FARM& A special publication by

FIELD
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2016

The extra-KNORR-dinary
2016 Farm Family of the Year
PAGE 2

Wet weather forces Cattle farmers look

farmers to accept to maintain profit
new cover crops with slipping prices
PAGE 4 PAGE 9

ALSO
INSIDE
Corn, soybean Cuba, China How might 2016
yields benefiting present markets elections affect
from rotation for local farmers area agriculture?
PAGE 3 PAGE 8 PAGE 10

Farmers find Falling prices After soggy 2015,

ways to deal with impact whole 2016 could be
poor weather communities more favorable
PAGE 5 PAGE 6 PAGE 11
2 | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2016
The 2016 Herald-Whig Farm Family of the Year is from left, Todd and Sharon Knorr, Lauralyn, Ashley, Avalee and Dallas Caron, Jersey Hesse, Amanda Hesse, Madison Garcia and Curt Hesse at the Knorr
farm near Golden. | H-W Photo/Michael Kipley
Farm Family of the Year
Family works hard,
share laughs on
way to award
By DEBORAH
GERTZ HUSAR
Staff Writer | 217-221-3379
dhusar@whig.com | @DHusarWHIG
GOLDEN, Ill. Todd
Knorr headed out to do
chores with one of his fa-
vorite helpers, his grand-
daughter Avalee.
Needing bedding for
part of the cattle herd, he
climbed off the tractor
to take the net wrap off
the bale, then hurried to
climb back in before the
cattle scattered the straw.
But Avalee, who will turn
4 on Valentines Day, had
accidentally locked the
door.
By the time I got in
there, I was grumbling,
trying to be real polite
with my granddaughter,
Knorr said. She finally
said those cattle are really
mean. She decided wed
just have to make ham-
burger out of them.
Laughing with his wife
Sharon over the story of
how the cows just werent
cooperating with Grand-
pa highlights the impor-
tance of family working
and laughing together
on the Knorr farm near
Golden.
Five generations have
been involved in the grain
and cattle farm. The long-
standing commitment to
the farm, and to telling
agricultures story, led to
Todd and Sharon Knorr
being named The Herald-
Whigs 24th annual Farm
Family of the Year.
The Knorrs are a hard-
working family that have
dedicated their lives to the
farm, their family and the
community, according to
the nomination submit-
ted by family friend Mike
Tenhouse.
It is a business, and
in order to be successful,
you have to be good at
your job, Todd and Sha-
rons daughter, Amanda
Hesse, said. I think my
dad, my grandpa, my
great-grandpa are good
examples of that.
Knorr grew up in the
house where he and
Sharon live, helping his
grandfather and father
on the farm with its row
crops, cattle and, at that
time, pigs.
We had pigs until 96
or something like that
when the bottom [of the
market] kind of went out,
he said. I never did really
like pigs, but they paid a
lot of bills.
Doing something beside
farming never held any
appeal for Knorr.
It gives me something
to do, he said. Every day
is different.
Cold winter days mean
chores to feed hay and
silage to the nearly 170
head of cattle, make sure
waterers are working and
check on baby calves.
Somebody will check
them at 10 p.m., but its
not always me. I usu-
ally get up around 2 a.m.
to check them, and we
usually try to check them
every two to four hours.
That will last through
April, he said.
No matter how many
hours it takes to make
the business run, thats
what you have to do,
Hesse said. Theyve been
dedicated in putting the
time in not only for the
business itself, but for a
good product as well.
When they start calv-
ing, we like to feed most
of them at night. They
say theyll calve during
the day if theyre eating at
night, but I dont know if I
totally believe that, Todd
said.
The calves do just fine,
even in brutally cold
weather, but every once
FARM & FIELD | HERALD-WHIG |
in a while theyre brought
into the house, and they
get a bath to warm them
up, then they get to dry
off in the downstairs
bathroom with the
heater, Sharon said.
T
heres plenty
of easy laugh-
ter in conver-
sation with
the couple,
who met on a blind date
and married 33 years ago.
Sharon grew up in
Quincy, and her parents
both grew up on farms
that were still in the
family and home to the
country cousins.
My cousins came to
my house for a week every
summer, and we went
to their house for a week
every summer, Sharon
said. We spent a lot of
time together.
Always on call to help
out when needed, she
drove the tractor several
WHIG.COM
years on the farm and
gardened, then became
involved in 4-H with the
couples two daughters,
Ashley and Amanda.
I learned a lot from my
mother-in-law on how to
can and garden. I made
homemade hash browns
and froze them. We raised
peanuts one year just to
have something different.
We had a grape arbor,
made grape juice, she
said.
A big sweet corn patch
each year still brings the
family together on one
day to cut corn off the cob
and freeze it. Last years
some 200 pints of corn
were divided among the
extended family, which
also comes together to
spend time working on
the farm.
All the Knorrs Todd
and Sharon, his parents
Delbur and Janet, Ash-
KNORR continues on 3
WHIG.COM | HERALD-WHIG | FARM & FIELD SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2016 | 3

Knorrs spread the word about agriculture
By DEBORAH
GERTZ HUSAR
Staff Writer | 217-221-3379
dhusar@whig.com | @DHusarWHIG
GOLDEN, Ill. Todd and
Sharon Knorr say farmers
have a commitment to farm
the land and to tell the
world how theyve done it.
Who else is going to tell
them if we dont? Sharon
said. We cant rely on so-
cial media and other outlets
to give them the correct in-
formation.
The couple does what
it can to spread the word
about agriculture; theyve
hosted area school children
for visits to the farm, set-
ting up information stations
to highlight various aspects
KNORR | FROM 2
of agriculture crops, live-
stock, farm equipment and
more.
Its just to let them know
where their food comes
from, Todd said. Some-
body always picked up on
one little thing, got good out
of every station.
The funniest memory for
both was one youngster ex-
iting the bus, and announc-
ing, Oh, look! They have
a wolf! It was not a wolf,
but the familys blue heeler
herding dog.
Thats just priceless,
Sharon said. You just never
know whats going to im-
press them.
Farmings ups and downs
sent Sharon in the work-
force, first as a teaching as-
sistant at Central Elemen-
tary School, then to the
University of Illinois Ex-
tension, where for 13 years
she had the opportunity to
share agricultures story
with participants in the Ad-
ams County 4-H program
and as the countys agricul-
ture literacy coordinator.
In that role, she visited
classrooms throughout the
county to provide students
hands-on experiences tied
to agriculture, and now
shes in her second year as
ag teacher and FFA sponsor
at Central High School.
I love teaching, Sharon
said.
What happens on the
farm she takes into the
classroom. She drew on
Choosing a family
Choosing a single farm family
Todds experience selling to recognize each year is never an
the farms grain with a les- easy task.
But, to this years judges, the
son plan for her ag business
students, and now shes Todd and Sharon Knorr family
hoping to share with stu- stood out among the six nomina-
dents what the family has tions for the 24th annual award. Hesse
learned about the newest The judges were Amanda Hesse,
piece of farm equipment, a Adams County Farm Service
drone. Agency executive director; Ashley
Todd also steps up to Johnson, district conservationist
help with Sharons school with the Natural Resources Con-
projects, including last year servation Service in Clark, Knox,
erecting a high tunnel a Lewis and Scotland counties in
greenhouse of sorts that Missouri; Wyatt Miller, University
extends the growing season of Missouri Extension agronomy
and the FFAs latest effort specialist in Marion County and
to refurbish and sell ADM- the Northeast Region; Brad Smith,
donated old bale rings the resource conservationist with the Johnson
large metal rings that hold Pike County Soil and Water Con-
round hay bales. servation District; and Herald-
Hes very willing, Sha- Whig Staff Writer Deborah Gertz
ron said. Pretty much. Husar.
Theyre pretty much the all-
American farm family, Hesse
said. Its important just to rec-
ognize the hard-working farm
families we have in our area, just
to highlight the fact that they con-
tribute not only a lot to their com-

Farming is a family tradition munities but to their operation as

well.
Miller

ley and Dallas Caron
and daughters Avalee
and Lauralyn, Amanda
and Curt Hesse and his
daughters Madison Gar-
cia and Jersey Hesse
live within a quarter-mile
in what theyve dubbed
Knorrville, complete
with a sign made by Sha-
rons dad.
Ten years ago if youd
told me Id be living where
I am today, I probably
would have told you no
way, but it works out
great, Ashley said. I
would never want it any
other way. I love being so
close to my grandparents,
my parents, my sister.
Weve always been there
for each other, and weve
always come out ahead.
F
amily is key
to making
the farming
operation a
success, but so
is making good decisions
and dedication.
Its not just about one
person. Its about the
family and making those
decisions for the family,
Sharon said. One genera-
tion always looked out for
the next to make sure that
the farm is viable for the
next generation.
The farm has been in the
family since Walter and
Marjorie Knorr bought 80
acres in 1937.
Grandpa was a carpen-
ter. He worked for Pruden-
tial Life Insurance, which
had to take back a lot of
farms [during the Great
Depression]. He would
fix them up to get ready
to sell, Todd said. Thats
where the 80 came from.
Todds parents got into
the operation, then Todd
and Sharon bought out his
grandparents.
They bought and rented
more land, and today have
about 900 acres of corn,
soybeans and wheat, 100
acres of hay and about 200
acres of pasture.
The girls had the same
hands-on training as their
father, who stepped into
the farming operation.
Thats how you got to
learn all the different jobs,
Sharon said. He can build
anything, put things to-
gether, make things work
when they break down.
He learned that especially
from his grandpa.
Beyond farm work and
Sharons off-farm job, the a lot of families put into the farm,
couple stays busy in the
community. Hes a Hous-
ton Township trustee; both
are members of the Adams
County Farm Bureau, and
they are involved in their
church, Centennial Ebene-
zer United Methodist.
Theyll be doing more
no-till farming as landlords
want to get away from
wheat, and Todd found
a new use for land that
wasnt planted to beans last
year with a mix of oats and
turnips as cover crops.
They did so well that
when Nov. 1 came, we were
able to turn the cows out on
these, he said. They went
into winter really well all
fat and happy.
Having the fifth generation on
the farm highlights the familys
dedication to the land.
Its part of the hard work that
knowing they can pass it on to a
future generation, Smith said.
Thats also the reason conserva-
tion is important so they can
pass it along in good condition.
Miller said the familys conser-
vation practices really stand out Smith
for their impact now and into the
future.
Johnson called the Knorrs role
models for their work to tell oth-
ers about agriculture while finding
a balance between work on and off
the farm.
Theyre taking that off the farm
and introducing that into the com-
munity, whether thats 4-H or FFA,
and instilling those ideas into
the younger generation, John- Husar
son said. They [are] a very well-
rounded family whether it was on
the farm or out in the community.
4 | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2016
Conserving his land
Warsaw farmer uses cover crops in effort to preserve soil
By DEBORAH
GERTZ HUSAR
Staff Writer | 217-221-3379
dhusar@whig.com | @DHusarWHIG
WARSAW, Ill. Don
Roskamp believes the
most important thing
about cover crops isnt
the easiest to see.
Its not so much what
grows on top of the
ground that you see, but
the root systems created
underground that hold
soil in place and increase
the ability for soil to have
water infiltrate through
it, the Warsaw farmer
said. Its hard to pinpoint
and say, this will create
five bushels of corn or two
bushels of soybeans, but
it creates a soil environ-
ment [for] better crop
production.
Roskamp and his
brothers inherited a
strong interest in soil
conservation from their
father.
They have put in
many dry dams, terrac-
es and other structures
to keep soil in place in
fields. They do conser-
vation tillage along with
no-till, and they plant
cover crops primarily
cereal rye along with
oats, turnips, crimson
clover and annual rye-
grass.
Theres no point to
spend money to build
soil if you let the soil get
away, said Roskamp,
Don Roskamp takes a phone call while showing one of his fields planted in annual rye grass as a cover crop to prevent soil erosion on his farm near Warsaw. Roskamp
uses a variety of cover crops including clover and turnips. | H-W Photo/Steve Bohnstedt
who serves on the Han-
cock County Soil and Wa-
ter Conservation District
board. Part of protecting
or increasing fertility
levels of soil is holding it
in place.
Hed like to see more
farmers try cover crops.
Its not so hard to do
it as an experiment. Try
20 acres, he said. Target
those problem acres first.
Help is available
through the SWCD, which
last year earmarked some
of its cost-share funding
to promote cover crops.
Even with limited
funds, we were still able
to offer funds to more
than 10 different people
throughout the county to
try a new conservation
practice, said Abbie Sper-
ry, the SWCDs resource
conservationist. We had
some folks pretty happy
with it.
Roskamp describes his
farms cover-crop com-
mitment as experimen-
tal plus, with less than
25 percent of the acres
planted to cereal rye, oats,
turnips and clover.
What works on Ros-
kamps fields may not
work elsewhere.
Different farmers
with different soils will
find different results, he
said.
Cover crops provided a
good alternative, espe-
cially in 2015 when wet
weather delayed spring
planting. Instead of fields
sitting there growing
weeds, this way they had
cover crops out there,
Sperry said. If we had
more money, we could
have helped a lot more
people. We have the inter-
est.
No cost-share fund-
ing is available this year,
Sperry said, but the pro-
gram still could continue
to have an impact in the
county.
Theres no point to spend
money to build soil if
you let the soil get away.
Part of protecting or
increasing fertility levels of soil is
holding it in place.
The great thing about
having some of these cost-
share programs is to be
able to try this, see if its
something youre going to
like, if its going to work
for you, she said.
Each small step from
FARM & FIELD | HERALD-WHIG |
trying cover crops in a
field to attending the
districts residue- man-
agement field day can
make a big difference for
the future.
I always tell the chil-
dren in every classroom
presentation that it takes
500 years to grow an inch
of soil, so, however we
can, we have to conserve
soil, protect soil, Sperry
said.
Its a commitment to a
long-term benefit, not a
Don Roskamp, Warsaw farmer
short-term reward.
Its not something you
automatically get money
back for. Its not like a
government program,
Roskamp said. But there
is a payback in reduction
of soil loss.
WHIG.COM
Survey
says...
An Illinois Farm
Bureau survey asked
farmers about conser-
vation and nutrient-
management efforts.
Among the findings:
1
46 percent of farmers
said they have used
cover crops in the
past, with 76 percent
having planted cover
crops for five years
or less.
2
Of those who have
not used cover crops,
64 percent said they
would be willing to do
so in the future.
3
84 percent said they
have installed buffer
strips along streams
or ditches on their
farms.
4
Nearly 53 percent of
farmers said they re-
ceived no cost-share
or incentives for their
best management
practices.
WHIG.COM | HERALD-WHIG | FARM & FIELD SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2016 | 5

Cross one off the list

Thanks to wet winter, farmers may have one less thing to worry about
By DEBORAH GERTZ HUSAR
Staff Writer | 217-221-3379
dhusar@whig.com | @DHusarWHIG

MONROE CITY, MO. Heading

into spring planting, farmers have plenty
to worry about from crop prices to
operating costs.
They may, however, be able to cross
one thing off the list of concerns after an
excessively wet winter.
Once it started raining about Thanks-
giving, it never quit. Im not positive on
the amount of rain, but its been a lot,
Monroe City, Mo., farmer Tim Gottman
said. You never want to discourage rain
because droughts are horrible, too, but
enough is enough.
Last year turned into a worst possible
scenario for many area farmers with poor
crop insurance cover-
age based on lower
prices and nothing
planted in fields where
chemicals and fertil-
izer already had been
applied.
We were at a loss
Gay right out of the gate,
Market volatility Gottman said.
highlights
importance of
Warsaw farmer Don
crop insurance Roskamp says theres
no use in worrying
about the weather this
year, beyond hoping for an early spring
or at a least a spring that allows for timely
planting.
The biggest concern I see right now is
crop prices, he said. If we turn around
and have another real good growing
year, there cant seem to be a reason crop
prices will increase. Its almost like youre
going to have to have a failure to get price
back. You dont want to give up bushels,
but you want a better price for all the
You never
want to
discourage
rain because
droughts are horrible,
too, but enough is
enough.
Tim Gottman, Monroe City, Mo., farmer
bushels you produce.
Farmers have to balance price risk with
the bottom line.
Gary Schnitkey, a University of Illinois
professor of agricultural and consumer
economics, projects average net incomes
on Illinois grain farms in 2015 and 2016
will be similar to 1998 through 2003, the
last time very low incomes occurred in
agriculture. Projections put average net
income on Illinois grain farms at about
$20,000 per farm in 2015, considerably
below the $104,000 per farm average in
2014.
Farmers by nature are optimistic. We
plant a seed, hopefully get the right rain
and sunshine to make it grow. Were just
entering a down time. Farming is cycli-
A farm is surrounded by floodwaters in Olive Branch, in southern Illinois. Although the large amounts of rain that fell in the area in early winter may
seem beneficial, there is potential that they could cause harm to some farmers. In the event of dry weather, some farmers turn to irrigation. | AP Photo
cal. We all know that. Weve had some
good years here recently, and we feel good
about that, but it seems to be turning back
the other way again, Rockport farmer
David Gay said.
If its a small crop nationwide and
prices go up some, thats fine, but if you
dont have bushels to sell, it doesnt matter
what the price is.
The market volatility only highlights
the importance of crop insurance to help
stabilize farming, Gay said, particularly in
areas with flooding issues.
If you get flooded and lose half your
crop, that can be devastating, he said. In
2012, we had one of the worst droughts
in 50 years or longer. If you survived and
then two to three years later have another
really poor crop, those things are tough to
overcome, particularly for younger farm-
ers who havent had time to build up some
savings. Without crop insurance, you can
lose a lot of young farmers in a two- or
three-year period when times are tough.
Aside from the bottom line, farmers
also face challenges from regulatory and
legislative issues, weather conditions and
adopting new technology along with a
growing number of herbicide-resistant
weeds.
These very large areas we grow crops
in we call these fields but the reality
is they are biological systems never
static, always dynamic, always chang-
ing in response to something, whether it
be insects, weeds, diseases, said Aaron
Hager, University of Illinois weed scien-
tist.
What we see with the evolution of re-
sistance is a change in a biological system
that we try to deal with a limited number
of tools and tactics. Nature has responded
and will continue to respond without a
doubt ... Shes going to win. We need to ac-
cept the fact shes going to win, but shell
let us play around a little, Hager said.
6 | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2016 FARM & FIELD | HERALD-WHIG | WHIG.COM

Money watchers
Slipping profits have farmers closely watching expenses
By DEBORAH
GERTZ HUSAR
Staff Writer | 217-221-3379
dhusar@whig.com | @DHusarWHIG

LORAINE, Ill. What

happens with crop and
livestock prices affects
what happens in area
communities.
With corn and soybean
prices at their lowest level
since at least 2009, farm-
ers are watching when,
and where, they spend
hard-earned dollars.
Its a tough situa-
tion for a lot of people.
It trickles down to the
machinery dealers and
down the line because
the farmers prices are
short, so to speak,
Loraine farmer Brad
Cassens said. It affects
us all. Its not just the
farmer.
Prices, he said, could
use a nice rebound.
Farmers posted record
profits in 2012, with 2013
a close second, but profits
slipped in 2014 and again
in 2015.
This will be our fourth
year of declining net
farm incomes, so its time Brad Cassens at his farm near Loraine. Farmers such as Cassens are closely monitoring their expenses in an effort to maximize profits. Corn and soybean prices are at
to reassess everyones their lowest levels since 2009. | H-W Photo/Steve Bohnstedt
position, said Bob Rhea
with Farm Business dealing with lower gross Rhea said. Most of our things need to be adjust- profits go to those who producers to be more
Farm Management. revenues than theyve people are still making ed to match. are most efficient users efficient in their produc-
All of our area live- had in prior years. Its not profits, just smaller than Think of it as Econom- of resources available tion.
stock enterprises are just corn and soybeans, they had been, so other ics 101. to their industry, Rhea But what Rhea called
The economics say the said. That requires
ECONOMY continues on 7
WHIG.COM | HERALD-WHIG | FARM & FIELD
ECONOMY | FROM 6
Many agribusinesses expect to feel
some sort of financial hit this year
that slice of differentiation is very
thin.
Nobodys looking for a 50 percent
swing or a 20 percent swing, he said.
Many producers are looking for things
that impact their bottom line by 2 or 3
percent and with the scale many of
our producers have, 2 to 3 percent is a
significant change in real dollars.
Cassens said that means watching
expenses closely and using money
wisely especially when it comes to
inputs for this planting season.
If you can skimp a little when it
comes to this or that, it does nothing
but help you on your bottom line, he
said. But youve got to have fertilizer,
and youve got to have nitrogen.
Even so, many agribusinesses expect
to feel a pinch in 2016.
Anyone who provides a service to
farmers, those folks will be working
with less dollars coming their way as
well, Rhea said.
But anyone involved in agriculture
should realize its cyclical nature.
Farmings been really good the
last five years, so hopefully those who
have been through this before realize
there are good years and there are bad
years, said Mike Roegge, University
of Illinois Extension local food sys-
tems and small farms educator based
in Quincy. Hopefully there is enough
savings stashed that guys can survive
the lean times were going to have right
now.
Farmers lost money on plenty of
acres in 2015 as a result of wet weather.
Most corn acres were planted on
both sides of the Mississippi River.
Most West-Central Illinois farmers had
soybeans planted, although late, but
rainy conditions kept Northeast Mis-
souri farmers from planting more than
SHARE YOUR PHOTOS AT WHIG.COM!
To submit, email photos to myphotos@whig.com
or go to myphotos.whig.com to upload your photo
If you can
skimp a little
when it comes
to this or that, it
does nothing but help you
on your bottom line.
Brad Cassens, Lorraine farmer
one million acres until after July 1, and
hampered all fields.
The roots just cant survive those
type of conditions. The best-yielding
corn this year came from fields that
received lower amounts of rainfall and
had the best drainage, Roegge said.
The corn reacted pretty negatively
toward the wet soils, but I think a lot of
people were surprised with the yield of
beans.
Cassens had some of his best bean
yields in 2015, while corn yields fell
short, but several hundred acres close
to his farm went unplanted.
Yields were decent as a whole. We
cant complain about that, but wed just
like a few more dollars on price, he
said.
Hopefully this is a short-term situa-
tion, and another two years well be out
of it, Roegge said. The worst thing
that can happen is for us to grow a
good corn and soybean crop this year.
The global market for U.S. crops only
adds to the worries.
With China slowing down its econo-
my and they are the largest importer
of soybeans in the world what hap-
pens? What are the long-term effects of
their economy slowing? Roegge said.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2016 | 7
Mike Roux
Becks Superior Hybrids
Team Sales Representative
Outside Sales
217-552-4480
mike.roux@beckshybrids.com
BECKS HYBRIDS HAS MORE CHOICES
Anytime you shop for anything, the more choices you
have from which to choose the more diverse your decision
making process can become. When farmers shop for their
seed needs they are looking for a few key components; first
is performance (yield); next is value; and finally choices.
These three keys are exactly why more and more farmers
each season are relying on Becks Hybrids to improve their
farms productivity. Becks, the largest family owned seed
company in America, has shown steady growth over the past
20-years. Averaging around 20% increase in acres planted
over this period proves that growers are not only happy with
Becks products performance, they are very happy.
Because Becks is privately owned and independent
they have the ability to tap into every available technology in
the industry and all lines of germ plasm, as well. Matching this
with the largest privately owned corn breeding operation in
the country gives Becks the ability to provide their customers
with more CHOICES in both regionally strong hybrids and
can support those hybrids with any trait combination a farmer
might want. Nowhere else in the seed industry can you find
everything you could want from one company.
A QUICK LIST ON WHY YOU SHOULD CONSIDER BECKS HYBRIDS
1) Family owned and NOT for sale.
2) 100% free replant policy.
3) ESCALATE YIELD ENHANCEMENT SYSTEM
which includes Poncho 1250/Votivo at NO
EXTRA CHARGE.
4) Customer Commitment Rewards Program.
5) Practical Farm Research on hundreds of acres
throughout the Midwest producing its PFR
book annually at no charge to their customers.
6) Becks provides seed for corn, soybeans,
wheat, forages, cover crops and milo.
For more information contact your local Becks Hybrids Seed Advisor Mike Roux.
8 | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2016 FARM & FIELD | HERALD-WHIG | WHIG.COM

Panama Canal a big player in transporting soybeans

By DEBORAH tions trips highlight grain better can only be good for Japan nor Panama, and he
GERTZ HUSAR movement sites, with the all of us. looks forward to learning
Staff Writer | 217-221-3379
dhusar@whig.com | @DHusarWHIG Panama Canal this years Gottman said he was as much as he can.
destination. impressed by the size, not The Trans-Pacific Part-
MONROE CITY, Mo. Its a big player in mov- so much of the canal, but nership, a pact with Japan
Tim Gottman returned ing soybeans, Gottman of the ships stacked with and 10 other nations that
from a trip to Panama said. When you see it, its boxcars or loaded with removes trade barriers,
with a broader view of the quite amazing how it grain. obviously will be talked
world and how his farm works; what it does for all The tour guide told us about quite a bit in Japan.
fits into it. of us. A lot of cargo goes they will move through 37 It will be interesting to
We all get really caught through there. to 43 ships a day. Forty- see their thoughts, their
up in our own farms, in a Work began in 2007 on five is the top theyve ever views, Sims said.
really small world, said the $5.25 billion expan- done, he said. When one Finalizing agreements
Gottman, who farms be- sion project to create a goes on through, another like the TPP is vital to
tween Palmyra and Mon- new traffic lane along the one is waiting. American farmers.
Tim Gottman, left, a Monroe City, Mo., farmer who serves on the
roe City. But when you canal with construction of The steady stream of Its extremely impor-
Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council, stands by the Panama
go down there, it brings a a new set of locks doubling goods also emphasized the tant for ag to be able to
Canal during a December trip. Gottman was impressed by the
whole new light on how big the waterways capacity; importance of the Mis- ship our products at the
size of the ships stacked with cargo containers traveling through
this world is, how much it should be completed by sissippi Rivers locks and lowest tariffs or costs as
the canal. | Submitted photo
goes on. May. dams, another key link in possible, Sims said. Its
Gottman represents the The best part of the the transportation chain. Agricultural Leadership ticipants become policy- a win-win situation if we
Missouri Soybean Mer- experience was seeing It doesnt do any good Foundations Class of 2016 and decision-makers for can get other partners
chandising Council on the how important it is for it to to expand the canal if you is a key part of the pro- the agricultural industry. involved in it.
Soy Transportation Coali- be there, Gottman said. cant feed it. Its a chain re- gram designed to help par- Sims has visited neither
tion, which sponsored the The money they spent action, Gottman said. It
December trip. The coali- to expand it and make it doesnt matter if its faster
there if we dont improve
Trade Facts the river system. We can-
not ignore the importance
Trans-Pacific Partnership with Japan and 10 other nations and economic impact it
removes trade barriers with countries that account for up to 42 has on everybody, not just
percent of all U.S. agricultural exports totaling $63 billion. (U.S. farmers. That river has to
Department of Agriculture) work.
Japan is the fifth largest market for the U.S. (behind China, So do trade agreements
Canada, Mexico and the European Union) with more than $13 to keep markets open for
billion in U.S. agricultural exports and the top market for U.S.
American farmers and for
beef, pork, wheat and corn. (USDA)
Illinois Soybean Growers in March plan to visit Cuba, the groups products moving to cus-
seventh visit since March 2012. In the year since President tomers around the world.
Barack Obama moved to normalize trade relations with Cuba, ISG Its not only whats go-
was a founding member of the U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba, ing on in our backyard, but
helped organize a meeting with Sen. Dick Durbin about Cuba and its a world business now.
led the Illinois Cuba Working Group a bipartisan mission to Cuba. Weve got to open our mar-
(ISG)
kets up to everybody, to as
USDA, in collaboration with the Office of the U.S. Trade Rep-
resentatives, in January reached agreement with South African
many people as possible,
officials to allow most U.S. exports of poultry, pork and beef and and weve got to keep good
their products to regain access to the South African market. products to be able to do
This is good news for American farmers, ranchers and poultry, that, Darren Sims said.
pork and beef companies, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack The Liberty farmer
said. leaves this month for a
The last seven years have represented the strongest period firsthand look at trade
for American agricultural exports in the nations history, totaling
options in Japan then in
$911.3 billion between fiscal years 2009 and 2015. (USDA)
The value of U.S. agricultural and related exports to China has Panama.
more than tripled during the last 10 years, reaching a record $29.6 The international study
billion in fiscal 2014. seminar for the Illinois
WHIG.COM | HERALD-WHIG | FARM & FIELD
Greg Drebes tags and inoculates a newborn calf Jan. 19 as its mother stands watch at his farm near Monroe City, Mo. With falling beef prices, producers such as Drebes are looking at ways to lock in
beef profits. | H-W Photo/Phil Carlson
Learning to grow with the flow
Cattle producers can learn from corn farmers in managing risk as prices slip from record highs
By DEBORAH GERTZ HUSAR
Staff Writer | 217-221-3379
dhusar@whig.com | @DHusarWHIG
MONROE CITY, Mo.
Greg Drebes ticks off a
list of possibilities for his
cattle herd.
He could sell some
steers outright, keep some
heifers for replacements
and sell the remaining
heifers through the Show-
Me-Select program.
This fall, for example, I
decided to feed my steers
out this time. The market
fell so much from last
year that I hope to recap-
ture some of that, Drebes
said.
The plan might work,
or it might not, as farm-
ers such as Drebes look
at ways to maintain profit
levels as cattle prices slip
from record highs.
Theres still some
profit in it if you havent
over-extended yourself on
some high-priced cows or
new equipment, Drebes
said.
Were always opti-
mistic, or we wouldnt
be doing it. I dont think
well get back to the levels
we were, but we might
hold here and maybe put
some more money on it.
It depends a lot on what
governments do, the
export market, the overall
economy if people are eat-
ing meat or not.
University of Missouri
beef economist Scott
Brown says cattle produc-
ers can learn from corn
farmers, who have faced
volatile drops in crop
prices by managing risk.
Have a plan, he said.
Doing nothing is a plan,
just not a good plan.
Daniel Mallory, MU
Extension livestock
specialist based in New
London, said many
Northeast Missouri
cattle producers just
wean calves and take
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2015 | 9
PRICE RISKS Were always
Missouri ranks third in U.S. cattle numbers, but University of optimistic, or
Missouri economist Scott Brown points out many risks facing cattle we wouldnt
prices that already trend lower:
be doing it.
A strong U.S. dollar that cuts foreign trade.
Possible drops in consumer demand, or lower-priced pork and
I dont think
chicken might sway consumers. well get back
Growing cattle supplies could cut beef prices. to the levels we
Disease risks, such as mad cow, which halted U.S. beef exports were, but we might hold here and
and cut prices.
maybe put some more money on
A slowing of export sales which means U.S. consumers have
more beef to eat.
it.
Greg Drebes
them straight to the sale the sale barn.
barn. When calf prices stayed In a news release, Its like buying crop
There are guys being steady for years at a time, Brown said herd owners insurance, Brown said.
a little more proactive. risk management was not have multiple ways to lock Agents who offer crop
Some contract with a as critical. But with prices in prices. insurance often sell LRP.
feedyard and maintain continuing to slide from Farmers can forward If they dont sell it, they
ownership, and, with the record levels of more than contract cattle for future will know who does.
way prices are fluctuat- $200 per hundredweight, delivery. Feeder calves or Insurance can protect
ing, there will be more producers have more risk fed cattle can be hedged all or part of the calf crop.
of that contracting, to manage. in the futures market, and Lowering protection lev-
Mallory said. Getting a In reality, prices arent the newest protection is els lowers costs.
set price will become the bad. They were just used insurance offered by the Buying livestock insur-
norm, but whether thats to getting higher prices Livestock Risk Protection ance is like buying car or
in five years or 10 years, last year, Mallory said. program with premiums house insurance, Brown
Im not sure. People will They dont know how low underwritten in part by said. You dont want to
look at securing a price prices will go or whether the U.S. Department of collect. Its a cost of stay-
versus what they get in theyll turn up real soon. Agriculture. ing in business.
10 | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2016 FARM & FIELD | HERALD-WHIG | WHIG.COM

Election 2016: Ag community keeps eye on issues, candidates

By DEBORAH GERTZ HUSAR
Staff Writer| 217-221-3379
dhusar@whig.com | @DHusarWHIG
ROCKPORT, Ill. David Gay will be
keeping a close eye on more than his
corn and soybean fields this spring.
Gay will be watching what political
candidates say, and do, connected with
agriculture.
This election is a big one, not just
presidential but congressional as well,
because government has a heavy hand in
a lot of what we do, said Gay, a Rockport
farmer and president of the Pike County
Farm Bureau.
We encourage people to make the
effort to learn about the candidates, vote
and make your voice heard. Youve got to
participate, he said. People are happy
to make decisions for you, but theyre
usually not the ones youd make for
yourself.
Gay and area farmers last year took
the opportunity to continue to make
their voices heard on issues ranging
from the proposed Grain Belt Express
transmission line to the federal Waters
of the U.S., or WOTUS, rule and the
states Nutrient Loss
Reduction Strategy.
We have to find
a way to help people
understand that a lot
of these issues dont
only apply to us but to
everyone directly or
indirectly, Gay said.
Farmers dont always
like to talk a lot about
what they do, but its
important the public
understands whats
going on. John Grause, precinct captain for Democratic presidential candidate
Just as important is Hillary Clinton, wears a pin supporting Clinton during a Feb 1. Demo-
making sure can- cratic party caucus in Nevada, Iowa. | AP Photo
didates understand
issues important to
agriculture and that agriculture un-
derstands candidate positions.
Agricultural issues are never going to
be front and center in the presidential
debate. Theres so many interests all
competing for time, so its kind of up to
us to bring up the issues, said Adam
Nielsen, Illinois Farm Bureaus national
legislative director.
Already in the debate are issues such
as trade, immigration and regulation.
Candidates of both parties havent
made expanding trade a priority, but
this is not going to be a particularly
profitable time for us in the near future.
We need every new market we can get,
Nielsen said.
Farmers raising livestock, dairy cattle,
fruits and vegetables need the stable
work force that immigrants provide. On
the campaign trail, theres a lot of de-
monization with the immigration issue, understanding of agricultural policies
Nielsen said.
He does, however, hear strong senti-
ments that over-regulation can be a
burden on the economy.
Theres a bright spot there, he said.
This months Iowa Caucuses turned
the spotlight on another agricultural
issue.
The fact renewable fuels came up
in the course of the campaign and is
importance for rural communities and
energy security, thats always very help-
ful, Nielsen said. We probably wouldnt where we stand.
have that discussion if it werent for
Iowa.
When the parties settle on nominees,
the potential impact on agriculture
could become more clear.
Thats when they start to build their
agricultural teams, when they start to
flesh out some of their policy positions
and when we have an opportunity to
influence their positions, Nielsen said.
The last three presidencies havent
brought huge shifts in farm policy.
We still have a Congress where 100
senators represent agricultural districts
and a shrinking number of congress-
men represent agricultural districts, but
many of them have been around for a
while and have some influence, Nielsen
said. Theres an awful lot of turnover
in Congress, and thats going to be our
challenge making sure all these new
people who are elected have a better
and issues.
People such as Nielsen and farmers
such as Gay both have important roles to
play in that education process.
Sometimes people think they dont
have a voice or it doesnt matter whether
they participate or not, but that couldnt
be further from the truth, Gay said.
When we organize ourselves and share
opinions and make those contacts, it all
matters. It doesnt always turn out the
way we want it to, but at least they know
WHIG.COM | HERALD-WHIG | FARM & FIELD SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2016 | 11

Area farmers hoping for good weather conditions in 2016

By EDWARD HUSAR
Staff Writer | 217-221-3378
ehusar@whig.com | @EHusarWHIG

QUINCY Farmers in
West-Central Illinois and
Northeast Missouri hope
2016 weather is in their
favor.
Last year, unusually wet
weather wreaked havoc
for farmers on both sides
of the Mississippi River.
Illinois had its sixth-
wettest year on record in
2015, according to Jim
Angel, state climatolo-
gist for the Illinois State
Water Survey. Missouri
had its fourth-wettest
year, according to Pat
Guinan, climatologist for
the University of Missouri
Extensions commercial
agriculture program.
Exceptional moisture
in May, June and July
caused problems with
planting in both states.
Illinois, one of the na-
tions leading pumpkin Cattle standing and stranded in a flooded field near Eureka, Mo., during excessive rains early winter.| Jocelyn Augustino/FEMA, wikimedia commons
growers, had a worse crop
than usual because of the especially getting in their Likewise, Illinois also this spring, Guinan said. souri both may be facing out, he said.
inability to plant pump- soybean crop last year, has been experiencing an We just hope we have an increased chance of Angel said the season
kins in many areas of the Guinan said. A lot of uncommonly wet winter. some drying opportuni- being a little warmer and that is hardest to predict
state. acres were fallow because We havent had a lot ties come March and dryer than average. for weather patterns in Il-
Angel said Illinois expe- we had chronic muddi- of snowfall but a lot of April where they can get The El Nino is ex- linois is summer because
rienced its wettest June in ness. rain, Angel said. In that into the fields and plant, pected to continue for so much of it is driven by
history. Even though some respect, soil moisture is which obviously was a the next several months local conditions.
Seven of our last eight parts of the two-state fully recharged, rivers huge problem last year. and probably die out at In the summertime,
springs were on the wet region experienced a mild and streams are bank full Angel and Guinan the end of spring or early you can have an area that
side, Angel said. Weve drought during the fall, and then some and said long-range weather summer, Angel said. It is on the dry side and
had a lot of years there more heavy rain came lakes a ponds are fully re- forecasts by the National is very normal for that to your neighbors to the
where weve struggled late in the year. charged. So were in good Weather Service and the happen. Thats its natural north and south can be
with a wet spring. Thats We had the wettest shape in that regard. Climate Prediction Center life cycle. getting plenty of rain, he
been kind of the big prob- November-December on Guinan agrees subsoil suggest that the El Nino Angel said its hard to said. Youre missing out
lem in recent years too record when you com- moisture in Northeast event that produced so predict what weather pat- on all the thunderstorms
wet, not too dry. bine those two months, Missouri is plentiful, much rain during the past terns will emerge after the because your pocket just
Missouri also had an Guinan said. Nothing which is good news for year is expected to begin El Nino ceases because happens to be dry that
unusually wet spring last can come close to what farmers. losing its punch in the results have varied after year, and it just kind of
year. the state witnessed for They like to put that next few months. That previous El Nino events. gets stuck in that local
It was extremely hard statewide precipitation. It moisture in the bank so means West-Central Il- Its just all over the board pattern.
for row-crop farmers, was just unprecedented. they can tap into it come linois and Northeast Mis- on how its going to play

Congratulations
Todd & Sharon Knorr!
12 | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2016 FARM & FIELD | HERALD-WHIG | WHIG.COM

Resistant pigs really good thing for the industry

By DEBORAH
GERTZ HUSAR
Staff Writer | 217-221-3379
dhusar@whig.com | @DHusarWHIG

QUINCY A project
involving University of
Missouri researchers may
hold the key to stem a
multimillion-dollar drain
on the pork industry.
Porcine Reproductive
and Respiratory Syn-
drome, a virus first de-
tected in the U.S. in 1987,
costs North American
farmers more than $600
million a year. But a team
from MU, Kansas State
University and Genus plc
have bred pigs that are
not harmed by the virus.
Early-stage results of
the research are promis-
ing, but Genus expects it
will be at least five years
until animals resistant
to PRRS a virus that
causes reproduction diffi-
culty in pigs, stops weight
gain and carries a high
mortality rate will be
available to farmers.
The next step is we need
to show the animals con-
tinue to grow and perform
as other animals, then
start thinking about how to
integrate this into a breed-
ing company, said Randall
Prather, distinguished pro-
fessor of animal sciences These pigs were bred to be resistant to the Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus as a result of to research work by the University of Missouri, Kansas
in MUs College of Agri- State University and Genus plc. The research could provide a way to stem a multimillion-dollar drain on the pork industry. | Submitted Photo
culture, Food and Natural
Resources. of white blood cells in ter editing the genome Pittsfield-based Pike officer and head of re- tive response from the ag
Prather said the re- the lungs, while a second to knock out CD163 Pig Systems, sees a real search and development community, but little inter-
search work built on protein, known as CD163, production and sending advantage for any farms for Genus, in a release. est from the mainstream
models predicting how would uncoat the virus three pigs to Kansas State using the technology be- There are several critical media and consumers,
the virus infects cells. and allow it to infect the University to be chal- cause it could be one less challenges ahead as we although Prather sees the
Researchers believed animals. lenged with the virus, disease to worry about. develop and commer- technology having incred-
that the virus enters pigs Prathers group two with other pigs coughing This could be a really cialize this technology; ible potential for other
by being inhaled into the years ago showed that all over them, they never good thing for the indus- however the promise is livestock diseases.
lungs where it attached eliminating sialoadhesin got sick, Prather said. It try, he said. Not all the clear, and Genus is com- PRRS, though, was
to a protein known as si- had no effect on PRRS was amazing. producers use [Genus], so mitted to developing its a unique situation in
aloadhesin on the surface susceptibility. But af- John McIntire with it will be interesting to see potential. which vaccines were
if it sways some people to Looking at numbers not effective. Vaccines
that company. It will be from just North America generally have been
interesting to see if other and Europe, Prather said effective against most
companies follow suit and the virus costs about $6 other diseases, so there is
try to develop similar tech- million a day. less incentive to use the
nology. Its a slow process If youve talked to any technology that differs

Congratulations ... but theyre constantly

trying to increase the im-
munity level and disease
producers that have had
a PRRS outbreak, its a
financial loss, but this isnt
from efforts to genetically
modify plants or animals.
Theres no transgene,

Todd and Sharon KnorrFamily resistance all the time.

MU has signed an
exclusive global licensing
as Farm Family of the Year! deal for potential future
commercialization of
virus-resistant pigs with
Genus. If the development
stage is successful, the
commercial partner will
seek any necessary ap-
provals and registration
from governments before
a wider market release.
The demonstration of
genetic resistance to the
PRRS virus by gene edit-
ing is a potential game
changer for the pork
industry, said Jonathan
Lightner, chief scientific
just a dollars-and-cents
thing, Prather said. Its an
incredible emotional loss.
The financial recovery
for an affected farm could
take six months to a year,
but when an outbreak
forces a producer to
depopulate a barn and
sell all the animals its
hard on the employees
who work so hard to
have something like that
happen, McIntire said.
PRRS seems to be fairly
prevalent this winter,
more so than normal.
A promising way to con-
quer the virus has drawn
an overwhelmingly posi-
no gene from another
species, Prather said. Its
editing, or altering, the
genetic sequence already
in that animal.
Prather said the work
may be his most satisfy-
ing at MU.
A lot of things have
been done in biomedi-
cine, which is great fun,
but my heart is in agri-
culture, and to see the
same applications there
is really satisfying, he
said. In pictures of pens
full of pigs, a few have the
genetic edit, but you cant
pick them out. They all
look the same.

1st Farm Credit Services YO U R F I R S T C H O I C E

436 S. 54th Street Quincy, IL 62305
(800) 396-9941 (217) 222-4000
www.1stfarmcredit.com
Kelvin Triplett, Vice President
Mark Wernowsky, Vice President
Jessica Carolan, Vice President
Ethan Koch, Crop Insurance Specialist
Katherine Roskamp, Vice President-Rural Consumer

Agricultural Financing Crop Insurance Home Loans

Appraisals Leasing Agribusiness and More.
Equal Credit Opportunity Lender. Equal Housing Lender.
Crop Insurance is available to all qualifying producers regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age,
disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status.
WHIG.COM | HERALD-WHIG | FARM & FIELD SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2016 | 13

PLANT, LEARN, REPEAT

Many factors determine
crop mix each year;
past experience helps
farmers sort them all out

By DEBORAH GERTZ HUSAR

Staff Writer | 217-221-3379
dhusar@whig.com | @DHusarWHIG

TAYLOR, Mo. Theres

usually plenty of back and
forth when Brent Hoerr makes
his planting decisions.
Theres a lot of variables
that go into it, and each farmer
has his own way of doing it
with all the info they have to
work with, said Hoerr, who
farms in the Mississippi River
bottoms near Taylor. We take
the university information,
seed company information, our
own experiences, and just how
we utilize the resources that
we have. The economy plays a
big factor in it, looking ahead
on the markets and costs and
what the banker has to say.
All those factors help Hoerr
decide how to divide his acres
between corn and beans.
In recent years, he has
leaned toward planting more
corn than soybeans, even Brent Hoerr stands on his farm near Taylor, Mo. Hoerr says he takes a lot of things into consideration each year when making planting decisions and has in recent
though corn is a more expen- years leaned toward planting more corn than soybeans. Hes working on a rotation of two years of corn, one year of soybeans. | H-W Photo/Steve Bohnstedt
sive crop.
Im working on a two-year something. Extension agronomist Bill Corn yields also benefit from with the prior years results.
corn, one-year bean rotation, Missouri farmers plant 3 Wiebold said in a news release. rotation. Rotated corn produc- Last year was pretty disap-
Hoerr said. million acres of corn and 5.5 Farmers who plant corn one es 12 percent more bushels per pointing on crops, especially
Its worked well in some million acres of soybeans each year and soybeans the next acre than continuous corn. in the bottoms because of
fields, less well in others. year, the Midwests highest realize no loss. When they Every other year works, high water. Overall the coun-
The few things you dont ratio of soybean to corn, so follow with soybeans a second Wiebold said. Its simple, but try had a good corn crop and
factor in can change the some farmers, for a variety year, a 9 percent loss happens it works very well for our Mis- bean crop, but some areas
outcome a whole lot, Hoerr of reasons, dont rotate crops immediately. souri farmers. really were affected negatively,
said. Thats where you learn. each year. What was planted two years But its not enough to per- Hoerr said. You try to guess
Hopefully its a good learn- Yield loss occurs immediate- ago doesnt matter, but what suade every farmer, as rotation right. Sometimes you do.
ing experience rather than a ly, however, when crops arent farmers planted the year be- and yield-loss potential factor Sometimes you dont. It makes
bad one, but you always learn rotated, University of Missouri fore affects yield. into cropping decisions along things challenging.

If a weed cant grow, it cant

be Roundup-resistant
Growers turns to more tools in war against pervasive weeds
By DEBORAH GERTZ HUSAR Even with crop prices down and
Staff Writer | 217-221-3379
dhusar@whig.com | @DHusarWHIG producers trying to save where they can,
guys are still willing to spend money
per acre, Grimes said. They know if
QUINCY With resistant weeds they dont, weeds can become a problem
gobbling up more headlines during the more than they are.
growing season, Matt Scouting fields for weed populations
Grimes is taking a dif- remains key, and so does vertical till-
ferent approach. age with new tools that stir the soil
He focuses on fall without disturbing surface residue.
and spring residual That little bit of tillage is stopping a
herbicide applications lot of weeds from growing, Grimes said.
for his farm and for Adams County and its neighbors have
his chemical custom- isolated areas with resistant weeds, but
ers instead of relying Hager I dont think its completely widespread
on glyphosate, or University of yet like it is in some parts of the state,
Roundup, to control Illinois weed Grimes said.
weeds. scientist
Keeping it that way is the next chal-
Use a residual to stop weeds coming lenge.
out of the ground. If a weed cant grow, Theres no more pervasive issue in
it cant be Roundup-resistant, said
Grimes, who farms north of Quincy. WEED continues on 14

Congratulations to the
Todd and Sharon Knorr Family
Farm Family of the Year for 2016

AG MARKETING RISK MANAGEMENT INDIVIDUALIZED PLANS

Developing your marketing plan is essential in todays volatile market place.

We would be glad to go through marketing alternatives with you.
Please call us to set up an individualized marketing plan.
1891 Maine St., Ste 6 119 A E. Broadway
Quincy, IL 62301 Brunswick, MO 65236
217-224-8525 866-815-1717 877-808-0346
Managing marketing risk everyday.
Solutions to your grain and livestock marketing needs.

Chuck Schroeder Toni Dunker Tammy Hogan Beverly Henke Spencer Harmon
Ag Risk Management Ag Risk Management Office Manager Ag Risk Management Ag Risk Management
Advisor Advisor Advisor Advisor
14 | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2016 FARM & FIELD | HERALD-WHIG | WHIG.COM

Remember weather factor

Weather conditions manage weeds with one weeds before they make
also play a key role in tool or one tactic, such seed, it wont just lead
weed control. as post-herbicide ap- to more expense the
In 2015, guys plications. next year. It will be
couldnt get fields The amount of weed added expense for sev-
sprayed because of all seed added back into the eral years, Hager said.
the rain. By the time seed bank in 2015 was Winter weather con-
they got it on, it was perhaps the largest seen ditions could help, or
a mess, said Matt in decades, especially hurt, weed population.
Grimes, an Adams with waterhemp, said If we maintain
County farmer and Aaron Hager, University warmer conditions,
chemical dealer. It of Illinois weed scientist. some insect predators
wasnt resistance, just With that in mind, that use weed seeds as
environmental. When theres a very likely food remain active. If
weeds are chest high to potential that some it turns out cold, a lot
a 6-foot-tall guy, theres fields in the state are of biological processes Palmer amaranth weeds rise from a soybean field. The pervasive weed is becoming more ubiqui-
not much out there to going to see densities stop, Hager said. With tous, and it has developed a resistance to glyphosate. | University of Illinois photo
kill something that big. of that particular weed severe cold, we may
Very dry conditions the highest theyve ever lose some weed seed WEED | FROM 13
in 2012, and just the op- seen in 2016. because the embryos
posite in 2015, highlight
the perils of trying to
If farmers are reluc-
tant to remove those
arent able to survive
those temperatures. Keep seeds of undesirable plants out
of fields for 3 or 4 years, you win
weed management in Illi- than one action group. heres the rub with a lot of
nois and other states than Coupled with little people: These long-term
the increasing frequency expectation for any new solutions are not always
of weeds we cannot target-site herbicides in simple, not always cheap,
chemically control any- the next five or 10 years, not always convenient
more, said Aaron Hager, were running out of but they will work.
University of Illinois weed chemical options, Hager The benefit, Hager said,
scientist. said. If I cant chemically comes in preserving crop
Waterhemp and horse- control a weed, Ive got to yield.
weed (marestail) are manage some other way, Fields with waterhemp
the two most common whether through tillage, or other weed species
herbicide-resistant weed cultural practices, modi- may see a 25 percent yield
species in Illinois. And, fication of row spacing, loss, so with a 50-bushel
Hager said, Palmer ama- planting date, crop rota- yield potential, and a 25
ranth also should be on tion, or heaven forbid percent loss multiplied by
the farmers radar screen. walk crops again and $9 soybeans, youve al-
What we feel is the cut [weeds] out by hand. ready lost well over $100
biggest challenge with Control weeds like per acre. Its lost yield,
resistance is not just that waterhemp and Palmer bushels that you never put
we cant control it with amaranth at their most into the hopper, Hager
glyphosate anymore. vulnerable stage as said.
Thats kind of old news, seeds, he recommends. It just highlights the
he said. Where we really If you do whatever it fact we need to think
feel the challenges will be takes to ensure you do not more strategically about
is the fact were dealing allow any plants in a field how we manage weeds,
now more and more with to produce seed for about he said. Were not going
instances of multiple 3 to 4 years, you will see to fix these challenges
resistance, where we have those population num- by opening a different
populations or individual bers plummet. Thats how jug and pouring it in the
plants resistant to more you win, Hager said. But tank.
WHIG.COM | HERALD-WHIG | FARM & FIELD
Survey indicates farmers legislative, regulatory concerns
By DEBORAH GERTZ HUSAR
Staff Writer | 217-221-3379
dhusar@whig.com | @DHusarWHIG
PITTSFIELD, Ill. A
statewide survey of Illinois
Farm Bureau members showed
striking down the U.S. Envi-
ronmental Protection Agencys
Waters of the U.S., or WOTUS,
rule was their top regulatory or
legislative concern.
Also on the list were tax reform,
maintaining the viability of
federal crop insurance, preserving
the Renewable Fuels Standard
and making transportation infra-
structure improvements.
Pike County Farm Bureau
continues to focus close to home
with the Grain Belt Express
project, a 780-mile high-voltage
electric-transmission line that
would stretch from Kansas
to Indiana that in November
won approval from the Illinois
Commerce Commission. Farm-
ers argued against the project
because of the disruption to
farmland and common farming
practices such as using irrigation
equipment, drones used for crop
scouting and relying on aerial
crop spraying and because
of the process the state used to
review the project.
The county organization asked
IFB to pursue further legal action
to contest the expedited review
process used for the project.
The project is too big to be
handled in that compressed
amount of time. It doesnt give
landowners enough time to
study the situation and pursue
what their rights as landown-
ers are, David Gay, Rockport
farmer and president of the Pike
County Farm Bureau, said.
Although IFB does not pro-
vide legal services to members,
it does provide expert advice.
We want to make sure
membership is aware they do
have rights, that there are rules
Clean Line has to follow, Gay
said. We want to make sure our
members are aware of what the
process is, and, in this particular
case, we encourage them to pur-
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY13, 2016 15W
13,2016 | 15
sue some legal advice.
Its a complicated
matter.
Farmers across
Illinois and beyond
continue speaking out
against implementing
WOTUS, a rule issued
by the EPA and the
Army Corps of Engi-
neers that may require
a Clean Water Act per-
mit for commonplace
farming practices that
result in discharges of
pollutants into water. ers because the changes were develop strategies emphasizing
U.S. Rep. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, coming from a government best management practices.
was a prime sponsor of a joint agencys rule-making, rather Farm Bureau and other inter-
resolution to kill the rule; Presi- than lawmakers who are known ested parties were invited to the
dent Barack Obama vetoed the to the farm community. table, talked about it and came
resolution in January. The rule Illinois took a different ap- out with a plan everybody can
took effect in August but is on proach by bringing stakeholders live with, Gay said.
hold pending legal challenges. together on its Nutrient Loss Re- Here was a case where
Here, again, this is where duction Strategy, a framework we got to talk it out with
farmers need to be united. They for reducing nutrient losses, various solutions farmers can
need to combine their voices so improving local water quality implement and encouraging
that our policymakers can hear and improving the quality of farmers to learn what things
what the concerns are, Gay said. water leaving the state and en- we might do on our farms
The WOTUS debate outlined a tering the Gulf of Mexico. Twelve individually to help keep the
new set of challenges for farm- Mississippi River basin states, nutrients where were putting
including Illinois, pledged to them.
16 | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2016 FARM & FIELD | HERALD-WHIG | WHIG.COM