Bam1 2017 02 20

AG Mag

NorthCentral Illinois

Vital Signs An annual checkup on the health of agriculture in the fields, in the classrooms, and in Washington, D.C., and Springfield FARMER DON: Longtime state lawmaker has new job as assistant director for Illinois ag

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AG Mag

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AG Mag

Index

NorthCentral Illinois

Publisher Sam R Fisher Advertising Sales Development Director Jennifer Heintzelman

COVER STORY PAGES 10-16

Editor Terri Simon Magazine Editor Jeff Rogers Page Design Jeff Rogers Reporters & Photographers Dave Cook, Pam Eggemeier, Lyle Ganther, Christopher Heimerman, Kayla Heimerman, Michael Krabbenhoeft, Philip Marruffo, Alex T. Paschal, Goldie Rapp, Rachel Rodgers, Terri Simon, and Mike Vaughn Published by Bureau County Republican 800 Ace Road Princeton, IL 61356 815-875-4461 Articles and advertisements are the property of Bureau County Republican. No portion of the NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Ad content is not the responsibility of Bureau County Republican. The information in this magazine is believed to be accurate; however, Bureau County Republican cannot and does not guarantee its accuracy. Bureau County Republican cannot and will not be held liable for the quality or performance of goods and services provided by advertisers listed in any portion of this magazine.

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Ag in the classroom Locally and statewide, the numbers of students and offerings in agricultural education are on the rise.

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AG Mag

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Index 2017 Forecast

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Index

PHOTO STORY PAGE 20

Through the lens NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag photographer Mike Vaughn gives you a close-up look at wildlife.

Former state Rep. Don Moffitt has a new job with a familiar focus: championing ag. 37

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Prophetstown High School senior Alec Wetzell, president of the school’s FFA council, saws a board for a project last month in the ag program’s shop. With a $12,000 grant from the district’s education foundation, equipment has been added, more is coming, and an electrical overhaul is on its way, too. Wetzell grew up on a farm and still helps out on his grandparents’ farm. He also works as an electrician and for Mitchell Melons over the summer, takes engineering at Morrison Institute of Technology, and helps his dad with construction. “This program is everything I do, wrapped into one area,” Wetzell said.

Michael Krabbenhoeft/ NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

WANTED: TEACHERS OUTSTANDING IN THEIR FIELDS Ag education careers boom, while number of teachers lag

BY CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

A

gricultural education is booming. From tech companies to the lawyers who represent them, its umbrella covers 300-plus career tracks, more than ever before.

You can get a 4-year degree

10 Spring 2017

in myriad fields, get an associate degree at junior colleges, including Illinois Valley Community College as of this fall (story on page 15), or fulfill an apprenticeship or internship.

All that’s missing, really, are the ag educators.

The conundrum: Ag pro-

grams in high schools are on an upswing, with 321 of them in the 850 or so districts in the state of Illinois. Across the nation are 7,800 ag programs.

Imagine if there wasn’t a teacher shortage. Why is that the case?

CONTINUED ON 114

4CONTINUED FROM 10 “Industry is seemingly hiring them away,” said Gary Ochs, a 38-year-old teaching associate in agricultural science education at the University of Illinois. “We have school districts that are unable to fill ag positions.

The demand is there. The push is to try to get ag in those schools.”

Ochs said the upward Gary Ochs trend in ag programs and participation is pretty consistent through the Midwest.

He has a unique perspective, having taught ag for 13 years between Paris High School and Redhill High in Bridgeport. When he’s not in his classroom, he’s often in high school classrooms preaching the ag career gospel, explaining to many freshmen simply what modern ag is, while recruiting upperclassmen to U of I. He was at Sterling High School on Nov. 22, visiting the first-year ag program run

by Elise Baker at the high school and Julie LeFevre at Challand Middle School.

Before Sterling’s program was resurrected, Prophetstown’s ag program was the only one in Whiteside County.

In picking the kids’ brains about what sort of field they’d like to pursue, he learned that Baker, who doesn’t come from a farming background, is doing a fine job telling her kids that’s perfectly fine – preferred in some cases, really.

“She’s branching out to a lot of nontraditional students – kids who don’t come from farms,” Ochs said. “Once she establishes herself, she’ll help students realize the skills and opportunities ag can provide them will benefit them down the road, even if they don’t go into an ‘ag’ field.”

Sara Conner, 30, took over the Prophetstown ag program in 2012, and is excited to see the Sterling program grow – after all, she had LeFevre as an ag teacher when she was in high school.

Since then, a background in farming, let alone getting dirt under your nails as a production farmer, has become less of an emphasis.

“Ag is not just production farming,” Conner said. “You don’t have to come from an ag background. You just have to have an interest in one of those careers, and we can find you a niche.”

Her FFA council president, senior Alec Wetzell, grew up on a farm and still helps out on his grandparents’ farm.

He also works as an electrician and for Mitchell Melons over the summer, takes engineering at Morrison Institute of Technology, and helps his dad with construction.

“This program is everything I do, wrapped into one area,” Wetzell said.

Since he was a freshman, the school’s program has gone from 40 students – some of them from neighboring Erie, which no longer co-ops with Prophetstown – to 150 of the high school’s 285 students taking an ag class. It’s gone from offering four classes to 10-plus, with the addition of first-year teacher Sam Perschnick, who teaches the classes that center more around industrial arts.

CONTINUED ON 124

Michael Krabbenhoeft/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Prophetstown High School junior Hailey Michelson assembles one of her projects in an ag education class at the school last month.

AG Mag 11

4CONTINUED FROM 11 His hire was a direct effect of the program’s growth spurt.

“There was quite the allure to coming here and teaching in a two-teacher system,” Perschnick, 23, said. “A lot of ag programs are shutting down because they can’t get the interest or find the teachers.”

Ochs, who knows Conner pretty well, has 15 pending ag education graduates at U of I, four of whom weren’t in ag classes in high school.

He said of the 30,562 sixth- through 12th-grade students who took ag classes in Illinois during the 2015-16 school year, only 11 percent of them come from a farming background.

“The very first day of class, I’ve always told my students I’m not necessarily going to teach you to be a farmer,” he said. “I’m going to teach you to be an informed citizen. It all starts at the younger level, giving the younger people in our society the fruits and fibers, and teaching them how to use these skills to be successful in any industry.”

The lack of ag educators has a silver lining, something of a good problem to have: Those 30,000-plus students represent a 16 percent increase since 2007, and a nearly 160 percent increase since 11,867 students were enrolled in 1990.

FFA participation has soared, too, up to 17,679 members last year, a nearly 6

NEW

Michael Krabbenhoeft/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Prophetstown ag education instructors Sara Conner, 30, and Sam Perschnick, 23, teach 10 unique courses, with Conner – who also has an English degree – handling most of the business, communications and science courses, and Perschnick keying on industrial arts courses. There are more course offerings in the guidebook, which will be taught when enough kids sign up. percent surge since 2012.

The teaching jobs, the opportunities to be part of those upstart programs are out there, ripe for the picking. Ochs points out that ag education is anything but limited to a classroom. It’s the “people side” of his department, he said, and includes folks working sales or college extensions, or at

farm bureaus or corporations as trainers.

“We in Illinois are pushing to get students into our ag education programs.

We have a great product, and there’s such a demand for graduates. We just need to identify people, those high school students, who want to go into teaching,”

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Agriculture education in Illinois by the numbers MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS Programs

Change from

2016 2015 Total 321 +1 Students per class 19 -1 Students per school 95 +2 Students per FFA chapter 55 +1 Employ 2+ teachers 18% +4 Dual-credit ag courses 29% -2 Schools w/ advisory council 53% +3 Schools w/ FFA alumni 63% +5 Quality indicators per school (out of 117) 70 +2 Incentive Fund grant per school $1,815 -$9 Junior high ag courses taught 29% +5 Facilities provided by school

Change from

2016 2015 Mechanics lab 77% -1 Greenhouse 69% None Computer lab 63% +3 iPads/tablets 60% +1 Interactive whiteboard 59% -2 Department of FFA chapter website 59% -1

Students enrolled Duplicated Unduplicated FFA members 2009-10 40,617 29,066 17,602 2010-11 40,035 28,895 16,713 2011-12 39,926 28,657 16,712 2012-13 40,006 29,202 17,640 2013-14 40,027 29,463 17,529 2014-15 38,817 29,615 17,410 2015-16 36,306 30,562 17,679

Land/plant lab 51% -2 Landscaping 42% -2 Clickers/smartphones 42% +2 Blog/Wiki/edmodo/edline 34% +2 Garden lab 26% -3 Agriscience lab 22% -7 Aquaculture 22% -3 Small animal lab 17% -3 Nursery lab 6% -2 Podcast or streaming media 5% +1 Large animal lab 3% -1

6-12 ag teachers

Change from

2016 2015 Total 391 +5 Male 57% -3 Female 43% +3 30 or younger 29% -1 50 or older 23% +1 Average age 39 None 5 years experience or less 34% +2 25-plus years experience 15% None Average years experience 12 None Have master’s degree 38% +1 Provisionally certified 26% +3 Average contract length 10 mos. None Average salary $51,763 +$552

9th-12th grade 6th-8th grade Male Female Minority Living on a family farm Urban students FFA members Grads went on to postsecondary Grads entered workforce Grads entered community college Grads entered university

83% -3 17% +3 61% -1 39% +1 8% None 11% None 14% +2 58% -1 64% 36%

-6 +6

72% None 28% None

More agriculture education statistics on Page 14

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Agriculture education in Illinois by the numbers COMMUNITY COLLEGE Faculty

Change from

2016 2015 Full-time instructors 88 -3 Part-time instructors 114 +1 Male 62 NA Female 38 NA Average years teaching 12 -3 Average age 49 None Full-time salary $68,011 +$340 Programs Total 25 +1 Postsecondary/Agriculture Student (PAS) chapters 15 +1 PAS members 425 -14 Students who took ag in high school 43% +5 Programs with advisory councils 100% +17 Members per advisory council 13 -2 Students with articulated course credit 866 +537 Students with dual credit 521 +132 Programs offering online courses 48% -10 Total online courses 64 +9 Students enrolled in online courses 915 +156

Agricultural education funding 1987 $48,500 1988 $48,500 1989 $1,000,000 1990 $1,040,000 1991 $1,040,000 1992 $1,040,000 1993 $1,040,000 1994 $1,081,600 1995 $1,081,600 1996 $1,081,600 1997 $1,299,000 1998 $1,429,700 1999 $1,500,000 2000 $2,000,000 2001 $2,000,000 2002 $1,950,000 2003 $1,881,200 2004 $1,881,200 2005 $1,881,200 2006 $2,381,200 2007 $2,881,200 2008 $2,881,200 2009 $3,381,200 2010 $3,043,100 2011 $1,947,600 2012 $1,800,000 2013 $1,800,000 2014 $1,800,000 2015 $1,759,900 2016 $1,800,000

Source: 2016 Illinois Agricultural Report from the Illinois State Board of Education

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Ag expansion at IVCC Two associate degree programs being created

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T

he agriculture program at Illinois Valley Community College has seen steady growth since Willard Mott was hired on to help teach and promote the school’s department last fall.

Mott, a former high school agriculture teacher and FFA advisor, is now working to develop curriculum for two associate degree programs in agriculture at IVCC, which will be a new opportunity for area students.

CONTINUED ON 164

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4CONTINUED FROM 15 IVCC has an ag transfer program that allows students to enroll in general education courses along with a sequence of four ag classes before transferring to a state university.

But beginning fall 2017, students will be able to complete a sequence of courses to receive an associate degree in agriculture business management.

And by fall 2018, students will also be able to earn an associate degree in agronomy.

“It’s been about 20 years, since a full ag program was offered at IVCC,” he said.

When looking at the need for higher education in agriculture within the college district, which basically covers Bureau, LaSalle and Putnam counties, Mott said it was a sensible move to implement a strong ag program in the area.

“We needed ag in our area,” he said.

“When you look at the total farm receipts in the state and the amount of income generated in the ag economy in our three county-area, you’ll see it’s just a lot of common sense to have an ag program here at IVCC,” he said.

Mott said the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) is projecting a 5 percent growth in ag jobs within the next five years and estimates there will be around 60,000 open positions

Goldie Rapp/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Willard Mott, ag professor at Illinois Valley Community College, is working to promote the college’s new ag programs for students. available to fill annually.

“Stats are telling us that only 61 percent of jobs will be filled with students with degrees in agriculture. Meaning 39 percent will be filled by people without

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SOYBEANS THE NEW KING? Market says so; will farmers listen?

BY CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

W

ith every bag of soybeans he sells, Mike Cady is reminded that the grain-grower’s landscape is changing, and that he and his partners need to consider following suit.

Cady, 48, of Prophetstown, and his partners, Matt and J.C. Henrekin, traditionally farm two-thirds corn and one-third soybeans on their 3,700 acres in western Whiteside County. He and Matt also own an Asgrow seed sale business, C&H Seed Systems. Entering a 2017 season

in which, yet again, soybeans will be closer to king than corn, the corn seed sales are steady.

Soybean seed sales? They’ve doubled, from about 1,500 units – which equate to about 1,500 acres – to 3,000.

“From our dealership standpoint, we’ve sold more beans than we ever have,” Cady said.

Meanwhile, back on the farm?

“We’ve discussed the potential of changing some this season, and we’re still talking about it,” Cady said.

Old habits die hard, though, and corn is less demanding when harvest time arrives.

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Corn is more expensive to produce, but farmers have banked on knowing they could always grow it.

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4CONTINUED FROM 17 The USDA projects the average corn price to be at $3.30, and soybeans at $9.35.

Corn is expected to yield 90.49 million acres, down 3.5 million compared to 2016.

Soybeans? Up 5.2 million, to 88.65 million.

Buyer beware to the farmer who doesn’t listen to the market.

“A lot of people do pattern farm,” Cady said. “You’ve got to be ready to change and try new things.”

He’s been farming since 1991, and had his first crop in 1992. He and the Henrekins have slowly taken over the operations from Cady’s dad, Jim, over the past 10 years. Two-thirds corn and one-third beans is the way they’ve always done it.

“But they always say the most dangerous thing is doing things they way you’ve always done them, right?” Cady said.

“If a grower can shift to more soybeans, profitability tells you to do so,” said Scott Stoller, grain merchandiser with the Dixon-based, fam-

“Corn used to be king, but now it’s definitely not there. It’s highly on edge, as we’ve not really seen an opportunity to sell the 2017 harvest and make a profit.”

Scott Stoller

Grain merchandiser, AgPerspective ily-owned grain consulting firm AgPerspective. “Corn used to be king, but now it’s definitely not there. It’s highly on edge, as we’ve not really seen an opportunity to sell the 2017 harvest and make a profit.”

Farmers know it and, perhaps more forebodingly, so do lenders.

“It’s a concern, and there are quite a few lenders whose antennae are up,” Stoller said.

No matter their crop, farmers need to be aware that scrutiny on the industry trickles all the way down to the farmer.

CONTINUED ON 224

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Jim May, Princeton “Not at all. I knew what I was going to do beforehand. I hadn’t been a 50/50, and I was gradually transitioning anyway. So whatever happened, I was going to work with it.”

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ON THE WILD SIDE STORY BY TERRI SIMON PHOTOS BY MIKE VAUGHN

W

hen we think of the winter season, we naturally think of the holidays and those friends both near and far.

But there are some other friends in our own backyards that deserve our attention.

We usually just see them in fleeting moments – maybe at our bird feeders or as they graze in a closely-cropped cornfield, or worse ... run across your path. Those are brief encounters, which hardly give us time to really appreciate their beauty.

Rural Princeton resident Mike Vaughn is well known for his ability to capture images of area wildlife. His finger knows the exact moment to press the shutter, allowing those who view his photos to get up close and personal with the otherwise fleeting friends of the forest.

Enjoy these images, as you take a journey on the wild side with Illinois Valley Living photographer Mike Vaughn.

20 Spring 2017

AG Mag

21

4CONTINUED FROM 18

Historical yields (in millions of bushels)

“I don’t want to be Debby Downer, but commercial ag and production ag on the lending front had a big spotlight on it from the former [presidential] administration,” Stoller said. “From an oversight standpoint, they’ve spent a lot of time the past 12 months under a lot of scrutiny and regulation. That means it’s coming down onto the grower. The buck stops on the grower.”

The Midwest is coming off its second-largest crop in history, including a 197-bushel-per-acre soybean crop in Illinois that was 23 bushels above trend.

Nationally, the 174.6 bushels per acre were 10 bushels above the trend line.

A lot of farmers are still sitting on a considerable amount of their 2016 crop. Some of the storage resulted from holding on to the 2015 crop, but a lot of it came from gambling on corn rallying – and losing.

When corn touched $4 for about two weeks in mid-June, many farmers didn’t sell enough, Stoller said. That ended up being their only golden selling opportunity of the season.

“It’s tough to sell one-third or half of your 2015 crop, and half of your 2016 crop, all at once,” he said. “Committing on selling that much all at once, it’s tough mentally. What happens if this

Corn Year Illinois Iowa Nation 1997........... 129.......... 138......... 126.7 1998........... 141.......... 145......... 134.4 1999........... 140.......... 149......... 133.8 2000........... 151.......... 144......... 136.9 2001........... 152.......... 146......... 138.2 2002........... 135.......... 163......... 129.3 2003........... 164.......... 157......... 142.2 2004........... 180.......... 181......... 160.4 2005........... 143.......... 173......... 147.9 2006........... 163.......... 166......... 149.1 2007........... 175.......... 171......... 150.7 2008........... 179.......... 171......... 153.3 2009........... 174.......... 181......... 164.4 2010........... 157.......... 165......... 152.6 2011........... 157.......... 172......... 146.8 2012........... 105.......... 137......... 123.1 2013........... 178.......... 164......... 158.1 2014........... 200.......... 178............ 171 2015........... 175.......... 192......... 168.4 2016........... 197.......... 203......... 174.6 $4 corn goes to $5? I want to make sure I’ve got some bullets left in the gun to sell.”

Cady and the Henrekin brothers have on-farm storage and don’t take a lot to the local elevator, and the bulk of their 2016 harvest is marketed. About 20 percent of their 2017 crop has already been

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Stoller urges farmers to be more aggressive this year, and to not count on the buffer of a third consecutive massive harvest.

“Good yields cure a lot of evils. That’s given us another year buffer. We need to be more aggressive this year.”

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LEFT: Bureau County farmer Tony Bonucci is likely looking forward to getting out of the office and back into the fields once winter begins to give way to the warmer temperatures of spring. Area farmers are disappointed in the loss of the Trans Pacific Partnership that would have opened up more markets and increased demand, resulting in higher prices for their grains.

RIGHT: The family of Kevin Knapp of Magnolia has been farming the same Putnam County land for generations. He’s pictured here in the barn containing several nicely restored International Harvester tractors, including one purchased new by his grandfather, who will soon be celebrating his 104th birthday.

2017 ag predictions Farmers from three counties discuss the upcoming season

By Goldie Rapp/ NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Shortly after the new year began, farmers from Bureau, Putnam and LaSalle counties were asked for their thoughts on the 2017 agricultural season.

1. What do you expect from the 2017 season?

Tony Bonucci of Bureau County: “The TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) getting shoved to the side is definitely not good for agriculture.

It’d have been nice to have access to those markets, and free trade is important. We’re coming off of three big years with surplus, so it’s important that our products find their way into the hands of interested buyers. As far as weather predictions – it’s all just superstition.”

Putnam County’s Kevin Knapp: “We hope for good growing conditions, but until it’s all said and done, we don’t really know. The TPP is something I feel like a lot of manufacturing companies were against, so Trump just said, ‘We’re out.’ However, that definitely would’ve been something nice for agriculture. We’re the exporting industry in the country, whereas China sends in a lot of manufactured goods; that’s kind of the deal. It would’ve given us avenues for more markets, and if we can market our goods more, they’ll be more in demand, and therefore the prices would reflect that.”

CONTINUED ON 244

Matt Bangert of LaSalle County: “I’m

expecting we will have a later spring than the last few. I’m just hoping to have plenty of warm and sunny weather.”

AG Mag

23

4CONTINUED FROM 23

2. Are you making any changes this year to your management plans?

Bonucci: “We constructed our wetland last year, so we’ll start to receive data which will validate what we’re doing or give us signals that we might need to make some changes. As far as other practices, such as cover crops and no-till practices, we’re interested, but would like to wait for more information.”

Bangert: “Keeping the same low cost practices of strip-till or no-till in place.”

Knapp: “Not this year, but over the past few years, we’ve implemented some of the new practices, and like most years, we’re always looking for other opportunities to lower our input costs. We’re not going to take a lot of risks with anything that doesn’t have proven results, but we’re still doing everything we can. We have to be careful how we spend.”

Dave Cook/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Matt Bangert of Tonica is another multigenerational farmer and also the 2016 Conservation Farm Family of the Year, as chosen by the LaSalle County Soil and Water Conservation District. Bangert has farmed since he was 16, and has seen significant changes in agriculture since his start.

3. What do you expect prices to do in 2017?

ity. I think there will be periods where we can do well, but I think the prices will bounce around.”

Bonnuci: “What do I want or, what do I expect?,” he joked. “With the way the markets have moved for corn and beans recently, I expect a lot of volatil-

Bangert: “With the large crop we produced in 2016 and the carryover, I don’t

see much up side in the market.”

Knapp: “I don’t think prices will change much. If they do go back up, we’ll have more opportunities to look at new things.”

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SEEKING CLARITY Is there unique opportunity for farmers in President Trump’s atypical transition?

BY PAM EGGEMEIER AND LYLE GANTHER For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag griculture 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.

A

CONTINUED ON 264

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AG Mag

25

4CONTINUED FROM 25 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.

“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.

“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.”

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.

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.

“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 26 Spring 2017

Photo contributed

Josh Merdian, a Marshall County farmer in rural Henry, is excited about the opportunities for Illinois agriculture under President Donald Trump’s administration.

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

Tony Michaels

CEO of Midwestern BioAg Bureau’s Young Leader Conference Committee.

Farmers historically have pointed to the Environmental Protection Agency

as the agency that concerns them most, and that hasn’t changed.

CONTINUED ON 274

4CONTINUED FROM 26 “A lot of work the EPA has done the last eight 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 land,” Hultine said.

Thomas Marten, manager of the Stark County Farm Bureau; Josh Merdian, board member for the Marshall-Putnam County Farm Bureau; and Jan Weber, legislative committee chairman for the Henry County Farm Bureau, all would like to see some EPA regulations imposed on farmers to be scaled back.

They would also like to see implementation of favorable trade policies to keep overseas markets open for the corn and soybeans produced in the Midwest.

“I hope the new administration trims backs on the grip EPA regulations have had on farmers, which will be very beneficial to farmers,” Merdian said. “I am excited about the new president and the opportunities for Illinois agriculture.”

Marten agrees, saying a big opportunity with the new administration is reforming the waters of the United States policy that EPA pushed through and spent considerable amount of money to promote.

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

“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 land.”

Evan Hultine

Chairman, Illinois Farm Bureau Young Leader Conference Committee An Agriculture Department leader has been nominated, likely removing one unknown. Pending Senate approval, former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue will become ag secretary.

Sonny Former secretary Tom Perdue Vilsack, a former Iowa governor, resigned before Perdue was appointed.

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

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

“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.

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.”

With preparation for the next farm bill already underway, Merdian, the Marshall-Putnam Farm Bureau board member, feels Perdue will be a strong advocate for crop insurance and renewable fuel standards for ethanol and biodiesel, which are good outlets for

Illinois corn and soybeans.

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.”

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.

CONTINUED ON 284

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4CONTINUED FROM 26 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 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.

“With TPP being halted, we implore the administration to start working toward opening new markets for Illinois crop and livestock farmers.”

Richard Guebert Jr.

Illinois Farm Bureau president

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.

The local Farm Bureau representatives all hope the Trump administration knows the importance of trade to farmers.

“I hope the new Congress can work

with the new administration to understand how valuable trade is to agriculture industry and to make positive steps to protect trade relationships that benefit our country,” said Marten, manager in Stark County.

Weber, with the Henry County Farm Bureau, is concerned with Trump’s stands on trade protection, which will mean farmers and the Farm Bureau will need to talk to legislators to keep farm policy favorable for the industry and allow them to farm, so they don’t have to deal with more burdensome governmental regulations.

Weber hopes money will be spent on the outdated locks and dams on the Illinois and Mississippi rivers, because much of the region’s crops are shipped on barges on these rivers.

Merdian, in Marshall-Putnam, also said trade agreements with foreign countries are good for this country’s farmers because they provide an outlet for ethanol and biodiesel byproducts.

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Farm bill talk already underway Government’s crop insurance subsidies will be targeted

BY LYLE GANTHER For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

F

armers 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 two years into the current five-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.

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

Illinois farmers pay $184 million in premiums for their crop insurance coverage for corn and $69 million for beans. Bureau County farmers insured 228,000 corn acres in 2016 and had $144 million in liabilities with 121,000 bean acres insured

Lyle Ganther/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Doug Yoder, crop agency manager for Country Financial, speaks to farmers recently about the importance of them telling how the Farm Bill’s crop insurance subsidies aren’t governmental handouts. and $52 million in liabilities.

“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 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.

“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 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.

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.

“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.”

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).

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STATED PRIORITIES Illinois Farm Bureau sets lobbying agenda for 2017

BY PAM EGGEMEIER For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

A

mid 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 stim30 Spring 2017

ulate 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.

CONTINUED ON 314

4CONTINUED FROM 30 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.

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 Trans-Pacific 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 seven 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

IFB in the new year Key components of the Illinois Farm Bureau’s 2017 national legislative priorities list: • Federal regulatory reform – Push for wholesale changes to a broken system • Tax reform – Small business tax reduction, preserving cash accounting system, eliminate death tax • Trade – Protecting ag-friendly provisions in the North American Free Trade Agreement • Farm bill – Developing a 2018 farm bill agenda that reflects the needs of Illinois agriculture

“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.”

Adam Nielsen

Director of national legislation and policy development, Illinois Farm Bureau 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 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.

CONTINUED ON 324

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4CONTINUED FROM 31 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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Waiting on clients hand and hoof Farrier thinks his trade, and agriculture, more relevant today

BY KAYLA HEIMERMAN For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

H

is tools are those of yesteryear – of a trade kept alive through historical demonstrations and reenactments now and then. But his hammer and anvil are the tools of a profession, of a line of work that requires more knowledge and precision than ever before.

nnn 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, 27, is part of a dying trade. On the contrary, the young 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 involving.”

CONTINUED ON 344

Anthony Grevengoed, 27, shoes his horse Cowboy at his mother’s ranch in Chadwick. If the fit is good and the hoof trimmed, Grevengoed will tack the shoe on. He heats the shoe in a portable furnace on the truck.

Photos by Alex T. Paschal/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

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4CONTINUED FROM 33 Grevengoed was raised around horses. His family kept standardbred 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.

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 eight weeks.

Grevengoed, who now is based in Sterling, is a fulltime farrier. He estimates he has 75 to 100 clients within a two-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.”

CONTINUED ON 354

Alex T. Paschal/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Some farriers don’t heat the horseshoe before placing it on the horse, but Anthony Grevengoed likes how it disinfects the hoof and creates a better fit. Grevengoed is a Paw Paw native who now is a full-time farrier based in Sterling. In the summer, he says, he shoes every day, five to six days a week.

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After tacking the shoe to the hoof, Grevengoed files down the sharp points. Typically a horse needs to be shoed every six to eight weeks.

4CONTINUED FROM 34 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 explained.

“It’s all based on the horse’s ‘job.’ If it’s trail ridden once a week, it probably

Photos by Alex T. Paschal/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Anthony Grevengoed presses the hot shoe to the hoof, which creates a cloud of smoke that smells of burnt hair. “I never get used to that smell,” Grevengoed said.

horses, or stainless steel – 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.

will be barefoot, 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 might shape a “keg shoe,” a prefabricated shoe – made of aluminum, which is light and ideal for racing

CONTINUED ON 364

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4CONTINUED FROM 35 He then nails the shoe 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 a horse and how to read its body language is a significant part of his skills 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

Alex T. Paschal/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

The hooves need to be cleaned and trimmed so the shoe fits properly. 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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‘DON IS A FARMER’

Photo submitted

Former state Rep. Don Moffitt, R-Gilson, accepts the 2016 Illinois Farm Bureau Charles B. Schuman Distinguished Service Award in December during the Illinois Farm Bureau’s Annual Meeting in Chicago. The award represents the highest honor given by the Illinois Farm Bureau.

Moffitt takes on new post as assistant director for Illinois ag

V

BY RACHEL RODGERS For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

eteran lawmaker and agriculture advocate Don Moffitt enjoyed retirement for about three 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.

A Galesburg native, his political tenure in the statehouse spanned 24 years, a feat that ranks him Illinois’ second-longest running Republican in House history. nnn Making the choice not to run for a 13th term in office, he had plans for helping more with the family farm and spend-

ing 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.

CONTINUED ON 384

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4CONTINUED FROM 37 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.

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 commit-

Goldie Rapp/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Bureau County Farm Bureau outgoing President Bill Naffziger (left) presents former state Rep. Don Moffitt, assistant Illinois director of agriculture, with a 1206 model tractor. The tractor was a token of appreciation for the hard work and dedication Moffitt has shown for area agriculture over the years. tees while in office including being the minority spokesman of the Agriculture and Conservation Committee and the Counties and Townships Committee.

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.

888-414-2220 815-948-2591 Maple Park, IL Hooppole, IL www.apgrainsystems.com www.vernsfarmsupply.com 38 Spring 2017

Homegrown By Heroes to help veterans in agriculture NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag staff

The Illinois Department of Agriculture is aiding veterans or active duty service members who are interested in a second career in the state’s No. 1 industry, agriculture.

The Homegrown by Heroes program allows Illinois farmers, ranchers, fishermen and producers who have served in any branch of the U.S. military to use a special logo on the agricultural products they sell to the public. This special designation sets these farmers apart in the market, allowing these heroes’ products to be visible to consumers while giving them the chance to tell their story.

“This statewide collaboration is intended to assist our veterans pursuing a second career in agriculture,” said Agriculture Director Raymond Poe. “There are great job opportunities in Illinois agriculture. If someone dreams of being a farmer, rancher or producer, we want to help fulfill those dreams.”

“Many of the original Minutemen put aside their plows and picked up their muskets to defend our freedom and, still today, many of Illinois’ citizen-soldiers are also farmers,” said Maj. Gen. Richard J. Hayes, the Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard.

“This program is a way for citizens to recognize the service of men and women who

have defended this nation and who also work the fields and orchards to feed families in Illinois and throughout the country.”

“In the last 10 years, almost a million of our military’s servicemen and servicewomen have come from rural communities. As these veterans return home, they bring with them an opportunity to employ their discipline, passion and sense of service to revitalize America’s small farms and rural communities. We commend the Illinois Department of Agriculture for continuing this wonderful program and assisting our Illinois Heroes,” said Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs Director Erica Jeffries.

The Homegrown by Heroes program is a free program for veterans, with an annual renewal. To be eligible for the program, the veteran must provide proof of service, a letter of support from their commanding officer or a designated representative, and must maintain 50-percent or greater ownership in the business/operation.

For those who qualify, the Homegrown by Heroes Illinois Product logo can be used to identify and market their Illinois grown and Illinois made products on packaging, signage, websites and social media or wherever their items are being sold.

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