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Less NorthCentral Illinois farmers focus on higher yields as commodity prices continue to be low GOOD DEAL? Local farmers make their push for passage of Trans-Pacific Partnership TOO BIG?: Mega-mergers worry lawmakers, farmers

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Fall 2016 AG Mag

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AG Mag

3

Index

AG Mag

NorthCentral Illinois

Publisher Sam R Fisher Advertising Sales Development Director Jennifer Heintzelman

COVER STORY PAGE 10

Editor Terri Simon Magazine Editor Jeff Rogers Page Design Jeff Rogers Reporters & Photographers Kath Clark, Dave Cook, Pam Eggemeier, Lyle Ganther, Christopher Heimerman, Michael Krabbenhoeft, Alex T. Paschal, Philip Marruffo, Goldie Rapp, Rachel Rodgers, Shannon Serpette, 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.

Farmers weigh in

As another harvest season wraps up, local farmers tell us how they’re managing amid low commodity prices.

PHOTO STORY PAGE 20

Back in time

Ag Mag photographer Kath Clark provides a look at farm machinery of earlier days.

A Lostant 14 fifth-grader’s flock took flight during the MarshallPutnam 4-H Fair.

4 Fall 2016

22

Two local farmers stepped up to fight for passage of the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal.

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AG Mag

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Index Merger worries A recent wave of mergers between giants in the ag industry could be unfriendly to farmers and consumers.

FARM ECONOMY PAGE 27

Healthy tastes FALL RECIPES PAGE 30

In this edition of Ag Mag, we share ideas for adding or using vegetables in ways not normally thought of.

One example: This delicious sweet potato bread.

BY THE NUMBERS PAGE 37

Good Stewards

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AG Mag

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Seeds of the community

Putnam County Seed Library hopes to sprout into success Putnam County librarian Paula Taylor holds a handful of Hollyhock seeds which will bloom with dark pink flowers after planting. While the seed library will accept seeds from any flowers and herbs, they’re requesting only heirloom seeds be donated from fruits and vegetables.

(Dave Cook/NorthCentral Illinois AgMag)

8 Fall 2016

BY DAVE COOK For NorthCentral Illinois AgMag

L

ibraries are typically thought of as places to find the latest book, an old favorite or a quiet place to study, but as time has progressed, they’ve evolved into hubs of the community offering many resources. The Hennepin branch of the Putnam County Library has a new collection residents can make use of ... seeds. There’s also no chance of overdue fines.

Librarian Matt Miller organized this newest element of the community library and recently discussed the beginnings of the Putnam County Seed Library.

“We had a University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener do a program for us. That was the first major public showing of it, but we’d already opened it up a month before with some heirloom seeds for the local gardener patrons to get a head start,” Miller said.

Seed libraries offer seeds to residents, so they can grow their own food, learn seed-saving skills and connect with their communities.

There are many across the country, and while some regulatory agencies have worked to restrict the spread of this informal sharing of seeds – wanting them to conform to the same regulations as commercial ventures, some states and communities have passed exemptions for seed libraries.

“There are states prohibiting seed libraries, or at least have laws controlling them.

In Illinois, however, there are no current laws blocking seed libraries,” Miller said.

The Putnam County Seed Library has been slow to germinate, but it’s beginning to blossom.

“We have anise, moon flowers, sweet peas and many more. We’re happy to accept

more of course,” Miller said.

Nurturing his newest collection, Miller hopes to see it spread through the county like a vine, saying, “Ultimately, we’d like to see it in all six of our branches. We’ll relaunch it around February or March to allow patrons to bring in and check out seeds.

Hopefully getting it out sooner will get some fresh faces to join. New varieties of familiar and unfamiliar vegetables, herbs and flowers are coming in 2017.”

With vegetables harvested and flower beds having gone to seed, residents are encouraged to share a selection of their garden’s bounty and beauty with their neighbors.

“We’re sticking to heirloom only when it comes to fruits, vegetables and herbs, but we’ll allow any flower seeds.

This year we only had a dozen vegetables and a few fruits available. To contribute, you’ll need to bring them in with information about their type. Afterward, they get catalogued and added to the library. There are also books available for more information on everything one needs to know about seeds and the plants they turn into,” Miller explained.

Miller shared why he feels a community seed library is important for Putnam County.

“The mission for the Putnam County Seed Library is to sow education in the communities we serve in seed saving. Heirloom seeds will be gathered and given as a public resource to grow community independence from hybrids and GMOs. Accumulating seeds will scatter across the communities we live in, strengthening our overall food system and diets, as well as prevent hunger. Ultimately, it sets in the ground trust in the communities for today and tomorrow,” Miller said.

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AG Mag

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A HAPPY HARVEST? Yields great in 2016, but 2017 predicted to be a challenge for local farmers

10 Fall 2016

I

BY DAVE COOK, SHANNON SERPETTE AND CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

n many ways, the 2016 growing season was kind to local farmers.

“We had almost perfect, timely and sufficient moisture, sunshine and warmth,” said Russ Higgins, commercial agriculture educator with the University of Illinois Extension.

On top of nearly ideal conditions, there was limited insect damage and disease throughout Illinois.

All of this, he said, means a “probable record corn and soybean crop.”

And, because rain interruptions were only sporadic during harvest, reports showed much of the corn coming out around 19 to 22 percent moisture, saving farmers some drying costs, Higgins said.

It was a good season for beans, too, said Sharon Covert, a soybean farmer in Bureau County who also serves as director for District 4 of the Illinois Soybean Association.

“Every season is very different,” Sharon she said. “Every season has its Covert own challenges.”

But, Covert said, there were few challenges along the way in 2016, making conditions good for soybeans this growing season.

Higgins said some soybean crops have exhibited green stem syndrome, a condition that occurs when pods and seeds mature, but the stem remains green. When farmers harvest according to seed moisture, the stems can make for a more challenging harvest.

Although postponing harvest until the stems turn might increase harvesting efficiency, it can result in reduced yields due to lower seed moisture and a higher possibility for shatter.

CONTINUED ON 11

4CONTINUED FROM 10 Higgins said yields are projected to be high, but that “an abundance of grain stocks means a dramatic decrease in commodity prices,” adding “that despite the high yields, margins are slim or non-existent, especially in situations where farmers have higher land costs.” nnn Oh, commodity prices.

Unfortunately, there’s a literal price to pay for the monster yields farmers have enjoyed the past few years. On the heels of a national drought, corn reached a record high of $8.49 a bushel in August 2012. Since 2013, corn has rarely crawled above the $4 mark.

“It was unsustainable; I mean, it got really ridiculous,” says Lamont Farthing, who grows corn and soybeans on his 370 or so acres in rural Morrison in Whiteside County.

Farthing produces an even split of soybeans for Pioneer and No. 2 corn. As of Oct. 18, he’d sold off about 80 percent of the former, but just one-third of the latter.

So long to the carefree days of summer, when corn sat around $4 per bushel.

On Page 10

Area corn and soybean professionals say this year’s growing conditions in NorthCentral Illinois were nearly ideal, with almost perfect, timely and sufficient moisture, sunshine and warmth.

(Mike Vaughn/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag “Hindsight is always 20/20,” he says. “We weren’t sure what kind of crop we were going to have. Now, we’d all like to see $4, but just like everybody else, once it gets to Russ $4, we’d like to see $4.50.”

Higgins Despite repeated record harvests, he won’t change how much he plants or his ratios next year, instead focusing on his input costs.

Adam Henkel, a seventh-generation farmer in Amboy, seconds that notion.

“If we had a 150-bushel corn, we’d have higher prices. What did that gain us? It’s the same net income,” Henkel, 37, says. “It’s come down to managing better and cutting where you can.”

Both he and Farthing use a handful of environmentally friendly practices to save not only the earth, but their pocketbooks, too.

For nearly 20 years, Farthing has finetuned his no-till process. A couple of years ago, he started using cover crops: radishes, planted from the air.

Next year, he’ll try to go to auto-steer on his tractor – the same one he’s used since he started farming in 1988 – in order to work an extra 3 hours a day and, in turn, gain an extra day every 3 days.

“I just keep doing what I’m doing and try to do something a little bit better to make every year a little bit better,” he says.

As he harvests a row of corn, he can’t help but smile. He might not be making off like a bandit – after working construction for years, he’s worked in crop adjusting since 2010, and his wife, Sue, 56, does farm appraisals. But he’s happy.

CONTINUED ON 124

Philip Marruffo/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Lamont Farthing farms an even split of corn and soybeans on about 370 acres in rural Morrison in Whiteside County. He said the recent trend of lower commodities prices doesn’t get him down. “If you’ve got the bushels, at least you have something to sell, and you can hope for a better price,” he said. Here, he talks about the radishes he plants from the air and grows as a cover crop.

AG Mag

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Michael Krabbenhoeft/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Brad Shippert, 32, said farming in rural Lee County, south of Dixon, “provides a lifestyle and a way to raise my children the way I was raised.” He raises one-third soybeans and two-thirds corn on his farm.

4CONTINUED FROM 11 “I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else,” he says.

Part of his savings stems from the fact that aside from him and Sue, he has no full-timers on his payroll.

Close friend Mike James, who also farms nearby, helps with the harvest, but that’s it.

“I enjoy the spring for the challenge, but this is the fun part – seeing how I’ve done,” Farthing says. “This is the part I look forward to most.”

Most farmers are looking forward to getting through the election cycle, so that the Trans-Pacific Partnership can be unearthed from the fodder of a presidential race that’s smothered other conversations.

“That would help immensely, opening up borders and getting other countries into our trade program,” Henkel says. nnn The silver lining of low commodity prices is that land prices follow suit.

CONTINUED ON 134

12 Fall 2016

Philip Marruffo/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Mike James uses a shovel to guide corn in an auger at the Farthing farm near Morrison. James, who is a close friend of Lamont Farthing, helps with the harvest at the farm. Otherwise, it’s just Lamont and his wife, Sue, who tend to the acreage.

4CONTINUED FROM 12 According to the research by the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana’s Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, cash rents are projected to continue their descent in 2017, down another $23 per acre to $245. Land values have followed a similar trend, having gone down 1.6 percent over the past 2 years, from $7,700 per acre in 2014 to $7,450 in 2016. So now could be an advantageous time to expand or get into the game.

Buyer beware, though. Corn gross revenue from the 2016 crop is projected at $787 per acre, down $43 from 2015, while soybeans are projected to go up $26 per acre to $677 – altogether making for a mixed bag that begs to be offset by stingy input cost management.

“My advice would be to be very careful in managing your finances and cost of production,” said Mark Bernards, associate professor of Western Illinois University’s School of Agriculture.

He said a marketing background can be invaluable for today’s farmer.

“You need to market your crop for a premium,” he said. “This will be the third year running that farmers will be projected to operate at a loss.”

The average grain farm had about $500 in income in 2015, the lowest since at least 1995 and an empty hull of 2012,

‘‘

My advice would be to be very careful in managing your finances and cost of production. You need to market your crop for a premium. This will be the third year running that farmers will be projected to operate at a loss.

Mark Bernards, Western Illinois University

when per-farm income flirted with the $300,000 mark.

“As long as you didn’t go out and borrow a whole bunch of money for a bunch of new equipment, you’ll weather the storm,” said Brad Shippert, a 32-year-old farmer south of Dixon in Lee County. “If you don’t have a lot of debt going into a period like this, you’ll be OK. There will be good years. It’s cyclical. There will be the good with the bad. Farming provides a lifestyle and a way to raise my children the way I was raised – in a rural setting. I love it, and I wouldn’t change a thing.” nnn It won’t be long until farmers are looking toward the 2017 season, and as always, they must keep a vigilant eye toward future seasons and projections.

Covert believes soybeans will have a bright future in 2017 and beyond for both her operation and other soybean growers in Illinois.

“People need the product. It’s in many, many products you wouldn’t ever imag-

’’

ine (it being in),” she said. “We are a good reliable source.”

Soybeans are such a valuable commodity because they are an outstanding and cheap source of quality amino acids, which makes them a great nutritional choice, since they provide a lot of bang for the buck.

The world demand for soybeans is huge, and that isn’t likely to change soon, according to Covert.

“I would expect our exports to continue to grow,” she said.

In the past marketing year, the largest ever volume of soybeans were exported from the United States – the exports totaled 1.936 billion bushels, according to Covert.

Higgins’ prediction: “Projected commodity prices for 2017 are still low. It will be important to continue to strive for high yields, but farmers will also need to be sure they get a return on investment on their inputs. At this point, it’s projected to be a challenging year economically.”

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AG Mag

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Salina Breckenridge is pictured with one of her award-winning Call ducks, the first breed of bird she entered in poultry competition. A bantam breed, Call ducks are now generally kept as pets, but their first recorded use was as decoys by hunters in the Netherlands, although it’s believed they originated in the Far East.

Dave Cook/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

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Salina Breckenridge takes flight in poultry competition

S

BY DAVE COOK For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

alina Breckenridge, 10, had a blue ribbon extravaganza at this year’s Marshall-Putnam 4-H Fair.

The Lostant Grade School fifth-grader in LaSalle County, a member of the Lostant Leaders 4-H Club, won 17 blue ribbons and dominated the poultry competitions.

Breckenridge, in her fifth year with 4-H, won two blue ribbons for cooking and one for the dog show with her Beagle, Bailey. While Breckenridge won the cooking ribbons with her coffee cake and chocolate crinkle recipes, she missed a chance for an additional ribbon with her cake decorating project. Last year, her skills won her a blue ribbon.

“I tried to make a teddy bear cake this year, but when I was decorating it the day of the fair, the head fell off, so I couldn’t do the cake competition this year,” Breckenridge said.

It was the best of her roughly 75-bird

flock, though, that helped amass the bulk of her impressive ribbon collection. Even more impressive is that it’s only her second year of competing in the poultry building.

Breckenridge showed two Call ducks last year, but this year she has added chickens, turkeys and ducks to her care.

While the chicken breeds are kept pure, her ducks are allowed to interbreed, and the results provide one of Breckenridge’s favorite aspects of raising birds.

“I like when you get to see what they look like when they hatch and grow up,” she said.

During the school year she cares for the flock in the afternoon, and she spoke of all the work involved, especially the effort needed in providing their water and also of having to clean up after them.

“They poop a lot,” she said with a laugh.

Breckenridge’s mother, Shauna, a 4-H leader, explained how they have

an incubator and brooder in their basement. Once the chicks are old enough, they are taken to a heated shed and then eventually join the rest of the birds in the coop. They are bred in the spring, but this is the first year they’ve also been allowed to hatch themselves.

Eggs are either eaten by the family or sold. In the spring, the chicks are sold at a communitywide auction in Flanagan, and all the proceeds go back into caring for the birds.

Salina’s favorite type of chicken is a Mille Fleur Bantam, and she was surprised to learn there are chickens with feathered feet. Her favorite chicken is Millie, and Salina can quickly spot her among the others in the flock. Her favorite birds, however, are her ducks, and they roam casually, free range, through the yard – something the family credits for helping with their bird’s appearance.

CONTINUED ON 164

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AG Mag

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4CONTINUED FROM 15 “The judge said he could tell that I take very good care of them,” Salina said.

“We don’t leave them in cages, either; that helps keep them very clean,” Shauna added.

A roaming group of chickens provides another benefit.

“They do a good job of eating insects, too,” Shauna said.

“I’ve noticed a huge decrease in the Japanese beetles in our yard.”

Salina wants to add to her knowledge of birds in the future and hopes to begin raising additional breeds of birds, especially some of the exotic pheasant breeds.

Shauna spoke of what 4-H can provide for its members.

Her other two daughters, Cadence, 7, and Lilly, 5, are both Cloverbuds, the group for the youngest 4-H participants.

“It’s an all around good experience, and it teaches them to be self-sufficient,” she said.

“I always thought it was just for farm kids, but you don’t have to be involved with animals to be a part of 4-H,

because there are so many different aspects. We’ve got science, robotics, rockets, welding, woodworking, all the arts and crafts – there’s so much they can get involved with.”

There are also new choices being added to the list of interests available for youth and volunteers to become involved with.

“They’re adding the shooting sports. Salina did archery this year, and they also do air rifles and shotguns,” Shauna said.

“Also this year, we’re going to be offering a hunting and outdoor skills class which will be teaching the ethics of hunting.

It’s a SPIN (Special Interest) Club, a spin-off of 4-H, which is also what the robotics group is, and you don’t have to be a member of 4-H to join the Spin Clubs. There’s also one for sewing, horses and several other things.”

As Salina explores her many interests through 4-H, her favorite part of it will likely continue to be feathered, and it won’t be surprising to anyone if her blue ribbon collection grows along with her flock.

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Dave Cook/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

The reward for the hard work Salina Breckenridge put into her 4-H projects was 17 blue ribbons at the Marshall-Putnam Fair. Her free-range flock continues to grow, as does her knowledge of care and breeding.

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Young Farmers Forum WITH NORTHCENTRAL ILLINOIS AG MAG

What surprises were there during the 2016 growing and harvest seasons?

What are you anticipating in 2017?

“There was a lot more dryness in this year’s corn for all the extra moisture we had.

There won’t be much difference in yields in 2017. It averages out.”

Connor Williams, rural Annawan

“Moisture percentage (in 2016) was pretty good (15 to 16 percent). Soybean yields were not as good as we hoped. It will depend on the weather what happens next year (2017).”

Brendan Shaw, rural Annawan

“Definitely the weather was surprising, and the bugs weren’t as bad as they usually are. We had the perfect amount of rain, not too much or too hot. Next year, it will depend on the weather.

We were so lucky this year. It may not be as good in 2017.”

Jaidyn Miller, rural Sheffield

“We didn’t have too many surprises. We had good weather and no drought or too much rain. We had no flooding or wind damage for the corn. We had good yields. In 2017, depending on the weather, the yields are going up with new technology.”

Josh Sims, rural Sheffield

“Not really. Weather was pretty good. Not too much rain, and no high winds to knock corn down. In 2017, the price of corn will stay around $3, but the yields may stay the same or better.”

Isaac Shaw, rural Annawan

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Loyal to the land From the Ground Up encourages the farming industry to circulate locally NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag staff

local products circulating the homestead.

Kauffman said there are 40 to 60 very talented growers participating in the program, which was boosted by a federal grant through the health department to promote local growers and food markets.

“Our farmers are involved in growing local food and raising animals all the way to the point of butcher. They are intentionally using practices centered around sustainability, soil health and creating really nutrient-rich foods,” Kauffman said, noting the western third of Bureau County is a food desert, meaning people have limited access to food and nutritional resources.

T

here’s a reason we all salivate when the butter melts on the delicious sweet corn or fresh green beans during dinner, and anticipate the juicy flavor of a bowl of ripe strawberries – because they are not only heavenly to the taste buds, but healthy for the body.

And where does all this nutrition begin its journey to our well-being?

From the ground up.

Joy Kauffman, Bureau and Putnam County Health Department’s public health educator, has been working with five farmer’s markets – in Princeton, Walnut, Granville, Sheffield and Spring Valley – to formulate From the Ground Up, a movement driven by local talent and enthusiasm in crop development that keeps

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4CONTINUED FROM 18 “We have some of the best food in the world growing here in Bureau County, but a lot of our most sophisticated growers are sending that food into Chicago or the suburbs where people are willing to pay for it,” she said, adding there is some amazing soil native to the area. “Part of what we want to do is bring Joy it home. People in the Kauffman suburbs understand the value of the food, but we also want Bureau County residents to buy into growing, selling and consuming those quality products here.”

All human beings need to eat, but the cheap, industrialized system of dispersing mega-food with minimal nutrition and maximum calories is not good, Kauffman added, emphasizing the “culture” in agriculture.

“The farmers markets could be part of a cultural experience because you’re getting to know the farmers and their food,” she said, noting the United Nations has set up these sustainable development goals that are the benchmarks for everything in international development right now. “Eliminate hunger and increase food security through sustainable agriculture – that’s

‘‘

We have some of the best food in the world growing here in Bureau County, but a lot of our most sophisticated growers are sending that food into Chicago or the suburbs, where people are willing to pay for it. Part of what we want to do is bring it home.

Joy Kaufffman, public health educator

exactly what we’re trying to do right here.”

Kauffman said monumental studies on nutrition have concluded one thing more than anything else: The more fruits and vegetables you eat, the healthier you are. Eating across the color spectrum of naturally-occurring colors maximizes health, and manufacturers know that, so they spend a lot of money on colorful packaging and artificial coloring, but are essentially handing out toxins in a box.

“My grandparents grew up farming, and they canned everything; so they ate what they grew,” Kauffman shared, noting Illinois residents used to eat more than three-quarters of what they grew 100 years ago; now they are estimated to eat around 10 percent of what they grow. “With From the Ground Up I’m trying to create this consortium of growers in this area committed to a certain level of excellence who are known for their reputa-

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The Bureau and Putnam County Health Departments want to be a health and wellness center reducing and preventing chronic diseases. Kauffman said the things that are killing and disabling us – diabetes, cancer, heart disease and obesity – are by and large nutritionally-related.

“We don’t just want to get people to the farmers market, although that is a goal, but rather we want grandparents teaching grandkids about gardening and canning and exercise while tending to the crops,” Kauffman said, noting Chicago is a big city with many resources, so we shouldn’t be sitting around asking ourselves where the jobs are. “There are people with money so close by, and they value what we have.

“If we don’t have loyal customers our growers can’t keep doing what they’re doing,” she said.

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DOWN ON THE FARM ...

YESTERDAY’S MEMORIES

Was it really that long ago when the items pictured here were integral to farming? Why it seems like only yesterday when farmers needed all these items to be a success in the world of agriculture.

While much has changed on today’s farms – the gadgets, the machinery, the addition of technology and more – what hasn’t changed are the memories of long ago, when times were a bit tougher but nobody knew the difference.

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Farmers stand to be big winners if Congress OKs TPP

BY PAM EGGEMEIER AND GOLDIE RAPP

I

For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

n a third consecutive year of slipping commodity prices, farmers are pushing hard to get the largest regional free trade agreement in history passed in Congress before year’s end, but it could be a tough row to hoe.

A bill to fast-track the Trans-Pacific Partnership was approved

by Congress last summer, and on Oct. 5, 2015, a final agreement was hammered out between the 12 Pacific Rim nations involved. In addition to the U.S., trade partners in the deal include Canada, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Brunei, Australia and New Zealand.

Congress must now approve the pact if the United States is to be part of the deal that has been negotiated for 7 years.

The free trade deal has been the top legislative priority of the American Farm Bureau Federation. Farmers and ranchers say TPP would increase direct farm exports to the tune of $5.3 billion a year when it is fully implemented through the elimination of tariffs and other trade barriers.

Bureau County Farm Bureau Director Jill Frueh said TPP would add $300 million a year to Illinois agricultural cash receipts and $127 million annually in net ag exports from the state. Illinois ag export sales brought in $19.6 billion in 2014.

“Broken down even further, TPP will add $9,282 per year to the typical family grain farm in Illinois,” she said, adding

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On Page 22

The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement would add $9,282 to the typical family grain farm in Illinois, said Jill Frueh, Bureau County Farm Bureau director. “TPP means ... an additional 5 cents per bushel of corn, and 12 cents per bushel of soybeans for farmers who raise commodity crops,” she said.

(Goldie Rapp/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag)

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the deal would increase exports significantly. Currently, exports make up 37 cents of every farm market dollar.

“Depending on what each farmer grows and Jill produces, TPP will provide Frueh a wide range of benefits,” Frueh said. “Specifically, TPP means as additional $33.25 per steer for beef producers; an additional $6.86 per pig for hog producers; an additional 5 cents per bushel of corn; and 12 cents per bushel of soybeans for farmers who raise commodity crops.”

The trade deal is one of the keystone foreign policy goals of the Obama administration. After receiving fasttrack designation, supporters were hopeful it would be ratified by Congress before the end of the year, but now it appears to be an uphill battle.

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4CONTINUED FROM 23 Supporters hope much of the uncertainty is political rhetoric that will dissipate after the election. Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have voiced strong opposition to the trade deal. House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have said no action will be taken on TPP this year because there isn’t enough support to pass it.

“Both presidential candidates are against it, and there are some key Senate races where this is a big issue, but I think it’s a whole new ballgame after Nov. 8,” said Adam Nielsen, director of national legislation and policy development at Illinois Farm Bureau.

Nielsen said time is of the essence, however, before the window closes on a golden opportunity to break down trade barriers, boost income, and create jobs. That window remains open during the lame-duck legislation session that includes most of November and part of December.

“This might not happen at all if it isn’t done this year, so we have kept pushing for it,” Nielsen said.

Area farmers Evan Hultine of rural Princeton, and Keith Poole of rural Polo were among a delegation that recently stated its case for TPP on Capitol Hill.

CONTINUED ON 254

Goldie Rapp/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Evan Hultine, a fourth-generation farmer in rural Princeton, was one of two area members of a delegation that recently went to Capitol Hill in support of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. “If we don’t ratify this deal, it’s not going back to the drawing board – we’ll just get cut out of it,” Hultine said. The U.S. involvement in the free trade agreement between 12 Pacific Rim nations still requires congressional approval.

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4CONTINUED FROM 24 The issue became the centerpiece of this year’s Illinois Farm Bureau Leaders to Washington trip taken Sept.

13-15.

Hultine, chairman of the IFB Young Leaders group, said the farmers met with U.S. trade representatives, and several global groups includEvan ing the AustraHultine lian Embassy.

“I’m hopeful we can still get this done when the trade rhetoric calms down after the election,” said Hultine, a fourth-generation farmer.

“After all the work the U.S. has put into this, it doesn’t make sense to be left out in the cold.”

Supporters of TPP warn that the U.S. would be removed from a global trade leadership role if it doesn’t ratify the agreement. They fear China and Russia would fill the leadership vacuum.

“This would have ag well

Illinois farm income Projections on the annual impact of the Trans-Pacific Partnership on Illinois agriculture when if it is fully implemented, measured in cash receipts and net exports: Product Cash Receipts Net Exports Corn +83,561 -11,191.5 Soybeans +68,453.5 +38,383.2 Wheat +660.0 -296.6 Cotton 0 0 Rice 0 0 Fruits, nuts +623.5 +554.9 Vegetables +3,568 +3,176.0 Beef +14,650.6 +13,511.6 Pork +73,762.1 +63,475.0 Poultry +2,010.7 +541.1 Dairy +2,010.7 +541.1 Other Ag +31,144.6 +17,950.4 Total +281,128.0 million +127,386.9 million Source: American Farm Bureau Federation

positioned to export a lot of products, and it would help level the playing field for the U.S., but China is working on deals with everyone else, and the longer this takes to pass, the more opportunities we could miss,” Poole said.

American Farm Bureau Federation estimates 960 jobs would be created statewide by TPP. Nationwide, beef is the biggest projected ag winner,

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while in Illinois it is pork producers who stand to benefit most from creating new trade opportunities.

Japan’s high tariffs on beef would be addressed in the deal, which could level the playing field for U.S. beef producers, who must also compete with the Australians, who already have a beef agreement in place with Japan.

While corn and wheat would lose in net exports

abroad, those producers are projected to make more money overall through increased Adam domestic Nielsen demand for grains to support elevated beef and hog production.

“We raise corn, soybeans, wheat, and hogs, and hogs would definitely be the biggest benefit for us, but we think it would be a big help across the board,” Poole said.

While creating new market opportunities is always a high legislative priority for agriculture, a deep cyclical downturn has created an increased sense of urgency.

“Agriculture isn’t doing particularly well right now,” Nielsen said. “We’ve just seen the biggest drop in net farm income since the Great Depression, and that’s why we’re looking at policies that can have the biggest market impact.”

CONTINUED ON 264

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4CONTINUED FROM 25 Both presidential candidates had said they would tear the deal apart if elected president.

Ag leaders say that can’t happen, and hold out hope that stances will soften after the election, which saw Trump become president-elect.

“If we don’t ratify this deal, it’s not going back to the drawing board – we’ll just get cut out of it,” Hultine said.

Farm Bureau also fears the possible repercussions from not ratifying this deal.

“This isn’t going to be renegotiated after everyone’s signed off on it,” Nielsen said. “China doesn’t like this deal, and if there is a Plan B, it might not involve us.”

The Farm Bureau delegation also met with legislators during its trip to Washington. Historically, presidents of both parties have relied on the GOP to get trade deals passed, while Democrats have aligned with organized labor, which again

NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag file photo

Piglets stay in a heated nursery at the Dail Hog Farm outside Erie in Whiteside County in 2014. The American Farm Bureau Federation projects pork producers to be the biggest benefactors from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Nationwide, beef is the biggest project ag winner if the trade deal is approved by Congress. fears a free trade pact would cost American jobs, especially in manufacturing.

U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Channahon, voted to fast-track TPP, which made it through the House with a tight 218-208 vote. Kinzinger, like many free-trade Republicans, still has some

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concerns about such a complex deal that was negotiated with little transparency.

“I do support free trade, and while I definitely have some concerns with the deal, I’m hopeful that the administration is willing to come to the table and work through some of those issues with members of Congress over the next few months,” Kinzinger said.

As with other trade agreements, TPP would include provisions to set up relocation and adjustment programs to help areas of the economy adversely impacted by tougher competition from more imported goods.

The Obama administration says the trade agreement will enforce better labor and environmental practices at home and abroad, and offer patent protection on U.S.

exports.

Large multinational companies with a larger global reach stand to benefit most from the Rep. Adam agreement.

Kinzinger Economic analysts are still trying to assess the direct impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement that was instituted between the U.S., Mexico and Canada in 1994.

Most analysts can agree on the impact of NAFTA on economic growth in the U.S. The full implementation of the treaty brought about $80 billion of growth, or an additional 0.5 percent in gross domestic product.

Assessing the critics’ job loss and wage stagnation arguments become much trickier. According to the Economic Policy Institute, a surge of imports from Mexico alone after NAFTA led to the loss of 700,000 jobs.

Some economists argue, however, that NAFTA wasn’t the only factor in an increasing trade imbalance with Mexico during that time period.

The microscope has since turned to the economic impact of the World Trade Organization – particularly the inclusion of China in 2001. The Economic Policy Institute and other think tanks vary in the job loss assessments attributed to the huge trade deficit with China, but the estimates range from 2.8 million to 3.2 million jobs lost since 2001.

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At what

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Major seed, chemical mergers spark discussion of impact on farmers, consumers

BY RACHEL RODGERS AND GOLDIE RAPP For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

H

is committee can’t necessarily prevent the mergers of seed and chemical giants from happening, but when U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley voices concerns about the agriculture industry, people listen.

Grassley is the influential chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He also hails from farmstate Iowa.

The Republican senator is concerned a recent “tsunami” of mergers between giants in the ag indus-

try could be unfriendly to farmers and consumers.

Ultimately, the Federal Trade Commission and the Anti-Trust Division of the Justice Department determine whether such mergers stifle competition.

■■■ During the past several months, six of the largest seed and agrochemical companies – Monsanto DuPont, Syngenta, Bayer, ChemChina, and Dow – have pursued consolidations worth hundreds of billions of dollars.

In the photo

A combine harvests corn on the rural Dixon farm of Andy and Katie Pratt. Katie, a fourth-generation farmer, doesn’t think recent mergers between seed and chemical giants will have a negative impact on farmers and consumers. “By the time it trickles down to individual farms and individual rural communities, I don’t foresee it becoming more difficult or easier in the industry,” she said.

(Michael Krabbenhoeft/ NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag)

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4CONTINUED FROM 27 The merger frenzy began in December, with chemical leaders DuPont and Dow agreeing to merge and split into three publicly traded companies with a combined market value of about $130 billion. That merger is expected to be completed in early 2017.

Then came a proposed marriage between ChemChina and Syngenta priced at $43 billion in February, followed by a deal between Bayer and Monsanto for $66 billion in September.

The three ag giants resulting from the proposed mergers would own about 80 percent of national corn seed sales and 70 percent of the global pesticide market.

Grassley worries these mega-mergers will allow the companies too much sway over the agriculture industry and will stifle competition in everything from crop conception to product delivery to consumers.

Grassley’s committee had a hearing Sept. 20 for legislators, company executives, agriculture officials and antitrust leaders to weigh in on the impact the mergers might have.

“I’m concerned that further concentration in the industry will reduce choice and raise the price of chemicals and seed for farmers, which ultimately will affect choice and costs for consumers,” Grassley said.

While prices have plummeted for corn and soybeans, the cost of seeds and chemicals continue to rise.

Merger timeline

By the numbers

Seed and chemical costs for Illinois farmers have nearly tripled from 2003 to 2015.

Seed costs Chemical costs 2003: $720 million 2003: $790 million 2004: $810 million 2004: $930 million 2005: $860 million 2005: $1.07 billion 2006: $880 million 2006: $1.06 billion 2007: $1.07 billion 2007: $1.5 billion 2008: $1.27 billion 2008: $1.95 billion 2009: $1.52 billion 2009: $1.87 billion 2010: $1.66 billion 2010: $2 billion 2011: $1.82 billion 2011: $2.57 billion 2012: $1.93 billion 2012: $2.62 billion 2013: $2 billion 2013: $2.55 billion 2014: $1.96 billion 2014: $2.21 billion 2015: $2.03 billion 2015: $2.2 billion Source: USDA Economic Research Service

The average price of corn hit an all-time high in 2012 at $7.50 a bushel and has since dropped to about $3.50.

In Illinois, the amount farmers spend on seed and chemicals has nearly tripled since 2003, from $720 million to $2.03 billion for total seed expenses and from $790 million to $2.2 billion for fertilizer, lime and soil conditioners, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service.

“Farmers are unique; their profession involves accepting prices from input providers and commodity markets, while hoping for good weather in between,” Grassley said. “Farmers don’t have the ability to simply raise the price of their crops when they sell them to pass on higher input costs.”

Federal lawmakers aren’t the only officials concerned.

State Sen. Chuck Weaver,

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Sen. Chuck Weaver

R-Peoria, is one of many legislators keeping a careful eye on the companies moving forward to ensure agriculture, Illinois’ largest industry – isn’t hurt by

the changes.

“When the number of companies in a certain market decline, competition will be reduced – potentially raising prices,” said Weaver, who represents the 37th District.

“But it is also possible that the remaining companies will be able to increase efficiencies through economies of scale and increase competition between themselves, which would likely help drive prices down.

Having grown up on his family farm, Weaver said the issues that impact farmers and agriculture hit home.

“Our family farms are the

December 2015 Dow Chemical Co. and DuPont agree to $130 billion merger with the intention of splitting into three publically traded companies.

February China National Chemical Corp., or ChemChina, and Syngenta AG agree to $43 billion merger.

September Bayer AG and Monsanto Co. agree to $66 billion merger Sept. 20 Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, calls a hearing on the possible impacts of said mergers on the agriculture market with testimony from Dow, DuPont, Syngenta, Bayer and Monsanto representatives. backbone of our state,” he said, “and we have to ensure they have the ability to succeed.”

Bob Young, chief economist and deputy director for public policy for the American Farm Bureau Federation, said national farm income has declined sharply, peaking at $123.8 billion in 2013 and dropping to a projected $71.5 billion this year.

With additional financial pressure being put on farmers, the chance of higher input prices is likely to raise a few eyebrows.

CONTINUED ON 294

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4CONTINUED FROM 28 “Everyone’s knee-jerk reaction is to think that increased concentration will lead to higher prices for these inputs,” Young said. “Knees tend to jerk reflexively, but sometimes they jerk with reason.”

However, he said, the mergers could create a surge of innovation to bring new products to market in the industry to better serve farmers.

“Synergies and savings are likely to be generated, market share improved, a stronger corporate structure created for facing the regulations and other hurdles to bringing product to market are just a few examples,” Young said. “The challenge to those involved in the agricultural space from a farmer’s perspective is the sheer number and scale of this activity in such a short period of time.”

The process to introduce new seed to market can take 13 years of research and regulatory oversight – the process frequently being stretched out longer from wading through litigation – and Young said he hopes the mergers could improve efficiency and potentially shorten that process.

Matt Denton, a local farmer and sales agronomist for Hefty Seed Co. in Princeton, said mega-mergers are a commonality in the agriculture world today and can be compared to the brands that food companies control.

Photo contributed

Matt Denton (center, red shirt), sales agronomist for Hefty Seed Company, along with Darren Hefty (far right), an owner and operator for Hefty, talk with local farmers about the sale of corn and soybeans, along with their full lineup of crop protection and fertility products.

“In my opinion, these mergers are seen. I believe, now more than ever, it is going to take some time until all the important to be doing business with a transactions are finalized,” Denton said. trusted company and agronomic adviser “The true impact that these mergers that help farmers make good decisions will have on agriculture have yet to be to increase profitability on their farm.”

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Uncommon uses for common vegetables U of I Extension helps capture the season

A Susan Glassman, health and wellness educator for the University of Illinois Extension, prepares a fresh basil dip for the audience to enjoy during her presentation on uncommon ways to use common vegetables at the McNabb Library.

(Dave Cook/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag)

BY DAVE COOK For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

s we’ve all moved through our gardens harvesting the season’s bounty, it’s a common problem to end up with more vegetables and herbs than we know what to do with. But that’s a good problem to have, and the University of Illinois Extension recently helped gardeners make the most of their bumper crops.

“Uncommon Uses for Common Vegetables” was presented by Susan Glassman, health and wellness educator for the Extension. Part of the statewide, award-winning Healthy Gardening program. Master Gardeners for the Extension provided their help as well.

“The Healthy Gardening program is now in its third year, and this year we helped 469 families in the Marshall-Putnam area. It’s a wonderful family project, and it’s nice to see so many children interested,” Master Gardener Rita Simpkins said.

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4CONTINUED FROM 30 As the program began, Glassman described its goal.

“We’re going to create some new twists on the vegetables we’ve always enjoyed, and we’ll also help you enjoy how colorful and pretty they are by talking about how to display them,” Glassman said to those who attended the Healthy Gardening program earlier in the year.

Those in attendance received a cookbook and several pieces of advice to help ensure everyone eats all their vegetables.

“You’ve got to pack in the flavor, that’s what makes them the most satisfying.

And, if you keep things where you see them, you’ll eat them. Keeping a bowl of prepared vegetables in your refrigerator will help keep them from being forgotten, like they tend to be if they’re more hidden in the bottom,” Glassman said.

Glassman shared ideas of adding or using vegetables in ways not normally thought of such as putting canned pumpkin in pancakes; using spinach or broccoli to make pesto; using cucumbers, melons and carrots in smoothies; using large leaf plants like Romaine or kale for wraps; making vegetable pizza with a cauliflower crust; and hollowing out zucchini and then stuffing with various ingredients before baking or grilling.

CONTINUED ON 324

Dave Cook/NorthCentral Illnois Ag Mag

The edible and colorful display of channeled cucumbers, pepper bowls and fresh basil helped encourage the audience to eat healthy during the discussion of recipes and handy kitchen tips presented during the McNabb Library/University of Illinois Extension program.

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White Bean Blondies Ingredients 8 tablespoons trans-fat free margarine 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 1/2 cup cooked, pureed white beans 1 teaspoon pure vanilla 1/2 cup maple syrup 2 large eggs 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup oatmeal 1 cup all-purpose flour or whole-wheat white flour 1 cup chocolate chips (optional) Directions • Preheat oven to 325 degrees • Grease the bottom, but not the sides, of a 9-inch-by-13inch baking pan • Over medium-low heat, melt margarine and brown sugar in a sauce pan. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Stir in the beans, vanilla, maple syrup, eggs and salt.

• Add the oatmeal and flour, stirring until just mixed. Stir in the chocolate chips if using, then pour the entire mixture into the prepared baking pan.

• Bake for 30 to 33 minutes until a tester comes out clean.

Allow to cool completely in pan before cutting.

CONTINUED FROM 31 One of Glassman’s favorite recipes was for sweet potato bread.

“It’s going to look like a brick before you bake it and you won’t think it’s going to turn out; but I promise you it

Zucchini Brownies Ingredients 1/2 cup canola oil 1-1/2 cups white sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups zucchini, shredded 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional) Directions • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• Grease and flour 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish.

• In a large bowl mix together oil, sugar and vanilla until well blended. In another bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. A little at a time stir into the sugar mixture. Fold in zucchini and walnuts. The batter will be dry and crumbly, but don’t worry. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.

• Place into the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the brownies spring back when gently touched.

Remove from the oven and allow them to cool before frosting.

will, and it will be delicious,” Glassman said.

Putnam County resident Mary Glenn was most interested in the ways to creatively display the colorful vegetables in her garden.

“I liked the bowls made out of the

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32 Fall 2016

peppers. They’re very pretty. I’m having a party, and I think they’d be a wonderful way to use them to serve dip,” Glenn said.

For more information on the program, call the Extension office at 815-224-0889 or email uie-blmp@illinois.edu.

Sweet Potato Bread Ingredients 1/3 cup flax seed 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened 3 tablespoons trans-fat free margarine, softened 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup honey 1 large egg 1 large egg white 1 cup cooked sweet potato, mashed Directions • Preheat oven to 350 degrees • Unless flax seed is already ground, place flax-seed in a clean coffee grinder or blender; process until coarsely ground.

• Combine flax seed, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.

• In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese, margarine, brown sugar, honey, egg and egg white; stir in sweet potato.

• Add to the flour mixture, stirring until moist.

• Spoon batter into a greased 8-inch-by-4-inch loaf pan.

• Bake for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

• Cool for 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Makes 1 loaf or 15 slices.

Photos by Dave Cook/NorthCentral Illnois Ag Mag

After the mashed sweet potatoes are mixed with the other ingredients for the sweet potato bread, the thick mixture is placed into a loaf pan and placed into the oven to bake at 350 degrees for approximately 50 minutes.

Buffalo Roasted Cauliflower Ingredients 1/3 cup flax seed 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets 1 tablespoon oil or butter salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup hot sauce 1 tablespoon margarine, melted Blue cheese or ranch dressing for dipping (optional) Celery stick on the side (optional) Directions • Toss the cauliflower florets in the oil, salt and pepper, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated, 400-degree oven until lightly golden brown, about 20 to 30 minutes.

• Toss cauliflower in a mixture of the hot sauce and margarine and enjoy warm with blue cheese or ranch dressing for dipping and celery sticks on the side.

After being removed from the oven and cooling for 20 minutes, the loaf is ready to be sliced and served. The flavor of the sweet potatoes is highlighted as the bread is only lightly sweetened.

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SLOW THE FLOW Construction and Conservation Expo builds Bureau County’s second constructed wetland

A

The new wetland constructed at Bonucci farms in rural Princeton is part of the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy and will help lessen the nitrogen and phosphorus levels in area waterways.

(Dave Cook/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag)

BY DAVE COOK For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

s nutrient loss becomes a more frequent discussion in agriculture, ways to reduce nutrient drainage into waterways are being developed and shared through multiple educational programs.

In late August, Bonucci Farms of rural Princeton hosted a four-day public showcase of land improvement methods orga-

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nized by The Wetlands Initiative (TWI), the Illinois Land Improvement Contractors Association (ILICA), the Illinois Corn Growers Association (ICGA), The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Bureau County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), The Illinois Council on Best Management Practices (ICBMP) and others.

CONTINUED ON 35

4CONTINUED FROM 34 Speakers engaged local farmers on topics including constructed wetlands, cover crops, pollinator habitats, water testing, nutrient loss reduction and USDA programs. There was also a rainfall simulator present to provide a demonstration of how water moves over and through soil.

Continuing education credits were available for Certified Crop Advisers.

The main event, however, was the construction of an approximately 4-acre wetland area designed to slow water run-off into the nearby creek. Once established, the wetland, which will be roughly 12 to 18 inches deep, will allow excess nutrients to be absorbed naturally by native plants.

The wetland will also be beneficial to pollinators and other wildlife.

Erika Turner with the NRCS said, “We’re here to promote federal programs landowners, and producers can take advantage of the help to offset the cost of using practices such as wetland construction, cover crops and other methods promoting the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy.”

Caroline Wade, nutrient watershed manager for the ICGA, spoke of the most common concern of farmers in regards to the construction of wetland areas.

“It’s an edge-of-field practice, so with

Dave Cook/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Caroline Wade of Illinois Corn was at Conservation Day during the four-day public expo and helped test water samples from run-off areas at local farms. the economy the way it is, a lot of farmers are really focused on what they can do in the field to address nutrient loss, while also boosting production. The four Rs (right source, right rate, right place and right time) of nutrient man-

agement and the use of cover crops are the main issues they’re concerned with first because there are other benefits to production.

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4CONTINUED FROM 35 “By the time we’re talking about wetlands, they’ve already lost the nutrients, so they’re less likely to look at it as a primary way, but it works very well,” Wade said.

Wade also said farmers are concerned about the amount of crop production space it takes up, which is why these constructed wetlands are targeted within existing drainage areas.

“It helps minimize the amount of land taken up by their construction, as opposed to a restored wetland which can flood a whole field. Farmers don’t want to give up that much productive ground. This specific practice works well in maintaining production levels while reducing nutrient loss. This is just an unknown to a lot of farmers which is why we’re hosting these events. It’s to help them understand how it works and can benefit them,” Wade said.

Wade said there are also other benefits such as establishing pollinator habitats which helps address some other sustainability pressures that farmers are seeing.

Dr. Jill Kostel, TWI’s senior environmental engineer, provided technical assistance to farmers and encouraged farmers to watch the construction and ask questions at any time.

“Constructed wetlands can get results

Dave Cook/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

The approximately 4-acre wetland was lined with clay to help hold the 12 to 18 inches of water. Once the wetland was fully established, it is expected to slow the flow of water through the area and allow native pollinator plants to absorb the excess nutrient run-off from the nearby fields. while taking up little land. They’re small and placed in areas of less productive farmland. It’s been shown to be highly effective at removing nutrients and putting marginal land to work for you

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FARMERS EMBRACE ROLE AS EARTH’S PROTECTORS Adam Henkel, 37, looks out over his land, on which his family has been practicing environmentally friendly farming for years. The field seen behind Henkel is terraced to control water flow and erosion of the soil. His fields also have many wind breaks, drain tiles, and ponds to help water flow and to prevent soil erosion. Henkel farms in rural Ashton in Lee County.

(Michael Krabbenhoeft/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag )

Lee County survey breaks down percentage of farmers using conservation practices

BY CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

he vantage from the front stoop of the house where Adam Henkel grew up in rural Amboy is a veritable how-to guide on environmentally responsible farming.

In front of the house is a farm pond used to prevent water erosion, and beyond that – in each direction from the house, really – are little orange tubes rising out of the field, indicating terraces that also keep water from running and eroding the surface. Assisting with erosion prevention is cereal rye, a cover crop that also pulls nutrients from the ground and lays them on top of the soil.

A line of blue spruces extends from the house to serve as a wind break. They went in about 40 years

T

ago, about the same time as the pond.

“I was taller than them at one point,” said Henkel, a 37-year-old, seventh-generation farmer of corn and soybeans – just like the vast majority of Lee County farmers.

■■■ More and more of those farmers are adopting conservation practices, as exhibited by a survey the Lee County Farm Bureau recently conducted.

Taking care of the earth for future generations is old hand for the Henkels. His grandfather, Joe, started toying with conservation in the 1970s by installing terraces, buying a chisel plow and rotating crops.

“He had the Indian philosophy: You don’t own the land.

You’re just using it and need to take care of it for the next generation,” Henkel said.

CONTINUED ON 38 AG Mag

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SURVEY SAYS Results from a Lee County Farm Bureau survey of conservation practices by local farmers

CONTINUED FROM 37 In 1990, the Henkels – Adam, his uncles, Greg and Fran, and his dad, Joe, went to a no-till system, which reduces wind and water erosion and helps assure soil quality, not to mention, by eliminating the plowing step, saves money in labor and fuel.

When Paul Henkel, Adam’s cousin, who is on the Lee County Soil and Water Conservation District Board, stood in front of Joe’s house, he had to laugh.

“They’d toured all these different places,” Adam said. “He was over at dad’s house, standing there talking about everything he saw, and kind of stopped, looked around and said, ‘We could come here, stand in your yard and see everything we drove 2 hours to see.’”

That includes the sort of land farmers shouldn’t be able to farm. The southern half of the farm rolls so much you’ll lose sight of the combine multiple times as it crosses the land.

“This should be permanent pasture,” Henkel said.

“It shouldn’t be farmed, but because we manage it, no-till,

cover crops, do everything right, I’d put it up against just about any piece around for productivity.”

His colleagues insist the flat, formerly swampy land north of state Route 30 can’t be no-till farmed.

“Everybody says up there, you can’t no-till it, that you’ve got to turn it over and open it up,” Henkel said with a big grin. “I want to rent some ground up there, no-till it, prove them wrong, and show that it can be done anywhere. But ground’s hard to come by. … Someday.”

The farm bureau’s survey, which had a 20 percent response rate (126 of the county’s 630 farmers) showed that virtually all of its farmers carry out some environmentally conscious practices – 98 percent of them sample soils.

About 85 percent take that to the next level with grid-mapping to determine the nutrient layout.

That leads to better crops yearover-year, less waste (and thus, less input investment), and fewer nutrients carried away by water.

CONTINUED ON 39

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CONTINUED FROM 38 “You can apply what you know it needs, not what you think it needs,” said Danelle Burrs, 31, the manager of the farm bureau who grew up on her family’s McHenry County farm, where they grew – you guessed it – corn and soybeans, as well as hogs and cattle.

Cover crops are still a relatively new practice, and 21 percent of the responding Lee County farmers use them.

Nearly 50 percent of the farmers who responded

have adopted at least three conservation practices, and nearly 85 percent use at least two. The Henkel farm falls into the 16 percent that have four or more.

One of those practices is pollinator habitats that help integral bees and insects thrive, a practice that has picked up speed. In fact, in just the past year, it’s made great strides in Whiteside County, according to Henry Sanford, a Whiteside County Soil conservationist.

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