DeKalb County AgMag Spring 2017

agmag

DeKalb County

Spring 2017

‘Farming is who we are’

Jones named 22nd DeKalb County master farmer See Page 6 A Publication of

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DeKalb County

Table of Contents

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It’s 2017: Do you know how old your farmer is?

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Jones named 22nd DeKalb County Master Farmer

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Seeking a Marker to Commemorate Legacy

10

Next Farm Bill Discussions Underway

11 Farming Program Helps Neighbors in Rural America Fight Hunger 12

Moffitt Takes on New Post as Assistant Director for Illinois Ag

14

Waiting on Clients Hand and Hoof

16

Farm Bureau Ready for New Legislative Year

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DeKalb County

Published by Shaw Media Publisher: Karen Pletsch Project Manager: Lisa Angel Design & Layout: Allison LaPorta

Articles and advertisements are property of Shaw Media. No portion of DeKalb County Ag Mag may be produced without written consent of the publisher.

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Seeking Clarity: Is There an Opportunity for Farmers in Trump’s Transition?

22 Calling Illinois Soybean Growers:

Data Needed for Research Project

Don’t Miss Out on the Fall Edition Deadline Date: October 13th Mail Date: November 2017

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I t ’s 20w h1o7w :old your farmer is?

Do you kno

(BPT) - Smartphone? Check. GPS? Check. Seed, fertilizer and tractor?

Check. Welcome to the world of modern agriculture, where high-tech is the rule and savvy millennials are in demand as U.S. agriculture embraces the many challenges of feeding a growing world.

From planters guided by GPS to corn and soybeans with builtin resistance to insects, today’s agriculture is a far cry from Old McDonald’s farm or the pitch-fork-wielding couple of American Gothic. Many of the technological advances in modern agriculture rival the smartest smartphones and the most intuitive interfaces.

Imagine drones that scout for pests, farm machinery that decides where fertilizer is needed or harvest equipment that steers itself.

Then there are plants that “sense” when weeds get too close, “turn a switch” when they need to conserve water, and produce their own “pheromones” to ward off insects and diseases. It’s the kind of hightech stuff that’s the perfect match for millennials, often defined as people born between 1982 and 2004.

Getting to know them

Currently, more than half of our nation’s farmers are at least 55 years old. However, as these farmers retire over the next few years, millennials - America’s largest demographic and arguably our most tech savvy - will likely be taking their place.

Many companies that hope to supply this new generation of farmers with goods and services are getting ready for the transition.

Syngenta has already launched a training initiative designed to help its employees build trust, improve service and strengthen partnerships with younger customers and coworkers. The training gives participants a better understanding of who millennials are and what’s important to them.

“Millennials are one of the most talked about but least understood generations,” says Gil Strader, head of field force excellence and training at Syngenta. “We’re finding fascinating insights that can help bridge this generation knowledge gap.”

Research reveals that younger growers in the agricultural industry are: High-tech and high-touch

Young growers take more innovative risks than their older counterparts, but personal relationships are just as important to them as the latest technology. Many prefer phone calls and in-person meetings over the digital dialogue so dominant today.

Educated

While only 33 percent of American 35- to 44-year-olds have a bachelor’s degree, 57 percent of young growers do. Eleven percent of them even have a master’s degree or higher. It’s the highest level of education among U.S. farmers to date.

Decisive

Due to increasing farming complexity, millennials are making significant decisions at younger ages than their predecessors decisions worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. In fact, twothirds are the primary decision makers for their operations, from seeds to marketing.

Inquisitive

To no one’s surprise, millennials use the Internet to gather information from diverse sources. Young farmers are hungry for information - information to help them make smart business decisions. It’s not enough to simply know how to do something: They want to know why.

Purpose-driven

Millennials view farming as a business and a lifestyle. They are very serious about what they’re trying to accomplish on the job, but they also want to have a high quality of life outside work.

These findings debunk the myth that the millennial generation is self-absorbed, indecisive and addicted to social media. As a group, young farmers are serious decision makers who crave connection, communication and a sense of purpose. To learn more about millennials and other agricultural trends, go to www.syngentathrive.com.

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NEW FOR 2017

Senior Scholarship Available to children of members!

To download the application form, visit www.dekalbfarmbureau.org. Due by Friday April 14, 2017.

S

ince 2015 the Dekalb County Corn & Soybean Growers have been a sponsor of and had a booth at DeKalb Corn Fest. Our focus is to help educate the non-farm public on the connection between farms and the food we all are consuming.

There are a lot of misconceptions in the media about where our food is coming from and we are trying to provide clarity at this event in a fun family environment. To become a commodity sponsor of the DeKalb County Corn & Soybean Growers and receive recognition at this event and our other activities throughout the year contact the DeKalb County Farm Bureau.

Remember that it is our job to tell our story and get the facts out there about farming and how safe and caring we all are.

FOR NEW MEMBERSHIP & MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL CONTACT THE DEKALB COUNTY FARM BUREAU

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‘Farming is who we are’ Jones named 22nd DeKalb County master farmer

By KATRINA J.E. MILTON For DeKalb County Ag Mag

Tracy Jones of Kirkland is a man with many titles. He is a husband, father of three daughters, agricultural businessman, politician serving as the vice chairman of the DeKalb County Board and fourth-generation farmer.

Jones now has another title to add to his list: Master Farmer.

Jones farms 1,370 acres, growing corn, soybeans and wheat, and raises around 1,500 head of yearling beef cattle each year for Tyson Foods.

Jones was one of four farmers in Illinois awarded the title of 2017 Master Farmer by Prairie Farmer magazine. Jones is the 22nd farmer from DeKalb County to receive the title.

This year’s other recipients are Allen Entwistle of Riverton, Kent Kleinschmidt of Emden and Joel Kooistra of Woodstock. The four new Master Farmers, their families and previous recipients of the title were honored at a ceremony in Springfield on March 15.

“The Master Farmer title is special because it is a culmination of a farmer’s career,” Jill Loehr, the

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assistant director for Prairie Farmer, said. “It highlights what the farmer has done for their farming operation, agricultural business and community. When selecting from the applicants, we look at their involvement in their community, their family relationship and who they are as a person. Tracy Jones was active in the community, on the county board, had great record-keeping and improved his crop and beef production over time. He was an obvious choice for the Master Farmer title.”

The title “Master Farmer” was created in 1925, when Prairie Farmer editor Clifford Gregory wanted to recognize Illinois farmers for more than just their farming skills. Prairie Farmer, the oldest continuously published farm periodical in the United States, named 97 master farmers between 1925 and 1937. The award was discontinued in the 1930s, with the country in the depths of the Great Depression. More than 300 Illinois farmers have received the title master farmer since it was revived in1968. Growmark, Inc. is a financial sponsor of the award.

To receive the award, farmers must be nominated. Jones was nominated by a group of DeKalb County Master Farmers.

Jones said that he felt honored to be nominated by fellow farmers.

Jones, whose family has been farming the same ground since the early 1900s, felt like the award also validated the work of his greatgrandfather Richard, grandfather Archie and father Gordon.

“It’s nice to know that I’m respected by my peers,” he said. “All of the Master Farmers in the county signed my application. I consider that an honor, that they think that much about me, how I farm and how I represent the farming community.

“In general, farmers take a lot of pride in what we do, and it means a lot that others recognize it, too.”

Loehr said that one aspect that stood out in Jones’ application was his community service and acted as a representation for farmers as one of 24 members of the DeKalb County Board. Jones, a Republican representative for District 1, was elected to his second four-year term on the county board in November and is its vice chairman.

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“There’s such a small percentage of people in our county that are farmers,” Jones said. “If we as farmers don’t tell our story, nobody will tell it for us. That’s why I feel like it’s my duty to step up and represent the farmers in the county. … I felt like it was important as a farmer. As farmers dwindle in number and population, I thought that it was important to do my duty.”

Another aspect of community service that Jones believes is important is educating the public about farming. Each year, Jones allows Sycamore eighth-graders to visit his cattle and grain farm as an agricultural field trip arranged by the DeKalb County Farm Bureau.

As a Master Farmer, Jones can participate in the Cultivating Master Farmers program, which pairs young farmers with Master Farmers.

Master Farmers participating in the program mentor younger farmers, attend meetings and discuss important farming topics.

Jones plans on continuing farming and continuing to serve on the county board.

“I love what I do,” Jones said. “There are different things going on all the time, and I have the responsibility of all of it. I work in the shop, on the tractor, in the office. Every day, I’m making marketing decisions and have a variety of decisions and activities that I have to do. I have two full-time employees, Chris and Mark. There’s always something to be done.”

He said that his biggest goal is to make his farm and community better, creating a long-lasting legacy in DeKalb County.

“Farmers always believe in leaving things better for the next generation: land, estate, finances,” Jones said. “I’m going to live by that. I want to leave my daughters something better than what I got. My dad could have sold the farm and left, but he took the farm and made it better for the next generation. “… I hope to farm and stay here forever. Having the farm in my family is a legacy. I’m a fourth-generation farmer. Farming is who we are, and we definitely want to continue.”

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Seeking a marker to commemorate legacy The DeKalb Area Agricultural Heritage Association is raising funds to commemorate one of the most well-known inventors and innovators in the county’s history, Jacob Haish.

By DREW ZIMMERMAN And ERIC R. OLSON For DeKalb County AgMag The heritage association hopes to raise $4,200 to place a historical marker outside the DeKalb Public Library, which Haish helped to build through a $150,000 bequest in his will in 1928. The art-deco style Haish Memorial Library was completed in 1931. The building, with its limestone facade, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

“I think what is significant about this marker is that it will provide a lasting tribute to [Haish] in a place where a lot of the public will see it and constantly be reminded not only of what Haish did as far as contributions to barbed wire, but also how community-minded he was,” DAAHA spokesman Larry Mix said earlier this year. “Here is somebody who is not only an inventive genius but civic-minded and we, as a community, have a lot to be thankful for because of his efforts.”

The DeKalb Public Library board approved that Haish’s marker be placed outside the original entrance of the Haish Memorial Library. Jeff Marshall, another Haish descendant, helped with the content of the marker, which explains Haish’s agricultural contributions and philanthropic efforts.

However, the fundraising effort has some way to go. Through early March $1,450 has been raised for the project, and DAAHA is seeking more donations to help make the marker

a reality. Mix said that in order to dedicate the marker in June, the group would have to meet its fundraising goal by April.

It seems a small price for a man whose fortune benefitted the DeKalb community for more than a century.

Born in Germany in March 1826, Haish immigrated to the U.S. and settled in DeKalb in 1853. Early in his career he was a carpenter and architect who designed several homes in the area. In the mid-1870s, after seeing an early concept for barbed wire at the DeKalb County Fair, Haish, Isaac Ellwood and Joseph Glidden all worked to improve upon the concept with their own designs.

While Ellwood and Glidden eventually teamed up in manufacturing barbed wire, Haish had his own operation, and fought an unsuccessful legal battle with his rivals.

Haish remained in the barbed-wire business until 1916, and grew wealthy in the process thanks in part to his “S-barb” method of twisting barbed wire.

Haish used his fortune on many public improvements that helped establish DeKalb as the community it is today.

In 1895, Haish donated $10,000 to establish a library at the Northern Illinois State Normal School, now known as

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Northern Illinois University. He donated funds to help with the construction of the DeKalb Public Hospital, now Barb City Manor at 680 Haish Blvd., as well as Haish Elementary school, which was demolished in 1975, and the Haish Gymnasium nearby, which still stands at 303 S. Ninth St. in DeKalb.

When he died just weeks from his 100th birthday in February 1926, he was a beloved figure in the city. The Daily Chronicle in his obituary called him “DeKalb’s Grand Old Man,” and said it seemed not long ago he would sit in his rocker at the Haish State Bank to greet friends from all walks of life, businessmen and blue-collar workers alike.

“He helped build this city as much or even more than any other resident,” the Chronicle wrote. “When his shops were in operation, he furnished employment for many men and he paid them good wages. His workers were not the disgruntled type and he aided materially in giving to DeKalb a citizenry that would be a credit to any community.”

Haish’s contributions to the community continued long after his death.

In his will, specified that his estate be used to build a hospital, a library, and to care for people in the community who could not afford health care.

In accordance with his wishes, in 1928, his estate awarded $150,000 to the community for a new library, and the Haish Memorial Library was dedicated in 1931. The art-deco style limestone building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

From 1961-68, $526,000 was given to DeKalb Public Hospital to build and maintain the Haish Memorial wing. A corporation was formed to administer his estate in 1952, and over the years it awarded about $2.5 million in grants in accordance with what board members thought were the intent of Haish’s will.

In 2006, 80 years after his death, it was announced that his estate would be settled with a $450,000 gift to help pay for the

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construction of the new Kishwaukee Hospital in DeKalb, paid in five annual installments.

“Eighty years is sufficient time to have his affairs taken care,” John R.“Jack” Nelson, Haish Corp. board president, said in a news release at the time. “This is the right project to fulfill the old gentleman’s wishes that this money be used to build a hospital for the community.”

Kishwaukee Hospital’s Emergency Department was named the “Jacob Haish Memorial Emergency Department” in his honor.

Jessi LaRue, a Haish descendant who operates a blog to raise awareness for the project at jacobhaishstory.com, said Haish’s work is often overshadowed in DeKalb by Glidden, who received the first patent for barbed wire in 1874, and Ellwood, Glidden’s business partner whose DeKalb mansion is now a museum.

“It’s easy to visit the Ellwood House or Glidden Homestead and get your fill of their history and impact,” LaRue said in a letter to the Daily Chronicle. “But over the years, because of Haish’s limited visibility in the area and lack of a real landmark, Haish has always felt like the forgotten hero of the barbed wire legacy.”

Tax-deductible donations for a marker for Haish can be mailed to DAAHA at 111 S. Second St., DeKalb IL 60115 and should be labeled “Haish marker.”

Mix said this would be the seventh marker his organization has dedicated toward agricultural innovators, and added the group is working on honoring DeKalb swine breeders with a marker in September.

“Our purpose is to get the community connected to its tremendous heritage of agricultural innovations that have contributed to what DeKalb and Sycamore are today,” Mix said.

“There will probably be several more markers in the future as we want to work with the state historical society to help people get connected with this great heritage.”

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Next farm bill discussions underway Government’s crop insurance subsidies will be targeted

By Lyle Ganther For DeKalb County AgMag PRINCETON — Farmers need to tell their legislators and others the importance of the farm bill’s subsidies for crop insurance premiums to their operations.

That was the advice of Doug Yoder, crop agency manager for Country Financial, who said at a recent crop seminar held in Princeton the next farm bill discussions have already begun just 2 years into the current 5-year bill that was passed in 2014.

Premium subsidies for crop insurance will be under attack, indicated Yoder. Farmers are paying more out of their pocket for crop insurance than previous years because the vast majority are at the maximum of 85 percent.

payments that we are saving $5 billion in budget money,” added Yoder. “We spent a lot more than that one year in ARC-Co. payments.

The message we have to tell them is this is counter cyclical in nature.

They are designed to give us zero in good time and protection cranks up in more payments during bad times.”

The drought year of 2012 wiped out profits made by insurance companies over the last 10 years in crop insurance premiums. There is no private insurance company willing to take that risk without government subsidies that are provided through the crop insurance program.

“There will be a talking point to kill crop insurance, but it is not free, and it is not a government handout,” said Yoder.

in 2015, Monsanto, Rain and Hail, John Deere and Cargill all quit selling crop insurance or sold the companies due to the risks involved in offering this product, he added. None of those four companies are out of business or hurting for money. They are all solid run companies.

Illinois farmers pay $184 million in premiums for their crop insurance coverage for corn and $69 million for beans. DeKalb County farmers’ main crop is corn, which was grown on 218,500 acres with an annual value of $162 million in 2016. Soybeans are another one-quarter of the county’s farmland, planed on 118,500 acres with an annual value of $78 million, according to the DeKalb County Farm Bureau.

“They decided it is way too risky of an environment and didn’t want to play that game anymore,” Yoder said. “When grain markets go down, premiums go down. Companies make money on premiums. The premium intake has been going down right after they lost 10 years of combined gains were wiped out, and claims have been going up because farmers are cutting their deductibles in half.”

“I have no doubt in my mind that they are going to try to kill this crop insurance program in the next farm bill debate when they see claims from farmers are increasing three out of the last five years due to the lower market prices,” he added.

Yoder said the vast majority of government monies spent through the Farm Bill don’t go to farmers for crop insurance premium subsidies, but nearly 85 percent of the Farm Bill funding goes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assessment Program (SNAP).

Yoder told farmers they are going to be asked by the Illinois Farm Bureau and the Bureau County Farm Bureau what works and what doesn’t work on this next farm bill.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture also administers SNAP, which helps eligible low-income individuals and families across the country get government assistance to buy food to fight hunger.

“We will get blasted in some major media markets on how much money is being pumped into rural America. Remember, we sold this as direct

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Farming program helps neighbors

in rural America

fight hunger

(BPT) - Although the United States produces much of the world’s food, 48 million people in the country are food insecure, lacking access to enough food to sustain a healthy, active lifestyle. What’s even more surprising is that many of the counties with the highest rates of food insecurity are located in rural communities, the very places growing the bulk of this food.

According to Feeding America’s study Map the Meal Gap 2016, rural counties are more likely to have high rates of food insecurity than more densely populated counties. In fact, 54 percent of counties with the highest rates of food are in rural areas. Rural areas also account for 62 percent of counties with the highest rates of child food insecurity.

While shocking to many, these numbers don’t surprise Michelle Sause, Assistant Director of Network Relations at Food Bank for the Heartland in Omaha. Her work with the food bank covers more than 78,000 square miles and spans 93 counties.

“The majority of our counties are rural communities,” says Sause. “We serve over 530 network partners that include pantries, meal providers and backpack programs, Kid’s Cafe and summer feeding programs.”

Some of the challenges in providing food to food-insecure families are unique in rural locations compared to metropolitan areas. These pantries often have limited resources, supplies and volunteers, which makes it difficult to secure meals for people struggling with hunger.

“We have two main challenges - transportation and establishing partnerships with donors in our rural communities,” she says. “With a service area that spans over 78,000 square miles, transportation can be a challenge.”

Sause adds, “Another challenge is finding and securing relationships with donors. This challenge is partly because our communities really

want to take care of their own and when a large agency from a bigger city is coming in, it can feel threatening.”

There is a tradition of helping your neighbor in rural communities, including Sause’s. Invest An Acre is a program working hard to uphold that tradition.

Invest An Acre is a program of Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, designed to engage farmers, agribusiness, and rural communities in the fight against hunger in rural communities across America. Farmers can donate a portion of their crop proceeds at their local grain elevator, by check or online.

Donations are doubled by matching partners, and the full amount is distributed directly to eligible local food banks and pantries. This means 200 percent of what a farmer gives goes back to the local food back of that town, and the people who need it most.

Food Bank for the Heartland - just one of many organizations working with Invest An Acre to fight rural hunger - has received more than $50,000 through the program.

“At Food Bank for the Heartland, we have found the best support is locally sourced,” says Sause. “Thank you to the generous farmers who have donated through Invest An Acre and who have encouraged fellow farmers to participate too. You are making a difference in the lives of hungry children, families and seniors.”

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‘Don is a farmer’ Moffitt takes on new post as Assistant Director for Illinois Ag

BY RACHEL RODGERS For DeKalb County Ag Mag Veteran lawmaker and agriculture advocate Don Moffitt enjoyed retirement for about 3 days before moving on to his next venture connecting farmers’ voices with policymakers’ ears.

Gov. Bruce Rauner named Moffitt assistant director for the Department of Agriculture on Jan. 13 – just a few days after the 69-year-old from Gilson left office as state representative for the 74th District, which stretches across Bureau, Knox, Mercer and Henry counties as well as the southwest corner of Lee County.

Moffitt will serve under Raymond Poe, who served for 21 years as a state representative from Illinois’ 99th District, which includes the village of Chatham outside Springfield in Sangamon County.

A Galesburg native, Moffitt’s political tenure in the statehouse spanned 24 years, a feat that ranks him Illinois’ second-longest running Republican in House history.

Making the choice not to run for a 13th term in office, he had plans for helping more with the family farm and spending more time with his family – with his wife, Carolyn, his three children and eight grandchildren – but he was tapped to put his legislative experience to use at the Department of Agriculture.

“Moffitt is a lifelong farmer with extensive experience in state and local government, which makes him uniquely qualified for the role,” Rauner said in a news release announcing the appointment.

Moffitt aims to continue work to improve the business climate for farmers and strengthen the state’s No. 1 industry.

He began his new role on Jan. 17, and among his duties, he is the department’s representative on the Governor’s Rural Affairs Council and the council’s Economic Development Working Group.

The group is tasked with advocating for the 1.6 million people who live in the 66 non-metro counties of Illinois to develop rural communities through expanding economic opportunities and facilitating partnerships between public and private agencies.

Kevin Semlow, the Illinois Farm Bureau director of state legislation, said he hopes Moffitt’s longtime experience as a legislator and supporter of agriculture will benefit the department.

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Supporting our ag partners for 160 years and counting.

Moffitt received the Farm Bureau’s highest honor in December, the Charles B. Schuman Distinguished Service Award.

Bureau President Rich Guebert lauded Moffitt as having “championed agriculture and promoted the needs of Illinois farmers.”

He has received the Illinois Farm Bureau Activator Friend of Agriculture Award in each of his terms in the Illinois House; the 1996 Illinois Soybean Association Legislative Award, the 2003 Illinois Pork Producers Legislative Award, and the 2005 Jim Guilinger Legislative Award from the Illinois Council for Ag Education.

Moffitt was on a variety of committees while in office including being the minority spokesman of the Agriculture and Conservation Committee and the Counties and Townships Committee.

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Previously, he taught high school agriculture from 1969 to 1973 in Oneida, was Mayor of Oneida and Knox County Treasurer.

He is a seventh-generation farmer and an active member of the Knox County Farm Bureau.

Jeanne Harland, a Knox County Farm Bureau member, said Moffitt has always had the ability to make decisions viewed through an agricultural lens.

“Don is a farmer; he’s always been a farmer, and he always will be a farmer,” she said.

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Farrier thinks his trade, and agriculture, more relevant today

By KAYLA HEIMERMAN For DeKalb County Ag Mag

His tools are those of yesteryear – of a trade kept alive through historical demonstrations and reenactments now and then.

But his hammer and anvil are also the tools of a profession, a line of work that requires more knowledge and precision than ever before.

Anthony Grevengoed is a farrier – an equine hoof care specialist. He trims, balances, and shoes horses’ hooves. A farrier combines some of the skills of a blacksmith with the skills and knowledge of a veterinarian to care for horses’ feet.

It would seem Grevengoed is part of a dying trade. On the contrary, Grevengoed, a 27-yearold Paw Paw native, is part of a changing industry.

“It is definitely not a dying trade,” says Beth Daniels, executive director of the American Farriers Association. “The standard of work has risen so significantly that it should be called a profession, rather than a trade. … It’s really far from dying. It’s really dynamic and really evolving.”

Grevengoed was raised around horses. His family kept standard bred racehorses, the fastest trotting horses in the world, and they raced them in Chicago. His great uncle, Rob Grevengoed, and his uncle, Brad Grevengoed, both are farriers.

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Grevengoed served in the Army for four years after high school, then used his benefits under the GI Bill to attend the Midwest Horseshoeing School in Divernon, south of Springfield. He studied for 16 weeks, then apprenticed with his great uncle for another 8 weeks.

Grevengoed, who now is based in Sterling, is a full-time farrier.

He estimates he has 75 to 100 clients within a 2-hour drive time radius.

“In the summertime, I’m shoeing every day, five to six days a week,” he said. “But in the winter, I’m shoeing only two to three days a week.”

A farrier– armed with knowledge of equine anatomy and biomechanics – first must assess how a horse moves, how it lands on its hooves, as well as the condition of its feet. He then trims the hooves to a length comfortable for the horse based on its body and its purpose.

He next selects horseshoes, pads, and any corrective shoeing, if necessary, and fits them to the horse. “(Horseshoes) allow the hooves to grow and move naturally, … and to take the abuse so the foot doesn’t have to,” Grevengoed said. “It’s all based on the horse’s ‘job.’ If it’s trail ridden once a week, it probably will be barefoot,” he said. “Whereas, if it’s a shoe horse and it’s ridden 6 days a week … that wears down the feet and it will need shoes to protect them.”

A farrier will shape a prefabricated “keg shoe” either cold, by hammering it against an anvil, or hot, by first heating the metal shoe in a forge and then bending it and hammering it with an anvil. Shoes can be made of aluminum, which is light and ideal for racing horses, or stainless steel.

Once the shoes are properly shaped, he nails them into the nonsensitive part of the horse’s hoof.

Grevengoed said most horses are very cooperative, especially if the owner has a farrier come regularly to trim his horses’ hooves.

He added that knowing how to act around horses and how to read their body language are a significant part of his skill set.

“I like to work with the horses every day,” he said. “You’re able to make them better, to see a finished ‘product’ when you’re done. … It’s very methodical and meticulous work. You have to be a bit of a perfectionist, if you want to be good.”

Grevengoed believes farriers are just as relevant – if not more relevant – today than in decades, even centuries past.

“We need to know so much more because the science has evolved,” he said. “Years ago, it was enough to shoe your own horse, especially if your horse was just a hobby. But today, farriers are pretty in demand because people are riding and showing their horses, and they are breeding them differently, … and farriers have more expertise.”

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Farm Bureau

ready for new legislative year Lobbying priorities set as ag prepares for new administration

By PAM EGGEMEIER For DeKalb County Ag Mag Amid a backdrop of political change in Washington, the Illinois Farm Bureau has set its lobbying agenda for 2017.

The organization’s board of directors approved its national legislative priorities list Dec. 21, but it will serve as more of a starting point until the ag industry gets a better feel for a new administration and Congress.

Adam Nielsen, IFB’s director of national legislation and policy development, said the list is short because of the unknowns created by the transition of power at the White House.

The list is largely based on what is known, he said, and the top issues in the early going appear to be regulatory and tax reforms – both of which received President Donald Trump’s strong support on the campaign trail.

“We’ve been told by congressional staff that right after everyone is sworn in, they will begin work on a regulatory reform bill,” Nielsen said. “The House expects a vote in the next couple of weeks.”

Trump has named billionaire investor Carl Icahn as a special adviser on regulatory issues, and they have vowed to push for a package of reform bills to stimulate business and job growth.

Among the targeted reforms is the Environmental Protection Agency’s controversial Waters of the United States, or WOTUS, rule, which farmers will watch closely.

Farmers are looking for wholesale changes that will bring relief from burdensome regulations, Nielsen said.

“This isn’t just about an issue or two – structural changes are needed. We’re looking for transparency with the economics and the science used by regulatory agencies.”

While the EPA is often portrayed as the nemesis of farmers, the call for change isn’t relegated to that agency alone. Farmers also point to the Department of Labor as they try to navigate regulations ranging from child labor to immigration. They also look for more clarity from the Department of the Interior regarding laws such as the Endangered Species Act. Farmers also have reason for optimism when it comes to tax reform, an issue that has been a Farm Bureau legislative priority for many years.

“We’ve been told that in the first 100 days, tax reform will be addressed, and it looks like some changes could be coming soon,” Nielsen said. “Everyone in ag pays the small business tax, and they want to see that rate lowered.”

Other tax issues also have been on ag’s wish list for a long time. Included are breaks in small business expensing, maintaining the 50 percent bonus depreciation level, repealing the death tax, and preserving the cash method of accounting. The cash method, unlike accrual accounting, doesn’t recognize income until payment has been received.

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While regulatory and tax reforms will receive much of ag lobbyists’ attention early into the new administration, trade, immigration, health care, and making preparations for a new farm bill also are on the to-do list.

Trump has talked tough on trade, so more attention could shift in that direction at a moment’s notice. Pushing for the TransPacific Partnership trade deal, which included the U.S. and 11 other Pacific Rim nations, was near the top of Farm Bureau’s agenda last year. After 7 years of work, TPP has been shelved, but Trump has made no secret of his disdain for the North American Free Trade Agreement.

NAFTA is a trade pact between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico that was enacted in 1994, and basically eliminated tariffs on goods moved between the countries.

“We’re not sure how serious Trump is about renegotiating NAFTA, but it’s a big concern for us because there are very important benefits to agriculture,” Nielsen said.

In 2015, the U.S. sold $36 billion worth of ag products to Canada and Mexico, including a large chunk from Illinois, he said.

The farm bill is set to expire Sept. 30, 2018, and work is beginning on that front. It is likely to remain on the back burner while lobbyists get a jump on more immediate legislative concerns.

“We’re asking our Farm Bureau members how the current farm bill is working for them, and by spring we’ll probably have a good feel for where we’ll be going with the next one,” Nielsen said. “We do sense there could be less money to spend in this farm bill.”

Nielsen also expects the House to quickly repeal the Affordable Care Act. Expectations are for parts of the law to be preserved, but the process of transforming it is likely to be lengthy and contentious.

“Farmers are saying their premiums are huge, so we will definitely be plugged into that debate,” Nielsen said.

He called the GMO labeling bill agriculture’s biggest legislative victory in 2016. The bill establishes national standards for labeling foods containing genetically modified ingredients.

“We spent a lot of time on the GMO bill,” Nielsen said. “There were a couple of disappointments with it, but getting it passed was a major accomplishment.”

Fighting for the TPP trade deal was another time-consuming endeavor for Farm Bureau. While the pact appears to be dead, ag doesn’t consider the effort a waste of time.

“I think there is now an understanding on Capitol Hill about how important trade deals are to farmers, and even if TPP isn’t picked up, it helps us in our battle for NAFTA,” Nielsen said.

Talk vs. action

U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Channahon, whose district includes most of DeKalb County, recently met with his 16th District Agriculture Advisory Committee in Ottawa.

Formed in 2013, the 26-member panel has representatives from each county in the district. It meets twice a year to address agriculture issues on the local, state, and national level.

The meetings help him in his efforts to protect the interests of Illinois farmers in Washington, he said.

“It’s important to have their input, and for their voices to be heard – especially when it comes to decision-making on the policies that impact their bottom line,” Kinzinger said. “The agriculture industry generates $19 billion annually and employs nearly 1 million people in this state, and I need to work to ensure Illinois farmers remain competitive internationally.”

Illinois Farm Bureau also sets state legislative priorities each year, but the board hasn’t yet approved that agenda.

Lee County farmer Larry Hummel said it will be interesting to see how wide the chasm will be between Trump’s campaign rhetoric and his actions. In the meantime, the Dixon grain producer said it’s time to analyze the current farm bill, which ushered in a new safety net system sans direct payments.

“It hasn’t been a perfect fit, but I think we’re headed in the right direction with price supports,” Hummel said.

Commodities prices have been in a down cycle, putting the insurance-based safety net to the test. This fall, the U.S. Department of Agriculture made more than $7 billion in payments under the ARC-County and PLC programs, which was more than 10 percent of USDA’s projected 2016 net farm income.

“Some of the supports were floating, and based on the last few years, higher prices made a nice base,” Hummel said. “Now the level of support has dropped substantially, and there will be losses if you start collecting.”

Hummel calls the regulatory issues a slippery slope. He agrees there is a need for more transparency in the system.

“It’s frustrating when something is just thrown at you, and it’s too late to even get your 2 cents worth in,” Hummel said.

The EPA issued its long-awaited ruling on Renewable Fuel Standards in November, increasing the percentage of biofuels that will be put into the nation’s gasoline supply. Midwest politicians seem to believe the future of ethanol is safe in any presidential administration.

“The ethanol industry has matured a lot over the years,” Hummel said. “I’m just hoping biodiesel and some of the other biofuels can progress like that, and be successful without subsidies.”

During the downturn in the ag economy, fertilizer prices have dropped, helping to reduce input costs. Hummel said landlords, for the most part, have been cooperative in lowering rents for those who aren’t farming their own land.

As health care costs continue to soar, farmers will closely follow the Affordable Care Act developments.

“I have a deductible over $5,000, and it floors me when I see the premiums I’m paying, Hummel said. “The Affordable Care Act is set up to help people on the lower-income end, but the problem is you still need a decent income to get it.”

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Seeking clarity

Is There an Opportunity for Farmers in Trump’s Transition?

By PAM EGGEMEIER For DeKalb County Ag Mag

Agriculture lobbyists would have every right to expect cooperation from President Donald Trump, but whether they can count on it remains to be seen.

In November, nearly two-thirds of the rural vote went to the Republican, although Trump failed to carry IIllinois, the birthplace of Hillary Clinton. Trump won handily in Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio, and Indiana.

While Trump did little on the campaign trail to specifically address agriculture policy, much of his tough talk on business issues also resonated with farmers.

President Donald Trump

Agriculture is big business, so it’s no surprise both have some of the same top legislative priorities and expectations for the new administration.

While uncertainty is a given during a presidential transition, this one goes beyond party politics.

“This is not your typical transition, where you’re looking at Democrat versus Republican,” said Tony Michaels, CEO of Midwestern BioAg. The Madison, Wisconsin-based fertilizer producer and soil consultant has a new facility in Milledgeville.

Michaels was returning Jan. 27 from an agribusiness conference in the nation’s capital, where he had lunch with Newt Gingrich, one of the speakers.

Gingrich said that because the Trump administration isn’t likely to adhere to obvious partisan-driven changes, there is unique opportunity in the uncertainty.

Tony Michaels,

CEO of Midwestern BioAg

Evan Hultine

“At the core, I think a lot of things said in this election will be re-evaluated with the biggest consideration being what keeps jobs in this country,” Michaels said.

Gingrich called the opportunity the “white space on the canvas” amid the unknowns.

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“He told us to recast things according to how they create jobs and wealth, pitch them, and start painting in the canvas,” Michaels said.

Michaels said Midwestern BioAg certainly won’t be making any changes based on perceived policy changes.

“The key from our perspective is that we work with more professional farmers who aren’t wedded to a lot of government rules,” Michaels said. “If there is demand and the price of grains are driven up, we’ll be fine.”

land,” Hultine said.

As with all new administrations, it will take some time to cut through the campaign rhetoric and get a clearer picture of policy directions.

An Agriculture Department leader has been nominated, likely removing one unknown. Pending Senate approval, former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue will become ag secretary. Former secretary Tom Vilsack, a former Iowa governor, resigned before Perdue was appointed.

Business and agriculture rallied around Trump’s promises to spur growth through an overhaul of regulatory restraints. He said he plans to cut burdensome regulations by 75 percent, and during his first week in office, he put a freeze on new and pending regulations in all executive departments and agencies.

Ag groups, for the most part, have expressed support for Perdue, but some have questioned why it was the last Cabinet post filled.

Farmers say the promise to make it easier to do business was Trump’s strongest selling point to the agriculture voting bloc. Because the president is a businessman, they are optimistic about positive changes being made to the regulatory structure.

“I have known Gov. Perdue for years, and I’ve seen firsthand his commitment to the business of agriculture as we worked together on issues facing farmers and ranchers in our home state of Georgia,” Duvall said in a news release.

“There is excitement about the president’s comments about scaling back some overreaching regulations that have been hard on agriculture and business across the country,” said Evan Hultine, a Bureau County farmer who serves as chairman of the Illinois Farm Bureau’s Young Leader Conference Committee.

As is the case with Trump, much of agriculture’s optimism about Perdue stems from his business background.

“He understands the challenges facing rural America because that’s where he was born and raised,” Duvall said. “He is a businessman who recognizes the impact immigration reform, trade agreements, and regulation have on a farmer’s bottom line and ability to stay in business from one season to the next.”

Farmers historically have pointed to the Environmental Protection Agency as the agency that concerns them most, and that hasn’t changed.

“A lot of work the EPA has done the last 8 years has gone far beyond public safety concerns,” Hultine said. “We’ve also seen times where some scientific facts were ignored in making their decisions.”

Hultine cites use of the herbacide atrazine as a prime example of the regulatory constraints that loom large for producers. Atrazine is a weed killer that is commonly used, primarily on corn. EPA wants to reduce its use, and possibly ban it altogether because of environmental and health concerns.

Farmers say an atrazine ban would drive up production costs and reduce yields.

“A lot of these regulations do more harm than good, and they paint farmers as enemies of the environment when most of us are good stewards of the

Perdue has received strong backing from large farm organizations, including American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall.

Perdue, who also has a background in veterinary medicine, would be tasked with leading efforts to get a new farm bill passed in 2018. U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger’s camp is hearing that the farm bill will be a big priority for the House Agriculture Committee.

“The president is supposed to speak to the committee sometime in February, but we’re being told the committee’s main goal is going to be reauthorization of the farm bill,” said Maura Gillespie, a Kinzinger spokeswoman.

As difficult as it was to get the last farm bill passed, a more difficult economic environment could make this one even tougher.

“The conditions are very different from when the 2014 bill was passed,” Gillespie said. “Commodities prices are way down, and there will probably be a bigger fight over the food assistance program.”

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Gillespie said it will be important to rally the troops as early as possible to push the farm bill wish list.

“We encourage farmers to work with their local ag groups to advocate for what is most important to them,” Gillespie said.

Farmers are also anticipating cost-cutting measures from a GOP administration and the new Congress.

“We’re out there asking Farm Bureau members how the farm bill is working for them, but we’re telling them that we sense there could be less money to spend in the next one,” said Adam Nielsen, director of national legislation and policy development for Illinois Farm Bureau.

While farmers are upbeat about prospects for progress on the regulatory front, early signs on another key issue haven’t looked as promising.

With commodities in a down cycle, farmers are also fixated on trade policies.

Both Trump and Clinton had stated their opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade agreement negotiated for many years by the U.S. and 11 other Pacific Rim nations.

Trump signed an executive order Jan. 23 that took the U.S. out of the deal that farm interests had lobbied hard for, in the hope it would open new markets for farmers. Trump said trade deals like TPP have hurt American manufacturers, and taken jobs out of the country.

Trump’s signature was largely symbolic at this point because U.S. inclusion in the controversial trade deal was likely to be killed in Congress anyway.

Farm organizations, however, including Illinois Farm Bureau, didn’t miss the opportunity to issue the president of reminder of their stance on trade.

“President Trump’s executive order to withdraw the United States from

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the TPP is another setback to an already struggling economy,” Illinois Farm Bureau President Richard Guebert Jr. said. “With TPP being halted, we implore the administration to start working toward opening new markets for Illinois crop and livestock farmers.”

IFB said 46 percent of Illinois exports go to Trans-Pacific countries.

Expectations were for the TPP deal to increase Illinois’ annual cash receipts by about $281 million, and net exports by $127.4 million, while adding 960 jobs to the state’s economy.

Adding to farmers’ worries, Trump has also said he plans to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

“It’s disappointing because TPP would have been a big benefit to farmers, but now with talk about opening up NAFTA, it’s becoming a bigger concern,” Hultine said.

Hultine said it takes some farmers back to the grain embargo instituted during the Carter administration.

“The embargo had a big impact for a long time, and that fear lingers with a lot of farmers,” Hultine said.

Jimmy Carter enacted the embargo against the Soviet Union in 1980, in response to the Soviets’ invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Although Ronald Reagan lifted the embargo a year later, Midwest grain farmers suffered much longer.

The Soviets had turned to other grain exporters during the embargo, and continued to buy cheaper grain deal from those nations, mainly in South America. Grain prices crashed, farm credit dried up, and for the first time in history, the U.S. was forced to import grain.

How Trump carried rural America • Told voters he’d get rid of 75 percent of burdensome regulations

• Hope that Trump would get rid of estate tax

• Promised to dismantle the Affordable Care Act

• Pledged to protect Renewable Fuel Standard

• Specifically addressed Waters of the United States Rule while Clinton did not

• General dissatisfaction with the Obama administration • Downturn in the farm economy

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Increasing yields isn’t the only

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Calling Illinois soybean growers

Data needed for research project DeKALB COUNTY AG MAG Last spring, a new multi-state research project funded by the North Central Soybean Research Program was initiated to investigate the effects of weather, soils, and management on soybean yields.

The project’s University of Illinois leader put out a call to soybean farmers to help gather data for the project. “We were looking to gather basic information on at least 500 Illinois soybean fields for each of the crop years 2014 and 2015; the project runs through 2017,� says U of I crop sciences professor Emerson Nafziger. “We appreciate that some farmers provided information, but we ended up with less than a quarter of the fields we needed for the first two seasons.�

The team is asking for help to fill in the holes. Producers are asked to provide information for up to four soybean fields on a form (one per crop year, 2014 to 2016). The form is located at go.illinois.edu/ soy-survey.

The form requests about 20 pieces of information for each field, including field location, planting date, variety and seeding rate.

Most farmers will be able to record information for a field in 10 or 15 minutes. “This project can be described as a search to find what we should work on next with regard to soybean research. The goal is to have thousands of fields in a large database, then to see how soil, weather and management interact to produce yield,� Nafziger said.

Nafziger encourages FFA and college students to participate, giving them experience with scientific studies and a reward for their efforts.

To provide an incentive, anyone who fills out information forms and returns a gift card request form along with the information sheets will receive a $50 gift card. “The more fields we’re able to get information on, the more useful this effort will be,� Nafziger explains. “As the largest and best state for soybean production, we are hoping to produce the largest and best set of information of all states involved in this effort.�

Farmers who want to participate can fill out the form posted at the link given above, or can contact Nafziger at ednaf@illinois.edu or soyncsrp@illinois.edu to have forms sent by email.

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