sam1_071318

AG Mag

Northern Illinois

Twists & Turns A new farm bill, a trade war, RFS changes, rising oil prices.

All are adding to an uncertain path ahead for farmers.

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 440 STERLING, IL 61081 P.O. Box 498 Sterling, IL 61081

A Publication of Shaw Media

Summer 2018

AG Mag Northern Illinois

Publisher Don T. Bricker Advertising Director, General Manager Jennifer Heintzelman

Index Tumultuous times

Local farmers are caught in the middle of debates over a new farm bill, tariffs and Renewable Fuel Standards.

Editor Jeff Rogers Magazine Editor & Page Design Jeff Rogers Reporters & Photographers Peter Balser, Pam Eggemeier, Phillip Hartman, Jessie Kern, Michael Krabbenhoeft, Alex T. Paschal, Goldie Rapp, Rachel Rodgers, and Bob Tomaszewski Published by Sauk Valley Media 3200 E. Lincolnway Sterling, IL 61081 815-625-3600 Articles and advertisements are the property of Sauk Valley Media. No portion of the Northern 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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Night vision

Index

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CENTER PIECE PAGE 20

How to create a plan for success on the farm, and what factors to use when writing the outline.

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AG Mag

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A SURPLUS OF UNCERTAINTY

Washington piles on during agricultural down cycle

F

BY PAM EGGEMEIER For Northern Illinois Ag Mag

armers are tuned in to Washington these days, but several important issues are competing for their attention.

The action has been fast and furious as Congress hammers out a new farm bill, the clock ticks in the nation’s escalating trade war with China, concerns mount about the Renewable

8 Summer 2018

Fuel Standard, and rising oil prices start to chip away at the bottom line.

The resulting uncertainty comes in the fourth year of what is projected to be a 7-year down cycle for commodities prices. Net farm income has tumbled 40 percent from the highs reached between 2011 and 2014.

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Soybeans soak up the last few minutes of sunlight at the end of the day.

(Photos by Michael Krabbenhoeft/Northern Illinois Ag Mag)

4CONTINUED FROM 8 The fear of proposed tariffs have shoved some commodities prices off a cliff since the first round of President Donald Trump’s tariff proposals was announced on March 22. China has threatened to put a 25 percent tariff on several agricultural products including soy, corn, pork, wheat and dairy products.

About 61 percent of the U.S. soybeans produced in the 2016-2017 marketing year were sent to China, the world’s largest soy consumer. On the heels of the China announcement, July soybean futures dropped more than 7 percent at one point on June 21. They cratered at $8.415 a bushel, the lowest for soybeans since March 2009.

A strong U.S. dollar in the second quarter of this year has also helped take down ag commodity prices.

U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-East Moline, calls the trade war a “self-imposed crisis” that is the result of a reckless administration that shoots from the hip day after day.

“This was a trade spat that quickly became a full-out war that farmers can’t afford,” said Bustos, a member of the House Agriculture Committee.

“This hits them right in the pocketbook at a time when farmers are already hurting.”

Alex T. Paschal/Northern Illinois Ag Mag

Congresswoman Cheri Bustos speaks to members of the Sauk Valley Community Leadership Program in April at the Sterling office of Sauk Valley Media.

Bustos, a Democrat from East Moline, is a member of the House Agriculture Committee. She calls the current trade war a “self-imposed crisis.”

Some farmers, however, are trying to stay focused on the big picture. Grain farmers, especially, can be punished for their success. Increased production has led to oversupply, and farmers are hoping that the trade talks can eventually open the door to more export opportunities for their products.

“The main thing to remember through

the turmoil is that it might be worth some pain if we’re better off on the other end of this,” said Allyn Buhrow, who raises corn and soybeans in rural Ashton.

Allyn While it’s difficult to stay Buhrow calm during such market volatility, a good planting season has area farmers gearing up for marketing what could be another record yield for grains.

“It’s important to have good access to the China and India markets, and we’re still hopeful we’ll get long-term access to them,” Buhrow said. “It’s not pleasant watching the back-and-forth with prices, but in the end, we can sell somewhere else and they can buy somewhere else.”

The timing of futures contracts could be buying some more patience for the Trump administration’s trade plans.

Randy Faber raises corn, soybeans and cattle near Sublette. Grain prices are his biggest concern, but his deadline for having soybeans to market is April. Most of his beans are processed in Le Roy and come back here to be planted. Some also go to Woodhull, where they are crushed into bean meal.

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4CONTINUED FROM 9 “The timing was good this year because I had sold my beans before the prices got really low,” Faber said. “Then with corn, I can easily take that to the four ethanol plants in the area.”

Many farmers agree that unfair trade policies are hurting the U.S. economy.

They are willing to help the cause as long as the repercussions don’t do more harm than good.

“Trade deals are huge, Randy and ag can play a big part Faber in fixing this, so we’re willing to sacrifice a little bit, but I hope things aren’t worse when the dust settles,” Faber said.

While the proposed tariffs against Chinese goods would largely protect U.S. intellectual property and manufacturing interests, much of China’s retaliation is aimed at agriculture.

A new farm bill seems to be in the homestretch and the continuation of crop insurance and subsidy programs would go a long way toward bringing some stability.

The House passed its version of the farm bill on June 21, after the first attempt was hijacked by the immigration issue and a deep party divide over proposed reforms to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

10 Summer 2018

Alex T. Paschal/Northern Illinois Ag Mag

U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Chanahon, said the House produced a good farm bill that “preserves crop insurance.”

In the House bill, tighter eligibility requirements would result in about 400,000 households losing food stamps.

Thousands of children could also be dropped from free and reduced-price school meal programs.

House Democrats also rejected the bill because of cuts to rural development and conservation programs. Bustos said

she was disappointed in the process.

“The Ag Committee has always been one of the most bipartisan groups in Congress, but this bill was crafted totally on one side of the aisle,” Bustos said. “It was a terrible way to go through something so important.”

Now it’s the Senate’s turn to pass a bill, and then negotiations will begin to come up with one bill that can be passed and delivered to the president’s desk. The bill the Senate is working on has much more bipartisan support. It doesn’t include new work requirements or major eligibility changes to SNAP, but proposes changes to better weed out fraud.

The Senate’s version also retains funding for rural development and conservation, but the biggest concern for farmers is crop insurance. The safety net has been keep intact, which has most farmers optimistic about the bill.

State Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Channahon, said the House produced a good bill and he expects to see the finished product hammered out soon.

“This bill preserves crop insurance, which is vital to a strong safety net for farmers,” Kinzinger said.

Kinzinger also supports the proposed changes to the SNAP program, citing the money that would be spent on job training for recipients.

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AG Mag

11

4CONTINUED FROM 10 “The investments that go with the work requirements will help train unemployed and underemployed people, leading to independence and selfsufficiency,” Kinzinger said.

The big political picture would seem to be confusing for many Midwest farmers whose support went a long way in carrying Trump to victory in 2016. Farmers might have reconciled themselves to the fact that they can’t get everything they want from one party.

Historically, Democrats have been more supportive of biofuels, subsidies, and funding for rural development, conservation and ag research. In the 2016 presidential election, however, farmers seemed to be most interested in lower taxes and relief from regulations. It has become increasingly murky as to which is the free trade party.

The Illinois Farm Bureau realizes that farmers are taking a big leap of faith with this administration on trade issues. In addition to pushing the world trade negotiations to the brink, farmers are nervous about a North American Free Trade Agreement that is taking longer than expected to be renegotiated.

“Regardless of who’s in the White House, Farm Bureau’s policies, developed over many years, sets growing ag exports and free trade as top priorities,”

“I think there is a belief in the president as a great dealmaker, and at the end of the day, we hope to achieve new markets for exports.”

Adam Nielsen

Illinois Farm Bureau said Adam Nielsen, director of national legislation and policy development at the Illinois Farm Bureau.

Nielsen said he senses that farmers are focusing on the big picture, but patience isn’t as easy to come by in an agricultural down cycle.

“I think there is a belief in the president as a great dealmaker, and at the end of the day, we hope to achieve new markets for exports,” Nielsen said. “You don’t want to overreact to volatile prices, but this has been the worst 3 years for farmers since the 1980s, so they are nervous about how long this trade situation continues.”

Bureau County farmer Evan Hultine said he’s hopeful farmers will get the clear, concise farm bill they need, but the trade issues are definitely at the forefront of his concerns. He was happy to see no sweeping changes to the safety net that was devised in the last farm bill.

“Even with good crop insurance and conservation programs, we still need

trade opportunities and relief from depressed prices,” said Hultine, who grows corn and soybeans near Princeton.

Hultine said he and many other farmers took advanEvan tage of good selling opporHultine tunities during the winter, which make it easier to be patient through the market volatility.

While he still maintains some level of support for the president’s trade policies, the uncertainty can’t go on much longer.

“We can protect the bottom line a little bit, but we’re not willing to sell everything on futures contracts,” Hultine said.

Another hot issue in Washington has corn growers concerned. A group of Democratic lawmakers, including Bustos, wrote a letter calling for the Environmental Protection Agency to provide information about what they believe to be the agency’s mismanagement of the Renewable Fuel Standard program.

The program gives RFS waivers to small refiners that are in danger of going bankrupt. The lawmakers expressed concerns that the waivers are now being given to larger refiners that don’t meet the economic hardship criteria, thereby undercutting the ethanol market.

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making their plan. Johnson gathers crop futures data from multiple sources, not just the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates, and watches YouTube videos on weather projections and patterns for as far out as a month or further.

“This is about putting together the hundred little bits of knowledge,” Johnson said.

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Steven Johnson, a farm management specialist with Iowa State University Extension, gives a presentation on pre-harvest crop marketing strategies, tools, and planning to members of local Farm Bureaus at the Days Inn in Rock Falls on June 20. (Peter Balser/ Northern Illinois Ag Mag)

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D

elivering corn to an elevator or ethanol plant in December might seem strange to some producers, but doing so can reap some benefits.

About 70 farm producers attended a recent seminar at Days Inn in Rock Falls from Farm Bureaus in Carroll, Lee, Ogle and Whiteside counties on creating a written marketing plan to help manage crop price risk.

Steven Johnson, a farm management specialist with Iowa State University Extension, discussed how to create the plan and what factors to use when writing the outline.

“Focus on what you can control and how you treat your production risk,” Johnson said.

He encouraged farmers to use available data and know their production costs when

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BY PHILLIP HARTMAN For Northern Illinois Ag Mag

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Plan to succeed with changing crop patterns, farmers told

15

4CONTINUED FROM 15 Another element of planning is preharvest marketing corn and soybean bushels with revenue protections.

Producers can use hedge-to-arrive contracts with an elevator or ethanol plant, where the futures price is determined when the contract is created, but the basis level is not determined until later, often just before delivery.

The basis is the difference between the cash price paid for grain and the nearby futures price.

Johnson shared the marketing plan of an Iowa farmer, using the pseudonym “Marty Merchandiser,” who needed to generate $700,000 in cash for the next year.

“Marty likes to deliver in December, when his neighbors aren’t delivering.

He starts negotiating basis at ethanol plants in November,” Johnson said.

For most merchandisers, if farmers can bring the bushels, such negotiations are worth a nickel to 8 cents more.

Johnson also discussed the outlook for this year’s corn and soybean crops. He said 78 percent of U.S. corn was rated good to excellent, with 81 percent of Illinois corn, 76 percent in Indiana, and 86 percent in Minnesota.

He also thinks there will be markets overseas for crops, citing droughts in Argentina and the Ukraine that dam-

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About 70 farmers attended Johnson’s presentation in Rock Falls. aged crops, and rains in Brazil which slowed its soybean harvest.

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USA,” Johnson said.

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OVER A BARREL? Oil prices another threat to farm income, but increased domestic production could help

R

BY PAM EGGEMEIER For Northern Illinois Ag Mag

ising fuel costs could make it more expensive for farmers to harvest their crops this

year.

Oil prices have been up by as much as 20 percent in 2018 on pressures from rising global demand and dwindling supply.

That means the cost of diesel fuel, which powers harvest season, is also soaring.

Farmers use diesel for equipment and transporting their yields. In May, diesel reached its highest price

in 4 years.

Like agriculture commodities, oil prices have been in a downward spiral for nearly 5 years. The silver lining for farmers in higher oil prices is that oil and ag commodities prices generally move in tandem, perhaps a sign that crop prices have bottomed.

Historically, oil prices peak in early summer, but this year political tensions have added to supply uncertainties, sending prices soaring in June.

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4CONTINUED FROM 17 The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and several other countries, including Russia, had agreed in January 2017 to cut production. The reduction, amounting to about 2 percent of global supply, was instituted to address oversupply.

Increased global demand has eaten through supplies and several factors have conspired to make it difficult to ramp up production.

Since President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of an international agreement to curb Iran’s nuclear program, the U.S. has called for its allies to stop importing Iranian crude by November.

Complicating matters, production in Iraq and Venezuela has been slower than expected and a large oil-sands field in Canada has been shut down indefinitely.

Iran exports about 2.4 million barrels a day of crude. Analysts estimate that anywhere between 400,000 to a 1 million barrels could be at risk once sanctions are reinstated in November.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest exporter of crude, said it would soon raise its production from 10.8 million to 11 million barrels a day.

To help meet demand, OPEC announced on June 22 that its producers would increase output to 1 million

U.S. crude prices

The annual average first purchase price per barrel for U.S. crude oil: 2000..................................... $26.72 2001..................................... $21.84 2002..................................... $22.51 2003..................................... $27.56 2004..................................... $36.77 2005..................................... $50.28 2006..................................... $59.69 2007..................................... $66.52 2008..................................... $94.04 2009..................................... $56.35 2010..................................... $74.71 2011..................................... $95.73 2012..................................... $94.52 2013..................................... $95.99 2014..................................... $87.39 2015..................................... $44.39 2016..................................... $38.29 2017..................................... $48.05 June 27, 2018....................... $72.76 Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration barrels a day. The cartel’s conviction was questioned, however, and the day closed with the biggest single-day increase in oil prices since November 2016. U.S. crude climbed nearly 5 percent to $68.72 a barrel and Brent crude, the international benchmark, hit a high of $74.84.

Then on June 27, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported

that crude supplies were down by 9.9 million barrels for the week ending June 22 – the largest weekly decline so far this year. U.S. crude was up 3.2 percent on the news, Jim settling at $72.76 a barrel Ritterbusch – the highest price since November 2014. Brent crude climbed to $77.62 a barrel.

Despite the pressures on oil, fundamental changes to U.S. energy production and consumption should lower the ceiling in an oil up cycle.

“Fracking is keeping prices much lower, and better production efficiencies are reducing costs,” said Jim Ritterbusch of Galena, president of Ritterbusch & Associates, an oil trading advisory firm.

America’s efforts to reduce its dependence on foreign oil make it more resistant to volatility from political developments abroad.

“I see gasoline getting to the high of last spring, at about $3.10 or $3.15 a gallon,” Ritterbusch said. “Diesel is much stronger on the futures market, but prices could lift up another 15 cents to 25 cents by the end of the summer. When we do peak, it should be much lower than what we’ve been used to seeing.”

CONTINUED ON 194

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4CONTINUED FROM 18 Any kind of market forecast, however, is always subject to change, especially with so many contentious political issues weighing on the global economy.

“Even with these fundamental energy shifts, I’ve learned to never say never,” Ritterbusch said. “There are tariffs and many other political concerns looming, and they could impact oil to the upside.”

Farm Bureau says that with everything else going on in Washington that could impact farmers, gas prices is the least of its worries.

“We’re optimistic that market forces will take care of oil,” said Adam Nielsen, director of national legislation and policy development at the Illinois Farm Bureau. “With all of the political problems, we’re fortunate to have so much domestic production.”

As with the escalating trade war, good timing has allowed many farmers to elude some of the damage from rising oil prices.

“We were done planting everything before gas prices took a bigger jump,” said Randy Faber, who farms near Sublette.

Farmers hope the good timing continues and oil prices will drop before it’s time to fuel big equipment for harvest season.

Earleen Hinton/Northern Illinois Ag Mag

A combine makes it way through a soybean field west of Oregon before the wet October weather delayed the harvest in Illinois last year. Farmers are hoping rising oil prices dip before they have to get the heavy machinery back in the field for this year’s harvest.

Higher oil prices can also drive up the cost of fertilizer, but farmers say the correlation doesn’t seem to be as solid during an ag down cycle.

“Fertilizer really jumped when the grain markets went up,” Faber said.

“The suppliers tend to want to take more when we’re making more.”

Farmers are trying their best to keep gas prices in perspective. Ten years ago, summer gas prices peaked at a national average of $4.11 a gallon.

“It wasn’t so long ago that it cost more

than $100 just to fill up my pickup truck,” Faber said.

Higher oil prices could be the boost that corn has needed. During the ag downturn, soybeans have been the bright spot. As gas prices go up, ethanol is better able to compete at the pump.

With or without tariffs, China’s biofuels blending mandate will take effect in 2020. China is increasing its ethanol imports in preparation. Even with the tariffs looming, China’s imports of U.S. ethanol hit a 2-year high in April.

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AG Mag

19

STARS & BARNS

Alex T. Paschal//Northern Illinois Ag Mag

RIGHT: Artificial lights provide an eerie glow to a barn situated next to a cemetery in Nelson.

Michael Krabbenhoeft/Northern Illinois Ag Mag

A photo taken the night of Jan. 25 of a barn at Chaplin Creek Historic Village in Franklin Grove.

20 Summer 2018

A photo taken the night of Jan. 25 of a barn Franklin Grove.

A look through the camera lens at Northern Illinois barns at night

Peter Balser/Northern Illinois Ag Mag

A barn off of Anterior road near Dixon.

Michael Krabbenhoeft/Northern Illinois Ag Mag

on Herman Road in rural Lee County near

Alex T. Paschal//Northern Illinois Ag Mag

The full moon lights up a lone barn sitting along Route 30 between Rock Falls and Dixon. A closeup is seen at top left.

AG Mag

21

Cultivating friendships Singles in Agriculture not a dating service

T

Members of the Singles in Agriculture group pray during their annual Illinois meeting May 5 at Mama Cimino’s restaurant in Dixon. The national organization has about 250 members, mostly living in the Midwest, the Plains states, and Texas.

(Alex T. Paschal/Northern Illinois Ag Mag)

Experience Matters • Farm Leases • Estate Planning • Farm Sales

hey’re (mostly) single, and in agriculture – but it’s not about dating.

Friendships and experiences are the focus of the Singles in Agriculture group, which marks its 32nd anniversary this year. About 250 members remain across the country, mostly in the Midwest, Plains states, and Texas, and more are welcome.

Several members of SIA gathered in early May for their annual Illinois meeting, touring sites in Dixon and dining together.

CONTINUED ON 234

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BY PHILLIP HARTMAN Northern Illinois Ag Mag

Since 1869

4CONTINUED FROM 22 Each of the group’s 10 regions has an annual meeting, and there are four national meetings yearly, as well as other programs.

Bobbie Berwanger, 73, of Dixon, spoke during lunch at Mama Cimino’s about the group’s origins.

“We’re not a dating group,” Berwanger said.

SIA did have its origins among agricultural singles seeking to meet others like themselves. Columnist Meg Gaige with Farm Journal magazine wrote about how hard it was to find other single people in agriculture, and her work spurred a meeting of 23 people in June 1986 in Peoria. SIA was chartered in October 1986.

The organization has grown to provide social and educational opportunities for single people with a background or interest in agriculture.

Qualifications to join include being single; 21 or older; and employed in, or having a background in, or

Alex T. Paschal/Northern Illinois Ag Mag

There was plenty of table talk during the meeting of Singles in Agriculture on May 5 in Dixon.

After meeting for lunch and conversation, the group split off to explore a few different sights in the area before reconvening for cocktail party at a member’s home. an interest in agriculture; or being affiliated with a branch of agriculture. Applicants also must have never

been convicted of a felony.

While membership is limited to singles, current members who find someone can

remain members with a “Singles No More” membership.

CONTINUED ON 244

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BELOW: Door prizes were awarded to members of the club who attended the meeting and social. LEFT: Members enjoyed a pizza lunch buffet at Mama Cimino’s in Dixon.

Alex T. Paschal/Northern Illinois Ag Mag

4CONTINUED FROM 23 “It replaces the bar scene,� Berwanger said.

Barbara Stofflet, 69, from Wisconsin, was introduced to SIA in the 1990s. “It was through a friend who had lost her husband, and I had lost my husband. I could make new friends and have new adventures,� Stofflet said.

Stofflet did meet her second husband through SIA. He died in 2016, and she remains active in the group. “We go to dinner theater. I’ve visited Nebraska, the grasslands of Oklahoma,

and the Ozarks,� Stofflet said.

Lorraine Armstrong of Rock Falls is the national treasurer, and said the state meetings showcase what’s big in each town. “I’ve gotten to go to places not on regular tours, for example, the salt mines in Utah,� Armstrong said.

Karen McNeil, 66, who lives near Decorah, Iowa, said she saw information about SIA in a Farm Bureau magazine. “I’ve been to Oklahoma, and toured the Cowboy Hall of Fame. I’ve been to Memphis, Tennessee, and visited a lot of places in western Iowa,� McNeil said.

Hayrack rides, hot air balloon flights, winery visits, and many other activities are on SIA’s schedule through next summer.

Times have changed at SIA, however.

Berwanger said numbers are dwindling due to age and illness, and younger people are more interested in meeting others through more technological means.

Still, Singles in Agriculture members are no strangers to the Internet. Go to singlesinagriculture.org or search for Singles in Agriculture on Facebook, email singlesinaginc@gmail.com or call 815-947-3559 for membership and other information.

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HEMP GETS A BUREAU BOOST

BY GOLDIE RAPP For Northern Illinois Ag Mag

I

Goldie Rapp/Northern Illinois Ag Mag

Rachel Berry, an advocate for industrial hemp, shows a piece of insulation made from hemp. Insulation is just one of many hypoallergenic building materials that can be manufactured from hemp.

llinois lawmakers recently passed a bill to lift the prohibitions on the production of industrial hemp. The bill is now on Gov. Bruce Rauner’s desk, and many believe he will sign it in August during the Illinois State Fair.

In Bureau County, one local woman has been instrumental in getting this legislation passed.

Rachel Berry of rural Princeton has been advocating for industrial hemp for the past few years.

The 29-year-old helped to form the Illinois Industrial Hemp Alliance last November and has been blogging, reaching out

Woman’s efforts help get bill that legalizes cash crop on governor’s desk to lawmakers, attending conferences, and educating people on the benefits of hemp and what it could do to improve the Illinois economy.

Born and raised in Cook County, Berry once considered herself a “suburb kid.” Farming was not on her radar until an opportunity arose for her and her husband to become land stewards of a 13-acre farm northwest of Princeton.

Berry jumped at the opportunity and dived into the study of agriculture. What she knows today was because of research she’s done on her own.

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4CONTINUED FROM 25 While her husband works on projects on the farm, she considers herself the sole farmer of their land.

“As a woman and growing our own food – it feels so right,” she said.

With an environmentalist mindset, Berry began researching chemical-free methods for her land and stumbled upon the hemp plant. She was attracted to its ability to clean soil and water, help reduce erosion, and give farmers a crop where no pesticides or herbicides were needed to maintain it.

But what really jump-started her advocacy for hemp was when she heard local officials talk about agricultural practices being the cause for a “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico.

During a meeting in Princeton, Berry said, it was said that the Environmental Protection Agency was coming down harder than ever on farmers who apply nitrogen and phosphorus to fields, only to have it wash into the Mississippi River and flow into the Gulf of Mexico.

The fertilizers have eliminated the oxygen needed for fish to survive in those Gulf waters. The “dead zone” is estimated to be as large as the state of New Jersey.

CONTINUED ON 284

Goldie Rapp/Northern Illinois Ag Mag

A pamphlet shows how industrial hemp can be manufactured into coreboard used for construction.

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Kankakee County hobby farmer awaits green light to grow hemp

BY GOLDIE RAPP For Northern Illinois Ag Mag

W

hile the possibility of growing hemp is still a new concept in Illinois, there are only a handful of farmers in the region who have actually shown interest in wanting to grow it, if Gov. Bruce Rauner gives it the green light.

Evera Ivy of Kankakee County is one of those farmers. She and her family farm about 10 acres of land as a hobby. They have plans to begin a hemp-growing business once the plant is legalized in Illinois. nnn Ivy admits she didn’t always appreciate the farmland her parents purchased when she was young. In fact,

she remembers her family relocating from the urban life in Chicago to the rural lands of Kankakee County and wasn’t grateful of the quiet life she was introduced to back then.

Evera It wasn’t until she got Ivy older that she learned to Kankakee County hobby be more appreciative of farmer awaits that quiet life and of the green light to ability to grow her own grow hemp fruits and vegetables on the land.

When her parents started to back away from the farming life due to old age, Ivy stepped up and began looking further into sustainable methods of farming to prevent the land from sitting empty.

Similar to Rachel Berry’s experience, she stumbled upon the hemp plant during her research and discovered all the good it could do for the soil.

Ivy said she was particularly interested in the medicinal uses of hemp and

the number of health issues it could be used to treat. She said the more research she found on the plant, the more excited she became about growing it.

About a year ago, Ivey decided to share her research with others and became more vocal about what hemp could do for the ecosystem, what it could do for Illinois’ economy, and what it could do for people.

Ivy has reached out to many online forums and organizations to help educate others about the endless possibilities of hemp.

Of course, she has also been met with misconceptions about the hemp plant being related to the cannabis plant.

She said whenever she meets with someone who questions the plant, she uses it as an opportunity to educate them that hemp does not possess the high amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) that the cannabis plant does.

THC is the hallucinogenic found in cannabis.

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4CONTINUED FROM 26 Berry believes if more farmers took a chance on hemp, it could alleviate the environmental issues that have the potential to make a dent in the U.S. economy.

After she reached out to the organization, Vote Hemp, members got her in touch with a robust group, which eventually became know as the Illinois Industrial Hemp Alliance.

Berry also reached out to lawmakers, including state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, state Sen. Chuck Weaver, state Sen. Toi Hutchinson, who introduced the bill, and state Rep. Dan Swanson, who was very familiar with industrial hemp as he shared with her that his grandfather had once grown it before it was prohibited.

“Overall, I’ve had bipartisan support from all the representatives I’ve spoken with,” she said.

She’s also lobbied for hemp in Springfield earlier this year, attended conferences, and has networked with various organizations and alliances that have gotten on board with the support for industrial hemp.

Of course, Berry has been challenged by skeptics unsure about the idea of legalizing a plant that comes from the same classification as cannabis. She said one of the most common arguments she hears is that people will grow cannabis plants in the middle of hemp fields.

“If you know anything about botany, a cannabis plant would not thrive in an open field surrounded by hemp. ... The cannabis plant needs to be pollinated a certain way, and if it was left to be open-pollinated in the air, it would not grow,” she said.

Also, people argue that police officers will have a difficult time telling the difference between a cannabis and hemp plant. Berry’s response to that is, it would take only a little education for officers to be able to identify those differences.

Goldie Rapp/Northern Illinois Ag Mag

Rachel Berry, a Princeton-area advocate for industrial hemp and mother of two children, stands with her son, Oliver, 3. Berry has been influential in getting Illinois lawmakers to vote to lift the prohibition on industrial hemp.

Once the bill is signed, Berry said, her work isn’t over. There will still be efforts made to ensure fair rules and regulations are implemented for licenses.

Also, there is still a lot of education and research to be shared so others become more aware of the opportunities industrial hemp can provide for local farmers and Illinois businesses.

“The opportunities for what people can grow their hemp for are endless,” she said.

Hemp can be used for industrial textiles like rope, canvas and netting. It can be used for textiles, such as clothing, denim, shoes and fine fabrics.

Hemp can be manufactured into building materials such as fiberboard, insulation and acrylics. It can also be used for paper products and even

cosmetics and foods. People consume hemp seed hearts, seed oil, hemp protein powder and supplements.

Berry’s passion for hemp has not only excited others about its potential, but the fight to legalize it has also empowered her. At one time, Berry was a teen mother who quickly learned that people’s expectations for her became “really, really low.”

“It’s not a secret, you can feel it. ... To be a teen mother in this society – that is something to struggle against,” she said.

“And now I’ve never felt so empowered doing this for myself, and showing my children if you want to see change, this is how you do it. You use your arts and the skills you have and you get out there and make it happen.”

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Revitalizing rural America JEC report calls for investment; Democrats call it a roadmap

BY PAM EGGEMEIER For Northern Illinois Ag Mag

T

he Joint Economic Committee Democrats have released a comprehensive report on the state of the rural economy and policies for revitalization.

The JEC is one of four standing joint committees in Congress, dating back to 1946.

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico, ranking member of the JEC, and U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-East Moline, hosted a teleconference for media on June 20 to formally announce the release of the report. Bustos is a co-chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee.

The report, “Investing in Rural America”, says that many rural communities are still recovering from the recession more than a decade later. It looks at the economic challenges faced by the 46 million people who live in rural areas – about 14 percent of the U.S. population.

“Expanding economic opportunities for rural Americans is vital to the strength of our economy

Capsule on report’s ag policy • Pass a bipartisan, 5-year farm bill with policies that give farmers, families and rural communities opportunities to succeed.

• Use tax policy to support small or midsize farms that earn a living in agriculture.

• Expand access to capital and land to encourage the next generation of farmers.

• Provide certainty in trade policy so farmers know what to expect in the marketplace.

• Boost funding for safe and affordable agricultural worker housing. as a whole,” Heinrich said.

“Rural residents are some of the most innovative people you’ll meet, but they need a level playing field.”

The report breaks down the challenges into several areas, including family financial security, education, infrastructure, agriculture, health care, housing, clean energy and public lands.

The key to addressing the challenges is a bipartisan committment to investing in rural America to maximize its strengths.

The rural population is declining, and wages have been stagnant. Rural workers, on average, make 25 percent less than those in urban areas, even though it can be much harder for employers to fill skilled labor positions.

Bustos said most of the 700,000 people in Illinois’ 17th District that includes parts of 14 counties live in rural areas. Her rural constituents tell her they are most concerned about health care and infrastructure.

“Rural areas pay a disproportionately high price for failing infrastructure and 23 million still don’t have access to broadband,” Bustos said. “The Trump transportation plan fails to deliver. Public-private partnerships for transportation don’t work in rural America.”

Bustos said the House has a transportation plan that includes $40 billion to close the digital divide and creates new jobs.

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Rural America needs better access to health care, Bustos said. They are traveling farther, to be treated, and higher poverty rates also impact access, at a time when Medicare and Medicaid benefits are under siege.

The report cites aging farmers as a challenge to the future of agriculture.

While a new farm bill will help to bring stability, solutions focus on improving the quality of life in rural areas to keep people on the farm.

Expanding broadband keeps agriculture connected with other economic sectors. The report also calls for investments to improve housing and education.

“We need housing incentives to get teachers to start their education careers in rural communities,” Heinrich said. “When they see the advantages to teaching in rural schools, it’s likely that many will stay.”

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AG Mag

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Growth opportunities Organization’s progression evident at state convention, Amboy High School

W

BY JESSIE KERN For Northern Illinois Ag Mag

hile FFA continues to grow in numbers, it’s progressing in other ways as well.

Look no further than to what happened at this year’s state convention last month in Springfield. There, for the first time in the FFA’s history in Illinois, all of the major state officers elected are female.

Sophia Hortin, 18, of Fisher, was elected president, the state’s seventh woman

elected to the top position. Eliza Petry, 17, of Rochelle was elected vice president.

Women and girls have had full membership privileges in FFA only since 1969. Today, females represent about 45 percent of FFA members.

“It’s crazy to think that years and years ago, females weren’t even allowed to be members, and now they are holding officer positions,” said Stacey Dinges, an Amboy Junior High School teacher and FFA adviser.

Dinges teaches a 9-week agriculture development class to eighth-graders who get a sneak peek at what FFA is about.

Ashley Winters was one of those students who took the class. Now, he’s an Amboy High School senior and the FFA’s reporter. Before he took Dinges’ class, he thought FFA was for only farm kids.

CONTINUED ON 314

Ashley Winters, who will be a senior at Amboy High School, is the FFA chapter’s recorder.

He said he would recommend the organization to all students, regardless of their interest in agriculture and farming.

(Alex T. Paschal/ Northern Illinois Ag Mag)

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“I learned that it ecompasses a large variety of things, from ag communications to, yeah, being a farmer,” Winters said. “But there’s a lot in the industry that I think people don’t know about.”

Dinges said FFA has steered away from being just about agriculture. While its roots are based in ag, it really is a leadership organization for students and young adults, she said. It provides high school students with various opportunities for professional development.

She said most students who come in as eighthgraders are, as Winters was, very quiet and timid. But the organization pushes students to communicate effectively and improve their public speaking abilities.

Dinges said that while there are advisers, the group is run by students, putting high schoolers in positions where they have to represent their FFA chapter and be in communication with adults.

“You see a kid who was really quiet greeting adults with a firm handshake,” Dinges said.

She said FFA is a hidden treasure in public school systems, helping students find their interests and passions, whether they be in agriculture or not. Now, students from non-farming backgrounds are included as well.

Winters said he has taken a lot away from his time in the organization, and sees FFA as a beneficial group.

“Freshman year, I really

didn’t talk to anyone,” he said. “I didn’t have a whole lot of friends, but now I’m an officer and I do things and I know how to communicate better with people.”

Winters said FFA pushes students to be more involved and confident, and provides them with skills to get work done and spread their message. He said the organization also offers career development events in areas like ag business and parliamentary procedures for running proper meetings.

“I’d say definitely get involved, because it is much more than just farming in general,” he said. “It teaches you these valuable life lessons that you will carry with you.”

Winters said FFA has taught him how to work with others and focus on a specific task to get it done on time, and that the communication aspect of the organization is a large part of their work. He said holding an officer position requires him to meet with his chapter’s officer team to organize the different events like fundraising.

“I think it’s better to be more inclusive and get more people involved,” Winters said. “It’s a huge deal, and obviously it’s not just limited to males. [In] the ag industry, there’s a huge number of things that you can be involved in.”

He said he will continue to promote the organization to incoming students and encourage everyone to become involved in FFA because he feels it is unique and beneficial to all.

“FFA doesn’t discriminate against anyone,” Dinges said.

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AG’S AIR FORCE Conditions expected to create busy season for crop dusters

A

BY RACHEL RODGERS For Northern Illinois Ag Mag

specific brew of weather creating a breeding ground for pestilence has farmers looking up for answers.

Infestations of fungi and insects work quickly to destroy most manner of crops, including corn and soybeans. The fastest way to head off the rot usually comes in the form of a yellow and blue aircraft flying low and fast.

Crop dusting, or the more modern term of aerial spraying, is a specialized

craft that continues to evolve since its beginning about a century ago, but the principle remains the same.

Cover a wide area of crop with heavily diluted chemicals in a short amount of time to protect the farmer’s yield.

TJ Graden, owner of Graden Aviation headquartered at the Ogle County Airport in Mount Morris, started a crop dusting venture in late 2016 with seasoned pilot Jason Robinson, who has about 25 years experience in the field including flying fire bombers used to

combat forest fires.

Graden, of Polo, said they can cover about 2,500 to 3,000 acres a day delivering timely and efficient applications that can make a big difference for the health of the crop.

“An insect infestation can decimate a crop in a short amount of time,” he said.

“Farmers need to treat fields within 10 to 14 days or they could look at losing hundreds of thousands of acres.”

CONTINUED ON 334

The Graden Aviation’s standard model Air Tractor plane sprays a local field with pesticides. The plane is engineered to carry a heavy load, fly fast and make high-angle turns. It has a 60-foot wingspan, drinks about 90 to 110 gallons of jet fuel an hour, and sprays while going nearly 150 mph.

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Ag aviation history

Crop dusters treat about 71 million acres of cropland aerially each year, about 20 percent of total farmland across the country, according to the National Agricultural Aviation Association.

Commodity prices often affect whether farmers hire crop dusters as they look for ways to lower production costs during times of tight margins, but Graden said there are several TJ other factors Graden keeping pilots airborne.

Mother nature gave way to a prime pestilence environment following a cold April, a hot May, a hotter June, and a mix of heavy rains and dry soils across the region.

“The combination of the heat, rain, and days without sun is the perfect recipe to have plenty of fungus growing,” Graden said.

Corn is also growing faster and taller, making aerial spraying favorable so the crop isn’t disturbed and there’s better chance of development. Corn crops started tasseling in Northern Illinois before the Fourth of July, which is uncommon for the area.

Another benefit to crop dusting is that it allows for a more thorough application.

Infestations are usually on the bottom side of leaves, so ground rigs aren’t as effective when they’re just coating the tops of the crop, he said.

Wake turbulence from the aircraft moves the plant and spreads the chemical

1921 – Lt. John Macready makes the world’s first aerial application, spreading lead arsenate dust over catalpa trees in Ohio to kill sphinx moth larvae using a Modified Curtiss JN-6 “Super Jenny.”

1923 – Huff-Daland Dusters, Inc. – the forerunner to Delta Air Lines – performs the first commercial dusting of crops.

1930s and ’40s – Open-cockpit Stearman biplanes used to spray crops.

1951 – Leland Snow begins designing his first ag airplane – the S-1.

1957 – The Grumman G-164 Ag-Cat is the first aircraft designed by a major aircraft company for ag aviation.

1966 – The National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA) is founded in Washington, D.C., to be the “recognized public policy advocate for the agricultural aviation industry.” *information provided by the NAAA underneath, and by targeting the crop from above, the soil doesn’t get compacted.

Graden has a standard model Air Tractor, the main manufacturer of crop dusters, that’s engineered to carry a heavy load, fly fast and make high-angle turns.

It has a 60-foot wingspan, drinks about 90 to 110 gallons of jet fuel an hour, and sprays while going nearly 150 mph.

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AG Mag

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Jason Robinson (left) and TJ Graden stand with their plane on a runway out West.

(Photo submitted)

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More info

Everything is done with GPS, opposed to the days when people would direct the planes with flags at the ends of the fields. Graden said they use an information management system where they can map out areas and Jason their coordiRobinson nates, as well as an online system that identifies sensitive areas nearby like apiaries and organic fields. “Everything has got to be thought through very thoroughly,� he said.

The average crop dusting pilot has about 21 years of experience and has to go through a special certification process, requiring both a commercial pilot’s license and registration as a commercial pesticide applicator.

They also need the Federal Aviation Administration Part 137 Certificate that allows for low-level agricultural aviation operations, basically for

Graden Aviation is based at the Ogle County Airport, 3019 state Route 64, in Mount Morris. Email gradenair1978@gmail.com or find the business on Facebook for more information. flying lower than FAA regulations permit.

Crop dusters fly as low as 10 feet off the ground. “Crop dusters push the FAA flight rules; they fly in an aggressive and inherently dangerous manner, so there’s a lot of procedure involved,�

Graden said.

There’s a lot of talk about drones when looking at the future of the aerial application industry, but Graden doesn’t think they’ll ever be a replacement for the pilots. “You can’t take the human factor out of this because there are so many variables,� he said, citing wind conditions, sensitive areas and technique. “The level of skill is pretty large, and you can’t take that away.�

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AG Mag

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Dale Pfundstein and his family of Sterling touch several sectors of the beef industry with their familyoperated feedlot and butcher shop.

To bring the next generation of this growing family enterprise back to the farm, the Pfundstein family revitalized a local business to diversify their family enterprise and become more of a part of the local community. Pictured (from left) are Pamela, Florence, Dale, Amelia, Katie and Cliff Pfundstein.

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150 years and going strong Pfundstein family recognized by Illinois Beef Association Submitted by the Illinois Beef Association

T

he Illinois Beef Association presented Pfundstein Farms of Sterling with the IBA Farm Family of the Year Award June 14 at the IBA Summer Conference in Galena. This award is presented annually to a family involved with beef production for their dedication to cattle industry.

Over the past 150 years, the Pfundstein family has raised crops, livestock and seven generations of their family on their farm. For Cliff Pfundstein, working on the family farm as his full-time job was a no-brainer, as raising and feeding cattle is a family tradition of both his mother’s and father’s families. He described the beef industry as a love and passion for everyone involved. nnn As it became apparent that the next

generation would return to the family farm after college, Dale knew it was time to create a succession plan. “I’m thrilled to have Cliff back on the family farm, and wanted it to be his role to take care of the cattle, but that meant finding other ways for our family business to support the addition of a growing family with Cliff and his wife, Katie, and their daughter, Amelia,� Dale said. “It had been around a decade since our community had a local butcher shop, and I’ve always wanted to be closer to the consumer and be a part of our community, so I decided to revitalize a business.�

This new business venture, a local meat retail store aptly named The Butcher Shop (see story on Page 38), has provided an opportunity for the Pfundstein family to diversify their operation. Throughout their family’s history, this willingness to diversify has been key to helping the next generation continue on the family farm.

With each generation intent to cre-

ate opportunities for those that follow, it’s obvious that the Pfundsteins take great pride in seeing both Cliff and their daughter, Emily, continue to live and work in agriculture. “It is very rewarding to be able to work here, side by side with dad and with my mom too, and my wife and my daughter,� Cliff said.

With 1,500 head of cattle on feed, a cow-calf herd, row crops, hay, and The Butcher Shop, the Pfundstein family is always on the move. But, they cherish every day they are able to spend together on the farm. “There is more than once that my wife and I have said that we are really blessed to have the kids come into the family farm,� Dale said. “Both of our kids went to college, and both of them decided to work in agriculture. “We’re very proud that our business is a family farm and that we get to work together every day. We’re also proud to operate a business that help support our local community.�

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AG Mag

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The Butcher Shop is back There are some new faces behind a familiar name at Rock Falls business

BY BOB TOMASZEWSKI For Northern Illinois Ag

A

Alex T. Paschal/Northern Illinois Ag Mag

Dale Pfundstein displays a tray of steaks from The Butcher Shop in Rock Falls. The Sterling cattle farmer reopened the shop with Kent and Pattie Farley of Chadwick in November.

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recession closed it, but a local trio has brought it back: The Butcher Shop is open for business again.

If you’re not familiar with that name, then you probably weren’t around when the retail arm of meat distributor Rock River Provision was open. A deepening recession cut into the business’ bottom line back in 2009, when then-owner David Hoffman was forced to close the family business after more than 50 years, but a local cattle farmer thought the time was right to bring a butcher shop back to the area.

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The shop, at 3309 W. Rock Falls Road in Rock Falls, is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. It can be reached at 815-632-3931 or at thebutchershopsrf@ gmail.com, or find “The Butcher Shop LLC” on Facebook. have to go far to find fresh, local meat.

For now, Pfundstein is splitting his time between the farm and the shop, but he said he’s looking to transition more into the meat business and have his son Cliff gradually take over the family farm operations.

He said the transition from the farm market to the meat market has been a smooth one so far, as he’s used to dealing with the rules and regulations behind bringing his farm goods to the table.

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Owner Dale Pfundstein, along with co-owners and husband and wife Pattie and Kent Farley of Chadwick opened The Butcher Shop on Nov. 17 at 3309 W. Rock Falls Road in Rock Falls The shop sells locally sourced fresh meat – some of it from Pfundstein’s farm – both in smaller quantities and in bulk, as well as chicken, pork, deli meat, cheese, rubs and spices, frozen soups, and more.

The partnership between Pfundstein and the Farleys came about after Dale and Kent, who had been a livestock nutritionist for 20 years and grew up on a farm, talked about the need to bring a local butcher shop back to the area.

Pfundstein, a Sterling cattle farmer, said that before the shop reopened, it wasn’t easy to find quarters, halves or bundles locally, but with the Butcher Shop back in business – and in a familiar location – customers won’t

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