BAM-08-22-2013

AG Mag Magic Pill?

NorthCentral Illinois

Experts differ on how health care reform will impact farmers in North Central Illinois

Drought relief: Local farmers will benefit from a record number of federal crop insurance claims Future farmers: How schools prepare Illinois’ students for agriculture careers Bumper crop: The corn crop in Illinois and elsewhere is on course to hit record levels

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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, Kathleen Schultz

10

Reporters & Photographers Derek Barichello, Donna Barker, Goldie Currie, Pam Eggemeier, Lyle Ganther, David Giuliani, Kayla Heimerman, Mike Krabbenhoeft, Barb Kromphardt, Philip Marruffo, Matt Mencarini, Alex T. Paschal, Terri Simon, and Nicole Wiegand

COVER STORY

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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.

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AG Mag

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Index 150 years and counting

Crop insurance program tested

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The drought of 2012 has led to a record high in crop insurance payouts.

A farm in the rolling hills of Marshall County has, among other things, a building that was at the 1908 World Fair.

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4-H changes its ways Society changes fast these days. So, too, do 4-H programs.

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AG Mag

9

Photo illustration by Alex T. Paschal for NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

health

assessment What ‘Obamacare’ will mean for Illinois farmers

F

BY DAVID GIULIANI For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

or Chris Peterson and his wife, health care is no small expense.

In the average year, they spend about $20,000 – an amount that rises every year.

Peterson, who farms in Clear Lake, Iowa, said the Affordable Care Act – otherwise known as Obamacare – isn’t perfect, but it’s better than today’s health system.

10 Summer 2013

More than a third of farmers get insurance on the individual market – a far greater proportion than the rest of society.

People who get insurance from their employers don’t have to worry about pre-existing conditions. They’re on group plans, so every member gets the same coverage and premiums.

Many farm families have off-farm employment that gets them relatively affordable insurance. Others, though, don’t have that advantage. They must go into the insurance market on their own. continued on 124

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AG Mag

11

CONTINUED FROM 10 For the Petersons, who have preexisting conditions, that’s particularly tough. Chris has diabetes, and his wife, Kristi, has a heart murmur.

Combined, they pay $16,000 a year in health insurance premiums, up from $13,000 just 3 years ago. They both have $2,500 deductibles. After their deductibles, they pay 20 percent of the cost of their major surgeries.

“That’s a high percentage of our income on a yearly basis. We are tapped out,” said Chris, 58. “We really are at the whims of the marketplace.”

Because of the high costs, he said, they’re not getting all the care they need.

“I put off doctor visits. My wife has a bad ankle. She should have surgery,” he said. “My wife and I are living for and hoping for Medicare at 65.”

Study: Health-care costs burden farmers Starting in 2014, the Affordable Care Act will take effect. Health care exchanges will be set up for each state – either by the federal government or the states themselves. The law also involves mandates, subsidies and tax credits to increase the number of insured people.

Under its provisions, insurance companies no longer will be able to charge higher rates to people with pre-existing conditions.

David Derong/For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Chris Peterson, 58, farms in Clear Lake, Iowa. He said he spends about $20,000 a year on health care, an expense that rises annually. “That’s a high percentage of our income on a yearly basis,” Peterson said. “We are tapped out. We really are at the whims of the marketplace.”

Few studies have been done on farmers and their health care. Six years ago, though, the Boston-based Access Project examined the situation for farmers in Iowa.

It found that farmers and ranchers were burdened by health care costs. More than

one in six said that health care expenses contributed to financial problems, and one in eight had outstanding medical debt – despite that 93 percent reported having health insurance.

CONTINUED ON 14

Tractors are big cause of farm fatalities Farm work remains among the most dangerous occupations, and tractor accidents are a big reason for that.

The University of Illinois keeps data on farm-related deaths, better than what’s available in some other states.

From 1986 to 2011, the university logged 801 such deaths – 44 percent of which were tractor accidents.

During the 25-year period, nearly 55 percent of the tractor accidents were overturns, claiming 193 lives. The second biggest factor involved those who fell off their tractors and were run over by them, claiming 49 lives.

Overall, 12.9 percent of farm-related deaths were connected to other farm equipment, 10.6 percent were roadwayrelated, and 8.2 percent were in grain bins, according to the university’s data.

In 2010, two teen workers were killed at a Mount Carroll grain bin, when they became engulfed in corn while machinery was emptying the bin. OSHA cited the company for a number of infractions, including failing to provide body har-

12 Summer 2013

Farm-related deaths The University of Illinois keeps track of farm fatalities. Here are the numbers of fatalities and type of incidents from 1986 to 2011: Tractor .................................... 353 Farm equipment ...................... 103 Roadway-related ....................... 85 Grain bins .................................. 66 Electrocution ............................. 32 Animal ....................................... 20 Power take-off (PTO) ................. 18 Manure pit/storage ...................... 7 ATV ............................................. 6 Other ....................................... 111 TOTAL..................................... 801 Source: University of Illinois

nesses and lifelines to workers and failing to ensure all mechanical equipment was shut down before workers entered the bin.

The number of farm-related deaths has stayed about the same over the years. In

the case of tractor fatalities, the number ranges from 10 to 13 a year.

Chris Peterson, a farmer in Clear Lake, Iowa, said the agricultural industry has far too many unnecessary accidents.

“The problem is the older tractors [without rollover protection],” he said. “There are a lot of them out there. Most of the guys are smaller farmers. They don’t have the financial ability to get new ones.

That’s a huge problem.”

Bill Field, an agricultural professor at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., said the last tractors without rollover protection were sold in the 1980s. So the agricultural tractor fleet is gradually becoming safer, he said.

“There is a big number of them still without protective structures over them,” said Field, who specializes in agricultural safety. “I’ve been doing injury prevention work for years. It’s much easier to raise money to deal with a crisis. It’s easier to get people to turn up for a training program to respond to a farm accident rather than prevent one.”

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AG Mag

13

CONTINUED FROM 12 According to the project’s survey, 59 percent of respondents had household incomes between $40,000 and $100,000, with their health care costs constituting between 7 percent and 16 percent of their income. In that income range, according to the project, those who spend more than 10 percent on health care are considered underinsured.

The study showed that 62 percent who bought insurance in the individual market had high-premium policies, compared to about one in five who got their insurance through off-farm employment.

Thirty-seven percent of the respondents bought insurance on the individual market, compared with 8 percent of the population nationally.

“For many farm and ranch operators,” the Access Project concluded, “their only real choices may be to scale back their operations, so they or a family member can obtain off-farm employment in order to obtain better insurance coverage or dip into savings that could be reinvested in the farm or ranch in order to pay for health care.”

‘Not what the doctor ordered’ Experts differ on whether the Affordable Care Act will help or hurt farmers.

‘‘

When you are out purchasing insurance on your own, you buy what you can afford. If you have pre-existing conditions, you are out of luck. You either can’t get covered or it’s way more expensive.

Jon Bailey, director of research at the Center for Rural Affairs

Jon Bailey, the director of research at the Center for Rural Affairs in Lyons, Neb., said his group believes the law could benefit farmers.

“When you are out purchasing insurance on your own, you buy what you can afford,” he said. “If you have preexisting conditions, you are out of luck.

You either can’t get covered or it’s way more expensive.”

In a group plan, by contrast, the risk is spread among all members.

“Where I work, we have 30 employees,” Bailey said. “That’s not a big group, but it’s bigger than a single person. Premiums are reduced.”

Farmers who go on the individual market don’t have that advantage.

“A lot of farmers who we talk to get health insurance, but they call it bankruptcy insurance: It’s there so you don’t have to sell the farm,” Bailey said. “If someone comes down with a big disease that insurance has to cover, they’re not on the hook for the entire bill.”

’’

But such insurance falls short for preventive care, including checkups.

To be sure, he said, the Affordable Care Act will have its kinks. Then again, Social Security and Medicare, which started decades ago, are widely popular, Bailey said, but policymakers still are finding ways to improve them.

The American Farm Bureau, the nation’s largest farmers organization, opposes the federal law, saying its taxes will hurt bureau members. A tax on health insurance policies, in particular, will affect farm families and business owners.

“The higher taxes and thousands of pages of new regulations that come with ACA are certainly not what the doctor ordered for a recovering Main Street economy,” Erin Anthony, the editor of Farm Bureau News, said in a March opinion piece.

CONTINUED ON 15

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CONTINUED FROM 14 She and other Farm Bureau officials didn’t return calls for comment.

Bailey, of the Center for Rural Affairs, disagreed with the Farm Bureau.

“The health insurance tax only applies to policies of a certain high dollar amount,” he said. “I don’t think it’ll apply to a bigger portion of farmers than other segments of the population. Middleclass farm families have policies valued like much of the rest of society.”

Besides, he said, the Farm Bureau’s view on the Affordable Care Act is more ideological than anything else.

“They, like a lot of organizations, have characterized it as a government takeover of health care, but the government is not going to tell you which doctor to go to,” Bailey said.

The National Farmers Union, the second largest farmers group, parts company with the Farm Bureau by supporting the Affordable Care Act. “Farmers, ranchers and rural residents face significant barriers to obtaining accessible, affordable health care,” the group said in a statement last year. “The ACA contains significant, necessary reforms that help all Americans, including those who are self-employed and purchasing from the individual market. ...”

The Farmers Union said it would work with the Obama administration to ensure the law is carried out as written.

The Wisconsin affiliate of the Farmers Union also came out for the law, backing its exchanges in particular. “[Farmers] often pay way too much for terrible coverage,” Darin Von Ruden, president of the Wisconsin Farmers Union, said in an opinion piece last year.

“Some are uninsurable because of the highrisk nature of farming. ...

Exchanges will broaden risk pools for these people and bring down costs of insurance and health care dollars spent.”

Milan farmer worries about the ‘what ifs’

BY TERRI SIMON For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Dave Snyder gets a faraway look in his eyes when he speaks of the health insurance he wishes he could afford for his family. At 34 years old, the rural Milan farmer understands the land, the livestock and grain that grows there, and the uncertainty of having to gamble with the elements each year to keep his nearly 250 acres profitable.

It’s clear. He loves his family; he loves his land ... but he doesn’t love gambling with his family’s health.

“My oldest son fell off his bike last year and broke his arm,” Snyder said. “I’m ashamed to admit we are still paying off that hospital bill 13 months later.

“We don’t have insurance. ... Oh, I’ve checked on it plenty of times, but when you start talking about upward of $1,500 to $1,800 a month ... Well, let’s just say the words ‘over the counter’ have become our best friend,”

‘Someone will have to pay for it’ Bill Field, an agricultural professor at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., said the Affordable Care Act’s effects will be mixed.

“Because of the large number of farmers who are underinsured, [the Affordable Care Act] will provide an avenue for at least catastrophic coverage,” said Field, who has long specialized in agricultural safety and health issues. “But I don’t think there is enough money in the United States to pay for everything they [policymakers] are expecting to pay for. Someone will have to pay for it.”

In other words, he said, while underinsured farmers benefit, those on the upper end who always have enjoyed good insurance will see higher bills.

The problem, Field said, is that the Affordable Care Act and health care in general puts too little emphasis on prevention. For instance, much greater attention should be paid to obesity, he said.

Those on the lower end, Field said, tend to weigh more and make riskier lifestyle choices.

“We may cause someone

Snyder said.

He said his family seldom goes to the doctor – only when absolutely necessary. Instead, they rely on over-the-counter medication to cure their ailments.

Snyder said his wife and four children have been relatively healthy. An occasional doctor’s visit now and then isn’t too difficult to handle, but he worries about hospital stays, serious illnesses, and even catastrophic events.

“I’m gambling right now, and I don’t like it,” he said. “It’s always in the back of my mind ... the what ifs.”

The couple have three children under school age, Snyder said, but his wife plans to reenter the work force once their children are in school.

“We know her paycheck will go primarily for our family’s health insurance, but that’s OK,” he said. “We’ve decided it would be worth it, just so we don’t have to worry every day about what could happen.”

who does not have those risky behaviors to compensate others with those behaviors,” Field said. “It’s a greater form of charity.

We’re not going to request people to change how they live. We’ll be in crisis management.”

In farmer Chris Peterson’s view, the Affordable Care Act is a step forward. But he had hoped for more government involvement in the healthcare system, acknowledging

that many farmers disagree with him.

“A lot of farmers are propagandized by the Farm Bureau and Republicans.

They thought Obamacare was a poison pill and that we were better off without it,” Peterson said. “I was for single payer and was a major proponent of the public option to give insurance companies some heartburn, but the health exchanges will help to some degree.”

Alex T. Paschal/For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Brad and Erin Shippert have a high-deductible health insurance plan that will be put to the test as Erin, 30, battles pancreatic cancer that has metastasized to her liver. “A few prescriptions may get a little expensive,” Brad, 29, said. “Travel expenses are our biggest thing right now.” Erin is getting care at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, considered one of the best cancer treatment centers in the country.

Here, Brad and Erin and daughter, Reagan, 1, explore the new porch in their Eldena home in June.

AG Mag

15

optimistic outlook

Alex T. Paschal/For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

The corn and soybeans crops on Andy Pratt’s farm in Nachusa are “the best they’ve looked in years.” This year, he said, is much better than 2012, when the days and nights were much warmer. “[The corn] never shut down, so it just drained itself,” Pratt said.

Crops planted late, but progressing at record pace

BY MATT MENCARINI For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

R

ock Katschnig is sitting behind the wheel of his red 2001 Kenworth T800 series truck, hauling about 925 bushels of corn to an ethanol plant in Annawan. He looks as comfortable behind the wheel as he would in a recliner in his living room.

Driving south on state Route 78, he points out fields of corn that have been damaged by weather, and others that have just started to tassel. He seems slightly skepti16 Summer 2013

‘‘

’’

Right now, on the first of July, this is the best they’ve looked in years. And it’s almost scary good. Mother Nature could turn its wicked hand in a hurry.

Andy Pratt, farmer in Nachusa on his corn and soybean crops

cal of the predictions of a record corn yield this year, but says farmers in northern Illinois are far better off than those in the southern part of the state. nnn Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture lowered, by 55 million bushels, its 2013 estimate of the corn crop nationally, to an expected 13.95

billion bushels. However, that still would beat the record set in 2009 by about 858 million bushels.

About two-thirds of Katschnig’s 3,500 acres is commercial corn, and all of it will, at some point, make its way to Patriot Renewable Fuel LLC, just 10 miles from his fields west of Hooppole.

He’ll make the trip about twice as many times as he did a year ago.

Continued on 174

CONTINUED FROM 16 Those added trips, which take him about an hour each, are the result of much better crop conditions than a year ago. The first field Katschnig planted this year had started to tassel by July 10.

“Corn has been showing rapid growth in the past week as average height increased by 16 inches, up to 48 inches,” said the July 8 Illinois Weather and Crop report from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

“Ample rain,” the report said, led to significant crop development, although silking and corn height both were below the 5-year average.

Just over half of the state’s corn conditions (51 percent, according to the report) were rated as good, and 17 percent were rated as excellent. For soybeans, 61 percent of the state’s conditions were rated as good, and 12 percent were rated as excellent.

The report reflects what Andy Pratt has been seeing on his own land. Since, 2000, Pratt has been farming full-

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The abundant rains of 2013 are helping Illinois farmers recover from the drought of 2012.

According to Illinois State climatologist James Angel, the statewide average precipitation for 2012 was 30.4 inches, which is 9.6 inches below the 1981-2010 average, thus making 2012 the 10th driest year on record for the state.

But the good news for Illinois farmers is 2013 got off to a precipitation-filled start, Angel said.

During the first six months of 2013, Illinois experienced above-average precipitation in every month but March. In fact, April was the fourth wettest April on record, and May was the 12th wettest. Angel said that in some locations throughout the state, more precipitation was actually received during the first six months of 2013 than in all 12 months of 2012.

According to WQAD News 8 meteorologist

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James Zahara of Moline, the above-average precipitation so far this year is obviously helping with soil conditions.

The key to good soil conditions is to saturate the subsoil, which is below grass roots, Zahara said.

Looking at the 2012-13 weather seasons, Zahara Meteorologist said what made the 2013 James Zahara winter a bit different from the 2012 winter season is the fact the ground was not frozen in many spots across the state. Even though the state was lacking in snowfall, it is doing better than average for rainfall, the meteorologist said.

“Keep that [subsoil] wet through spring, and we’re talking comforting news for farmers,” Zahara said.

The U.S. Drought Monitor has predicted no drought conditions through the summer and into September.

miles west of Dixon.

“Right now, on the first of July, this is the best they’ve looked in years,” Pratt said from the porch of his home, looking out toward his grain

bins and land. “And it’s almost scary good. Mother Nature could turn its wicked hand in a hurry.”

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Gunnar Ortgiesen is the chief financial officer and general manager of Tettens Grain near Sterling. He said that many farmers have been hesitant to forward contract their grain, but are beginning to get more comfortable as the growing season advances.

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The further into the growing season it gets, he added, the more comfortable he and others can be about their predictions.

“For the crop that’s growing right now, the expectation is that they will be selling it for a much lower price than last year’s stock,” Good said.

“Livestock is more stable.”

Simply put, more corn means a lower price, but it doesn’t necessarily have to mean less profit for farmers.

Gunnar Ortgiesen is a symbol of modern-day farming.

The 28-year-old Dixon resident spends much of his day at a desk, looking at three computer screens. To his left, there’s a window that looks out onto Dan Koster’s farm in Sterling. Ortgiesen is the chief financial officer and general manager of Tettens Grain LLC. “I believe there’s going to be a lot of grain to go around come fall,” he said.

“Some farmers knew that a few months ago, or felt that that was going to be the case with the amount of acres that were supposed to get planted, and I believe did get planted. So some farmers had sold ahead; some have not.”

©2013 GROWMARK, Inc. M13849A

Continued on 194

CONTINUED FROM 18 So far this year, Ortgiesen said, a lot of farmers have been hesitant to forward contract, but are beginning to get more comfortable as the growing season moves through July.

“July and August, that’s when the grain gets made with the weather,” he added.

“Hopefully, we’ll continue the weather trend, and it sounds like we will – depending on which weather guy you talk to.”

Tettens Grain has smaller storage space, about 1.6 million bushels, than larger facilities in the area, Ortgiesen said. As a result, he said, they tend to “turn” their storage over often.

“We know that in the fall, if there’s a big crop, we’re going to have to be trucking corn out,” he said. “So we sold some ahead, knowing that we’re always going to be trucking it out. … Price doesn’t really matter to us, because we hedge everything off on the [Chicago] Board of Trade so we don’t have the price risk.”

It’s the basis levels, Ortgiesen said, that he watches more closely and that are more closely tied to demand, which can be high even when a lot of corn is expected.

“Very fortunately, we have more markets for our corn,” Katschnig said. “We have an ethanol plant in Annawan, Illinois, we have an ethanol plant in Galva, Illinois, and we have a rail load out facility in Sterling. … Previously, it was 50 miles to the Illinois River.

That’s where all our grain went, the Illinois River.”

Four years ago, Patriot Renewable Fuel LLC built the facility in Annawan, thanks to the town’s proximity to Interstate 80 and state Routes 78 and 6. That plant, along with Big River Resources Galva and Rock River Lumber and Grain, in Sterling, Katschnig says, has created not only increased demand for the corn in the area, but also easier and faster delivery to those facilities.

And unlike 2012, when a drought greatly reduced the corn crop and drove corn pric-

es up, this year’s biggest concern seems to be the fact that most crops were planted late.

“Only some of the earlier planted crops have begun to silk,” Mark Schleusener, census manager with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, said in early July. “It’s going to be behind.

It doesn’t mean a horrible terrible year;; it just means behind.”

Because of the late planting, and some underperforming crops, Schleusener said, the yield report released in August will be highly scrutinized by the market and will have a bigger impact on this year’s corn prices than the previous weekly crop reports his office released.

As Katschnig pulls up to the weigh station at Annawan to deliver a load of corn he sold about three months ago, his cellphone rings from his belt clip. The call was from grain merchandiser for Consolidated Grain and Barge Enterprises Inc. Corn had gone up $0.18, and the basis had improved.

“A lot or farmers’ bins are empty this time of year,” Katschnig said after making a counteroffer – which later was accepted, he said – and hanging up.

“A week, two weeks ago, corn was down to $6.60; now it’s up to $7.10 [cash]. That’s a huge swing. That’s 50 cents per bushel. That’s $500 per load. So it’s just like rolling the dice. It’s just like rolling the dice in Las Vegas.”

Katschnig unloaded his corn, made his way back through the exit weight station, and started the 10-mile drive back to his crops. About halfway to his land, it started to rain.

“We’re over the hump,” he said. “We certainly need rain [in] August, during ear-fill.

But at least, at this point in time now, when we have a crop that looks like it does right now, and we have the amount of rain we’ve gotten, … we’re at least going to have something.

“Last year we had a lot of fields that were nothing. …

Now, we know we’re going to have something.”

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AG Mag

19

Sinking their roots in the soil

More than 150 years of working the land

Verle Kolb (from left), Sandra Kolb, Larry Kolb and Curtis Kolb stand before the machine shed that was once on display at the 1908 Chicago World’s Fair.

Sandra’s grandfather ordered the machine shed, which was then transported by train to the farm.

By Barb Kromphardt For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

The rolling hills of Bell Plain Township in Marshall County have provided a fertile land for more than 150 years of farming by the Kolb family.

In September 1855, Benjamin Thomas Foster staked his claim to the land that is now being farmed by his great-greatgreat-grandson, Curtis Kolb.

The farm was passed from Foster to his son, Charles William, and then to Charles’ daughter, Dorothy Foster Rae. Continued on 214

Barb Kromphardt/For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

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Verle Kolb (from left), Larry Kolb, Curtis Kolb and Sandra Kolb display their Illinois Sesquicentennial Farm Sign, which is mounted on the old hitching post used by Sandra’s grandfather, Charles Foster. CONTINUED FROM 20 It was then passed to Rae’s daughter, Sandra Rae Kolb, who farmed the land with her husband, Verle, until a couple of years ago when their son, Larry, and grandson, Curtis, took over the reins.

Reins are an appropriate image for the Kolb farm.

“He was quite a stockman, my grandpa,” Sandra said.

Charles Foster raised draft horses in the barn just down the hill.

“He had stud stallions for breeding mares for all the neighbors and farmers when they had the horse-drawn plows,” Larry said.

The barn dates back to about 1868 and is a bank – or two-story – barn.

The barn isn’t the only old building still being used.

There’s another barn – the new barn – that’s only about 104 years old.

And then there’s the machine shed.

“The machine shed was actually a building that was exhibited at the Chicago World Fair in 1908, and then my great-grandfather hauled it in by train because the train tracks go right by here, and they put it up,” Larry said.

Sandra is happy to see her son and grandson continuing the family tradition.

“It was my great-grandfather’s, and then it got to me,” she said. “It means a lot to me.”

100 years and counting

The number of centennial farms in the sevencounty area: Bureau - 196 Henry - 209 LaSalle - 271 Marshall - 81 Putnam - 28 Rock Island - 56 Stark - 62

Source: Illinois Department of Agriculture as of July 1, 2013.

For Larry, who was born in the farm’s centennial year, raising swine and sheep and growing corn and soybeans on the land trod by his ancestors is a good way of life.

“It’s just been passed down through the generations, and it’s just a love of the land,” he said. “It’s been a good farm to raise livestock and crops on.”

Curtis, 33, who returned to full-time farming in 2009, plans to continue on with the family heritage.

Curtis is making wedding plans, and he looks to raise a seventh generation of children on the land tamed by his ancestors.

“If agriculture is something they had an interest in some day, it would be kind of cool to see them continue on the heritage and the farming lifestyle,” he said.

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AG Mag

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Philip Marruff

Kevin Kurz, a junior at Ashton-Franklin Center High School in Lee County, fills the food bins for sheep at the farm of Rick Petitt, who teach Agriculture eduction, Petitt said, used to be more career oriented. “Nowadays, it’s more education focused,” he said. “Kids are generatio

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who teaches agriculture at the school. generations away from the farm.”

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arl Erbsen hardly recognizes his students these days.

“When I started teaching, half my kids came from the farm,” he said. “Now, I’m lucky if two of my students live on a farm.”

The overwhelming majority of students, even in the most rural school districts, are generations removed from the family farm.

School calendars once revolved around the planting, cultivating and harvesting schedule, and textbooks used to include plenty of agricultural references and examples.

Indeed, farming, farm animals, and crops were a familiar part of life, even for the youngest of children. Not anymore. nnn The agriculture education programs in schools – at least those still in existence –

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focus more on exposure, rather than vocational training.

Curriculum at the elementary and middle school levels now is centered on fostering an appreciation for agriculture, while curriculum in the high schools is concentrated on building an interest in agriculture careers and preparing students for college.

It is the highly technical, highly specialized programs offered by community colleges that really educate and train people to work in agriculture.

Erbsen, 43, who teaches second grade at Eastland Elementary School in Shannon in Carroll County, is the current Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom Teacher of the Year. He believes young people should have an appreciation for agriculture.

“It’s important our kids know what agriculture is about,” he said. “They really need to know where things come from and the process by which those things get here.”

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CONTINUED FROM 23 The Agriculture in the Classroom program was created in 1981 to integrate agriculture with reading, writing and arithmetic and reinforce the significant role agriculture plays in everyday life.

The program is known today as an easy and flexible way to supplement and enhance existing curriculum.

The program still aims to expose youths to agriculture, but agriculture has come to include more than just farming, said Katie Pratt, the ag literacy coordinator in Lee County.

“We used to say it was about corn, beans, pigs and cows,” she said. “But now, we talk about food, gardens, alternative energy, and conservation [of resources], too.”

The Agriculture in the Classroom program is most popular among elementary and middle school teachers.

Agriculture education looks a bit different at the high school level.

Most schools, at least the more rural ones, still have bona fide agriculture education programs and supplemental ag-related activities, such as FFA (formerly Future Farmers of America) clubs. Although some of the largest schools in relatively rural areas in the past decade have eliminated agriculture programs.

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Philip Marruffo/For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Members of Rick Petitt’s FFA class at Ashton-Franklin Center High School in Lee County work through the summer learning how to properly care for farm animals.

While some of the largest schools in relatively rural areas have eliminated agriculture programs, most schools still have them.

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By Goldie Currie For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Illinois has more than 300 agriculturerelated careers to choose from, according to an advocacy profile released by the National Association of Agriculture Educators (NAAE).

Agriculture is the largest industry in the state, employing 25 percent of workers. In counties in NorthCentral Illinois, jobs and careers range from farming and raising livestock to seed sales, chemical sales and marketing.

During the past eight years, Willard Mott, an agriculture instructor at Bureau Valley High School in Manlius, has guided students into all areas of agriculture.

“The industry continues to stay very strong,” he said. “Therefore, the availability of agriculture jobs continues to be good.”

The education required to get a foot in the door of an agriculture career ranges from a high school diploma to a bachelor’s degree – and in some cases, a doctoral degree.

As with any other career, students have to determine how successful they want to be in the agricultural career

of their choosing, according to John Heiser, FFA instructor at Putnam County High School. The higher the position that students strive for, the more education will be needed to be successful.

“It’s all about what you want to accomplish in life,” he said. “Education is going to get you further.”

Breaking it down, a two- to four-year degree will be beneficial in all agriculture careers. In other technical careers, such as machinery mechanics and welding, specific training at a community college or in a technical training program is required.

“The good part is most people willing to work hard and who have good employability skills can find a job in the agriculture field,” Mott said.

The NAAE data show that at the postsecondary level, 29 four-year colleges and technical schools in the state offer agriculture courses. There are 27 agriculture or related majors to choose from at universities across the state.

The agribusiness industry contributes more than $13.5 billion to the state’s economy.

With agriculture having such a strong

impact in the economy and the leading industry in the state, it is pushing area high schools to maintain an up-to date-curriculum that meets the current industry standards and needs.

“As more and more students do not come from a farming background, it becomes more and more important that we build a foundation of concepts and ideas at the high school level,” Mott said. “Agriculture curriculum has to build a foundation of general knowledge, motivate students, develop critical thinking skills and problemsolving skills needed in the agriculture industry.”

For Mott, Heiser and other area agriculture instructors, it’s about preparing a good foundation of agriculture knowledge in all areas and developing employability skills, such as integrity, goal setting and time management.

“I feel that when the students leave my classroom, they will be prepared to pursue a local job or a higher degree in the area of agriculture that interest them most,” Mott said. “Ultimately, our local curriculum is designed to educate, motivate and inspire students to pursue a career in agriculture.”

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CONTINUED FROM 24 Schools with dedicated programs and teachers no longer offer ag classes as vocational training. They instead offer classes to engage students in a smattering of ag-related fields and prepare them for the next level, said two agriculture teachers: Rick Petitt at Ashton-Franklin Center High School in Lee County and Sara Conner at Prophetstown High School in Whiteside County.

Teachers introduce students to the stand-bys, such as plant and animal science, but also more modern applications, such as mechanics, communications and business.

“The difference is, years ago, it probably was more career oriented, where nowadays, it’s more education focused,” Petitt said. “Kids are generations away from the farm. Their knowledge of agriculture is more limited.

It becomes more an education about agriculture than a preparation for a career. … That’s what we have to do: try to reconnect the kids.”

Conner added that the “face of agriculture” had changed.

“And our programs have started to reflect that,” she said. “We’re developing their interest in potential careers. ... We’re getting them classes where they can see another side. ... It’s more 21st century agriculture, showing them

what they really have an opportunity to do.”

Teachers also are preparing students for college, as many jobs in the agriculture industry require bachelor’s degrees, if not more education after high school, and as more career and technical education classes must meet college and career readiness standards.

“It’s not just vocational anymore,” Conner said.

Students, it seems, now demand more ag programming in their schools, possibly because they are aware of the sheer number of available, in-demand and high-paying ag-related jobs, said Pam Clodfelter, the ag literacy coordinator in Whiteside County.

“We need to keep sparking that interest … and making them aware of their planet and where their food and their products come from,” she said. “And how they can be involved in that.”

Post-secondary schools Agriculture education is perhaps at its best at the community college level.

Two-year colleges are equipped to train people for careers, whether in agriculture or another industry, said Andrew Larson, an agronomy professor and agriculture department co-chair at Blackhawk College in Galva, southeast

of the Quad Cities.

“We really promote – in all of our career programs – applied education,” he said.

“We focus on things students will need to go out into the industry and work.”

Blackhawk has a robust ag program that dates back about 50 years. The college offers two tracks: one for students who intend to transfer to a major university, such as the University of Illinois or Iowa State University, to study agriculture, and one for students who want to quickly move into work in the agriculture industry.

The school’s transfer degree options include agriculture, horticulture and animal science, while its terminal, career programs include management, production and mechanics.

Community colleges constantly are adapting and changing their programs to reflect the needs and wants of the industry. They are able to adjust to developments in the industry because their faculty members often are engaged in their fields outside of their lecture halls and in regular contact with regional employers, Larson said.

“We [community colleges] can react to industry faster than the universities can,” he said. “If Growmark says, ‘We need more people who can do this,’ then, bam, we add it to a class.

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Telling ag’s story at Smithsonian

F

rom the horse-powered plows of the first settlers to the GPS-driven combines of today’s farmers, agriculture has played an important role in the history of Illinois. And farmers in our state have helped shape the heritage of the entire nation by providing food, fuel and fiber as the United States grew from a colony into a world leader.

The importance of agriculture to Illinois and the nation will be celebrated in a new exhibition called “American Enterprise” at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. The display will feature objects that represent innovations to build museum visitors’ awareness of the many contributions farmers have made to this nation, such as biotechnology and environmental awareness. Just a few examples of items you’ll be able to see include Eli Whitney’s cotton gin, a 1920s Fordson tractor, Barbara McClintock’s microscope, and Stanley Cohen’s recombinant-DNA research notebook.

The United Soybean Board (USB) recognized the importance of telling

SHARON COVERT Member, United Soybean Board Executive Committee agriculture’s story and decided to help sponsor the 8,000-square-foot exhibition, which is scheduled to open in 2015.

“Despite the drop in the number of individuals involved in farming over the years, productivity has skyrocketed, and agriculture has evolved into a technology-driven profession in which the decisions made from the cab of a tractor are akin to those made in a CEO’s office,” said John Gray, director of the museum.

It’s important for Illinois farmers to tell our story and promote the importance of agriculture to our nation’s history and economy. No one knows how much agriculture has evolved over the past 70 years better than America’s farmers.

I encourage farmers to visit the

museum’s website, www.americanhistory.si.edu/agheritage, to help shape the exhibit and highlight the ways innovations and technology have helped to continually improve our industry. The museum is seeking stories, photographs and other agricultural memorabilia. A few suggested themes for submissions include personal experiences, technology, biotechnology, finance, the environment, competition, safety, animals, water and labor.

Stories will be used by the Smithsonian’s staff to help prepare the “American Enterprise” exhibitions and others, and could be featured on the museum’s blog and social media entities. Accepted submissions will be made available to the public on the Internet.

Whether you’re a sixth-generation farmer or the first in your family to use a planter, you are helping shape our state and country. Your story is one that deserves to be told, and there’s no better time than now.

Sharon Covert is a member of the United Soybean Board’s Executive Committee and a soybean farmer from Tiskilwa in Bureau County.

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AG Mag

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‘PEOPLE-PLEASING FOOD, COMFORT FOOD’ Mendota farmer’s wife is happiest in the kitchen

BY TERRI SIMON For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Terri Simon/For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Sharon Funfsinn takes a minute from her culinary masterpiece to pose for a photo in her rural Mendota home. The farmer’s wife is known for her excellent cooking and baking.

MENDOTA – Sharon Funfsinn and her husband, Ken, have about 220 acres in LaSalle and Bureau counties – a beautiful piece of land that truly embraces the serenity of country life. That piece of property is coupled with the hard work the couple have accomplished throughout the years – enabling them to retire from farming three years ago.

While the idea of turning off the combine and giving a tenant farmer the opportunity to farm their land was appealing, there is clearly one thing Sharon didn’t include in her retirement portfolio. …

“I love to cook,” she said without hesi-

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tation. “I always wish I could have had a restaurant, a little tearoom.”

Sharon cooks and bakes as easily as a farmer plants and harvests his fields.

She calls her type of cooking “peoplepleasing food, comfort food,” and she admits she loves to entertain and features many of her specialties on her dining room table.

“Ken always tells people, ‘She’s happiest when she’s rattling her pots and pans,’ and he’s right,” Sharon said, adding she enjoys sharing her culinary masterpieces with friends and former co-workers.

CONTINUED ON 29

4Continued from 28 “Lots of times, there will be something sitting on the counter, and Ken will ask, ‘Is this for here or to go?”

While Sharon said she is probably best known for her chocolate chip cookies, which include corn flakes, oatmeal and lots of nuts, her favorite items to make are pies – apple, peach, praline … all varieties. Her eyes light up and she laughs easily when she talks about the delicate craft of making the perfect pie crust.

Sharon didn’t hesitate when asked what her favorite food is – fried chicken.

And she said Ken likes her meat loaf and mashed potatoes. She likes to prepare “a good, balanced meal – balanced in taste and color,” and she takes pleasure in serving those meals to others.

Sharon’s recipes – hundreds and hundreds of them – primarily live in her head. While she admits she sticks to the recipe, rather than adding a dash of this or a dollop of that, she knows her favorite dishes by heart.

While there are only a few dishes Sharon doesn’t really care for – oyster stew and okra – she collects recipes like they are coveted treasures, and her tidy kitchen immediately makes you feel at home ... as the scent of another wonderful masterpiece wafts through her rural Mendota home.

Recipes from Sharon Funfsinn’s kitchen Chicken Asparagus Casserole 1 pound frozen asparagus or 1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus 1/2 cup flour 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1/8 teaspoon paprika 6 4- to 6-ounce skinless boneless chicken breasts 1/4 cup butter 1 can cream of chicken or mushroom soup (only 1) 1 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup chopped pimento (optional) 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese Cook or steam asparagus and drain.

Arrange on bottom of a 13-by-9-inch dish. Set aside. Dredge chicken in flour mixture (flour, salt, pepper and paprika).

Brown chicken in 1/4 cup of butter on both sides. Place on top of asparagus.

In a separate bowl, mix soup, cream, pimento, salt and pepper. Pour over chicken pieces. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes at 350° or until bubbly. (I cook 50 to 60 minutes.) Serve over cooked white rice. Absolutely delicious.

Terri Simon/For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Whether it’s a cinnamon coffeecake or a strawberry/rhubarb cobbler, Sharon Funfsinn enjoys cooking and baking. Funfsinn has countless recipes that reside in her head, ready at a moment’s notice.

Three Bean Salad 1 can green beans 1 can yellow beans 1 can kidney beans 1/2 cup chopped onions 1/2 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup chopped green pepper Dressing 1/2 cup salad oil 1/2 cup vinegar 3/4 cup sugar Salt and pepper to taste Pour over beans and let stand in refrigerator overnight. Keeps a long time in refrigerator. I always double it.

Broccoli Salad 2 bunches fresh broccoli 10 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled 1 medium onion, chopped

1 package of sunflower seeds, approximately 1/2 cup Dressing 1/2 cup sugar 1 1/2 cups Miracle Whip 4 tablespoons vinegar Mix and pour over broccoli mix when dinner is served.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie 2 cups rhubarb 2 cups strawberries 1 1/3 cups sugar 1/2 cup flour Mix all together. Put in unbaked shell.

Dot with butter, top with crust. Bake at 450° for 50 minutes. Use 10-inch pie crust. Very full pie.

Continued on 304

AG Mag

29

4Continued from 29 Easy Pork Chops 4 pork chops 1 can apple pie filling 1 box Stove Top stuffing prepared as directed on box Brown pork chops; set aside. Put pie filling in 9-inch square pan. Put pork chops on top of filling. Cook Stove Top stuffing and put on top of all pork chops and around the whole dish. Cover with foil and cook at 350° for 1 hour.

Great Peach Pie 6-7 peaches (5 cups) 1/2 cup white sugar 1/4 cup brown sugar 3 tablespoons tapioca 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon lemon juice Peel and slice peaches. Add sugars, tapioca, cinnamon, salt and lemon juice. Put in unbaked shell and dot with butter. Add top crust. Bake at 400° for 40 to 60 minutes.

Melon Salad 1 1/2 cups cantaloupe 1 1/2 cups honey dew melon 1 20-ounce can pineapple chunks, drained 1 11-ounce can mandarin oranges 2 cups halved strawberries Dressing 3/4 cup lemonade concentrate, thawed

1/2 cup orange marmalade Place fruit in large bowl. Mix dressing ingredients and toss with fruit. Garnish with mint leaves.

Hamburger Vegetable Soup 1 pound ground chuck 1 cup onions, chopped 1 cup chopped potatoes 1 cup chopped carrots 1 cup chopped celery 1 cup shredded cabbage 2-4 cups tomato juice 1/4 cup rice or barley 3 cups water 1 tablespoon salt 1/4 teaspoon basil 1/4 teaspoon thyme 2 bay leaves Brown ground check with onions. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.

Cover and simmer one hour. Makes 9 to 10 cups. I always double it.

German Meat Balls 1 can sauerkraut, drained and rinsed 1 can whole cranberry sauce 1 cup brown sugar 1 bottle Heinz chili sauce 1 bottle water Put cranberry sauce, brown sugar and chili sauce in sauce pan; bring to a boil.

Pour over meat balls.

Meat Mixture 3 pounds hamburger

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Tortilla Stack 1 pound ground chuck 2-3 cloves garlic, minced 1 16-ounce can pork and beans 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, do not drain 1 can whole kernel corn, drained 1 can chopped green chilies 1/4 cup barbecue sauce 4 1/2 teaspoons chili powder (I use 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons) 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin (I use 1) 4 10-inch flour tortilla 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (Pepperjack or cheddar) Top with shredded lettuce, red onions, sour cream, tomatoes In a large skillet, cook beef and drain. (I use Dutch oven for less mess.) Add garlic, beans, tomatoes, corn, chilies, barbecue sauce, chili powder and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes (30 minutes isn’t too long). Coat a large, deep skillet with Pam. Place one flour shell in skillet, spread with 1 1/2 cups meat mix. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat. Cover and cook on low heat 15 minutes. For two people, cut meat in half or freeze half. Delicious.

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MATTER OF ECONOMICS Trends show not enough food animal veterinarians

BY DEREK BARICHELLO For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

T

hey brave bad weather, drive far distances on rural roads, and risk the chance of being kicked by animals that grossly outweigh them.

There is no denying that large animal – or food animal – veterinarians face a challenging job.

■■■ Add low profit margins and repaying $100,000 of debt in students loans, and it can become too much, says Pat Gorden, dairy practitioner and admissions committee chairman at Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

CONTINUED ON 32

Alex T. Paschal/For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

FFA members help Dr. Lynda Gould round up sheep for inspection at a farm in Franklin Grove in Lee County. Gould graduated from the University of Illinois in 2009 and has her own practice in Ashton.

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CONTINUED FROM 31 The American Veterinary Medical Association released market research statistics in 2010 that suggested a shortage of food animal veterinarians.

The research indicated that about 15 percent of veterinarians practiced on food animals, compared to about 67 percent of veterinarians who practice exclusively with pets.

The numbers have not changed much, as just short of 15 percent of veterinarians practice on food animals, according to the latest research.

Government agencies are concerned with the shortage of veterinarians in comparison with the number of livestock.

For example, some counties, mostly in the Midwest, have more than 25,000 food animals and no food animal veterinarians, according to the research.

College officials, on the other hand, worry about the government overreacting to the trend.

Gorden said the trend does not surface at Iowa State University, one of the nation’s leading veterinary colleges, until after students graduate, when economics becomes the driving force.

At Iowa State, which has a heavy focus on food animal study, about 40 percent study in the food animal program, compared to just more than half of students

Alex T. Paschal/For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Dr. Lynda Gould of the Ashton Animal Clinic fills out paperwork before inspecting sheep at a farm in Franklin Grove. who want to practice on pets.

Students there study the same core program the first three years and choose a focused area of study in the fourth year.

“Prior to graduation, most of them are interested in food animals,” Gorden said.

“A lot of our students come from a rural background, and want to go back to a rural background. They like the

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ability to work outside, the ability to work with production animals.”

That’s before they graduate.

Gorden said that once graduates leave with about $100,000 of debt in school loans and have to take on a career that allows them to achieve a certain quality of life, their decision becomes more difficult.

CONTINUED ON 34

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BY BARB KROMPHARDT For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Barb Kromphardt/For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Veterinarian Ruel “Buzz” Iliff doesn’t mind making house calls. In fact, Iliff says it’s easier for him to go to his “patients,” rather than have a farmer bring his livestock 60418-0801 Olds Insurance to him. He has seen many changes inAgMag his years as a veterinarian for large animals, including larger herds and the amount of women going into the field.

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It was a good morning for Stark County veterinarian Ruel “Buzz” Iliff.

“We had to do a C-section, but we got the calf out alive and the mother’s up taking care of it,” he said. “That’s what makes it fun.”

Iliff is part of the Wyoming Veterinary Service, a mixed practice that includes cattle, horses and swine with its small animal practice.

Iliff’s primary job is working with the cow herds.

“We semen check the bulls to make sure they’re good going out and vaccinate the cows for major diseases, so we can get them bred in a tight group and calve all at once,” he said.

That’s the regular work.

“Emergency work is calving,” he said.

CONTINUED ON 35

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CONTINUED FROM 32 “They have a mortgage the day they graduate,” Gorden said. “It takes a substantial, competitive salary package in order to have the ability to raise a family and pay their debt. There are some areas of the country where working on livestock pays solid enough to provide that standard of living to allow them to pay off student loans, but not many.”

As a result, many graduates of Iowa State’s farm animal program cannot find a suitable job out of college and compromise their practice.

In general, Gorden said, there is a surplus of veterinary students graduating and not finding jobs out of school.

“Some work in a mixed practice,” Gorden said.

“Others go into clinics in cities working on smaller animals. It’s a matter of going where there are good jobs.”

At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, another leading veterinary college, students enrolled in programs there mirror the national trend.

animals or getting to a farm cuts into profit margins.”

To offset those costs, federal and state governments have created programs to recruit veterinary students to underserved areas.

Illinois is one such state. It enacted a law to create the Veterinary Student Loan Repayment Program.

Each student who enters the program agreement will receive $20,000 a year to cover tuition, books, supplies and other expenses incurred in pursuing a veterinary medicine degree, as long as the program requirements are satisfied, Foreman said.

The program accepts 16 students.

To qualify, students must enroll in a veterinary practice that is at least 51 percent devoted to large animal medicine that enhances agricultural animal health and productivity, or regulatory veterinary medicine that supports public health and safety, livestock biosecurity or food animal disease diagnosis.

Numbers of veterinarians by practice In 2012, the numbers of veterinarians by practice, according to market research and published by the American Veterinary Medical Association Private Clinical: *Food animal exclusive .................. 1,164 ,,,,,,,,,,, 1.8% **Food animal predominant ........... 3,697 ,,,,,,,,,,, 5.7% Mixed animal ................................. 4,284 ,,,,,,,,,,, 6.6% Companion animal predominant .... 6,108 ,,,,,,,,,,, 9.5% Companion animal exclusive ....... 42,695 ,,,,,,,,, 66.2% Equine ........................................... 3,821 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 6% Other ................................................ 717 ,,,,,,,,,,, 1.1% Species unspecified ...................... 2,003 ,,,,,,,,,,, 3.1% * — Food animal exclusive 1,109 1.8% in 2010 ** — Food animal predominant 3,890 6.3% in 2010

About 15 percent of students focus strictly on food animals, compared to about 60 percent of students who focus on pets, said Jonathon Foreman, equine doctor and associate dean for academic and student affairs in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois.

At Illinois, students are given eight weeks of clinical rotations each of their four years, meaning they gain plenty of experience working on both

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large and small animals.

Foreman is not overly concerned with the national trend.

He said most farms that produce food animals are within a larger production unit, and many of them have their own veterinarians on staff.

Foreman said the economy is another major factor in the national trend.

“Gas is $4 a gallon, and diesel is higher than that,” Foreman said. “Transporting large

CONTINUED ON 41

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CONTINUED FROM 33 “With the club calves, the guys are using bulls that are not easy calvers, and so you have to help them get them out sometimes.”

Other work with the cattle includes fly tagging, dehorning calves, castrating and implanting. The implants contain a slow-release growth stimulant that increases muscle growth.

“There’s a huge controversy about it,” Iliff said. “But it’s safe; it’s been proven, and it really does help.”

Iliff graduated from the University of Illinois 34 years ago and has seen many changes in that time.

“The biggest thing is the size of the operations,” he said. “When I first started, our average cow herd was probably 25 cows, and now it’s probably 60 to 70.”

The patients also have gotten bigger with an average market weight of about 300 pounds higher.

Iliff said veterinarians have changed, too. In his class of 86 students, two out of three were men, and half of the class was going into large animal or mixed practice.

“Now out of a class of more than 100, 80 percent are women and less than 10 percent are going into straight food animal practice,” he said.

When Iliff started practicing, every town had a large animal veterinarian.

The farmers had smaller herds, but there

Bark Kromphardt/For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Veterinarian Ruel “Buzz” Iliff readies some equipment in his truck he uses to visit his patients in a 100-mile radius from his home base in Wyoming. were a lot of them. Now there are fewer, larger herds that are located farther apart, which results in a lot of travel.

“It used to be you could stay within a 20-mile radius,” he said, “and now I think our farthest client is about 100 miles out.”

Unlike most human doctors, Iliff makes only house calls.

“Most of our producers have a better

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set-up,” he said. “We can travel cheaper and quicker than they can haul them in.”

Iliff finds a lot of satisfaction in his work.

“Most of it is getting to work with some really great people,” he said. “One wise older veterinarian that I had as my adviser in vet school said, ‘Learn all you can from your clients because they are your best teachers.’”

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Crop insurance program deals with record payouts

BY PAM EGGEMEIER For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

M

idwest farmers last year experienced the most severe drought since 1988. Most farmers didn’t have crop insurance in 1988 and were forced to rely on government disaster aid payments.

Since then, the agricultural safety net has gradually transitioned from reliance on direct payments to crop insurance.

With what’s left of direct subsidies likely to be phased out in the next Farm Bill, the drought of 2012 may have been the first real test of a crop insurance-based disaster system.

Crop insurance payouts Illinois County Bureau Lee Whiteside Ogle Carroll

2012 Indemnities/ Policies $31,070,316 / 2,425 $10,425,842 / 1,744 $11,656,875 / 1,578 $21,010,492 / 1,544 $8,386,508 / 697

2011 Indemnities/ Policies $3,414,750 / 2,411 $723,689/1,802 $1,105,133 / 1,550 $1,480,962 / 1,532 $284,254 / 686

Source: U.S. Environmental Working Group

Northern Illinois farmers, for the most part, found themselves thinking it sure could have been worse in 2012. While the region was not hit nearly as hard as central and downstate Illinois, production and revenues took enough of a hit that record crop insurance payouts were made throughout the area.

In Lee County, $10,425,842 in payouts were made through 1,744 policies in 2012. The drought’s effect can be

gauged by comparing those numbers to only $723,689 in payouts through 1,802 policies in 2011.

Whiteside County’s numbers told a similar story. Payouts were up from $1,105,133 in 2011 to $11,656,875 in 2012. The number of policies was about the same in those years – up from 1,550 in 2011 to 1,578 last year.

CONTINUED ON 38

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CONTINUED FROM 37 Bureau has much more acreage in production than Lee or Whiteside, and the drought conditions also were worse in parts of that county.

Emily Pratt is a 1st Farm Credit Services crop insurance agent serving Lee, Whiteside and Carroll counties. While she said that Lee and Whiteside didn’t have as many claims as surrounding counties, about 75 percent of the farmers in those counties had crop insurance.

“We really were lucky,” Pratt said.

“The drought was not as severe here, and we had some good crops in this area.”

Lee County Farm Service Agency Executive Director Jerry Quinton agreed that northern Illinois held up fairly well in the drought season.

“We had more claims west of [state Route] 26 and south of [U.S. Route] 30,” Quinton said.

“We had timely rainfall in many areas. The lighter, sandier soils by Nelson took a hit, but the crops are looking pretty good so far, but history tells us that things can change overnight.”

Whether or not farmers collected on premiums, Pratt said the drought has increased interest in purchasing or increasing coverage. While crops held

‘‘

We had more claims west of [state Route] 26 and south of [U.S. Route] 30. We had timely rainfall in many areas.

Jerry Quinton, executive director of Lee County Farm Service Agency

up relatively well in last year’s severe weather, area farmers realize that the impact of a serious drought lasts for more than one year.

So far, so good this planting season, but producers know that the situation can always change in a heartbeat.

“It was so wet this spring, it was hard to find a planting window,” Pratt said.

“Things look good at first glance, but we won’t know much about yields until pollination is over in the next few weeks.”

The drought story in Iowa seems to be similar to that in Illinois. Farmers prepared for the worst, but most were pleasantly surprised by how well crops held up.

Farmers have 45 days after the end of a crop period to file revenue-based insurance claims.

Congress no longer authorizes the ad hoc disaster programs that used to send billions in one-time cash payments to the nation’s farmers. These days, lawmakers must find cuts elsewhere in

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the federal budget to pay for such programs.

There still is no bipartisan Farm Bill signed into law, but the current Senate and House versions are cause for optimism about the future of federal crop insurance.

Both bills have provisions streamlining conservation programs, expanding the crop insurance program, and slashing subsidy payments – including the elimination of the $5 billion a year in direct payments given to farmers regardless of whether they grow crops.

Legislators on both sides of the aisle seem to have accepted the transformation from direct payments to an insurance-based system.

Congresswoman Cheri Bustos, a 17th District Democrat from East Moline and a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, says a strong crop insurance program must be a cornerstone of the final version of the Farm Bill.

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4Continued from 38 “We need to keep a strong and stable crop insurance program in place so that our farmers who are at the mercy of Mother Nature can continue to provide the food our nation depends on,” Bustos said. “With the likely elimination of direct payments, a robust insurance program is vital to the strength of our farmers, our economy and our nation.”

While crop insurance seems to have passed the 2012 drought test with flying colors, it has come at a steep price to American taxpayers.

Taxpayers cover about two-thirds of the premiums for crop insurance policies. The cost to taxpayers has grown from $1.5 billion a year in 2002 to $7.4 billion in 2011, and what is estimated to be a record $16 billion from the drought of 2012, according to USDA figures.

Government estimates put the cost of crop insurance at $90 billion over the next 10 years. Plus, taxpayers foot

No Indemnity ($0) $1 to $500,000 $500,000 to $1,000,000 $1,000,000 to $5,000,000 $5,000,000 to $10,000,000 over $10,000,000

another $1.3 billion a year for overhead costs for the insurance companies, such as administering and adjusting the policies, and examining the crop losses.

Allen Buhrow farms with his father in the Ashton area. He understands that it’s a tough time to ask for federal farm programs, in light of the high cost of the drought season and the need to cut costs in Washington. But he believes that crop insurance is a good deal for producers and the nation as a whole.

The Buhrows buy 80 or 85 percent group coverage every year for all of the farms they operate, which saves them money.

Although they had a few underperforming fields from the drought, they decided not to file claims. But knowing that the safety net was there gave him the ability to make the right business decisions in anticipation of the next growing season.

“It gives you the security to to know

you can cover input costs for the next year,” Buhrow said. “Disaster payments were not an effective way to protect against risk. Without insurance, the uncertainty makes it so you wouldn’t know when to sell crops, how to plan for input costs, or do marketing.”

Buhrow is a younger farmer who continues to buy more land. Crop insurance also mitigates risk for lenders and brings security to the people they lease land from.

“The insurance program provides great value overall,” he said. “Over the long run, it moderates commodity costs, keeps folks planting crops the world needs, and gives farmers the security to make better business decisions.”

Gary Schnitkey, a University of Illinois farm management specialist, believes that during the drought, crop insurance proved its worth.

Continued on 404 AG Mag

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CONTINUED FROM 39 “People may say crop insurance is lucrative, but in a challenging drought year, no ad hoc bills were passed,” Schnitkey said. “It makes a big difference in how people plan for future years. Without crop insurance last year, we would have seen substantial shortfalls this year.”

Current federal farm and food aid policy expires on Sept. 30, and failure to pass a new bill in time means another extension or American farmers will fall back to a 1949 law governing the industry, which could lead to steep price increases on items such as milk.

What worries many farmers is a provision in the Senate version that introduces an income cap to crop insurance. Known as a “means test,” farmers with adjusted gross incomes of more than $750,00 no longer would qualify for subsized crop insurance premiums. The House version just passed contains no such income cap.

While most farmers would not be impacted at that level, they worry that the cap would serve as a convenient vehicle for cutting the program in the future. They also fear that the balance of highrisk and low-risk producers that any insurance system is based on also would be upset.

“The problem with this cap is that it assumes larger producers don’t need crop insurance,” Pratt said. “But then the higher premiums they were paying aren’t helping to spread the risk if you take them out of the program.”

U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who represents the 16th Congressional District, held a conference call with more than 30 area farmers on June 13, leading up to the House Farm Bill vote.

Kinzinger, a Republican from Manteno, said that farmers had told him they felt they should reach out to legislators on a more personal level prior to the vote, rather than just leave

Illinois crop insurance premiums and claims What farmers received in claims for every dollar paid in for premiums.

2002 .............. 82 cents 2003 .............. 65 cents 2004 .............. 38 cents 2005 .............. 77 cents 2006 .............. 10 cents 2007 .............. 21 cents 2008 .............. 66 cents 2009 .............. 30 cents 2010 .............. 58 cents 2011 .............. 44 cents 2012 .................. $3.43 Source: Federal Crop Insurance Corporation of Business

things up to their Farm Bureau and other ag organizations.

Kinzinger said crop insurance was a big part of the conversation and one of the reasons he voted for the House bill that passed on July 11.

“Having the opportunity to hear firsthand about farmers’ needs was invaluable,” Kinzinger said.

“Crop insurance is vital for today’s farmers, yet outside the Farm Bill, there U.S. Rep. are few ways Adam Kinzinger to address the issue before current authorization expires.”

Iowa crop insurance specialist Gary Yoder said that farmers there are voicing concerns about the likelihood that many subsidies will be taken away or reduced in the next Farm Bill. As a crop agent, he fears that the adminstration of the insurance could be returned to the federal Farm Service Agency offices.

“In 1983, the insurance was set up with private companies,” Yoder said.

“I believe the private sector has done a much better job marketing, selling and running it.”

Calendar of Events Aug 13-17: The 143rd Whiteside County Fair will be held at the fairgrounds in Morrison. Daily admission is $7 for adults and $1 for children 6-11.

Aug. 17-18: Farm Heritage Days Antique Tractor and Equipment Show will be held in Wyoming at the Stark County Junior Fairgrounds. The eighth annual event includes antique tractor and equipment display, tractor games, operating steam engines, a tractor parade, blacksmithing and antique tractor pulls. Visit www.citractorclub.com for more information.

Aug 21-25: The 158th annual Bureau County Fair will be held at the fairgrounds in Princeton. Daily admission is $5 for adults, and $2 for children 7-12. Justin Moore will perform Aug. 23.

Aug. 24: Amboy Depot Days Tractor Show, Amboy.

Aug. 26: International Agronomy Day will be held at the University of Illinois’ Crop Sciences Research and Education Center from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 26 and will include six field-level research presentations.

Aug. 27-29: The 2013 Farm Progress Show will

CONTINUED FROM 34 Gorden worries that too much focus will be given to recruiting students to food animal programs, creating too much of a surplus.

Veterinarian Lynda Gould, who graduated from the University of Illinois in 2009 and has her own practice in Ashton, said her colleagues talk about the issue all the time.

“There has been a big push to get large animal vets enrolled, but I almost feel like that was a false push,” Gould said. “Now we have a bunch of students in large animals, and there are not necessarily that many jobs.

“There may be a need in certain counties, or certain areas, but that likely involves

be held in Decatur. The show includes field demonstrations in harvesting and tillage; new product introductions; GPS displays and demonstrations; seed and crop technology plots; marketing seminars; cattle handling demonstrations; equine events; antique tractors and equipment; crafts and collectible farm toys; and a 75-acre exhibit field with exhibits by hundreds of agribusinesses from across the country and around the world. Admission is $15 for adults and $8 for children 13-17. For more information, visit www.farmprogressshow.com/.

Aug 30-Sept. 2: The TriCounty Fair will be held in Mendota. Admission is free, and grandstand tickets are $10.

Sept. 13-15: The 52nd Annual Working Farm Show will be held in Geneseo. The event will Include antique corn pickers, combine demonstrations, plowing, corn picking by hand, corn shelling, a working blacksmith, and specialty and ag vendors. Visit www. ae-ta.com for more information.

Oct. 5: The Autumn on Parade Tractor Show, Oregon.

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Foreman hopes that Illinois adapts its program to give a broader knowledge of all practices to hit more at the issue.

“The more knowledge students have, the more flexible they are in their practice,” Foreman said. “That’s one thing we can do.”

As trends go, Gorden said, a number of veterinarians always will be drawn to the world of agriculture and treating livestock.

“It’s all a choice of lifestyle,” Gorden said. “Many students want that and choose it, because that’s what’s familiar to them, or what they enjoy.”

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‘I get accused of spoiling my calves’ Baumann has a soft spot for animals on the farm

By Lyle Ganther For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

WYOMING – After seeing some of her farm animals suffer throughout the years, a longtime 4-H member in Stark County wants to become a veterinarian.

Carol Baumann of rural Wyoming, a member of the Stark County Century Clovers 4-H Club for the past nine years, will be a freshman at the University of Illinois this fall and living in the 4-H House Sorority. nnn She plans to major in biology and minor in animal science to reach her goal of becoming a veterinarian. She graduated from Peoria Notre Dame High School in 2013.

Baumann, the daughter of Barbara and William Baumann, said she chose to become a veterinarian because she saw some of her own animals suffer when they were deformed or premature, and she would wonder what went wrong.

“I wonder why and wish I could have prevented this happening to my cows,” she said. “One of my favorite cows, Natalie, died a few days after giving birth.

She had twins, but we didn’t know that.

The first calf came out, but the second one came three days later. It was dead, and Natalie then died, too.”

Baumann and her family members raise about 60 head of Brown Swiss, Jerseys and Ayrshires.

“My brothers and sister all chose different breeds,” she said regarding the three breeds of dairy cows. “We used to have all of them here [home], but now have 12-15. In 2006, we built a shed 15 minutes away. We now mainly keep calves here.”

Carol, the baby of the family, feeds the calves mainly with milk replacer but finds it difficult to milk, since there is 42 Summer 2013

Lyle Ganther/For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

Rural Wyoming 4-H member Carol Baumann often is accused of pampering the family’s dairy cows. Baumann wants to be a veterinarian when she finishes her studies at the University of Illinois, where she will be a freshman this fall. Baumann has been a member of the Stark County Century Clovers 4-H Club for nine years. no sink in the buildings. She does use a milker attached to an air compressor to get the milk from a new mother to feed her calf or calves.

“We sell the bull calves but keep the heifers,” she added. “We give them sweet feed and take them down there [other facility], since space is limited.

“We feed Swiss calves five pints since they are larger than Ayrshires, who get four pints, or Jerseys, who get three pints,” she explained. “It is too much for me to milk her every day, since I have a part-time job in Peoria at a vet clinic and other activities.”

Twin calves are usually rare, but Baumann remembers at least five sets of twins the past three years from the cows they raise.

“I get accused of spoiling my calves and petting them too much,” she said with a smile.

Baumann said her dad wanted to have dairy cows when he was growing up but wasn’t able to do so.

“He decided to buy them for us,” she said. “My older sister was the first to raise dairy cattle. We used to show them at five to seven fairs a year, but we cut back. We now show at the Stark County 4-H Fair.”

After transferring to Peoria Notre Dame High School, Baumann found she took a more active role in 4-H, since the private school didn’t have an FFA program.

She was one of 250 people to attend the national 4-H Dairy Conference in October 2012 in Madison, Wis. She was chosen to do so after an extensive application process consisting of four pages of basic information on every 4-H project she has done as well as what she learned from each one, plus a taped interview.

She has run the gamut of 4-H projects, from cooking, sewing and visual arts to more animal-related projects dealing with rabbits, dogs, beef cattle, dairy cattle and veterinary science.

Meeting needs of today’s youth 4-H grows, changes, moves forward to meet an ever-evolving world

By Lyle Ganther For NorthCentral Illinois Ag Mag

From its beginnings in 1902 through today, the 4-H movement – the nation’s largest youth development organization – stays relevant by constantly changing to meet the varying needs of today’s youth.

Participation in 4-H, a community of six million young people across America, has increased throughout the past decade.

4-H community clubs have stayed steady in its enrollment in recent years by adding new programs or special interest clubs to create opportunities for youth to learn through skilled volunteers teaching on a certain topic, said Jennifer Caldwell, coordinator for 4-H Youth Development Programs for Bureau, LaSalle, Marshall and Putnam counties.

“The area seeing the most growth is in this area [of special interest clubs],” she

‘‘

The area seeing the most growth is in this area [of special interest clubs].

Jennifer Caldwell, 4-H Youth Development Programs coordinator

said. “In a special interest club, youth work with a skilled adult to gain indepth knowledge in a particular project area. We have seven of these clubs in Bureau County, five in LaSalle County, and two in Marshall-Putnam counties.”

4-H projects in science, engineering and technology are the fastest growing in Illinois, she added. Relatively new 4-H projects in Illinois include shooting sports (rifle, shotgun and archery), welding, filmmaking, exploring your environment, and robotics.

These programs are very popular, and they have helped to increase enrollment in 4-H through new young people, partner volunteers and supporters, Caldwell said.

F-H Shooting Sports is a special interest club, a statewide program started three to four years ago in Illinois that has spread to 80-90 of the state’s 102 coun-

’’

ties. It began nationally in the 1970s.

“This program teaches safe and responsible use of firearms, plus life skills and making responsible decisions through conservation and ethics,” Caldwell said. “The program consists of the three disciplines of shotgun, rifle and archery.”

Not a lot of 4-H projects have been deleted entirely, but many have seen recent revisions to reflect changes in research or the needs of youth and their interests.

Caldell reports the 4-H photography project area was revised to include information relevant to many different types of cameras used today. Several food and nutrition projects were revised to reflect changes in recommended nutrition guidelines. Veterinary science projects also were revised to provide more hands-on, inquiry-based experiences for the 4-H members.

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Norm and Sue VonHolten of rural Sheffield have built a second home in Arizona, where they like to spend time in the winter.

Norm and Sue VonHolten Hometown/county: We have a Sheffield address, but we live six miles north of Mineral in Bureau County.

How many vacations do you try to take a year, and when is the best time to take them?

We typically don’t schedule regular vacations. Norm and I do more quick weekend trips locally.

What are your favorite vacation destinations?

44 Summer 2013

We recently made a BIG decision and built a second home in Arizona. After spending some time there in the past with our children, it became apparent that we wanted to spend wintertime there!

Who is your favorite traveling companion?

Our spouses!

How do you find a balance between your work time and free time?

The seasonal nature of the job makes it work for us!

CONTINUED ON 45

4Continued from 44

Alan Davis Hometown/county: Princeton, Bureau County How many vacations do you try to take a year, and when is the best time to take them?

I get in one week of a vacation a year, and since my work is providing crop insurance for local farmers, I take it at the end of May or the first part of June because typically they are still busy in the fields. So it’s a good time to get away, since it’s slow.

Who is your favorite travel companion?

Best vacations are with the ones you love, so my fiancé and the kids. My fiancé was the one who found Marco Island when searching for a place to get away, and it was a perfect choice!

What are your favorite vacation destinations?

Photos submitted

Marco Island, Fla., has become a favorite vacation destination for Alan Davis of Princeton. “It’s just perfect down there,” Alan said, “with good fishing and very relaxing.”

So far the best vacation is to Marco Island, Fla. It’s just perfect down there with good fishing and very relaxing.

How do you find a balance between your work time and free time?

During peak times of crop insurance season, I don’t have much free time – usually working Saturdays as well.

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4Continued from 45

Linda and Don Hildebrand Home town/county: Rural LaMoille, Bureau County How many vacations do you try to take a year, and when is the best time to take them?

As we get older, we are realizing the importance of stepping away from the farm, so I am hoping there are more vacations in the future.

What are your favorite vacation destinations?

Palm Springs, Calif., for escaping the cold, and South Haven, Mich., in the summer.

Who is your favorite traveling companion?

We like to travel together – kind of a habit after years of farming together!

How do you find a balance between your work and free time: Work is the most important – it pays the bills! When all the necessary work is done, then it’s fun time! Some years one season just bleeds into the next – and some years, there is free time to vacation.

LeRoy Olson and his wife, Dianne, of Wyanet Township, “no longer can stand the long flights to Europe, which we took in the past,” LeRoy said, but have enjoyed other destinations of late, including the Caribbean.

LeRoy A. Olson Hometown/county: Wyanet Township, Bureau County How many vacations do you try to take a year, and when is the best time to take them?

We try to take small day trips and have been on a couple of cruises of late. We no longer can stand the long flights to Europe, which we took in the past.

What are your favorite vacation destinations?

We have really enjoyed taking genealogy-centered vacations in the past. We have gone to Norway to visit cousins of Dianne, have been to Sweden, Germany, Czech Republic and Switzerland to visit birthplaces of my ancestors. We have also visited cousins in Sweden and Switzerland.

46 Summer 2013

Photos submitted

Linda and Don Hildebrand of rural LaMoille like to vacation in the summer in South Haven, Mich.

Who is your favorite traveling companion?

Dianne, my wife, is my favorite traveling companion. She complements me in every way, in observational skills, in navigation, and just generally very pleasant company.

How do you find a balance between your work time and free time?

Sometimes, one has to forget the piles of work awaiting at home and just take off. It will still be there when one returns.

would think would be a problem, but he just spreads out on the back seat of the truck and is quiet the whole drive.

How do you find a balance between your work and free time?

Finding the balance for us means – work hard at what you do every day, then try to recharge your battery with a trip to somewhere you love with those you love.

When you come back, you feel re-booted and ready to get back to the farm.

Steve and Laurie Bonucci Home town/county: Princeton, Bureau County What is your favorite vacation destination?

Our favorite destination is Colorado.

It’s a beautiful state where currently three of our (four) kids live. And, Colorado is an easy drive on Interstate 80.

How many vacations do you try to take a year, and when is the best time to take them?

Every year is a little different from the other, but taking vacations during the winter is best for our operation. We all like the snow and beauty that the mountains offer in the winter. We love to be with our kids, Luke, Joe, Tara and Stephanie, and we have tried to take all our vacations with them. Now that they are older, we treasure the times when all six of us can be together. Christmas is that time for us.

Who is your favorite traveling companion?

Our favorite traveling companion is our dog, Mac, who rides along with us in the car. He is 150 pounds, which you

Steve and Laurie Bonucci of Princeton like to vacation in Colorado, where three of their four children live. The Bonuccis like to take their 150-pound dog, Mac, on their trips, and they like all of the snow and beauty that the Colorado mountains offer in the winter.

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Mautino, state rep. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Gold star/Cambridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Hatzer & nordstrom equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Heartland Bank And trust Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Hills electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Hotsy equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 illini state Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Johnson Agency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Karl A. schultz insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Kasbeer Farmer’s elevator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Kelner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Kettman Heating & Plumbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Key Builders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Lee’s Water systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Leone supply, inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Manlius Oil Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Mcnabb Motorsports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Michlig energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Michlig Grain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Midwest Bio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Miracle ear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Mj seeds, inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Moore tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Morton Fertilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 north Central Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 northern Partners Coop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Olds insurance Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Pioneer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Pioneer Production Plant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Poignant Farm drainage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Princeton insurance Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Princeton Kawasaki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Princeton redi-Mix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 ray Farm Management services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 rediger, rick r.e.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 rollo Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 schoff Farm service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 spring valley Ford, inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 steve Hamm Morton Buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 sublette Mechanical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 sullivan Auctions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 sullivan door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 sun Ag, inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 the seed House LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 timpte, inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 v & C Construction Co inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 vande voorde sales, inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 verns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 W.G. Leffelman & sons/drago. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 W.G. Leffelman & sons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 White Oak Ag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

AG Mag

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For Details, contact your local Morton Office today.

Steve Hamm Atkinson, IL. â&#x20AC;˘ 309-936-7282 steve.hamm@mortonbuildings.com 48 Summer 2013

Š2013