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"The Farm Gate is a place to go to find integrated information
across a variety of disciplines, including crop and animal
sciences, ag economics, ag engineering, and veterinary
medicine," explained U of I Extension marketing specialist
Darrel Good. "These disciplines will be addressed as they meet,
intersect and often intertwine to shape the environment in which
the ag community lives and works." The Farm Gate is located at
http://www.farmgate.uiuc.edu/.
Good noted that the "blogger," Stu Ellis, brings unique
qualifications and insights to the task.
"Stu has been a presence in Illinois agriculture for more
than 30 years," Good said. "The key to setting up this blog was
finding someone who can write, is interested in the subject
matter and has the broad experience necessary to see connections
among seemingly unrelated items."
Raised on an Illinois grain and livestock farm, Ellis began
his career as a broadcast journalist in Decatur in the 1970s. He
later served as director of marketing for the American Soybean
Association. Later, at the Illinois Farm Bureau, he developed an
educational program for farmers in such areas as marketing,
financial management, contract production and risk management.
In 1998, Ellis joined U of I Extension as a farm business and
marketing educator in Macon County, where he created the USDA's
national educational curriculum for risk management. He has also
served as Extension's unit leader in Macon County and as the U
of I's liaison to the 2005 Farm Progress Show.
"Stu has a resource base from land-grant universities,
governmental agricultural agencies and other information
sources," said Good. "He will serve as a filter for the most
valid, timely and relevant information found on these sites.
He'll synthesize and summarize this information and provide
links to the original articles as well as other blog sites."
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The Farm Gate, Good noted, is a response to a recommendation from
the advisory board of Farm Decision Outreach Central, commonly known
as Farmdoc.
"They told us they'd like to have something on the Web that
addressed agriculture matters across subject lines," said Good. "We
believe that this blog can focus on current information, regardless
of subject matter, and broaden the spectrum of information topically
and geographically."
Recent postings on the blog by Ellis include such topics as 2006
cropping decisions, the recent federal budget reconciliation
legislations, tax planning and ethanol.
The site also includes links to
www.farmdoc.uiuc.edu/; U
of I sites focused on integrated pest management, livestock and
agronomy; and links to Extension programs in several other states as
well.
Comments are also invited from users.
"Today, agricultural producers are in a highly competitive,
low-margin business," said Good. "We think the information provided
by this blog will help them make the decisions that will keep their
businesses successful."
[University
of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental
Sciences news release]
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