and beef exports

also have been challenged inrecent months by a ban of U.S.meat products in Russia due tothe use of ractopamine, a feedadditive, in the U.S.Pork exports to Russia,

which ceased in February, weredown nearly two-thirds in thefirst quarter of this year com-

pared to the same time a yearago. (See graph)“The (export) numbers are

really skewed by Russia,” Hal-strom said. “That was a verystrong market, so this really isan unfortunate curveball.We’re optimistic we’ll get sometype of government resolutionto the issue.”Elsewhere, South Korea has

rebuilt its hog herd followingan outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, and it currentlyhas an oversupply of pork,Halstrom noted.U.S. pork and beef exports

also have been pressured by astronger value of the U.S. dol-lar and competition from otherprotein sources, poultry in par-ticular.“I still think there is good

demand (for pork) in othermarkets (such as Japan andHong Kong),” Halstromadded. “I think there will beopportunities for improvedsales.”

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CASH STRATEGISTCorn Strategy

ü2012 crop: Interior basisremains at a premium tofutures, but the flat price doesn’thave a lot of upside enthusiasm.Even as corn futures broke lastweek, basis sagged in somelocations. Sell inventory otherthan “gambling stocks” youwant to carry into summer.

ü2013 crop: Unless weatherbecomes an extreme problem,and that doesn’t look likely, new-crop prices look destined tomove lower into early July. Userallies above $5.25 on Decemberfutures for catch-up sales.

vFundamentals: This pastweek’s weather soothed a lot ofnerves about the slow plantingprogress. Talk circulating in thetrade suggests planting todaycould be more than 60 percentcomplete, and maybe 75 percentby May 26. While that’s stillbehind, it gets the bulk of thecrop in the ground in reason-able time, especially in some ofthe northern production areas.Demand concern continues tobe a drag, as well as slow, steadyimports from South America.Soybean Strategy

ü2012 crop: Cash pricesremain at a huge premium tofutures, but the product valuelost ground to soybean pricesthis past week, casting doubton the summer crush pace.Exports already have shiftedaway from the U.S. Sell anyremaining bushels other than“gambling” inventories youwant to carry into summer.

ü2013 crop:Old-crop pricesare the biggest feature support-ing new-crop prices. New-cropexport buying is slow and steady,but it is not strong enough togive prices a lift. Use anybounce to make catch-up sales.

vFundamentals: TheNational Oilseed ProcessorsAssociation April soybeancrush number, 120.1 millionbushels, came in below expec-tations. Traders still perceivethe crush pace hasn’t declinedenough, but crush marginshave again fallen precipitouslysince the beginning of themonth. Soybean meal is start-ing to become available inSouth America, and the eco-nomics are in place to makesoybean meal imports feasible.

There’s still scattered talk ofsoybean imports, too.Wheat Strategy

ü2012 crop: The short-term trend in wheat has turneddown. Prices on the ChicagoJuly contract are positioned totest the $6.65 low. Old-cropsales should have been wrappedup when Chicago July tradedabove $7. Wait for a recoverybounce to make catch-up sales.

ü2013 crop: New-cropsales were increased 20 percentwhen Chicago July tradedabove $7.09, bringing sales to55 percent complete. If youplan to sell wheat directly off

the combine, you may want tobe more aggressive in makingadditional sales on bounces, asprices will be vulnerable to sea-sonal pressure going forward.

vFundamentals: The latestcrop progress report indicated32 percent of the winter wheatcrop was in good to excellentcondition, unchanged from theprevious week. However, thetop-producing state of Kansasindicated further deteriorationof crop conditions. Dry condi-tions in Russia and Ukraineremain on the trader’s radar, butworld supplies are still forecastto be ample.

Cents per bu.

USDA world grain demand high?The feature that caught our

eye in the recent USDA supplyand demand reports was theworld grain estimates. On firstlook, the production estimatescaught our attention, but as wekept sifting through the data,the consumption estimateslooked even more interesting.After the report, there was a

lot of discussion about theworld production estimates.The universal feeling seemed tobe USDA was a little overag-gressive in projecting largecrops outside of the U.S. givensome of the weather issues inmany countries. It has not been a great spring

in a number of areas. Hence afeeling that while stocks andproduction likely would grow,they might not grow as much asUSDA projected.

But USDA world demand esti-mates on this first forecast for the2013/2014 marketing year mayhave been even more optimisticthan the production forecasts.The projected use of coarsegrains and wheat are unusuallylarge relative to trend for both,especially for the former. Data show growth in coarse

grain consumption outside ofthe U.S. has been relatively lin-ear. Wheat has been a littlemore volatile, but with theexception of the bulge in2011/2012, it has been relative-ly linear as well. The sharpincrease in 2011/2012 wasbecause wheat became cheaprelative to corn, lifting wheatfeeding sharply. The implication of these

large early demand forecasts: Ifproduction declines from theseinitial high estimates, there’sroom for demand estimates todecline, too. That still leavespotential for good growth instocks even if production isn’tas robust as the initial estimate.

PROFITABILITY Page 15 Monday, May 20, 2013 FarmWeek

PERSPECTIVESFarmWeek Page 16 Monday, May 20, 2013

A nthropologist Margaret Meadonce said, “Never doubt that asmall group of thoughtful,

committed people can change the world.Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” From technology to cooperatives to

partnerships, American agriculture ismaking tremendousbreakthroughs in fight-ing domestic and worldhunger. American agri-culturalists constantlyprove time and timeagain that a small groupof dedicated people canindeed change the worldfor the better.One. Two. Three.

Somewhere around theworld a man, woman, or child just died. According to the United Nations, a

human life is snuffed out every 3.5 sec-onds because of the inability to obtainman’s most primitive necessity: food. With the help of advancements in

technology and farming practices, how-ever, agriculturalists around the world aredefying hunger by increasing food pro-duction. For instance, the global position-ing system (GPS) installed in farm equip-ment increases the yields of crops bymonitoring when and where to apply pes-

ticides and fertilizer. Likewise, the GPS and auto steer are

the precision instruments of planting andharvesting, with their satellites locatingthe farm equipment within inches.Biotechnology and genomics will contin-ue to increase food production aroundthe world as well. An article by the USDA National

Institute of Food and Agricultureexplains that, “Plant breeding is the sci-ence of maximizing positive genetic traitsin plants that people grow … . They areat the core of our ability to meet today’schallenges and opportunities for every-thing that we rely on agriculture to pro-vide.”Besides increasing the amount of food

available for the hungry, cooperatives andpartnerships actually try to combat worldand domestic hunger. An October 2012online article by the Inter Press Servicetitled “Cooperatives Cushion the Blowsof Hunger” describes the benefits ofstarting local cooperatives in hunger-stricken areas. FAO (Food and Agricultural Organi-

zation) Director Jose Graziano da Silvasays, “Cooperatives play a crucial role ingenerating employment, reducingpoverty, improving food security, andcontributing to the gross domestic

product in many countries.” Similarly, numerous kinds of partner-

ships can help fight world hunger. Privatebusinesses can donate supplies, money,expertise, and community service to aidin world hunger prevention. Successfulcooperatives can convince farmers fromother areas to create their own coopera-tives. The opportunities and ideas ofpartnerships are endless within agricul-ture!Any personal effort to eradicate world

hunger will have a permanent impact onthe lives of millions who are fighting theday-to-day effects of malnutrition. FFAmembers may obtain community servicehours by trick-or-treating for UNICEF.UNICEF is a non-profit organization

that provides vaccinations, education, and

nutrition for children in more than 190countries and territories around theworld. Instead of donating money, the Mid-

west Food Bank offers a unique opportu-nity for community members to donatetime to sort, load, and pack donatedfood. This food will be sent out to foodpantries in Illinois each month to helpfeed more than 100,000 hungry people.Not only this, but Heifer International

uses agriculture to fight the sinisterthreats of starvation. A monetary dona-tion lets the donor choose what to give afamily in poverty, such as sheep, cattle,chickens, goats, or other livestock ani-mals. These animals not only provide nutri-

tion for the hungry, but they give familiesa way to start a business and be financial-ly independent.Poet Maya Angelou once said, “I’ve

learned that people will forget what yousaid, people will forget what you did, butpeople will never forget how you madethem feel.”Thanks to American agriculture, mil-

lions of people will never forget the feel-ing of going to sleep with a full stomach.Whether it be technology, cooperativesand partnerships, or personal efforts,agriculturalists valiantly rise to the chal-lenge of eradicating domestic and worldhunger every day.

Emily Bloemer, a Heyworth High School stu-dent, is a member of the Heyworth FFA Chap-ter. Her FFA adviser is Jestun Nutter. She willreceive a $500 scholarship from GROW-MARK at the Illinois FFA State Conventionin June. The Heyworth FFA Chapter willreceive a $300 award.

EMILYBLOEMER

Domestic, world hunger:One. Two. Three.

Recently, an American FarmBureau Federation (AFBF)staff member was interviewedon the proposed changes toU.S. international food aid. The

question waswhether theUnited Statesshould shiftfood aid dona-tions to cashinstead ofAmerican-grown food. Like most

interviews, thisone went on for

15 to 20 minutes. The resultwas one pieced-together quote:“Exports via food aid are asmall drop in the market. Ourconcern is less about decreas-ing an important revenuestream for U.S. agriculture. It’smore about the loss of a senseof pride.”Once the article ran, some

organizations pounced, effec-tively charging: How couldAmerican agriculture, solely outof pride, take food out of themouths of 2 million to 4 mil-lion people? Facts do suffer when

skewed through the prism of

agenda-driven politics. Not that long ago, a fact

sheet posted by USAID (Unit-ed States Agency for Interna-tional Development) reportedthat cash or voucher humani-tarian relief systems and pro-grams are more expensive thanthose using U.S.-procured com-modities. Interestingly, nowthat President Barack Obamahas proposed using cash in lieuof commodities, USAID’s web-site, updated in late April, nowsays just the opposite. There have been times when

those programs accounted for asignificant percentage of ourexports. But that is simply notthe case today. In one breath, critics claim

the Food for Peace programcurrently accounts for “lessthan 0.2 of 1 percent of U.S.agricultural production andabout one-half of 1 percent ofU.S. agricultural exports.” Then, in the very next

breath, they claim this programdealing with “less than one-halfof 1 percent” of our exports isdriving “Big Ag” to come outwith “guns blazing.” Theiremotional response ignores alogical analysis of their own

statements, and frankly givesFarm Bureau more credit thanis due.We will claim some credit

for our nation’s long-standingsuccess in helping those inneed around the world. Thevery origin of the Food forPeace program can be traced toa September 1953 meeting ofthe Cheyenne County (Kansas)Farm Bureau. A young farmer named Peter

O’Brien put into motion agrassroots idea that made itsway through our policy devel-opment process, from Kansasto AFBF and then as legislationintroduced by Sen. AndySchoeppel (R-Kan.) that wassigned into law by PresidentDwight D. Eisenhower in 1954.If critics of Farm Bureau’s

policy on food aid ask whetherwe are proud of our role in thisprogram, the answer is anunequivocal, “You bet we are.” Are America’s farmers and

ranchers proud of our contri-bution to feeding multi-mil-lions of people around theworld, thanks to a Farm Bureauidea? Again, “You bet.” Wouldwe rather see crops producedhere in the United States being

used in these kinds of aid pro-grams? Yes!The problem with switching

to cash donations is that cashtoo easily can be used for pur-poses other than feeding peo-ple. Shipping a cargo load of

food, rather than the money tobuy food (if it is available), isthe best and most secure way toensure that taxpayer-fundedinternational food assistanceactually makes it to hungrypeople overseas. Without that certainty, the

full impact of our nation’sdonations could be easilyslashed by administrative costsassessed by cooperating enti-ties, or worse, siphoned off byinept or corrupt governmentsin recipient nations. That iswhy several international foodaid organizations also opposeswitching to cash donations.At a time when even hunger

assistance comes into questiondue to our nation’s fiscal condi-tion, it is vital to supportefforts that clearly give our taxdollars more bang for the buck,and more certainty that ourfood aid will reach those inneed.

To date, we have not taken astrong position on this issue,known in Washington as “cashin lieu of commodities.” Wehave listened to both sides. The recent misrepresenta-

tion of Farm Bureau’s motivesnow gives us the opportunity togo on record and stand boldlywith many other farm groupsand enlightened humanitariannon-governmental organiza-tions in working to keep U.S.-produced food a part of thefood aid program. Our current approach to

helping feed the world success-fully ensures that we share ournation’s bounty. Those whowould rather just have Ameri-can taxpayers write anothercheck to pay for uncertainresults should focus on how tofeed more hungry people ratherthan criticize the organizationthat helped start Food forPeace or malign the farmersand ranchers whose workmakes our food donations pos-sible.

Bob Stallman, a Texas rice farmerand cattle rancher, is president ofthe American Farm Bureau Federa-tion.

BOBSTALLMAN

Let’s keep the food in food aid and ensure the hungry get fed

GROWMARK names FFA essay winners Emily Bloemer, rural Bloomington,

was a repeat state winner of the 2013GROWMARK essay contest for IllinoisFFA members. The theme of this year’scontest was “Fighting Domestic andGlobal Hunger.”Four runners-up also were named.

The runners-up and their FFA chaptersare: Aya Bridgeland, Byron FFA, Byron;Mackenzie Clawson, Mercer CountyFFA, Seaton; Charlie Herrera, ChicagoAg Sciences FFA, Chicago; and MatthewRehmer, Marissa FFA, Lenzburg. Eachrunner-up will receive a $125 award.This is the 20th year for the contest,

sponsored by the GROWMARK Systemand FS member cooperatives, in con-junction with Illinois FFA.