Sam

AG Mag

Northern Illinois

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Less Northern Illinois farmers focus on higher yields as commodity prices continue to be low GOOD DEAL? Local farmers make their push for passage of Trans-Pacific Partnership TOO BIG?: Mega-mergers worry U.S. senator, farmers

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

A Publication of Shaw Media

Fall 2016 AG Mag

1

AG Mag

Index

Northern Illinois

Publisher Sam R Fisher Advertising Director Jennifer Heintzelman

COVER STORY PAGE 8

Editor Jeff Rogers Magazine Editor Jeff Rogers Page Design Jeff Rogers Reporters & Photographers Mitchell Brinkman, Jason Brooks, Dave Fox, Pam Eggemeier, Christopher Heimerman, Kayla Heimerman, Michael, Krabbenhoeft, Philip Marruffo, Alex T. Paschal, Goldie Rapp, and Rachel Rodgers 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.

Farmers weigh in

As another harvest season wraps up, local farmers tell us how they’re managing amid low commodity prices.

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Index

BY THE NUMBERS PAGE 18

Good Stewards

Like many others in the region, Adam Henkel’s family has been practicing environmentally friendly farming for years. See what a Lee County survey showed.

While farmers are 14 busy in the field, harvest season is hectic at grain elevators, too.

Two local farmers stepped up to fight for passage of the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal.

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Index

FALL RECIPES PAGE 32

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‘GIMME THE BUSHELS’

With commodities prices down, farmers focus on production, input costs

L

BY CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN For Northern Illinois Ag Mag

amont Farthing steps down from his combine, stretches, looks at the bare fields from which he has just finished harvesting his soybean crop and drinks it in. Commodity prices have just edged up from abysmal, but it is a gorgeous fall day, and for the fourth straight year, he has something no one can take away: a record harvest.

“I’m very happy,” the 61-year-old says. “A lot of farmers would tell you that if they can’t have the price, gimme the bushels. If you’ve got the bushels, at least 8 Fall 2016

you have something to sell, and you can hope for a better price. If I don’t have the bushels, what difference does the price make? I’m just gong to be mad.”

Next up? The corn. Like most Midwestern farmers, Farthing is expecting a record haul there, too.

■■■ There’s a literal price to pay, however, for the monster yields farmers have enjoyed the past few years. On the heels of a national drought, corn reached a record high of $8.49 a bushel in August 2012.

Since 2013, corn has rarely crawled above the $4 mark.

CONTINUED ON 9

4CONTINUED FROM 8 “It was unsustainable; I mean, it got really ridiculous,” Farthing says. “The whole world responded to the ability to get big money, and we overproduced.”

On his 370 or so acres in rural Morrison in Whiteside County, Farthing produces an even split of soybeans for Pioneer and No. 2 corn. As of Oct. 18, he’d sold off about 80 percent of the former, but just one-third of the latter. So long to the carefree days of summer, when corn sat around $4 per bushel.

“Hindsight is always 20/20,” he says.

“We weren’t sure what kind of crop we were going to have. Now, we’d all like to see $4, but just like everybody else, once it gets to $4, we’d like to see $4.50.”

Despite repeated record harvests, he won’t change how much he plants or his ratios next year, instead focusing on his input costs.

Adam Henkel, a seventh-generation farmer in Amboy, seconds that notion.

“If we had a 150-bushel corn, we’d have higher prices. What did that gain us? It’s the same net income,” Henkel, 37, says. “It’s come down to managing better and cutting where you can.”

On Page 8

Brad Shippert harvests soybeans on his rural Dixon farm in October. He said farmers can weather the storm of lower commodities prices if they “didn’t go out and borrow a whole bunch of money for new equipment.” “If you don’t have a lot of debt going into a period like this, you’ll be OK,” he said.

(Michael Krabbenhoeft/Northern Illinois Ag Mag) Both he and Farthing use a handful of environmentally friendly practices to save not only the earth, but their pocketbooks, too.

For nearly 20 years, Farthing has finetuned his no-till process. A couple of years ago, he started using cover crops: radishes, planted from the air.

Next year, he’ll try to go to auto-steer on his tractor – the same one he’s used since he started farming in 1988 – in order to work an extra 3 hours a day and, in turn, gain an extra day every 3 days.

“I just keep doing what I’m doing and try to do something a little bit better to make every year a little bit better,” he says.

As he harvests a row of corn, he can’t help but smile. He might not be making off like a bandit – after working construction for years, he’s worked in

crop adjusting since 2010, and his wife, Sue, 56, does farm appraisals. But he’s happy.

“I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else,” he says. Part of his savings stems from the fact that aside from him and Sue, he has no full-timers on his payroll. Close friend Mike James, who also farms nearby, helps with the harvest, but that’s it.

“I enjoy the spring for the challenge, but this is the fun part – seeing how I’ve done,” Farthing says. “This is the part I look forward to most.”

Most farmers are looking forward to getting through the election cycle, so that the Trans-Pacific Partnership can be unearthed from the fodder of a presidential race that’s smothered other conversations.

CONTINUED ON 104

Philip Marruffo/Northern Illinois Ag Mag

Lamont Farthing farms an even split of corn and soybeans on about 370 acres in rural Morrison. He said the recent trend of lower commodities prices doesn’t get him down. “If you’ve got the bushels, at least you have something to sell, and you can hope for a better price,” he said. Here, he talks about the radishes he plants from the air and grows as a cover crop.

AG Mag

9

4CONTINUED FROM 9 “That would help immensely, opening up borders and getting other countries into our trade program,” Henkel says.

Brad Shippert, a 32-year-old Lee County farmer who raises one-third beans and two-thirds corn south of Dixon, says that over the years, he’s spent less time sweating politics and more time sleeping at night.

“I used to keep track of all that and stay in tune all the time, but I just kind of got tired of it,” he says. “It was more stress than what it was worth. You’ve just got to know the driving forces behind everything, and keep your ear into it to an extent.”

That’s where being active in local groups such as farm bureaus, conservation districts and corn grower associations is crucial, says Allyn Buhrow, who farms and sells seed in the Ashton area in Lee County.

“You’ve just got to be part of a bigger unit,” Buhrow, 40, says. “Individually, there’s not a lot we can do.”

The silver lining of low commodity prices is that land prices follow suit.

According to the research by the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana’s Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, cash rents are projected to continue their descent in 2017, down another $23 per acre to

Michael Krabbenhoeft/Northern Illinois Ag Mag

Brad Shippert, 32, said farming in rural Lee County, south of Dixon, “provides a lifestyle and a way to raise my children the way I was raised.” He raises one-third soybeans and two-thirds corn on his farm. $245. Land values have followed a similar trend, having gone down 1.6 percent over the past 2 years, from $7,700 per acre in 2014 to $7,450 in 2016. So

now could be an advantageous time to expand or get into the game.

CONTINUED ON 124

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4CONTINUED FROM 10 Buyer beware, though.

Corn gross revenue from the 2016 crop is projected at $787 per acre, down $43 from 2015, while soybeans are projected to go up $26 per acre to $677 – altogether making for a mixed bag that begs to be offset by stingy input cost management.

“My advice would be to be very careful in managing your finances and cost of production,” said Mark Bernards, associate professor of Western Illinois University’s School of Agriculture.

He said a marketing background can be invaluable for today’s farmer.

“You need to market your crop for a premium,” he said.

“This will be the third year running that farmers will be projected to operate at a loss.”

The average grain farm had about $500 in income in 2015, the lowest since at least 1995 and an empty hull of 2012, when per-farm income flirted with the $300,000 mark.

“As long as you didn’t go out and borrow a whole bunch

Philip Marruffo/Northern Illinois Ag Mag

Mike James uses a shovel to guide corn in an auger at the Farthing farm near Morrison. James, who is a close friend of Lamont Farthing, helps with the harvest at the farm. Otherwise, it’s just Lamont and his wife, Sue, who tend to the acreage. of money for a bunch of new equipment, you’ll weather the storm,” Shippert says. “If you don’t have a lot of debt going into a period like this, you’ll be OK. There will be good years. It’s cyclical. There will be the good with the bad.

Farming provides a lifestyle and a way to raise my chil-

dren the way I was raised – in a rural setting. I love it, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Agriculture remains among the top industries in the Illinois economy. The state’s corn accounts for the most gallons of ethanol in the nation.

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ag, it can make up the top industry in the state of Illinois,” said Jason Franken, assistant professor of agriculture economics at Western Illinois University.

Chad Hart, associate professor of economics and crop markets specialist at Iowa State University, said strictly from a production standpoint, ag makes up 6 to 8 percent of Iowa’s gross domestic product. Factor in machinery, food services and other facets, and you can get up to a quarter of the state economy, behind only manufacturing and financial.

For guys like Farthing, who hopes one of his sons, Anthony, 31, or Andrew, 29, will make his a fifth-generation operation, you can’t put a price tag on this lifestyle.

“What a great life,” he says.

“I’m out here playing in this very expensive toy that I get to run about a month out of the year, and the rest of the time it sits out in the shed.

It’s a beautiful day, and I’m doing what I like to do – watching this yellow fool’s gold go into a wagon.”

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AG Mag

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Keeping the grain moving ‘Never a dull moment’ at elevator during harvest

M

BY DAVE FOX For Northern Illinois Ag Mag

ore gold than is in Fort Knox is being traded in a field near Tampico these days.

It’s a different kind of gold, for sure, but the volume of golden harvest-ready corn going through an elevator run by Rock River Lumber and Grain is quite a sight to behold.

It’s early in the harvest, and grain division empoyee Jessica Smith is behind the controls at one of the company’s eight elevator locations. Last year, this facility handled 3 million bushels of corn and 600,000 bushes of soybeans.

The summer weather made it likely the elevator was well on its way to matching last year’s volume.

Smith lives in Tampico but works at the Sterling rail facility most of the year. During harvest season, she gets to work closer to home and keeps up with the hectic pace to operations run smoothly.

CONTINUED ON 154

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4CONTINUED FROM 14 In a flurry of activity that barely leaves her enough time to answer questions, Smith proves to be an expert at multi-tasking as she directs traffic and performs her other functions –inspecting, weighing, and checking moisture content of the grain, weighing trucks, and handling customer accounts.

This location, as well as the others, stay busy from the first of September through November, Smith said.

“We’re working 12-hour days, 7 days a week,” she says with a laugh, “except for Sundays, when we’re only open for 6 hours. There’s definitely no free time.

“The guys (two employees) outside often stay overnight, drying corn and making runs to load trains. They’re very hard workers.”

In order to ship to various locations, Rock River Lumber and Grain has its own facility on the west end of Sterling, where it loads grain onto trains.

In addition to corn and

beans, the Tampico facility also handles wheat as it’s harvested in the summer.

As Smith speaks, truck after truck pulls onto the scale in front of her office to be weighed. During weighing, Smith controls a “probe” which is lowered into the bed of each truck, where a small sample of the grain is vacuumed into a bucket in the office.

From there it goes to a computerized machine that tests for moisture and other things and records information. Smith then directs each truck to the appropriate “pit” for unloading their grain, which is moved mechanically into a storage bin.

“During harvest,” Smith says, “it really hops here!

There’s never a dull moment.”

Most of the grain for this particular elevator, she says, comes from the Tampico area, “but we get some regular customers from Prophetstown, Walnut, Rock Falls, and other places as well.”

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Photos by Dave Fox/Northern Illinois Ag Mag

During harvest, trucks are constantly coming and going from the Rock River Grain and Lumber facility in Tampico. Employee Melissa Smith said the elevator is operating 12 hours a day 6 days a week, and 6 hours on Sunday. LEFT: Smith pours corn into a computerized test, which weighs the corn and tests it for moisture, among other things.

During harvest season, Smith works at the Rock River Lumber and Grain facility in Tampico.

The rest of the year, she’s at a Sterling facility.

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BELOW: Corn drops from a bottom door of a grain truck into the “pits” of the facility, where elevators transport it to a storage bin.

LEFT: Rob McIntire sweeps grain remnants from the floor to the pit.

4CONTINUED FROM 14 Where do several million bushels of corn each year go after they leave here?

Most of it is shipped by rail to Texas.

“We sell it to Tyson, where they grind most of it for chicken feed,”

Smith says.

“Our guys truck it up to Sterling, where it’s weighed and emptied into the pits there, and it’s loaded directly onto the trains.

On average, a 75- to 110-train car is filled each week. It’s crucial to keep the

grain moving between locations.

“We have to keep it moving all the time from here to the train facility,” she said, “in order to avoid running out of storage space. That’s something a lot of people don’t think of, but it’s pretty important.”

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Adam Henkel, 37, looks out over his land, on which his family has been practicing environmentally friendly farming for years. The field seen behind Henkel is terraced to control water flow and erosion of the soil. His fields also have many wind breaks, drain tiles, and ponds to help water flow and to prevent soil erosion.

Henkel farms in rural Ashton in Lee County.

(Michael Krabbenhoeft/ Northern Illinois Ag Mag )

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T

he vantage from the front stoop of the house where Adam Henkel grew up in rural Amboy is a veritable how-to guide on environmentally responsible farming.

In front of the house is a farm pond used to prevent water erosion, and beyond that – in each direction from the house, really – are little orange tubes rising out of the field, indicating terraces that also keep water from running and eroding the surface.

Assisting with erosion prevention is cereal rye, a cover crop that also pulls nutrients from the ground and lays them on top of the soil.

A line of blue spruces extends from the house to serve as a wind break. They

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SURVEY SAYS Results from a Lee County Farm Bureau survey of conservation practices by local farmers

CONTINUED FROM 19 I was taller than them at one point,” said Henkel, a 37-yearold, seventh-generation farmer of corn and soybeans – just like the vast majority of Lee County farmers.

More and more of those farmers are adopting conservation practices, as exhibited by a survey the Lee County Farm Bureau recently conducted.

Taking care of the earth for future generations is old hand for the Henkels. His grandfather, Joe, started toying with conservation in the 1970s by installing terraces, buying a chisel plow and rotating crops.

“He had the Indian philosophy: You don’t own the land. You’re just using it and need to take care of it for the next generation,” Henkel said.

In 1990, the Henkels – Adam, his uncles, Greg and Fran, and his dad, Joe, went to a no-till system, which reduces wind and water erosion and helps assure soil quality, not to mention, by eliminating the plowing step, saves money in labor and fuel.

When Paul Henkel, Adam’s cousin, who is on the Lee County

Soil and Water Conservation District Board, stood in front of Joe’s house, he had to laugh.

“They’d toured all these different places,” Adam said. “He was over at dad’s house, standing there talking about everything he saw, and kind of stopped, looked around and said, ‘We could come here, stand in your yard and see everything we drove 2 hours to see.’”

That includes the sort of land farmers shouldn’t be able to farm. The southern half of the farm rolls so much you’ll lose sight of the combine multiple times as it crosses the land.

“This should be permanent pasture,” Henkel said. “It shouldn’t be farmed, but because we manage it, no-till, cover crops, do everything right, I’d put it up against just about any piece around for productivity.”

His colleagues insist the flat, formerly swampy land north of state Route 30 can’t be no-till farmed.

“Everybody says up there, you can’t no-till it, that you’ve got to turn it over and open it up,” Henkel said with a big grin.

CONTINUED ON 21

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CONTINUED FROM 20 “I want to rent some ground up there, no-till it, prove them wrong, and show that it can be done anywhere. But ground’s hard to come by. … Someday.”

The farm bureau’s survey, which had a 20 percent response rate (126 of the county’s 630 farmers) showed that virtually all of its farmers carry out some environmentally conscious practices – 98 percent of them sample soils.

About 85 percent take that to the next level with grid-mapping to determine the nutrient layout.

That leads to better crops year-over-year, less waste (and thus, less input investment), and fewer nutrients carried away by water.

“You can apply what you know it needs, not what you think it needs,” said Danelle Burrs, 31, the manager of the farm

bureau who grew up on her family’s McHenry County farm, where they grew – you guessed it – corn and soybeans, as well as hogs and cattle.

Cover crops are still a relatively new practice, and 21 percent of the responding Lee County farmers use them.

Nearly 50 percent of the farmers who responded have adopted at least three conservation practices, and nearly 85 percent use at least two. The Henkel farm falls into the 16 percent that have four or more.

One of those practices is pollinator habitats that help integral bees and insects thrive, a practice that has picked up speed. In fact, in just the past year, it’s made great strides in Whiteside County, according to Henry Sanford, a Whiteside County Soil conservationist.

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AG Mag

21

A DAY IN THE COUNTRY AT SCHOOL Sterling isn’t a metropolis by any standard. But for many who live there, it’s far from rural.

So, every now and then, it’s good to bring the country to school kids in the city.

That’s what happened Oct. 21 during Country Day at Jefferson Elementary School in Sterling. Students learned lined dances, and got to see and pet animals both inside the school and outside at a petting zoo.

Members of the Sterling High School FFA helped organize and plan the event.

ABOVE: Students dust off their boots and shoes while they learn line dances during Country Day at Jefferson Elementary School in Sterling.

Members of the Sterling High School FFA volunteered to help with some of the different events throughout the school. RIGHT: Students pet Pedro, a miniature horse, at a petting zoo that also featured geese, chickens, pigs, rabbits, and a turtle (middle).

Photos by Michael Krabbenhoeft for Northern Illinois Ag Mag 22 Fall 2016

Students wait in line to enter the petting zoo, some a little more anxiously than others.

ABOVE: Jefferson School students learn about cows.

RIGHT: A calf checks out the photographer’s camera as students walk past.

AG Mag

23

Final push for trade deal Farmers stand to be big winners if Congress OKs TPP

BY PAM EGGEMEIER For Northern Illinois Ag Mag

F

Piglets stay in a heated nursery at the Dail Hog Farm outside Erie in 2014. The American Farm Bureau Federation projects pork producers to be the biggest benefactors from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Nationwide, beef is the biggest project ag winner if the trade deal is approved by Congress.

(Northern Illinois Ag Mag file photo)

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armers are pushing hard to get the largest regional free trade agreement in history passed in Congress before year’s end, but it could be a tough row to hoe.

A bill to fast-track the Trans-Pacific Partnership was approved by Congress last summer, and on Oct. 5, 2015, a final agreement was hammered out between the 12 Pacific Rim nations involved.

In addition to the U.S., trade partners in the deal include Canada, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Brunei, Australia and New Zealand.

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4CONTINUED FROM 24 Congress must now approve the pact if the United States is to be part of the deal that has been negotiated for 7 years.

The free trade deal has been the top legislative priority of the American Farm Bureau Federation. Farmers and ranchers, in the throes of a cyclical downturn, say TPP would increase direct farm exports to the tune of $5.3 billion a year when it is fully implemented through the elimination of tariffs and other trade barriers.

The trade deal is one of the keystone foreign policy goals of the Obama administration. After receiving fasttrack designation, supporters were hopeful it would be ratified by Congress before the end of the year, but now it appears to be an uphill battle.

Supporters hope much of the uncertainty is political rhetoric that will dissipate after the election. Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have voiced strong opposition to the trade deal. House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have said no action will be taken on TPP this year because there isn’t enough support to pass it.

CONTINUED ON 264

Goldie Rapp/Northern Illinois Ag Mag

Evan Hultine, a fourth-generation farmer in rural Princeton, was one of two area members of a delegation that recently went to Capitol Hill in support of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. “If we don’t ratify this deal, it’s not going back to the drawing board – we’ll just get cut out of it,” Hultine said. The U.S. involvement in the free trade agreement between 12 Pacific Rim nations still requires congressional approval.

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4CONTINUED FROM 25 “Both presidential candidates are against it, and there are some key Senate races where this is a big issue, but I think it’s a whole new ballgame after Nov. 8,” said Adam Nielsen, director of national legislation and policy development at Illinois Farm Adam Bureau.

Nielsen Nielsen said time is of the essence, however, before the window closes on a golden opportunity to break down trade barriers, boost income, and create jobs. That window remains open during the lame-duck legislation session that includes most of November and part of December.

“This might not happen at all if it isn’t done this year, so we have kept pushing for it,” Nielsen said.

Area farmers Evan Hultine of rural Princeton and Keith Poole of rural Polo

Illinois farm income Projections on the annual impact of the Trans-Pacific Partnership on Illinois agriculture when if it is fully implemented, measured in cash receipts and net exports: Product Cash Receipts Net Exports Corn +83,561 -11,191.5 Soybeans +68,453.5 +38,383.2 Wheat +660.0 - 296.6 Cotton 0 0 Rice 0 0 Fruits, nuts +623.5 +554.9 Vegetables +3,568 +3,176.0 Beef +14,650.6 +13,511.6 Pork +73,762.1 +63,475.0 Poultry +2,010.7 +541.1 Dairy +2,010.7 +541.1 Other Ag +31,144.6 +17,950.4 Total +281,128.0 million +127,386.9 million Source: American Farm Bureau Federation

were among a delegation that recently stated its case for TPP on Capitol Hill. The issue became the centerpiece Evan Hultine of this year’s Illinois Farm Bureau Leaders to Washington trip taken Sept. 13-15.

Hultine, chairman of the IFB Young Leaders group,

said the farmers met with U.S. trade representatives, and several global groups including the Australian Embassy.

“I’m hopeful we can still get this done when the trade rhetoric calms down after the election,” said Hultine, a fourth-generation farmer.

“After all the work the U.S. has put into this, it doesn’t make sense to be left out in the cold.”

Supporters of TPP warn that the U.S. would be removed from a global trade leadership role if it doesn’t ratify the agreement. They fear China and Russia would fill the leadership vacuum.

“This would have ag well positioned to export a lot of products, and it would help level the playing field for the U.S., but China is working on deals with everyone else, and the longer this takes to pass, the more opportunities we could miss,” Poole said.

American Farm Bureau Federation projections for Illinois show TPP increasing cash receipts by $281.1 million a year, and boosting net exports by $127.4 million annually. The data also estimates 960 jobs would be created statewide. Illinois ag export sales brought in $19.6 billion in 2014.

Nationwide, beef is the biggest projected ag winner, while in Illinois it is pork producers who stand to benefit most from creating new trade opportunities.

CONTINUED ON 274

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with members of Congress over the next few months,” Kinzinger said.

U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-East Moline, voted against the TPP fast-track legislation, but said she Rep. Adam still is carefully weighing Kinzinger its potential impact on her district. In a region where agriculture and manufacturing are economic cornerstones, the process is complicated.

“Ag is the number one economic driver in the region,” Bustos said. “I Rep. Cheri have the world headquarBustos ters for John Deere and Caterpillar, and they both support it, but 90,000 labor households in the region are dead-set against it.”

Bustos said she doesn’t think TPP will come up for a vote in the lame-duck session. She said there are many concerns with a very complex deal that was negotiated behind closed doors for 7 years.

“There were enough votes to pass fasttrack authority, and that would lead you to believe folks would also support it, but many of those who voted for fast-track even have concerns, and both presidential candidates are against it,” Bustos said.

CONTINUED ON 284

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Japan’s high tariffs on beef would be addressed in the deal, which could level the playing field for U.S. beef producers, who must also compete with the Australians, who already have a beef agreement in place with Japan.

While corn and wheat would lose in net exports abroad, those producers are projected to make more money overall through increased domestic demand for grains to support elevated beef and hog production.

“We raise corn, soybeans, wheat, and hogs, and hogs would definitely be the biggest benefit for us, but we think it would be a big help across the board,” Poole said.

While creating new market opportunities is always a high legislative priority for agriculture, a deep cyclical downturn has created an increased sense of urgency.

“Agriculture isn’t doing particularly well right now,” Nielsen said. “We’ve just seen the biggest drop in net farm income since the Great Depression, and that’s why we’re looking at policies that can have the biggest market impact.”

Clinton has taken a lot of heat on her perceived flip-flop on the deal she helped negotiate, and she and Trump have said they would tear it apart if elected president.

Ag leaders say that can’t happen, and hold out hope that stances will soften after the election.

“If we don’t ratify this deal, it’s not going back to the drawing board – we’ll just get cut out of it,” Hultine said.

Farm Bureau also fears the possible repercussions from not ratifying this deal.

“This isn’t going to be renegotiated after everyone’s signed off on it,” Nielsen said. “China doesn’t like this deal, and if there is a Plan B, it might not involve us.”

The Farm Bureau delegation also met with legislators during its trip to Washington. Historically, presidents of both parties have relied on the GOP to get trade deals passed, while Democrats have aligned with organized labor, which again fears a free trade pact would cost American jobs, especially in manufacturing.

U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Channahon, voted to fast-track TPP, which made it through the House with a tight 218-208 vote. Kinzinger, like many freetrade Republicans, still has some concerns about such a complex deal that was negotiated with little transparency.

“I do support free trade, and while I definitely have some concerns with the deal, I’m hopeful that the administration is willing to come to the table and work through some of those issues

AG Mag

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4CONTINUED FROM 27 Bustos said she will continue to ask questions about TPP, but her primary concern is the impact of previous trade deals on the region.

“The region has lost too many manufacturing jobs, including 1,200 at Maytag, and wages haven’t recovered during the last 12 years,” Bustos said.

As with other trade agreements, TPP would include provisions to set up relocation and adjustment programs to help areas of the economy adversely impacted by tougher competition from more imported goods.

The Obama administration says the trade agreement will enforce better labor and environmental practices at home and abroad, and offer patent protection on U.S. exports.

Large multinational companies with a larger global reach stand to benefit most from the agreement. Economic analysts are still trying to assess the direct impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement that was instituted between the U.S., Mexico and Canada in 1994.

Most analysts can agree on the impact of NAFTA on economic growth in the U.S. The full implementation of the treaty brought about $80 billion of growth, or an additional 0.5 percent in gross domestic product.

Assessing the critics’ job loss and wage

Jason Brooks/Northern Illinois Ag Mag

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at a campaign event in Newton, Iowa, on Labor Day Weekend in 2015. During the campaign, Clinton voiced her opposition to TPP, as did her Republican opponent, Donald Trump. stagnation arguments become much trickier. According to the Economic Policy Institute, a surge of imports from Mexico alone after NAFTA led to the loss of 700,000 jobs. Some economists argue, however, that NAFTA wasn’t the only factor in an increasing trade imbalance with Mexico during that time period.

The microscope has since turned

to the economic impact of the World Trade Organization – particularly the inclusion of China in 2001. The Economic Policy Institute and other think tanks vary in the job loss assessments attributed to the huge trade deficit with China, but the estimates range from 2.8 million to 3.2 million jobs lost since 2001.

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At what

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Major mergers spark discussion of impact on farmers, consumers

H

BY RACHEL RODGERS For Northern Illinois Ag Mag

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The Republican senator is concerned a recent “tsunami” of mergers between giants in the ag industry could be unfriendly to farmers and consumers.

Ultimately, the Federal Trade Commission and the AntiTrust Division of the Justice Department determine whether such mergers stifle competition.

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4CONTINUED FROM 29 During the past several months, six of the largest seed and agrochemical companies – Monsanto DuPont, Syngenta, Bayer, ChemChina, and Dow – have pursued consolidations worth hundreds of billions of dollars.

The merger frenzy began in December, with chemical leaders DuPont and Dow agreeing to merge and split into three publicly traded companies with a combined market value of about $130 billion. That merger is expected to be completed in early 2017.

Then came a proposed marriage between ChemChina and Syngenta priced at $43 billion in February, followed by a deal between Bayer and Monsanto for $66 billion in September.

The three ag giants resulting from the proposed mergers would own about 80 percent of national corn seed sales and 70 percent of the global pesticide market.

Grassley worries these mega-mergers will allow the

Michael Krabbenhoeft/Northern Illinois Ag Mag

A combine harvests corn on the rural Dixon farm of Andy and Katie Pratt. Katie, a fourth-generation farmer, doesn’t think recent mergers between seed and chemical giants will have a negative impact on farmers and consumers. “By the time it trickles down to individual farms and individual rural communities, I don’t foresee it becoming more difficult or easier in the industry,” she said. companies too much sway over the agriculture industry and will stifle competition in everything from crop conception to product delivery to consumers.

Grassley’s committee had a hearing Sept. 20 for legislators, company executives,

agriculture officials and antitrust leaders to weigh in on the impact the mergers might have.

“I’m concerned that further concentration in the industry will reduce choice and raise the price of chemicals and seed for farmers, which

ultimately will affect choice and costs for consumers,” Grassley said.

While prices have plummeted for corn and soybeans, the cost of seeds and chemicals continue to rise.

The average price of corn hit an all-time high in 2012 at $7.50 a bushel and has since dropped to about $3.50.

In Illinois, the amount farmers spend on seed and chemicals has nearly tripled since 2003, from $720 million to $2.03 billion for total seed expenses and from $790 million to $2.2 billion for fertilizer, lime and soil conditioners, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service.

“Farmers are unique; their profession involves accepting prices from input providers and commodity markets, while hoping for good weather in between,” Grassley said.

“Farmers don’t have the ability to simply raise the price of their crops when they sell them to pass on higher input costs.”

CONTINUED ON 314

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4CONTINUED FROM 30 Bob Young, chief economist and deputy director for public policy for the American Farm Bureau Federation, said national farm income has declined sharply, peaking at $123.8 billion in 2013 and dropping to a projected $71.5 billion this year.

With additional financial pressure being put on farmers, the chance of higher input prices is likely to raise a few eyebrows.

“Everyone’s knee-jerk reaction is to think that increased concentration will lead to higher prices for these inputs,” Young said. “Knees tend to jerk reflexively, but sometimes they jerk with reason.”

However, he said, the mergers could create a surge of innovation to bring new products to market in the industry to better serve farmers.

“Synergies and savings are likely to be generated, market share improved, a stronger corporate structure created for facing the regulations and other hurdles to bringing product to market are just a

By the numbers

Seed and chemical costs for Illinois farmers have nearly tripled from 2003 to 2015.

Seed costs Chemical costs 2003: $720 million 2003: $790 million 2004: $810 million 2004: $930 million 2005: $860 million 2005: $1.07 billion 2006: $880 million 2006: $1.06 billion 2007: $1.07 billion 2007: $1.5 billion 2008: $1.27 billion 2008: $1.95 billion 2009: $1.52 billion 2009: $1.87 billion 2010: $1.66 billion 2010: $2 billion 2011: $1.82 billion 2011: $2.57 billion 2012: $1.93 billion 2012: $2.62 billion 2013: $2 billion 2013: $2.55 billion 2014: $1.96 billion 2014: $2.21 billion 2015: $2.03 billion 2015: $2.2 billion Source: USDA Economic Research Service

few examples,” Young said.

The process to introduce new seed to market can take 13 years of research and regulatory oversight – the process frequently being stretched out longer from wading through litigation – and Young said he hopes the mergers could improve efficiency and potentially shorten that process.

Leonard Sheaffer, District 1 director of the Lee County

Farm Bureau and chairman of the Illinois Farm Bureau’s consumer outreach action team, said the mergers could mean higher prices, but it’s difficult to gauge while farmers are focusing on the short term.

“We’re not certain what will come out of [the mergers],” he said. “It isn’t something that’s been discussed too much; farmers are more concerned about harvesting right now.”

The majority of area

farmers buy their seed and chemicals from independent operators or smaller producers, he said, and they usually factor in economic conditions to keep from hiking prices during a tough year.

“They’ve raised prices in the past, and the farm economy is not real great right now, but they usually figure into what you can afford,” Sheaffer said.

Dixon native Kate Pratt, a fourth-generation farmer, and her husband, Andy, operate a family farm growing corn and soybeans in rural Lee County and said area farmers have a variety of options for buying seeds and chemicals. Therefore, she doesn’t expect the mergers to affect competition.

“By the time it trickles down to individual farms and individual rural communities, I don’t foresee it becoming more difficult or easier in the industry,” she said. “Mergers within any industry happen all the time, and we’re still going to have the same seed and chemical markets as before.”

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AG Mag

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Photos by Kayla Heimerman/Northern Illinois Ag Mag

Fresh-from-the-orchard apple cider lends a subtle sweetness to an otherwise plain pork shoulder roast. A chewy pretzel roll and a simple apple cider barbecue sauce round out this twist on a fall favorite – perfect for football tailgate parties.

Fall into warmth, comfort Autumnal apples, squash make for hearty meals for cooler weather

T

BY KAYLA HEIMERMAN For Northern Illinois Ag Mag

he days are shorter, the nights are longer. The weather is cooler, the air is crisper. Shorts get packed away in favor of sweatshirts, sandals in favor of slippers. Autumn is a season of change. And with the transition from blazing summer to freezing winter, undoubtedly comes a switch in our cooking and eating, from using the fall harvest of butternut squash, pumpkin, and apples, to cooking cozy

comfort food.

For many, fall is not only a season of change, but also a time of routines, schedules, and deadlines. The calendar fills up with meetings, parent-teacher conferences, and afterschool activities. And while the week includes all the must-do’s, the weekends feature all the traditional wantto-do’s: picking apples at the orchard, visiting the pumpkin patch, and trickor-treating around the neighborhood.

CONTINUED ON 334

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Directions 1. Add sliced onions to the bottom of a large slow cooker. Place the pork shoulder on top of the onions. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, and garlic on top. Pour the apple cider over and around the roast.

2. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours, or until the pork is tender and falling off the bone.

3. Remove the roast from slow cooker and pull apart the meat by hand or with two forks.

4. Return the pulled pork to the slow cooker to absorb some of the cooking juices and come back up to temperature.

(From BakedByRachel.com)

Stovetop Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese

How about macaroni and cheese with a twist – pumpkin puree?

4CONTINUED FROM 32 In high school, I can remember coming home from cross country practice or a debate meet and wanting nothing more than a warm, comforting meal. And in my younger days, I can remember walking three houses down the street to meet my Oma in her driveway, leaves crunching underfoot, and receiving a made-that-afternoon meatloaf (with bacon on top and a hard-boiled egg in the middle), pot roast with carrots, onions, and potatoes, or goulash and spaetzle noodles.

Now, as my husband and I raise our twin 3-year-old daughters, our memory-making weekends are punctuated by foodstuffs: fresh-pressed apple cider and warm, sugary apple cider doughnuts at the orchard; bowls of macaroni and cheese after an afternoon on the back porch, where we carve jack-o-lanterns on top of sheets of newspaper; or a few pieces of candy, hand selected from the plastic pumpkins those little girls toted door to door.

Autumn brings with it a special bounty of fruits and vegetables and flavors that are unmistakably fall. Put your haul from the local orchard or farm market to work in these harvest-time recipes:

Slow-Cooker Apple Cider Pulled Pork

Fresh-from-the-orchard apple cider lends a subtle sweetness to an otherwise plain pork shoulder roast. A chewy pretzel roll and a simple apple cider barbecue sauce round out this twist on a fall favorite – perfect for football tailgate parties.

Serves: 12 Ingredients 1 yellow onion, sliced 4- to 5-pound bone-in pork shoulder roast 2 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp ground black pepper 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 ½ cups apple cider

Traditional macaroni and cheese is made quickly on the stovetop and lightened up with (convenient, from-a-can) pumpkin puree for a delicious, comforting meal. You’ll recognize the creamy, cheesy sauce, but appreciate this less indulgent take on the classic. Top with chopped bacon or toasted breadcrumbs for some crunch.

Serves: 4-6 Ingredients 12 ounces medium-sized pasta shells ¼ cup unsalted butter ¼ cup all-purpose flour 2 cups milk (I used unsweetened almond milk) ½ tsp kosher salt ½ tsp ground black pepper ½ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp ground mustard ¼ tsp ground nutmeg 1 cup pumpkin puree 1 ½ cups (about 6 ounces) extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (Do not use bagged shredded cheese; it will not melt well.) ½ cup grated parmesan cheese Directions 1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta shells according to the package directions, drain, and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk constantly until the mixture turns light brown and has bubbled for about 1 minute. Then slowly add the milk and whisk constantly until there are no lumps in the sauce.

3. Add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, ground mustard, and nutmeg and whisk to incorporate. Then add the pumpkin puree and whisk to incorporate.

4. Add the cheddar and parmesan and whisk until the cheeses are melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy.

5 .Add the pasta shells and stir to evenly coat them with the cheese sauce.

(From AverieCooks.com) CONTINUED ON 344

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AG Mag

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This acorn squash is stuffed with almond, cranberry and feta quinoa. If you like, add some cooked, crumbled sausage.

4CONTINUED FROM 33

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Almond, Cranberry and Feta Quinoa

Subtly sweet acorn squash is roasted and stuffed with a delightful filling of chewy quinoa, crunchy almonds, tart cranberries, and briny feta cheese. The tang of the red wine vinegar wakes up the filling – and the filling serves as a nice complement to the warm, soft squash. This dish is vegetarian, but easily could be adapted to suit meat-eaters with the addition of some cooked, crumbled sausage.

Serves: 2-8* *The quinoa filling makes enough to stuff four whole (eight halves) squash, but any leftovers are delicious over greens or as a side to roasted chicken.

Ingredients 1 to 4 large acorn squash, halved and seeds removed Salt and pepper, to taste 1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed 1 ¾ cup water ½ cup roasted almonds, chopped ½ cup dried cranberries ½ cup crumbled feta ¼ cup chopped parsley

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2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 2 tsp red wine vinegar Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Brush each squash half with a bit of olive oil and season them with salt and pepper. Place the squash halves cut-side down on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and roast the squash until fork tender and slightly caramelized, about 15 to 25 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, place the quinoa and water with a big pinch of salt in a large pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer; cover the pot and cook the quinoa until all of the water is absorbed, about 12-15 minutes. Turn off the heat, place a paper towel underneath the lid, and let the quinoa sit in the pot for about 5 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork.

4. In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, almonds, cranberries, feta, and parsley, as well as the olive oil and red wine vinegar. Season with a bit of salt and pepper, to taste, and stir to combine.

5. Fill each squash half with about ¾ cup quinoa.

(Adapted from MarinMamaCooks.com) CONTINUED ON 354

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Harvest apple and squash soup combines sweet-tart apples, earthy pumpkin, and sweet and nutty butternut squash for a nutritious meal.

4CONTINUED FROM 34

Harvest Apple and Squash Soup

The bounty of autumn in a bowl, this soup combines sweettart apples, earthy pumpkin, and sweet and nutty butternut squash for a nutritious meal. Topped with roasted pumpkin seeds and chopped pecans, this velvety soup will warm you up from the inside.

Serves: 4 Ingredients 2 apples, chopped (leave the skin on; I used Honeycrisp apples) 3 cups chopped pumpkin (from a large pie pumpkin*) 1 cup chopped butternut squash 1 clove garlic, minced 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 Tbsp chopped fresh sage 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth ⅓ cup fat-free half and half ¼ tsp kosher salt

¼ tsp ground black pepper ¼ tsp paprika *Note: One large pie pumpkin yielded about 4 cups of chopped pumpkin flesh.

Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Place the apples, pumpkin, and squash on a large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss with garlic and sage. Roast the apples, pumpkin, and squash for about 35 minutes, tossing after about 20 minutes.

3. In a blender or food processor, combine some of the squash mixture and broth and puree until smooth. Repeat in batches as necessary, depending on the size of the blender or food processor.

4. Transfer the pureed soup into a large pot, then stir in the half and half, salt, pepper, and paprika. Cook over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes.

(Adapted from HowSweetEats.com) CONTINUED ON 364

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4CONTINUED FROM 35

Butternut Squash Chicken Roulade with Apple Cider Gravy

This squash-stuffed chicken would make a fantastic Thanksgiving meal for two, or could serve as an alternative to a tradtional Thanksgiving turkey for a small family gathering.

A great twist on classic fall flavors, this squash-stuffed chicken would make a fantastic Thanksgiving meal for two or could serve as an alternative to a traditional Thanksgiving turkey for a small family gathering.

Serves: 2 Ingredients 2 cups cubed butternut squash ¼ cup water 1 large (about 6-8 ounces) chicken breast, sliced into two thin cutlets Salt and pepper, to taste 1 Tbsp olive oil ¾ cup chicken broth, divided ¼ cup apple cider 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour 2 Tbsp chopped pecans Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the cubed squash and water in a shallow baking dish. Bake until the squash is fork tender or slightly softer, about 30 to 40 minutes. Place the squash and any cooking liquid in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. (The cooked squash should yield a generous ½ cup of puree.) Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and set aside.

2. Raise the oven to 375 degrees. Place the chicken breast cutlets in a large plastic bag or between two pieces of plastic wrap and, using a meat tenderizer (flat side) or rolling pin, flatten the chicken until it is about ⅛¼-inch thick. Season both cutlets with salt and pepper.

3. Lay the cutlets on a baking sheet or cutting board, then spread the butternut squash puree on top, leaving a ¼-inch border. Roll up the cutlets and secure the rolls with toothpicks or baker’s twine.

4. In a medium oven-proof skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Place the rolled and filled chicken cutlets in the skillet and brown them on all sides. Remove the skillet from the heat.

5. Pour ¼ cup chicken broth and ¼ cup apple cider in the skillet, then place the skillet in the oven and bake the chicken until it is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil.

6. In a measuring cup, whisk the remaining ½ cup chicken broth and flour together, then pour the mixture into the remaining liquid and pan drippings in the skillet. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until the gravy is thickened. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

7. Slice the chicken into thick rounds and top with gravy and chopped pecans.

(Adapted from CookingForKeeps.com) CONTINUED ON 374

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Harvest Nachos

These nachos break all the rules: Fun, fall-inspired tortilla chips (now readily available in stores) are loaded with spiced and caramelized butternut squash and Brussels sprouts, sweet and juicy pulled pork, chewy and tart dried cranberries, and smoky and creamy gouda cheese. A sauce is not necessary, but barbecue sauce or pomegranate molasses would be a fun addition.

Serves: 2 Ingredients 3 ounces pumpkin or sweet potato tortilla chips 1 Tbsp olive oil 2 cups cubed butternut squash 1 ½ cups shredded or thinly sliced Brussels sprouts Salt and pepper, to taste 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tsp chili powder, divided Ÿ tsp cayenne pepper 5 ounces (generous ⅔ cup) apple cider pulled pork (see recipe above) Ÿ cup dried cranberries 3 ounces smoked gouda, shredded Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread the tortilla chips on a small baking sheet.

2. In a medium-sized skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the butternut squash and Brussels sprouts and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the squash is fork tender and both the squash and Brussels sprouts are browned, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and ½ tsp chili powder and cook for another 5 minutes, until the vegetables are deeply caramelized.

3. Meanwhile, combine the remaining chili powder, cayenne pepper, and pulled pork (with any juices) in a small saucepan over

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medium heat, just to warm the pork and incorporate the spices.

4. Sprinkle half of the cooked squash and Brussels sprouts over the tortilla chips. Scatter the warmed pulled pork over top, followed by the rest of the squash and Brussels sprouts. Sprinkle the dried cranberries over top, followed by the gouda.

5. Bake for 8-10 minutes, just until the cheese is melted (smoked gouda does not truly melt, like other cheeses, so make sure it does not burn).

Autumn Apple Salads

Perfect for those Indian summer evenings, when it’s just a little too warm and sunny for soup, this salad features the autumnal flavors of sweet-tart apples, smoky bacon, and uniquely sweet maple syrup.

Serves: 2 Ingredients 4 cups baby spinach 2 Honeycrisp apples or 1 Granny Smith apple and 1 Fuji apple, thinly sliced 4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped ½ cup dried cranberries ½ cup pecan halves Ÿ cup crumbled feta or blue cheese For maple vinaigrette: 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar 1 Tbsp maple syrup Salt and pepper, to taste Directions 1. Divide the spinach among two large bowls or plates. Top with apples, bacon, cranberries, pecans, and cheese.

2. Combine the olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, salt, and pepper in a measuring cup or small jar and whisk or shake to combine. Pour the dressing over both salads (about 2 Tbsp each).

(Adapted from HouseOfYumm.com)

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AG Mag

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In the photo Dr. Karl Hohenboken examines a cat with allergies at the Prophetstown Veterinary Clinic office. Hohenboken has been a rural vet in Whiteside County since the early 1990s.

(Dave Fox/Northern Illinois Ag Mag)

Odd hours, many tasks, but rural vet loves his calling

I

BY DAVE FOX For Northern Illinois Ag Mag

t probably should have been obvious early in Dr. Karl Hohenboken’s life what career path was in store.

He grew up on a farrow-to-finish hog farm in rural Hillsdale, and said he enjoyed working with the pigs as well as the cats and dogs.

“Dad would bring home vaccines for the cats and dogs, and he would have me do those vaccines,” Hohenboken said. “I enjoyed it.”

Now, it’s part of the many tasks involved in being a rural veterinarian, his job since the early 1990s in Whiteside County.

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38 Fall 2016

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The contagious smile that flashes frequently as he talks about his profession makes it clear being a vet is more than just a job.

“I enjoy working with all of the animals, large and small,” he said, “and I get to meet lots of different people, too. It’s great.”

Hohenboken left the area for a brief time. After graduating veterinary school at the University of Illinois in Champaign in 1990, he set up practice in Xenia, Ohio. But nearly 2 years later, Dr. D.D. Sampson of Prophetstown called him, and Hohenboken found his calling.

SM-PR6396519-1125

4CONTINUED FROM 38 “He knew I was originally from Hillsdale, and asked if I might be interested in moving,” Hohenboken said. “He needed another vet here, and asked me to come and work with him.”

He said he hadn’t been looking to move, but said it quickly became a welcome change.

“It was nice to get back closer to family,” Hohenboken said. “And I enjoyed getting back to more large animal work here than I was doing in Ohio. Of course, I love working with small animals, too.”

But it isn’t just the animals that bring joy to his vocation.

“I get to meet lots of different people, too,” he said. “It’s great.”

But being a rural vet isn’t necessarily easy.

“It can be really busy sometimes,” Hohenboken said. “We have some very short nights sometimes, although that doesn’t happen too often, really.

“Usually, once we get past midnight, we’re generally good until 6 the next morning, when it can start picking up again,” he said.

When he started, he did a lot of farm and house calls – four to six a morning – then had open clinic at the office all afternoon.

“All of our clients have always been very friendly and hospitable,” he said, “and I would often be invited into the

Dave Fox/Northern Illinois Ag Mag

In the dispensary, Dr. Karl Hohenboken discusses changes in medications through the years. He also monitors the meds available on hand to ensure a good supply is available without having costly overstock. house for coffee when the work was done. But with the number of animals we were seeing, I usually had to excuse myself and just keep moving.”

What brings him the most joy on the job?

“Any time I get to help deliver cows, pigs, or even dogs, especially if it goes

well, it’s so enjoyable just to see the joy the owners are feeling when it’s all done,” Hohenboken said with a smile.

“To get to be a part of bringing new life into the world is always very satisfying.”

CONTINUED ON 404

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4CONTINUED FROM 39 The least enjoyable part of his work?

“Euthanasia,” he said with a sigh. “It’s never fun and never easy, but when it’s necessary, it’s for the good of the animal. You have to look at it like that. Still, it’s never easy.”

These days, there’s plenty to keep Hohenboken and his two partners, Dr. Scott Aman and Dr. Quinn Robinson, busy.

“We usually have plenty of surgeries to keep us going,” he said, “and we can usually do maybe four of those a day, and then routine visits for a variety of reasons are taking up more of our time now, too.”

As if that’s not enough, there is also the Hobo Pet Hotel, a boarding service Hohenboken and his wife of 31 years, Carolyn, operate at their home in rural Prophetstown.

“We opened that up 15 years ago (in October),” he said with a smile.

Most of the clients are dogs and cats, but some rabbits are boarded as well.

“It’s always busy, and always open except for maybe a week once in a while when we go on vacation,” Hohenboken said.

The field of veterinary science changes frequently, he said, especially with medicines for animals.

“Flea and tick medicines, for example,” he said “One of the first topical solutions (applied to the skin) came out a year or two after I started as a vet.

“I recall one client had three identical dogs, and we’d apply the flea-and-tick treatment to all three,” he said. “It worked really well on two of them, and the third dog would still be loaded with fleas.

“Then in the late ’90s, a more effective topical treatment called Frontline came out, and it’s been much more effective than the earlier meds.

“They keep improving,” he said, “and now there are some really safe, very effective chewable flea-and-tick treatments on the market.”

Antibiotics, especially for large animals, are changing now as well.

Dave Fox/Northern Illinois Ag Mag

Dr. Karl Hohenboken reviews a chart and discusses issues with front-office staff at Prophetstown Veterinary Clinic.

Prophetstown Veterinary Clinic 51 Grove St., Prophetstown 815-537-5147 Dr. Karl Hohenboken, Dr. Scott Aman and Dr. Quinn Robinson Find them on Facebook “The antibiotics coming out now are much better and more effective than earlier ones,” he said, “but many of them will never be over-the-counter because of concerns about residues and things like that being passed through the body.

“Many of these newer meds are now requiring prescriptions from a vet, so it’s going to get to the point where our large animal contact will increase because the animals will actually have to be seen by the vet in order for the meds to be prescribed.”

There are also more regulations now

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concerning things like growth implants for cattle to “help them put on more muscle,” and other types of growth hormones that help synchronize animals to enable them to breed better.

Even with changes, Hohenboken enjoys his work immensely and doubts he will ever tire of it.

“It’s just a great thing,” he said with a smile, “working with the animals and the people as well, helping to keep the animals healthy, and meeting lots of great people at the same time. It’s always good work to do.”

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I

BY MITCHELL BRINKMAN For Northern Illinois Ag Mag

n an area where you can barely go 5 miles without seeing cows, horses or pigs, Dwight and Wanda Deitrick are breaking the mold by sharing their love of alpacas with the community.

The retired couple – Dwight a former businessman and Wanda, who taught for 30 years – originally raised feeder pigs and cattle on their 50-acre farm near Prophetstown.

“One night, Dwight was reading a magazine,” Wanda said. “He found an article about alpacas, and the rest is history.”

CONTINUED ON 42

In the photo Dwight Deitricks pets an alpaca on his family ranch outside of Prophetstown.

(Philip Marruffo/ Northern Illinois Ag Mag)

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4CONTINUED FROM 41 That was 11 years and 71 alpacas ago.

They began with seven animals and are still growing. They’ve shown alpacas at farm shows and won several ribbons in competitions.

But what they most enjoy is bringing crowds to Deitricks’ Alpaca Ranch, whose doors are open year-round to the public and groups from schools, clubs, and special needs associations.

The ranch also hosts a free open ranch event during the National Alpaca Farm days – this year it was Sept. 24 and 25 – where people can come and learn about the alpaca lifestyle.

Fibers are sheared from the alpaca once a year and cleaned on-site before being shipped to another location to be made into yarn, hats, and scarves that are sold in the family-run store. Each alpaca generally produces 6 to 7 pound of fiber per shearing and the fibers are as warm as wool but lighter. The store carries 20 of the 22 natural colors alpacas produce.

Deitrick’s stepgranddaughter-in-law, Tracy Livesay, has been working at the farm since 2012, helping with the sales, marketing, and cleaning the fibers. She spent 25 years in Chicago working in high property management before moving to the area and said her new line of work is both peaceful and dreamy.

Philip Marruffo/Northern Illinois Ag Mag

Tracy Livesay holds onto the crib, a baby alpaca, at Deitricks’ Alpaca Ranch outside Prophetstown.

“I like that it never feels like work,” Tracy said. “I love working with the alpacas and getting to help knit items in the store.”

The 2-day open house brings in 200plus visitors. There’s more to it than repeat customers and the business they

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bring, Dwight said. He and Wanda plan to keep doing what they’ve been doing for a long time.

“We like having something people enjoy,” he said. “And we like seeing people enjoy and get excited about the alpacas.”

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AG Mag

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