CPS Internship

Hey guys great news. I started my internship this week and let me tell you I have learned soooooo much. So far I have learned how to take tissue samples to be sent in the lab and how to drive a truck with a loaded nurse tank behind me. I even got to go to fields by myself today and take samples alone. Te hard part was finding the fields because I have never used a plot map before or had to actually use county signs like 500N. Let me tell you my GPS came in handy and so did my dad and his knowledge because I got lost. I ended up being bout five miles in the wrong direction, but in the end I figurd it out and got seven out of the nine tests done in the two hours I had to, get them which was good. I also got to know what it feels like to drive a truck with a nurse tank hooked up to it. Man when it is loaded, it is harder than I thought it would be. Going slow was my best friend, but once it was unloaded it was so much easier, especially when I needed to slam on the breaks. People really don't pay attention on back country roads, even when there is a big sprayer in front of me. But either way, so far this internship has been great and I can't wait to see what else is in store for the summer!!!! If you ever get a chance to take sin internship, I really reccomend it, it is defiantly worth being sore from walking fields.

Mother's Day

I know this is a tad bit late but better late than never. I just want to let all those mothers out there Happy Mother's Day and we really appreciate you and everything you have done for us over the years. I am so happy for everything my mom has done for me especially lately since I am moving for the summer. It is scarey enough moving, but leaving her is the hardest. She is making it easier though. So Thanks Mom for EVERYTHING!!

                

Could Soybeans Best Old Record of $16.63?

May 11, 2012

By: Fran Howard

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• Full Coverage of the May 10 USDA Reports
• As Usual, USDA Reports Contain Surprises

Soybean producers should be smiling as they wrap up the 2012-13 planting season.

USDA’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates, released May 10, showed that both U.S. and world ending stocks of soybeans are nearing record lows and analysts are not ruling out a spike in prices that bests the 2008 all-time high of $16.63 for the nearby futures contract.

First the numbers:

Ending stocks of soybeans were substantially lower than the trade anticipated, with old-crop ending stocks at 210 million bushels, compared with an average estimate of 221 million bushels. New-crop bean stocks were even lower at 145 million bushels, compared with an average trade estimate of 170 million bushels.

For the 2008-09 crop year, ending stocks fell to 138 million bushels. "This report puts soybean ending stocks right down there with 2008’s. The stocks-to-use ratio is well below 5%. This is very reminiscent of 2008," says Chad Hart, agricultural economist at Iowa State University. USDA left the 2012-13 soybean yield at 43.9, which could prove low if planting progress continues at its current pace and the growing season remains favorable.

"The soybean market is diverging quite a bit from the corn market," says Brian Basting, analyst with Advance Trading, Bloomington, Illinois. Basting was the commentator on an MGEX press conference call following the report. "We are looking at the impact of a much smaller crop in South America," Basting says.

World Supply and Demand

USDA now estimates the Argentine soybean crop at 42.5 million metric tons, but Basting says some analysts anticipate that production there will drop below 40 million tons by the time the final numbers are tallied. Brazil’s 65-million-metric-ton crop could also decline, he says.

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As China and other buyers turn to U.S. suppliers for soybeans in 2012-13, U.S. soybean exports could reach record-large levels. "USDA is implying a fundamentally bullish season through new harvest in South America," says Jack Scoville, market analyst with Price Futures Group, Chicago. The 2013 South American harvest will be the first real opportunity for U.S. soybean prices to back off, he adds.

"With stocks projections as tight as they are on both old and new crop, the market will be very sensitive to weather," Scoville states. "With any type of a hiccup, prices could be sharply higher. New records could be set—easily—but it will take weather to do that." He notes that the previous record-high soybean price was $16.63. "Can we do that again? Absolutely," he says.

After that, though, USDA is projecting a large rebound in world soybean production, with 2012-13 world production up 15 percent, compared to the current marketing year. "We are seeing a worldwide response to fill the soybean need," says Hart.

The Wildcards

As for exports, USDA has exports, primarily to China, rising over the next 18 months. "China has booked this year’s soybeans out of South America and those contracts are expected to be honored," Scoville notes. "Now China is buying new-crop out of the United States."

China shifted some soybean acreage into other crops, primarily corn and wheat, this year increasing its need to import soybeans, both for oil and animal feed. "We need to continue to watch China," says Hart. "Will U.S. exports to China hold up? Prices are getting close to the level that, if China is going to pull back, it will start to do that."

With animal numbers climbing globally, feeding should remain strong into the new marketing year, and analysts doubt that a minor slowdown in the global economy will do much to derail demand for animal products. "Maybe a few less T-bones will be served," says Scoville. "But USDA is implying good feed demand."

Perhaps, just like in 2008, the biggest wildcard today is Europe. "If Europe’s problems continue to spread, there is the possibility of slower economic growth globally and possibly even another global recession," Hart says. "But for now, global demand is climbing."

Finals....

Well guys it's finals week at the wonderful institution called Illinois State University. I know I should be studying just like the other normal students, but all I can think about is what am I going to do this summer and after school is actually over for me? I only have a year left of college and I will have my degree in agriculture that I have worked so hard for. But anyways, I should be studying but the only thing that keeps crossing my mind is what do I really want to do once I graduate. I know I want to work at an agriculture related business but the key term is where? I keep leaning towards ag retail and being a sales representative.
                                                              
Doesn't that sound fun? This is what I have worked the last three years for and still have a year left to work at. Honestly though, it is definitly worth everything I have put into this education. If I accomplish anything with this post, I hope I can put a spark into someone to look into going to college and enhancing their knowledge. Knowledge is power and even if you are going to just be on the farm managing it for the rest of your life, there are classes to help you make good decisions and keep your farm in good terms.
                                                       

farming's easy??? really??

What kind of boots?

There are many different boots out there. There are western, high heels, snow boots, work boots, and many more. The ones I want to focus on are the ones in agriculture and the working world. Western boots and work boots are the main boots being used. The people who wear these boots are hard workers. They are out on the farm taking care of animals, going out to the field, and so much more.

Western boot wearers are those people who are comfortable in these boots. You spend all day on your feet, walking and taking care of the farm.

Work boots are the ones getting dirty, working on equipment, going to the field, and the ones inside the pens with the animals. These people are very hard working. You will find more people on the road driving trucks and working construction. These people are the ones who help keep the country running.

These boots were made for walking and working and that is just what these people do. They help grow the food we eat and keep everything running smoothly. Without construction workers , we would have problems with the roads and bridges and basically would not be where we are today.

So in the end I ask this question what boots do you wear?? Or on the other hand, what boots do you want to wear?

Original toys

So growing up I had the luxury of toys and games but then I got the fun job of working! I helped out on the farm and learned how to take care of horses. I always loved helping my parents and grandparents or locking the stall hands in the stalls, sorry nick and chad!!! But then I grew up and learned how to tie the doors shut so they deffinitly could not get out, again sorry guys! What are your guy's favorite stories growing up?

Successful Interveiws and Resumes

This is for all you people who are looking for jobs. These are just going to be little tips on how to have an effective interview and hopefully that will help get you the job.  Interviews are so important and basically determine whether or not you get the job.  It is always important to impress who you are talking to but you also do need to stay true to yourself. To get help with any of these there are workshops, the internet, books, and so much more. All you need to do is look.

First of all you need to dress for success.

                Dressing properly is always helpful and makes it look like you are really taking the opportunity seriously. Men should wear dress pants and a dress shirt that is tucked in. A tie and dress shoes won’t hurt either. Women should wear a knee length skirt or dress pants with dress shoes and dress shirt. A blazer would look nice too but not always necessary. Another pointer for women is to have at least half your hair put back because your hair could cause a distraction. Men should also watch their hair but it’s mainly facial hair. If you have any, make sure it is cleaned up or shave your face clean.

Secondly, make a resume.

                A resume is an important factor in an employer’s decision making process. A resume will tell your education, work experience, and other important things regarding your life. One look at this will basically tell the employer whether or not you deserve an interview or not. The resume should be error free and be in the correct format. It doesn’t hurt to have some references at the bottom as well. You can find things on the internet or in the library to help you build a resume.

Finally, First impressions last for a life time.

                A good first impression can get you places, bad first impressions will most likely get you a one way trip out the door. You want to let the interviewer basically set the environment but from there you need to be talking 70% of the time and let them talk about 30% because this is a way for them to get to know about you not the other way around. Make sure to shake their hand firmly and adjust to the different people in the room or in different interviews. You are selling yourself to this person, so be a good salesperson and sell yourself to the best of your abilities.

appreciation for ag teachers

A Cattleman's Prayer

The Cowman's Prayer

Don't know the author's name. Heard it sung in a cowcamp
near Fort Sumner,

on the Pecos River, New Mexico.

Now, O Lord, please lend me thine ear,
The prayer of a cattleman to hear;
No doubt the prayers may seem strange,
But I want you to bless our cattle range.

Bless the round-ups year by year,
And don't forget the growing steer;
Water the lands with brooks and rills
For my cattle that roam on a thousand hills.

Prairie fires, won't you please stop?
Let thunder roll, water drop.
It frightens me to see the smoke;
Unless it's stopped, I'll go dead broke.

As you, O Lord, my herd behold,
It represents a sack of gold;
I think at least five cents a pound
Will be the price of beef the year round.

One thing more and then I'm through,
Instead of one calf, give my cows two.
I may pray different from other men,
But I've had my say, and now, Amen.

Bill to extend Ethanol Tax Credit

The federal tax credit for ethanol is set to expire at the end of this year.
However, a bill recently introduced by North Dakota Rep. Earl Pomeroy and Illinois Rep. John Shimkus would extend the ethanol credit for five years at the current level of 45 cents per gallon.

 

The Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) is known as the “blender’s credit” because it goes not to ethanol producers, but to entities that blend ethanol with gasoline as an economic incentive to get renewable fuel to the retail marketplace. This economic incentive is usually passed on to consumers in the form of lower prices at the pump. The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) points to the tax credit’s benefits to consumers and to the jobs created by the ethanol industry as key reasons the credit should be extended.
“In today’s economy, the focus must be on creating jobs, and extending the federal ethanol tax credit will not only save thousands of American jobs, but it will allow new American jobs to be created as U.S. ethanol production and use continues to expand,” said Brian Jennings, Executive Vice President of ACE, the nation’s largest ethanol advocacy association.
Thirty grassroots members of the American Coalition for Ethanol were on Capitol Hill earlier this week for the organization’s second annual DC fly-in. The ethanol advocates met with more than 60 Members of Congress and their staff, asking for the reauthorization of VEETC and for support for more flex-fuel vehicles and ethanol blender pumps.
The Pomeroy-Shimkus “Renewable Fuels Reinvestment Act” also includes a five-year extension of the ethanol Small Producer Credit, the cellulosic ethanol tax credit, and the secondary tariff of 54 cents per gallon.
A recent study by LECG, LLC found that in 2009, the U.S. ethanol industry supported nearly 400,000 jobs in all sectors of the economy, including the ongoing production of ethanol, construction of new facilities, and research and development activities. The same study found that the ethanol industry more than pays for the cost of its tax credit. The two major federal incentives for ethanol, VEETC and the Small Producer Credit, together cost an estimated $5 billion in 2009. The combination of increased Gross Domestic Product and higher household income generated an additional $8.4 billion in tax revenue for the federal government in 2009, showing that the U.S. ethanol industry generated a surplus of $3.4 billion for the federal treasury.
Ethanol benefits gas prices in two ways: by creating a larger domestic supply of fuel which exerts downward pressure on overall gas prices, and through the 45-cent tax credit which is passed along to consumers at the pump. In many areas of the country, motorists can choose the E10 blend at the pump and save 5 to 10 cents per gallon compared to standard gasoline.
“Americans deserve relief for their pocketbooks in these tough economic times, and there is no tax credit that gets to the consumer level more directly than the ethanol tax credit. Letting VEETC expire would be the equivalent of raising taxes on Americans who purchase a U.S.-made, renewable product, but keeping and extending VEETC is an economic and energy security insurance policy that more than pays for itself,” Jennings added.
According to a new report by the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) at the University of Missouri, if VEETC expires U.S. ethanol production will decline and American jobs will be lost. Ethanol production would decline by an estimated 1.4 billion gallons in 2011 and 2012, and by 3.6 billion gallons by 2019. This would result in job losses at ethanol plants and at businesses that service and supply the industry.
A new study, conducted by economic consulting firm ENTRIX, found that the expiration of VEETC would result in the loss of more than 112,000 jobs in all sectors of the economy, and a reduction of domestic ethanol production by 38 percent. This would leave a void in the fuel supply likely filled by increased reliance on imported motor fuels. This study estimates a reduction in the nation’s Gross Domestic Product by $16.9 billion if VEETC is allowed to expire, the elimination of $2.7 billion in state/local tax revenues and $2.4 billion in federal tax revenues, and a reduction of U.S. household income by $4.2 billion.
The FAPRI report also found that if VEETC expires, corn prices would drop 15 cents per bushel over the 2010-2019 timeframe. Because ethanol helps create demand for corn, farmers are able to obtain a fair market price for their product; with higher prices for corn, federal counter-cyclical farm program payments are not needed to support prices. USDA estimated that in 2007, farm program payments were reduced by some $6 billion due to the higher value of a bushel of corn. If VEETC expires and corn prices drop, taxpayers will spend more on farm program payments.
The studies referenced here can be found in “Ethanol Research” under the “All About Ethanol” menu heading at http://www.ethanol.org.

Source: American Coalition for Ethanol, Delta Farm Press

Mar. 26, 2010 8:48am

Farm friends

So yesterday was a sad day for my family. My pet of many many years passed away. :(  So today in honor of my dog Shilo i wanted to write a little something about pets.



Pets can actually be a big help on a farm, especially dogs. Dogs can help with catching other animals, help keep away predators, eat annoying animals, and just really be the companion you need. They would be the one following you around even when you really do not want them to or getting into something that really just makes you laugh when they come to you with their tail in between their legs and eyes looking like "Uh Oh what did I do".

With kids around, dogs are great. They also help round up those kids and keep them out of trouble. Back when my dad was a kid, their farm dog would basically babysit him. When my dad would start to go somewhere he was not suppose to or the dog sensed there could be trouble, the dog would grab him by his pants with his teeth and drag him back to where he was suppose to be without ever harming him.

We need to remember that even though dogs are pets, they should not be taken forgranted because one day they will not be here and you will really miss what you had.

People always say that dogs are man's best friend and from experience I agree. Shilo was my best friend. Us girls like to talk our feelings and thoughts out and that dog was always there to lend a little tail wag or kiss when i needed it the most. He was always willing to do anything that I wanted him to and never hesitated. Him and I had this bond like non other. Not even the relationships with my other family members and him were as strong as his and mine. So yesterday I did not just loose a dog, but I lost one of my best friends and nothing will ever replace that.

Glenwood Peters

Wouldn’t you like to go back to the “Good Ole days?” It was the days when ice cream was 5 cents and there was penny candy.  Life seemed to be easier then, when it was small town living and everyone knew everyone and I mean everyone. There was nothing that you could do in a small town that didn’t get heard by everyone in the town.

Glenwood Peters grew up on a small farm in the 1930’s. He learned that you need to work hard to appreciate what you get out of life. He said, “If you didn’t have money, then you just didn’t go anywhere and back then there wasn’t really anywhere to go.” Glenwood grew up during the Great Depression on a farm near Benson, IL. Farming back then was a little different than it is today. There was not all the big technology that there is today or the intensive research on the genes of our crops. The information was just not available at the time.

They used horses not only for transportation but also for farming. They got their first tractor back in 1935. Their farm was very small since it was just some rented land that they could afford at the time, so he also decided to help out the neighbor for money.

Back then because there was no technology that helps out like it does today, they had to work extra hard to get all the chores done. Glenwood stayed to help his family with the farm but also worked a few nights a week to help bring money in to support his family. As technology got stronger and easier to get a hold of, things got a little easier on the farm just in the fact of the extra horse power.

Things are so different than back in the 1930’s. things have gotten better in the terms of technology and the enhancements of genes in crops. So here’s my question, do you think we could go back to no technology and only use ourselves and horses like they did back in the ole days???

Weather rant

So the weather has been super crazy! First its cold adn dreary and then it becomes totally beautiful! Then it gets cold and windy again but its totally crazy that it got wonderful again and we all were hoping for the shorts and t-shirts to be able to be kept out. Unfortunatly the weather has gotten cold once again and the long sleeve shirts have made an appearence once again. So whats the point Mr. Weather?? Can the weather just stay nice and warm or will it be one of those years where the weather is going to be totally crazy? What do you guys think???

Soybean market to shoot higher

Mike McGinnis03/26/2012 @ 8:34am

A stronger overnight trade along with a lot of bullish news items, the CME Group soybean market is set up for a sharply higher trade Monday.

The Early Calls for the commodities on Monday, March 26, 2012, are mostly higher.

Corn is seen opening 1-2 cents higher, soybeans 10-12 cents higher and wheat steady-to-higher.

In overnight trading, the July corn futures contract traded 1/2 of a cent higher at $6.45 per bushel. July soybean futures traded 12 cents higher at $13.83 3/4 per bushel, and July wheat traded steady at $6.64 1/2. For July soybean meal futures, the contract traded $3.50 per short ton higher at $377.40. July soybean oil futures traded $0.31 higher at $55.60.

The outside markets are mostly favorable for Monday's grain trade. The real factors driving the calls will be the higher soybean overnight markets.

Here are just a few supportive soybean news items from the Dow Jones Newswire Monday:

--Brazil's AgRural agency drops its Brazil 2011-12 soybean production estimate by 1.9% to 66.68 mmt.

--China 2011-12 soybean imports will be between 55-58.0 mmt, above 52.0 last year, Cofco Corp., a China state grain trader says.

--Oil World estimates global soybean output to fall by 22-23.0 mmt this year.

--China corn deficit to reach 17.0 mmt per year by 2020.

--Soybean prices are projected to go over $14 soon.

Possible Break in Feed Costs for Cattle Farmers

After years of rising corn and feed prices, livestock producers might get a reprieve if the upcoming USDA report corroborates what many expect: more corn planted this spring.

While fed cattle prices have been increasing, cattle feeders have been challenged with negative breakevens the last few years with not only higher feed costs, but higher feeder cattle prices. With the opportunity to lock in corn at between $5 and $6, that could help reduce breakevens. But volatility means that farmers and feeders will have to watch the market and take opportunities to lock in feed prices when available.
"The market is highly anticipating corn acreage will be adequate to build carryover for 2012-13, giving livestock producers opportunities to make more affordable feed purchases," says Pro Farmer's Julianne Johnston. "Of course the key is weather. Without a major weather threat, livestock producers will benefit from a larger corn acreage base in the coming year, but a weather threat would maintain a high level of price volatility."
The weather outlook shows warmer weather is here to stay, but the key is rainfall. While the overall outlook shows normal moisture conditions over much of the corn belt, there will be pockets of dry areas. That will be something to watch in the coming months. Rain or shine, though, this Friday's planting report will impact the market.
"The reports will influence corn and grain prices in both the near term and over the next year," says Darrel L. Good, Extension economist at the University of Illinois. "Those prices will influence the profitability of cattle currently being fed and may influence decisions about heifer retention and the timing of the re-building of the cow herd."
If cattle feeders begin showing positive returns, then those signals will trickle down to cow-calf producers to ramp up calf production to meet the demand of feedyards and packers in a time of shorter supplies.

~Kim Watson Beef Today Editor

Paige

Well guys, I was trying to figure out what to write about today and I came across something rather remarkable. While in high school of course you make tons of friends but none were as close as my horse judging friends. We spent so much time together trying to improve our skills and win at state. One person that I became rather close to is Paige Ruder. She is an amazing girl and very good with horses. She loves to ride and show and is very active in FFA and other school activities.

Honestly once you graduate high school and go on to college, you tend to loose touch of friends especailly when they are still in high school. Well we keep in touch by means of facebook and once in a while we will text. While playing on facebook I came across something kind of disturbing that happened to her. Now she can't remember what happened exactly but officials have decided that she might have been hit by a car while she was riding her horse Blu on the road.

Us riders tend to like to ride on or near the road just because then people yield better and can see us. Also it is a little easier on the horse rather than gravel. So anyways, she was knocked unconsious and her horse was pretty beat up. She was found by Mr. Edleman and was taken to the hospital. Luckily her guardian angel was flying with her that day and she only suffers from a skull fraction and a few other minor injuries. Both her and Blu will make full recoveries. All I have is to say is maybe there are guardian angels flying around watching over us and miracles do happen! Get well soon Paige!!!

Spring Break

Hey guys hows your week going? Spring break has been totally awsome. The weather has been great, got the first trail ride of the season done and learned that an older horse still has some get up and go. So anyways, got just a short little thing for y'all today to just get your minds turning. Got to love facebook for these wonderful little posters. This is so the basic needs of a typical country girl! Just kidding guys. What are your favorite posters???

Thank you Farmers

This just made me think on how wonderful our farmers are and how much they really do for us! Thank you farmers!!

Who's your farmer???

What do you really think of when you hear the name “Farmer”? Do you think of someone who raises things like crops and animals? Do you think of the old couple wearing bibs and are covered in mud? What is the first thing that really comes to your mind?

What people do not realize is that farmers play a major part in our lives whether we eat meat or just vegetables. A farmer is a huge supplier of all types of food. First of all did you know that one typical farmer can feed over 3000 people? Well a typical farmer does. With the land that they use they help supply enough food for those people or for many animals.

A farmer is not seasonal like most people assume. There are so many things that they have to do while crops are growing or in between harvesting and planting. The ground needs worked, the equipment needs attention for any malfunctions that may have occurred. They need to be able to keep up with the new technology and products out in agriculture worlds and that takes time and research. There are plenty of things a farmer will do on the supposed “down time”.

These farmers invest their time and money to help support a growing world with crops to feed the people and animals and animals to help feed the people as well. I would love to hear your stories of a farmer you care about or has impacted some aspect of your life. Post a picture on my Facebook page or just write a comment! Have fun with it!! So here is the cheesy question…. “Who’s your farmer?”

How to preserve cut flowers

Women love flowers, especially when they are given as a gift from that special someone. Here is some great ways to help cut flowers live longer in a vase so you have a longer time to look at their beauty. Flowers need food just like everything else and there is a cheap way to make flower food out of things from your kitchen.

Flower food

·         Teaspoon of sugar added to a pint of water to give the plant energy

·          To control pH, add a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar will help the levels

·         A teaspoon of bleach will help reduce bacteria

How to extend the life of cut flowers

·         Once the flowers are received a person needs to cut the stems at an angle with a sharp utensil. This will help the stems absorb more water and nutrients. It will also help the stems be more open at the end.

·         Remove any leaves or flowers near the bottom of the stems or that will be close to the water.

·         Add flower food to the water.

·         The flowers should be put in indirect sunlight and away from anything that might dehydrate the flowers after the flowers have been fed.

Some things that people might not know, is that once a flower or leaf begins to wilt it will affect the rest of the plant. The plant will naturally try to save the leaf and nutrients will still be sent to the dying part of the plant. If you remove the wilted flower or leaf, it may lengthen the life of your plant due to the nutrients being supplied elsewhere for the plant.

Every few days, the stem of the plant should be trimmed to encourage water flow into the plant. By cutting it the xylem and phloem will be able to take in water and send the hydration and nutrients to the sections of the plant faster. When you cut the stem of the flower, the water should also be changed and more food should be added

Weather

With all of this warm weather it is really starting to feel like spring! Soon we will be planting crops and gardens and enjoying the sunshine.  We will be hearing the birds chirping and the laughs of the children playing outside once again. All the flowers will start growing and blooming. The world will smell clean once again.

It’s really exciting to think that the weather will stay warm real soon! No more heavy coats and bibs or overalls! We can go outside in our jean bibs and cut off shirts and work till dark. Won’t that be nice, to be able to work dark and not be freezing cold? Or to be able to go to the barn and not worry about slipping on ice or about having to bust open ice for animals to be able to get to the water? My favorite part will just being able to work outside again and not have to go inside to warm up. In the spring if it gets hot you still don’t have to go inside, you can just find the nearest hose or lake or pond and there you go!

The weather will be so great. One thing I love to watch is storms. You can almost smell the rain coming in right before it starts. Then the thunder begins and the lightning strikes, no pun intended, and the storm is fully active. Once the storm is over and the clouds are moving out, the sun starts to shine and the world just looks completely peaceful and calm. It is rather relaxing for me.

All storms are not calm, some turn real bad and become destructive. I remember when the Parson’s Tornado hit my hometown. It was awful so many houses and cars were destroyed in seconds. What stories do you guys have about storms???

Keeping it Real: Throught the Lens of a Farm Girl

Ok guys I have stumbled upon a great article for you all to read! This is about one of my friends from ICC (which we both attended) and she is a great person! Hope you all read and love it! Oh, and thanks to her blog and to the My Generation Blog for this article!!!


Maybe you've heard of Erin Ehnle? No? How about Keeping it Real: Through the Lens of a Farm Girl? If you're into agriculture and you spend any time at all on Facebook, I bet you've seen her work.
In short, she's been creating an image a day since mid-January, combining lovely rural photography with various facts and quotes about agriculture. She publishes them on Facebook and she is marvelously talented, with an eye for both photography and design. She's a natural ag communicator; not many folks can share agriculture's key messages so very clearly and succinctly. And beautifully.
And get this: Erin is just 20 years old. She's a sophomore at Illinois Central College, with plans to transfer to the University of Illinois next year. Erin grew up on a farm near Edelstein with two younger siblings and her parents, Tony and Laura. She bought her camera by spending hours on the chisel plow, but she'll be the first to admit she wasn't always sold-out on agriculture.

"I didn't really understand it," Erin explains. "My mom is very involved in the farm business and I'd see them come home tired at the end of the day and their backs hurt. I was the oldest of three kids with a lot of responsibility and I thought, 'This is no fun!'"

I totally get that. I remember thinking the same, with a slight variation. Somewhere in my teen years I decided I wanted no part of this grain farming thing. It was nothing but bad weather and bad prices and stress. I'd just marry a nice guy and we'd show cattle. Clueless, with a capital C, that was me.

Erin was ahead of me, though. While it took me until college to see the error of my ways, Erin did her about-face during her tour in FFA. Her eyes were opened to the greater scope of production agriculture.

Along the way, she read the Time magazine story blasting modern agriculture. "I was really upset about how untrue it was, and I was embarrassed that I didn't know people were saying that about agriculture."
It lit a fire in her. And in the past 30 days, she's managed to become a leading advocate for agriculture in Illinois, garnering more than 3,800 "likes" on her Facebook page in a very short amount of time. Her images are shared all across the internet, and particularly on Pinterest.

Erin is one of 15 or so social media interns for the Illinois Corn Marketing Board, directed, essentially, to experiment with sharing agricultural truth on a given social media platform and to provide feedback on her results to the Corn Marketing Board. The cool thing is that all the while, she's connecting with people a farm organization doesn't normally reach.

Check out her stuff. Like her on Facebook and if you're on Pinterest, pin away. And check out the conversations happening on her page. Consumers, conventional farmers and organic farmers, all with colliding beliefs and all connecting through the images of this Illinois farm girl. It's good stuff.

Animal Rights

Currently there is a big debate with McDonald’s and pork producers. The entire debate is on whether or not sows should be put in farrowing crates or if they should be put in a pasture to roam. In the eyes of a consumer, they would believe that the pasture is better for them. Unfortunately that is not always the correct answer. Now for other animals like horses or dairy cattle, a little pasture time will not hurt them. On the other hand though, by putting sows in pastures instead of farrowing crates, you open an entire book of problems. First of all there is the dominance factor. There will be that one sow that wants control of the entire group and wants to be at the food first and so on. That sow will actually bite at the other sow on her sides and at her external reproductive organs. That then causes possible infections if not treated immediately.  Nesting is another factor. When a sow builds her nest she makes it so that the piglets cannot get out of the nest. That then can cause a piglet to get trapped under the mom and her unknowingly suffocate her piglet to death. With the farrowing crates we are just controlling the environment and giving the piglets a chance to survive. Yes the crates can be a little uncomfortable, but she is only in them for a short amount of time. After the piglets are old enough they can be moved into more suitable areas to keep them in the same size pig groups and give them enough food and water. The pigs are not miss treated and are fed and watered daily. When people make judgments about the treatment of animals, they really need to keep an open mind and actually go to a place that practices the activity. These actions are normally made for the benefit of the animal, not just the producer. The happier and healthier the animal, the better off the producer and consumer are. Animal welfare is a major topic that has many controversies, but a judgment or opinion should only be made about this topic once research is done and you have the facts. Hasty decisions and opinions can have very harmful effects on both the consumer and producer. So I guess we will just have to wait out this debate with McDonald’s and see what the outcome is.

World with out farmers=not very likely

Where do you really think we would be without farmers and agriculture?

Export Opportunities for Corn

Thanks to Corn Scoops, I have found some really great articles. I have finally gotten a chance to read through the hundred or so emails of their articles and have found some that are really interesting. If you guys want to read more subscribe to their emails at http://www.ilcorn.org/

At the U.S. Grains Council 9th Annual International Marketing Conference and 52nd Annual Membership Meeting, attendees are learning of export opportunities for corn and other grains. In addition, the USGC now represents DDGS as a portion of this market development opportunity, adding value back to the US corn farmer. The Illinois Corn Marketing Board recognizes that exports are a vital component of the corn market and therefore cooperates with USGC to best position Illinois corn farmers in the world market.

Emerging markets, like China and India, are at the top of the "opportunity" list. Here is a report from the USGC Country Director in India, Mr. Amit Sachdev.

Domestic consumption is increasing. Economic growth is stronger than nearby countries. There are pressures on land and water.

The Indian government is looking for ways to support its population, but cultural pressures keep its borders closed to most imports and international investment.

But, there are currently 250 million working age people, and another 110 million will enter the workforce in the next 10 years.

There are currently 90 million Indian households with discretionary spending, and by 2025, the consumers will be younger and better educated, demanding products from all over the world.

The growth of dairy and meat consumption shows the changing face of India.

Corn production and use is growing, including feed and food uses, and distilling for alcohol.

The snack food market is expanding. It imports some corn. 45% of the land in corn production is using hybrid corn.

Amit says, "The thinking is changing, not only the government, but also the people."

And he concludes, "When trade works, the world wins."

Love for Agriculture Will Bring You Back

Tod Anderson grew up in the country in Washington IL. All his life he has been around agriculture and horses. While growing up he worked for local farmers working on the farm, out in the field, and basically anything else that really needed to be done. He worked with hogs and cows and his favorite was working out in the field. He went Bradley University first to study surveying which then he transferred to Illinois Central College to study Agriculture. After he finished his degree at ICC he then transferred to Illinois State University to get his bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Business.

He has always ended up back at his roots which is agriculture. He has always loved it and it is something that he feels he still learns new things every day and enjoys it still. He has jumped all over the board in agriculture. He was in the fertilizer business for a few years, and then once his youngest daughter was born he moved on to Garst Seed Company which then was bought and turned into Syngenta. Now he is a sales manager for River Valley Coop out of Geneseo IL.

He has even spread his love for agriculture to two of his daughters. The eldest has received a degree in Equine Science to hopefully take over the horse farm one day and the middle is working towards an Agricultural Communication Degree at ISU. The best part of all of this is he is my dad!

You don't need an Ag Degree to work in Ag and make a difference

There are many different types of careers that are in agriculture. One for example is what Bobbie Lewis-Sibley does for a living. She works for the U of I Extension and is the Director of McLean, Lewis, and Woodford Country 4-H.

Bobbie got her bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University in Sociology. She then went to Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA and got her MBA with a concentration in Human Resources. These both have helped her to get to where she is today with not only the kids involved in the 4-H program but also with the volunteers and parents. Even with not having a specific degree in agriculture, she used her interests in her degrees of study and in agriculture to make a career of it.

Bobbie is very active with her job. She works with fiscal and personnel administration, facilities management, volunteer management, marketing, educational program planning and development and networking with other community agencies and resources. She has the largest area in the state of Illinois with all three of her counties being in the top ten. The McLean county 4-H fair is actually one of the largest fairs around.

4-H is a kind of club that kids from elementary age to high school age can join and be a part of. In this they will learn skills for living like Leadership and Citizenship, Science Engineering and Technology, and Healthy Living. Within these, the members will do projects from making clothes to baking and electrical wiring to animal related projects. The program has strong values based on the youth and their families. The clubs are fun to be a part of and the projects are even more fun because you are learning but it’s a fun kind of learning.

The Texas Drought

I have been doing some research into the climate and how it is going to effect agriculture products all over the states. I got this article from www.chron.com thanks to Samantha Wagner, and I found it rather interesting.

The extreme drought gripping Texas and the rest of the Southwest is likely to intensify, according to a panel of climate experts from Columbia University.
Richard Seager, an expert on droughts in North America, told a Washington audience that the Texas drought of the past decade has been the continent’s most serious.
The luckiest three percent of the state’s land is rated as having a “severe drought,” said Lisa Goddard, an expert on climate prediction. Another 88% of the state is considered “exceptional.”
The drought can be attributed to the La Nina phenomenon, a cooling pattern in the Pacific Ocean, in combination with a warming pattern in the Atlantic Ocean, panelists marking the second annual Climate Science Day explained.
However, the drought is also part of a “host of problems out there that we’re creating for ourselves,” Seager said, referring to global warming. He added that we can expect weather extremes, especially the drought, to intensify, and for the Southwestern states to become more arid with time.
The panelists explained that it is hard to determine if global warming is the precise reason for the drought. At this point, researchers are studying the warm Atlantic waters to figure out how much of the nation’s extreme weather can be contributed to global warming and how much is from the natural warming pattern.
Seager made a comparison to Barry Bonds’ record breaking season.
You wouldn’t be able to pick out one at-bat and determine if he hit a home run precisely because of steroids, he said; it’s easier, however, to look at his entire season and determine, yes, steroids were a factor.
Seager added that, while the extreme weather cannot be stopped, the level of intensity can certainly be minimized by reducing the amount of greenhouse gasses released into the atmosphere.
In the long run, Goddard said, it is important to promote research so scientists can make important, accurate predictions. Research, she said, will help scientists reach the point where they can make fuller, more reliable estimates of risk or opportunity, which will put leaders in better positions to make decisions for the future.

Soil Sammy

Need a fun activity for kids? This activity can be used for a range of ages form 2^nd grade to even high school age. This is a great experiment for quick results. I actually got this from a presentation from a program called “Ag in the Classroom.” It is a great program to help give kids an understanding of agriculture and involve different areas of study like math and science. This link will take you straight to their website, http://www.agintheclassroom.org.  So to get things started, lets grab the materials to make a Soil Sam.

Materials Needed:

·         Knee high hose

·         Grass seeds

·         Potting soil

·         Baby food jar

·         Water

·         Jiggle eyes

·         Fabric

1.       Using the knee-high hose, place some grass seeds in the toe where you want the grass to grow. The toe of the hose is the head of the Soil Sammy and the grass will look like hair as it grows.

2.       Pack a handful of soil in the end of the hose on top of the grass seeds. Make sure the ball of soil is slightly bigger than the opening of the baby food jar.

3.       Tie a knot in the stocking under the ball of soil.

4.        Completely wet the head of the Soil Sammy. Place the top of the hose (which is the bottom of the Soil Sammy) in the baby food jar filled with water making sure the head is above the mouth of the jar. The end of the hose will absorb water to feed the seeds, which will germinate through the hose. (you may have to cut a few holes in the hose to help.)

5.       Now you can decorate! Suggestions are a round piece of fabric to fit over the mouth of the jar to use as a shirt. You can add buttons to the shirt and jiggle eyes on the face and cut out felt for the mouth.  Water as needed and make sure to cut the grass “hair” to the length desired.

Hunting with Stef

Hunting is an awesome sport. Stefani Soehn is a hunting enthusiast. Her favorite things to do are to ride her horse Tucker and go hunting. Well you could probably add seeing her boyfriend to that list but that is rather irrelevant. She mainly hunts with a bow but she has recently started doing a little hunting with guns. She loves that fact of getting up early and trying your best to cover your yawns while searching for a deer. “It is a great way to spend time with your friends or family without having to actually be around them. It is not the smartest thing to be sitting close to someone when you’re hunting.” Hunting is a way to relax and appreciate nature. It is such a natural thing to do because the population of deer and other animals that are hunted just keeps growing. If they over populate, then there will be other problems which in turn could harm nature as well as us. “Hunting is like a getaway for me. It helps you relax and just think or concentrate on something other than what is waiting for you once you leave your stand.” Deer meat is actually really good. If prepared right, it is not that greasy and makes good jerky. “I process my own meat. I have everything I need to do everything except mount a head or chest, which if I want it, I would have to send it to be done. When you do it all yourself, you know what is going in the meat, how it is being treated, and can add your own special kind of spices if you want.” Bow hunting will always be Stefani’s favorite way of hunting but when she really needs a day of fun, she will put down the bow and just go for a ride through her property with her horse Tucker and just have some good old fashion fun. “You got to love those times of just you and horse and nothing else in the world will really matter anymore until you pack up the trailer and head back. Then it is time to grab that bow again and do more stuff that I love.”

Stereotype or Fact

When someone says “Cowgirl” or “Cowboy” what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Most people would think of the hat and boots, which is the stereotypical view of someone from the country. You don’t have to be from the south to be a cowgirl or cowboy. You don’t even need to have the boots and hat. All you need is the love for the agriculture side of this world and enjoy the small things in life, like the smell of hay when you are stacking it in a barn. A cowboy is not just a man that rides bulls and broncs. They are the people that get us our meat that we eat every day. They are the ones who mend the fences that keep the livestock in that we use in products every day. There is so much more to a cowboy or cowgirl or even a country boy/girl, that people do not realize what all they really give us. What do you guys think??? What comes to your mind when you hear this? Is this a stereotype or is it fact?

My friend Jess!

One of my good friends and old coworkers Jessica Marlewski is a great example of a city girl gone country. She grew up in the city and then moved out to the country with her family. She has had a horse all of her life, but decided to get her own horse approximately six years ago. His name is Fabio and he is a Tennessee Walking Horse. She loves that horse more than anything else. She is very passionate about her horse and their training. She goes all over Illinois and a few other states, showing him in several different types of riding. The types of riding are called disciplines. She rides western, English, Saddle seat, and bareback. Yes, bareback is a discipline. It is where the rider does not use a saddle and all it is, is you, the horse, and maybe a bridle but most riders like to use just a halter if their horse is trained well enough. She also has a dressage background which is also called ballet on horseback. While riding dressage, you perform a pattern in an arena all by yourself and get judged.

With her showing abilities, she shows at Tennessee Walker Versatility shows, Spotted Paint shows, and Horse Fairs. Her favorite things to do though are poles and trail rides. Poles are where you run the horse and bend the horse around poles as fast as you and the horse can. She loves poles because there is nothing better to her than her and her horse racing around poles with controlled power. It is such an adrenaline rush. When you want more of a slower paced and relaxing ride though, trails are the best medicine. “It is so relaxing and you can go with your friends and have a great time,” says Jess.

Jess would recommend any type of horseback riding for anyone. Jess says, “Horses have their own personality just like people, and once you find the perfect one, they become your best friend that will always be there for you when you need them the most.”