SVM_Today's Farm_050824

Digging up some dirt on the past

By ERIN M. HENKEL FarmWeek

It looked like the makings of a big batch of mud pies: thousands of canning jars full of dirt, piled in a dusty old barn.

To Andrew Margenot, it looked like buried treasure.

When he discovered the stockpile of soil in 2018, the associate professor at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign had hit paydirt: a priceless collection of soil samples dating back to Civil War days that’s helping researchers learn more about The Prairie State’s underground journey through the centuries.

The archive of soil samples had been kept in a dark pole-barn that was slated to be torn down, near the Morrow Plots on the UI Urbana-Champaign campus. As demolition day neared, Margenot visited the barn. It was then that he discovered the soil. Since then, he and his team of about 40 research personnel have been curating the archives.

With 8,000 mason jars of soil from 450 sampling locations across 21 million crop acres, it’s the largest soil archive in the world. It’s also believed to be the oldest collection, as few soil archives go back more than 40 years.

Or as Margenot calls it: “a huge deal.”

Illinois’ long history with mapping its soil — it’s one of the first states to do it — began in 1899 in Adams County, but the UI barn find goes back even further than that, with samples dating back to 1862.

A self-described “soil nerd,” Margenot said the find was a “treasure.”

The Morrow Plots were established in 1876 by UI professor Manly Miles as an experiment to test the effects of crop rotation on soil quality. Today, the Morrow Plots are the oldest experimental crop field in America and the second oldest in the world.

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A University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign research team is seeking permission from Illinois landowners to extract soil samples from their land, to compare with a historical soil archive. Among those sites are several in the Sauk Valley: six in Carroll County, one in Lee, five in Ogle, and three in Whiteside. Go to tinyurl.com/yrehmpbu to see their locations.

Wanted: Your soil

Landowners of historical sample sites asked to take part in study

Illinois AgriNews | Shaw Media

URBANA, Ill. — Illinois landowners could be eligible for $5,000 in free soil analyses and consultation with a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign research team in exchange for participating in a historic project seeking to learn how soils have changed over 120 years.

The project started when soil scientist Andrew Margenot stumbled upon a trove of old soil samples, some dating back to the 1800s, in a university barn slated for demolition.

Likely the oldest and largest soil archive in the world, the 8,000-sample collection was ripe for analysis.

After finalizing the digitization of the soil archive a year ago, Margenot, with funding support from the Illinois Nutrient Research and Education Council and Illinois Farm Bureau, began reaching out to current landowners for permission to let his team resample the 453 original locations. So far, the U of I team has only been able to access 8% of the sites.

WANTED cont’d to page 26

Photo provided by Andrew Margenot Andrew Margenot is an Illinois Extension specialist who has been working with the Illinois Farm Bureau and Illinois Nutrient Research and Education Council to recover and curate soil archives to identify how soils have changed statewide over time.

TODAY’S FARM COVER STORY

Margenot is an Illinois Extension specialist and associate professor in the Department of Crop Sciences and has been working in conjunction with the Illinois Farm Bureau and Illinois Nutrient Research and Education Council to resample the locations to identify how soils have changed over time in Illinois.

“We can learn a lot about what has changed over time, and that can go as far back as 120 years or so,” Margenot said. “That’s important because we don’t really know how soils changed more than a couple of decades ago, in general, and even then only over a small area, like one field trial. To do this over a state and going back over 100 years is a huge deal.”

Margenot said the project builds on the lifetimes of researchers and soil scientists who have gone to the effort of collecting soil samples. He said that because the soil samples were kept with details such as location, year and day of collection, researchers today can resample the soils and see how the soils have changed over a longer period than most soil archives that span only a few decades.

He also said that while there might be “simplicity” in terms of crop rotation in the state, biochemistry and how water, soils and air interact are complex.

“Soils change at a rate that we cannot see as individual humans; it’s called generational blindness,” Margenot said. “But if you took your great-grandfather and showed him soil now, he would be able to see things that you think are normal. To be able to measure these changes, you have to be able to go back in time.”

He said until scientists invent a time machine, the best way to “go back in time” is by using the archive

built by previous researchers. He also said that due to the size of Illinois, the collection of samples is especially unique.

“There are very basic questions we can answer on fertility that have direct implications for economic use of fertilizer inputs,” Margenot said. “Can we improve the recommendations and how to apply depending on your soil type? I think we can.”

“The state of Illinois is the size of some entire countries in Europe, and to understand soil changes you have to look at it on a large spatial scale,” he said. “This archive is one of the oldest in the world, but it’s also unlike the other ones in the world — it’s the largest by orders of magnitude. That’s really important.”

He said understanding the changes in the soil over time could also help farmers understand micronutrient needs such as zinc or boron.

Another benefit for farmers is understanding their soil’s potential for carbon sequestration as they navigate the carbon credit markets and determine whether they should enter into a carbon agreement.

Margenot said IFB “has been a great partner,” helping the team to work with landowners and farmers. “They’ve been supportive of putting us out in front of farmer crowds and have also been supporting policy communication that is essential for this project,” he said.

He also said IFB is helping connect the research team with policymakers at the state and federal level to explain the importance of soil changes and phosphorus losses.

This story was distributed through a cooperative project between Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Press Association. For more food and farming news, visit FarmWeekNow.com.

WANTED cont’d from page 25

“It’s one thing to figure out who owns the piece of land; that’s public information. What we need is a way to get in touch with folks and, of course, their permission to resample,” said Margenot, associate professor in the Department of Crop Sciences and Illinois Extension, both part of U of I’s College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.

Comparing the historic soils with new samples will provide unparalleled insights into the state’s soil resource base, including the effects of climate change, erosion and sustainable practices.

Margenot said the data could benefit farmers, engineers and municipal planners.

“Our sampling would have a negligible impact: a 1.5-inch diameter probe would be used to sample soils 3 feet deep at three points within a 10- to 15-foot area,” he said. “The location would be anonymized (at the county level) to protect the privacy of the specific sampling location.”

In exchange for allowing researchers to take samples, landowners have full access to their results, a $5,000 value. Additionally, Margenot’s research team would be available to discuss and interpret the results with landowners, an invaluable perk for many.

MORE INFO ... Illinois property owners should check the soil archive map, click on the pins and navigate to the individual sign-up link connected to each location The map can be found at tinyurl.com/yrehmpbu. For more information, they can contact the researchers directly at margenot@ illinois.edu or suweixu2@illinois.edu.

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DIRT

TODAY’S FARM

Death and taxes taking a toll on farms

By HANNAH SPANGLER FarmWeek

Jeff Brooks, Whiteside County Farm Bureau member, faced an unprecedented challenge when he lost his father in 2023 — the weight of the Illinois estate tax.

“This burden is putting pressure on the current operations of our family farm,” Brooks testified April 12 before members of the Illinois House Revenue and Finance Committee. “In March of 2023, still coping with my father’s passing, we learned the amount of a significant payment that was still due on our farming operation.”

The committee heard testimony on HB 4600, the Family Farm Preservation Act, sponsored by state Rep. Sharon Chung, D-Bloomington.

“Illinois’ No. 1 industry is in farming, with 96% of Illinois farms being family-owned,” Chung said. “HB 4600 addresses the discrepancy between escalating farm estate evaluations and annual farm income.”

The Family Farm Preservation Act, an Illinois Farm Bureau initiative, if adopted, would create a $6 million true exemption to the estate tax for family farms, tied to inflation. Additionally, the bill would allow a surviving spouse to utilize their own estate tax exemption and any unused exemption from the deceased spouse upon their passing.

Testifying in favor of the Family Farm Preservation Act were (from left to right) Ali Gibbs, Woodford County Farm Bureau member; Brian Duncan, Illinois Farm Bureau president; Jeff Brooks, Whiteside County Farm Bureau; and state Rep. Sharon Chung, D-Bloomington.

Brooks said his father risked his life savings to put a payment down on their 120-acre farm, an investment meant to provide stability for the family’s future. “Two weeks before my father’s passing, we were able to make the final payment on the last farm we would purchase together,” he said.

Assets resulting from years of hard work might now have to be sold by Brooks, a fourth-generation family farmer. “We were not prepared for the complexity, expenses and sometimes confusion of this undertaking. Thus far, we have spent over $64,000 in professional fees just to have an accurate estate tax return filed.” And without a change in the current policy, he said he will have to do this again when his mother passes.

“The death of a loved one should not force families to have to sell the farm,” IFB President Brian Duncan said. “This current Illinois estate tax hits normal, everyday Illinois family farmers who do not make millions of dollars.”

Brooks said he hopes the legislation passes so his daughters and other Illinois farm families won’t have to endure the same struggle in the future.

“As I reflect upon my father’s passing, the greatest disappointment I have was that we spent too much time discussing how the Illinois estate tax was going to affect our operation,” Brooks said. “I wish I would have spent more time talking with him about the new baby calves, how the crops looked and the latest technology.”

This story was distributed through a cooperative project between Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Press Association. For more food and farming news, visit FarmWeekNow.com.

Photo by Catrina Rawson of FarmWeek

Got milk? Got insulin

Genetic breakthrough in Brazil: Diabetics could someday get their treatment from a dairy farm

By HANNAH SPANGLER FarmWeek

A brown bovine from southern Brazil has made history as the first transgenic cow capable of producing human insulin in her milk.

The advancement, led by researchers from the University of Illinois and the Universidade de São Paulo in Brazil, could eventually eliminate drug scarcity and high costs for people with diabetes. The project, which began in 1992, is now the longest-ongoing genetically modified livestock project for agriculture.

Matt Wheeler, professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, said an efficient system to collect and purify insulin products — and Food and Drug Administration approval — are still needed before transgenic cows could supply insulin for the world’s diabetics.

But Wheeler is confident that day is coming. “I could see a future where a 100-head herd, equivalent to a small Illinois or Wisconsin dairy, could produce all the insulin needed for the country,” he said.

In Brazil, Wheeler’s colleagues inserted a segment of human DNA coding for proinsulin, the protein precursor of the active form of insulin, into the cell nuclei of 10 cow embryos. The embryos were implanted in normal cow uteruses. One transgenic calf was born. When the calf matured, lactation was induced and the team found

the calf had the ability to produce human proinsulin, which could be processed into bioactive human insulin.

Wheeler said the team was also able to target mammary gland tissue to harness the power of protein and contain insulin in the milk alone.

“Mother Nature designed the mammary gland as a factory to make protein really, really efficiently,” he said. “We can take advantage of that system to produce a protein that can help hundreds of millions of people worldwide.”

Researchers can’t confidently say how much insulin could be made during a typical lactation. However, Wheeler said that if a cow could produce one gram of insulin per liter of milk, the average Holstein produces 40 to 50 liters per day. That’s a significant amount of insulin, he said, especially if just 0.0347 milligrams is a typical unit of insulin.

“That means each gram is equivalent to 28,818 units of insulin,” Wheeler said. “And that’s just one liter. Holsteins can produce 50 liters per day. You can do the math.”

The next step is to reclone the cow and carry out full lactation cycles as well as biological safety testing. Wheeler said the goal is to produce a herd of transgenic cows for insulin production.

“With regard to mass producing insulin in milk, you’d need specialized, high-health-status facilities for the cattle, but it’s nothing too out of the ordinary for our well-established dairy industry,” he said. “We know what we are doing with our cows.”

This story was distributed through a cooperative project between Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Press Association. For more food and farming news, visit FarmWeekNow.com.

A TUF row to hoe

By PHYLLIS COULTER FarmWeek

LaSalle County farmer Joe Schmidt recalls standing in a field in Uganda in disbelief.

The family he just met could barely grow enough white maize to feed themselves. They couldn’t afford to pay tuition for their children to attend school. There wasn’t any surplus corn to sell.

But the soil is nice. The weather is generally good. And two crops a year are produced.

“I can’t fathom why the crops are so poor,” he told FarmWeek. “Everything I saw was a question. I felt like ‘I’ve got to help.’ This is God grabbing me to do this.”

That visit led Schmidt and his wife, Nathalie, to create TUF, Transforming Ugandan Farmers. They set up demonstration plots and hired Peter Baguma, a local agronomist. And in three years, the couple has helped farmers there quintuple their corn yields.

“They tell us we are an answered prayer,” Schmidt said.

In 2020, inspired by members of First Presbyterian Church in Ottawa, the couple started working with two groups of farmers in two demo gardens of an acre each in the Kamwenge District of Uganda. One 30-member group consisted of women and the other included the Reformed Poachers Association. The former poachers had hunted chimps, elephants and other wildlife to survive. “They were shunned” and the poorest of the poor, Schmidt said.

A year later, the Schmidts added two more groups and then another two in 2022. They were taught to plant in 30-inch rows to control weeds and reduce the need for hand hoeing, to plant only two inches deep, not four, and to plant one seed in a hole, instead of two or more.

But there was skepticism.

Most saved and used the same seed year after year. “Only 1% ever bought a bag of seed,” he said. Those who graduated from the training program after the first season were given a bag of quality white maize to plant the next year.

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Photo courtesy of Joe Schmidt

With a little help from their friends at Transforming Ugandan Farmers, founded by an Ottawa couple, Ugandan farmers are learning ways to grow better crops.

TODAY’S FARM

Nathalie and Joe Schmidt point out the airport in Uganda where they arrived as part of their Transforming Ugandan Farmers program, which has helped farmers increase their maize yields fivefold. Their adult daughters and families, First Presbyterian Church in Ottawa, and the LaSalle County Farm Bureau are among their biggest supporters in Illinois.

TUF cont’d from page 29

Working alongside the Ugandan nonprofit, Innovations for Transformation Initiative, the couple bought a 5-acre permanent demonstration farm in 2023.

Test plots there helped compare various practices side by side. In those where the seed was broadcast, as is traditional there, harvest was 10 bushels per acre. The “chop and plant method” produced 20 bushels per acre compared to planting their own seeds in a row, which netted 30 bushels per acre. Using all the recommended practices and modern seed, the plots yielded 52 bushels per acre.

By winter 2023, the program had grown to include eight groups, or a total of 240 farmers.

About 80% of the farmers in the program changed their practices and followed TUF’s recommendations. Of those with higher yields now, between 90% and 100% of them could afford the tuition for their kids to go to school.

“It’s exciting to see the changes,” Nathalie Schmidt said. “We want to uplift the farmers there. We want to empower them.”

Farmers still working by hand could produce five times what they could before. However, some said the old, lower-yielding corn tasted better roasted than the new higher-yielding variety, Schmidt said.

The farmers there are producing so much now that storage is an issue.

They store the grain in their small homes. One farmer said he hoped he could produce so much corn that he would have to sleep outside.

“Tens of thousands of farmers need help. We are starting in a little district and working from there,” Nathalie Schmidt said. “What little they have, and they are still joyful.”

Future projects could include corn storage or eventually equipment and facilities for milling grain or making flour. The next focus is on teaching children how to raise food.

To raise money for such projects, the second annual TUF Harvest Hands Up fundraiser is planned for 2 p.m. Sept. 14, at the Schmidts’ farm in Ottawa. For food and euchre tournament tickets go to bit.ly/tufsrccf, or email the Schmidts at TUF.farmers@ gmail.com.

Schmidt hopes some farmers and colleagues from Uganda can attend the event this year and tour Illinois farms and agribusinesses while in the country.

Schmidt estimates they spend about $500 per farmer over three years with the on-farm demonstration training, seed, fertilizer, storage bags and tarps.

“This has literally transformed their lives,” he added.

This story was distributed through a cooperative project between Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Press Association. For more food and farming news, visit FarmWeekNow.com.

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TODAY’S FARM

This crop can be a tough nut to crack

It takes patience to grow pecans in places like Illinois, but the commitment is paying off for some farmers

By PHYLLIS COULTER FarmWeek

Pecans are a long-term commitment with 13 years from planting trees to the first harvest — but it’s a commitment that paid off for Karen and Ralph Voss.

“We are making money at it,” Ralph Voss told those attending a pecan workshop earlier this year at the Everything Local conference in Springfield.

The corn and soybean farmers first got into the pecan business to diversify their farm in Clinton County, just east of St. Louis. When they started, they focused on the native pecan trees, and over the years have grafted and developed an operation that also features modern varieties.

“His hobby turned into a business,” Karen Voss said.

When they started in 1985, they soon learned no one wanted to buy pecans in the shell, Ralph’s father bought a pecan cracker and eventually they not only cracked their own pecans but had a thriving customer pecan cracking business.

“We did that for years,” Karen Voss said, before shedding the custom cracking and focusing on growing and harvesting.

Ralph said it took a lot of hard work to clear 60 acres of land to nurture 1,200 native trees, but “when you love something, it is easy to work at it all day.”

“I’m a corn and soybean grower. I’m used to seed company salesmen telling me which varieties are good here and disease resistant,” he said, but that kind of information wasn’t readily available for Illinois pecan growers when he started. In large part, Ralph had to find what varieties work best here, through research, reading — sometimes by trial and error.

He said he recently brought back 13 new varieties from Kansas, but only three of those would do well here. “They can’t stand the wet weather,” he said.

Other varieties he liked from Georgia can’t take the cold here.

The newer varieties they grow today are larger, meatier and taste good, Ralph said.

“I believe eastern pecans taste better,” he said. “Western pecans look good, but I don’t like eating them as much.”

Pecans are harvested by shaking trees. One key is keeping the ground below the trees free of debris. The harvesters will pick up shotgun shells, a loose bolt or anything that can be bad news in sorting and processing, a process that uses both man and machine.

In the summer when some boughs are bowing from the weight of pecans, he must shake them early so the remainder are bigger and better quality.

The same goes for reducing tree numbers. If trees grow big enough to touch, some must be cut down to give room for others to get sunshine and thrive.

There are also pests and diseases to fight. Scab is an enemy of pecan growers, and stink bugs are a concern, Ralph said. Fifteen years ago, he didn’t pay much attention to stink bugs. “Now they are our worst enemy.”

“We have yet to have a crop failure due to disease,” he said. He attributes that to management and choosing the right varieties.

“We spray the least amount possible,” Karen said of controlling pests. They do use some bug traps. Ralph said there’s no market for pecan wood for carpentry, but it is profitable to sell it for smoking meat.

Some farmers attending were interested in adding pecans to a mixed operation including livestock. Ralph said regulations require grazers to be out of the pecan orchard four or five months before harvest.

The couple is confident the next generation of Vosses will be pecan growers as well — their grandchildren are already active. “It takes 16 of us a good month to get all the harvest in,” Karen Voss said.

“The next generation is here. We call it pecan fever.”

This story was distributed through a cooperative project between Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Press Association. For more food and farming news, visit FarmWeekNow.com.