BAM-2-21-2014

AG Mag

NorthCentral Illinois

Technology brings new buyers to NorthCentral Illinois auctions, but traditional customers remain a top priority

Wait and see: A drop in corn prices and a proposed change to the RFS has local growers concerned.

Finally, a bill: It took Congress 5 years to come up with a new Farm Bill. Was it worth the wait?

Spring 2014

A Publication of Shaw Media

Farmers Forum: Future farmers from Stark County High see some challenges ahead for agriculture.

AG Mag

1

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AG Mag

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Index

AG Mag

NorthCentral Illinois

Publisher Sam Fisher Advertising Sales Development Director Pam Pratt Editor Terri Simon Magazine Editors Larry Lough, Jeff Rogers

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Page Design Jeff Rogers

COVER STORY

Reporters & Photographers Kath Clark, Goldie Currie, Pam Eggemeier, Becky Kramer, Philip Marruffo, Matt Mencarini, Alex T. Paschal, Dixie Schroeder, Ken Schroeder, and Terri Simon.

Published by Bureau County Republican 800 Ace Road Princeton, IL 61356 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.

Virtual reality Despite online options, local cattle buyers and sellers still value the face-to-face deal.

A look to the sky El Nino or La Nina? The answer might tell the weather story of 2014, a local meteorologist says.

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AG Mag

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Index

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Great food, hospitality At Cindy’s on 34 in Mendota, the home cooking won’t disappoint. Neither will the conversation.

Forum with future farmers

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24

Five local students share what they think is the biggest challenge facing agriculture today.

28

CENTERPIECE STORY

A long time in the making There’s been a flurry of activity in Washington on the first new farm bill since 2008. Is that a good thing for Illinois farmers?

Corn concerns The dropping price of corn and proposed reductions of ethanol requirements worry farmers.

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February 3 - April 4 In honor of our 60th anniversary, we’ve pledged to raise $100,000 for local food banks.

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When the calender flips to June, you’ll see this classic tractor belonging to Gerald and Joyce Linker of Malden.

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YOUTH SPOTLIGHT

At Blackhawk College East Campus, Dan Hoge is a legend in the school’s animal science program.

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AG Mag

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Going once,

going twice, Kath Clark/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Jake Fidler auctions off a calf at the Fairview Sale Barn. Jake is the sale barn manager and auctioneer. His father, Bob, owns the sale barn with his sister, Bev Morrell. The Fairview Sale Barn now has an online component to its auction house where potential buyers can watch the sales.

... sold!

By Terri Simon and Matt Mencarini For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

D

espite the inclement weather outside, there is a warm and welcoming feeling when you walk inside the Fairview Sale Barn. An aroma of something cooking in the kitchen wafts through the building, and already, farmers are making their way toward the sale ring.

10 Spring 2014

Fairview Sale Barn values its repeat buyers, sellers

In the background, you can hear the cattle grunting and bawling, and the rustle of farmers’ conversations grow louder as the auctioneer’s starting gavel draws near. Fairview Sale Barn owners, brother and sister team Bob Fidler and Bev Morrell, along with Bob’s son, sale barn manager/auctioneer Jake Fidler, call the farmers by name as they

chat casually before the first animals are ushered into the ring. nnn

Bob Fidler said he doesn’t see sale barns going by the wayside anytime soon. He has owned the Fairview Sale Barn along with his sister since the early ’90s, but the business has been in the family for years; his father owned the well-known Fulton County sale barn. continued on 114

4Continued from 10 “A live auction at a sale barn is where you might get too much for your cattle,” Fidler said. “I base that on a seller’s reputation over the years. Sellers build up a reputation, and people come back because of the seller, no matter what.”

Fidler said that reputation is built on a variety of items, but the healthy state of the animals is one of the most important aspects. He said buyers remember those reputable sellers and often seek out other livestock being sold by that same person.

Still, as in other areas of life and farming, technology is giving cattlemen newer tools to raise, track, market and sell their animals. From climate-controlled hog buildings to computerized sale barns to online auctions, cattlemen have new ways to do old things that have been done for generations.

The growing popularity of online auctions, for example, means that livestock can be bought and sold nearly every day, from anywhere, said Marshall Ruble, who specializes in livestock as an agriculture research station manager at Iowa State University.

Online auctions, including online

exclusive auctions or bidding in a live auction on the Internet, has led to a more competitive market and put more eyes on cattle, he said.

“Even 5 years ago, I go out and look at a lot of cattle, you could find a diamond in the rough,” Ruble said. “But they’re not hidden anymore. They’re all out there.”

Even sale barns can take advantage of an online auction, Ruble said, when inclement weather may keep buyers away. If they can access an auction 5, 20 or even 100 miles away, there are more eyes and bids possible.

Bob Fidler does have an online component to his auction house where potential buyers can watch the sales at LMA Auctions (www.lmaauctions.com).

But he said he and his sister have customers who have come to the Fairview Sale Barn for 20 to 30 years, and those repeat buyers and sellers – many with sizable herds – are valuable.

“Everybody means the same to me, whether they have one head or 1,000,” he said.

Fidler said one of the special services Fairview Sale Barn offers is a personal relationship with its sellers across the state, and the company also prides

itself in keeping in close contact with its longtime buyers, friends and customers – a service one might not receive from online marketing or an online auction.

“From a selling perspective, we keep in contact with potential buyers with mail, phone and Internet,” Fidler said, adding he has many customers from North Central Illinois, including Bureau, Henry, Putnam, Marshall, LaSalle and Stark counties.

Meanwhile the doors to the ring open and slam closed as the sale continues.

Steam rises from the snorting noses of the cattle in the ring. Bidders remain inconspicuous – tapping their hats, nodding quickly, raising one finger to signify their bid to the auctioneer.

Except for the auctioneer’s eyes darting back and forth – from one farmer to the other – you wouldn’t even realize anyone was bidding.

Fidler said his Fairview Sale Barn is one of the two largest sale barns in Illinois, and while he’s seen his industry change to fewer farmers with bigger operations, that doesn’t mean he still doesn’t appreciate the smaller farmer. continued on 124

Kath Clark/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Cattle wait in pens behind the show ring for their turn to be sold at the Fairview Sale Barn in Fulton County.

AG Mag

11

4Continued from 11 “[Online marketing] has taken some of the big guys, but it will never take the little guys,” he said. “... We dearly cherish the smaller operations” One of the regulars at the Fairview Sale Barn is Bureau County farmer Larry Magnuson, who has a cow/calf operation south of Tiskilwa.

Magnuson, who said he’s been going to the Fairview Sale Barn since the mid’80s, has never bought livestock online, and he doesn’t plan to anytime soon.

“I’m way too old to start doing that,” he said with a chuckle.

Magnuson goes to the Fairview Sale Barn a couple of times a year, or he sends his son to the auction. He said there are a variety of reasons that he prefers to see the animals firsthand.

“You get a closer view of them. You can inspect them a little better, and you can walk around among them,” Magnuson said. “Sometimes, you see one that doesn’t actually fit, so when they come in the ring, you can say you want one of [the animals] out.

“I’ve always gone in person, and I don’t see that changing,” he said.

Magnuson agrees with Fidler’s comments on the reputation of the seller.

He also said he thinks buying the livestock at the sale barn is easier on the animal.

“[If you’re buying online], you might be buying from several states away, and you’re hoping they are reputable people. You are hoping the [seller] gave them their shots or their implants. ...

“But if you go to the sale barn, you can send them right to the vet pen. You’ve talked to the vet to tell them what you want them to have, so the vet knows exactly what kind of shots to give them.

By doing that, it takes a little stress off of them, so you don’t have to put them through the chute again. It’s just a lot easier on the animal.”

Dan Shike, an associate professor of animal science at the University of Illinois, said numerous developments have taken livestock sales from private sales to live auctions to online auctions. At each step, he said, the market opened wider to where it is now.

“You basically have a national market rather than a local market,” Shike said.

That’s great for sellers, and that’s great for buyers, too.”

Scott Cuvelier, 58, who runs live barn sales in Walnut and in Cascade, Iowa, has been hesitant to fully embrace online auctions. Like most things on the Internet, there are positives and negatives to online auctions, he said, adding that those auctions are another tool, “a two-edged sword, so to speak.”

Continued on 134

Terri Simon/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Larry Magnuson owns a cow/calf operation south of Tiskilwa in Bureau County. Magnuson said he buys his cattle at the sale barn so that he gets a better look at animals he might buy.

Plus, he said, the sale barn is a lot easier on the animals.

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CONTINUED FROM 12 But Cuvelier isn’t opposed to using technology in his business.

“As far as sale barns go, we’re one of the more technologically advanced – fully computerized from the auction block to the office,” he said.

The Walnut sale barn went computerized in 1991, Cuvelier said, streamlining the process, eliminating some errors, and speeding up the time it takes to print checks.

He now has newer computers that can do more, he said, but they have a tendency to crash or require a reboot more often.

Not every advancement is perfect. But the benefits of technology seem to outweigh the occasional risks, he said, emphasizing that the mishaps were only occasional.

Cuvelier bought the Cascade sale barn about 5 years ago, he said, when it had a few computers in the office and a sign that said, “Please wait 20 minutes for your check,” A week later, the sale barn was fully computerized without missing an auction, he said. Now, most checks are printed and ready to be picked up by the time a cattleman walks from the stands to the office window.

Both Walnut and Cascade allow bids to be placed by phone, but not online.

“I can hear the people’s voice on the phone, and I know who they are,”

Kath Clark/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Fairview Sale Barn owners – sister and brother team Bev Morrell (left) and Bob Fidler (center) – and sale barn manager Jake Fidler pose for a photo prior to one of their weekday auctions.

The Fairview Sale Barn has been in the Fidler familly for several years.

Cuvelier said.

Technology hasn’t affected just the way livestock is marketed or sold. The ability to track and analyze information to put more precise economic values on livestock has also developed, U of I’s Shike said.

“Now, if you were to go to a pure feed

stock sale, there would be so much information that you would be given, besides just looking at the bull,” he said. “How the bull looks will make an impact, but there are tremendous amounts of info now available.”

What started with tracking weights at different ages and comparing to the rest of the herd, Shike said, has now evolved to looking back at an animal’s ancestors to get a sense of how the animal should produce.

“It’s pretty amazing how technology [is playing a role],” Shike said. “And certainly, we’re in a time period of rapid increase in that area. And I think there will be time when we will be able to take a blood sample of an animal and really be able to understand the genetic potential of that animal.”

Those technological advancements are becoming more essential in the livestock business, Shike said.

“The only way we’ll be able to increase our food production to keep up with demand is technology,” he said.

Even for researchers and early-adopting cattlemen, predicting where technology in the industry is heading can be difficult, Ruble said from his office at Iowa State.

But knowing the direction it’s going can put a farmer “in the driver’s seat.”

“I know where the hockey puck is at this exact second,” he said. “But I’d like to know where it’s going to be in 5 minutes.”

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AG Mag

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Snowfall amounts could help; weather cycle could hurt

By Terri Simon For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

WQAD News 8 Chief Meteorologist James Zahara isn’t pulling any punches about the winter of 2013-14.

“What an interesting winter it has been so far,” Zahara said from his weather room in Moline. “Numerous rounds of decent snowfall combined with a couple of polar outbreaks this winter, resulted in some of the coldest air in years.”

While Zahara predicted a couple of more polar outbreaks this winter – though not as brutal as the one that hit the Midwest early in January – he does believe the winter of 2013-14 will be a bit longer than normal.

“Fortunately, snowfall amounts this winter have been leaning about or just above normal,” Zahara said. “If we keep this rate going through the rest of the winter season, then we could easily reach over 40 inches, which would be well above the norm of 36 inches.”

No farmer in the area will be disappointed with the precipitation, Zahara predicts, especially since the discussion throughout the agricultural world last summer was all about the widespread drought that covered not only most of the state but much of the Plains and the Midwest.

“By the summer of 2013, it was more dryness that challenged the farmers in the fields than any drought,” Zahara said. “The key to a good planting season this year will be the amount of the subsoil moisture. I would say about all of our counties are showing subsoil moisture reserves are nearly up to normal. The exception could be around west central Illinois, where reserves are a bit lower due to the limited rainfall in 2013.”

While predicting the weather this far ahead of the plant-

ing season is difficult, Zahara relies on past indicators that have been historically analyzed, like El Nino James Zahara and La Nina Meteorologist weather for WQAD News cycles, which 8 said this very are tracked well could be another of the by scientists La Nina years, during any which “usually given year. El Nino is when produce problems for surface water temperatures farmers” are warmer than normal along the equator in the Pacific Ocean. In La Nina years, the water temperatures are cooler, and the weather becomes a bit drier.

“El Nino years produce better growing season weather for Illinois as well as most of the Midwest,” Zahara said. “La Nina years usually produce problems for farmers. We had six years in a row dominated by an El Nino weather pattern and very good corn yields.

Recently, we had three years of La Nina, and we continue to lean toward that even today.”

Zahara said climatologists use a Southern Oscillation Index and indicator for upcoming weather clues.

“The SOI is still hanging toward the La Nina side of neutral now and acting like it wants to remain so for the next couple of months,” Zahara said.

“There may be an El Nino event during the growing season, but we could return quickly to a La Nina trend for weather patterns the rest of the year.”

So what will 2014 really hold for the world of Midwest agriculture?

“Obviously, it’s hard to say, unless you like to rely on your trusted Farmer’s Almanac,” he said.

AG Mag

15

YOU WON’T GO AWAY HUNGRY Serving up a heaping helping of hospitality at Cindy’s on 34

BY TERRI SIMON For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Terri Simon/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Cindy’s on 34 co-owners Florin Ahmedoski (left) and Cindy Jenkins are kept busy in their Mendota restaurant by the farmers, non-farmers, children and travelers who gather for the food, conversation and camaraderie. The restaurant is at U.S. Route 34 and Interstate 39.

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The restaurant’s namesake, Cindy Jenkins, and her fiancé, Florin Ahmedoski, opened Cindy’s on 34 in June 2011. Jenkins had only a few years of experience, and Ahmedoski had about 16 years of experience under his belt.

CONTINUED ON 17

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There’s something for everyone on the menu at Cindy’s on 34, including Mickey Mouse pancakes, a favorite for 4-year-old Gage Brabby (center) of Mendota. The salad bar (right) is a favorite at Cindy’s on 34. It is filled with many homemade favorites like spaghetti salad and potato salad.

4Continued from 16 The two have created a place where farmers, non-farmers, children and travelers gather for good food, conversation and camaraderie.

Cindy’s on 34 is on Route 34 where it intersects with Interstate 39 in LaSalle

County, outside of Mendota.

Jenkins said she operates her family restaurant in a manner that puts customers first, regardless of whether they drive a truck or a combine, or whether they work in an office or factory.

“I don’t believe that operating a restaurant in the farming/agricultural area

or in an urban area is any different,” Jenkins said. “I believe it’s all about the atmosphere and friendly service. Sure, we serve quality food and large portions for a good price, but without a friendly smile, it doesn’t mean much.” continued on 184

AG Mag

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Cindy Jenkins, co-owner of Cindy’s on 34, said her favorite part of owning the popular Mendota restaurant is chatting with customers. CONTINUED FROM 17 And friendly is at the top of the menu at Cindy’s on 34.

Jenkins said she pays special attention to staff members’ personalities before she hires them.

“I don’t believe [making customers feel welcome] is something that is trained. I believe it is in their personality traits, ...” she said. “The staff has to care about the wants and needs of the customers.”

Likewise, Jenkins does her best to make her customers feel welcome while helping them to enjoy their experience at the restaurant. It’s just part of a typical day for Jenkins to call many customers by their first names and to greet customers as they come into the restaurant and again when they depart.

“I try to visit each and every table that comes through the

door, just to make sure things are OK and chit chat,” she said. “That is what I like best about my job – the chit chat.”

While Jenkins said great service and the appreciation of customers is what separates her place from others, she’s quick to add the restaurant’s “amazing food” also keeps customers coming back time after time.

In the kitchen, Ahmedoski and other staff members crank out dishes that not only look wonderful, but tempts the tastebuds to keep eating, even though the portions are quite large. To-go boxes are the norm.

Breakfast dishes, sandwiches, dinner entrées with all the fixings, a salad bar, soups, desserts and more – one would be hard-pressed not to find something they like on the large menu.

CONTINUED ON 19

CONTINUED FROM 18 Jenkins was quick to talk about some of the favorites that are delivered to hungry customers.

“Homemade pork tenderloins, because they are very large and very tasty,” Jenkins began. “And our ribeyes. ... We serve them many different ways, but breakfast with eggs, potatoes and toast is probably the most popular. All of our ribeyes are hand-cut choice, fresh never frozen, and they are also cooked on the charbroiler.

And the reubens! The reubens are my favorite.”

To accompany the menu, Cindy’s on 34 offers a buffet on Sundays – 8 to 10:30 a.m. for breakfast, and 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch.

“We choose comfort food for the buffet – fried chicken, barbecued riblets, mashed potatoes and gravy, biscuits and sausage gravy, etc.,” she said.

The restaurant’s salad bar, which is open seven days a week, is filled with some family favorites like spaghetti salad, potato salad, cole slaw, and more.

While Jenkins and Ahmedoski pride themselves on their homemade items and large menu, it does require careful planning to make it all work.

CONTINUED ON 20

Terri Simon/North Central Illinois Ag Mag

Cindy’s on 34 co-owner Florin Ahmedoski plates one of the restaurant’s giant tenderloins for a customer.

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Oregano Garlic powder Fresh garlic Parsley Black pepper Salt Sugar Parmesan cheese Sauté celery, onions and carrots in butter until halfway cooked. Add the cooked/ crumbled/drained ground chuck and the rest of the ingredients except for the sugar and Parmesan cheese. Simmer 3.5 to 4 hours. Ten minutes before the sauce is finished, add sugar and Parmesan cheese.

4Continued from 19 “It is very difficult to have so many homemade items on such a large menu; it takes a lot of thought on how much needs to be made, so we don’t run out,” she said. “It also takes a little longer to get the food to the tables, considering we cook everything fresh.”

Cindy’s on 34 is at 1300 Raymond, Mendota. It is open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week and seats around 150 people.

Recipes from Cindy’s on 34 Like all good cooks, those in the kitchen at Cindy’s on 34 don’t have exact measurements for their popular recipes. A little of this ... a little of that ... and the homemade dishes are scrumptious and satisfying. Cindy’s on 34 shared three recipes that are favorites with customers.

Comfort Green Beans

1 large onion 1 pound butter 1/2 pound bacon Green beans Salt Pepper Sauté together the onion, butter and bacon. Add the green beans, salt and pepper, and simmer until done.

Meatloaf Monday

Terri Simon/North Central Illinois Ag Mag

Comfort food is the specialty at Cindy’s on 34, including this bacon cheeseburger and fries.

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Celery Onions Carrots 1 pound butter Ground chuck Tomato paste Tomato sauce Tomato juice Italian seasoning,

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Farmers Forum with terri simon/Northcentral illinois Ag Mag

Stark County High School FFA students, under the direction of Scott Fairfield, are involved in many agriculture courses and projects. Five of his students were happy to answer the following question for NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag: What is the biggest challenge facing agriculture today?

Brock Stotler

Samantha Wall

Brock Stotler, 14, Stark County High School FFA member “I think the biggest challenge facing agriculture today is how much it costs to farm. It’s expensive. I don’t know how much more some farmers can take, especially if they have had a bad year.”

Samantha Wall, 15, Stark County High School FFA member “I believe many people are not going into the agriculture industry because

Jared Code

Caleb Davis

it takes too much money to farm the land. I think the people also think about the risks involved.”

Jared Code, 14, Stark County High School FFA member “There’s not enough people wanting to become farmers, maybe because they don’t think it’s interesting enough. It also costs a lot of money to farm, like the money it takes to buy a tractor or a combine.”

Caleb Davis, 14, Stark County High School FFA member “I have to say there’s not enough

Laura Rouse

young people going into agriculture.

They want the bigger checks [dollars].

The old farmers are tired. In reality, we need younger people to go into agriculture and give us what we need and keep us alive.”

Laura Rouse, 15, Stark County High School FFA member “The largest challenge facing agriculture today is the need for land being developed around cities and pollution. Much of the land around cities is being developed into subdivisions and taking it out of farmland.”

We want to hear from you!

The men, women and children involved in today’s agriculture are as diverse as they are in any profession. Livestock farmers, grain farmers, specialty crops ... each agricultural family brings a host of ideas, experiences, concerns and knowledge to the farming table.

The Farmers Forum is geared for input. That’s right!

We want to hear from you.

Your ideas, your sugges-

tions, your concerns – there’s a place on this page for them all.

Each edition of NorthCentral Illinois Sam Fisher Ag Mag Publisher will feature a specific question and answers by a

group of people involved in agriculture. Do you agree with them? Do you not? How would you have answered this question? We would like to hear from you. Email your responses to news@ bcrnews.com or send them in care of this magazine to P.O. Box. 340, Princeton, IL 61356.

It is my pleasure to offer you, our readers, an opportunity to share your thoughts

and comments with others involved in your great industry. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Sam Fisher, publisher NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag AG Mag

21

Farm girls with a dream

I

have been asked from time to time throughout my 15 years as a Farm Bureau manager to comment on women’s roles in agriculture. Most often, the questions are pretty general about the subject matter.

But as I survey the industry, the real change I have seen is the number of women in professional fields and promoting agricultural in general.

As I see it, the change has been coming for quite some time. Like so many other farm girls, I was the girl who farmed with toy tractors and Barbies and who earned spending money walking beans for my dad. My most fond memories of growing up almost always encompass agriculture. From my sisters and I racing our horses across the hay field to riding along with my dad as he shipped pigs to the Peoria Stockyards, I always had the same goal: I wanted to be involved in agriculture.

My sisters and I were very involved in 4-H and FFA. These organizations have prepared so many kids for the real world. Of course, we learned how to plan, prepare and exhibit our projects through record keeping and with

JILL FRUEH Manager of the Bureau County Farm Bureau

a lot of help from our parents. And we polished our communication skills through speech contests and demonstrations. We also learned the value of hard work and determination, and we discovered true satisfaction when we saw a project through to the end and achieved success.

These youth organizations surely had a role in the change of women’s roles in agriculture. Looking back, there were just as many girls in my 4-H club as boys. And the girls serving as FFA officers outnumbered the boys. Empowerment of youth saw no gender boundaries as girls and boys competed on the same level. We were 4-H members and FFA members all with the same goal: To stay involved in agriculture.

Fast forward to today. Farm Bureau,

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along with many other agricultural organizations, are still working hard to educate their members and to enhance the quality of life on the farm. These organizations also have taken steps to further ensure that women are part of agriculture production while being armed with valuable information.

For the past three years, the county Farm Bureaus in the northwestern part of Illinois have teamed up with other sponsors in Iowa and Illinois to host the Women in Agriculture conference. Again this year, the conference will be held at Jumer’s Casino and Hotel in Rock Island on March 21. Women who are actively farming, working in the industry or married to a farmer will benefit from this educational conference.

New this year is a bonus Thursday evening where husbands and other guests are invited to hear our keynote speaker, Dr. Ron Hanson, agribusiness professor from the University of Nebraska. Dr. Hanson will be on hand to discuss farm continuation and the legacy of the family farm.

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CONTINUED FROM 22 Dr. Hanson will be on-site Friday, too, in addition to numerous breakout sessions for women offering information on subjects important to the farming operation. For more information or to register for the conference, please visit the website (www.womeninagricultureconference.com).

New this year, a group of Bureau County agencies, organizations and businesses have begun to team up to offer educational seminars to women involved in agriculture on a local level. The new Lady Landowner group is still in the planning phases while they survey a list of Bureau County ladies, but it is the hope of the group that locally-supported seminars will take place at least once a year to help educate women landowners about the land they own and the industry of which they are so much a part. Women interested in participating in the group are asked to contact the Bureau County Farm Bureau.

As consumers continue to look for information about where and how their food is grown and raised, Illinois Farm Families, supported by many of the agricultural commodity groups in Illinois, have created a new program helping urban moms get their questions about food answered. Known as “Field Moms,” participants — all Chicago-area moms with young children — visit different Illi-

Goldie Currie/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Bureau County Farm Bureau Manager Jill Frueh (standing) leads a Bureau County Lady Landowners meeting in Princeton. nois farms throughout the year to learn more about real farm families and what farmers do on their farms, first hand. As part of the program they are asked questions about food and farming topics they see on the news.

In nearly every case, the Field Moms are greeted by Farm Moms — farm women and agricultural professionals, who ride along with the Field Moms on the bus or even offer tours of their own farms. To learn more about Illinois Farm Families’ Field Moms, check out their website at www.watchusgrow.org to visit

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Today, more than ever, women are playing key roles on farms. From managing the books to advocating for agriculture and even making the main decisions on their farms, they’re playing leading roles. But this really is nothing new. The fact is that women have always had a role in agriculture. But because of the great work from many organizations and the determination of those farm girls with a dream, those roles continue to change and adapt to current needs over time.

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By Ken Schroeder and Dixie Schroeder For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

B

ecause of recent pressure from the American Petroleum Institute and the Environmental Protection Agency, Congress may reduce the requirements of ethanol use set forth by the Renewable Fuel Standard in 2005. That, combined with a drop in corn prices, is raising some concerns among farmers.

“That’s not good. We need ethanol,” said Bob Beutke, a farmer from Grand Ridge in LaSalle County. “America needs ethanol. We’re fighting wars over oil, and we’ve got a short memory.

“Now we don’t need ethanol because the war’s over, but we’ve still got people in Afghanistan. The price of fuel has come down some, but ethanol is still cheaper to burn than gasoline because the price of corn has come way down.

nnn “Some people say it takes more energy to make ethanol than what ethanol produces. I don’t believe that with the new technology they’ve got making ethanol. You can make two and a half gallons of ethanol out of a bushel of corn,” he added. “Corn’s four bucks. I still think there’s profit in the ethanol; you have the dried distiller’s grains to sell for cattle feed, which is higher in protein than corn. I still think ethanol makes a lot of sense.”

As a result of dropping prices and the spectre of ethanol deregulation, Beutke is making some changes in his crop rotation this year.

“We’ve got some farms that have been corn on corn, and one of them we’re going to raise half on beans this year,” Beutke said. “The other one we haven’t made the change yet, but it’s being considered. Years ago, I was half corn, half beans. Then I got to two-thirds corn, one-third beans. We’ll probably be closer to half and half this year.”

For years, corn farmers have seen prices of $6 or $7 a bushel. In recent months, though, the price has fallen to just above $4.

24 Spring 2014

Changing changing

Bob Beutke of Grand Ridge in LaSalle County stands by his 1947 Farmall tractor. Beutk reductions in requirements of ethanol use. “We need ethanol,” Beutke said. “We’re fightin

g times ... g crops

Ken Schroeder/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

or. Beutke, like many other farmers, is concerned about falling corn prices and proposed ’re fighting wars over oil, and we’ve got a short memory.”

Farmers in NorthCentral Illinois are cashing in on ethanol usage This situation could last awhile, an expert says.

“Over the years, there tend to be periods of relatively ‘low’ prices that last longer than periods when prices are relatively ‘high,’” Daryll Ray, director of the University of Tennessee’s Agricultural Policy Analysis Center, said in an email.

That’s because more acreage is brought into production relatively quickly – both domestically and Daryll Ray internationally – durDirector of ing times of high pricUniversity of es, as has been the Tennessee’s case in recent years Agricultural Policy and, earlier, in the Analysis Center 1970s, Ray said. says times of low “Once the acreage prices tend to last is brought into major longer than times of higher prices crop agriculture, farmers tend to farm it even when the prices have declined considerably,” he wrote. “So it can take a number of years for farmers to move it back out of production and into more extensive use such as pasture or hay land.”

What could break that trend?

If climate changes cause big reductions in annual crop yields or water for irrigation becomes increasingly tight, Ray said, prices might not follow the historical pattern but would allow corn to remain at relatively profitable levels.

Many farmers, he said, switched to corn when its price jumped so fast, moving away from soybeans.

“Many of those farmers went back to, or are going back to, their previous rotations, for a variety of reasons, including pest control,” Ray said.

Continued on 264 AG Mag

25

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Dixie Schroeder/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Gary Bruch of Granville stands by a semitrailer he uses to haul corn and other products from his Putnam County farm. CONTINUED FROM 25 In recent years, planted soybean acreage in Illinois and Iowa has generally declined, according to numbers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Corn acreage, meanwhile, has risen since the 1990s in Illinois, but has stayed about the same in Iowa, with some exceptions.

Other farmers in the NorthCentral Illinois area are not so concerned about the demand for corn. Gary Bruch runs Bruch Farms outside of Granville in Putnam County with his brothers, Ron, Ken and Henry.

“I don’t think we at Bruch Farms are going to manage any differently,” Gary Bruch said. “The ethanol market has definitely helped us here

with the Marquis Energy in Hennepin. It’s close, and it has upped our grain prices.

I think it’s helped the corn market overall.

“I think we need to educate people on the ethanol and keep the levels up there, so we can keep our markets open and keep the usage up.

It’s a global market,” he said.

“So much of our markets is exports of grain. Prices are cheaper, so we are exporting more grain.

“So I think they will stay steady for now. But yes, if the usage of ethanol goes way down it is going to affect the market, and it will drop some. We are not changing anything on our operations this year.”

David Giuliani contributed to this article.

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WORTH THE WAIT? IFB: Top 3 priorities addressed in new farm

BY PAM EGGEMEIER For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

President Barack Obama signed a nearly $1 trillion farm bill Feb. 7, finally removing the uncertainty hanging over the heads of American farmers.

Members of Congress had been at odds for years over proposed cuts to the nation’s food stamps program that provides assistance to one of every seven Americans. Last fall, House Republicans had fought to approve a plan to cut $40 billion from SNAP, but it was shot down in the Senate. This farm bill will cut the program by $8 billion

over 10 years – about a 1 percent reduction. Some of the eligibility requirements also will be raised.

Much of the savings in the food stamps program will come from the closure of what is known as the “heat and eat” loophole. This loophole allowed some states to artificially increase benefit levels when heating assistance is provided through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. Illinois is not among the 17 states that are targeted by this reform.

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4Continued from 28 The most significant piece of the $956 billion Agriculture Act of 2014 for farmers is the transformation of the agricultural safety net from one based on direct payments to a strengthened crop insurance system. The heavily criticized $5 billion direct payments program that gave subsidies to farmers whether they grew crops or not was eliminated.

In return, $7 billion will be added to the crop insurance program, now the key to farmers’ financial security.

The crop insurance gains were clearly the biggest win for farmers, said Adam Nielsen, director of national legislation and policy development for Illinois Farm Bureau.

“Crop insurance was targeted by many groups on both sides of the aisle, and it survived intact,” Nielsen said.

However, given the timing of the bill’s passage, insurance changes will not be implemented until 2015.

Two new insurance programs are included: agriculture risk coverage, which will cover some losses before more extensive crop insurance begins; and price loss coverage, which sets specific target prices for different crops. If actual prices fall below those targets, farmers will be covered.

Emily Pratt, crop insurance specialist for 1st Farm Credit Services and a representative on the new Agriculture Advisory Committee of Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger, said she was happy with the bill’s focus on strengthening the crop insurance system.

“We survived the worst drought in our nation’s history because farmers took it upon themselves to insure their crops,” said Pratt, based in Rock Falls. “We were able to avoid a lot of turbulence in the economy without the help of ad hoc programs.”

Pratt said she was relieved to learn that the changes will not be put in until next year.

“We were getting anxious, wondering how quickly we could set up the crop insurance programs,” she said.

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Highlights • Cuts SNAP by $8 billion, commodities by $14.3 billion

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soybean enrollment usually is March 15, but because that is a Saturday this year, it will be extended until March 17.

It is estimated that the bill will bring $23 billion in federal spending cuts.

The three biggest priorities the Illinois Farm Bureau had set for the bill came to fruition, Nielsen said.

“We wanted to protect and enhance crop insurance, have choice in commodities programs, and see the conservation programs streamlined but maintained,” he said. “We got all of those things, so we’re very happy with this bill.”

The direct payments for better crop insurance was a tradeoff most farmers supported.

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Continued on 304

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AG Mag

29

CONTINUED FROM 29 “I think most farmers are in agreement that the direct payments could go,” said Donna Jeschke, a Grundy County farmer who is a former president of Illinois Corn Producers and now serves on Kinzinger’s ag committee. “We feel that having a strong crop insurance program gives us a good risk management program.”

Nielsen said that everything except dairy and regulatory issues were a done deal before the holiday break in December. Without a deal by the end of January, decades-old milk support laws could have kicked in that farmers warned could cause milk prices to spike to $8 a gallon.

A compromise sets up a dairy insurance program that offers protection against the huge fluctuations in feed prices that have challenged dairy farmers. Small dairy farms will catch a break on premiums.

The government is authorized to address oversupply problems by purchasing dairy products for local food banks.

Renee Sheaffer, a Lee County dairy farmer, sells raw milk privately. She would have been one of the few dairy farmers to benefit from $8 milk.

“My milk sells for about $5 a gallon, so that probably would have helped me,” Sheaffer said. “At that price, though, demand for milk would really go down, and I’m not sure that’s good for anybody.”

Nielsen said the bill offered several benefits.

“Farmers needed a bill that is updated for today’s needs versus a farm bill that was developed in 2006 and 2007,” he said.

“This bill will result in a deficit reduction that all taxpayers can benefit from.”

One disappointment came in the area of federal regulatory policies. The Illinois Pork Producers Association and other livestock groups had urged Congress to change its mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) law to avoid tariffs that could be imposed on U.S. pork by Canada and Mexico. The labeling law could still be dealt with, but many hoped it would be part of the farm bill.

“There was no appetite for regulatory reform,” Nielsen said. “We were hoping COOL would be resolved, but it didn’t surprise me that Congress left it out.”

The most significant regulatory win could be the creation of a permanent subcommittee within the EPA Science Advisory Board. The panel will conduct reviews of agency actions considered to have a negative impact on agriculture.

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program will for the first time receive mandatory funding. The voluntary conservation program provides financial and technical assistance to producers who sign contracts of up to 10 years.

The Livestock Disaster Assistance Program was made permanent in this farm

bill. Its benefits also were made retroactive to 2012.

The farm bill includes an amendment sponsored by U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-East Moline, to track the impact on agriculture of upgrades to river transportation infrastructure, including the aging locks and dams along the Mississippi and Illinois rivers.

“Waterway infrastructure is a vital component in our agriculture markets, and this amendment will strengthen the case for investments in river transportation improvement projects,” said Bustos, a member of the House Agriculture Committee.

A bill that ends the business uncertainty for farmers is long overdue, the 17th district congresswoman said.

“While not perfect, I’m encouraged that Democrats and Republicans have finally come together to pass a farm bill that will protect our region’s economy and critical nutrition programs,” Bustos said.

Kinzinger, R-Channahon, realizes that farmers must have parameters for running their businesses, and they need a strong arsenal for fighting the unknowns.

“Ask any farmer, and he will tell you that being able to plan ahead to future harvests is crucial to his business,” Kinzinger said.

“This bill gives Illinois farmers the certainty they need to do that, while strengthening our farm safety net, and helping protect farmers against natural disasters.”

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A Case of family history Local tractor, family featured in Classic Farm Tractor Calendar

BY GOLDIE CURRIE For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

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After many years of work, the finished 1935 Case Model CC tractor is picture perfect – perfect enough to be included in the Classic Tractor Calendar for 2014.

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When local tractor enthusiasts flip through their 2014 edition of the Classic Farm Tractors calendar, they might recognize the stunning 1935 Case Model CC on the June page.

The tractor belongs to Gerald and Joyce Linker of Malden, who were among 12 families chosen to showcase their pride and joy in the 25th edition of the calendar.

The Linkers say their son, Steve, deserves most of the credit for this notable opportunity: He is the one who took the challenge to restore the tractor from its once-despairing state.

CONTINUED ON 33

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CONTINUED FROM 32 While it took several years and much dedication to complete the daunting project, Steve says it was worth every dime spent, every short-cut avoided, and every minute drained.

“It means an awful lot. I couldn’t be happier and more proud for my family,” he said. “My dad is really the one who kept me in it all these years.”

While the farm machine is considered a unique and attractive piece, especially with its rare original orange color, it was the story behind the tractor that prompted John Harvey to call the Linker family to ask that the tractor be a part of his well-known calendar.

The Case tractor was bought brand new

by Gerald’s father, Bill, in 1935. He sold the tractor in 1955 to a Roscoe couple, Harold and Marion Lines. The family farmed with the tractor in Illinois and Wisconsin until they retired it years later. The tractor sat on their farm until 1998, when Marion’s brother, Harold Steele of Dover, discovered the tractor had once belonged to Gerald’s father. Steele just happens to also be a distant cousin of Joyce Linker. Meaning, the tractor unknowingly stayed in the Linker family through the marriage of Joyce and Gerald.

When the restoration was complete, the Linkers invited Marion to visit their farm to see the tractor. Marion, who was 97 years old, was hesitant because

Photo contributed

This 1988 photo shows how the 1935 Case Model CC tractor looked before it was refurbished. of her poor health at the time.

With the help of her family, however, she made the trip from Rockford. When she saw the tractor, she jumped out of her wheelchair and walked right up to get a better look. It was the first time her family had seen her walk in a long time.

The Linkers were also interviewed and filmed for a documentary that shares the story of each tractor on the 2014 calendar. The documentary is to be aired on TV. “There’s a million antique tractors in the country, and to be one in 12 selected – to me it’s a pretty big deal,” Steve said.

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He says his biggest motivation to keep the restoration going was his father. He said when Gerald was battling health issues, he moved back home and figured he could do something to allow one more ride for his father.

“All I could do was try,” he said. “Dad taught me what I know, and I told him I guess what you taught me is what you’re going to get. It’s turned out awesome. He’s pretty happy; we couldn’t be any happier.”

The Linkers’ tractor was restored in memory of Betty Linker and Margie Steele, Harold’s late wife.

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Marshall-Putnam 4-H team holds the state title

By Terri Simon For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

The meat counter at your local grocery store might seem a bit overwhelming to the untrained eye.

Which steak looks the best? Which roast has the perfect amount of marbling? Which pork chop will produce that savory homestyle meal that your family will enjoy?

But three Putnam and Marshall county youths might be the go-to girls if you need an answer to one of those questions.

Continued on 364

In the photo Members of the Marshall-Putnam counties 4-H Meats Judging Team practice their judging skills. Pictured are (from left) Samantha Bessler, Caroline Downey, coach Debbie Leigh, and Samantha Rediger. The team placed first in the state in last year’s contest.

Samantha “Sam” Rediger Hometown: Washburn Age: 14 School you attend: LowPoint Washburn High School in Washburn Parents’ names: Brent and Holly Rediger Name of 4-H Club: Bell Plain Hustlers How did you get involved with the meats judging team? I heard about it from my 4-H leader; she said it was fun, and I would learn a lot.

What are some of the things you have learned by participating on this team? I learned to study hard; there is a lot to know with the cuts of meat. It is pure memorization.

How does it feel to be the No. 1 meats judging team in the state of Illinois?

Well, this was my first year participating, so it is really cool, but my teammates Sammi and Caroline are very good, and I have learned a lot from them. Our coach, Deb Leigh, has a lot of knowledge and is always very helpful.

In what other agriculture clubs/opportunities do you participate? I volunteer

a lot of time at Salem for Youth in Flanagan and help out in the horse barn. I helped clean up fields after the tornado hit Washington, Ill., on Nov. 17, 2013, with my FFA group. In 4-H my projects are corn crop, horses and meat judging. This year is my first year in FFA, and I look forward to joining many of the same activities.

Why is agriculture important to you and your family? Agriculture is a lifestyle.

My family does not earn our entire income from the farm, but it has been in our family for five generations.

Why would you encourage other youth to get involved in agriculture? I think if more kids were raised to take care of animals and farm equipment, they would be more responsible and would respect people, property and themselves more.

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Caroline Downey Hometown: Putnam Age: 16 School you attend: Henry-Senachwine High School in Henry Parents’ names: Jonathan and Rhonda Downey Name of 4-H Club: Saratoga Leadaways How did you get involved with the meats judging team? My dad, Jonathan Downey, and our coach, Debbie Leigh, did meats judging in college together at the University of Illinois. My older brothers were on meats judging teams with Debbie as their coach. I went to some of the practices and competitions and was interested in meats judging at a young age. At competitions, Debbie and I would walk around, and she would ask me which carcass I thought was the best or which cut of meat it was or from which species the cut came from.

I continued meats judging because I thought it was interesting and challenging.

What are some of the things you have learned by participating on this team? I have learned the different cuts of meat and how they can be used. I have also learned how to calculate the quality and yield grade of the animal’s meat. Knowing how to calculate this helps me better understand how well the animal gained weight and the quality of the meat that the animal has produced.

How does it feel to be the No. 1 meats

judging team in the state of Illinois? It feels awesome that all of our hard work and dedication paid off. It was a challenge we accepted as a team to study and learn.

In what other agriculture clubs/opportunities do you participate? 4-H projects – sewing and textiles, vet science, and beef; FFA – vet science CDE, meats judging CDE, livestock judging CDE, agriculture issues CDE, creed speaking CDE; Marshall-Putnam 4-H Federation and Marshall-Putnam 4-H Fashion Board.

Why is agriculture important to you and your family? Agriculture is important to me and my family because farming has been in our family for over 100 years. The satisfaction in knowing that we are providing a healthy sustainable food for not only ourselves, but for our country and our world.

Why would you encourage other youth to get involved in agriculture? I would encourage other youth to get involved in agriculture because it is full of opportunities. There are opportunities for young people and adults in the agriculture field. There are many organizations that you can get involved in at a young age that hold opportunities for you when you grow up.

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Samantha Bessler, Samantha Rediger and Caroline Downey make up the Marshall-Putnam counties 4-H Meats Judging Team, and the three young ladies hold the title as the No. 1 meats judging team in the state of Illinois.

Debbie Leigh of rural Minonk in Marshall County is the team’s coach, and her experience has helped her youthful team members excel. Under the leadership of Dr. Tom Carr, Leigh competed as a member of the University of Illinois 1980 Meats Judging Team, which traveled around the country to collegiate meats-judging events.

“About 12 years ago, my boys became involved in Marshall-Putnam 4-H,” Leigh said. “Our 4-H club leader, Dick Hahn, asked me if I would coach a county meats judging team.”

The rest is history. The county meats judging team began in 2003.

CONTINUED ON 38

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While many are waiting for the next weather event to bring new crop corn and soybean prices higher there is still a

large risk lurking in the market… covering the high cost of inputs. It’s no secret that the AG boom has resulted in increases to the cost of seed, fertilizer, and especially land. We are now near or below breakeven levels for many producers across the Midwest. That doesn’t mean we are at rock bottom yet though, these price shakedowns can last through an entire growing season if the weather is favorable.

This squeeze on margins has forced many farmers to rely on their insurance guarantee to ensure a profit. With December corn and November soybean prices trading near contract lows, it’s hard to get excited about a strong revenue guarantee. At AgYield we believe the spring insurance price and policy coverage is the first and most important choice for your marketing plan, it gives certainty and flexibility to selling your crop.

With that there are many questions to ask during this time. Does my insurance policy truly protect my profitability? Do I need to increase my policy coverage? Do I need to make more cash sales on top of my insurance policy? Are puts a better decision? The truth is no one strategy fits all and what your neighbor does may not be in your best interest. For example, take a farmer who goes with a 70% insurance policy with the harvest exclusion. He may be a better candidate to supplement his insurance with put options since he needs more downside price protection but can’t count on that harvest readjustment to kick in if he has a yield loss and prices skyrocket as we saw in 2012. He also might be better off buying a better level of insurance protection. A farmer who buys a Cadillac policy may take a totally opposite approach and with more certainty of achieving a profit.

The fact is the easy money appears to be over and it’s time to go back to work marketing. The next few years will likely separate the active farm marketers from the inattentive. Putting together a strategy without knowing how it will affect your operation can have severe consequences in today’s markets. AgYield combines your insurance, cash sales, futures/options, and unsold bushels to show how all of these pieces affect your bottom line at multiple yield and price scenarios.

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38 Spring 2014

Members attend practice sessions to learn how to judge meats and identify retail (grocery store) cuts of meat. From there, those team members are eligible to compete at the Illinois State 4-H Meats Judging Contest.

Leigh said the skills learned and the competition afford 4-H members a host of perks, including gaining life skills such as making choices based on their own observations; learning how to choose the best cuts of meat at the grocery; having fun as they test their knowledge at the state contest; as well as possible scholarship offers for team members.

The girls have a good mentor in Leigh. She said she uses the skills she learned at the University of Illinois to further their knowledge.

Team practice begins in mid-January. The team tries to practice once a week to prepare for the state 4-H contest, which is held the first Saturday in March.

So, how difficult could it be? Most of us can identify a good steak, pork chop or other cut of meat, can’t we?

Well, it’s not that simple.

“Practices ... consist of a retail cut identification portion, judging and beef quality, and yield grading,” Leigh said. “For ID, we look at flashcards, CDs and websites with photos of the cuts.

There is quite a bit of memorization for this.

“For judging, we look at websites with meat judging classes and discuss how to

rank each class. For quality grading, we look at photos of the marbling (flecks of fat in the meat), which is one of the factors that determines the grade of the top cuts of beef. Yield grading involves math and estimating the lean-to-fat ratio.”

Once the state competition arrives, Leigh said, the contest is more difficult than it sounds.

“There are three main sections of the contest: Judging, retail cut identification and beef yield and quality grading,” she said. “The judging portion of the contest involves placing classes of four of one kind of cut from most desirable to least desirable.

“The retail cut ID part of the contest requires the 4-Her to identify the retail name, the species of animal and wholesale cut, and the type of cut, such as steak, chop, roast or slice for each retail cut. The yield and quality grading portion requires that the 4-Hers calculate a value for the lean meat percentage of the carcass and determine whether the carcass grades prime, choice or select. The grading portion of the contest was added to the Illinois State 4-H contest a few years ago when it was first held in conjunction with the state FFA contest, and follows state FFA rules.”

The Marshall-Putnam 4-H Meats Judging Team competes alongside high school FFA teams from across the state – all of them vying for the state FFA title.

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4Continued from 38

Samantha Bessler The event is held at the Meat Science Laboratory at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus in the cold meat cooler, which, Leigh said, gets “quite crowded.”

In 2013, the year the Marshall-Putnam team brought home the title, there were 30 retail cuts to identify, six beef carcasses to yield and quality grade, and five classes to judge, which consisted of beef carcasses, pork carcasses, beef ribs, pork hams and rib eye steaks.

Leigh said it’s really been a pleasure to work with the youthful team.

Bessler placed fourth individually in the state contest; Rediger placed seventh; and Downey placed second.

“They are a fun group,” Leigh said. “I’m grateful to their parents for sending me such awesome kids! They deserve every success they achieve.”

Hometown: Sparland Age: 17 School you attend: Midland High School in Varna Parents’ names: Jeff Bessler and Lisa Bessler Name of 4-H Club: Steuben Rangers How did you get involved with the meats judging team? We raise cattle to show, sell and butcher, so when I saw the article in the 4-H Times newsletter, I thought it would be fun and interesting to try.

What are some of the things you have learned by participating on this team? I have learned the various cuts of meat, where they come from, how they can be cooked, and how to pick the best steak at the store! Also I’ve learned how important it is to study and to help each other and work as a team.

How does it feel to be the No. 1 meats judging team in the state of Illinois? It is awesome to know all of our hard work and studying have paid off and that we were able to work together to achieve this honor.

In what other agriculture clubs/opportunities do you participate? I also participate in 4-H Federation, serving as the current trea-

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Why is agriculture important to you and your family? It has been in our lives for a long time and is our livelihood and how we make some of our money. It is also fun for us to travel and work with our cattle, as well as spending time as a family at cattle shows.

Why would you encourage other youth to get involved in agriculture? It is quite fun and interesting, keeping you on your toes because something could change at any minute, like needing to pull a baby calf from a cow that calved early. It is also very rewarding especially working with your animals and watching them grow and develop.

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Dan Hoge: ‘Father and foundation’ Black Hawk East professor walks the walk, talks the talk

By Terri Simon For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

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Dan Hoge of Walnut is a fixture at Black Hawk College’s East Campus. He soon will be inducted into the Black Hawk College Wall of Fame with a scholarship in his name.

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Dan Hoge lives in Walnut in northern Bureau County, but his path to Henry County’s Black Hawk College East Campus is a well-traveled one. Hoge has been a professor of animal science and the livestock judging coach at the Galva junior college for the past 44 years.

Humble and soft-spoken, Hoge speaks fondly of his position, his students, and his time at his beloved Black Hawk East, where many recognize his role in the school’s animal science program.

Continued on 414

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CONTINUED FROM 40 “Dan Hoge is the father and foundation of the East Campus animal science program,” said Chanda Dowell, vice president for Black Hawk College East Campus.

“His career dedication to both the livestock industry and Black Hawk College is evidenced by the new students who come to study with Dan Hoge, as well as by the thousands of alumni and friends who continue to support East Campus programs by hosting lab classes or judging team workouts, speaking to students, hosting work experience [internship] students, hiring graduates, providing student scholarships, or supporting programs financially.”

Hoge said he’s proud of the way Black Hawk College prepares its students for the future.

“We really believe in developing students outside of the classroom,” Hoge said.

“You can feel it in the hallways. ... We have a strong rural culture here.”

Hoge also said the school’s extracurricular activities are unmatched, as well as the numerous teams that compete at national levels.

“Our disciplines have changed with the times, but we still have a very high commitment,” Hoge added.

Hoge’s words translate to a Black Hawk East curriculum filled with a variety of opportunities for agriculture students. The school boasts opportunities in an outstanding equine program, production or nutrition feed industry, animal health,

online marketing, purebred livestock, harvesting of livestock, food science, and more. Hoge said the school offers several associate of applied science degrees, along with two internships that are not designed, necessarily, to transfer.

While some students leave the college after two years ready to go into their future endeavors, Hoge said many students will transfer to a university in Illinois or throughout the nation for extended learning/degrees. The school also has a pre-veterinarian medicine curriculum.

While more males than females still go into the ag programs, Hoge said through his career he’s seen more females opting for the agriculture curriculum. He’s also seen the numbers, in general, increase.

“We need as many quality people in agriculture as we can,” Hoge said from his campus office. “We know the demographics have changed, but these students, who prepare themselves correctly, are finding great careers.”

While Black Hawk East has a large population from Illinois, Hoge said, there are many, many students from all over the Midwest who come to the junior college because they know the quality of the Black Hawk agriculture program.

Hoge said the biggest change he’s seen in his career at the college is probably the technology, but he also noted a large change in where livestock is produced, and an increasing interest in youth projects, primarily in cattle, swine, sheep and goats.

CONTINUED ON 43

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4Continued from 41 He said Black Hawk East has stood the test of time. Its campus was established in 1967, and the Quad Cities campus is one of the oldest in Illinois.

Hoge’s accomplishments are many, but he admits talking about those awards “is embarrassing.” Among his awards are the National Barrow Show Hall of Fame in Austin, Minn., and he will soon be inducted into the Wall of Fame at Black Hawk East, sponsored by the school’s foundation with a scholarship in his name.

And the school’s livestock judging team, for which Hoge is a co-coach?

The team has set several records for its winning reputation.

Hoge’s co-coach for the livestock judging team, Jared Boyert, is a former student who sings Hoge’s praises.

“I have had the experience to be coached by Dan when I attended BHE, and now I work alongside of him coaching the livestock judging team,” Boyert said.Still to this day, I find myself learning from Dan in the classroom on how to relate to students.”

Dowell agrees with that commitment to Black Hawk students.

“The culture Dan has helped create at the East Campus has supported thousands of students to pursue their passions in an environment one student described by saying, ‘You never have to

Kath Clark/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Black Hawk College, East Campus, in rural Galva is home to several agriculture teams that compete on a national level. worry about being too far from home because this is home,” Dowell said.

And while Hoge is clearly a model for students, the standards he has set for others at the college is clear.

“Dan has set a standard for all faculty to achieve in and out of the classroom,” said Andrew Larson, professor of agronomy and Black Hawk Agriculture Department co-chairman. “He leads by example and has mentored all current ag faculty in some capacity. Dan has been instrumental in developing a suc-

• • • •

cessful template for all program areas within the department to follow.”

Staff and students also shared a quote that has been Hoge’s motto at the college: “You can’t talk it. You gotta live it!”

Hoge, along with his wife, Deanna, and his brother-in-law and sister-inlaw, Randy and Jan Walters, raise hogs in Walnut. His nephews, William and Bryce Walters continue to show hogs in the area, and his son, Mark Hoge, has a doctorate and teaches agriculture at Western Illinois University in Macomb.

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AG Mag

43

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Did you remember your New Year’s pet resolutions?

I

t wasn’t that long ago when many of us were thinking about New Year’s resolutions, especially those relating to diet and exercise. But while you were thinking about changing some habits for yourself, did you remember to think about changing your pet’s lifestyle, too?

■■■ Though Fido and Felix won’t have to fit into bikinis in a few months, it is important for their health that

44 Spring 2014

those extra pounds come off.

Pet obesity is an all-too-common problem that contributes to life-threatening and life-shortening conditions such as cancer, heart disease, joint problems and more.

Kim Knap, a certified veterinary technician and a certified canine rehabilitation practitioner at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana, offers these guidelines on determining whether your pet should trim down and implementing an exercise regimen that could help.

CONTINUED ON 45

4Continued from 44 “To test whether your pet may have a weight problem, look down at your pet from above. You should be able to see a waistline where the body goes in between the rib cage and the hips. When you look from the side, you should see a tucked abdomen,” she said. “If your pet has lots of fur that makes this visual test difficult, run your hands through the fur. You should easily feel the ribs without a layer of fat.”

If your pet failed this test and you think extra weight may be a problem, call this to the attention of your veterinarian before embarking on an exercise program or change in diet.

“A routine veterinary check-up before beginning an exercise regimen is very important,” Knap advises.

“Your veterinarian can run basic blood work and hormone levels and can ensure that your pet doesn’t have any underlying medical, musculoskeletal or neurologic issues that could limit exercise.”

After obtaining a clean bill of health from your veterinarian, you are ready to decide what activity you’ll begin. In addition to running and walking, there are a variety of games you can play with your pet.

‘‘

A routine veterinary check-up before beginning an exercise regimen is very important. Your veterinarian can run basic blood work and hormone levels and can ensure that your pet doesn’t have any underlying medical, musculoskeletal or neurologic issues that could limit exercise.

Kim Knap, certified veterinary technician and a certified canine rehabilitation practitioner at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana

“Fetch, Frisbee, chase, and hide and seek are all great games to engage your dog in,” Knap recommends. Making games like these high-energy can keep your dog interested and make onceboring exercise into something fun for both of you.

And we can’t forget our feline friends — some cats are extremely playful, and might be just as interested in a game of fetch or chase as dogs. Finding a few toys that are particularly interesting to your cat could be the key to get him moving in between cat naps.

But remember to take it easy when introducing an exercise regimen. “Start off with just five minutes of exercise daily, increasing gradually based on how well you and your pet tolerate the

’’

activity,” Knap advises.

If your pet has special health conditions, or you need help integrating exercise into your dog’s routine, there are plenty of options and people who can help. Knap runs a program called “Shape up, Pup!” to help owners develop practical, individualized plans to safely achieve and maintain ideal body weight for their pets. This program and others like it have special equipment, such as doggy treadmills, that make exercise more fun for your pet.

For further information about your pet’s ideal weight and exercising with your animals, talk to your local veterinarian.

Source: University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Urbana.

AG Mag

45

Ag community keeping an eye on Springfield Budget, taxes, ethanol top farmers’ list of concerns

BY PAM EGGEMEIER For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Alex T. Paschal/NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Gov. Pat Quinn speaks during a visit to Sterling on Sept. 22, 2013.

Budgetary constraints, income taxes, and renewable fuels are key state issues that farmers are eyeing in 2014.

Ag producers are anxious to see the fiscal year 2015 budget plan that was expected from Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn in late February.

Preliminary numbers show a budget shortfall of about $2 billion for 2015. That deficit could approach $4 billion by fiscal year 2016 if the Legislature does not extend a temporary income tax increase that is set to

expire at the end of this year.

In January 2011, a bill was passed to raise the income tax on individuals to 5 percent, up from 3 percent. The rationale for the tax was that it was needed in the short term to pay down a backlog of state bills. The tax has padded the state’s general fund to the tune of about $7.2 billion a year.

Lawmakers would have to vote to extend the tax, not something they would prefer to do with elections looming in November.

Continued on 474

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46 Spring 2014

4Continued from 46 Making things more difficult for Quinn is that although the tax increase sunsets at the beginning of 2015, the new fiscal year begins this coming July 1.

“The government must by law build the budget on current legislation,” said Kevin Semlow, director of state legislation for Illinois Farm Bureau. “If this sunsets in January 2015, the governor won’t have that money for half of a fiscal year.”

Farmers fear that a larger budget deficit could bring the governor’s ax to a variety of ag programs.

“We’re still looking at broader issues such as pensions, school funding, budget and the temporary tax,” Bureau County Farm Bureau Manager Jill Frueh said. “Less money could bring cuts to inspection programs, Extension programs, and Soil and Water Conservation Districts, as well as fee increases.”

In November, the EPA proposed to lower the amount of renewable fuels in gaso-

line, setting off a whirlwind of lobbying activity at the local level and in Washington. Included would be ethanol, biodiesel, and cellulosic biofuels. The proposed rule has sent fear into grain and energy markets, and threatened the stability of investments with biofuels producers.

“We’ve really been gearing up for our efforts against the EPA proposal,” Frueh said.

Those efforts include an Illinois Farm Bureau petition drive that warns of the damage the EPA cutbacks could do to ethanol and biodiesel industries.

Jim Rapp, who raises corn north of Princeton, is District IV director of the Illinois Corn Marketing Board. He also is an investor in Patriot Renewable Fuels in Annawan. He has been heavily involved in efforts to defeat the EPA proposal.

“We’ve sent out emails, news releases, and encouraged people to contact EPA to tell them how important ethanol is to the American farmers,” Rapp said.

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AG Mag

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