The 2016 WILL-AG Farm Assets Conference, held last week in Normal, was attended by hundreds of Illinois farmers and featured soybean (pictured) and corn market analysis panels. (Photo by Tim Alexander)

It was a busy news week for Illinois agriculture, with the U.S. EPA issuing their final revised renewable fuel volumes and the second WILL-AG Farm Assets Conference occurring in Normal. We have details relating to both events and more … please read on:

EPA announces final RFS numbers

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Key elements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s announced increases in volume requirements across all categories of biofuels include meeting the 15 billion gallon congressional target for “conventional” renewable fuels mandated by Congress under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The finalized numbers — which were met with relief by U.S. farmers concerned about markets for their large 2016 crop harvests — were announced Nov. 23 by Janet McCabe, EPA acting assistant administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation.

“Renewable fuel volumes continue to increase across the board compared to 2016 levels. These final standards will boost production, providing for ambitious yet achievable growth of biofuels in the transportation sector. By implementing the program enacted by Congress, we are expanding the nation’s renewable fuels sector while reducing our reliance on imported oil,” McCabe said.

In addition to meeting the 15 billion-gallon threshold for conventional renewable fuels in 2017, key elements of the announcement included the growth of biomass-based biodiesel by 100 million gallons in 2017 — twice that of the minimum congressional target — and 35 percent growth in cellulosic biofuel over the 2016 standard. The recommended volume obligation (RVO) for advanced biofuels was also raised to 19 percent over the 2016 standard, meaning total renewable fuel volumes were upped by 6 percent from 2016-17, according to an EPA news release. For more information on the announcement, visit www.epa.gov.

Illinois Farm Fact:

Grain farmer Carol Trumpe was the recent recipient of the Peoria County Farm Bureau’s 2016 Ag Service Award. Denise Durrell of Dunlap was given the Volunteer Emergency Service Provider Award. Congratulations!

Illinois Corn ‘thankful’ for RFS plan

BLOOMINGTON — Illinois Corn members were all ears when the EPA announced their final RFS numbers for 2017-18 last week (see prior news item). New Illinois Corn Growers Association President Justin Durdan (see subsequent news item) was among the ICGA members to quickly applaud the EPA’s actions.

“Corn farmers are thankful this week for a large corn crop, and now, based on U.S. EPA’s announcement regarding the ethanol blending numbers for our nation’s fuel supply, they can also be thankful for an improved demand picture for that large corn crop,” Durdan stated in an ICGA news release. “We’re happy to give credit to EPA for setting the RVO blend number at the 15 billion-gallon mark. That’s consistent with what the industry is producing and also meets the statutory expectation set forth by Congress in the RFS. That said, it’s a volume that by law should have been adhered to from 2015 forward.
“The RFS is an important part of the ethanol demand for corn farmers, but it’s just one path toward moving more of our homegrown fuel into a market that is looking for high octane, low-carbon fuel choices at the pump.”

Leaders elected at IPPA meeting

NORMAL — New officers were installed by the Illinois Corn Growers Association (ICGA) during their annual reorganizational meeting prior to the 2016 WILL-AG Farm Assets Conference on Nov. 22. At the Marriott Hotel near the Illinois State University campus, Justin Durdan, a fourth-generation farmer from Utica who farms near Streator, was elected president for 2016-17 by ICGA members.

Durdan served on the ICGA board for five years, most recently as vice president, and will continue as District 5 director serving members in Grundy, Kankakee, LaSalle and Livingston counties. He is managing partner of Durdan Farms, located on N. 15th Road in Streator, and a major proponent of sustainable agricultural practices and modern farming technologies.

New directors were elected including in District 7, where Bill Christ, a COUNTRY insurance agent and Woodford County farmer, will represent DeWitt, Macon, McLean, Moultrie, Piatt and Woodford counties. In addition, District 13’s Matt Rush of Fairfield was elected to represent members in nine counties.

Committee positions were also filled, with Bill Leigh (chairman) of Minonk and Randy DeSutter (vice-chair) of Woodhull tabbed to lead the ICGA Exports Committee. Elected to lead the Industrial Committee were Ted Mottaz of Elmwood and Marty Marr of Jacksonville, and the Grassroots Committee was filled by Jeff Jarboe of Loda and Don Guinnip of Marshall.

The Farm Assets Conference, formerly known as the Illinois Commodity Conference, was well attended by central Illinois farmers and featured a private 2018 Farm Bill listening session and discussion, followed by soybean and corn futures panels and presentations including Big Data’s role in agriculture and data-intensive nitrogen management for precision agriculture.

Climatologist: parts of state on verge of drought

URBANA — “‘The Edge of Drought’ sounds like a soap opera or a catchy book title,” says Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, of the Illinois State Water Survey at the University of Illinois. “However, southern Illinois is on the edge of a much larger drought in the southern U.S.”

Angel was referring to last week’s issuance of the U.S. Drought Monitor, showing some southernmost Illinois counties in moderate drought and a swath of central Illinois running from east to west labeled abnormally dry. “Because this is fall, the impacts of drought are rather muted. So there are no impacts on water supplies. However, there might be impacts on winter wheat and cover crops,” Angel reported in his weekly weather blog. “Several counties in Kentucky and Indiana have had burn bans, as well as a few locations in Illinois.”

Angel credits an abnormally dry fall following a wet summer for the conditions. In southern Illinois, rainfall was down 4 to 6 inches from normal while temperatures soared about six degrees above normal. “The good news is that temperatures have really cooled off and recent sub-freezing weather has brought the growing season to a close. Therefore, the demand on soil moisture and water supplies will be much lower,” Angel said. “I rarely get worried about drought in the late fall and winter because of that.”

–R.F.D. NEWS & VIEWS–