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The new jewel at U of I

[DEC. 3, 2001]  Logan County identifies itself as the heart of Midwest farming. With that goes a deep relationship to the College of Agriculture at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana campus. We have many local alumni who are strong supporters in the college’s continued growth as a top agricultural education institution. It is through the alumni association’s support that the campus now has a new pride and joy, the ACES (College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences) Library, Information and Alumni Center.

The new library was opened and dedicated this fall. Its completion signifies a wholeness that has previously eluded the ag college campus, as it has always been in a temporary state of waiting for needed buildings or resources of its own. Many local people have been contributing toward its development for many years.

 

Name three great U of I influences in Logan County. If you say the Fighting Illini, University of Illinois Farm Extension Services, agriculture education and development, you are not only talking about the interests of many Logan County residents but also the combined passion of one particular man, Frederic B. Hoppin. Hoppin not only contributed financially but also gave many years of dedication and involvement as an alum.

A 1941 U of I ag grad, the late Fred Hoppin served as Logan County’s University of Illinois farm adviser and Extension agent from 1949 to 1956. Following that time he moved into the real estate business as his primary occupation until his retirement. His ties with agriculture and U of I remained strong.

"Fred was a loyal Illini. Even when in real estate his main interest was in agriculture," says Ruth, his wife, who is a steadfast and true Illini alum also.

 

He and two partners, Roy Hatch and Red John Pace, were area forerunners in breeding by means of artificial insemination. He held leadership positions in both cattle and pork industries, starting dairy herd and swine herd associations.

Some of Hoppin’s most outstanding contributions were as a supporter of U of I. With the growing ag campus needs in the 1970s, Hoppin was asked by the president of the alumni association to head up the new building program, "Food for Century III." He had the job of influencing legislators to assist in matching funds with the alumni association for $88 million in new and updated agricultural buildings on the campus. The project took 15 years and included the relocation of the College of Veterinary Medicine.

He received the honorary "I" from the athletic association. Ruth Hoppin fondly recalls that before there were televised games, football games were filmed. The films were brought over after the games and local fans, known as the Quarterback Club, would gather together to watch them.

Hoppin had many other U of I awards and distinctions, but the Exceptional Service Award that was bestowed on him in 1984 by the Agricultural Alumni Association summed up the values of his contributions, as the award was created just for him.

 

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It took 15 years to raise the funding for the new building project. In January of 1998 the state of Illinois signed a grant matching the alumni funds. However, Hoppin did not get to participate in the fall groundbreaking, as he passed away in August of 1998. The alumni room in the new facility has been dedicated in honor of Frederic B. Hoppin and Ruth H. Hoppin.

 

Hoppin was one of many local supporters. Other Logan County residents and close neighbors noted for their generous contributions to the library are as follows:

The Ralph and Ada Allen family

The Isaac Funk family

George and Ruth Brauer

William M. and Starr L. Hull

Russell L. and Mary W. Jeckel

Rod Stoll

Donald D. and Martha C. Zimmerman

Delmar B. and Martha Z. Zumwalt

A little history

In 1862 Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Bill, which authorized the creation of land grant universities. The signing of this bill brought the University of Illinois, first called the Illinois Industrial University, into being.

While this is the third library location, it is the first time a building intended for use as the library has been built. The first library was established when the courtyard of the Agriculture Hall was roofed over in 1912. Though it was to be only temporary, the library was moved in 1924 to its most recent location, Mumford Hall.

 

Long overdue, the new library consolidates a lot of collections and valuable holdings that have been scattered in different locations on campus. Students, researchers and teachers will no longer have to go running around searching numerous locations for periodicals and literature that relate to the agricultural field. It now provides the agricultural community with highly valued, field-specific informational resources all in one location. Not only is educational and research information now centrally located, but it also hosts related offices and provides meeting places.

The ACES Library, Information and Alumni Center has been nicknamed the "jewel" of the agricultural campus. The title is bestowed because the beautiful, hexagonal building takes the shape of a gem, particularly from an aerial perspective. To a person looking down on its slightly sloped and angled roof sections with a small flat center, it appears jewel-faceted.

[Jan Youngquist]


AgriFIRST seminar will provide
grant information for local farmers

[NOV. 23, 2001]  State Rep. Bill Mitchell and state Sen. Duane Noland are hosting an informational seminar on the Illinois AgriFIRST program for area farm families. The seminar will be on Monday, Nov. 26, at 10 a.m. at the Maroa Fire Protection District, located at 300 E. Washington in Maroa. Everyone is invited to attend.

Mitchell and Noland were instrumental in creating the Illinois AgriFIRST program last spring. The program provides grants and technical assistance for value-added agriculture projects within the state. "This program was created to enhance our state’s agriculture industry and provide farm families with new opportunities to add value to their commodities and increase farm income," said Mitchell.

According to Mitchell, a $3 million appropriation has been included in the 2002 state budget for the program. Illinois AgriFIRST grants may provide:

•  Up to 75 percent of the cost for technical assistance to develop a project to enhance the value of agricultural products or to expand agribusiness in Illinois, up to a total of $25,000.

 

 

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•  Up to 50 percent of the cost of undertaking feasibility studies, competitive assessments, and consulting or productivity services that the Department of Agriculture determines may result in the enhancement of value-added agriculture products.

"Coming from farm families, Senator Noland and I are concerned about agriculture and the fact that commodity prices are at an all-time low. The Illinois AgriFIRST program was long overdue, and it’s our hope area farmers will come to learn more and take advantage of the new program," Mitchell concluded.

[News release]


Hartem FFA attends open house at Illinois FFA office

[NOV. 20, 2001]  Four Hartsburg-Emden FFA members and their adviser attended the open house of the new Springfield headquarters of the Illinois Association FFA. Dedication ceremonies were conducted, along with a tour of the new facilities.

Of interest was a display with pictures and other memorabilia of the Illinois FFA and agriculture education from its beginning in the 1920s to the current year.

FFA chapters attending were encouraged to place an item from their chapter in the time capsule.

 


Pictured standing in front of the new Illinois FFA center are, left to right, Daniel Coers, Nic Coers, Daniel Eeten and Natalie Coers.


TLC for your fresh Christmas tree

[NOV. 19, 2001]  With the Thanksgiving holiday bearing down on us, many people will begin thinking about purchasing their holiday symbol for the Christmas season — the Christmas tree. A freshly cut Christmas tree can be a beautiful sight. With proper selection and care, consumers can safely enjoy a fresh tree throughout the holiday season.

Following is information shared by Extension educators in the horticulture program to help you in the process of selection through care.

Selection

•  Buy Christmas trees early in the season.

•  Consider purchasing Christmas trees from a choose-and-cut farm.

•  The sooner you can get the tree home to a constant source of water, the fresher it will stay.

•  Fresh trees should have pliable needles, a fresh evergreen aroma and firm needle retention.

Transportation

•  Protect the tree on the drive home. Wind rushing through the tree can cause it to lose valuable moisture.

•  Cover trees tied on top of the car or in an open trunk.

Preparation

•  If you won't be putting the tree in its stand right away, store it in a place out of the wind and freezing temperatures. Make a fresh cut on the butt by removing 1" of the trunk and place in fresh water.

•  Remove 1 inch of the stump when bringing the tree indoors.

•  Immediately place the tree into a stand that holds at least one-half gallon of water.

Location

•  Avoid standing the tree in front of large windows that expose it to sun and heat.

•  Avoid placing near furnace register vents and fireplaces. This exposes the tree to heat that leads to rapid moisture loss.

Watering

•  Keep the water level above the base of the cut at all times. Check water level daily.

•  A fresh tree will use one-half to two gallons of water the first day it’s brought inside.

 

 

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•  A fresh tree may soak up a quart or more of water per day.

•  If the cut base dries out, the sap will harden and the tree will not take up any more water.

•  Water additives such as aspirin, sugar or flame retardant are not necessary.

Safety

If you have made a fresh cut on the base and the tree no longer takes up water, it has lost moisture below a critical level and will never regain its freshness. Remove this tree from the house. A tree in this condition will burn.

Horticulture websites

Horticulture is everyone’s agriculture. To help you keep up on some of the current information, here are several links to University of Illinois websites:

The Solutions Series is designed to provide information on topics in foods and nutrition, consumer and family economics, as well as horticulture. Sources of information include the University of Illinois, United States Department of Agriculture and other land grant universities.

http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/~robsond/
solutions/solutions.html

For a copy of the Home, Yard & Garden Pest Newsletter, click on http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/cespubs/hyg/

The Hort Corner has lots of good information: http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/hort/index.html

Kids Link has horticulture information for children: http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/kids/index.html

[John Fulton]

 


Honors & Awards

Ewe owned by Aaron Steffens wins honors in Kentucky

[NOV. 14, 2001]   A yearling ewe owned by Aaron Steffens of rural Lincoln was named reserve grand champion ewe of the 2001 National Hampshire Show held in conjunction with the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Ky., on Monday, Nov. 12.

In August, the same ewe had been named champion Hampshire ewe at the Illinois State Fair.ce


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