R.F.D. NEWS & VIEWS

By Tim Alexander For Chronicle Media

Hope Danielson and Melanie Kluzek, registered dieticians with County Market, inspect jars of M&Ms, illustrating how much estrogen is present in potatoes (225 nanograms) compared to a three ounce steak from a steer treated with growth promoting hormones (1.9 nanograms).  (Photo by Erin Ehnle Brown, Grand Vale Co.)

Hope Danielson and Melanie Kluzek, registered dieticians with County Market, inspect jars of M&Ms, illustrating how much estrogen is present in potatoes (225 nanograms) compared to a three ounce steak from a steer treated with growth promoting hormones (1.9 nanograms).  (Photo by Erin Ehnle Brown, Grand Vale Co.)

In this week’s news roundup for Illinois farmers and rural dwellers, we’ll examine how prolonged rainfall in August and September could impact the corn harvest in McLean County. We’ll also share news from an open house for a new hog barn in Assumption, where a young farm couple hopes to stake out their living raising livestock. Also: a report from the Illinois Harvest Dinner, held last week, and results from the 2016 Illinois Corn Marketing Board election.

All eyes on McLean corn yield

BLOOMINGTON — Soy Capital Ag Services projects an average 219.09 bushels per acre for McLean County farmers’ 2016 corn harvest. Their survey, conducted during August by nine Soy Capital farm managers, utilized 1,550 samples from 155 locations on managed farms in every McLean County township. The projected 219.09 bu./acre falls just shy of 2014’s record crop and about 25 percent higher than the five-year average.

“Eighty-six percent of the locations returned a yield estimate over 200 bu./acre compared to 92 percent in 2014 and 46 percent last year,” the farm managers concluded. “Ear size were almost identical to those found in 2014. Numbers differ in terms of plant population and ear population.”

Capital Soy assistant vice president and farm manager Kevin Meiss said ear population — or kernel count — will be the telling factor in whether the company’s projection for the 2016 McLean County corn harvest is realized. During a September 8 phone interview, Meiss noted that large amounts of precipitation has drenched the county since conclusions from the Soy Capital corn yield survey were published several weeks ago. While moisture supply is essential to late-stage corn ear development, too much can retard kernel fill. Kernels may not be as heavy this year due to excess heat —particularly after nightfall — during grain fill, Meiss added.

Corn condition across Illinois was rated 58 percent good and 27 percent excellent by USDA-NASS in their September 6 Illinois Crop Progress and Condition report.

Farmdoc updates grain farm income and cash rent outlook

URBANA — The 2016 and 2017 grain farm income and cash rent outlook published by the University of Illinois Department of Agriculture and Consumer Economics (ACES) was updated during a live webinar held Sept. 7. U of I agricultural economist and ACES professor Gary Schnitkey’s webinar can be viewed on YouTube or through ACES’ “farmdoc” website, www.famdoc.illinois.edu by clicking on the seminars page.

“Given clearer yield forecasts, 2016 net incomes for grain farms can now be forecast with more accuracy,” Schnitkey summarized. “Net incomes in 2016 will continue to be low. Current future prices for 2017 also point to low net incomes in 2017. Cash rents and land values will be discussed given these income forecasts.”

New hog barn equals more opportunities

ASSUMPTION — Diversifying into farm markets other than traditional row crops is one way producers are overcoming stagnant commodity prices and decreasing land values to remain on their farms. That is certainly the case with Assumption’s Corzine family, a fourth-generation farm family that just cut the ribbon on a new 2,400 head wean-to-market hog barn. The move allows Caleb Corzine to farm full-time and wife Tarcie to become a stay-at-home mom for the couple’s first child, who is due in November. The couple, along with the Illinois Livestock Development Group and Illinois Pork Producers Association, hosted an open house and ribbon cutting for the new building last week that was attended by some 200 neighbors, rural residents and community leaders.

“I’ve always wanted to farm,” said Caleb, who farms with his dad, Curt, raising corn and soybeans. “About a year and half ago, I got the idea to look at contact pork production as a way to expand and diversify our farm.” Caleb will now raise hogs for The Maschhoffs.
The open house served as an opportunity to showcase environmental stewardship practices implemented on modern hog farms, such as a zero-discharge standard in the management of manure. “The new hog barn protects the environment, cares for the pigs and creates a safe place for our family to work,” Caleb said. “The new barn has many technologically advanced features that increase the efficiencies of raising the pigs, but will also improve the welfare of the pigs.” (Maiers Ag Consulting news release)

Illinois Farm Fact:

The Illinois Corn Marketing Board was established in 1982 to manage the voluntary checkoff investment that corn farmers agreed to implement that year. (ICMB)

Illinois Harvest Dinner cooks up farm talk

ELKHART — The second Illinois Harvest Dinner was held Sept. 7 at the Conrady-Titus family farm near Elkhart, where nearly 100 guests learned about raising pigs, climbed onto a combine and tractor for a farmer’s view, and learned about technology’s role in agriculture. Chaired by Illinois farm women Mary Mackinson Faber, of Pontiac, and Katie Pratt, of Dixon, the dinner also allowed healthcare professionals, foodservice directors, university administrators and others to network with farmers in attendance and exchange ideas about food and farming.

“We wanted to create an atmosphere in which people can talk and ask questions about hot topics in food,” Pratt explained in a news release following the event. Organizers seek to foster trusted relationships between consumers and farmers and to highlight farming as Illinois’ top industry, she added. “Many people see Illinois strictly as a corn and soybean state, but we (also) grow 85 percent of the world’s horseradish.”
The dinner, along with appetizers, was prepared by executive chef Vince Swanson of Cracked Pepper, a Peoria restaurant. Faber said organizers will follow up with dinner guests to learn if they met their goals for the event. “Early respondents to our evaluation rated the evening as excellent and indicated they have more confidence in Illinois agriculture,” she said.

ICMB elects officers

BLOOMINGTON — Ridgway farmer Jim Raben was elected by his peers to serve as chairman of the Illinois Corn Marketing Board (ICMB) for the 2016-17 term. The Gallatin County farmer has served on the ICMB for six years as District 15 director, but his duties will now expand to cover the entire state. Also elected to officer positions were Paul Jeschke of Mazon (vice-chairman), Roger Sy of Newman (secretary) and Carmi farmer Don Duvall (treasurer). Congrats!

–R.F.D. NEWS & VIEWS–