by Tim Alexander

Pork Producers Schedule CAFO Talk

SPRINGFIELD – No, vintage SNL fans, we’re not talking about a Coffee Talk– it’s CAFO, as in Confined Animal Feeding Operation. With rules recently finalized for the structures by the Illinois Pollution Control Board, the Ill. Pork Producers Association (IPPA) has scheduled a series of meetings across the state, in conjunction with the Ill. Farm Bureau, to educate pork producers about the new rules. “For many years farmers have heard about the pending CAFO rules,” said Jim Kaitschuk, IPPA executive director. “The CAFO rules are now finalized for Illinois and the time has come for livestock farmers to pay attention to how these rules will impact their farms. It is important to note that portions of the updated rules impact all livestock farms– not just those required to obtain NPDES permits from Illinois EPA.”

The new rules direct when livestock farms must secure National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits from the Ill. EPA. The rules also outline protocols for applying manure as fertilizer on farmland, manure management plans and record keeping, among other requirements. The meetings are already underway but continue in Galesburg at the Knox Agri Center on Nov. 18 and at the Evergreen FS Auditorium in Bloomington on Nov. 20 before concluding. For more information or to register, contact the IPPA at (217)529-3100. (IPPA news release)

FCFI Returns to Washington Tornado Site

WASHINGTON – Dennis Schlagel said he was amazed at the progress being made on construction of new homes in Washington, where an estimated (reports vary) 1,082 structures were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable from the deadly November 17, 2013, EF-4 tornado that cut a half-mile wide swath through the heart of the town’s most populous residential district. One year after the twister, which caused three deaths in the city, more than 800 building permits have been issued to residents eager to rebuild their homes in time for the holidays.

“Driving through you see walls, roofs and siding going up,” the Fellowship of Christian Farmers International executive director said. Schlagel led a team of volunteers who, in the immediate days after the storm, cleared some 50 properties of debris to be moved by farmers who loaned trucks to the effort. “There have been a lot of homes built since the weather cleared in March. It’s just been an amazing rebuild.”

A year earlier, Schlagel and his team moved their emergency response motor home to the grounds of Bethany Community Church, located on West Dutch Lane outside of Washington, to coordinate a massive, volunteer response by area Christian farmers. “Farmers responded to help pick up the pieces after the storm. It was really thrilling to see the response,” Schlagel said. “It made you feel like the neighbors there still really loved each other.” ( See my expanded report on the Washington tornado, one year later, on page 5 of this week’s issue.)

NRCS Sets EQIP Application Deadlines

CHAMPAIGN – November 21, 2014 and January 16, 2015 will serve as the two Environmental Quality Incentives Program application deadlines, Illinois State Conservationist for USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service Ivan Dozier recently announced. EQIP provides funding to farmers and rural landowners for installing conservation practices on their grounds, funding for development of plans, and hands-on advice and guidance in implementing conservation practices such as nutrient management plans for crops, grazing plans, drainage water management and other ecological management efforts. Producers can sign up for EQIP at any time throughout the year, but to compete for the upcoming funding periods, I encourage producers with resource concerns to submit an application by one of the application deadlines,” Dozier said in an Ill. NRCS news release. “There are also funding pools for grazing land operations, confined livestock operations, organic producers and wildlife habitat improvement, just to name a few.”

For further info on EQIP, contact your local NRCS field office or visit www.il.nrcs.usda.gov.

Farm Econ, Other Winter Ag Summits Announced

PEORIA – It’s that time of year again– time for farmers (and farm writers) to make their reservations for the slew of winter agriculture summits, conferences, trade shows and other gettogethers that place farmers, ag academia and industry leaders together in the same room once a year. Leading off is the 2014 Illinois Farm Economics Summit, sponsored by the University of Illinois Extension and farmdoc. With no shortage of management challenges on the horizon, speakers from the farmdoc team at the U of I will explore the farm profitability outlook from several perspectives, including the 2015 outlook for prices, farm income prospects, long-term grain price prospects and new farm programs under the 2014 Farm Bill. Locations for the Farm Econ Summit include Dekalb (December 15), Peoria (Dec. 16), Springfield (Dec. 17), Mt. Vernon (Dec.18) and Champaign (Dec. 19). For all conference registration questions, call the U of I’s Nancy Simpson at (217) 244-9687 or email nsimp1@illinois.edu. In addition, registration is now available for the U of I’s 2015 Ill. Corn and Soybean Classics and the 2014 AGMasters Conference at the following link: www.cropsciconferences.com. This year’s Corn and Soybean Classic series kicks off on Wednesday, January 7, in Peoria and continues to Moline, Malta, Springfield, Champaign and Mt. Vernon, respectively, where the conferences conclude on Jan. 14.

“For those interested in the 2014 AGMasters Conference, please register as soon as possible,” noted the U of I’s Sandy Osterbur in an email. “Some of the specialized sessions are close to full.” Osterbur may be contacted with questions about the Corn and Soybean Classics and AGMasters Conference at (800) 321-1296 or saosterb@illinois.edu.

Illinois Farm Fact: Founded in 1916, the Illinois Farm Bureau represents more than 400,000 Illinoisans, and three out of four Illinois farmers. (Ill. Farm Bureau)

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