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A
new addition to the 2001 show was the Ranch Showcase, featuring supplies and
accessories specific to Illinois horse farms. The Agri-Business Showcase was
expanded for 2001, featuring more products and services to help farmers better
manage their daily operations. Displays ranged from computer software and
Internet sites to marketing services, telecommunications, insurance and finance.
The
Case IH booth featured a display of MX 200, MX 240 and C 50 tractors.
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Other Central
Illinois Ag news
Planter/sprayer
meetings
Central
Illinois Ag hosted their seventh annual Kinze planter and Hardi sprayer meetings
on Tuesday, Jan. 9, at the Atlanta store. Close to 70 farmers attended the
presentation given by Ron McKiernan Strauve of Kinze Corporation. A pork
barbecue meal followed.
After lunch,
Phil Stoltz, representing Hardi Corporation, talked about maintenance, repair
and calibration of their product. A question and answer session followed.
[Central
Illinois Ag news release]
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Clinic for
pesticide applicators
The
second Private Pesticide Applicator Clinic for Logan County is scheduled for
Tuesday, Feb. 20, at the University of Illinois Extension meeting room. The
session will include training on the safe use of pesticides, reading pesticide
labels, application of equipment, environmental concerns and other topics. Dayle
Eldredge, of the Rural Health Partnership, will begin the program by speaking
about first aid kits for farmers and the Agribility Project. Training will begin
at 8:30 a.m.
After
the training session, the Illinois Department of Agriculture will administer the
test for Certified Private Applicator. Passing the test, along with payment of a
$15 fee, will allow individuals to purchase and apply restricted use pesticides
on ground that they own or operate. Testing should be concluded by about 12:30
p.m.
Attendance
at the session will also qualify for Worker Protection Standards Training
Certification for farm employees. Individuals needing this certification need
only attend the session, but not take the exam.
Preregistration
is required for anyone wishing to attend. To register or receive further
information, please contact the Extension Office at (217) 732-8289 or send
e-mail to fultonj@mail.aces.uiuc.edu.
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Opportunity to grow specialty grains
I
have recently received an opportunity for producers interested in growing
organic specialty grains and oilseeds. The growers do need to have acreages
certified organic and maintain organic production in the crop production. This
may be an opportunity for producers with CRP acreage contracts that expire on
plots that haven’t had pesticides or fertilizers used on them for several
years.
Crops
and prices being offered by Clarkson Grain are as follows: U.S. No. 2 yellow
corn for feed ($3.10), U.S. No. 1 soybeans for feed ($10.50 with no cleanout)
and food grade ($12-$18), U.S. No. 2 soft red winter wheat for feed ($4), and
also U.S. No. 2 milo (call for market). These prices are picked up on your farm.
If interested,
contact Clarkson Grain Company at 1-800-252-1638 or send e-mail to cgi@one-eleven.net.
[John
Fulton]
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For
the second year, Logan County Ag Day sponsors will provide two academic
scholarships to Logan County students.
Applicants
must be from Logan County and currently study or plan to study agribusiness or
an agricultural science at a community college or four-year institution. High
school seniors through Ph.D. candidates can compete for the two awards.
Selection will be based on the students’ commitment to agriculture as a future
career, academic performance, involvement in extracurricular activities,
financial need and work experience.
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Applications
are available from Logan County FFA advisers and the Farm Bureau office. They
are due back in the Logan County Farm Bureau office by Thursday, March 1.
Ag Day 2000
scholarship winners were Chad Yagow and Derek Struebing, both students at the
University of Illinois College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental
Sciences.
[Ag
Day news release]
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Topics
include "Reducing and Preventing Soil Compaction," "Hypoxia and
Water Quality Issues," "Watershed Planning," "Soil Health
Research Update," "Soil and Hydrology Basics," "Farm
Drainage Law," and the new "Water Quality Regulations."
Advance
registration is $35 per person to include lunch and materials, while walk-in
registration is $40. Advance registration is requested, as meetings may be
canceled if fewer than 20 people have registered one week prior to the meeting
date. Checks should be made payable to University of Illinois Extension. The
office address is 980 N. Postville Drive, Lincoln, IL 62656.
Shepherds
telenet series
Logan
County will be offering the Shepherds telenet series this year, with the first
session beginning on Monday, Jan. 8, and continuing on Jan. 22. Both sessions
will be offered over the voice teleconferencing equipment and will feature both
industry personnel and U of I Extension specialists. You may just attend the
sessions, as others have preregistered to participate. For more information,
contact the local office at 732-8289.
Grain
Marketing — Global Challenges and Local Opportunities (value-added production)
On
Jan. 23 at the Northfield Center in Springfield, Extension is sponsoring a
value-added conference dealing with corn and soybean production. The session
will begin at 8:50 a.m. and conclude at 3:30 p.m. This workshop is a result of
the value-added survey work done in many of our counties during the summer
months.
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Topics
will include "Asian Marketing Outlook," "European Market
Outlook," "Mexico and New Atlantic Markets," "Transgenic
Crops in Global Markets," "Marketing Alliances," "Ag
Guilds," "Biomass Processing," "Factors Affecting
Value-Enhanced Grain Marketing Opportunities," "Which Specialty Crops
are Most Profitable?" and a panel discussion including producers and grain
handlers.
Registration
in advance is required, but there is no cost. You may make phone reservations by
calling the Sangamon County Extension Office at (217) 782-4617. For copies of
the agenda, including mail-in reservation information, contact the Logan County
office.
Ice dams
For
information on ice dams, their causes and cures, see the link
below.
Extension on
the web
While we’re
at it, there is a growing request for information related to ag economics,
especially the cost-of-operation information (referred to by many as custom
rates). A great site to get third-party information is the Farm.doc site with
the URL http://web.aces.uiuc.edu/farm.doc/.
This site is from the College of ACES at the University of Illinois.
[John
Fulton]
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