R. F. D. News & Views, September 3, 2014

by Tim Alexander

 

Final RFS Rule to be Announced?

BLOOMINGTON – Lindsay Mitchell of the Illinois Corn passed along the info last week that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has sent the 2014 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) final rule to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for final review. Though the deadline to reveal the 2014 RFS passed some nine months ago, the OMB has 90 days to review the final RFS rule.

The government’s original recommended volume obligations (RVOs) for the 2014 RFS called for reduced corn ethanol and no increases in biofuels production. The RVOs were applauded by the oil industry. Some 340,000 public comments– many from corn farmers and environmentalists were received by the EPA regarding their original RVOs for renewable fuels.

“While OMB has up to 90 days to review this rule, what is most important is the content of the final rule,” stated Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis. “Ultimately, this final rule should promote the policy goals of the RFS and call for an increase in the production of renewable fuels, so we can continue to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, create jobs at home that cannot be outsourced and mitigate climate change, while we improve our environment.”

While no one is saying whether or not the EPA adjusted their RVOs for the 2014 RFS in favor of more renewable fuels production, Sen. John Thune of South Dakota said he expects the final RFS to reflect more ethanol production. “I think we’ll see an upward change,” Thune was quoted as saying. “I hope it’s a significant upward change and I hope that in ‘15 they look at this in a  different way.”

 

Report: Crop Index Down, Prices Level

SPRINGFIELD – The latest USDA-NASS “Illinois Agricultural Prices” report indicates that neither the crop index nor crop prices are improving. The United States preliminary “All Farm Products Index of Prices Received by Farmers,” at 109 percent, was unchanged from July. The Crop Index is down two points (2.2 percent) and the Livestock Index decreased one point (0.8 percent), according to the report. Farmers received higher prices in August for cattle, milk, apples and broccoli, while corn, soybeans, broilers and wheat decreased in value.

Examining the report on a state basis, Illinois farmers averaged a payment of $3.70 per bushel for corn during August, down steeply from the $4.12/bu. average in July and the $6.09/bu. received in August of 2013. Illinois soybeans continued to decline in value, albeit less steeply than corn. Farmers received $12.20/bu. for Illinois soybeans during August, down from $13.10/bu. in July and $14.10/bu. during August 2013. Calves and all beef cattle increased in value in Illinois during August, while hog prices decreased slightly, according to the report.

 

Cover Crop Fly-In Exhibition on Monday

McLEAN – Regional cover crop specialists will host an aerial seed application exhibition at 5 pm on Monday, Sept. 8 at Sugar Grove Nature Center, 4532 N 725 East Road, in McLean. Joe Curless of Curless Flying Service in Astoria will seed oats and radish over standing corn in a field located near the nature center, allowing farmers, conservationists and the public to witness the application and hear presentations on how cover crops help manage nitrogen and improve soil health.

“Our regional covert crop experts will address the benefits of cover crops, what to do to establish and maintain them, and what to do to terminate them,” said Caroline Wade, nutrient watershed manager for the Illinois Council on Best Management Practices (CBMP) from the Ill. Corn Growers Assoc. Mike Plumer, Ill. CBMP coordinator, and Pete Fandel, associate professor in agriculture for Illinois Central College and a former crop educator for the University of Illinois, will lead the live demonstration and offer information and advice to farmers about implementing cover crops on their farms. In addition, Paige Buck-Mitchell of the Ill. USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service will be on hand to provide information on the environmental benefits of cover crops, including nutrient management.

The exhibit field borders the Sugar Grove Nature Center, allowing visitors without a direct connection with agriculture to learn more about the efforts put forth by producers to sustain the environment through cover crops. “There is a public education component. Past presentations have been farmer-specific, but with the nature center as our site we’re hoping to bring in some people without an ag background to show them the new revival in cover crops and why it is important,” said Wade. “I think it will be a great opportunity for that audience to interact with the farmers and see what our farmers are doing to be proactive. It should be very interesting.”

For more information, contact Wade at (309) 231-7440 or cwade@illinoiscbmp.org. For driving directions, visit www.sugargrovenaturecenter.org/directions.

 

Farm Econ Summit Coming to Peoria

URBANA – The University of Illinois Extension and members of the farmdoc team from the Dept. of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the U of I are asking farmers to mark their calendars for the 2014 Illinois Farm Economics Summit, to be held this December in five locations, including Peoria. The summit brings producers together with leading farm economists and researchers from the U of I to discuss and analyze the most pressing economic issues facing Illinois producers.

The 2014 IFES schedule includes stops in DeKalb (Monday, Dec. 15), Peoria (Tues., Dec. 16), Springfield (Wed., Dec. 17), Mt. Vernon (Thurs., Dec. 18) and Champaign (Fri., Dec. 19).

Registration will begin in early November. Keep checking this column or the U of I farmdoc.com website for further information when it becomes available.

 

Illinois Farm Fact: 

2014 corn yields in McLean County could average a record 222.6 bu./acre. (Soy Capital Ag Services)

 

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