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FarmWeek on the web: FarmWeekNow.com Illinois Farm Bureau®on the web: www.ilfb.org

THE AMERICAN FARMBureau Fede r a t i on l a s t weekreleased a new farm bill proposalit hopes will satisfy Congress andfarmers. .........................................5

BIOFUELS INTERESTSconverged on Washington last weekin an effort to defeat legislation thatcould affect the Renewable FuelStandard (RFS2). .............................4

TWO UNIVERSITY profes-sors testified on the farmlandassess law before the House Rev-enue and Finance Committee lastweek in Springfield. ...................3

Monday, April 15, 2013 Three sections Volume 41, No. 15

Payments, premium subsidies targeted

Obama budget plan seeks $38 billion ag cutBY MARTIN ROSSFarmWeek

The Senate came to thetable last year with $23 billionin proposed commodity, con-servation, and nutrition pro-gram savings in hand. The House Ag Committee

anted up another $12 billion in“food stamp” savings.

The White House last weekattempted to deal a new hand,placing farm programs andprotections squarely in itssights.President Obama’s new fis-

cal 2014 budget plan seeks $38billion in net ag savings overthe next decade, including$29.7 billion in cuts providedby direct payment elimination.

USDA’s proposed $146-bil-lion budget directs a $11.7-bil-lion reduction in federal cropinsurance funding, with a 3percent reduction in premiumsubsidies for policies in whichthe government providesmore than 50 percent of thepremium. That move alonewas projected to save $4.2 bil-lion over two years.

The Obama plan proposessaving $3.2 billion through a 2percent reduction in premiumsubsidies for revenue policies

Congress might move for a sec-ond 2008 farm bill extensionthis fall, given Senate MajorityLeader Harry Reid’s (D-Neva-da) stated refusal to re-extendany measure that includes directpayments.

Thatcher said she sees “realpotential to pass a farm billwithout decreases in current(crop insurance) funding.”Farm state lawmakers recognize

See Cut, page 5

that cover upward price move-ments at harvest. A harvest priceelection is now automatic withRevenue Protection coverage.

Proposed adjustments inprogram administrative expens-es and insurer rates of returnoffer an added $4.2 billion insavings.

At the same time, the WhiteHouse budget offers $1.3 bil-lion for beginning farmers,bioenergy, specialty crops, andorganic agriculture and propos-es to extend selected livestockdisaster programs for 2014-2018.

Even the original $23 billionin proposed ag cuts was “waymore than our fair share” oftotal budget reductions, Ameri-can Farm Bureau Federationpolicy specialist Mary KayThatcher told FarmWeek.

“What other sector’s offer-ing that kind of funding reduc-tion and putting part of ittoward budget reduction?” sheposed.

Because direct paymentspending actually comes to $49billion over 10 years, the Oba-ma plan provides for someform of replacement commod-ity program, Thatcher noted.However, she said the need tomeet presidential spending tar-gets would make formulating

an effective program “almostimpossible.”

Thatcher questioned theextent to which the president’splan would impact spring AgCommittee farm bill debate.She dismissed rumors that

BY DANIEL GRANTFarmWeek

Farmers in Illinois made little to no progress prepping fieldsor planting their crops last week as heavy rains saturated much ofthe state.

A line of thunderstorms which produced some localized flashflooding dumped 1 to 3-plus inches of rain. Power outages anddamage to trees, homes, and outbuildings also were reported asthe storms produced strong winds and hail at some locations.

“Nothing has been planted around here yet,” said Mark Ker-ber, a FarmWeek Cropwatcher from Livingston County. “Wehave water standing in fields. This will just delay us even more.”

Kerber’s farm last week received 2.7 inches of rain. RandyAnderson, a Cropwatcher from Saline County in Southern Illi-nois, last week reported 1.5 inches of rain on his farm.

Cropwatchers will begin filing their reports in FarmWeek onMay 6.

“All field activity has come to a stop,” Anderson said lastweek. “There had been some fieldwork (including disking, chem-

ical applications, and corn planting)” prior to the storm.Illinois from March 11 to April 11 received 2 to 6-plus inches

of precipitation. The moisture has recharged soils but kept farm-ers out of the fields.

Soil temperature readings late last week averaged in the mid-40 degrees in Northern Illinois, mid-50s in Central Illinois, andlow- to mid-60s in Southern Illinois.

“We’re looking at at least 10 days out (from the start of field-work activity), said Kerber, who hopes for drier conditions soon.

“It’s the planting season, not the growing season. We don’tneed this much rain right now,” he continued. “There’s the oldsaying, ‘Plant in mud and the crop’s a dud. Plant in dust and yourbins will bust.’”

The forecast on Friday was not conducive to planting as morerain was predicted the first half of this week.

“One of our main concerns right now is getting pre-emer-gence chemicals down on no-till ahead of troublesome weeds,

See Rain, page 4

Thunderstorms limit fieldwork; more rain in forecast

TOSS FOR SUCCESS

FFA members tossed washers in an attempt to win cookies from the Illinois Farm Bureau Young LeaderCommittee during the recent IFB Youth Conference in Springfield. Looking on left to right in white shirtsare IFB Young Leader Committee members Matthew Starr, Nauvoo, District 9; John Klemm, Lincoln, Dis-trict 11; and Matt Rush, Fairfield, District 17. About 500 FFA members attended the conference. See avideo from the Youth Conference at {FarmWeeknow.com}. (Photo by Cyndi Cook)

PRATT MAKES 4-H DONATION— Lee Countyfarmer Katie Pratt of Dixon last week donated $2,500 to4-H clubs in her county. She received the money from theU.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance as one of its nationalFaces of Farming and Ranching.“Lee County Extension Foundation will use this dona-

tion to give back to the 4-H community,” Pratt said. Eachof the 10 clubs in the county will receive $200. The re-maining $500 will be used by the foundation for futureprojects.“Four-H continues to be a big part of my family’s life,”

she said. “I gained so much from my time as a member. Iwant to help clubs continue their strong tradition in ourcommunity.”GOLD MEDAL AGRICULTURE— For Olympic

gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee, last week’s St. LouisAgribusiness Club monthly luncheon meeting struck astrong personal note. Joyner-Kersee attended the meetingto learn more about area community gardening and urbanagriculture projects.

She said she is excited about incorporating more ag-gar-dening projects at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center in her

hometown, East St. Louis. The centerserves youth and families of the surround-ing Illinois towns of Alroton, Brooklyn,Centreville, and Washington Park. Michael Sorth, executive director of Gate-way Greening and a presenter at themonthly club meeting, addressed Gate-way’s gardening and urban agriculturework throughout St. Louis and St. LouisCounty. Next up for Gateway is an urbanag project to be located at the historic St.

Louis Stamping Co. on the north riverfront.“The presentation was in line with everything we have

been discussing about trying to teach young people aboutwhere their food comes from,” Joyner-Kersee told RFDRadio’s Rita Frazer. “I grew up in an area that was a fooddesert, where we didn’t have a local grocery store to go to.”IMMIGRATION REFORM— Naperville Democrat

U.S. Rep. Bill Foster joined Congress’ New DemocratCoalition last week in releasing a framework for what hetermed “common sense” immigration reform. The NewDemocratic Coalition is a group of pro-business Democ-rats that reportedly form the largest moderate caucus inthe U.S. Congress.“For years our immigration system has been left to rot,”

Foster said. “Our system depends too much on detentionand deportation at a huge cost to governments and fami-lies.“It is past time for Congress to take action to pass com-

mon sense immigration reform that provides law enforce-ment officials with the tools they need to secure our bor-ders, a tough but fair path to citizenship for the 11 millionundocumented immigrants already in the country, and amore secure and efficient system for legal immigration.”

FarmWeek Page 2 Monday, April 15, 2013

(ISSN0197-6680)

Vol. 41 No. 15 April 15, 2013

Dedicated to improving the profitability of farm-ing, and a higher quality of life for Illinois farmers.FarmWeek is produced by the Illinois FarmBureau.

FarmWeek is published each week, except theMondays following Thanksgiving and Christmas, by theIllinois Agricultural Association, 1701 Towanda Avenue, P.O.Box 2901, Bloomington, IL 61701. Illinois AgriculturalAssociation assumes no responsibility for statements byadvertisers or for products or services advertised inFarmWeek.

FarmWeek is published by the Illinois AgriculturalAssociation for farm operator members. $3 from the individ-ual membership fee of each of those members go towardthe production of FarmWeek.

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© 2013 Illinois Agricultural Association

STAFFEditorDave McClelland (dmcclelland@ilfb.org)Legislative Affairs EditorKay Shipman (kayship@ilfb.org)Agricultural Affairs EditorMartin Ross (mross@ilfb.org)Senior Commodities EditorDaniel Grant (dgrant@ilfb.org)Editorial AssistantMargie Fraley (mfraley@ilfb.org)Business Production ManagerBob Standard (bstandard@ilfb.org)Advertising Sales ManagerRichard Verdery (rverdery@ilfb.org)Classified sales coordinatorNan Fannin (nfannin@ilfb.org)Director of News and CommunicationsMichael L. OrsoAdvertising Sales RepresentativesHurst and Associates, Inc.P.O. Box 6011, Vernon Hills, IL 600611-800-397-8908 (advertising inquiries only)

Gary White - Northern IllinoisDoug McDaniel - Southern Illinois

Editorial phone number: 309-557-2239Classified advertising: 309-557-3155Display advertising: 1-800-676-2353

Quick Takes RIVERS

Groups seek lock upgrade measures in WRDA billBY MARTIN ROSSFarmWeekAs a key Senate committee

unveiled long-awaited waterprojects legislation, farm andriver interests were taking anall-hands-on-deck approach toaddressing long-awaited needson the Mississippi River.The Illinois Corn Growers

Association (ICGA) issued amember “call to action” seek-ing support from SpringfieldDemocrat Sen. Dick Durbinand Highland Park RepublicanSen. Mark Kirk for inclusion ofSenate Resolution 407, TheRiver Act of 2013, into theSenate Water Resources Devel-opment Act (WRDA).The Senate Environment

and Public Works Committeelast week unveiled its version ofWRDA, which originally waspassed in 2007 and authorizedas-yet-unbuilt new locks. Water-ways Council Vice PresidentPaul Rohde reported “we’re at‘all-hands-on-deck’” in prepara-tion for WRDA floor debate.The River Act is aimed at

“getting some action movingon waterways infrastructure,”

ICGA President Paul Taylorsaid in an RFD-FarmWeek in-terview. The measure would di-rect the U.S. Army Corps ofEngineers to prioritize projectsand improve current public/-private partnerships to fundlock upgrades.Key to the proposal is a

shipper-supported hike in bargefuel taxes to help fund lock im-provements.“Suddenly, we’re starting to

see some interest,” noted Tay-lor, an Esmond producer.“There’s a realization that theinfrastructure needs to beworked on. Now’s the time tostrike, while the iron’s hot.”WRDA is moving slower in

the House, but prospects weregood for inclusion of the Wa-terways are Vital for the Econo-my, Energy, Efficiency, and En-vironment (WAVE4) Act, theHouse companion to The RiverAct, Rohde told FarmWeek atan Illinois Soybean Association(ISA) transportation briefinglast week.The Senate WRDA package

already includes the Water In-frastructure Finance and Inno-

vation Act, which would pro-vide loans to state and localagencies for water supply,wastewater, and flood controlprojects under a $50-million-per-year pilot program.Completion of Panama

Canal improvements will enableexporters to ship “more ton-nage at a lower cost,” but U.S.upgrades “in size, capacity, andefficiency” are necessary to re-alize that potential, Taylor ar-gued.Informa Economics analyst

Ken Eriksen told FarmWeek atISA’s transportation briefing thatmany Midwest locks are needing“hip replacements, knee replace-ments.”“New projects that have con-

struction or major rehab author-izations will not get started untilabout 2050-2070 at the very ear-liest under current time sched-ules,” Eriksen said.

“Meanwhile, we have a lot ofmaintenance that’s been de-ferred — $565 million worthhere in Illinois.“We’re looking at trying to

pay down those projects andcertainly moving them forward.”

Illinois faces transportationissues from first to final mile At an Illinois Soybean As-

sociation (ISA) transportationbriefing last week, InformaEconomics Senior Vice Presi-dent Ken Eriksen underlinedthe impact of local, regional,and nationwide infrastructureissues on Illinois export capa-bilities and the U.S. economicbottom line. The Bloomington meeting

focused on deficiencies in andcommercial access via localroads and bridges, truckweights and their potentialrole in alleviating driver short-ages, and the need on the nearterm to arrest deterioration ofIllinois/Mississippi Riverlocks. ISA discussed efforts to ex-

plore “sustainable” container-on-barge transportation, pre-serve soy product and meat

quality from farm to exportdestination, and address regu-lations that could limit or in-crease the cost of commoditymovements.The goal is to help soybean

growers move an annual 600million bushels of beans tomarket by 2020. Illinois farmers and experts

from the transportation-logis-tics sectors stressed the impor-tance of public cooperationthat includes congressionallawmakers currently consider-ing waterways improvementmeasures and state lawmakersand local officials who canbetter pave the way for eco-nomic/export growth startingat “the first mile.”Ag and shipping interests

and policymakers must viewthe nation’s infrastructure re-

sources “holistically,” develop-ing a system that suits diversegeographical needs but thatsmoothly transitions goodsamong roads, rail, barges, andports, Eriksen toldFarmWeek.Local bridge upgrades

could return more than $10 ineconomic revenue for every $1invested, Eriksen said.Waterways improvements

could generate $1.2 billionover the next 15 years, and al-lowing greater truck weightswould enable fewer truckers tohaul more, he suggested.And, as recent Upper Mis-

sissippi low-water concernsemphasized, those investmentswould help growers and con-sumers avoid serious coststhat currently are one disasteraway. — Martin Ross

Tuesday: • Ag weather with Chesa-

peake Meteorology• Illinois Deputy Gov. Cristal

Thomas• Tricia Stiller, executive di-

rector of the Downtown Bloom-ington Association

• 4F’s energy reportWednesday:

• Tim Schweizer, Illinois De-partment of Natural Resources

• Jim Bower of Bower Trad-ing

• Tim Maiers, Illinois PorkProducers AssociationThursday:

• Paul Taylor, president ofthe Illinois Corn Growers Asso-ciation

• Brian McGill, marketingand member development su-pervisor for the IAA CreditUnion

• Illinois Farm Bureau Presi-dent Philip Nelson

Friday: • Sara Wyant, Agri-Pulse

publisher• Fred Yoder, Ohio farmer

and winner of “Champion ofChange Award”

• Monica Nyman, St. LouisDistrict Dairy Council nutritioneducator

• Storytime with AlanJarand

To find a radio station nearyou that carries the RFD RadioNetwork, go to FarmWeek-Now.com, click on “Radio,” thenclick on “Affiliates.”

Joyner-Kersee

STATE Page 3 Monday, April 15, 2013 FarmWeek

Three farmland assessment experts answer questions about the state’sassessment methods posed by members of the state House Revenue andFinance Committee last week in the Capitol. Left to right are StevenKraft, Southern Illinois University professor emeritus of agribusiness eco-nomics and Illinois Farmland Assessment Technical Advisory Board (FA-TAB) chairman; Bruce Scherrick, University of Illinois agricultural eco-nomics professor and FATAB member; and Bruce Huber, president of theIllinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers.

Revenue committee discusses farmland assessment lawBY KAY SHIPMANFarmWeek

Two university professorsoutlined how Illinois assessesfarmland and how proposedchanges would work in testi-mony before the House Rev-enue and Finance Committeelast week in Springfield.

Bruce Scherrick, Universi-ty of Illinois agricultural eco-nomics professor and a mem-ber of the Illinois FarmlandAssessment Technical Advi-sory Board (FATAB),explained the complex systemused to value each soil typeand the assessment formula.

Rep. Barbara Flynn Curry(D-Chicago) asked if otherstates use similar methods.

Scherrick replied that allstates have some form ofincome-based farmlandassessment, but “we have amore sophisticated approachthan our neighboring states.”

Rep. Frank Mautino (D-Spring Valley) noted disparityhas developed because thecurrent system applies a 10percent limit to value increas-es and decreases. Mautino issponsoring HB 2651 thatproposes changes to betterreflect different soils’ pro-

ductive capabilities.Scherrick explained the dis-

parity in values increasedbecause “10 percent of a largenumber is a large number,”while 10 percent of a smallnumber is still a small number.

Committee Chairman Rep.John Bradley (D-Marion)

asked how “to lessen theblow” on those with less pro-ductive soils if the law isamended.

Scherrick stated the increaseon less productive soils “is notexpected to be as big anincrease as has been implied”by some people.

Under the proposed amend-ment, the assessment processwould phase in changes to theequalized assessed value by soilproductivity index (PI). Thosechanges would not exceed 10percent of certified assessedvalue of the state’s median soilPI.

“I thought the proposalwould change the imbalanceslowly over time,” said Curry,in order to provide relief tolandowners. Scherrick con-firmed the changes wouldoccur slowly over time.

“This hearing was anotherstep in the process of educat-ing legislators on the complex-ity of the farmland assessmentprocess and Illinois FarmBureau’s support for maintain-ing the integrity of the law,”said Kevin Semlow, IFB direc-tor of state legislation.

Also testifying were StevenKraft, Southern Illinois Uni-versity professor emeritus of

Illinois Farm Bureau President Philip Nelsonand Illinois Agriculture Director Bob Flider lastweek discussed several issues, including a pro-posed amendment to the state farmland assess-ment law.

How proposed change would work

If a proposed amend-ment to the state farm-land assessment lawpasses, all soils —regardless of their pro-ductivity index (PI) —would increase by 10 per-cent of the median soil PI.

The equalizedassessed value of a 111PI (the median soil) is$184.83.

A 10 percent changewould increase the certi-fied values for all soils by$18.48. That amountwould be added to eachsoil’s 2013 certified value.

agribusiness economics andthe FATAB chairman, andBruce Huber, president of theIllinois Society of ProfessionalFarm Managers and RuralAppraisers.

Corn seedlings, planted in soil from University of Illinois herbicide evaluation plots, show the damage herbi-cide carryover can cause. The corn on the left grew in untreated soil while the middle and right pots containtreated soil. (Photo by Aaron Hager, University of Illinois)

The potential for crop dam-age from herbicide carryoverremains despite recent rains,Aaron Hager, University ofIllinois weed scientist, toldFarmWeek last week.

“We did get moisture. Butunless the soil is warmenough, we’re not going to see(herbicide) degradation,” hesaid.

Herbicides vary in soil per-sistence. The crop rotationposted on the herbicide labelis one indication of persist-ence. Intervals are longer forherbicides that persist longerand for crops that are moresensitive to herbicide residues,

according to Hager.He explained two factors

influence herbicide carryover:moisture and soil temperatureswarm enough to spur micro-bial activity.

“I am still confident that wewill see carryover this year,”because of last year’s droughtconditions Hager said. How-ever, researchers do not antici-pate the damage will be aswidespread as they had fearedlast July because of the mois-ture received, he added.

Researchers are concernedfarmers think the potentialthreat has passed because ofthe rains received last fall and

this winter and spring, Hagersaid.

“There is no way to preventit (carryover) other than plantthe same crop (in the field) aslast year,” he said.

Shallow tillage can help dis-tribute a herbicide more evenlyacross a field and enhancedegradation, especially whensoils are warm and moisture isadequate, said the weed scien-tist.

Early planting or planting acrop that is sensitive to theherbicide applied last seasonincreases the likelihood ofinjury, Hager said. — KayShipman

Threat of carryover damage remains

Buffer Partnership seeks landowners, buffer sites

BUFFER NUMBERS

3,949.5Acres of buffers and

conservation plantings inIllinois.

885,622Trees and shrubs plant-

ed in Illinois buffers andconservation sites.

1,399Landowners and volun-

teers involved in planting.

50.1Miles of Illinois streams

protected by buffers.

Source: Trees Forever

Landowners and theirbuffer strips help controlerosion and protect waterquality in Illinois as astatewide effort grows.

The Illinois Buffer Part-nership, which includes theIllinois Farm Bureau andTrees Forever, continues toseek landowners who areinterested in planting buffersalong streams and in wet-lands.

“We’re always looking forinterested farmers to partici-pate,” Shannon Ramsay,founding president and chiefexecutive officer of TreesForever, told FarmWeek.“We recommend they let usknow now and sign uponline.”

While sites for newbuffers are accepted, a par-ticipant also may have anexisting buffer, according toRamsay.

Applicants should beinterested in diversifying theplants used in buffers and inhosting a field day at the site.

Ten sites around the statewere selected for 2013, andplanting is planned thisspring. The sites are inBureau, Jersey, Kendall, Liv-ingston, McHenry, McLean(two), Mercer, Perry, and

Saline counties.Another component of

the buffer initiative isGROWMARK’s seed cost-share program to participat-ing landowners, Ramsey not-ed.

For more information orto register, go online to{treesforever.org}, call 800-369-1269, or email DebbyFluegel, Trees Forever Illi-nois coordinator, atdfluegel@treesforever.org. —Kay Shipman

ENERGYFarmWeek Page 4 Monday, April 15, 2013

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House lawmakers launch direct attack on RFS2BY MARTIN ROSSFarmWeekBiofuels interests con-

verged on Washington lastweek in an effort to defeatnew legislation that the nation-al Renewable Fuels Associa-tion (RFA) said “would effec-tively end the Renewable FuelStandard (RFS2)” and, poten-tially, next-generation biofuelsdevelopment and demand. The RFS Reform Act —

introduced by Reps. Bob Good-latte (R-Va.), Jim Costa (D-Calif.), Steve Womack (R-Ariz.),and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) —would reduce RFS2 mandatesby 42 percent over the next nineyears and limit federal biofuelstargets to renewable biomassand other advanced biofuels.Supported by a coalition of

13 food industry groups andnational beef and pork organi-zations, Goodlatte suggestedthat through RFS2, “govern-ment is placing its big thumb onone side of the scale betweenthe use of corn for food andthe use of corn for fuel.” RFA President Bob Din-

neen argued Goodlatte’s billemploys “backwards, silly, cir-cular logic,” potentially revers-ing efforts to reduce depend-ence on foreign oil.Biofuels representatives

from Illinois, Colorado, Iowa,Kansas, Missouri, and Nebras-ka were on the Hill as news ofthe measure broke, GrowthEnergy CEO Tom Buis report-

ed. Growth Energy representsnumerous ethanol producers. The RFS2 already is a focus for

the House Energy Committee,which collected input on the man-date from groups that includedIllinois Farm Bureau and the Illi-nois Corn Growers Association. The RFS2 has come under

“intense attacks, often based onmisinformation” about industryefforts to expand ethanol usethough E15 blends, Buis said.Ethanol today displaces

roughly 10 percent of thenation’s gasoline. According toJeff Broin, executive chairmanof top ethanol producer Poet,ethanol use could rise to 30 per-cent by 2022 under RFS2 targets. But that potential will not be

reached “if Big Oil is successfulin eliminating the RFS2 andpreventing our access to con-sumers,” he warned.

Broin, whose plan is toreduce ethanol costs by “co-locating” corn and cellulosicproduction, stressed that “basi-cally, the volume of ethanol inthe market is controlled by theindustry that makes the otherproduct — the oil industry.”“Oil interests have done

everything they can to preventconsumer access to E15,” he said.

“They’ve done things likeerecting regulatory and legalchallenges and launching a veryexpensive PR campaign of disin-formation. While we are slowlysucceeding, Big Oil is now tryingto really throw a Hail Mary bygetting Congress to pass legisla-tion to repeal the RFS.”RFS2 elimination would

block a projected 136,000 newjobs created through E15demand, he said. Growth Ener-gy co-chairman and retired U.S.Army Gen. Wesley Clark calledbiofuels development “a bigstep forward to America’s ener-gy independence,” and thus “anational security issue.”Clark noted recent Senate

preservation of funding for mili-

tary advanced biofuels develop-ment designed to lower Depart-ment of Defense energy costs. “You can’t produce an

affordable, reliable fuel in pennypacket quantities,” he toldFarmWeek. “These are com-modity projects. You have tohave scale. The RFS2 offers theopportunity for biofuels tech-nology to scale up. That’s why itwas essential to start with cornethanol. It’s the base.“We’re laying out the market

structure — how to move it,how to bill it, how to protect it,how to build automobiles for it.Then you move to cellulosics. “You have to get into the mar-

ketplace and build scale beforeyou can bring down price.”

Debate over the RenewableFuel Standard (RFS2) mayprove contentious, but HouseEnergy and Commerce Commit-tee member John Shimkusmaintains ag and biofuels inter-ests will have the chance todefend what’s “doable” in reach-ing RFS2 goals.

The U.S. Environmental Pro-tection Agency (EPA) recentlyupheld 2013 RFS2 corn ethanoltargets as posing little hardship forlivestock producers or consumers.But Shimkus, a CollinsvilleRepublican, said concerns in thewake of the 2012 drought “haveaffected this debate.”

Some lawmakers have cometo question “what we are reallycapable of doing, science-wise,”

to achieve prescribed next-gen-eration biomass/“advanced bio-fuels” goals, he told FarmWeek.

The initial RFS, created in2005, directed 36 billion gal-lons of biofuels use by 2022.Revisions in 2007 refined tar-gets for next-generation biofu-els, and Shimkus said hiscommittee hopes to sort the“realistic vs. the unrealistic.”

“I think all sides will get achance to present their case onthe benefits and challenges.

“We have to find a way to pro-tect the RFS as it was originallyintended. I think there will be aconsensus that some adjust-ment has to be made. We’regoing to do all we can to ensurethat current market signals for

what’s doable as far as produc-tion are kept at promised levels.”

Countering RFS2 critics whocontend the ethanol market isdraining food crop reserves,Poet ethanol company Execu-tive Chairman Jeff Broin argued“a tremendous amount of(ethanol) feedstock is available”to meet future RFS2 demand.

That includes existing cornstocks, grain sorghum, and “a bil-lion tons of cellulose that goes towaste in this country every year,”said Broin, whose Iowa companyis launching joint corn/corn cob-based cellulosic production.

Co-location of conventionaland cellulosic biofuel facilitiesoffers “extreme efficiencies”that can bring down the cost of

cellulosics and provide a new“revenue stream” for farmers,he told FarmWeek.

In terms of market growth,the Illinois Corn Growers Asso-ciation and Illinois Farm Bureaurecently responded to a seriesof Energy and Commercequestions regarding the “blendwall” — the point at which useof standard 10 percent ethanolreaches market saturation.

When the RFS2 was revisedin 2007, the oil industry, theethanol industry, agriculture,environmental groups, and(EPA) understood that toachieve federal goals, “the 10percent blend wall would haveto be removed,” they stated. —Martin Ross

Shimkus: RFS2 advocates must present their case

RainContinued from page 1

such as marestail, which are hardto control,” Anderson said.Many wheat growers at least

were able to apply nitrogen to theircrop in recent weeks, he said.“There are a few, scattered

(wheat) fields that lack nitro-gen,” he said. “But most wheat

looks to be in good condition.”The majority of wheat in

the state (72 percent) last weekwas rated good to excellent.Nationwide, however, just

36 percent of the winter wheatcrop last week was rated goodto excellent with 30 percent inpoor or very poor condition.

FarmWeekNow.comListen to Gen. Wesley Clark’scomments about the efforts toweaken the RFS program atFarmWeekNow.com.

THE FARM BILL Page 5 Monday, April 15, 2013 FarmWeek

AFBF supports three-pronged farm bill planBY MARTIN ROSSFarmWeekThe American Farm

Bureau Federation (AFBF)last week released a new farmbill proposal reportedlydesigned to satisfy congres-sional budgeeters and grow-ers across the U.S. Illinois Farm Bureau Pres-

ident Philip Nelson wasreserved in his reaction toAFBF’s “three-pronged”approach to meeting Senateag budget targets. The planinvolves $23 billion in 10-year program savings, whichincorporates farm income,target price/market loan, andcrop insurance protections. In attempting to devise an

income protection programthat cuts across commodities,

AFBF arrivedat a modifiedversion of“STAX,” aninsurance-likeprogram orig-inally con-ceived by theSenate as acarve-out forcotton pro-

ducers.“This is a starting point,”

Nelson maintained last week.“They put something on thetable to try to be proactivewithin the budget, while atthe same time trying to pro-vide some income protection.“I’d just say, on behalf of

us in Illinois, crop insuranceis job one. That’s our mainfocus — to try to keep the

same type of protection levelswe have this year in the nextfarm bill.”As the Senate focused last

year on enhancing revenueprotections in lieu of directpayments, the House AgCommittee eyed a two-tieredincome-or-price supportoption amid concernsexpressed by producers in theSouth. STAX was created as the

Stacked Income ProtectionPlan for Upland Cotton. Asrepurposed by AFBF, STAX— a non-catastrophic “shal-low loss” program that wouldbe offered as a “buy-up” withcrop insurance — would beopen to all program crops aswell as apples, potatoes, toma-toes, grapes, and sweet corn.

Farmers could opt to pro-tect yield or crop revenue. Inorder to meet budget con-straints, AFBF proposesreducing the original 80 per-cent STAX “premium” sub-sidy to 70 percent.No STAX payments

would be made until countyaverage revenues or yieldsfell by 10 percent from his-toric levels.Meanwhile, a target price

program would be offered forall commodities except cot-ton. Target price levels wouldbe based on marketing-yearaverage prices from 2007through 2011 and those pro-jected by the CongressionalBudget Office for 2012-2016.Reportedly “to provide

general equity across crop

sectors,” 2007-2016 averageprices would be reduced by 25percent for corn and soybeansand 15 percent for wheat. AFBF analysis suggests 80

percent of program corn andsoybean growers would optfor STAX, with the balanceelecting to receive price pro-tection.“AFBF portrays this as a

three-legged stool, but as youstart digging into it, I don’tknow if you can call market-ing loans one of the legs,”Nelson added.“At the levels marketing

loans are set — and (AFBF)is not proposing movingthem — it’s not that mean-ingful a level of protection,and not many people aregoing to use it.”

Farm bill crucial in promoting local food sectorAmid the traditional Mid-

west practice of producingprimarily corn, soybeans, andwheat, cultural changes areoccurring and ag subculturescontinue to emerge. Metro consumers are

devouring “local” food, andfarmers’ markets and super-markets are segregatingorganic and non-organic andconventional and “heirloom”produce. USDA and othersare working to nourish urbanfood “deserts.”As House and Senate ag

committees grapple with for-mulating a 2013 farm bill, Rep.Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) andSen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)have reintroduced their LocalFarms, Food, and Jobs Act.The proposal would expandand fund farm bill programsthat aid in production andmarketing of local, organic,and “healthy” foods.Pana organic/specialty

grower Jack Erisman sees the

oats for the equine market. Heraises popcorn and is “experi-menting” with red corn. Erisman sees untapped

opportunities to link “consum-able food production” withcommunities, such as rural plotsproviding fresh produce forlocal school cafeterias.At the same time, the

increased value of and weather-related risks to specialty cropshave heightened interest in morecrop-specific insurance protec-tions. Farm bill support is cru-

cial to USDA Risk ManagementAgency support in developingnew crop insurance products.Despite availability of low-

cost generalized specialty cropcoverage under the federal Non-insured Crop Disaster Assis-tance Program, Erisman notednew complexities arising fromproduction segmentation suchas risks to non-GMO cropsfrom biotech crop pollen drift.“Now, it’s a different

game,” he maintained. —Martin Ross

farm bill playing a key role infostering new diversity in Illi-nois agriculture. “I believe specialty markets in

most cases have the capacitypretty much to survive on theirown,” Erisman told FarmWeek.“They’re higher-value markets,usually; they’re more locally orregionally centered. They seemto have their own niches orinternal support systems.“The segments that proba-

bly need as much support asanyone at a federal level arethe startups, the small farms,the food deserts, those kindsof things.”The Pingree-Brown measure

bridges seven farm bill titles andaddresses crop insurance, credit,nutrition, rural development,research/Extension, horticul-ture, and livestock concerns. It would replenish programs

left without funding underrecent 2008 farm bill extension,including the Farmers MarketPromotion Program, National

Organic Certification Cost-Share Program, and Value-Added Producer Grants.National Sustainable Agri-

culture Coalition policy Direc-tor Ferd Hoefner hailed thebill, calling local agriculture “amajor driver in the farm econ-omy.” He noted many special-ty producers face “significantinfrastructure, marketing, andinformation barriers.”Erisman manages an organic

rotation that includes corn, soy-beans, clovers, rye seed, and

Continued from page 1that crop insurance is ”without a doubt the most important safetynet we have,” she said.“You might get greater agreement on that from your guys in Illi-

nois than I’d get from a rice or peanut producer,” Thatcher said.“But even those guys know crop insurance is what’s going to

happen in the future and that we need to continue to improve theprogram, not detract from it.”

Cut

Philip Nelson

PRODUCTIONFarmWeek Page 6 Monday, April 15, 2013

More bearish news for crop markets — USDA boosts stocksBY DANIEL GRANTFarmWeek

The crop markets last weekabsorbed more downwardpressure as USDA raised itsstocks estimates for corn andwheat.

USDA in its monthly worldag supply and demand esti-mates raised ending stocks by125 million bushels for cornand 15 million bushels forwheat.

Ending stocks as of April10 totaled 757 million bushelsof corn and 731 millionbushels of wheat. Soybeanending stocks were leftunchanged at 125 millionbushels.

“There’s nothing I see that’spositive in any of the num-bers,” Peter Georgantones,account executive with Roy E.Elliott Futures, said during ateleconference hosted by theMinneapolis Grain Exchange.“Things are not as tight in thecorn (or wheat) market.”

USDA late last month sur-prised many traders with larg-er-than-expected quarterlystocks estimates for all three

crops, which sent the marketsin a free-fall from historicallyhigh levels.

Last week the ag depart-ment lowered feed use by 150million bushels of corn and 15million bushels of wheat. Cornexports were slashed 25 mil-lion bushels to just 800 millionbushels.

“We’re going in the wrongdirection if you’re a bull,”Georgantones said. “The realstory is demand. We’re notselling any wheat right nowand corn demand is poor.$7.50 corn did a heck of a jobrationing (demand).”

On the bright side, endingstocks of corn weren’t as highas the average trade guess (824million bushels). USDA alsoboosted its estimate of cornused for ethanol by 50 millionbushels.

“Ethanol use is starting topick up,” the market analystnoted.

Meanwhile, old-crop beansshould remain tight. USDAleft ending stocks unchangedand raised exports by 5 millionbushels to 1.35 billion bushels.

The season-average pricerange of beans was leftunchanged ($13.80 to $14.80).The season-average price esti-mates were lowered 20 centsfor corn, to a range of $6.65

to $7.15 per bushel, and anickel for wheat, to a range of$7.70 to $7.90.

Crop prices could plummetlower if yields are near trendlevels this season, according

to Georgantones.“New-crop corn could be

down to $4 (per bushel) andbeans could be down to $10,provided we have good crops,”he added.

Sluggish pork exports could delay return to profitsThe outlook for U.S. live-

stock producers improved inrecent weeks as a significantdrop in crop prices eased thecost of feed inputs.

But pork producers stillcould struggle to return toprofitability due to slumpingexport demand.

U.S. pork exports the firsttwo months of this year weredown 14 percent in volumeand 12 percent in value com-pared to the same time lastyear.

Shipments of U.S. pork toRussia declined 50 percent inFebruary. And that marketnow is closed due to concernsabout the use of ractopamine,a feed additive used to producelean meat.

Exports to China also havedeclined as the Chinese seek

third-party verification thatU.S. pork is ractopamine-free.

“Russia consumes about1.25 percent of (U.S. pork)production and China about 4percent,” said Steve Meyer,president of Paragon Eco-nomics. “You add those twoup and it could have a 10 to 15percent impact on (hog)prices.”

China and Hong Kong lastyear purchased about $886 mil-lion of U.S. pork while sales toRussia totaled nearly $300 mil-lion.

Exports last year addedabout $56 per head to the priceof hogs in the U.S., accordingto the National Pork Produc-ers Council.

The hog price outlook thisyear weakened due to slumpingexports. But profitability mod-els improved in recent weeksas crop prices nosedived in thewake of larger-than-expectedinventories.

“We (in the livestock sector)got a lot of help on the feedcost side,” said Meyer, who

estimated hog returns in recentweeks improved from minus-$19 to minus-$12 per head.

Estimated costs for farrow-to-finish production were near$70 per live hundredweight inthe first quarter, according toChris Hurt, Purdue UniversityExtension economist.

“Now my cost estimateshave fallen to $65.50 for thesecond quarter and $63 for thethird quarter,” Hurt said.

Corn prices in recent weeksdeclined by more than $1 perbushel while soybean mealprices slipped by about $30per ton.

The pork and poultryindustries currently are gearedup to increase production thisyear due in part to improvedfeeding economics.

“We’re still sitting in posi-tion to grow output, buteverything hinges on theweather,” Meyer added.“Everyone is kind of bettingon good weather and a goodcrop this year.” — DanielGrant

Cattlemen: Watch for grass tetanyAs pastures start to green, cattlemen need to be aware of the

risk of grass tetany among grazing animals, warned Ron Leme-nager, a Purdue Extension beef specialist.

Grass tetany is a nutritional disease that cattle get from grass-es high in water content and potassium and low in other nutri-ents, such as magnesium and calcium. Older cows that have justcalved and are in peak lactation are the most susceptible.

The risk increases in pastures that have been heavily fertilizedwith nitrogen.

The condition is treatable if caught early enough, but preven-tion is best, Lemenager said.

The easiest way to preventgrass tetany is to feed the cowsa high magnesium mineralbefore they go on grass, he said.The mineral mix should have a

minimum of 8 percent magne-sium and could be 12 percent or higher.

The problem is cattle don’t like to eat magnesium oxide, atypically high magnesium source. Commercial mineral mixeshave an added ingredient to make the magnesium more palat-able.

The peak season for grass tetany is April through early May. If a cow is stricken with grass tetany, the cattleman must act

quickly because cows often die within two to three hours ofshowing the first symptoms. Those symptoms include stumbling and staggering, trem-

bling muscles, muscle twitches, excitability, stiff gait, and grind-ing teeth. Final stages are violent convulsions, coma, and death.

“The treatment is an IV administration of magnesium anddextrose, which is probably going to require veterinarian inter-vention,” Lemenager said. “So if you see one of those cowsthat’s acting a little funny, it’s probably time to call the vet andget this cow treated. If you wait, the next time you see thatcow, she’ll probably be dead.”

More information about grass tetany is available from Leme-nager’s video, “Grass Tetany: A Primer.” It is online at {thebeef-center.com}. Click on the video link in the left column.

FarmWeekNow.comVi e w a v i d e o a b o u t g r a s stetany problems with cattle atFarmWeekNow.com.

SAFETY Page 7 Monday, April 15, 2013 FarmWeek

Safety program offering convenient training options BY MARTIN ROSSFarmWeek

This season, Illinois farm-ers may find a bonus withtheir county Farm Bureaumeeting. And if they canspare an hour, it could savetheir life or inspire them tohelp save others.

Over the past six months,more than 300 rural Illi-noisans have participated inlocal safety training sessionssponsored by the Grain Han-dling Safety Coalition(GHSC), a diverse collectionof university, industry, andfarm/agribusiness interestsincluding Illinois FarmBureau.

Coalition goals are to high-light hazards associated withgrain bins and related equip-ment and electrical systemsand to recruit new communi-ty-based trainers in a hoped-for multiplier effect. The ses-sions are aimed at a broadaudience that includes farm-ers, ag workers, elevator per-sonnel, and even emergencyresponders.

After holding a series ofwinter sessions across thestate, GHSC is gearing up fora post-planting push in June.The program has proven pop-ular with elevators, and in anattempt to expand farmer par-ticipation, the group plans tolink future training withalready scheduled events, suchas Young Leader or local

with keeping you safe,” shetold FarmWeek. “Other pro-grams I’ve been to around thisarea have focused on the res-cue end of things.

“It was a great program.The trainers showed suchenthusiasm toward what couldbe a daunting dry topic thatthey actually made it fun.”

farmland assessment meetings.“If they’re coming for

something else, we’re going tosee if we can get them to stayfor an hour of safety,” saidIFB program manager andcoalition member Peggy Rom-ba. “We could use the oppor-tunity of a county (FarmBureau) board meeting toeducate Farm Bureau direc-tors.”

GHSC provides sessiontrainers, materials, and onsitedemonstrations, with countyFarm Bureaus and their com-munity partners supplyingmeals. Prospective trainers thenundergo more intensive educa-tion.

University of IllinoisExtension partnered withPearl City Elevator to host alate February training sessionat the elevator’s AllianceCommodities facility. Thehigh-roofed facility enabledGHSC trainers to demon-strate a bin “lifeline” systemdesigned to prevent grainengulfment.

Roughly two dozen partici-pants in the StephensonCounty session included farm-ers, elevator workers, an areagrain bin construction firm’semployees, and a local emer-gency 911 operator now look-ing to merge his existing farmrescue training group with theGHSC program.

While she participates in anumber of regional safety pro-

grams, Freeport-based Exten-sion program coordinatorNikki Keltner applauds thecoalition’s novel approach.

“This program really deals

Lynn McClure of Macomb-based Western Grain Marketing — a member of the Grain Handling Safety Coali-tion (GHSC) — instructs participants in a recent Wabash Valley College GHSC training session on grain bin“lifeline” gear and its proper use. More than 300 individuals statewide have attended the safety courses overthe last six months. (Photo by Doug Anderson, Wayne/White County Farm Bureau manager)

Ag industry offering newtraining for communitycollege ag students

The Illinois Fertilizer & Chemical Association (IFCA) in part-nership with the Asmark Institute recently developed trainingfor Illinois community college students enrolled in agricultureprograms.

The course will be piloted April 30 for Lincoln Land Commu-nity College students at the new Asmark Institute Agricenter inwest Bloomington.

Known as the Head Start Program, the course will preparestudents to work at agricultural retail facilities.

The goals are to reduce workplace accidents and to help agstudents meet safety and training requirements before they enterthe ag retail workforce.

“One thing missing in the agricultural workforce is a varietyof young, talented, and properly trained individuals prepared toenter the ag retail industry,” said Allen Summers, Asmark Insti-tute president.

Topics to be covered include confined-space entry, forkliftsafety, blood-borne pathogens, anhydrous ammonia safety, work-ing with hazardous materials, hazard communication, properpersonal protective equipment, worker protection standards, fireextinguisher, and respirator basics.

The training satisfies requirement of the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency, U.S. Department of Transportation, theOccupational Safety and Health Administration, and the IllinoisDepartment of Agriculture, according to Kevin Runkle, IFCAdirector of regulatory services.

Additional training programs will be offered if there isenough interest from other community colleges, Runkle said.

For information, contact Runkle at 309-827-2774.

OUTREACHFarmWeek Page 8 Monday, April 15, 2013

AG BOOK DONATION

The Livingston County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee recently donated two ag-related children’sbooks to 20 grade school libraries in the county. The books are from the Awesome Agriculture for Kidsseries and are entitled “Awesome Agriculture: Beef, an A-Z Book” and “Beef in the Story of Agricul-ture.” Women’s Committee member Lois Immke looks on as Saunemin Elementary School fourth

graders Mason Rork and Courtney Read check out thenew books. They are the children of Star and AndyRork and Krissie and Jerry Read, respectively. (Photocourtesy of Livingston County Farm Bureau)

Stephenson and Tazewell FB leaders tour Chicago districts

BY CHRISTINA NOURIEFarm Bureau leaders from two counties recently joined for a

tour of their adopted legislators’ Chicago districts.Elected last fall, state Rep. Fran Hurley (D-Chicago) was

matched with Stephenson County Farm Bureau through theAdopt-A-Legislator program. State Sen. William Cunningham (D-Chicago) was adopted in 2011 by Tazewell County Farm Bureau,whose leaders had their first tour of his district.

The visit included an eye-opening tour of the Cook County Jailthat was arranged by Cunningham, a former chief of staff for theCook County sheriff.

The Farm Bureau leaders toured the oldest part of the jail andheard about jail overcrowding and the need for technologyupgrades. The Farm Bureau group and the corrections staff dis-cussed the challenges faced by the staff.

The tour provided a unique opportunity to learn about publicsafety and criminal justice issues in Cook County and the state.

During lunch in Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood, the FarmBureau leaders and legislators discussed many legislative issuesrelated to agriculture and the state’s fiscal climate.

Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences was the finaltour stop. Principal Bill Hook and several students explained theschool’s unique ag focus. The farmers met Chicago students whoall plan to pursue college degrees in agriculture-related majors.

Farm Bureau leaders from both counties said they enjoyed theopportunity to not only discuss agricultural issues but also tolearn more about the urban lawmakers’ legislative priorities. BothCunningham and Hurley said they plan to visit the “adopted”farmers for farm tours later this spring and summer.

Christina Nourie is the Illinois Farm Bureau northeast legislative coordi-nator. Her email address is cnourie@ilfb.org.

Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences Principal Bill Hook, sec-ond from right, shows visiting state legislators and county Farm Bureauleaders his school facilities. Left to right are: Tazewell County Farm Bu-reau member David King, Stephenson County Farm Bureau managerBruce Johnson, state Sen. William Cunningham (D-Chicago), Hook, andStephenson County Farm Bureau President Steve Fricke. (Photo byChristina Nourie)

Livestock farmers, horseowners, and stable operatorsare encouraged to attend a May21 composting workshop andfield day at Western IllinoisUniversity’s (WIU) LivestockCenter and Compost facility,Macomb. Individuals who reg-ister in advance will be provid-ed lunch.

The event will start at 8:30a.m. and conclude at 2 p.m. Topics will include aerobiccomposting basics, site devel-opment, permitting, compost

use and quality control, andmarketing. Participants will tourthe WIU compost operation..

Sponsors include WIU, Illi-nois State University (ISU),University of Illinois Exten-sion, and the Natural ResourcesConservation Service.

Advance registration is $15per person and increases to $20the day of the workshop.

To register online, go to{agriculture.illinoisstate.edu}.

For more information, con-tact ISU professor Paul Walkerat 309-438-3881 or U of IExtension specialist DuaneFriend at 217-243-7424.

Compost workshop, field day slated

FROM THE COUNTIES Page 9 Monday, April 15, 2013 FarmWeek

2013 ALOT GRADUATES

Twenty-nine Illinois Farm Bureau members representing 13 countiessuccessfully completed the 34th “Agricultural Leaders of Tomorrow”(ALOT) program. The 2013 sessions were held in Bloomington,Freeport, Oregon, Rockford, Springfield, and Sycamore. Begun in1979, ALOT is an extensive leadership development program de-signed to give agriculture’s current and emerging leaders a headstart on tackling tomorrow’s responsibilities. The program offersmore than 80 hours of comprehensive classroom instruction cover-ing four major areas of study: communication skills, politicalprocess, agricultural economics, and global issues. A total of1,045 men and women have graduated. Future program locationswill be Central Illinois in 2014 and Southern Illinois in 2015.Members may contact their local county Farm Bureau offices formore information.

CARROLL— FarmBureau will sponsor a

progressive ag safety day forchildren ages 6 to 13 Saturday,May 4, at the Carroll CountyFairgrounds. Call the FarmBureau office at 244-3001 orgo to {carrollcfb.org} to regis-ter. Registration deadline isApril 22. • Farm Bureau will sponsor

a defensive driving courseTuesday, May 7, and Wednes-day, May 8, at the Farm Bureaubuilding. Cost is $12. Call theFarm Bureau office at 244-3001 by May 1 to register orfor more information.

CHAMPAIGN— FarmBureau Young Ag

Women will host a dinner pro-gram at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April23, at the Farm Bureau audito-rium. Sara’s Sanctuary andWellness Retreat will presentthe program. Email Susie@cc-farmbureau.com for reserva-tions.

COOK— Farm Bureauwill collect recipes for a

2013 recipe collection. Allentries will be entered into adrawing to win a $50 gift cer-tificate to a local farmstand orgrocery retailer. Email recipesand member’s name and phone

number to membershipdeb-bie@cookcfb.org or mail toCook County Farm Bureau,6438 Joliet Rd., Countryside,IL 60525. • Farm Bureau will host a

vegetable and patio containergardening workshop for mem-bers from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Sat-urday, April 27, at the FarmBureau office. Call the FarmBureau office at 708-354-3276or email membership-deb-bie@cookcfb.org by April 24to register. • Farm Bureau will host a

shred day from 10 a.m. to noonSaturday, April 27, at theRolling Meadows CountryFinancial building. Electronicsmay be recycled at that timeand location. Call the FarmBureau office at 708-354-3276to register or for more infor-mation.

JACKSON— FarmBureau has a list ofSouthern Illinois Universityagriculture students seekingwork on a farm. Call the FarmBureau office at 684-3129 for alist of potential hires.

PEORIA— FarmBureau will host an eco-

nomic agriculture outlook sem-inar from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Tuesday, April 23, at the FarmBureau building. David Opper-dahl, business economist withthe Federal Reserve Bank inChicago, will be the speaker.Call Laurie Petersen at 823-3934 for reservations.

STEPHENSON—Farm Bureau will spon-sor a defensive driving classfrom 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednes-day, April 24, and Thursday,April 25, at the Farm Bureauoffice. Cost is $15 for membersand $25 for non-members. Call232-3186 to register. • Farm Bureau will sponsor

a bus trip to Amish country inShipshewana, Ind., Tuesday,June 11, through Wednesday,June 12. Call 232-3186 to regis-ter. Trip details are available at{stephensoncfb.org}.

UNION— FarmBureau has a list of

Southern Illinois Universityagriculture students seekingwork on a farm. Call the FarmBureau office at 833-2125 for alist of potential hires.

“From the counties” items are sub-mitted by county Farm Bureau man-agers. If you have an event or activityopen to all members, contact yourcounty Farm Bureau manager.

SHOW OF SUPPORT

Rhett Laubach, a professional speaker and former national FFAofficer, engages some of 500 FFA members who attended therecent Illinois Farm Bureau Youth Conference in Springfield. Thestudents represented 178 FFA chapters from around the stateand donated 2,358 cans of food for food panties. Students alsodonated $1,257.22 in pennies for the Harvest for All programdesigned to address hunger nationwide. (Photo by MariahDale-Anderson)

State competition to link vets, students with cyber careers

veterans who may take a freeentry-level training and testingprogram from April 16-29.In the fall, another entry-

level testing competition willbe offered for veterans, stu-dents, and others. A state championship event

featuring top individuals fromboth competitions will beoffered the following spring.For more information, visit

{cyberaces.org}.

Gov. Pat Quinn and theCyber Aces Foundation lastweek announced a statewidecompetition to provide train-ing in cybersecurity careersfor students and veterans.Currently, cybersecurity

careers are the second-fastestgrowing sector in informationtechnology. The cyber initiative

includes advanced onlinetraining in cybersecurity.The Illinois Department of

Employment Security (IDES)will use {IllinoisJobLink.com}to contact more than 20,000

This week Prev. week ChangeSteers $127.64 $128.50 - $0.86Heifers $127.45 $127.88 -$0.43

PROFITABILITYFarmWeek Page 10 Monday, April 15, 2013

Export inspections

Feeder pig prices reported to USDA*Weight Range Per Head Weighted Ave. Price10-12 lbs. $29.72-$48.00 $38.28 40 lbs. $59.98-$62.51 $61.97

Receipts This Week Last Week 94,716 72,399*Eastern Corn Belt prices picked up at seller’s farm

MARKET FACTS

Eastern Corn Belt direct hogs (plant delivered)(Prices $ per hundredweight)

This week Prev. week ChangeCarcass $76.07 $76.09 -$0.02Live $56.29 $56.31 -$0.01

USDA five-state area slaughter cattle price

This is a composite price of feeder cattle transactions in 27 states.(Prices $ per hundredweight)

This week Prev. week Change $138.18 $140.27 -$2.09

CME feeder cattle index — 600-800 Lbs.

Lamb prices

(Thursday’s price)

NA

(Million bushels)Week ending Soybeans Wheat Corn4/4/2013 15.3 27.2 10.13/28/2013 16.7 26.2 19.7Last year 28.3 17.9 26.6Season total 1225.8 820.2 442.7Previous season total 1042.1 845.9 980.6USDA projected total 1350 1025 800Crop marketing year began June 1 for wheat and Sept. 1 for corn and soybeans.

GROWMARK analyst: Now good time to buy motor fuelBY DANIEL GRANTFarmWeekFarmers who did not stock

up on fuel for the plantingseason may be in luck.The market for gasoline,

and to a lesser extent dieselfuel, has not been following atypical seasonal pattern andactually could reward thosewho waited to make purchas-es this season.“This year has been unusu-

al,” said Jackie McKinnis,GROW-MARK ener-gy analyst.“We had ourhighest (gaso-line) price inFebruary(because ofrefinery shut-downs causedby Hurricane

Sandy), and it’s fallen off abunch since then.“People who didn’t buy

earlier now have a secondchance,” she continued.“There are good buyingopportunities out there.”Fuel prices typically decline

in the winter and rise in thespring/summer when farmingand the summer driving sea-sons heat up. Gas and diesel prices also

usually rise in the summer dueto increased production/blendspecifications aimed at reduc-ing pollution.But this year, reduced con-

sumption has put downward

pressure on prices.The average price of regular

gas last week was $3.61 pergallon nationwide and $3.55 inthe Midwest, down 33 centsand 31 cents, respectively,from the same time last year,according to the Energy Infor-mation Administration (EIA).The average price of diesel

fuel in the U.S. last week was$3.97 per gallon, down 17cents from a year ago.“Gasoline stocks are in

pretty good shape, but dieselstocks (in the U.S.) are belowwhere they usually are thistime of year,” McKinnis saidof the spread between gasolineand diesel prices.EIA last week projected

gasoline prices this summer willaverage $3.63 per gallon, which

would be down slightly fromthe average price the previoustwo summers (see graphic).The average gas price for

the year was projected to be$3.56 per gallon compared to$3.63 in 2012.“The market has been range-

bound for really the last two-plus years,” McKinnis said. “I’djust try to buy on the breaks.”Gas consumption this year is

expected to decrease about20,000 barrels per day due toincreased vehicle fuel efficiency.EIA in its short-term ener-

gy outlook projected WestTexas Intermediate crude oilprices would level off and aver-age $93.92 per barrel this yearand $92.25 per barrel next year,compared to $94.12 per barrellast year, barring any major nat-ural or man-made disasters.

Jackie McKinnis Fuel blends continue to change across the nationBY JOE KIRKPATRICK When you fill your gas tank,

you undoubtedly have seenpumps with the label “Thisproduct may contain up to 10percent ethanol.” Since ethanolis used so extensively across thenation, refiners are now makingfuels that are intended to beblended with ethanol. An example is a lower octane

gasoline that when blended withethanol is sold as a minimum 87octane fuel. The effect of thispractice is a lower cost fuel forthe consumer that meets therequirements of today’s motorvehicles.

There are several importantreasons why ethanol is blendedwith gasoline: better econom-ics, cleaner emissions, andcompliance with federal man-dates, to name a few. After extensive research and

years of practical experience, ithas beendeterminedthat automo-biles can safe-ly use eitherstraight gaso-line or gaso-line/ethanolblends thatmeet the orig-inal equipmentmanufacturer’s minimumoctane requirements.Ethanol blends up to 10 per-

cent (E10) are covered underwarranty by every auto manu-facturer that sells vehicles inthe U.S. for every make andevery model of vehicle. Manyrecommend its use because of

its high octane and superiorperformance characteristics.Gasoline without ethanol is

becoming increasingly difficultto find. Ethanol is currentlyblended into more than 75percent of America’s gasoline,the majority as an E10 blend.Each state determines if gaso-line pumps need to be labeledfor fuels containing ethanol. If you are in an area where

labeling is voluntary or notrequired, it is not always easyto tell if the gasoline containsethanol. Ethanol blends areoffered extensively throughoutthe Midwest and are becomingmore widely available on theeast and west coasts.E10 also is safe to use in

small engines such as motorcy-cles, lawn mowers, trimmers,boats, personal watercraft,snowmobiles, ATVs, etc. Manu-facturers understand that a con-siderable portion of the gaso-line sold in this country already

contains ethanol and designtheir products to be compatible. As mandated volumes for

renewable fuels increase, thereis concern that not enoughethanol is being blended tomeet the required volume.This is commonly referred toas the “blend wall.” In recent months, there have

been advances in use of gasolineblended with 15 percent ethanol(E15). E15 has been approvedby the Environmental Protec-tion Agency (EPA) for modelyear 2001 and newer vehiclesbut is not yet widely available.Fuels continue to change to

meet the needs of consumersand engine manufacturers.Remember to consult yourowner’s manual for yourengine’s specific requirements.

GROWMARK’s Joe Kirk-patrick is refined and renewable fuelssales manager. His email address isjkirkpatrick@growmark.com.

Joe Kirkpatrick

Fire up the grill; beef cuts earn ‘heart-healthy’ labelConsumers who are interested in formulating

a “heart-healthy” diet may choose from six dif-ferent cuts of fresh beef.The American Heart Association (AHA)

screened and verified the cuts that are identifiedas key building blocks for a heart-healthy diet.The extra-lean beef cuts, which now will be

labeled with the Heart-Check mark, are USDASelect grade cuts of sirloin tip steak, bottom roundsteak, top sirloin stir-fry, boneless top sirloin petiteroast, top sirloin filet, and top sirloin kabob.“Independent research and this certification

from the American Heart Association confirmsto consumers that extra-lean beef can be abuilding block in an overall heart-healthy diet,”said Cheryl Hendricks, a registered dietician withthe National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.Jeanne Harland, a beef producer and Illinois

Farm Bureau member from Knox County, believesbeef in the past received a “bad rap” and wasn’trecognized as a key component of a healthy diet.Harland is trying to promote the healthiness

of beef to consumers through her role as chair-man of the Nutrition and Health Subcommitteefor the Cattlemen’s Beef Board.“We’re trying to get the message out that,

while we need to be concerned about obesityand overall nutrition, we also need to be awareof all the nutrients we need in our diets,” Har-land told FarmWeek.“Research shows that a lot of people go on

whatever the (fad) diet of the day is withoutconsidering that when you lose calories, you also

lose nutrition,” she continued.“You can get a lot of nutritionfrom a small portion of beef.”One ounce of beef provides

seven grams of protein. Beefalso is a source of essentialvitamins including vitamins B,D, E, and K and mineralsincluding potassium, calcium,and zinc.Harland and her husband,

A.J., produce beef, corn, soybeans, and hay on afifth-generation farm. She believes consumereducation efforts have been effective but need tobe ongoing as more of the U.S. populationbecomes further removed from production agri-culture.More information is available online at

{MyBeefCheckoff.com.}. — Daniel Grant

Jeanne Harland

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CASH STRATEGISTCorn Strategy

ü2012 crop: Target a moveabove $6.70 on May futures toboost sales to 90 percent. Wewouldn’t discourage you frompricing inventory other than“gambling stocks” to carryinto late summer.

ü2013 crop: Arguably, new-crop prices may be able torebound easier than old-cropprices the next three months.December futures might still beable to get to $5.70 again. Usea rebound to $5.55 to makecatch-up sales. Plan to use thenext rebound to add to sales.

vFundamentals: The newsupply/demand estimate wasnot as bad as feared. Still, itwill take a friendly June 28stocks number to restorepotential for sharply higherold-crop prices. But by thattime, new-crop possibilities willbe a more important factor.The large increase in worldending stocks cast more of apall over export business notonly for old-crop corn but per-haps for new-crop, too. Theslow start to spring is garneringattention, but the markets maynot reflect planting concernsfor another couple of weeks. Soybean Strategy

ü2012 crop: The tradekeeps trying to talk up old-crop prices, but it is fighting a5.2-billion-bushel SouthAmerican crop and potentiallysofter Chinese imports. Useany push near $14 on Mayfutures for catch-up sales. Wewouldn’t be opposed to sellingeverything other than “gam-bling” inventories.

ü2013 crop: Use a rally to$12.35 on November futuresfor catch-up sales. We mayeven recommend anothersmall sale soon. Check theHotline frequently.

vFundamentals: Soybeanexport shipments are holding up,but the steady drop in invento-ries at New Orleans indicatesthey may be about to fall evenfurther. With supplies readilymoving out of Brazil and start-ing to ship from Argentina, thatshould be no surprise to anyone.Two years ago, weekly ship-ments fell below 10 millionbushels by early May and keptdeclining. Processor margins fellhard again this past week, which

should lead to a steep drop inthe crush pace soon, too.Wheat Strategy

ü2012 crop: If ChicagoMay futures do not stabilizequickly, they could test the$6.59 low. We don’t recom-mend selling weakness to wrapup sales yet, but check Hotlinedaily. We could pull the trig-ger at any time.

ü2013 crop: Wait forChicago July futures to tradeabove $7.12 before makingcatch-up sales.

vFundamentals: Weaknessin wheat prices could be linkedto the weekly crop report indi-

cating 36 percent of the winterwheat crop was rated good toexcellent, a two-point increasefrom the previous week. Thesoft red winter conditionimproved while the hard redwinter declined. USDA raisedits ending stocks estimate just 2percent to 731 million bushelsin its latest supply/demandforecast. However, the worldcarryover number, 182 millionmetric tons, came in well abovethe March 178.2-million-metric-ton forecast and trade expecta-tions. The trade remains nerv-ous about the Southern Plains’crop, but other factors are coun-tering its influence.

Cents per bu.

Chinese soy consumption slowingAmid the focus on last week’s

USDA supply and demandreport, the latest monthly Chi-nese soybean import data andforecasts for the rest of the mar-keting year got lost. Needless tosay, the concerns we expressedin late February are lookingmore realistic with each newmonthly report.

March imports were 3.84million metric tons (mmt), 1mmt less than last March’simports. A metric ton of soy-beans equals 36.7 bushels.And the assessment of China’sNational Grain and OilseedInformation Center, a govern-ment-tied think tank, is thatApril imports may reach onlylast year’s 4.8 mmt level.

That would leave importsthrough the first seven monthsof the world marketing year at2.6 mmt less than last year, andjust 1 mmt above the pace twoyears ago.

Last year’s imports reachedonly 59.2 mmt, while 2 years agothey were only 52.3 mmt. Bycomparison, USDA only loweredits import forecast to 61 mmtfrom 63 mmt in the last report.

World soybean supplieshave been tight the last six

months because of last year’ssharp cut in South Americanoutput. The subpar U.S. cropcontributed to that tightness,possibly contributing to theslower import pace.

But pork demand in Chinahas been unusually weak the lastfew months, dropping prices 27percent from the peak and 15percent below last year. Pricesare cutting into profitability, dis-couraging pork production.

And now the Chinese areconfronting the psychologicalimplications of bird flu. Howmuch that impacts poultrydemand and output and theresulting feed demand is notcertain at this writing. But ear-ly anecdotal evidence suggestschicken consumption has beenimpacted.

Seasonally, exports improveinto mid-summer, but giventhe pork and poultry situation,we wouldn’t expect imports tobe much, if any, larger than lastyear. That would imply a year-ly import total just below thatof last year at best.

And even though we’dexpect them to begin to importfor government inventory atsome point, we don’t expectChina to begin until sometimelater this year.

So for now, the world’slargest importer of soybeans,64 percent of all soy exporttrade, may be more of a dragon prices than a support.

PROFITABILITY Page 11 Monday, April 15, 2013 FarmWeek

PERSPECTIVESFarmWeek Page 12 Monday, April 15, 2013

As a University of Illinois senior graduating inMay, I answer questions daily about my future.Where do I see myself in five years? How will I beimpacting agriculture in 10 years?I have been asked very few times how am I

impacting agriculture today.During a recent Collegiate

Farm Bureau (CFB) meeting atthe U of I, I listened to presenta-tions from the Illinois Farm Fam-ilies coalition and Doug Kirk, Illi-nois Farm Bureau Young LeaderCommittee District 12 represen-tative. As a CFB executive team offi-

cer, I attended various events andheard several inspiring messagesthroughout the last year, including

the IFB annual meeting in Chicago and the IFBYoung Leaders Conference in Bloomington. Inever would have imagined that the simplest andmost inspiring phrase would come from a generalCFB membership meeting.During this meeting, Kirk shared with us: “You

are the present and future of agriculture.”Thinking about his words and looking back on

my experiences, I have had many great chances toimpact agriculture in many ways. Yet some of mymost meaningful experiences have been within thelast year through the start of CFB.I grew up in a family of Farm Bureau members

and always knew I would become a part of FarmBureau as an adult. However, I never dreamed ofhaving some of the opportunities it has offeredme — before I began a professional career.I have had the opportunity to develop myself

as a leader and a professional in the agricultureindustry. I have been able to engage in confer-ences and meetings that most other college stu-dents do not. Discussions with Illinois Farm Families have

given me the necessary tools to have conversa-tions with the average consumer about agriculture.I already have used their tips and will continue to

for the rest of my life.I always have had an interest in politics, but

becoming involved with FB ACT (Farm BureauAgricultural Contact Team) has given me thechance to fight for agriculture and have a voice inwhat I believe in. The Champaign County Farm Bureau Young

Ag Leader program has impacted me tremendous-ly and helped me find a niche within the FarmBureau community that without CFB I would nothave found before graduation. Through the regular meetings, trips, and Young

Leader Conference, I have made connections withother young people like myself — those with apassion for agriculture, those who are looking tohave an impact today, and in the future.Of course, these are some of the wonderful

opportunities that Farm Bureau has to offereveryone. But without CFB, I’m not sure I wouldhave developed into a strong Farm Bureau mem-ber until after I had graduated from college.CFB offers a collegiate Farm Bureau member

many opportunities, and it also holds a uniqueposition on campus because it brings together stu-dents from a variety of majors and backgrounds.It is the single registered-student organization thatpromotes all facets of agriculture. That is some-thing of which we are very proud.I am looking forward to watching this CFB

prosper and couldn’t be happier about its successin its first year on the U of I campus. My genera-tion is the present and future of a changing agri-culture industry.I hope those students who choose the U of I

recognize that CFB will help them make theirmark on agriculture today, as well as develop theminto agriculture leaders of the future.

Kaylee Williams of Maple Park is a senior majoring inanimal sciences at the University of Illinois College ofAgriculture, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences,Urbana. She will graduate in May and will start the pro-fessional science master’s program in animal agricultureproduction in August.

KAYLEEWILLIAMS

INAUGURAL CLASS

Collegiate Farm Bureau offers students meaningful experiences

University of Illinois Collegiate Farm Bureau officers, standing left to right, Liz Harfst, Claire Benjamin, andBridget Verbeck welcome new collegiate Farm Bureau members to the group’s kickoff meeting in the IlliniUnion in October. More photos and information are online at {facebook.com/UofICollegiateFarmBureau}.(FarmWeek file photo)

A tale of college visits:Students, parents beware I’ve got a son in college and a daughter about to be. In the pastfour years, we’ve done a dozen college visits at nine differentschools. It’s been a research effort lasting years; perhaps I shouldreport some results.First a disclaimer: I work for Purdue. I’ll try to stay objective.

So here are a few of our experiences —research observations, I suppose. Start with thebest, with names attached. Indiana University (IU) and Hanover led with

their campuses. Good choice. They’re both beauti-ful. Several schools gave us free meal passes to a

college dining hall. We tasted actual college fareand saw real college students doing real college-student things. Ball State did a masterful presentation with

some well-spoken students talking about intern-ships, foreign study, and special projects. I think they mentionedDavid Letterman once or twice.The best college towns were IU’s Bloomington, North Carolina’s

Chapel Hill, and Hope College’s Holland, which doubles as a LakeMichigan resort in the summer.Those towns have a lot of student-centered stores and eateries

within walking distance. NYU (New York University) and Columbiahave the stores and eateries of New York City within a subway ride.Not a fair comparison. Our tour guide at NYU casually mentioned that his adviser was

the voice of the beast in Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” — RobbieBenson! He told us about meeting with Benson and his wife, singerKarla DeVito, and how they argued about how he could break intothe business. NYU’s experiential approach and impressive connec-tions were made clear. At Kalamazoo, we met the video lab instructor and one of his

star students, who was researching, writing, and filming her seniorproject. She had transferred from the University of Michigan andgave us her take on the big school vs. small school question.At Purdue, the woman who would be our daughter’s academic

adviser spent 45 minutes one-on-one, describing what her freshmanyear would be like, going over the courses in her major, even findingan obscure minor that fit her interests. It was impressive for a bigschool.Of course, there were some not-so-good experiences, too. Here

they are, names detached.One small school with terrific performing arts and communica-

tions programs did not have a film major. That was a major disap-pointment. One college had a program so inflexible that film majors in

telecommunications couldn’t take animation courses in the collegeof fine arts.At one school, our tour guide described how he’d loafed through

his courses during his first two years, yet was still going to graduateon time. Then he described in detail the best meal plan to buy. It’sbetter to meet students who are excited about their education. One school was drenched in athletic spirit. That would have

been fine with our son, who’s a big sports fan. Our daughter won-dered if she’d be a social outcast if she wasn’t interested in sports. One school lost our daughter’s computer listing and failed to

send her acceptance letter until we finally called to ask. A computerglitch like that can follow you for years. We visited big schools and small schools. The big schools say,

“You can make a big school small, but you can’t make a small schoolbig.” At one small school, we heard the story of a student who knew

her professors so well that several came to her wedding. It’s a tradeoff between the vast opportunities at big schools and

the guaranteed personal attention at small schools. You can get attention at a big school if you hustle. If you don’t,

you can fall through the cracks. You’ll get all the attention you canhandle at a small school. But they may not offer the opportunitiesthat you really want. What you hope for is a bit of luck: a small school with a specialty

in just the opportunity the student is looking for or a welcomingcommunity that shares the student’s interests in some corner of abig school. As we visited campuses, we tried to imagine what life would be

like for our student. Looking back, the best experiences were one-on-one, talking with students, administrators, or professors aboutour student’s particular interests. The schools where that happened climbed to the top of the

list.

Larry DeBoer is an agricultural economics professor at Purdue University,West Lafayette, Ind. His email address is ldeboer@purdue.edu.

LARRYDEBOER