Franklin County Farm Bureau

Does the rain we received on Wednesday make any difference? YES! Most of the crops are mature but late planted soybeans that are still green will benefit greatly from this rain sent from heaven. I received 2.3 inches and it came in perfect fashion. Pastures will have time for re-growth and perhaps delay the necessity of feeding hay to a much latter date. Yards and everyone’s general disposition will improve with this rain.

A new study indicates that a large segment of consumers do not believe U.S. farmers should be responsible for addressing global hunger. In its latest analysis of consumer trust in the food system, the Center for Food Integrity found that 40 percent of those surveyed strongly disagreed with the statement, “The United States has a responsibility to provide food for the rest of the world.” The study also shows that more than half the survey participants strongly agreed with the statement, “It is more important for the U.S. to teach developing nations how to feed themselves than to export food to them.”

A member asked me a question about something he heard in the coffee shop.  He was told by a farmer who was told by an Illinois State Police officer that a driver with a Class A license, not a CDL, was required to have a health card.

  While the officer is generally correct about the medical card, it has nothing to do with the driver’s license.  The class “A” license might be used by some officers as a “rule of thumb” for determining a farmer’s need for a medical card, but it’s not accurate throughout the spectrum of potential vehicle combinations.

There are two different weight thresholds involved here—10,001 pounds and 26,001 pounds.  That complicates the issue.

Farmers driving a straight truck (single-unit vehicle) – regardless of weight – are generally exempt from having to carry the “medical card” if they operate within certain limitations.  However, the farmer exemption from the medical card does not extend to combination vehicles; it applies only to straight trucks.  So, any farmer driving a semi or a truck-trailer combination (over 10,000 pounds) will have to get the bi-annual DOT physical and carry a medical card—whether or not he/she has a CDL.

But remember, not all truck-trailer combinations require a Class “A” license; the smaller ones (combined weights of 26,000 pounds or less) can be driven with a “B” license.  But still, that “B”-licensed driver (including farmers) would be required to have a medical card because the unit exceeds 10,000 pounds.

The Farmers Markets in Benton and West Frankfort continue to have great turnouts for their market day and most customers are those that use the market on a regular basis. Benton’s Market continues thru October from 3-6 Pm on Thursdays and on Tuesday’s at West Frankfort.

Remember we are farmers working together. If we can help let us know.

This week’s weather is the type I could get use to and work to my heart’s content doing about anything I want. Rain has been elusive and soybeans yields will be affected negatively. This may be the lowest yields in soybeans in recent years. Soybeans planted in wheat straw will be as short as I have seen unless rain comes soon.

Corn harvest is progressing but most farmers are waiting until next week to get serious about getting into fields. Most soybeans are at least 2 weeks away from maturity.

I attended the Ewing Field Day this week and corn looks fairly good but soybeans will be very poor.

One of the hot topics at the field day was that farmers will be dealing with now and in years to come is resistant weeds that are here to stay and could changes our farming practices to control them. The chemicals that we have used in the past have been excellent, mainly Round-up, but soybeans fields have water hemp growing and all but impossible to control at this point.

A new weed to watch is Palmer amaranth. This weed is prolific and is glyphosate resistant and makes Darwin’s Theory of natural selection somewhat true. Weeds find a way to build resistance to herbicides which is part of the curse from Adam.

Farmer questions regarding increased environmental regulations to President Obama during his visit to Illinois captured media attention, including a reference in an editorial in the Wall Street Journal. Apparently, Congressman Peter Roskam noticed these concerns as well. Congressman Roskam has invited Henry County farmer Rock Katschnig to be his guest at President Obama’s speech on job creation Thursday night in Washington, D.C. In addition to sitting in on the President’s speech, Rock will conduct a number of media interviews during his time in the capitol.

It would truly be awesome to be able to talk with the President about issues that affect farmers and get specific about how he wants to deal with environmental issues. I would like to ask him how the issue of curbing the deduction of corporate jets would affect farmers by eliminating deprecation on machinery. These issues have far reaching consequences and we need to be informed how the corporate jet deduction (depreciation) affects businesses and farmers.

The tax code needs to be reform but cannot be done in a matter of hours as most legislation is created today. There needs to be debate and time given to reform.

That is not what has happened in the last few years with major legislation that is not a thoughtful process.

I remember the Civil Rights Act in 1965 that was passed after much debate and had a generally positive affect on society. Health reform and budgets are passed under deadlines that do not allow for good legislation.

Remember we are farmers working together. If we can help let us know.

 Corn harvest has begun in Franklin County and moisture levels are dry for corn as no rain and low humidity is causing almost drought like conditions. Soybean yields are being greatly affected with no rain and pasture has lost any green growth. Hay may be needed soon for cattle. Corn silage is almost all in the silos. Yields on corn are running 75 to 140 bushels per acre.

The outcome of the 2011 crop is still unknown but it is predicted that the U.S. net farm income should reach a record $103.6 billion this year, according to an updated report released Tuesday by the Agriculture Department’s Economic Research Service. This represents a 31 percent jump over last year, with ERS citing higher crop and livestock prices as reasons for the big gain. ERS pegged 2010 net farm income at $79.1 billion.

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Recently, Illinois farmers stepped up and offered comments to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) about issues such as, should farmers be considered as “for hire” if they have a 50/50 cost share agreement with a landowner? Illinois Farm Bureau added to the positive impact by inviting top management at FMCSA to Illinois. IFB wanted these decision-makers to see for themselves what farm equipment looks like and how farmers and ag retailers operate.

Success! These federal officials took IFB up on their offer and recently had a whirlwind tour of Central Illinois’ farming community. They visited a grain elevator, ethanol plant, and a fertilizer facility.

“What this trip has done so well – and I credit the Farm Bureau and its leaders for setting it up this way – is helped us connect the dots and understand the essentiality of the exceptions and exemptions in place for farmers,” Anne Ferro, FMCSA administrator.

The federal officials also visited a tractor dealership, where the visitors got a first-hand opportunity to drive the tractors they regulate.

“Come on, Anne, it’s your turn,” salesman Jerry Welch invited Ferro, who wore a large smile as she steered around the lot. Griffin whipped out a camera to record the experience on video before taking a spin herself.
The farmer hosts answered many questions and explained not only their farm lease arrangements, but also how they use transportation in their operations.
“I thought it would be a great opportunity to show them what we actually do on a farm as far as transportation of our commodities from the farm to the market,” Schuler said.
“Seeing is believing,” Ferro added.
After seeing the scale of farms and farm equipment, the FMSCA officials left Central Illinois with many photographs and videos of their farm experiences, new perspectives of agricultural technology, and toy replicas of the tractor they drove.

Remember we are farmers working together. If we can help let us know.

Our annual Corn Yield Tour was on Tuesday morning that resulted in an estimated county average of 118.4 bushels per acre. As usual this event allows everyone to see some trends in corn production. The biggest issue is plant populations. The higher yields are always in the 28-30,000 populations. It is difficult to have a large enough ear to overcome a population around 20,000 plants.

Barren              123.6

Benton             108.3

Browning          108.0

Cave                121.9

Denning            111.5

Eastern             120.5

Frankfort          119.3

Goode              138.6

Northern          113.6

Tyrone             114.8

Six Mile            108.5

Townships   12

Average           118.5

While the stock market roller coaster continues and the housing market stays stagnant, Illinois farmland just keeps gaining in value.  In Illinois, farmland values rose 19 percent in the second quarter of 2011 compared with the same period in 2010, the largest year-over-year increase since the 1970s, noted the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

It was 10 years ago that a group from the I & I Antique Tractor and Small Engine Club decided to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Farm Progress Show by staging a show of their own.  They called it the Half Century of Progress farm show.  I & I officials decided to continue the show.  The fifth Half Century of Progress show (held every two years on the grounds of the Rantoul airport) will run Thursday through Sunday.  The event draws tens of thousand of people, some from overseas.

The education of farmers each year goes beyond the three days of the Farm Progress Show.  Three businesses this year are adding permanent structures for their exhibits, including family-owned seed company Beck’s Hybrids.  Also, Beck’s recent marketing efforts have been focused on a series of field days it holds in August.  In previous years, Wyffels Hybrids has held a Corn Strategies seminars in Decatur.  Monsanto has gathered growers for Corn College events to get a peek at its latest products.

Remember we are farmers working together. If we can help let us know.