BAM-11-14-2013

AG Mag Good as Gold

NorthCentral Illinois

As commodity prices continue to rise, so, too, does the value of farmland in NorthCentral Illinois

Got cash? It’s been another good harvest and crop prices continue to be high. What does that mean for you?

Your outlook: Local farmers look at the 2013 harvest and beyond.

‘Blend Wall’: Ethanol production in the U.S. has leveled off, and no growth is expected.

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012013-00484AC AG Mag

3

AG Mag

NorthCentral Illinois

Publisher Sam Fisher Advertising Sales Development Director Pam Pratt

10

Editor Terri Simon Magazine Editors Larry Lough, Jeff Rogers Reporters & Photographers Derek Barichello, Donna Barker, Sarah Brown, Kath Clark, Goldie Currie, Lyle Ganther, David Giuliani, Barb Kromphardt, Philip Marruffo, Matt Mencarini, Alex T. Paschal, Dixie Schroeder, and Terri Simon.

Published by Sauk Valley Media 3200 E. Lincolnway Sterling, IL 61081 815-875-4461 Articles and advertisements are the property of Sauk Valley Media. 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 Sauk Valley Media. The information in this magazine is believed to be accurate; however, Sauk Valley Media cannot and does not guarantee its accuracy. Sauk Valley Media 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.

COVER STORY

Land values rising Between 2006 and 2013, Illinois farmland more than doubled in price.

In the majority The percentage of cash-rented ground in Northern Illinois is slightly higher than the norm, a local agribusiness banker says.

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AG Mag

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Index 16

Changes in the industry

Hitting a ‘blend wall’?

Like most cattle producers, Jeff Wisnefski of Stark County has had to adjust to changing times.

Production of ethanol in the U.S. has leveled off in recent years and actually dropped in 2012.

26

100 years in the business

Fueling the local economy

McNabb Grain Co. has been growing, and serving its community, since March 22, 1913.

The Patriot Renewable Fuels ethanol plant has had a regional economic impact of $1.1 billion in its five years.

22

18 Learning life lessons in FFA Midland High School senior Anna Nofsinger has never lived on a farm, but now knows a lot about agriculture.

6 Fall 2013

32

29 Get locked in, experts say With a big harvest underway, prices on corn and soybeans are expected to drop.

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Index 34

Farmers share their outlooks

Where the buffalo roam

NorthCentral Illinois farmers share their expectations for the 2013 harvest and for the year ahead.

Gale and Sandra Casteel of rural Cambridge have about 25 buffalo on their property as a “hobby.”

42

Extension still ‘thinks anew’

Illinois flavor for CropLife

Jill Guynn, county director for the University of Illinois Extension, writes about the 100-year-old organization.

The panel at the organization’s annual meeting this year featured two prominent Illinoisans.

41

39 An unwelcome guest arrives The emerald ash borer has been found in much of Northern Illinois, leading to the quarantine of several counties.

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47 Focusing on safety OSHA and a grainhandling group are working to promote bin safety.

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NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag file photo by Phillip Marruffo

STILL A GOOD INVESTMENT

Land values now closely tied to commodity prices

BY MATT MENCARINI For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

M

ark Fassler and his brother Tim were finishing up their soybean harvest in early October. The brothers, who took over farming for their father, work 4,100 acres of soybeans and commercial corn between Sterling and Dixon.

This year, the Fasslers had a little more land to farm.

In December, they bought 145 acres of farmland “right next” 10 Fall 2013

to the land they already worked, a third of which belongs to the brothers, Fassler said. They rent the rest.

“We’re farmers, and that’s what we’re in the business of doing,” he said. “We’ve had a few good years growing corn and beans, and we’re lucky enough to have enough equity to purchase some land.”

In August, they bought 117 more acres, also near their current land.

“I wish we would’ve bought these up 10 years ago,” Fassler said. “But [we] didn’t have the equity needed.”

Between 2006 and 2013, Illinois farmland more than doubled in price, from an average price of $3,640 an acre to an average of $7,900, according to Reuters, which cited the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Moving into this year, land values in western Illinois and eastern Iowa increased by double digits again, but did so at a slightly lesser amount than in previous years, signaling a tapering off.

In Iowa, the gap between high-quality land and medium- and low-quality land is growing, said Kyle Hansen, a real estate agent and auctioneer working out of the Nevada, Iowa, office of Hertz Real Estate Services.

CONTINUED ON 11

Alex T. Paschal/For North Central Illinois Ag Mag

Tim Fassler inspects and greases a combine as he prepares to harvest corn on the farm he and his brother Mark own in northwestern Illinois. The Fasslers have added to their 4,100-acre farm between Sterling and Dixon by buying 145 acres of farmland in December and an additional 117 acres in August. “I wish we would’ve bought these up 10 years ago,” Mark Fassler said.

“But [we] didn’t have the equity needed.”

CONTINUED FROM 10

Hansen also is the chairman of the Iowa Realtors Land Institute. In its October farmland values survey, it indicated that high-quality land increased this year to $11,661 an acre, up $224 from 6 months earlier. During the same 6 months, medium-quality land increased by $86, to $8,780, and lowquality land increased by $2 an acre, to $5,808.

In its 2013 Illinois Land Values and Lease Trends survey, the Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers found that while supply is down from a year ago, value is “up modestly.”

In Illinois, excellent-quality farmland averaged $13,200 on July 1, up 3 percent, Dale Aupperle, of Heartland Ag Group and the ISPFMRA chairman, reported in a summary of the survey.

Additionally, good-quality farmland increased by 2.5 percent to an average of $11,200, and fair-quality land increased by 1.9 percent, up to $9,000.

“It’s just like the other stocks,” Han-

sen said. “It’s a cycle. It will go up and come down based on the commodity prices and other factors [like world demand for fuel and food]. ... But it still continues to be a cycle. It will come up and go down. Now it’s leveling off and taking a breath to see where we’re going from here.”

Hansen said land values in Iowa are now more connected to commodity prices than they have been in the past.

Mike Morris is the chief appraiser with 1st Farm Credit and has been based in the Bloomington-Normal office since 2007. He has been appraising since 1999, he said, and handles appraisals in northern Illinois.

“I think if we don’t see much change in crop prices, I would call it a stable to slightly softer market,” he said. “If we see some real increase or decrease, that could affect the market. Right now, no one is really anticipating that.

“My gut tells me that we’ll still see some strong sales, but we’re not going to see anything that’s higher than [land value] in December, unless we see significant increases in commodity prices.”

On Oct. 11, December corn was $4.3325 a bushel, down 5 cents from the day before, and November soybeans were $12.6675 a bushel, which was 21.25 cents lower than the market’s Oct. 10 close.

Despite the falling commodity prices, in a market that’s been described by some experts as volatile, land values have been increasing by double digits for several consecutive years.

Bruce Sherrick, an agriculture professor at the University of Illinois, said that rise follows good recent incomes for farmers and continued use of corn for, among other things, renewable energy that keeps demand for land high, but supply low.

“Because so little farmland turns over, it’s really, really hard to get a clear picture of what’s going on,” Sherrick said. “Income in northern Illinois is higher than southern Illinois because you grow more. Because of the slow turnover, it’s hard to get a clear picture.”

CONTINUED ON 15 AG Mag

11

Terri Simon/For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Derek Fetzer, vice president of agribusiness banking for Heartland Bank and Trust Co. with branches in Bureau, LaSalle and Marshall counties, believes about 10 percent more land is leased in Northern Illinois than in the rest of the state.

RENTERS IN THE MAJORITY Fetzer: Many landowners never grew up on a farm 12 Fall 2013

BY TERRI SIMON For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Derek Fetzer, vice president of Agribusiness Banking at Heartland Bank and Trust Co., believes the amount of cash-rented ground in Northern Illinois is slightly higher than the norm.

“In 2012, according to FBFM [Farm Bureau Farm Management] data, in

the state of Illinois, 58 percent of farms were cash rented; 23 percent were share rented; and 19 percent were owned,” Fetzer said. “I would say in Northern Illinois, cash-rented ground is 5 percent to 10 percent higher than the state average.”

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In regard to Bureau, LaSalle, Putnam, Henry, Marshall, Stark and Rock Island counties, Fetzer doesn’t see a big difference in the going rate for cash rent. He said cash rent in this part of the state typically goes for around $250 an acre; any variables would be dependent on soil quality.

Fetzer said he’s seen variable cash-rent lease agreements increase throughout the past few years.

“With commodity prices also increasing during this same time, inputs followed along. Included in this was cash rents,” Fetzer said.

“The VCRL [variable cash rent lease] allows the farmer to have a level of protection if yields or prices decreased for that growing year. If it was a good year, landowners would get a share of the above-normal returns.”

With that in mind, Fetzer said it’s important for landowners and tenants to keep an open line of communication, adding that both parties “need to be on the same page and know what the break-even costs are,” which will ultimately determine returns for the landowner and the tenant.

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Fetzer said landowners are becoming further removed from the farm, adding it’s not uncommon for the landowner to live out of state. It’s also becoming

more probable the landowners never grew up on a farm or in a rural setting.

“These people Derek Fetzer don’t want Says the hassle landowners are in dealing becoming with share further removed leases,” from the farm Fetzer said.

“The challenge for the tenants in this situation is keeping a good line of communication with the landowner and updating them on current trends. Another reason a landowner would prefer cash rent is the guaranteed income every year.”

While there are several types of cash rent leases, each with its own options, Fetzer said landowners should “find a product in which they feel comfortable, as well as one that protects their tenant, keeping them motivated to not cut corners and farm the land as if they owned it.”

A recent University of Illinois survey found 2014 cash-rent rates are likely to be lower than they were in 2013, and Fetzer agrees. He said the cause would be falling grain prices.

“It will correlate with commodity prices,” he said.

“If corn futures stay at current levels or continue to decrease, cash rents have to come down.”

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Mark Fassler of Sterling works on preparing his combine for the harvest season. Mark said he and his brother, Tim, decided to buy more farmland in the past year because “we’ve had a few good years growing corn and beans, and we’re lucky enough to have enough equity to purchase some land.”

CONTINUED FROM 11

Todd Slock works for 1st Farm Credit as a real estate appraiser out of the Rock Falls office. He’s been an appraiser for 6 years, and previously spent time working near Ottawa, in LaSalle County.

Land sales usually pick up after harvest, when farmers have a better idea of how much they made on the year’s crops, Slock said. By early October, there hadn’t been many listings, which could be the result of commodity prices falling and interest rates “being up slightly.”

Hansen said that until the middle of September, the amount of availbale farm land in Iowa was bellow the average, but because of a softening market, landowners are seeing reason to sell now rather than later, especially with medium- and low-quality land.

For the most part, high quality land is being held because it has shown greater appreciation, he said.

Both pieces of land the Fassler brothers bought were from heirs who don’t plan to farm and don’t want to manage the land. For them, like the pension funds or investment groups, the land is a financial investment and not a farming asset.

“People look at what their alternative is,” Morris said.

“And they look at a stock market that’s been volatile and CDs that aren’t going to pay as well. ... I think in a lot of cases, people think they can make something off the land, so they hold on to it.”

In Iowa, which has buying rules different from Illinois that make it more likely that farmers will buy land, some investment groups still are purchasing land, but more is going to farmers.

“It just shows that people are interested in it,” Hansen said.

“Even without a background in farming, they still see long-term income opportunities there. But again, they’re competing with farmers, and farmers are winning.”

Between 75 and 80 percent of land purchased in Iowa recently was done so by a farmer within 10 miles, he said.

According to the ISPFMRA survey, the “vast majority” of farms in northwest Illinois were purchased by local farmers, and several counties saw sales of more than $12,000 an acre for excellent productivity tracts, and three counties had sales match or exceed $14,000 an acre.

“I don’t think there’s a big surprising story in any of this,” Sherrick said from his office at the University of Illinois. “It’s kind of the new normal – higher priced input and higher priced output. ... It adds to the amount of capital [needed] to get into the industry.”

AG Mag

15

Tough times, changing times Stark County farmer adjusts with the changes

BY GOLDIE CURRIE For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Cattle producers have come face-to-face with tough times in past years. Farmers have dealt with factors such as higher commodity prices, weather extremes, and increasing input costs.

For cattle producers like Jeff Wisnefski of Stark County, an ongoing challenge is figuring out the cheapest ways to keep cattle fed.

CONTINUED ON 17

In the photo

Goldie Currie/For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

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Stark County cattle producer Jeff Wisnefski manages Cardinal Cattle Co. and specializes in Angus beef. He’s found a way to cut expenses by switching to products like corn gluten and feeding more processed hay, as opposed to the highpriced corn and oats.

CONTINUED FROM 16

“Part of that comes with starting with a really good product, as far as on the cow end,” he said. “Some cattle need a lot of feed, and some don’t need as much.”

Wisnefski, who manages Cardinal Cattle Co. and specializes in Angus beef, has found a way to cut expenses by switching to products like corn gluten and feeding more processed hay, as opposed to the high-priced corn and oats.

“Now that you have access to corn gluten, you can feed solids with some gluten with maybe some haylage or processed hay, which makes it a cheaper ration, especially at the price of corn now,” he said.

Recent drought also has taken a huge toll on the cattle market by creating large sell-offs for some producers.

“Drought conditions always affect everybody,” Wisnefski said. “Some a little less, some a little more.”

Wisnefski explained he is fortunate with his extra acreage, where he’s been known to move cattle when times get scarce.

While 2012 was a tough drought year for the area, Wisnefski described this year’s weather conditions as “wet, wet, wet and then dry, dry, dry.”

The wet season was a struggle in Stark County as producers were forced to keep up with cattle health issues. At Wisnefski’s farm, they kept a close eye

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Randy Faber raises cattle and corn on his farm in Sublette, in Lee County. Changing weather can be a challenge for cattle farmers, Faber said. March calving season, for example, “was a real challenge this year,” he said, “because we had a cold, wet spring.” on rotting hoofs and pinkeye conditions with the large number of flies.

Issues seemed to calm down once summer came and air moisture dried up.

Looking ahead into next year, Wisnefski said he’s optimistic. Lower corn prices will keep the cattle market strong, he said.

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Wisnefski hopes for steady rain conditions in the next year and anticipates the market will have a high demand for bred heifers, and keep a steady demand for bulls.

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TAKING CARE OF AGRI-BUSINESS McNabb Grain has served its community for 100 years

BY DIXIE SCHROEDER AND BARB KROMPHARDT For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

M

ore than 100 years ago, specifically March 22, 1913, McNabb Grain Co. was started, and nine local men were elected to serve as the first board of directors of the company.

Those local men all were farmers who knew the benefit of having a local grain elevator that would not only store their products, but also be available so they could borrow money against those products to support their other farming expenses.

Dixie Schroeder/For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

The newest addition to McNabb Grain Co. is being built. Future expansion plans include another leg, another pit, and another holding facility, board member Gregg Carr said.

18 Fall 2013

In the beginning, McNabb Grain Co. moved 273,000 bushels of grain. In 2012, the company moved 4.7 million bushels of grain and also gave patronage back to the customers of more than half a million dollars, according to board member Gregg Carr.

McNabb Grain Co. has grown throughout the years to meet customers’ wants and needs.

CONTINUED ON 19

CONTINUED FROM 18

The increasing corn yields have demanded this evolution with more acres planted than ever before. Carr said good management of the elevator has been critical.

Bart Ericson, current manager of the elevator, said the elevator’s staff has learned many efficiencies throughout the years. When the company began, farmers waited sometimes close to a day to bring in their harvested grain and leave it with the elevator. As farmers have become efficient and faster at what they do, the elevator has changed to meet the challenge of keeping up with them. For example, farmers used to come to the elevator with about 200 bushels of corn in a wagon; nowadays they bring in 950 bushels or more in a semi.

Time is important to a farmer, so McNabb Grain always wants to work at its peak efficiency. To a farmer, time is money, and loyalties can be tested if a grain company takes too long to “take care of business.” Carr said a farmer doesn’t want to see a line, which translates to waiting and could ultimately cause that farmer to go to another elevator.

In the past 100 years, the elevator has changed in many ways. It used to handle coal, lumber, feed and other items.

But today McNabb Grain is strictly a

Dixie Schroeder/For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

McNabb Grain Co. staff Virginia Terando (left) and Bart Ericson review grain prices at the facility in McNabb. The company, now 100 years old, moved 4.7 million bushels of grain in 2012. grain elevator. Those decisions haven’t been made lightly. Board President Ben Day said that in the early 1970s, some decisions were pretty unpopular, like closing the company’s feed mill.

Another change the elevator has dealt

with is high commodity prices, which causes everyone’s financial needs to increase, along with the company’s needs as well.

CONTINUED ON 20

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Ericson said while prices have gone up, so have inputs, cash rents and equipment, creating a need for a strong working capital and balance sheet for the company.

When Day joined the board, he said, the company would talk and work in

terms of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Today, they talk about millions.

McNabb Grain Co. is looking to expand. Carr said goals for the future include another leg, another pit, and another holding facility, so more farmers can be accommodated at one time.

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What the McNabb Grain Co. complex looks like today (left), and the original elevator (above).

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Midland High FFA president has new appreciation for agriculture

BY DONNA BARKER For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Anna Nofsinger of Lacon represents the changing face of the National FFA Organization.

Formerly known as the Future Farmers of America, the farm-education program for high-schoolers received a name change in 1988, to the National FFA Organization, to more fully represent its widening scope â&#x20AC;&#x201C; reaching into the lives of non-farm kids as well as farm kids.

Nofsinger, a senior at Midland High School in rural Varna, has never lived on a farm. Her parents didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t grow up on a farm. Before joining FFA, she hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t thought a lot about agriculture and admittedly didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know a lot about it. But FFA has changed all that and more for her, Nofsinger said.

Nofsinger said she joined FFA as a freshman because her best friend was joining and because the FFA members had done such a great job in presenting

In the photo Midland High School senior Anna Nofsinger said her favorite part of agriculture studies has been lessons on horticulture. She has taken what sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s learned in the classroom into her own home and yard. She now grows tomatoes, broccoli, onions and peppers in her own vegetable garden. She plants flowers and even has a â&#x20AC;&#x153;mug garden,â&#x20AC;? where she raises herbs in a collection of coffee mugs in her bedroom. the organization in a positive and fun way.

Four years later, with the past two years as chapter president, Nofsinger said FFA has opened her world to all kinds of new things, including the multi-facets of agriculture. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everyone needs a working knowledge of agriculture and needs to appreci-

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Nofsinger said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Without agriculture, people wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have their food to eat or clothes to wear. Agriculture is what keeps the country going economically.â&#x20AC;?

Nofsingerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite part of ag studies has been lessons on horticulture. Botany, she explained, is more the study of plants, but horticulture is learning how to propagate and care for those plants. Midland High has its own greenhouse where students raise vegetables and flowers to sell them to the public each year, not only as a learning experience but also as a fundraiser for the FFA program.

Nofsinger said she has taken what sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s learned in the classroom into her own home and yard. She now grows tomatoes, broccoli, onions and peppers in her own vegetable garden. She plants flowers and even has a â&#x20AC;&#x153;mug garden,â&#x20AC;? where she raises herbs in a collection of coffee mugs in her bedroom.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have done any of that before I learned about horticulture,â&#x20AC;?

Nofsinger said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d always admired other peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plants, but I was pretty confident I would kill everything if I tried it myself. But now, I love growing things. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been really neat.â&#x20AC;?

In time, Nofsinger would even like to open her own floral shop, thanks again to what she has learned through her Midland ag classes and FFA. Nofsinger said an important part of FFA has been Career Development Events (CDE), which are contests and presentations centered on agriculturerelated fields, such as livestock and grain farming, veterinary science, agrelated business, communications, education, and, of course, horticulture.

Regional-winning CDE teams make their presentations at state and even national competitions and conventions.

In addition to acquiring a knowledge and understanding of ag-related topics and fields, Nofsinger said she has learned other things through FFA that she will take with her when she leaves high school and enters her next stage of life, even if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not an ag-related career.

For example, through FFA she has conquered her fear of public speaking.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;

I think there are a lot of people who tend to follow the natural leaders and fail to realize their own potential. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learned to lead, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve also learned to encourage others to lead as well.

Anna Nofsinger, Midland High School senior

When she was a freshman, she would have been afraid to give a speech in front of her class, but now, through being on a CDE Ag Communications team, she has became more comfortable and confident with public speaking. Little by little, practice by practice, speech by speech, she is no longer afraid when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to speak before others, she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This has been one of the biggest things for me about being in FFA,â&#x20AC;?

Nofsinger said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I really enjoy having that skill of public speaking. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a skill I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think I would have developed without FFA.â&#x20AC;?

The Midland senior said sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also had the opportunity to learn and develop leadership through FFA, especially during her two years as chapter president.

Under the guidance of FFA sponsor and teacher Darin Blunier, the students take charge of FFA, including its monthly meetings and its events and programs, Nofsinger said.

As president, she has learned that a

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good leader must have an eye open for everyone, not just her personal friends.

She also has learned the importance of delegating responsibilities and has realized that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s OK for other people to do things a bit differently than she would. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s learned that a good leader is someone who helps others develop their own leadership skills. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think there are a lot of people who tend to follow the natural leaders and fail to realize their own potential,â&#x20AC;?

Nofsinger said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learned to lead, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve also learned to encourage others to lead as well.â&#x20AC;?

Nofsinger said she will take a lot with her from her FFA days, regardless of what career path she follows. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learned a lot about agriculture through FFA and how we all depend upon agriculture in ways we may not always realize, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve also learned a lot about myself,â&#x20AC;? Nofsinger said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As one who comes from a non-agriculture background, I can say first-hand FFA is a great program for everyone.â&#x20AC;?

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Meet Anna Nofsinger

Donna Barker/For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

When Anna Nofsinger of Lacon joined FFA as a freshman at Midland High School in rural Varna, she hadn’t thought about agriculture and didn’t know a lot about it. Now, as a senior and having spent the past two years as the group’s president, Nofsinger said FFA has opened her world to all kinds of new things.

Age: 17 Hometown: Lacon Family: Tom and Amy Nofsinger, parents; Katie, sister Pet: Hallie, yellow lab mix School: Midland High School in Marshall County Ag/FFA teacher: Darren Blunier Ag classes taken at school: Intro to Ag, Intro to Horticulture, Advanced Horticulture, Ag Business Management, Ag Independent Study FFA activities: Soils Judging, Horse Judging, Ag Issues, Ag Communications, Horticulture CDE (Career Development Event), Ag Sales, FFA Chapter Reporter 2011, FFA Chapter President 2012 and 2013, National Ag Committee 2011, National Ag Issues 2013 Other school activities: National Honor Society, band, chorus, Science Club Hobbies: Looking at stars, hiking, swimming, camping, singing, taking pictures Favorite style of music: Folk, alternative Favorite television shows: “Psych,” “Parks and Recreation,” “Monk,” “Sherlock,” “Downton Abbey.”

If you were stranded on a deserted island and could have just one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be: Tomato soup and grilled cheese!

If you were stranded on a deserted island and could take just one thing with you, what would it be: A houseboat with a refrigerator of never-ending food You had a million dollars, how would you spend it? I would travel the world and support the International Justice Mission to help get people out of human trafficking and pay for college and buy a motorcycle and then travel the world again.

People would be surprised to know that you: I was born in Wisconsin, lived seven years in Kentucky, and then moved to Illinois.

What are your plans after high school: I plan to attend the Word of Life Bible Institute in Argentina to study Spanish, and then further my education, but I’m not sure how. I am interested in photography or EMT classes and would also like to one day own my own flower shop. I have many interests, but I will first make sure that I am fluent in Spanish, so that I can take that and what I’ve learned in FFA in whatever job I have!

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AG Mag

25

BY DAVID GIULIANI For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

W

hen it comes to ethanol mandates, an Iowa professor says, there are winners and losers.

Corn farmers in Iowa and Illinois are the big winners. So is the environment. But livestock producers, who have to pay more for feed because of higher demand for corn – not so much.

“Any state that exports corn is going to benefit from an increase in demand for the product,” said Dermot Hayes, an agribusiness professor at Iowa State University.”

If we didn’t have a mandate, the price for a bushDermot Hayes el of corn would Agribusiness professor at Iowa be a dollar lower.

State University Demand for corn would be less.”

In early October, the price of a bushel of corn was $4.43.

The United States is the world’s top ethanol producer, with Brazil coming in second. Since 1980, U.S. ethanol production has skyrocketed, increasing from 175 million gallons a year to 13.3 billion gallons – a 76-fold jump.

The number of U.S. ethanol plants has grown from 50 in 1999 in 211 this year, with more than 40 in Iowa, which produces more ethanol than any other state.

Production of ethanol has leveled off in recent years after seeing huge spikes from 2005 to 2009. It fell slightly in 2012.

In August, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed the lowering of its ethanol fuel mandate for 2014 because the demand for gasoline is lower than expected.

The decision comes as proposals in Congress are circulating to change the mandate, which was first set in 2007.

“There is absolutely no growth expected for the ethanol industry,” said Rich Nelson, a chief strategist with Allendale.

“We are hitting the blend wall.”

26 Fall 2013

TOPPING OFF ETHANOL?

Industry might be hitting a ‘blend wall’

Phillip Marruffo/For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Don Temple empties the corn from his combine into a chaser bin on his land in western Whiteside County. For the past 2 years, Temple’s corn crop has gone to an ADM ethanol plant in Clinton, Iowa. He farms about 500 acres of corn and 150 acres of soybeans. “Before, we had surplus corn. When you have more corn than what is being used, you don’t get paid really well. The ethanol market has been a very good thing for corn growers.”

Anti-ethanol groups say that ethanol consumes about 40 percent of the nation’s crop, but ethanol supporters counter that it’s nearer 28 percent.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rich Nelson uses the 40 percent Chief strategist number, noting that with Allendale Inc. about that much corn ends up at ethanol plants. But a third of the corn at the plants ends up as byproduct, which is used as feed for livestock, supporters say.

Allendale Inc., a McHenry-based research company and broker, surveys corn farmers monthly about their expectations.

Last year, U.S. corn farmers produced 10.8 billion bushels, a number that is expected to rise to 13.6 billion bushels – a 25 percent increase, according to Allendale’s September numbers.

A total of 97.4 million acres are devoted to corn this year – the highest number since 1936, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports.

The increase in demand for ethanol has led to the rising number of acres under corn production, supporters say.

Monte Shaw “We grow a lot more Executive corn in the world director of the today than we used Iowa Renewable to because of the Fuels Association demand for renewable energy,” said Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association.

“Ethanol is cheaper, ethanol is cleaner, and it’s high-octane,” he said. “The majority of Iowa corn gets processed by ethanol plants. A third of all of that goes back to feed markets in the form of distillers grains.”

As for 2014, he said: “I’m optimistic about next year. The economics will drive 2014, but it depends on what the White House and EPA will do.”

To meet the federal renewable fuel standard, gasoline companies have blended ethanol into gasoline at 10 percent, known as E10. The ethanol industry wants greater availability of E15 and E85.

E85, which requires 85 percent ethanol, can be used in “flexible fuel” cars, while E15 is for cars built in 2001 or later.

CONTINUED ON 28 AG Mag

27

CONTINUED FROM 27

In Creston, Iowa, the Farmers Cooperative Co. service station started selling E85 ethanol in August â&#x20AC;&#x201C; among more than 2,000 across the country that do.

On an early October day, regular unleaded (E10) gasoline sold for $3.29.

E15 went for $3.24, E30 for $3.06, and E85 for $2.59.

The E85 has been good for business, with the Creston station seeing more customers, said Darin Schlapia, Creston branch manager for the Farmers Cooperative.

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a story heard from many stations that are selling E85, Shaw said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The consumers are picking a good chunk of higher ethanol blends,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is a very important fight, giving consumers choice at the pump.â&#x20AC;?

Hayes, the agribusiness professor, said that while the prices are cheaper for higher ethanol blends, they are not as efficient. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 75 percent as good,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The $2.59 [price of E85 at the Creston station] would amount to $3.45. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The density of the energy in E85 is less,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re miles per gallon are less.â&#x20AC;?

U.S. ethanol production

Number of U.S. ethanol plants

Production Year (in millions of gallons) 2000 ........................................ 1,622 2001 ........................................ 1,765 2002 ........................................ 2,140 2003 ........................................ 2,810 2004 ........................................ 3,404 2005 ........................................ 3,904 2006 ........................................ 4,884 2007 ........................................ 6,521 2008 ........................................ 9,309 2009 ......................................10,938 2010 ......................................13,298 2011 ...................................... 13,948 2012 ......................................13,300

Year ........................................ Plants 2000 .............................................. 54 2001 ............................................. 56 2002 ............................................. 61 2003 ............................................. 68 2004 ............................................. 72 2005 ............................................. 81 2006 ............................................. 95 2007 ........................................... 110 2008 ........................................... 139 2009 ........................................... 170 2010 ........................................... 189 2011 ........................................... 204 2012 ........................................... 209 2013 ........................................... 211

Source: Renewable Fuels Association

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration

Sarah Brown/For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

The Farmers Cooperative Co. service station in Creston, Iowa, began selling E85 ethanol in August. Here, cars line up for a special sale of the E85 for 85 cents per gallon at the station. On an early October day, E85 was selling for $2.59 a gallon, compared to $3.29 for regular unleaded (E10) gasoline.

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PATRIOT GAINS Submitted photo

Corn is dumped at the Patriot Renewable Fuels ethanol plant near Annawan. Since the plant was built in 2008, more than $1.1 billion of grain has been bought from farmers and county elevators.

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A $175 million initial investment in the Patriot Renewable Fuels ethanol plant near Annawan in 2008 has blossomed into a regional economic impact of $1.1 billion some five years later. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are owned by 200 local investors,â&#x20AC;? said Judd Hulting, commodities manager at Patriot Renewable Fuels LLC. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our goal is to return a benefit to those stakeholders in Bureau and Henry counties.â&#x20AC;?

The plant, alongside Interstate 80 in Henry County, each year processes millions of bushels of corn from 220,000 truckloads. From that grain, the plant has produced 120 million gallons of ethanol each year; 550 million gallons have been shipped in 18,000 railcar loads in the past five years.

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Patriot also produces 320,000 tons each year of dried distillers grain (DDGS), which is exported for poultry and livestock feed, contributing to a $300 million reduction to the U.S. trade deficit. One year’s worth of DDGS production helps feed five million pigs in Asian countries.

“This is a multimilliondollar export to a growing population overseas that we didn’t know about five years ago,” Hulting added.

More than $1.1 billion of grain has been bought from farmers and county elevators since 2008, and the plant’s 50-plus employees’ compensation and benefits have exceeded $18 million since 2008.

“We are also another outlet for corn in the area,” he said.

“We are a new market for corn and renewable fuel in this area.”

Huling said the majority of the corn used at the Patriot Renewable Fuels LLC ethanol plant, as well as the employees, come from a geographic area from Princeton to Geneseo and from Kewanee to Prophetstown.

“We [use] a semitruck load of grain each 10 minutes, 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he said.

In 2010, Patriot was the first ethanol producer to implement a Zero Liquid Discharge program, meaning the company uses less water per gallon of ethanol produced than most other plants. All water is recycled,

Lyle Ganther/For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Patriot lab employee Shannon Overton displays bags of DDGS, dried distillers grain, which is exported for poultry and livestock feed and ultimately contributed to a $300 million reduction to the U.S. trade deficit, industry officials say. and no water or other waste products are discharged into streams or groundwater.

Gene Griffith of Geneseo and Jeff VandeVoorde of Annawan were the cofounders of the ethanol plant.

Griffith, the president of Patriot Renewable Fuels LLC, worked for John Deere Construction Equipment Co. from 1967 to 2005, retiring in February 2005.

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SET YOUR PRICE NOW

Big harvest should bring prices down

BY DEREK BARICHELLO For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

The harvest of 2013 has been full of surprises.

Farmers planted late because of a wet spring and suffered through a flash drought in July and August, yet many yields are high – so high, in fact, this harvest might rank as one of the top three yields per acre.

Corn farmers are seeing monitors on their combines hitting 200 bushels regularly.

“They’re pretty proud of their numbers,” said Tim Wells, an agricultural lender at

32 Fall 2013

First Midwest Bank in Moline. “I had a farmer send me a text of a picture of a monitor at 300, so there’s quite a bit of volume out there coming in. I haven’t talked to a farmer yet who isn’t pleased.”

What does that mean for a Midwestern farmer sitting with a good yield?

A large amount of corn acreage was planted this season, setting up for a glut of corn on the market, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

CONTINUED ON 33

CONTINUED FROM 32

Many soybean harvests also turned in a better-thanexpected yields.

Unfortunately, harvest totals were being reported late because of the government shutdown.

As happens with big yields, prices have dropped since reaching a high of $8.49 a bushel last summer and sat at $4.37 as of mid-October â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a new low for the year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Prices may not be where farmers want them to be, but there is a saying in farming, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Give me the bushels and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be fine,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? said Ryan Walsh, a commodities broker for AgPerspective in Dixon.

With 200 bushels of corn, and $4 prices, the farmer generally is making money.

Be a seller on the futures market, lock the price in (as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expected to continue to slide), and be a storer, Walsh says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sell corn for delivery next July, store until then, and truck it in,â&#x20AC;? Walsh said.

Because of the October harvest, corn has been late getting to the eleva-

Philip Marruffo/For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

A combine works a corn field off Crosby Road outside Morrison. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s harvest might rank as one of the top three yields per acre. In the Midwest, a large amount of corn acreage was planted this season, setting up for a glut of corn on the market, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. tors, keeping the basis level strong, encouraging storage.

Farmers who are putting it in their bins and not selling it face a market risk if they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t lock it in. Also, once crop insurance floors are set, which are expected to drop off, the farmer wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have that safety net, either.

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The big forward sellers, who set their prices back in December, are cashing in nicely. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They are really happy right now,â&#x20AC;? Walsh said.

Select farmers didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sell their 2011 crops, because they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want the income and didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to pay taxes on it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Take the income; pay the

taxes,â&#x20AC;? Wells said.

While thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something to putting corn in the bin, farmers need to take care of their liabilities. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sell enough grain to make sure obligations are taken care of, then from there the market is the market, and you take whatever risks come with that,â&#x20AC;? Wells said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s up to each individual farm to make their call. Just make sure the bank is taken care of.â&#x20AC;?

For farmers banking cash, now is a good time to leverage investments and plan for the future. That could mean setting up a retirement plan or acquiring land or equipment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So long as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s done with a plan,â&#x20AC;? Wells advised. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Every farm should have a 5- or 10-year plan, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll say that if they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a plan, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re risking way too much.â&#x20AC;?

With that said, higher yields donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always translate to higher profits. Prices are expected to decline as the supply grows. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t anticipate an increase in farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; incomes,â&#x20AC;? said Kurt Downs, an agricultural lender for Sauk Valley Bank.

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WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S YOUR A Q&A with local farmers

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Keith and Barb Bolin Town/county where you farm: Rural Manlius, Bureau County What are your harvest expectations this fall: When we plant in the spring, we are always optimistic for a good year for our farm and family.

How do those expectations compare to the norm: There will be good fields and some not-so-good fields; that is farming.

Were there any surprises or anything different about the 2013 growing season: Every year has challenges. That is what makes life interesting. We also had a new granddaughter this year.

That meant the 2013 year is very special for our family.

CONTINUED ON 36

Keith and Barb Bolin and family.

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Revenue Protection Beyond Crop Insurance With harvest well underway throughout the country many producers are asking the question, “Should I sell my grain now or store it?”

At the time of this writing, December corn futures are trading roughly $2 per bushel lower than during the same period last year, and November soybean futures are about 50 cents lower. Nobody likes to sell grain in a falling market and this couldn’t be more evident than in 2013. Farmers have reportedly sold a record-low amount of grain ahead of harvest. Following several years of record land and grain prices, huge crop insurance guarantees, and low interest rates the best grain marketing strategy has been to wait and sell at harvest. That strategy hasn’t worked this year… so now what?

Crop insurance has become the most widely used (and misused) risk management tool by farmers. The most common policy is the Revenue Protection (RP) plan, which allows a grower to buy “guaranteed revenue” based on their average production and the higher of spring or harvest price.* The grower receives an indemnity payment if actual revenue falls below the guarantee level. If used correctly, this type of policy can help growers take advantage of higher prices before knowing their actual production and can prevent growers from having to sell grain durincentivizes farmers to hold off on sales until the policy expires.

Currently, crop insurance policies have expired. A common mistake when policies expire is to store grain and wait for higher prices. One must realize that after policy expiration there is no more “guarantee”. If you decide to store grain and wait for higher prices, you are speculating.

Instead, consider putting a price protection package together that will reestablish guaranteed revenue for your crop. There are several ways of accomplishing this, but the following examples demonstrate two concepts that every producer storing grain should understand: 1. If the market is paying a premium at harvest (prices are higher than in deferred months), NEVER store your grain. Storing grain in this environment means you are willing to pay the market to store your own grain! If you believe prices will increase, look to re-own with futures or buy a call in the deferred months with the extra money you will make from selling grain now (cheaper than nearby prices and gives you a lot of time).

2. When deferred prices are higher than current prices it means the market is paying you to store grain. In order to properly capitalize on this you should forward contract the grain when you decide to store in order to lock in those higher prices. If you believe current prices are “too low”, use some of the extra money made by storing the crop to buy a call option.

Generally speaking, crop insurance is the most powerful and effective risk management tool on the market. However, utilizing a few additional tools alongside your insurance policy will enable you to realize its full potential. * Unless the grower elects for a harvest price exclusion policy (RP-HPE).

AG Mag

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Rob Sharkey CONTINUED FROM 34

Rob Sharkey Town and county where you farm: Bradford, Stark and Bureau counties What are your harvest expectations this fall: Hoping for a strong corn yield.

Expecting below average soybean yields.

How do those expectations compare to the norm: Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disappointing to see the beans fall apart. They were a struggle to get planted.

Were there any surprises or anything different about the 2013 growing season?

The heavy rains this spring were a big challenge. It required a lot of extra dirt work repairing the washouts.

Do you have any plans for land or equipment purchases or other investments this fall: Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m hoping to update my spring tillage equipment.

How do you expect things will be different for you in 2014: The plan is to apply my nitrogen in multiple stages next year. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll see if the weather corporates with those plans.

Robert Fecht Town and county where you farm: Toluca, Marshall County.

What are your harvest expectations this fall? I think we will have aboveaverage corn yields and average soybean yields.

How do those expectations compare to the norm?

Ken Schroeder/For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Robert Fecht

I did not expect to have yields at these levels, due to spring flooding with cool temps, later than normal planting, and dry conditions July through September. The weather has not been in the normal range all year.

Were there any surprises or anything different about the 2013 growing season?

In April we had flooding and cooler-than-normal temps.

Therefore we did not plant corn until May 13. We started to plant beans on May 24 and had flooding for the next week along with cooler than normal temps. We resumed planting on June 8. What surprised me was the small amount of replanting. I only had four acres of corn to replant and one acre of soybeans.

CONTINUED ON 37

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Do you have any plans for land or equipment purchases or other investments this fall? I have ordered a new sprayer for next year.

How do you expect things will be different for you in 2014? Crop rotation will be the same. Operational changes are yet to be determined.

My son will graduate from Iowa State University in May. I am looking forward to him coming home to farm, but he may want to have an off-farm job before starting to farm.

Kim Alleman Town and county where you farm: Magnolia/Granville, Putnam County.

What are your harvest expectations this fall? I think we are going to have a mixed bag of yields because of the moisture. The fields are not going to be uniform. But I expect overall they will be good, and that we will have a good year.

How do those expectations compare to the norm?

There’s always problems along the way, but all in all, it was a pretty good year. We got planted late. But we had good weather and it caught up. I think it’s going to be a near normal year.

Do you have any plans or land or equipment purchases or other investments this fall? No I don’t. Naturally, I would like to pick up a little more land. I don’t want to be a big farmer at this stage of my life. But I would like to pick up a few more acres to make it a little more viable.

How do you expect things will be different for you in 2014? Well, I think the biggest thing is going to be the price. We have had good prices for the last three to four years. Even in this year, the insurance price guaranteed prices. I expect prices to be much lower next year, so that will be something we have to work on.

CONTINUED ON 38

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William Gray Town and county where you farm: Tonica, LaSalle County.

What are your harvest expectations this fall? After doing a lot of crop scouting this year, I expect above-average yields, although harvest is a little later than usual.

Were there any surprises or anything different about the 2013 growing season?

My 2013 crops were planted a little later than usual with the cold wet spring we had.

When it finally did get fit, we put in several long days to get the work done.

Do you have any plans for land or equipment purchases or other investments this fall? My 2013 purchases have been made, and at this time, nothing else will be purchased until 2014.

How do you expect things will be different for you in 2014? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m planning on doing the same crops and rotations for 2014. About 60 percent will be corn.

Dixie Schroeder/For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

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Jill Guynn is county director for the University of Illinois Extension, Bureau, LaSalle, Marshall and Putnam counties.

Extending knowledge and changing lives

BY JILL GUYNN For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

J

oin us in celebrating 100 years of Extension services! â&#x20AC;&#x153;Think anew ... act anew,â&#x20AC;?

President Abraham Lincoln said as he signed legislation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Morrill Act of 1862 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which created the Land Grant University System. The system was designed to make the benefits of education available to all people, not just those with

money and time to spare.

Later, in 1914, the SmithLever Act codified into federal law, and provided funding for, outreach endeavors at the land-grant universities founded by the Morrill Act. That appropriation for Cooperative Extension was unique in that it set up a shared partnership among the federal, state and county levels of government.

CONTINUED ON 40

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CONTINUED FROM 39

I am confident that Abe would be pleased and proud to see how his efforts have evolved to ensure that all people have access to the services and education of the research base of the university system.

Extension is for everyone and delivers programs in your communities through agriculture and natural resources training and workshops, community and economic development seminars, 4-H youth development programs, parenting, consumer sciences, and nutrition education programs. It also provides online services and unbiased information to help make important decisions.

Extension is here for you â&#x20AC;&#x201C; offering a wealth of resources. Please take a few minutes to become familiar with what you can benefit from as you need information or special programs to meet emerging needs for your family, school, community, business or farm operation.

Here is a snapshot of a just a few of the vast amount of resources available to you when you need it: s #OMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE s !G BLOGS WITH CURRENT CROP INFORMAtion updates and research highlights. s 4HE FARMDOC WEBSITE (ARNESSING

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;

Extension is for everyone and delivers programs in your communities through agriculture and natural resources training and workshops, community and economic development seminars, 4-H youth development programs, parenting, consumer sciences, and nutrition education services. It also provides online services and unbiased information to help make important decisions.

the power of the Internet for todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s farm business. s 0LANT #LINIC /UR SERVICES INCLUDE plant and insect identification, diagnosis of plant disease, insect, weed and chemical injury (chemical injury on field crops only), nematode assays, and help with nutrient related problems, as well as recommendations involving these diagnoses. s 0RIVATE 0ESTICIDE 3AFETY %DUCATION Program - online class s ,OCAL &OOD 3YSTEMS AND 3MALL &ARMS team website s &ORESTRY WEBSITE s 4HE )LLINOIS 7ATER 2ESOURCES #ENter s (EALTHY )NDOOR !IR WEBSITE 7HILE commonly called â&#x20AC;&#x153;septic systems,â&#x20AC;? todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s systems range from a standard tank and drain field to more complex systems that involve pumps, air compressors, and other types of

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Visit our state website at http:// web.extension.illinois.edu/state/ index.html and your local Extension WEBSITES SEE THE h&IND AN /FFICEv TAB on the state website) to meet staff and volunteers ready to assist with your needs for information, services and lifelong learning programs for special situations and stages of your life.

Jill Guynn is the county director for the University of Illinois Extension, Bureau, LaSalle, Marshall and Putnam counties.

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Beetles invasion spreading For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Jo Daviess is the latest county to fall victim to the emerald ash borer, a destructive pest responsible for killing millions of ash trees in North America.

As it is the northwestern-most county in the state, EAB officially has spanned across the northern third of Illinois.

EAB also was recently found in Whiteside County and confirmed this July.

The emerald ash borer is a small, metallic-green beetle native to Asia. Its larvae burrow into the bark of ash trees, causing the trees to starve and eventually die. Since the first detection of the pest near Detroit, Mich., in 2002, it has killed more than 25 million ash trees.

The beetle often is difficult to detect, especially in newly-infested trees. Signs of infestation include thinning and yellowing leaves, D-shaped holes in the bark of the trunk or branches and basal shoots. Anyone who suspects an ash tree has been infested should contact their county Extension office, their village forester or the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

Forty-one Illinois counties currently are under quarantine to prevent the

The presence of emerald ash borers has led to the quarantine of many Illinois counties, including Bureau and Henry. artificial or â&#x20AC;&#x153;human-assistedâ&#x20AC;? spread of the beetle through the movement of infested wood and nursery stock. A new, amended quarantine that includes Jo Daviess County soon will soon be put in place, but not until after IDOA has finished inspecting monitoring traps that were placed in the state this year to track the beetle. The quarantine prohibits the removal of the following items: s 4HE EMERALD ASH BORER IN ANY LIVING stage of development.

s !SH TREES OF ANY SIZE s !SH LIMBS AND BRANCHES s !NY CUT NON CONIFEROUS FIREWOOD s "ARK FROM ASH TREES AND WOOD CHIPS larger than 1 inch from ash trees. s !SH LOGS AND LUMBER WITH EITHER THE bark or the outer 1-inch of sapwood, or both, attached. s !NY ITEM MADE FROM OR CONTAINING the wood of the ash tree that is capable of spreading the emerald ash borer. s !NY OTHER ARTICLE PRODUCT OR MEANS OF conveyance determined by the Illinois Department of Agriculture to present a risk of spreading the beetle infestation.

The counties under quarantine are Boone, Bureau, Champaign, Clark, Coles, Cook, Cumberland, DeKalb, DeWitt, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Grundy, Henry, Iroquois, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, Lake, LaSalle, Lee, Livingston, Macon, Marion, Marshall, McHenry, McLean, Moultrie, Ogle, Piatt, Putnam, Shelby, Stark, Vermilion, Will, Winnebago and Woodford.

For further information about the beetle, visit http://www.illinoiseab. com/.

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Casteels love watching their buffalo roam

BY TERRI SIMON For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Gale and Sandra Casteel of Cambridge are busy folks. Between their Cambridge-based business â&#x20AC;&#x201C; CSI Homes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; family commitments and grandchildren, the couple have plenty of irons in the fire. But when life gets a bit overwhelming, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to know where you can find Gale and Sandra.

Situated in rural Cambridge, the Casteelsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cabin and adjoining 100 acres is a paradise not just for the Casteels, but for anyone who visits. Rolling hills, a plethora of trees, timber and ponds, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also home to the coupleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s herd of buffalo, which roam on 20 acres.

More than 40 buffalo once roamed the serene and peaceful setting at the Casteelsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cabin, however, the herd has been trimmed to about 25 animals. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get them to make any money,â&#x20AC;? Gale said as he walked toward the electric fence that con-

In the photo Gale Casteel watches as some of the buffalo he and his wife, Sandra, have on their farm in rural Cambridge walk toward the electric fence that contains the large animals. Gale said that if the buffalo wanted to challenge the fence, they clearly could, but they have no reason to do so. tains the large animals. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We do it as a hobby. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Come here, Walt,â&#x20AC;? Gale said as he extended his hand toward the huge breeding bull the Casteels have had for years. The animal responds with a grunt and walks toward the fence, careful to avoid the electric wire. Gale said that if the behemoth animals wanted to challenge the fence, they clearly could, but they have no reason to do so.

CONTINUED ON 44

Photos by Kath Clark/For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Gale and Sandra Casteel enjoy their cabin and adjoining 100 acres of rolling hills, trees and ponds in rural Cambridge. About 25 buffalo roam 20 acres of their property. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get them to make any money,â&#x20AC;? Gale said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We do it as a hobby.â&#x20AC;?

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“You gotta keep them happy,” he said. “They’re just like any other animal.

You gotta keep ’em fed.”

That feed consists of allowing the buffalo to graze, which he supplements with corn and hay.

Gale continues to talk to Walt, like the old friend he is, as other buffalo make their way toward the fence line.

“He’s really a beautiful animal,” he said, nodding toward Walt, who is estimated to tip the scales at 2,500 pounds. “They’re really no problem. They’re just fun to watch. ... But you can’t trust them. You just got to be careful. They’re very agile, and they’re very fast.”

Gale takes a ride to the other side of the pasture, and the buffalo take off on a run to follow, hoping some corn will be involved. While the brief stampede of 25 buffalo doesn’t sound like thunder or shake the ground, Gale

Kath Clark/For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Walt, one of the Casteels’ largest bisons, roams the grounds.

Walt has been a breeding bull for the Casteels for years. said one can just imagine how it was on the frontier many years ago, when a herd of thousands of buffalo the size of Walt would stampede. One can quickly understand the power behind these magnificent animals.

But besides the aesthetic

beauty of the buffalo, the Casteels find the animals on their dinner table more times than not. They slaughter six to eight animals a year, keeping plenty for themselves and their family and selling the rest to regular customers. A 1,000pound buffalo will dress

out with 550-600 pounds of meat.

Sandra said the meat has considerably less fat than beef.

“You can adapt any recipe using beef to a buffalo recipe,” Sandra said. “Just remember buffalo doesn’t have as much fat, so you do not overcook buffalo. Just cook it low and slow, adding liquid or a little bit of olive oil. “ The Casteels enjoy all the cuts from the buffalo, but they particularly like the roasts, which they prepare in a slow cooker.

“I normally use a fourquart Calphalon pan to do most of my cooking.

I love this pan!” Sandra said. “With this pan and my electric burner, I get results similar to a crock pot.”

So at the end of a long work week, it’s no secret where you’ll find Gale and Sandra Casteel – at home where the buffalo roam, and with a full belly of buffalo meat.

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Italian Meatballs 2 pounds ground buffalo 1 cup bread crumbs 1 package dried onion soup mix 3 eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning 1 jar spaghetti sauce 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese Preheat oven to 350°. Mix ground buffalo, bread crumbs, onion soup mix, eggs, garlic salt and Italian seasoning. Form into balls, place on cookie sheet. Brown in oven until meatballs are light brown in color. Remove from oven and place meatballs in a casserole dish. Cover meatballs with jar of spaghetti sauce. Bake an additional 20 minutes. Remove dish from oven, cover meatballs with shredded mozzarella cheese, return to oven until cheese is melted and golden in color.

This recipe can be used as a main dish or as an appetizer.

Burger Soup 1 pound ground buffalo burger 1 small onion, chopped 1 can tomato juice 3 packets of sugar substitute

4 carrots, chopped into small chunks 5 potatoes, chopped into small chunks Brown the onion and burger in a small amount of oil. Add to this the can of tomato juice, sugar substitute, carrots and potatoes. Simmer on low, the longer it simmers, the better it tastes! I like to add a can of Northern beans just prior to serving, simmer long enough for the beans to heat through.

Pot Roast 1 buffalo roast (any cut) Potatoes, chunked Carrots, chunked Cabbage, cut into wedges Onions, cut into quarters Brown the roast in a small amount of oil, season roast to taste. Turn burner to low and cook for 2-3 hours. Add the vegetables, move roast to top of vegetables, let simmer until vegetables are tender.

Tenderized Steak 1 package of tenderized buffalo steak 1 small onion, cut into chunks Salt and pepper to taste Flour 1 can of mushrooms 1 can of cream of mushroom soup Brown onion chunks in small amount of oil add salt and pepper to taste, remove from pan. Dredge tenderized buffalo steak, cut into individual-sized servings, in flour seasoned to your taste. Add oil to pan, brown tenderized steak pieces until all of steak is browned. Return steak pieces to a deep pan, pour cooked onions over steak pieces, add sliced mushrooms and cover with cream of mushroom soup.

Cook on low and let simmer until meat is tender.

Taco Dip 1 pound ground buffalo burger 1 medium onion 1 green pepper 8 ounces tomato sauce 1 package taco seasoning mix 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 package shredded Mexican style cheese Brown burger, onion and green pepper in a small amount of oil. Add tomato sauce, taco seasoning, dry mustard and lemon juice. Let simmer. Before serving add cheese and let melt. Serve with warm Tostitos chips.

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Agriculture royalty convene Illinois well represented at CropLife America’s annual meeting For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Submitted photo

At CropLife America’s annual meeting, CLA President and CEO Jay Vroom moderated a session with former U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture John Block, Mike Espy, John Knebel and Ed Schafer.

CropLife America (CLA) celebrated its 80th anniversary in September as the national association representing the crop protection industry during its annual meeting at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.V. The first general session featured a panel discussion with former U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture John Block, Michael Espy, John Knebel and Ed Schafer. During the panel discussion, the former secretaries shared memories from their respective terms in office and reflected on U.S. farm policy. CLA’s President/CEO Jay Vroom served as moderator.

Both Secretary Block and Vroom are natives of Illinois and have maintained their home state roots in farming, while also pursuing active agricultural industry careers in Washington and around the United States.

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Helping to eliminate hunger For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the Fiscal Year 2013 Food for Progress and McGovernDole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition allocations will benefit more than 10.5 million people worldwide. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The United States is committed to achieving global food security and supporting sustainable agricultural production,â&#x20AC;? said Tom Vilsack, secretary of Agriculture. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In addition to providing muchneeded nutritious food, USDAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s food assistance programs also foster economic growth in the recipient countries.â&#x20AC;?

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Food for Progress recipients in developing countries and emerging democracies sell the commodities and use CONTINUED FROM 47

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Block was born in Gilson, and before serving as the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s secretary of agriculture from 1977 to 1981, he expanded his familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 300-acre and 200-hog farm into a 3,000-acre and 6,000 hog agribusiness. He was appointed U.S. secretary of agriculture by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, a position he held until 1986. He continues to deliver regular podcasts on current agricultural issues, and recently delivered a podcast on his panel discussion at the CLA meeting.

Vroom has served as CropLife Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s president and CEO for 25 years and has been a leader in U.S. agribusiness trade associations for his entire career.

In addition to his leadership role at CLA, he is chairman of the CropLife Foundation,

the funds to introduce and expand free enterprise in the agricultural sector.

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The McGovern-Dole Program focuses on lowincome, food-deficit countries that are committed to universal education. Participants either use or sell the donated U.S. commodities to support education, child development and food security. For example, in Kenya, more than 650,000 children in approximately 2,000 schools have been fed with help from the program. a senior member of CropLife Internationalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Crop Protection Strategy Council, and serves on the board of directors for The Friends of the National Arboretum. A native of Princeton, he was raised on grain and livestock farms in Bureau County and still owns the farm today. He graduated with honors from the University of Illinois College of Agriculture.

Established in 1933, CLA represents the developers, manufacturers, formulators and distributors of plant science solutions for agriculture and pest management in the United States.

CropLife Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s member companies produce, sell and distribute virtually all the crop protection and biotechnology products used

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Poll: Support for availability of E15 For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Fuels America, of which the National Corn Growers Association is a founding member, released a new poll highlighting that a strong majority of Americans support E15 availability at the gas station. Additionally, it showed that nearly four in five Americans believe the oil industry’s ongoing efforts to block the availability of E15 is bad for consumers.

Fuels America conducted the poll of more than 1,200 U.S. adults to gauge consumer opinions of E15 — fuel made of 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline. This information comes on the heels of E15’s reentrance into the American fuel market recently. Forty stations in nine states now offer the fuel, approximately 14 months after it was approved by EPA for commercial sale. E15 currently sells for between 10 and 20 cents less per gallon than regular gasoline.

The results also revealed that: s PERCENT OF !MERICANS support E15 availability at their local gas stations. s PERCENT OF !MERICANS want access to even higher ethanol fuel blends, such as E20 or E30. s PERCENT OF !MERICANS believe the oil industry’s efforts to block the availability of E15 are bad for consumers.

“The National Corn Growers Association stands behind American drivers’ right to have choices at the pump,” said NCGA President Pam Johnson. “This poll clearly shows that Americans agree. Ethanol provides a renewable, domestically produced fuel choice that saves the environment and consumer dollars. Efforts to block E15 availability deprive our nation of that choice.”

The data was released during a teleconference that

also debunked a number of myths that oil and gas industry lobbyists continue to perpetuate about E15.

Renewable Fuels Association spokesperson Robert White discussed a recent Petroleum Equipment Institute report on the low cost of retrofitting a gas station to sell E15. The American Petroleum Institute is currently running a campaign against the fuel in order to protect its monopoly and profits and has told the public that it would be too cost prohibitive to retrofit gas stations for E15, NCGA says. This is not the case, according to a recent report coming from the nonpartisan PEI. The report notes it would cost slightly less than $0.01 per gallon of gasoline sold for the average retail gas station.

Additionally, an E15 retailer who owns several transportation energy retail locations shared his experiences talking to customers he hears from customers. Auto-mechanic and radio personality Bobby Likis, also addressed the safety of E15 for engines.

“E15 is the most tested fuel in history and is absolutely safe for every car model year 2001 or after,” said Likis. “The campaign the oil industry is running to make consumers think otherwise has no scientific foundation. In fact, E15 is cleaner burning than traditional gasoline which can improve performance – one of the many reasons NASCAR uses it exclusively.”

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SUBMITTED BY RHONDA BURKE Deputy Director of Public Affairs U.S. Department of Labor

CHICAGO â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Five seconds.

That is how quickly a worker can become engulfed in flowing grain and be unable to get out.

Sixty seconds. That is how quickly a worker can be completely submerged in flowing grain. More than half of all grain engulfments result in death by suffocation.

In 2010, at least 57 U.S. workers were trapped and 26 killed in grain engulfments, the highest number on record. Among the deaths were two Illinois teens in Mount Carroll and a 49-year-old worker who had entered a grain bin â&#x20AC;&#x153;a million times.â&#x20AC;?

In the past 50 years, more than 900 cases of grain engulfment have been reported with a fatality rate of 62 percent, according to researchers at Purdue Uni-

versity in Indiana.

Suffocation can occur when a worker becomes buried by grain as he walks on moving grain or attempts to clear grain built up on the inside of a bin. Moving grain acts like quicksand and can bury a worker in seconds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bridgedâ&#x20AC;? grain and vertical piles of stored grain also can collapse unexpectedly if a worker stands on or near it.

Record death and injuries in 2010 led the U.S. Department of Laborâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Occupational Safety and Health Administration to reach out to the agricultural and grain-handling industries to find ways to prevent deaths and injuries.

Now OSHA and the Grain and Feed Association of Illinois have formed an alliance to get the word out on prevention to farmers in Illinois, Iowa and a host of other Midwestern states.

CONTINUED ON 51

CONTINUED FROM 50

They have developed a grain bin entry permit, which is a checklist to help those working in and around grain bins to identify and control potential hazards.

They also are distributing red, stop-sign-shaped decals that can be adhered to grain bin doors with reminders to those entering to lockout potentially hazardous equipment, stay clear of waist high grain, cover floor holes and to follow other safety practices.

Individuals or companies can email the Grain and Feed Association of Illinois at info@gfai.org to request the decal. Up to three decals will be sent to one location free of charge; after that, they are $5.40 each, which covers the cost of printing. The decals are 10 inches square and printed on a heavy vinyl to withstand outdoor exposure.

OSHA also has published information related to common grain industry hazards and abatement methods, proper bin entry techniques, sweep auger use, and many other grain related topics.

Go to www.osha.gov/SLTC/ grainhandling/index.html to learn more.

In addition, the University of Illinois was awarded a U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration Susan Harwood Training Grant Program and has partnered with the Grain Handling Safety Coalition for the development of training materials and outreach to educate workers and employers on how to recognize, avoid and prevent safety and health hazards in grain bins.

The coalition can provide all the necessary training materials to train farmers, commercial grain handling employees, youth, rescue workers and more for free or at a very reduced rate.

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Here’s a look at the inside of an empty 100,000-bushel grain bin on the Koster farm on Science Ridge Road in rural Sterling. safety topics available including an overview of grain handling and storage safety, grain bin entry as well as entanglement, fall and confined space hazards. GHSC also offers “Train the Trainer” courses for companies and communities to have a local resource for training. Go to www.grainsafety.org to learn more.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees.

OSHA’s role is to ensure these conditions exist for America’s work force by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance.

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA’s toll-free hotline, 800-321-6742; go to www. osha.gov for more information.

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Industrial Supply, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Ag View FS, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 AgYield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 AgriEnergy Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Beck Hybrids. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Birkey’s Farm Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Bradford Victor Adams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 BOS Farm Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Browning Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Brummel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Central Bank Illinois . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Cornerstone Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Country Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Country Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Countryside Marketing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 CSI Homes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Custom Wash One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Diller-Rod, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Dimond Brothers Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Ed Hartwig Trucking & Excavating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Elmore Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 First Farm Credit Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Frank J. Mautino, State Rep. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Gold Star FS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Grasser’s Plumbing & Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Heartland Bank And Trust Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Henry State Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Hotsy Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Illini State Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Johnson Agency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Johnson Precision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Karl A. Schultz Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Kasbeer Farmer’s Elevator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Lee’s Water Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Leffelman & Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Leone Supply, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Manlius Oil Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Maze Lumber. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 McNabb Motorsports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Michlig Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Michlig Grain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Midwest Bio-Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Miracle Ear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 MJ Seeds, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Moore Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Morton Fertilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 North Central Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Northern Partners Coop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Nutra-Flo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Olds Insurance Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Peoples National Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Poignant Farm Drainage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Princeton Insurance Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Ray Farm Management Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Rediger Auction Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Rollo Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Schoff Farm Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Seatonville Elevator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 S.I. Distributing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Spring Valley Ford, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Steve Hamm Morton Buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Sublette Mechanical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Sullivan Auctioneers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Sun Ag, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 The Seed House LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Timpte, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 V & C Construction Co., Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Vande Voorde Sales, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 W.G. Leffelman & Sons/Drago. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 W.G. Leffelman & Sons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 White Oak Ag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 WZOE/Z-98/WRVY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 AG Mag

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For Details, contact your local Morton Office today.

Steve Hamm !TKINSON ), s steve.hamm@mortonbuildings.com

Š2013