R. F. D. News & Views, August 6, 2014

Chicago to Embrace E15?

BLOOMINGTON – Chicago may soon become the first major U.S. city to offer access to E15 ethanol blend to motorists, Illinois Corn reported July 30. Earlier in the week, the Chicago City Council Committee on Finance heard a proposal to adopt an ordinance that would offer consumers a choice at the pump, reported Illinois Corn’s Tricia Braid.

“During the Monday hearing, Big Oil interest showed up in large numbers. that was no surprise. Their anti-ethanol arguments were no surprise, either,” Braid tweeted last week. “They are still using the same, old, tired claims. You know the drill…food versus fuel, the ruining of all engines, higher gas prices, blah blah blah. the good news for us is that those are bogus claims.”

Action to finalize the ordinance could come as soon as September, according to Illinois Corn.

 

July Prices Reflect Anticipated Harvest

SPRINGFIELD – Trends for prices received for Illinois crops in July reflected the continued national downward trend for prices based on anticipated record-setting yields, in part. That’s one of the conclusions that can be drawn from USDA-NASS’ latest Illinois Agricultural Prices report, issued July 31.

Corn dipped below $4 per bushel ($3.98) in July of 2014, down from $4.68/bu. in June and $6.73/bu. in July of 2013. Soybeans fell to $12.90/bu., down from $14.60 the previous month and $15.50 during July of 2013. Of the major commodities, milk posted a significant gain, up to $23.80/cwt. in july, compared with $19.60 one year before.

 

“daBurger” a Hit at the Corn Crib

NORMAL – The Illinois Pork Producers Association (IPPA) traveled to Normal on July 23 to spread their tasty message– in the form of free ground pork burger samples– to consumers attending the Normal CornBelters Frontier League baseball game held at the Corn Crib stadium.

Around 140 pounds of ground pork burgers were grilled on the IPPA’s massive traveling cooker, cut into wedges, trayed and handed out to customers entering the ballpark. The purpose of the event was to promote pork, pig farmers and how they care for their animals, said Tim Maiers, IPPA public relations manager.

“This is a great venue in which to educate folks about what’s in their backyards as far as corn and soybeans and how it all ties together with pork and livestock,” Maiers said. “We also talk to consumers about how healthy pork is. We’re specifically promoting pork burgers with free samples, and the CornBelters are offering pork burgers for $1 per sandwich.”

The prize culinary pork creation of the IPPA, daBurger, was selling briskly at the Corn Crib that night. daBurger is a massive half-pound, triple-pork combo burger that is quickly gaining popularity among Illinois’ professional sports fans. “We hear ‘this is the best burger I’ve ever had’ a lot,” said Maiers. “You can talk to people about it, but until you taste it, you can only imagine the flavor– especially in the Chicago area where pork burgers are still kind of a foreign term. When we pass out samples, 98 percent of the time the reaction is very positive.”

In addition to the Corn Crib, daBurger is sold exclusively at the United Center and Soldier Field in Chicago.

 

ISA Seats New Director From Dunlap

BLOOMINGTON – The Illinois Soybean Assoc. (ISA) elected its 2014-2015 leadership last week, voting in Dunlap’s Stan Born as one of three new district directors and two new at-large directors. Bill Raben, soybean farmer from Ridgway, was elected to serve as ISA chairman for the second year.

Other executive committee members elected included Mike Marrion of Fithian, as vice chairman, david Droste, Nashville (treasurer), Lynn Rohrscheib, Fairmount (secretary), Daryl Cates, Colombia (asst. secretary-treasurer), Don Guinnip, Marshall (production committee chair) and Duane Dahlman, Marengo (marketing committee chair).

“I am humbled and honored to be elected again,” Raben stated in a news release. “I look forward to serving as chairman, and helping doing what we can to become more relevant to Illinois soybean farmers and sharing to the rest of the nation what, why and how we do things in Illinois.”

 

Bauman Set to Craft Butter Cow

SPRINGFIELD – Sharon Bumann of New york will return for a twelfth year to craft the Illinois State Fair “butter cow” located in the dairy building on the state fairgrounds, the Midwest Dairy Assoc. announced. The sculpture will reflect the fair’s theme, according to Marla Behrends, industry relations manager for Midwest Dairy Assoc.

In addition, “Midwest Dairy Assoc. will serve up milk shakes, ice cream cones, yogurt, cheese, cream puffs and milk. Fair-goers can pick up recipes, information about cheese, milk, yogurt and protein. Children of all ages will receive coloring books and cow headbands,” Behrends announced in a news release last week. “New this year, Midwest Dairy Assoc. is partnering with Feeding America and the Milk Processors Education Program for the Great American Milk Drive. Fair-goers can help out their local food banks by donating gallons of milk. “People who stop by our booth in the Dairy building can learn more about how to donate and receive a Great American Milk Drive bag.”

Furthermore, the dairy organization will maintain a booth at the fair’s popular Farmer’s Little Helpers youth attraction. There, kiddies can milk a life-size, model “cow” and engage in many other safe, fun, farm-inspired activities.

The Dairy Building will be open through the entirety of the Illinois State Fair: Thursday, August 7 through Sunday, August 14.

 

Illinois Farm Fact:

Illinois produces 1.67 billion gallons of ethanol at 14 operating plants across the state. (Illinois Corn)

 

(Tim Alexander is a freelance reporter who writes agriculture, news and feature articles for the News Bulletin, Farm World and many other publications.)