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Spring Farm

■ Career opportunities in the agricultural sector ■ Focus on rural health, farm safety ■ Estate tax changes proposed ■ Plus much more!

Saturday, February 17, 2024

Career opportunities in the agricultural sector Individuals approach their careers in various ways. Some may aspire to climb the corporate ladder, while others may pursue a career that affords them ample personal time to spend how they see fit. Many individuals look for careers that afford them ample opportunities to work in the great outdoors, which could make the agricultural sector an appealing industry.

Talented individuals with an array of diverse skills dot the agricultural sector landscape, and the following are just a few of the many careers to consider within this vital industry.

• Equipment technician: Data from the career experts at Indeed indicates agricultural equipment technicians earn an average salary around $65,000 per yar. Agricultural equipment technicians maintain and repair existing machines and install new ones, among their many responsibilities.

• Purchasing agent: An agricultural purchasing agent buys products and raw materials at wholesale. Indeed notes that purchasing agents often must meet specific purchasing quotas for processors and work with various clients who supply an array of agricultural products. The national average salary for agricultural purchasing agents is around $51,000 annually.

• Warehouse manager: The receiving, shipping and storage of agricultural materials is overseen by a warehouse manager. Indeed notes that these professionals now routinely utilize artificial intelligence products to manage inventory. Warehouse managers must know and adhere to safety procedures and guidelines that dictate how materials and products are stored. The average salary of a warehouse manager is around $52,000 per year.

• Sales: Like every industry, the agricultural sector requires talented sales personnel. Agricultural sales reps sell materials and products and identify the needs of potential customers. Agricultural sales reps may spend ample time on the road at trade shows. Doing so allows them to identify customers as well as their needs and wants, and promote their own products and services. An ability to foster strong and trusting interpersonal relationships is invaluable for agricultural sales reps, who Indeed reports earn an average of about $60,000 per year.

• Environmental engineer: Environmental engineers play pivotal roles within the industry, and could become even more vital in the decades ahead as the effects of climate change become more apparent. Environmental

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engineers design and implement solutions that occur on agricultural sites, helping to address issues such as unhealthy soil, insufficient drainage and inefficiencies, among other concerns.

A career as an environmental engineer within the agricultural industry can be rewarding and lucrative, with Indeed

noting that the average annual salary for this position is a little more than $77,000.

These are just some of the career paths individuals can consider as they explore the agricultural sector.

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Focus on rural health, farm safety Carle Health offers free series

By TOM C. DORAN tdoran@shawmedia.com

GIFFORD, Ill. — Rural health and farm safety were the focus of Carle Health’s exhibit at the Midwest Ag Expo.

“This is the second time Carle Health has had a booth here.

This time we are doing blood pressure checks and some basic skin checks as well as all of our other information we have on farm safety,” said Amy RadeRademaker maker, Carle Health Rural Health and Farm Safety program coordinator.

“It’s going gr-eat. We’ve had a number of people stop by and in certain instances we said they need to call their primary care physician. We’re getting the kids involved. We had some of them come by and talked to them about farm safety and how do we mitigate some of those issues.”

The exhibit also promoted a free

new webinar series that began Jan. 26 that’s open to all and is under the theme “A Mother’s Game Plan for Safety and Health.”

This series is designed to create a place for women in agriculture to understand the risks, needed protection and supervision for tasks performed by youth on farms.

This project is designed to shift the mindset and behavior of parents and grandparents, leading to safer and healthier lives for our farm youth and those who visit and work on farms.

While the target of this work will be women who serve as family influencers, the materials will be suitable for all adult family members.

The groundwork for this project was laid by the development of the Agricultural Youth Work Guidelines and by the U.S. Child Agricultural Safety and Health Think Tank.

Funding for this project was provided by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health via the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety. Grant.

The free webinars will be held about

every other week through April 24 from noon to 1 p.m.

Multiple Topics “We have a different topic in each one. We’re going to talk about how we can look at different things that we know that statistically are of significance in our rural population.

We’ll talk about what those risks are and how do we decrease those risks,” Rademaker said.

“We know that kids are going to be doing X, Y and Z. What can we do to make it safer. Sometimes we can’t completely take the kid out of the picture, but what can we do to make it safer.

“So, it will be a free series at carle. org/FarmSafety. They can register. We will record them, so if they missed one they can go on the website and be able to hear it. We will also have a series of podcasts that are going to be part of that. There is definitely some engaging information.”

Each webinar will focus on a specific topic which include ATVs and UTVs, grain handling, technology advancements in agriculture, overall health of youth in agriculture, tractor

operations and safety, working with livestock, and other issues.

“We’re going to have a full gamut and there will be people from all across the United States that are going to be our experts in the fields, and many of them farm kids or still active farmers, as well.

“Check out that website because we have all kinds of resources there,” Rademaker added.

Project Goals The initiative aims at creating a safety mindset, developing a safety-first culture in the home setting and around the farm. Outcomes will include the following: • Developing safety and healthy habits early in life, thereby influencing the rest of their lives.

• Improving knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs towards risk of childhood injury and illness.

• Creating a healthier and safer environment for youth and for the farming operation as a whole.

• Reducing acute and chronic issues related to agriculture across central Illinois.

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A warming trend for every season

By MARTHA BLUM mblum@shawmedia.com

DUBUQUE, Iowa – The climate in the Midwest has been getting warmer and wetter over the last 125 years.

“Every season has gotten warmer and the winter is warming at a faster rate than the other seasons in the Midwest,” said Trent Ford, Illinois state climatologist at the University of Illinois.

In general, this weather pattern negatively impacts livestock production with heat stress, forage quality issues and increased diseases. “And out west, we’re talking about water problems,” Ford said during a presentation at the Driftless Region Beef Conference, presented by University of Illinois Extension, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and University of Wisconsin Extension.

For livestock and human stress, the nighttime temperatures are more predictive of problems, Ford said, because the night is when recovery happens from the heat that has accumulated during the day.

“Across the Midwest, we have fewer summer nights getting below 60 degrees,” the speaker said. “From 1951 to 1980, the average was about 50 summer nights per year and now we’re closer to 40 or 45.”

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And even if the daytime temperatures aren’t getting much above 85 to 90 degrees, Ford said, heat stress is still accumulating with the warm nights.

“Models are projecting a continuation of the trend for warming summers and warming summer nights across the Midwest mainly due to the increase in humidity,” the climatologist stated. “If we globally curb carbon dioxide and Ford methane emissions, we still see a projection of 30 to 60 additional nights where we get above 70 degrees in northern Illinois.”

The Midwest is one of the few regions of the globe where summer daytime temperatures haven’t significantly increased. “It’s the heat stress at night that comes from the higher humidity that puts additional stress on animals,” the speaker said.

Spring has gotten consistently wetter across the Midwest by one to three inches of precipitation since 1900, and more intense rain events. “That causes problems with pasture conditions and it also brings disease problems,” Ford said. “When you overlay that with the increase in humidity, that means a more humid, damp environment.”

With hotter temperatures, more heat stress and increased humidity, the speaker said, that will impact changes in health with tick and mosquito diseases, contaminated water sources from flooding and more runoff from

fields and increased incidences of heat stroke.

“As a result of the increased winter temperatures, we’ve seen an expanded range of several types of ticks that we either hadn’t seen in the upper Midwest or we hadn’t seen the same incidence,” the climatologist reported.

One example is the lone star tick which brings a number of diseases, including alpha-gal syndrome. “When someone gets bit, it makes them have an allergy to red meat and we’re seeing sential for human health, the speaker this more especially across the southsaid. “When we think about climate ern Midwest,” Ford said. change, any impact to any of these, “This expansion in the range of ticks impacts the entire system,” he added. is directly linked with warmer temA research paper a couple of years peratures because the ticks are able to ago, Ford said, focused on climate overwinter further north and spread at change and the impacts of flooding, a higher rate,” the speaker stated. extreme heat, dust storms and carbon The One Health initiative, Ford said, dioxide emisis focused on unsions. derstanding that “Some of the “This expansion in the range direct human, animal impacts of and environmenchanging envital health are all of ticks is directly linked with ronmental conlinked together. ditions are more warmer temperatures...”

“If one of these exposure to fails or is not - Trent Ford, Illinois state climatologist things like ticks, given the attenat the University of Illinois. degraded pasture tion it deserves, quality because then everything of too much or will fail,” he said. not enough rain, food and water qual“I think COVID really put that in the ity and quantity problems from runoff forefront.” or contamination from lagoons into Healthy animal production is esdrinking water and variable immune

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response when animals experience stress,” Ford said.

Climate change can provide opportunities for livestock producers. “With reduced production elsewhere, livestock production can expand in the Midwest,” the speaker said. “You can’t raise animals without water, so even if the demand for meat plateaus, we’re going to have to think about the distribution of where we are producing it.”

Increasing biodiversity through conservation land management is a really important step towards a resilient system, the climatologist said.

“For climate change mitigation, not cultivating forest and grassland areas for cropland agriculture is a big one and not just in the U.S. but globally,” Ford said. “Grazing and forest systems take in a tremendous amount of carbon so conserving those systems is a really important part of a portfolio of climate resilience.”

Estate tax changes proposed

Bipartisan effort to protect farm families in state

By TOM C. DORAN tdoran@shawmedia.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — State legislators from both sides of the aisle joined together to announce an effort to protect farm families and their land by updating the estate tax code.

The proposed legislation, the Family Farm Preservation Act, was unveiled at an Illinois Farm Bureau news conference on Jan. 31 with state House and Senate lawmakers in attendance.

Currently, any estate in Illinois with a gross value of $4 million after inclusion of taxable gifts, is taxed in its entirety using a complex formula and is subject to a graduated state estate tax.

If either SB 2921 or HB 4600 is passed, it would reform the current state tax for farm estates only, by changing the tax exclusion to a true exemption, and raising the threshold from $4 million to $6 million. Only dollars over $6 million will be taxed under the exemption.

In addition, the measures tie the new $6 million exemption level to inflation and will be adjusted each year according to the increase in the Consumer Price Index.

The proposed bill would also allow portability between spouses at the state level, a benefit allowed under the federal estate tax — meaning a surviving spouse can use the unused estate tax exemption of a deceased spouse plus their own exemption when they die.

The legislation is limited to agriculture, by coupling the changes to only those estates that are eligible for agricultural special use valuation under federal Internal Revenue Service rules.

Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria, and Rep. Sharon Chung, D-Bloomington, introduced the act in their respective chambers.

Others who attended the press conference to show support for the proposal were Sen. Tom Bennett, R-Gibson City; Rep. Jason Bunting,

R-Emington; Rep. Norine Hammond, R-Macomb; Sen. Patrick Joyce, D-Essex; Rep. Charlie Meier, R-Okawville; and Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris.

“If you take a family that has say 350 acres and somebody dies and they have to pay the estate tax, what happens in a farm of say just over 300 to 350 acres may produce $25,000, $30,000 of income. That’s not a lot.

But you know what, the estate tax on that is. It’s going to be almost $5 million, I mean that’s what the value is.

And so that’s going to be taxed. This bill changes that and it changes that in a way that it should have changed long ago,” Koehler said.

“I’ve met a lot of farmers in my time on the (McLean) County Board and especially this past year being a freshman legislator,” Chung said.

“A lot of the farmers I spoke with were young farmers, and they spoke to me about how they’re so proud to be farming this land that has been in their family for generations. But the

issue here of how the estate tax has been set up makes it really difficult for them to see how the farm will look in the future for their family.”

“Passing on the family farm is not just about continuing the business — it’s about preserving family heritage

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and a way of life,” said IFB President Brian Duncan.

“Yet the current Illinois estate tax often forces families to break up the farm by selling land, livestock or even equipment every time the business passes on to the next generation. A death of a loved one should not be a death sentence for the family farm.”

“The Family Farm Preservation Act is a crucial step forward in protecting the backbone of our communities — our local farmers,” Joyce said.

“With this, we are ensuring that these hardworking individuals and families can continue their legacy without the burden of excessive taxation, leaving a thriving agricultural community for generations to come.”

“For far too long, Illinois’ estate tax system has threatened family farms — like mine and my neighbors — with the prospect of having to sell the farm if there is a death in the family,” Bunting said.

“Families going through a difficult time should not have to make the tough decision about whether or not to sell the farm. This legislation moves us toward a better system which will help keep farms in the family hands which have worked for generations.”

“Our state’s economy rests firmly upon the bedrock of our agricultural industry. Yet, this foundation faces a perpetual threat from our state’s estate tax system. Far too often, small-to-mid-

sized family farms are forced to sell land that has been in their family for generations just to merely settle their estate taxes. Through this bipartisan proposal, we can help ensure that more family farms remain within their families,” Rezin noted.

“The estate tax has devastated family farms for decades as these farms are often sold to pay the inheritance tax,” said Meier, who is also House Agriculture and Conservation Committee Republican spokesperson.

“Improving estate tax exemptions for farmers will help save family farms when the farm is passed down to each generation. Family farms treat their farmland like family as it helps provide for their family and produces the crops that help feed the world. Our country has the lowest food costs in the world, thanks to family farms.”

“Illinois’ estate tax hurts our farm families. House Republicans have consistently fought to increase the exclusion amount to account for rising farmland values. House Bill 4600 is a bipartisan agreement that will help family farmers pass their farmland on to the next generation, protecting our family farms from being sold off to large corporate or foreign interests,” Hammond noted.

“I’m proud to stand with the Illinois Farm Bureau and my colleagues in support of this critically needed change to our tax laws.”

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