AG Mag
NorthCentral Illinois
Twists & Turns A new farm bill, a trade war, RFS changes, rising oil prices. All are adding to an uncertain path ahead for farmers.
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AG Mag
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AG Mag
NorthCentral Illinois
General Manager Jim Dunn Advertising Sales Development Director Jennifer Heintzelman Editor Jim Dunn
Index Tumultuous times
Local farmers are caught in the middle of debates over a new farm bill, tariffs and Renewable Fuel Standards.
Magazine Editor Jeff Rogers Page Design Jeff Rogers Reporters & Photographers Peter Balser, Dave Cook, Pam Eggemeier, Lyle Ganther, Phil Hartman, Earleen Hinton, Michael Krabbenhoeft, Alex T. Paschal, and Goldie Rapp
COVER STORY PAGE 8
Published by Bureau County Republican 526 S. Bureau Valley Parkway, Suite F 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.
CENTER PIECE PAGE 16
At the fence
A photo series of horses in their element.
11 4 Summer 2018
Oil prices have been up by as much as 20 percent in 2018. That means the cost of diesel fuel is also soaring.
22
Technology has impacted – mostly for the better – how mechanics keep the machines running.
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A SURPLUS OF UNCERTAINTY
Washington piles on during agricultural down cycle
F
BY PAM EGGEMEIER For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag
armers are tuned in to Washington these days, but several important issues are competing for their attention. The action has been fast and furious as Congress hammers out a new farm bill, the clock ticks in the nation’s escalating trade war with China, concerns mount about the Renewable
6 Summer 2018
Fuel Standard, and rising oil prices start to chip away at the bottom line. The resulting uncertainty comes in the fourth year of what is projected to be a 7-year down cycle for commodities prices. Net farm income has tumbled 40 percent from the highs reached between 2011 and 2014. CONTINUED ON 84
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Soybeans soak up the last few minutes of sunlight at the end of the day. (Photos by Michael Krabbenhoeft/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag)
4CONTINUED FROM 6 The fear of proposed tariffs have shoved some commodities prices off a cliff since the first round of President Donald Trump’s tariff proposals was announced on March 22. China has threatened to put a 25 percent tariff on several agricultural products including soy, corn, pork, wheat and dairy products. About 61 percent of the U.S. soybeans produced in the 2016-2017 marketing year were sent to China, the world’s largest soy consumer. On the heels of the China announcement, July soybean futures dropped more than 7 percent at one point on June 21. They cratered at $8.415 a bushel, the lowest for soybeans since March 2009. A strong U.S. dollar in the second quarter of this year has also helped take down ag commodity prices. U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-East Moline, calls the trade war a “self-imposed crisis” that is the result of a reckless administration that shoots from the hip day after day. “This was a trade spat that quickly became a full-out war that farmers can’t afford,” said Bustos, a member of the House Agriculture Committee. “This hits them right in the pocketbook at a time when farmers are already hurting.” 8 Summer 2018
Alex T. Paschal/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag
Congresswoman Cheri Bustos speaks to members of the Sauk Valley Community Leadership Program in April at the Sterling office of Sauk Valley Media. Bustos, a Democrat from East Moline, is a member of the House Agriculture Committee. She calls the current trade war a “self-imposed crisis.” Some farmers, however, are trying to stay focused on the big picture. Grain farmers, especially, can be punished for their success. Increased production has led to oversupply, and farmers are hoping that the trade talks can eventually open the door to more export opportunities for their products. “The main thing to remember through
the turmoil is that it might be worth some pain if we’re better off on the other end of this,” said Allyn Buhrow, who raises corn and soybeans in rural Ashton. Allyn While it’s difficult to stay Buhrow calm during such market volatility, a good planting season has area farmers gearing up for marketing what could be another record yield for grains. “It’s important to have good access to the China and India markets, and we’re still hopeful we’ll get long-term access to them,” Buhrow said. “It’s not pleasant watching the back-and-forth with prices, but in the end, we can sell somewhere else and they can buy somewhere else.” The timing of futures contracts could be buying some more patience for the Trump administration’s trade plans. Randy Faber raises corn, soybeans and cattle near Sublette. Grain prices are his biggest concern, but his deadline for having soybeans to market is April. Most of his beans are processed in Le Roy and come back here to be planted. Some also go to Woodhull, where they are crushed into bean meal. CONTINUED ON 104
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4CONTINUED FROM 8 “The timing was good this year because I had sold my beans before the prices got really low,” Faber said. “Then with corn, I can easily take that to the four ethanol plants in the area.” Many farmers agree that unfair trade policies are hurting the U.S. economy. They are willing to help the cause as long as the repercussions don’t do more harm than good. “Trade deals are huge, Randy and ag can play a big part Faber in fixing this, so we’re willing to sacrifice a little bit, but I hope things aren’t worse when the dust settles,” Faber said. While the proposed tariffs against Chinese goods would largely protect U.S. intellectual property and manufacturing interests, much of China’s retaliation is aimed at agriculture. A new farm bill seems to be in the homestretch and the continuation of crop insurance and subsidy programs would go a long way toward bringing some stability. The House passed its version of the farm bill on June 21, after the first attempt was hijacked by the immigration issue and a deep party divide over proposed reforms to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. In the House bill, tighter eligibility requirements would result in about 400,000 households losing food stamps. Thousands of children could also be dropped from free and reduced-price school meal programs. House Democrats also rejected the bill because of cuts to rural development and conservation programs. Bustos said she was disappointed in the process. “The Ag Committee has always been one of the most bipartisan groups in Congress, but this bill was crafted totally on one side of the aisle,” Bustos said. “It was a terrible way to go through something so important.” Now it’s the Senate’s turn to pass a bill, and then negotiations will begin to come up with one bill that can be passed and delivered to the president’s desk. The bill the Senate is working on has much more bipartisan support. It doesn’t include new work requirements or major eligibility changes to SNAP, but proposes changes to better weed out fraud. The Senate’s version also retains funding for rural development and conservation, but the biggest concern for farmers is crop insurance. The safety net has been keep intact, which has most farmers optimistic about the bill. State Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Channahon, said the House produced a good bill and he expects to see the finished 10 Summer 2018
“I think there is a belief in the president as a great dealmaker, and at the end of the day, we hope to achieve new markets for exports.” Adam Nielsen
Illinois Farm Bureau
Alex T. Paschal/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag
U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Chanahon, said the House produced a good farm bill that “preserves crop insurance.” product hammered out soon. “This bill preserves crop insurance, which is vital to a strong safety net for farmers,” Kinzinger said. Kinzinger also supports the proposed changes to the SNAP program, citing the money that would be spent on job training for recipients. “The investments that go with the work requirements will help train unemployed and underemployed people, leading to independence and selfsufficiency,” Kinzinger said. The big political picture would seem to be confusing for many Midwest farmers whose support went a long way in carrying Trump to victory in 2016. Farmers might have reconciled themselves to the fact that they can’t get everything they want from one party. Historically, Democrats have been more supportive of biofuels, subsidies, and funding for rural development, conservation and ag research. In the 2016 presidential election, however, farmers seemed to be most interested in lower taxes and relief from regulations. It has become increasingly murky as to which is the free trade party. The Illinois Farm Bureau realizes that farmers are taking a big leap of faith with this administration on trade issues. In addition to pushing the world trade negotiations to the brink, farmers are nervous about a North American Free Trade Agreement that is taking longer than expected to be renegotiated. “Regardless of who’s in the White House, Farm Bureau’s policies, developed over many years, sets growing ag exports and free trade as top priorities,” said Adam Nielsen, director of national legislation and policy development at the Illinois Farm Bureau.
Nielsen said he senses that farmers are focusing on the big picture, but patience isn’t as easy to come by in an agricultural down cycle. “I think there is a belief in the president as a great dealmaker, and at the end of the day, we hope to achieve new markets for exports,” Nielsen said. “You don’t want to overreact to volatile prices, but this has been the worst 3 years for farmers since the 1980s, so they are nervous about how long this trade situation continues.” Bureau County farmer Evan Hultine said he’s hopeful farmers will get the clear, concise farm bill they need, but the trade issues are definitely at the forefront of his concerns. He was happy to see no sweeping changes to the safety net that was Evan devised in the last farm Hultine bill. “Even with good crop insurance and conservation programs, we still need trade opportunities and relief from depressed prices,” said Hultine, who grows corn and soybeans near Princeton. Hultine said he and many other farmers took advantage of good selling opportunities during the winter, which make it easier to be patient through the market volatility. While he still maintains some level of support for the president’s trade policies, the uncertainty can’t go on much longer. “We can protect the bottom line a little bit, but we’re not willing to sell everything on futures contracts,” Hultine said. Another hot issue in Washington has corn growers concerned. A group of Democratic lawmakers, including Bustos, wrote a letter calling for the Environmental Protection Agency to provide information about what they believe to be the agency’s mismanagement of the Renewable Fuel Standard program. The program gives RFS waivers to small refiners that are in danger of going bankrupt. The lawmakers expressed concerns that the waivers are now being given to larger refiners that don’t meet the economic hardship criteria, thereby undercutting the ethanol market.
OVER A BARREL? Oil prices another threat to farm income, but increased domestic production could help BY PAM EGGEMEIER AND LYLE GANTHER For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag
R
ising fuel costs could make it more expensive for farmers to harvest their crops this year. Oil prices have been up by as much as 20 percent in 2018 on pressures from rising global demand and dwindling supply. That means the cost of diesel fuel, which powers harvest season, is also soaring. Farmers use diesel for equipment and transporting their yields. In May, diesel reached its highest price in 4 years. It costs about 70 to 80 cents a gallon more this year than
in 2017. Like agriculture commodities, oil prices have been in a downward spiral for nearly 5 years. The silver lining for farmers in higher oil prices is that oil and ag commodities prices generally move in tandem, perhaps a sign that crop prices have bottomed. Historically, oil prices peak in early summer, but this year political tensions have added to supply uncertainties, sending prices soaring in June. CONTINUED ON 124
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4CONTINUED FROM 11 The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and several other countries, including Russia, had agreed in January 2017 to cut production. The reduction, amounting to about 2 percent of global supply, was instituted to address oversupply. Increased global demand has eaten through supplies and several factors have conspired to make it difficult to ramp up production. Since President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of an international agreement to curb Iran’s nuclear program, the U.S. has called for its allies to stop importing Iranian crude by November. Complicating matters, production in Iraq and Venezuela has been slower than expected and a large oil-sands field in Canada has been shut down indefinitely. Iran exports about 2.4 million barrels a day of crude. Analysts estimate that anywhere between 400,000 to 1 million barrels could be at risk once sanctions are reinstated in November. Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest exporter of crude, said it would soon raise its production from 10.8 million to 11 million barrels a day. To help meet demand, OPEC announced on June 22 that its producers would increase output to 1 million barrels a day. The cartel’s conviction was questioned, however, and the day closed with the biggest single-day increase in oil prices since November 2016. U.S. crude climbed nearly 5 percent to $68.72 a barrel and Brent crude, the international benchmark, hit a high of $74.84. Then on June 27, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that crude supplies were down by 9.9 million barrels for the week ending June 22 – the largest weekly decline so far this year. U.S. crude was up 3.2 percent on the news, settling at $72.76 a barrel – the highest price since November 2014. Brent crude climbed to $77.62 a barrel. Steven Michlig of Michlig Energy said he didn’t think the higher prices would make or break farmers, but they all understand this is something they can’t control, but must deal with in their farming operation. Tony Stirling, treasurer of the Bureau County Farm Bureau and Farm Business Farm Management Association’s Illinois Valley field staff based in Henry, covering mainly Putnam and Marshall counties, said that increasing fuel prices and tariff scares are affecting farmers’ bottom line, making it real tight for them. Farmers are also trying to decide whether to make multiple passes they make over their fields as a result of 12 Summer 2018
Earleen Hinton/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag
A combine makes it way through a soybean field west of Oregon before the wet October weather delayed the harvest in Illinois last year. Farmers are hoping rising oil prices dip before they have to get the heavy machinery back in the field for this year’s harvest. increasing fuel prices. Despite the pressures on oil, fundamental changes to U.S. energy production and consumption should lower the ceiling in an oil up cycle. “Fracking is keeping pricTony Stirling es much lower, and better production efficiencies are reducing costs,” said Jim Ritterbusch of Galena, president of Ritterbusch & Associates, an oil trading advisory firm. America’s efforts to reduce its dependence on foreign oil make it more resistant to volatility from political developments abroad. “I see gasoline getting to the high of last spring, at about $3.10 or $3.15 a gallon,” Ritterbusch said. “Diesel is much stronger on the futures market, but prices could lift up another 15 cents to 25 cents by the end of the summer. When we do peak, it should be much lower than what we’ve been used to seeing.” Any kind of market forecast, however, is always subject to change, especially with so many contentious political issues weighing on the global economy. “Even with these fundamental energy shifts, I’ve learned to never say never,” Ritterbusch said. “There are tariffs and many other political concerns looming, and they could impact oil to the upside.” Farm Bureau says that with everything else going on in Washington that could impact farmers, gas prices is the least of its worries. “We’re optimistic that market forces will take care of oil,” said Adam Nielsen, director of national legislation and policy development at the Illinois Farm Bureau. “With all of the political problems, we’re fortunate to have so much domestic production.” Jill Frueh, executive director of the
U.S. crude prices
The annual average first purchase price per barrel for U.S. crude oil: 2000..................................... $26.72 2001..................................... $21.84 2002..................................... $22.51 2003..................................... $27.56 2004..................................... $36.77 2005..................................... $50.28 2006..................................... $59.69 2007..................................... $66.52 2008..................................... $94.04 2009..................................... $56.35 2010..................................... $74.71 2011..................................... $95.73 2012..................................... $94.52 2013..................................... $95.99 2014..................................... $87.39 2015..................................... $44.39 2016..................................... $38.29 2017..................................... $48.05 June 27, 2018....................... $72.76 Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration Bureau County Farm Bureau, said farmers are experiencing their fifth straight year of declining farm income. Rising input costs like increasing fuel prices only Jill put more pressure on Frueh already razor-thin profit margins. “We’re looking forward to passage of the farm bill (House passed June 21, it passed committee in Senate), because it will provide risk management and crop insurance programs which will help support farmers as incomes dwindle,” she said. Frueh added, “We’re urging the president to work on and approve trade deals. Global markets will help to shore up declining farm income and market volatility.”
HEMP GETS A BUREAU BOOST
Woman’s efforts help get bill that legalizes cash crop on governor’s desk
BY GOLDIE RAPP For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag
I
Goldie Rapp/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag
Rachel Berry, an advocate for industrial hemp, shows a piece of insulation made from hemp. Insulation is just one of many hypoallergenic building materials that can be manufactured from hemp.
llinois lawmakers recently passed a bill to lift the prohibitions on the production of industrial hemp. The bill is now on Gov. Bruce Rauner’s desk, and many believe he will sign it in August during the Illinois State Fair. In Bureau County, one local woman has been instrumental in getting this legislation passed. Rachel Berry of rural Princeton has been advocating for industrial hemp for the past few years. The 29-year-old helped to form the Illinois Industrial Hemp Alliance last November and has been blogging, reaching out
to lawmakers, attending conferences, and educating people on the benefits of hemp and what it could do to improve the Illinois economy. Born and raised in Cook County, Berry once considered herself a “suburb kid.” Farming was not on her radar until an opportunity arose for her and her husband to become land stewards of a 13-acre farm northwest of Princeton. Berry jumped at the opportunity and dived into the study of agriculture. What she knows today was because of research she’s done on her own. CONTINUED ON 144
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4CONTINUED FROM 13 While her husband works on projects on the farm, she considers herself the sole farmer of their land. “As a woman and growing our own food – it feels so right,” she said. With an environmentalist mindset, Berry began researching chemical-free methods for her land and stumbled upon the hemp plant. She was attracted to its ability to clean soil and water, help reduce erosion, and give farmers a crop where no pesticides or herbicides were needed to maintain it. But what really jump-started her advocacy for hemp was when she heard local officials talk about agricultural practices being the cause for a “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico. During a meeting in Princeton, Berry said, it was said that the Environmental Protection Agency was coming down harder than ever on farmers who apply nitrogen and phosphorus to fields, only to have it wash into the Mississippi River and flow into the Gulf of Mexico. The fertilizers have eliminated the oxygen needed for fish to survive in those Gulf waters. The “dead zone” is estimated to be as large as the state of New Jersey. CONTINUED ON 184
Goldie Rapp/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag
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Kankakee County hobby farmer awaits green light to grow hemp BY GOLDIE RAPP For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag
W
hile the possibility of growing hemp is still a new concept in Illinois, there are only a handful of farmers in the region who have actually shown interest in wanting to grow it, if Gov. Bruce Rauner gives it the green light. Evera Ivy of Kankakee County is one of those farmers. She and her family farm about 10 acres of land as a hobby. They have plans to begin a hemp-growing business once the plant is legalized in Illinois. nnn Ivy admits she didn’t always appreciate the farmland her parents purchased when she was young. In fact,
she remembers her family relocating from the urban life in Chicago to the rural lands of Kankakee County and wasn’t grateful of the quiet life she was introduced to back then. Evera It wasn’t until she got Ivy older that she learned to Kankakee County hobby be more appreciative of farmer awaits that quiet life and of the green light to ability to grow her own grow hemp fruits and vegetables on the land. When her parents started to back away from the farming life due to old age, Ivy stepped up and began looking further into sustainable methods of farming to prevent the land from sitting empty. Similar to Rachel Berry’s experience, she stumbled upon the hemp plant during her research and discovered all the good it could do for the soil. Ivy said she was particularly interested in the medicinal uses of hemp and
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AT THE FENCE PHOTOS AND STORY BY DAVE COOK For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag
T
his photo series consists of moments that were captured mostly while traveling to and from various assignments throughout Bureau and Putnam counties. The others came from wandering during pleasant Sunday morning drives. The self-imposed criteria was, they had to be respectfully taken from the side of the road or “At the Fence.” I’m always quickly seen, and while often regarded warily for a moment by the horses almost always approach for a closer inspection. They don’t always quite know what to make of the camera, and I have more than one photo of a skeptical glance being cast my way. Perhaps that will develop into a series of its own. Maybe “Suspicious Steeds”? Their overall response, however, is why this series will continue. They’re friendly, affectionate, gentle, and often funny. I also always feel happy after making a new equine acquaintance. Spontaneity, combined with the inherent beauty of horses and the natural appeal of our rural countryside, has resulted in a continuously growing series of photos that will hopefully give readers as much pleasure to view as was had in creating it.
16 Summer 2018
AG Mag
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4CONTINUED FROM 14 Berry believes if more farmers took a chance on hemp, it could alleviate the environmental issues that have the potential to make a dent in the U.S. economy. After she reached out to the organization, Vote Hemp, members got her in touch with a robust group, which eventually became know as the Illinois Industrial Hemp Alliance. Berry also reached out to lawmakers, including state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, state Sen. Chuck Weaver, state Sen. Toi Hutchinson, who introduced the bill, and state Rep. Dan Swanson, who was very familiar with industrial hemp as he shared with her that his grandfather had once grown it before it was prohibited. “Overall, I’ve had bipartisan support from all the representatives I’ve spoken with,” she said. She’s also lobbied for hemp in Springfield earlier this year, attended conferences, and has networked with various organizations and alliances that have gotten on board with the support for industrial hemp. Of course, Berry has been challenged by skeptics unsure about the idea of legalizing a plant that comes from the same classification as cannabis. She said one of the most common arguments she hears is that people will grow cannabis plants in the middle of hemp fields. “If you know anything about botany, a cannabis plant would not thrive in an open field surrounded by hemp. ... The cannabis plant needs to be pollinated a certain way, and if it was left to be open-pollinated in the air, it would not grow,” she said. Also, people argue that police officers will have a difficult time telling the difference between a cannabis and hemp plant. Berry’s response to that is, it would take only a little education for officers to be able to identify those differences.
Goldie Rapp/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag
Rachel Berry, a Princeton-area advocate for industrial hemp and mother of two children, stands with her son, Oliver, 3. Berry has been influential in getting Illinois lawmakers to vote to lift the prohibition on industrial hemp. Once the bill is signed, Berry said, her work isn’t over. There will still be efforts made to ensure fair rules and regulations are implemented for licenses. Also, there is still a lot of education and research to be shared so others become more aware of the opportunities industrial hemp can provide for local farmers and Illinois businesses. “The opportunities for what people can grow their hemp for are endless,” she said. Hemp can be used for industrial textiles like rope, canvas and netting. It can be used for textiles, such as clothing, denim, shoes and fine fabrics. Hemp can be manufactured into building materials such as fiberboard, insulation and acrylics. It can also be used for paper products and even
cosmetics and foods. People consume hemp seed hearts, seed oil, hemp protein powder and supplements. Berry’s passion for hemp has not only excited others about its potential, but the fight to legalize it has also empowered her. At one time, Berry was a teen mother who quickly learned that people’s expectations for her became “really, really low.” “It’s not a secret, you can feel it. ... To be a teen mother in this society – that is something to struggle against,” she said. “And now I’ve never felt so empowered doing this for myself, and showing my children if you want to see change, this is how you do it. You use your arts and the skills you have and you get out there and make it happen.”
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Revitalizing rural America JEC report calls for investment; Democrats call it a roadmap BY PAM EGGEMEIER For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag
T
he Joint Economic Committee Democrats have released a comprehensive report on the state of the rural economy and policies for revitalization. The JEC is one of four standing joint committees in Congress, dating back to 1946. U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico, ranking member of the JEC, and U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-East Moline, hosted a teleconference for media on June 20 to formally announce the release of the report. Bustos is a co-chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. The report, “Investing in Rural America”, says that many rural communities are still recovering from the recession more than a decade later. It looks at the economic challenges faced by the 46 million people who live in rural areas – about 14 percent of the U.S. population. “Expanding economic opportunities for rural Americans is vital to the strength of our economy
Capsule on report’s ag policy • Pass a bipartisan, 5-year farm bill with policies that give farmers, families and rural communities opportunities to succeed. • Use tax policy to support small or midsize farms that earn a living in agriculture. • Expand access to capital and land to encourage the next generation of farmers. • Provide certainty in trade policy so farmers know what to expect in the marketplace. • Boost funding for safe and affordable agricultural worker housing. as a whole,” Heinrich said. “Rural residents are some of the most innovative people you’ll meet, but they need a level playing field.” The report breaks down the challenges into several areas, including family financial security, education, infrastructure, agriculture, health care, housing, clean energy and public lands. The key to addressing the challenges is a bipartisan committment to investing in rural America to maximize its strengths. The rural population is declining, and wages have been stagnant. Rural workers, on average, make 25 percent less than those in urban areas, even though it can be much harder for employers to fill skilled labor positions. Bustos said most of the 700,000 people in Illinois’ 17th District that includes parts of 14 counties live in rural areas. Her rural constituents tell her they are most concerned about health care and infrastructure.
“Rural areas pay a disproportionately high price for failing infrastructure and 23 million still don’t have access to broadband,” Bustos said. “The Trump transportation plan fails to deliver. Public-private partnerships for transportation don’t work in rural America.” Bustos said the House has a transportation plan that includes $40 billion to close the digital divide and creates new jobs.
Rural America needs better access to health care, Bustos said. They are traveling farther, to be treated, and higher poverty rates also impact access, at a time when Medicare and Medicaid benefits are under siege. The report cites aging farmers as a challenge to the future of agriculture. While a new farm bill will help to bring stability, solutions focus on improving the quality of life in rural areas to keep people on the farm. Expanding broadband keeps agriculture connected with other economic sectors. The report also calls for investments to improve housing and education. “We need housing incentives to get teachers to start their education careers in rural communities,” Heinrich said. “When they see the advantages to teaching in rural schools, it’s likely that many will stay.”
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Roots have run deep for a century T Mattern family receives Centennial Farm honors
BY DAVE COOK For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag
here’s no way to know what Theodore Rott might have thought about the long-term future of the land he purchased in 1914, but he would no doubt be proud to know his descendants have continued to share his love of the family farm. George and Margy Mattern are the current caretakers of the original 170 acres near Magnolia bought by Rott, who arrived in the United States from Germany at the age of 25 in 1892. “He started the farm when he was 46, and that takes a lot of courage, in my opinion,” George Mattern said. Now the fourth generation on the farm, the Mattern family recently received the honor of being named one of Illinois’ Centennial Farms. This Illinois Department of Agriculture program celebrates families who have worked across several generations to continue to operate family farms. In order to qualify for this designation, a farm must have been owned by the same family’s lineal or collateral descendants for at least 100 years. CONTINUED ON 214
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4CONTINUED FROM 20 Margy was humble and said she had only married into the family, but her connection to the farm is substantial. “I’ve grown into the same sense of respect for the land as George, but this is really his honor,” she said. “Ever since he was a little boy, he’s known this is what he wanted to do, and I couldn’t be prouder of all the work he’s done on our farm.” George said farming has changed significantly since he was a boy, and he reminisced about the times when small family farms were more common. “There were all kinds of small farms back then, and their houses were filled with children. Everyone had livestock, and there was a real sense of community,” he said. “Now we’re few and far between, and the average age of farmers has also gotten older.” George said his greatgrandfather and grandfather farmed with horses, but the
Photos by Dave Cook/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag
The fertilizer for the Mattern family’s crops is provided by their 5,500 hogs. The farm’s addition of hogs in 1992 has helped to ensure the farm will continue to be a viable operation in the future. ON PAGE 20: George and Margy Mattern said they both feel a significant tie to the land that has been farmed by George’s family for more than a century. Their fourth-generation Putnam County farm produces corn, soybeans, wheat and hogs. family has since been dedicated to Case equipment. One of the family’s barns houses his grandfather’s tractor, as well as his father’s first tractor. A major change to the farm
occurred in 1992, when George built the first of three buildings that now house about 5,500 hogs. The hogs also provide an economical source of fertilizer for the family’s corn, soybean and
occasional wheat crops. “I built the hog barns for stability down the road and to make it a viable operation,” George said. When asked about the deep connection he feels to his family’s land, he didn’t hesitate to answer. “I feel I’m a part of something bigger, a link in the chain, and I want to keep the legacy going and honor my ancestors,” George said. Multigenerational stories also often look to the future, as well. Although George and Margy said their four children have been encouraged to pursue their own dreams, the likelihood of another generation working the family’s land isn’t without promise. The day of the interview, George was working the fields, much like his ancestors did over the past century. “It’s a great privilege to be able to continue what my great-grandfather, grandfather and father did. I feel like they’re out here with me,” he said before climbing back into his tractor.
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Keeping them running How technology has impacted agricultural mechanics’ work
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BY DAVE COOK For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag
he busiest times for farmers are when they’re planting and harvesting. The need to be able to trust in the equipment making that work possible is crucial, and repairs must be timely. While John Deere products have been continuously evolving since Deere’s development of his first self-
Holland and Sons service technician Wayne Roberts enjoys making repairs on-site, and modern technology has helped make the process faster and more efficient.
scouring steel plow in 1837, the need for experienced and knowledgeable hands to make those repairs is more important than ever since technology has become dominant in the 21st century. “Technology is present throughout everything, and it’s almost created its own area of service work,” said Todd Obenhaus, longtime service manager with Holland and Sons. CONTINUED ON 234
(Dave Cook/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag)
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4CONTINUED FROM 22 Holland and Sons is a family owned, full-service John Deere dealership that has served northern Illinois and beyond for more than 30 years. Along with the Princeton location and the headquarters in Mendota, there are three dealerships in Dixon, Freeport and Geneseo that provide sales and service for a wide range of agricultural, residential, commercial and construction equipment. Among all its locations, Holland and Sons employs more than 130 people. The company’s commitment to earning its customers’ loyalty through providing the best service possible has earned it the John Deere Manager’s Club Award eight times. This recognition has placed Holland and Sons as one of the best dealership groups in North America. “We have about 1,200 customers in our area of responsibility, which is a 30-mile radius,� Obenhaus said. Service technician Wayne Roberts said repairs during plantings and harvests are almost always done on-site. “If they’re being brought into the shop during those times of year, they’re in bad shape,� he said. While Obenhaus said there are both good and bad things associated with the prevalence of technology, there
Dave Cook/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag
Holland and Sons service technician Wayne Roberts quickly located this tractor’s problem, and the machine was soon ready for work. are many clever features embedded in modern equipment to help both the service department and the customer. The sensors and monitors engineered throughout a modern tractor or com-
bine are capable of alerting the dealership of developing problems of which farmers themselves may not even be aware. CONTINUED ON 244
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Holland and Sons Service Manager Todd Obenhaus points to one of the 29 on-board computers which help control the various systems of this John Deere tractor. 4CONTINUED FROM 23 “It’ll send an email to us, and if it’s something we’re concerned with, we can call the customer, who may be driving it at that moment, and ask them if it’s doing certain things. If we need to go and make a repair, we can also ping it to find its location. We can also directly make software updates as they’re needed,” he said. Technology has become so sophis-
ticated and rapidly evolving, it’s an obstacle in itself, and Obenhaus said one of the biggest challenges they face is the likelihood of seeing a problem for the first time. “We have an excellent support system across our dealer network and with the factory, and we all help each other to identify, diagnose and resolve those types of problems,” he said. Each service technician works on every type of equipment, but can also
gain expertise in niche areas to the benefit of all. Obenhaus said while there’s an initial and thorough training program technicians must complete, along with ongoing education from the factory, a good portion of a technician’s education is on-the-job training. “One of the big challenges is staying up with all the training,” he said. CONTINUED ON 254
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4CONTINUED FROM 24 The John Deere Tech Program is a 2-year associate’s degree curriculum balancing the classroom with handson work and paid internships. Working locally with Lake Land College in Mattoon, students become familiar with the company’s diesel engines, powertrains, hydraulics and control systems, as well as the increasingly important electronics, diagnostics and proprietary systems. And while technical proficiency is crucial, students also learn the critical skills of how to communicate with customers to build long-standing and trusting relationships. The work students do at their sponsoring dealerships provides opportunities to learn from experienced technicians, deal with customers, and face the pressure that accompanies the need to diagnose and repair vital equipment quickly. Obenhaus pointed to one tractor and said the model contained 29 onboard and interconnected computers. A glitch in one area might shut down the operation of another as a safety feature. Another challenge is having sensitive computer equipment operating in hostile environments that can be hot, cold, moist, dry, jarring and dirty.
“The automotive industry is always slightly ahead of developments in agriculture, and we’re hoping the improvements to technology will continue to evolve in the same way,” he said in regard to improvements in size, design and efficiency. As with the multitude of technological offerings of a new car, he said a lot of new agricultural equipment offers similar options and levels of control. “There’s just so much technology, a lot of people aren’t aware of how much there is throughout everything we work on. The monitors can have monitors, and sensors are located in every area,” Obenhaus said. Holland and Sons also offers a variety of service packages to help farmers become familiar with and optimize the performance of their machines. While technology has moved to the forefront of agriculture, the appeal of the work for Obenhaus remains the same as it has for many since the beginning of the agricultural industry. “It’s the people. That, and being out in the fields,” he said, happily. For more information about Holland and Sons, visit hollandandsons. com or call 815-539-6724. For more information about John Deere and the factory, go to deere.com.
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Dave Cook/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag
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Plan to succeed with changing crop patterns, farmers told BY PHILLIP HARTMAN For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag
D
elivering corn to an elevator or ethanol plant in December might seem strange to some producers, but doing so can reap some benefits. About 70 farm producers attended a recent seminar at Days Inn in Rock Falls from Farm Bureaus in Carroll, Lee, Ogle and Whiteside counties on creating a written marketing plan to help manage crop price risk. Steven Johnson, a farm management specialist with Iowa State University Extension, discussed how to create the plan and what factors to use when writing the outline. “Focus on what you can control and how you treat your production risk,” Johnson said. He encouraged farmers to use available data and know their production costs when
On Page 26 Steven Johnson, a farm management specialist with Iowa State University Extension, gives a presentation on pre-harvest crop marketing strategies, tools, and planning to members of local Farm Bureaus at the Days Inn in Rock Falls on June 20. (Peter Balser/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag) making their plan. Johnson gathers crop futures data from multiple sources, not just the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates, and watches YouTube videos on weather projections and patterns for as far out as a month or further. “This is about putting together the hundred little bits of knowledge,” Johnson said.
Peter Balser/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag
Farm and Ag Business Specialist Steven D. Johnson gives a presentation on pre-harvest crop marketing strategies, tools, and planning to members of the Ogle County Farm Bureau at CONTINUED ON 284 the Days Inn in Rock Falls.
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4CONTINUED FROM 27 Another element of planning is preharvest marketing corn and soybean bushels with revenue protections. Producers can use hedge-to-arrive contracts with an elevator or ethanol plant, where the futures price is determined when the contract is created, but the basis level is not determined until later, often just before delivery. The basis is the difference between the cash price paid for grain and the nearby futures price. Johnson shared the marketing plan of an Iowa farmer, using the pseudonym “Marty Merchandiser,” who needed to generate $700,000 in cash for the next year. “Marty likes to deliver in December, when his neighbors aren’t delivering. He starts negotiating basis at ethanol plants in November,” Johnson said. For most merchandisers, if farmers can bring the bushels, such negotiations are worth a nickel to 8 cents more. Johnson also discussed the outlook for this year’s corn and soybean crops. He said 78 percent of U.S. corn was rated good to excellent, with 81 percent of Illinois corn, 76 percent in Indiana, and 86 percent in Minnesota. He also thinks there will be markets overseas for crops, citing droughts in Argentina and the Ukraine that dam-
Peter Balser/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag
About 70 farmers attended Johnson’s presentation in Rock Falls. aged crops, and rains in Brazil which slowed its soybean harvest. “Where is the surplus coming from? USA,” Johnson said. Online resources exist to help farmers with marketing and crop risk management, including: • An ag decision marker site at extension.iastate.edu/agdm • A commodity challenge site with a marketing tools workbook, crop mar-
keting videos, weekly tracking tables and online market simulation games, at tinuyrl.com/iacrops • Dr. Chad Hart, Extension economist, www2.econ.iastate.edu/faculty/hart • Crop risk management from Iowa State’s Polk County Extension, extension. iastate.edu/polk/farm-management • A daily e-newsletter and other information from the University of Illinois, farmdoc.illinois.edu
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hey’re (mostly) single, and in agriculture – but it’s not about dating. Friendships and experiences are the focus of the Singles in Agriculture group, which marks its 32nd anniversary this year. About 250 members remain across the country, mostly in the Midwest, Plains states, and Texas, and more are welcome. Several members of SIA gathered in early May for their annual Illinois meeting, touring sites in Dixon and dining together.
Members of the Singles in Agriculture group pray during their annual Illinois meeting May 5 at Mama Cimino’s restaurant in Dixon. The national organization has about 250 members, mostly living in the Midwest, the Plains states, and Texas. (Alex T. Paschal/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag)
CONTINUED ON 304
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4CONTINUED FROM 29 Each of the group’s 10 regions has an annual meeting, and there are four national meetings yearly, as well as other programs. Bobbie Berwanger, 73, of Dixon, spoke during lunch at Mama Cimino’s about the group’s origins. “We’re not a dating group,” Berwanger said. SIA did have its origins among agricultural singles seeking to meet others like themselves. Columnist Meg Gaige with Farm Journal magazine wrote about how hard it was to find other single people in agriculture, and her work spurred a meeting of 23 people in June 1986 in Peoria. SIA was chartered in October 1986. The organization has grown to provide social and educational opportunities for single people with a background or interest in agriculture. Qualifications to join include being single; 21 or older; and employed in, or having a background in, or
Alex T. Paschal/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag
There was plenty of table talk during the meeting of Singles in Agriculture on May 5 in Dixon. After meeting for lunch and conversation, the group split off to explore a few different sights in the area before reconvening for cocktail party at a member’s home. an interest in agriculture; or being affiliated with a branch of agriculture. Applicants also must have never
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remain members with a “Singles No More” membership. CONTINUED ON 314
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BELOW: Door prizes were awarded to members of the club who attended the meeting and social. LEFT: Members enjoyed a pizza lunch buffet at Mama Cimino’s in Dixon. Alex T. Paschal/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag
4CONTINUED FROM 31 “It replaces the bar scene,” Berwanger said. Barbara Stofflet, 69, from Wisconsin, was introduced to SIA in the 1990s. “It was through a friend who had lost her husband, and I had lost my husband. I could make new friends and have new adventures,” Stofflet said. Stofflet did meet her second husband through SIA. He died in 2016, and she remains active in the group. “We go to dinner theater. I’ve visited Nebraska, the grasslands of Oklahoma,
and the Ozarks,” Stofflet said. Lorraine Armstrong of Rock Falls is the national treasurer, and said the state meetings showcase what’s big in each town. “I’ve gotten to go to places not on regular tours, for example, the salt mines in Utah,” Armstrong said. Karen McNeil, 66, who lives near Decorah, Iowa, said she saw information about SIA in a Farm Bureau magazine. “I’ve been to Oklahoma, and toured the Cowboy Hall of Fame. I’ve been to Memphis, Tennessee, and visited a lot of places in western Iowa,” McNeil said.
Hayrack rides, hot air balloon flights, winery visits, and many other activities are on SIA’s schedule through next summer. Times have changed at SIA, however. Berwanger said numbers are dwindling due to age and illness, and younger people are more interested in meeting others through more technological means. Still, Singles in Agriculture members are no strangers to the Internet. Go to singlesinagriculture.org or search for Singles in Agriculture on Facebook, email singlesinaginc@gmail.com or call 815-947-3559 for membership and other information.
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