Top Illinois award goes to Lincoln man

Illinois Department of Agriculture recognizes Alan Gulso

[DEC. 19, 2000]  The founder of Save Our Illinois Soils (SOILS), the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s new conservation tillage demonstration project, was among the employees honored recently at the department’s 22nd annual employee awards ceremony. Alan Gulso of Lincoln received the Director’s Achievement Award, the department’s highest honor, for creating SOILS.

[click here for information on seminars about SOILS project results]

The project, which just completed its first year, is testing an alternative method of producing corn, called strip-till, that preliminary research suggests combines the erosion-reduction benefit of no-till with the high yields of conventional tillage. If the project confirms the preliminary findings, Gulso will use the results to encourage additional corn growers to adopt conservation tillage practices.


[Alan Gulso]

"Alan is a problem-solver," Illinois Agriculture Director Joe Hampton said while presenting the award. "His innovative solutions not only have made the Bureau of Land and Water Resources more effective, but also have ensured that action is taken to preserve our natural resources for future generations of Illinoisans."

Leonard Jann, manager of the chemistry lab, and Brad Beaver of the Bureau of Environmental Programs were runners-up for the award. Both are from Springfield. Jann, a 39-year department veteran, was recognized for his efforts to improve staff development and lab operations; Beaver was honored for his helpful demeanor and job dedication, which co-workers say raise morale and motivate them. Each was presented a certificate of recognition.

The awards ceremony recognized employees for outstanding job performance and for decades of dedicated service.

"These people are true public servants," Hampton said. "The agriculture department and the state of Illinois have benefited from their hard work, enthusiasm and achievements."

The Assistant Director’s Fellowship Award was presented to Sandi Cellini of Springfield, an employee in the personnel office. The award honors an employee who brings energy, enthusiasm and goodwill to the workplace.

Cheryl Bluhm of the Division of Food Safety and Animal Protection and Nancy Daugherty of the Bureau of Meat and Poultry were co-recipients of the Ron King Award for Efficiency. Both were cited for their attention to detail, good work ethic and professionalism. Bluhm lives in Riverton; Daugherty is a resident of Springfield.

 

Ellen Storment of Salem, supervisor of bacteriology for the Centralia Animal Disease Lab, was presented the Ag Ambassador Award for her tireless effort and enthusiasm. Storment, who is regarded as an authority in her field, juggles a demanding schedule that includes speaking engagements with government health agencies and agricultural associations, and she often works weekends and holidays to make sure lab work gets done.

And, Norm Thompson of the Bureau of County Fairs and Horseracing was given the Commitment to Quality Award. Thompson, of Jacksonville, serves as a liaison between the department and horse owners, and his fairness and professionalism are credited with making the making the programs a success.

Another 84 employees, including a Mason City woman, were honored for 10, 20, 25 or 30 years of service. A complete list follows:

30 years

Walter Black, Sherman

Paul Honer, Cypress

Elizabeth Jackson, Williamsville

Thomas McKemie, Gilson

John Norris, Auburn

Rae Staskiewicz, Galesburg

25 years

Larry Aldag, Springfield

Russell Benjamin, Payson

Donna Cloyd, Taylorville

Gilbert Frier, Springfield

Herman Jansen, Damiansville

Dennis Kane, Springfield

Dannie McKinney, Fairfield

Rosalie Morgan, Springfield

Danny Wright, Kansas

Constance Zmrhalm, Springfield

 

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20 years

Vonnie Beard, Springfield

Brenda Buckles, Mechanicsburg

Steven Chard, Springfield

Cheryle Downs, Sherman

Karen Fawns, Athens

Randy Grove, Good Hope

Lori Harmening, Athens

Angela Kazakevicius, Carbondale

Margaret Lowder, Petersburg

Marcella Mitchell, Springfield

Kristy Morrison, Dawson

Daniel Nelson Jr., Fulton

Carol Nolder, Springfield

Ronald Okerson, Golconda

Phillip Perry, Meredosia

Marilyn Raney, Springfield

Glenn Savage, Springfield

James Stedelin, Centralia

C. Randall Throckmorton, Petersburg

Susan Vinson, Galesburg

Maryanna Watson, Galesburg

Emanuel Younkins, Chicago

10 years

Thomas Backs, Petersburg

Brian Bearden, Taylorville

James Beasley, Pinckneyville

Michael Beierman, Peotone

Truman Burge, Springfield

Wendy Call, Springfield

Daniel Connelly, Makanda

Melissa Cotton, Naperville

Joseph D’Alessandro, Springfield

Paul Danna, Springfield

Darrell Degraff, Lanark

Bonnie Dunker, Mason City

Pamela Flesher, Springfield

Melanie Floyd, Winchester

Jerry Freeland, Vandalia

Wallen Good, Belleville

Kimberly Scott Hamilton, Chatham

Mark Hemker, Bartelso

William Houghton, Wheaton

Mark Jarvis, Springfield

Gerald Kirbach, Arenzville

James Klier, Newton

Robin Knoepfle, Springfield

Dennis Koelling, Bartelso

Marvin Koldenhoven, Beecher

Richard Lachapelle, Palatine

Gary Longo, Chicago Heights

Adrian Magnuson, Walnut

Robert Marino, Chicago

Krzysztof Mazurczak, Des Plaines

Traci McCauley, Pleasant Plains

Linda McQuinn, Springfield

Dennis Morris, Springfield

Jeffrey Norris, Lansing

Douglas Owens, Sherman

Aldis Rapsys, Chicago

Delayne Reeves, Sherman

Stuart Selinger, Springfield

Ronald Settles, Colchester

Eric Stone, Riverton

Robert Sutphin, Ashland

Theodore Tinkham, Cameron

Kyran Wagenecht, Prophetstown

Jeffrey Warner, Donnellson

Robert Waters, Payson

Marilyn Wright, Taylorville

[Illinois Department of Agriculture news release]

 

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Seminars scheduled to release SOILS project results

[DEC. 19, 2000]  Results from the first year of an Illinois Department of Agriculture field study that is testing a new method of producing corn will be announced at a series of five tillage seminars.

Crop yields and other data gathered at each of the 12 farms participating in Save Our Illinois Soils (SOILS) will be presented during the seminars, which begin Jan. 4 at Rend Lake Community College and end Feb. 2 at the DeKalb County Farm Bureau in Sycamore. Other seminars are scheduled Jan. 11 at the Holiday Inn in Urbana, Jan. 18 at the Jacksonville Inn and Feb. 1 at the Holiday Inn Brandywine in Peoria.

 

SOILS is studying the effectiveness of fall strip-till, an alternative production method that, according to preliminary research, produces the same or higher yields than conventional tillage and reduces soil erosion similar to no-till.

Each seminar will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and include an explanation of the SOILS project, a discussion of strip-till equipment and management basics, and the release of the 2000 results, as well as presentations about tillage issues that are specific to the local area.

 

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Registration costs $10. To reserve a seat, write a check for that amount payable to the University of Illinois Extension and mail it to the county extension office that is hosting the seminar. A complete list follows. The registration fee includes a lunch and is due one week before the date of the seminar.

The tillage seminars also will feature exhibits from a variety of Illinois agribusinesses and qualify for continuing education credit hours in soil and water conservation for certified crop advisors. In addition to the Department of Agriculture, sponsors include the University of Illinois Extension, U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service and state soil and water conservation districts.

[from www.agr.state.il.us/newsrels/r1205001.htm]

Soils tillage seminars

Date

Location

Host

Jan. 4

Rend Lake Community College
Rend Lake

Franklin Extension Unit
1212 Rt. 14 West
Benton, IL 62812
(618) 439-3178

Jan. 11

Holiday Inn
Urbana

Champaign Extension Unit
801 N. Country Fair Dr., Suite D
Champaign, IL 61821
(217) 333-7672

Jan. 18

Jacksonville Inn
Jacksonville

Morgan Extension Unit
104 N. Westgate Avenue
Jacksonville, IL 62650
(217) 243-7424

Feb. 1

Holiday Inn Brandywine
Peoria

Peoria Extension Unit
4810 N. Sheridan Road
Peoria, IL 61614
(309) 685-3140

Feb. 2

DeKalb County Farm Bureau
Sycamore

DeKalb Extension Unit
1350 West Prairie Drive
Sycamore, IL 60178-3166
(815) 758-8194


News from Logan County Extension

[DEC. 11, 2000] 

Master Gardeners complete training

Last month the first class of Extension Master Gardeners was graduated. This group of 20 people attended nine daylong training sessions that covered everything from composting to tree fruits. Those attending received a total of 63 hours of training, which covered most aspects of home horticulture.

 

The second part of being a Master Gardener is to volunteer service hours back to the Extension Office in any horticultural area. Each trainee must volunteer 60 hours. If you have specific requests for community improvement projects, public training sessions or programs for community groups, please contact John Fulton or Don Miller at the Logan County Extension Office, phone number 732-8289. The only restriction is that all programs have to involve horticultural topics.

Corn and Soybean Classic

A full-day conference of presentations and panels has been scheduled for Feb. 1 at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield. This area program has replaced many of the local agronomy days that were offered in past years. Registration is $30 if made by Jan. 5 and $45 after that date.

 

Program highlights include Mike Gray on "Transgenic Hybrids, Seed Treatments, and Soil Insecticides," Kevin Steffey on "Aphids in Soybean and Grape Colaspis in Corn," Christy Sprague on "Is There a Yield Penalty From Post-Emergence Soybean Herbicides?," Darrel Good on "Evaluation of Market Advisory Services," Bob Hoeft on "Put N and P In the Crop, Not the Water," and Emerson Nafziger on "Stalk Quality, Yield, and Corn Hybrids: Was the Nightmare of 2000 a Fluke?" Other presentations will cover corn diseases in 2000, soybean diseases and tillage system comparisons. Information and registration applications are available by contacting the Extension Office at 732-8289.

 

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Private applicator training

The first session of private applicator pesticide training is now history. The other session scheduled for Logan County is Feb. 20. Training will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Extension Office. Reservations are required and seating is limited. Call the office to reserve a spot.

Certified Livestock Manager training

For producers needing to certify or recertify as Certified Livestock Managers, the session closest to Logan County will be at the McLean County Extension Office on Feb. 20. Registration for the program begins at 8:15 a.m. You must preregister at least three days in advance for the limited seating. Registration cost is $36.50 and includes the program and manual. Registration information is available by calling the office.

[John Fulton]


Announcements

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