Statewide award
Lamoreux family of rural Lanark is Farm Family of Year – Page 6
Beef roller coaster
High prices bound to cure high prices, economist says – Page 9
Energy from stover
$225 million cellulosic ethanol plant opens in Iowa – Page 11
Philip Marruffo/pmarruffo@saukvalley.com
Cover story: Illinois farmers certainly made quick work of the 2015 harvest season – Page 2 Tuesday, November 10, 2015
A supplement to Sauk Valley Media
Today’s Farm
PAGE 2
Sauk Valley Media • November 10, 2015
HARVEST 2015
Combining work way ahead of usual pace Good weather aids progress STAFF REPORT news@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5501
Favorable weather has helped Illinois farmers to complete fall harvest work more quickly than usual this year. Statewide, corn and soybean harvests were both 96 percent completed by the first of November, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report. That compares to 93 percent completion for both crops the previous week. A year ago, the corn harvest was only 74 percent completed statewide, and the soybean harvest stood at 80 percent finished. The 5-year harvest average for corn harvest completion by Nov. 1 is 88 percent, while the soybean harvest average is 91 percent. In the Northwest Illinois district, which includes the Sauk Valley, corn was 89 percent harvested as of Nov. 1, while soybeans were 97 percent harvested. REPORTS FROM area crop watchers for the Illinois Farm Bureau’s FarmWeek publication reflected the harvest’s advanced state. Larry Hummel of Lee County reported that farmers he had talked to were satisfied with their soybean yields, but that corn yields ranged from highs of 240 bushels an acre to lows of 130 bushels an acre. Leroy Getz of Carroll
County reported that high winds had caused some downed corn stalks, which created harvesting problems and higher field losses for some farmers. Farther afield, the Morris Daily Herald reported that some Grundy County farmers finished harvest work in midOctober because of the unusually warm, dry weather. Corn and soybeans were being stored in anticipation of higher market prices later on.
The Morris Daily Herald reported corn prices for the 2015-16 market year could range from $3.45 to $4.05 a bushel, down from $8.50 in 2012, according to the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates. Soybean prices for the 2015-16 market year are expected to range from $8.40 to $9.90 with an average of $9.15 a bushel, or about half of Philip Marruffo/pmarruffo@saukvalley.com what they were priced 3 years ago, according to Tim Fassler inspects his combine before calling it a day. Tim and his brother, Mark, were harvesting a cornfield between Sterling and Dixon last month. WASDE.
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November 10, 2015 • Sauk Valley Media
Today’s Farm
PAGE 3
ROCKFORD
Got a few acres? Attend Providing insurance coverage workshop for usage ideas for local homes and farms Regional Extension event planned for Dec. 5 in Rockford U of I Extension
The University of Illinois Extension local foods and small farms team is sponsoring a series of workshops on a variety of topics to help people who have a few acres learn ways that they can put them to use. The first workshop, titled “Putting Small Acres to Work; Make Your 5-10 Acres Productive,” will be offered from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 5 at the NIU Rockford Conference Center, 8500 E. State St., Rockford. Other workshops will be Dec. 5 in Monticello, March 12 in Greenville, and April 2 in Kankakee. The Rockford workshop is designed to provide participants with a number of economically viable alternatives for farming their small acreages. The cost is $40 a person, which includes program materials and lunch. Registration is due Nov. 30.
People may register by phone at 815-544-3710. To register online, visit go.illinois.edu/SmallAcres_ Rockford. THE SCHEDULE OF events in Rockford follows: 9 a.m. – General session: Will It Still be Fun When It’s Work? Growing your Hobby into a Farm Business, Andy Larson 10:15 a.m. – Plants: Hop-Along; Starting a Hop Yard, Grant McCarty 10:15 a.m. – Animals: Raising Sheep 201; Beyond the Baaasics, Gene Schriefer 11:45 a.m. – Lunch and Table Topics with the Presenters: New and Interesting Enterprises 1 p.m. – Plants: Apple Trees, Please; Managing a Small Orchard, Candice Miller 1 p.m. – Animals: Turn, Turn, Turn; Composting for Livestock Producers, Jay Solomon 2:30 p.m. – Plants: Unsprayed; Organic and Low-Input Vegetable Gardening, Zack Grant 2:30 p.m. – Animals: Quacking up; Ducks and Duck Eggs, Ron Kean 4 p.m. – General session:
Coexistence; Managing to Live with Wild Things on Your Property, Peggy Doty Deborah CavanaughGrant is a local foods and small farms educator for the University of Illinois Extension. “Putting a few extra acres to work can bring in additional income, provide an opportunity to experiment with a new enterprise, or develop an interest or hobby for its educational or entertainment value,” CavanaughGrant said. “How to get started is the question,” she added. “You don’t have to own hundreds of acres to create a profitable business,” Cavanaugh-Grant said. “We developed these workshops to help people realize the possibilities that a few acres can provide.” For more information about the series, contact Cavanaugh-Grant at 217782-4617 or cvnghgrn@ illinois.edu. For more information about local food systems and small farms, visit web.extension.illinois. edu/smallfarm.
IN BRIEF Tickets available in drone drawing AMBOY – The Lee County Farm Bureau Foundation has announced that raffle tickets are on sale for a 3D Robotics Solo Drone, complete with additional battery, Solo Gimbal, and GoPro Hero4 Silver. Tickets are $10 and
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Today’s Farm
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Sauk Valley Media • November 10, 2015
POST-HARVEST LOSS REDUCTION
World conference targets wasted crops University of Illinois well represented at Italian event BY LEANNE LUCAS U of I Extension
URBANA – The best and the brightest minds from around the world came together last month at the First International Congress on Post-harvest Loss Prevention in Rome, Italy. More than 260 people from 62 countries attended the congress, where experts from the fields of technology, research, education, and outreach met with representatives from government, private industry, and international and nongovernmental organizations to discuss post-harvest loss reduction. The Congress was coorganized by the ADM Institute for the Prevention of Post-harvest Loss at the University of Illinois, and the Rockefeller Foundation. “This congress was our first-ever attempt to
bring all the players who really care about postharvest loss reduction to the same table,” Prasanta Kalita, director of the ADM Institute, said. Kalita is also a professor of agricultural and biological engineering at Illinois. “It was a tremendous success. The keynote speakers, the formal presentations, and the informal discussions gave us a clear understanding of global post-harvest loss issues and how we can address them to help mitigate global hunger. “I think we also saw a new level of communication develop among scientists, governmental policy makers, industry, and philanthropic organizations,” Kalita said. Speakers from Illinois at the opening session included Kalita; President Emeritus Robert Easter; Pradeep Khanna, associate chancellor for corporate and international relations; and Robert Hauser, dean of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES). Interim Chancellor Barbara Wilson welcomed the audience with a video message. More than 30 Illinois
‘‘
[The conference] gave us a clear understanding of the global post-harvest loss issues. ...
’’
Prasanta Kalita
Additional speakers included C.D. Glin from the Rockefeller Foundation, Mark von Pentz with Deere and Co., Charlene McKoin from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Michael Scuse, USDA. Sessions at the congress covered topics such as post-harvest loss status, assessment meth-
ods and metrics of postharvest loss measurement, intervention strategies for post-harvest loss mitigation, and case studies in post-harvest loss prevention. ACES Dean Robert Hauser said, “This congress established the university, the College of ACES, and ADMI as lead-
ers in the area of postharvest loss prevention. I was proud to be associated with it.” Top-level sponsors included the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Deere and Co., the College of ACES at the University of Illinois, the SaveFood initiative, and USAID Feed the Future.
faculty and staff members attended the congress, along with eight students from the College of ACES. The students were funded by gifts from the Illinois Campus Honors Program, ADMI, the ACES Office of Academic Programs, and the ACES Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering. Other speakers at the opening session included Joseph Taets, president of ADM Agricultural Services business unit and president, Europe; Daniel Gustafson, deputy director general of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations; Judith Rodin, president of the Rockefeller Foundation; and Ertharin Cousin, executive director of World Food Programme.
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Today’s Farm
November 10, 2015 • Sauk Valley Media
PAGE 5
‘WATERS OF THE U.S.’
Appeals court blocks WOTUS rules Farm groups applaud news BY DEANA STROISCH FarmWeekNow.com
In a victory for farmers, a U.S. Court of Appeals last month temporarily blocked enforcement of the “waters of the U.S.” rule nationwide. The Cincinnati-based appeals panel granted a stay while it sorts out legal questions about the new rule – from whether agencies provided enough public notice to questions surrounding tributaries, “adjacent waters” and “significant nexus.” “A stay allows for a more deliberate determination whether this exercise of executive power, enabled by Congress and explicated by the Supreme Court, is proper under the dictates of federal law,” the decision stated. “A stay temporarily silences the whirlwind of confusion that springs from uncertainty about the requirements of the new rule and whether they will survive legal testing.” Agricultural groups, who have fought the rule from the beginning, applauded the news. “This is a huge victory, albeit temporary, for our members,” said Lauren Lurkins, Illinois Farm Bureau’s director of natural and environmental resources. “We will be able to put the brakes on the realworld application and enforcement of the new rule while the legality of the rule is fully vetted through the court system.” The rule, developed by the Environmental Protection Agency and Army
‘‘
This is a huge victory, albeit temporary, for our members. We will be able to put the brakes on the real-world application and enforcement of the new rule while the legality of the rule is fully vetted through the court system. Lauren Lurkins, Illinois Farm Bureau
Corps of Engineers, went into effect Aug. 28. It has been challenged by various trade associations, states and environmental groups. A North Dakota judge previously granted a temporary injunction in 13 states,
’’
a stay while it decides whether it has jurisdiction over the matter. One judge dissented, saying it’s not prudent to order a stay before deciding whether the court has jurisdiction.
In a statement, EPA said, in part: “The agencies respect the court’s decision to allow for more deliberate consideration of the issues in the case and we look forward to litigating the merits of the
Today’s Farm celebrates agriculture in the Sauk Valley and beyond. It is published by Sauk Valley Media six times a year – in January, March, May, July, September and November. We welcome story ideas about interesting local people who are involved with agriculture. Call Jim Dunn at 800-798-4085, ext. 5511, or send an email to jdunn@saukvalley.com.
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Today’s Farm
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Sauk Valley Media • November 10, 2015
SPECIAL STATEWIDE AWARD
Family farms across the generations Lamoreux clan named Farm Family of Year BY TOM KOCAL Shaw Media tkocal@shawmedia.com
LANARK – Changes in the agriculture industry have allowed for the production of more food with less land and fewer farmers. But not for the Lamoreux family of rural Lanark. The Lamoreuxes are the 2015 Illinois Farm Family of the Year, presented by Burrus Hybrids and Illinois AgriNews. Lou and his brother, John, are the fourth generation on the farm. They raise corn, soybeans, wheat and alfalfa. They also have pasture for their cow and calf herd, and they have a 1,400-head cattle feeding operation.
The family is planning for the farm’s future, too. Lou and wife Sue’s son, Nathan and his wife, Stephanie, are the parents of Lleyton, 4, and Hawken, 2. Nathan is a partner in the family endeavor. They also have a son, Zack, and daughters Calli Curtis and Cara Griffith and their families. John and Marilyn’s family includes Dan and wife Stacy, the parents of son Ty, 4, and daughter Josie, born in July. Dan also is a partner in the family farm. Son, Andrew, and daughters, Jennifer Fisher and Darcy Mathis, and their families, make up the rest of John and Marilyn’s family. “I am under no illusion that this award means that I’m the best farmer in the state,” John said. “There are better farmers right here on Center Road. But we’re honored
DEDICATED
Tom Kocal/tkocal@shawmedia.com
Taking a break from harvesting their corn crop are the fourth, fifth and, perhaps, sixth generations of Lamoreuxes to farm in Carroll County. They were named 2015 Illinois Farm Family of the Year. Pictured on a rural Lanark farm are Ryan Gruhn (from left) Nathan, Louis, Dan, 2-year old Ty, and John Lamoreux. to receive the award, and I look at it more as a tribute to family farming than anything else. FAMILY CONTINUED ON 7
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PAGE 7
Lamoreux family first arrived here in the 1860s FAMILY
CONTINUED FROM 6
“And the women of the family have done more to keep us all together than us men have.” “John, Louis and their wives believe in giving back to their community, which they have [proved] in their commitment to church and school, shown by John’s many mission trips and local improvement projects and Marilyn and Sue’s many activities at the United Methodist Church of Lanark,” Kris and Penny Lauritzen, also of Lanark, said in nominating the family for the award. “John and Louis continue their father’s legacy of encouraging their sons to become active in the local Farm Bureau, commodity organizations and their community. “Dan and Nathan and their spouses ... present a youthful, family face for the industry on GMO issues, livestock facility placement controversies and herbicide, pesticide and antibiotic use challenges as presented by consumers.” “We were surprised with the award,” Lou said. “It was nice being recognized at the University of Illinois on Ag Day at the state level, but even better being recognized locally.” Lamoreuxes first arrived in Carroll County in the 1860s, and the farm has been in the family since. “There’s a story going back to my grandparents,” John said. “When times were kind of rough, Grandpa was getting discouraged, and he listed
‘‘
Technology is the hardest thing for me to keep up with. For years, the equipment got bigger, but now, we don’t do a lot – the computers do it for us, if you’re smart enough to figure it out.
’’
Lou Lamoreux
the farm for sale. The agent came to him with an offer, at the price Grandpa wanted. But Grandma wouldn’t sign
the papers. So the farm didn’t sell, but they paid the commission and kept the farm.” As a fourth-generation family farmer, John has seen a lot of changes in agriculture. “But the GPS [Global Positioning System] technology, where a satellite in the sky can guide these machines through the field, really stands out to me,” he said. “Technology is the hardest thing for me to keep up with,” Lou said. “For years, the equipment got bigger, but now, we don’t do a lot – the computers do it for us, if you’re smart enough to figure it out.”
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Today’s Farm
PAGE 8
Sauk Valley Media • November 10, 2015
AG INNOVATION
High oleic soybean acreage expanding Beans now grown on about 250,000 acres in nine states FarmWeekNow.com
Farmers across the nation are shaking up their soybean-corn rotations. Some Illinois farmers grow high oleic soy-
beans available in some parts of the state, and as expansion continues, more farmers will get the opportunity to decide whether they are right for their farm. “The yield from my high oleic soybeans is very comparable to my commodity soybeans,” Kyle Lottinville said. Lottinville farms 500 acres of soybeans near Sheldon, 80 of which are
high oleic soybeans. Lottinville has been growing high oleic soybeans for 2 years. Farmers will find more opportunities to grow high oleic soybeans in coming years as the United Soybean Board’s Soy Checkoff works with others in the U.S. soy value chain to increase high oleic acreage to the industry goal of 18 million acres by 2023.
High oleic varieties offer the agronomic trait packages and yield performance that farmers are used to, but also include premium incentives. Processors offer these premiums because of the higher value of the oil for end use customers, primarily in the food industry. End users in the food industry find high oleic soybean oil attractive due
to its ability to withstand high heat conditions, making it desirable for frying and baking. High oleic doesn’t replace traditional soybean oil; in fact, it increases the value of commodity soybean oil. “Growing high oleic soybeans hasn’t really been any different than growing commodity soybeans,” Lottinville said. “Cleaning equipment
might take an extra 5 minutes, but it’s less intense than other premium varieties, like nonGMO. With comparable yields, the premium counts for more, especially as more delivery options are made available.” For more information about high oleic soybeans, visit the United Soybean Board’s website at soyinnovation.com.
Each member of the family active in Lanark community AWARD
CONTINUED FROM 7
Lou said he has never planted corn with the new corn planter. “It’s auto-steer, GPSguided, but the boys, being the younger generation, have taken over, and they need to. At this point, I don’t want to learn that technology.” Education is important to the Lamoreuxes in keeping up with those changes in the agriculture industry. Their parents, Russell and Marie, met while teaching at Savanna High School. Marie taught English, and Russell was the ag instructor and
wrestling coach. “He always teased her that he had to date her to keep his wrestlers eligible,” John said. When the family attended the Ag Day award ceremony at the U of I, the Fighting Illini were scheduled to play Western Illinois University in football. John said, “We have eight U of I graduates in the family, and five WIU grads. It was a fun day for us, even with the family rivalry.” Each member of the Lamoreux family is involved in the Lanark community, being active in Lanark United Methodist Church, with the Carroll County Farm Bureau and local schools.
In support of local athletics, Lou has been the announcer for Lanark/ Eastland/E-PC high school football at home games for the past 40 years. Lou also is a member and past chairman of the Illinois Corn Marketing Board and a former director of the Illinois Corn Growers Association. Looking ahead, Lou is concerned that the number of farmers has decreased, making up only 1 percent of the population in America.
“But we’re fortunate. I would hate to think that previous Lamoreuxes built this life, and that no one in the future would be interested in continuing,” Lou said. “It’s nice that my great-grandfather started here, and we’re still here. We hope that generations from now, there will still be Lamoreuxes here. We can’t control that, but we’re doing our best to encourage it.” “It’s an honor. There are a lot of things that are more important than how big you can be, or • FARM • VEHICLE • CROP • HAIL
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Today’s Farm
November 10, 2015 • Sauk Valley Media
PAGE 9
LIVESTOCK UPDATE
Beef: High prices bound to cure high prices Decline seen after the record highs of 2014 BY DEBRA LEVEY LARSON U of I Extension
URBANA – The adage that the cure for high prices is high prices is evident this year in beef markets. Finished cattle prices reached record highs near $170 in late 2014 and early spring 2015. Prices then fell below $120 by October. According to a Purdue University Extension economist, prices that have fallen $50 per hundredweight may be the greatest decline ever. “Interestingly, the decline in beef prices was preceded by a similar decline in live hog prices from mid-2014 into early 2015,” Chris Hurt said. “It’s likely that the escalated 2015 egg prices due
to avian influenza may also face a similar descent at some point. “When analysts look back on these boom/bust price patterns, the supply and demand data never seem to fully justify how high prices go in a period of shortage, nor how quickly they fall afterward,” Hurt said. “The tendency for prices to overshoot on the upside and then to undershoot on the downside is often repeated. The excesses on the upside may be related to the human emotion that is inherent in agricultural markets when there is uncertainty with regard to food shortages. “Regardless, cattle markets seemingly overshot to the upside, then undershot to the downside, and are now seeking to better evaluate equilibrium.” Hurt said that some of the roller-coaster price action in the cattle markets can be explained by basic
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supply and demand relationships. This has been illuminated in 2015 by higher cattle weights, by sharp increases in beef imports and declining beef e x p o rts, Chris and by Hurt consumpExtension tion shifts economist because of high retail beef prices. “Everyone knew that cattle numbers would be small this year, and processing numbers have been down 6 percent,” Hurt said. “But high prices have provided incentives to get additional beef supplies to consumers. “The first is by higher
weights. Record-high finished cattle prices in combination with limited feeder cattle and abundant feedlot capacity provided strong incentives for feedlot managers to finish the animals that were available to much higher weights. “Current weekly slaughter weights are approaching 1,400 pounds per head. For the year, weights are up an average of 2.5 percent. So 6 percent lower numbers are partially offset by higher weights such that domestic production so far this year is only down 3.5 percent.” According to Hurt, record-high U.S. cattle and beef prices, along with a strong U.S. dol-
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lar, have also stimulated major shifts in trade patterns that have also increased the domestic availability of beef. “High prices have attracted considerably more imports of beef,” Hurt said. “The three countries with the largest added sales to the U.S. are Australia, New Zealand, and Mexico. Brazilian beef exports to the U.S. are the fourth largest increase where the U.S. dollar has appreciated about 40 percent over the past year.” Hurt added that high U.S. prices and a strong dollar have damaged U.S. beef export volumes as well. Through August, beef exports were down 12
percent, led by reductions of 31 percent to China, 23 percent to Mexico, and 12 percent to U.S.’s biggest customer, Japan. Hurt said that most likely the highest cattle prices on this cycle are behind us. Finished cattle averaged near $155 in 2014. They are expected to be near $150 for 2015 and then moderate even more into the high $130s or low $140s for 2016. “Meanwhile, high prices are continuing to do their job of stimulating expansion of the cow herd, with female slaughter [heifers and cows] so far this year down 10 percent,” Hurt said. “Indeed, given enough time, high prices will solve the dilemma of high prices.”
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Today’s Farm
PAGE 10
Sauk Valley Media • November 10, 2015
INDEPENDENT MAP AMENDMENT
Petitions available in Farm Bureau offices Farm group is advocating for remap reform
Where you can sign the Independent Map petition
Special to Today’s Farm
Individuals wishing to pick up petition forms and collect signatures for the Independent Map Amendment initiative may do so at Farm Bureau offices across the five-county Sauk Valley. Completed petitions also may be returned to the local offices. In addition, people may stop by the offices to sign the petitions. Towns with Farm Bureau offices, and their office hours, are: Amboy: Lee County Farm Bureau, 37 S. East Ave.; Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Morrison: Whiteside County Farm Bureau, 100 E. Knox St.; MondayThursday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Oregon: Ogle County Farm Bureau, 421 W. Pines Road; Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mount Carroll: Carroll County Farm Bureau, 811 S. Clay St.; MondayThursday, 7:30 a.m-4:30 p.m. Princeton: Bureau County Farm Bureau, 535 Elm Place; MondayFriday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Amboy: Lee County Farm Bureau, 37 S. East Ave.; Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Oregon: Ogle County Farm Bureau, 421 W. Pines Road; MondayFriday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
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Morrison: Whiteside County Farm Bureau, 100 E. Knox St.; Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Mount Carroll: Carroll County Farm Bureau, 811 S. Clay St.; Monday-
The proposal from the Independent Map Amendment coalition would remove partisan consideration from map-making. ... In the end, voters will have more choices on the ballot and more incentive to vote, which is a win-win situation for everyone, not just farmers. Kevin Semlow
Kevin Semlow is director of state legislation for the Illinois Farm Bureau. “Our grassroots policy has long supported restructuring the Illinois legislative redistricting process, and we feel the Independent Map Amendment coalition’s proposal is a balanced approach to the process,” Semlow said. “We believe a change in the way maps are drawn will benefit our members, and hope they will take an active role in helping to make that change.” IFB and area Farm
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Bureau offices are working with the coalition to reach the goal of gathering 600,000 signatures of registered voters by April 2016. The Illinois Constitution requires that any petition seeking to amend the Legislative Article of the Illinois Constitution gather at least 290,216 valid, registered voter signatures. To gather the necessary signatures, the Farm Bureau is asking interested individuals to circulate, collect and return petitions to their local Farm Bureau offices. “It really is a simple pro-
Thursday, 7:30 a.m-4:30 p.m. Princeton: Bureau County Farm Bureau, 535 Elm Place; MondayFriday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Information: mapamendment.org cess for any of our members wishing to help with the effort,” Semlow said. “Any legally registered voter in Illinois is eligible. People who sign the petition must use their full address without abbreviations, should include the address where they are registered to vote, and information should be legibly written.” Once completed, the petition sheet should be signed by the person circulating the petition and notarized and returned to the Farm Bureau no later than December. Office staff at the Farm Bureau office can notarize the petitions. The proposed constitutional amendment would create an 11-member independent redistricting commission to draw legislative districts for General Assembly members. The commissioners would be selected at the same time of each fed-
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eral decennial census, with the first commission appointed in 2021. New districts drawn by the commission would be contiguous and substantially equal in population and would comply with federal law. All of the commission’s meetings and records would be open to the public. After a majority of commission members approve a plan, the new districts would be established. “The proposal from the Independent Map
Amendment coalition would remove partisan consideration from mapmaking and make mapmaking public and transparent to all, which means election outcomes will not be determined in advance and may deepen the candidate pool for state elections,” Semlow said. “In the end, voters will have more choices on the ballot and more incentive to vote, which is a winwin situation for everyone, not just farmers.” For more information, visit mapamendment.org.
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Today’s Farm
November 10, 2015 • Sauk Valley Media
PAGE 11
IOWA
$225 million cellulosic ethanol plant opens Cornstalks, leaves, cobs will be used NEVADA, Iowa (AP) – A refinery designed to make ethanol from cornstalks, leaves and cobs – not the grain itself – opened Oct. 30 in central Iowa, the culmination of a $225 million construction project and millions more invested in its engineering and design. The plant, owned by chemical and biotechnology company DuPont, will use the same bacteria that tequila distillers use to make ethanol instead of yeast, which is most prevalent in the ethanol industry. It’s one of the new innovations DuPont said it has incorporated into the plant, touted as the world’s largest cellulosic ethanol plant; DuPont
expects it to eventually make 30 million gallons of the fuel additive a year. “Our goal is to replicate this process in other rural communities in the U.S. and around the world so that societies everywhere can realize the economic, environmental and energy security benefits of advanced renewable fuel,” William Feehery said. Feehery is president of DuPont Industrial Biosciences, which runs the Iowa plant. The plant’s ethanol also will go into Tide laundry detergent, replacing the corn-based ethanol long used to stabilize the detergent formula and enhance washing performance. Refining ethanol from corn-plant material, called stover, makes use of the waste left on fields after harvest and expands the potential production of ethanol without using more of the grain itself.
DuPont
An aerial photo provided by DuPont shows a $225 million cellulosic ethanol plant that opened Oct. 30 in the central Iowa community of Nevada. The plant, owned by DuPont, is eventually expected to make 30 million gallons of ethanol a year. But the plant also opens at a time when the ethanol industry is struggling to maintain its market as
it battles with the petroleum industry to retain government support. The U.S. has more than
200 biofuel plants, and most use the corn kernel to make ethanol. A few other cellulosic ethanol
refineries have opened across the U.S. CELLULOSIC CONTINUED ON 12
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Today’s Farm
PAGE 12
Sauk Valley Media • November 10, 2015
Plant expects to go into full production next year CELLULOSIC
CONTINUED FROM 11
However, those in Kansas and Mississippi have fallen short of expectations after dealing with production problems. The DuPont plant will be in full production next year, said Jan Koninckx, DuPont’s global business director for biorefineries, but was “careful not to predict exactly” how much it’ll produce in 2016. DuPont is paying 500 Iowa farmers for their stover, a new way for them to make money. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed lowering biofuel requirements set
by Congress by 4 billion gallons this year and 5 billion gallons next year, noting that available fuel pumps and infrastructure limit how much ethanol can be distributed. It also said the biofuel industry hasn’t produced as much ethanol as expected to increase the amount blended in the nation’s supply as Congress initially envisioned. Those same arguments are often used by the petroleum industry when it lobbies to place a limit on how much ethanol is blended with gasoline or repeal the renewable fuel standard. Corn growers and other supporters of the higher biofuel standard say it’s
needed to force oil companies to improve infrastructure and deliver ethanol fuel blends above the current 10 percent mix. U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley and U.S. Rep. Steve King, both of Iowa, spoke at the DuPont refinery’s opening. They said it may be a struggle to fight off efforts to repeal the renewable fuel standard (RFS). “I worry about somebody sticking something in a bill that would repeal it,” Grassley said. “We have enough people in the Senate I believe who understand the importance of the RFS and alternative energy,” he said.
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