Boehner Squashes Farm Bill Rumor

BLOOMINGTON – Speaker of the House John Boehner will reportedly not allow a five-year farm bill extension to be attached to any potential “fiscal cliff” legislation, Illinois Corn reported last Wednesday in an email to members.

“The reason behind Speaker Boehner’s decision is unclear. On the surface what we do know to be the case is that Speaker Boehner’s calculated risk of not passing a farm bill appears to be less than working through the process to achieve one,” wrote Illinois Corn’s Lindsay Mitchell last week. “If farm bill negotiations proceed into 2013, any proposed legislation will be scored by the Congressional Budget Office using different scoring methods and higher prices reflecting lower crop yields resulting from the drought. The result is that the programs farmers need to protect them in rough years will look like they cost more when evaluated in 2013 than if evaluated now.

If you are reading this, it is likely that you are a farmer who used crop insurance this year when the drought caused significantly lower yields than expected. If you’d like to utilize similar crop insurance programs in the future, you really need to call your Congressman and demand a farm bill now. Should the farm bill extend into 2013, cuts to crop insurance are exactly what Illinois farmers can expect.”

Vilsack: Ag Census Boosts Rural Growth

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As a tumultuous and sometimes profitable year in American agriculture comes to a close, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is reaching out to farmers to encourage them to respond to the 2012 Census of Agriculture when it arrives in their mailboxes. In addition to providing legislators with information they use to influence policy decisions that affect farmers and ranchers for years to come, the Census, conducted every five years by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, also influences rural community growth and development, according to the ag secretary.

“I strongly encourage all farmers, no matter how large or how small their operation, to promptly complete and return their Census, so they can voice to the nation the value and importance of agriculture,” Vilsack said in a USDA press release.

According to USDA, many companies review Census data when deciding where to locate a new business or expand an existing one. They also examine where the location stands in relation to sources for agricultural and other supplies. All farmers should receive their Census form by early January; forms are due back by Feb. 4. For more information or questions about the ag survey, visit www.agcensus.usda.gov or call (888) 424-7828.

NH3 Accidents Spur Farmer Safety Sessions

BLOOMINGTON – Reducing the number of on-farm accidents that might prompt future government regulation is the goal behind Farmer Safety Sessions scheduled at the Asmark Agricenter in Bloomington, according to Kevin Runkle, manager of regulatory services for the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association (IFCA). IFCA is providing support for the Jan. 9, Jan. 18 and Feb.1 sessions.

Runkle said that the impetus for the producer-oriented program was provided by a higher-than-usual number of accidents involving farmers’ usage of anhydrous ammonia during 2012. “We already had a program for ag retailers and we modified it for producers,” he said. “These (sessions) are all geared towards producer compliance with regulations.”

According to Ill. Dept. of Agriculture statistics, 17 people were hospitalized for ag-related exposure to NH3 or liquid anhydrous ammonia during the spring, 2012 application season. The ammonia handling session for producers will focus on NH3 properties and characteristics, safety and first aid, transfer and handling, transportation safety, emergency response and regulations. “Producers who go through this training will have the opportunity to earn a certificate of completion recognizing them as a competent attendant and graduate of an anhydrous ammonia safety training course,” said Runkle.

In addition to the ammonia handling course, other aspects of farm safety will be addressed during the sessions, which cost $175 ($100 for Illinois Corn Growers Association members) including lunch, conference materials and safety gear. To register to attend one of the three safety sessions or for more information, call the ICGA office at (309) 557-3257. The Asmark Agricenter is located at 14171 Carole Drive in Bloomington.

Air Quality Initiative for Farmers

CHAMPAIGN – Farmers in 39 Illinois counties– including Woodford, LaSalle, Bureau, Marshall and Macon– are now eligible for special technical and financial assistance by signing up for the USDA’s Air Quality Initiative for 2013, according to Ivan Dozier, state conservationist for Illinois’ Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

“NRCS has a special initiative that allows farmers to reduce contributions to particulate matter and the formation of ozone. This effort can really have an impact on improving air quality throughout the region,” Dozier said in an USDA-NRCS news release. “There are many popular conservation programs used in Illinois that will directly or indirectly benefit air quality concerns. This includes management changes or simple options like establishing cover crops, planting windbreaks, or using nutrient management.”

The program was established by the previous farm bill to offer federal assistance to producers to address air quality and concerns and help meet federal, state and local regulatory requirements. For a complete list of eligible air quality improvement practices or a summary of specific air quality concerns for Illinois, visit www.il.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/AIR/index.html.

Illinois Farm Fact:

During 2011, Illinois soybean producers harvested 416.42 million bushels, #2 in the United States, on 8.86 million acres. (Ill. Ag in the Classroom)

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