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Features
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Farm
broadcaster Max Armstrong featured at conference
[JAN.
18, 2003]
Max Armstrong, nationally
known farm broadcaster, will highlight the 15th commemorative year
of the Adopt a Farm Family organization at their 13th annual Rural
Restoration Conference. Armstrong is co-host of "WGN U.S. Farm
Report" and hosts a daily syndicated radio program, "Farming
America."
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The conference will be at the Ramada
Inn in Sikeston, Mo., during Presidents Day weekend, Feb. 14-17.
"The Foundations" will be the theme for the networking, education
and spiritual renewal at the gathering.
William J. Federer, nationally known
speaker, historian and author of "America's God and Country
Encyclopedia of Quotations," will also be featured as a keynote
speaker. He will also be joining Richard Wheeler of WJLY radio in
Ramsey in honoring former and present board members. Federer and
Wheeler are both known for their research on the Founding Fathers.
Robert McGee is the Friday evening
keynote speaker. Today's farmers face tremendous stress, and McGee
is founder of the Christ-centered
Rapha counseling and mental health
centers, which can help people cope with stressful situations. He is
also the author of the book series "The Search for Significance,"
"The Search for Peace," "The Search for Freedom" and "The Search for
Joy."
Joshua Atieno of Kenya, Africa, who
directs the Rural Restoration mission project, will be attending
with foreign missionaries Court and Sandy Wood of Virginia, who have
been active members of Adopt a Farm Family since the organization's
founding.
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this article]
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In a breakout session Saturday
afternoon, rural development specialists will present information on
starting value-added, farmer-owned crops with the assistance of U.S.
Department of Agriculture grant funds. Value-added crop programs can
be adapted to your area.
Farm panels, a workshop for wounded
marriages, special music and other sessions will provide variety for
all who attend. Children will be kept busy at sessions especially
designed for them.
Adopt a Farm Family was founded in
Waynesboro, Ga., in 1988 by Mary Myers, and her husband, Peter, who
was at that time USDA deputy secretary of agriculture in Washington,
D.C.
For
conference information, call Carol at (573) 472-4673 or toll-free at
1 (800) 472-4674. Information is also available at
www.farmersruralrestoration.com.
[News release] |
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ACES
open house offers
something for everyone
[JAN.
14, 2003]
URBANA -- Kids in nursery
school through 99 years of age will enjoy the 2003 open house at the
University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and
Environmental Sciences. The annual event provides a diverse range of
presentations for all levels of interests, including displays and
activities related to the fields of agriculture and horticulture.
People considering a professional role, such as veterinarian, in one
of these areas will be as welcome as a master gardener looking to
plan next year’s garden. Youth groups and school field trips will
find plenty to entertain and educate with subjects like 'The Animal
Sciences Classroom" and "Maggot Races." The fun will begin on
Friday and continue on Saturday, March 14 and 15, from 9 a.m. to 4
p.m. on the U of I campus at Urbana-Champaign.
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This year's will be the 14th open house
at which hundreds of exhibits and activities are open to the public.
"Every year we have new exhibits to share with visitors," said
Scottie Miller, director of special events for the College of ACES.
"But we know that the 'regulars' who come to the open house year
after year would be disappointed if some of the old favorites
weren't there, too." Miller said that teachers from all over the
state, from nursery school to high school, include a field trip to
the open house as a regular part of their curriculum.
The theme for this year's open house is
"Where do we grow from here?" which fits beautifully with the many
plants, insects, animals and other programs studied in the College
of ACES. But it also fits with the College of ACES' Department of
Human and Community Development -- a department that conducts
research and outreach programs to benefit growing families and
communities.
One interactive computer exhibit which
will be on display in the atrium of the octagonal-shaped ACES
library will feature a new website for parents. The website, called
"P2P" or "Parent to Parent," incorporates video clips of real
parents talking about the joys and challenges they face as parents.
[to top of second column in this
article]
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Sheep shearing and other demonstrations
are scheduled to take place throughout the two-day event.
Visitors can pick up a free brochure at
any of the buildings that are part of the open house. The brochure
will include maps, a complete listing of exhibits, the schedule of
demonstrations, and information on parking and concessions.
On Friday, March 14, visitors can park
for free in lot F-23 at the corner of First Street and St. Mary's
Road, then take a free shuttle from the lot to the open house. On
Saturday, visitors can park for free on the street and in campus
lots. The shuttle will run continuously both days to help visitors
move easily from the Stock Pavilion, the Meat Sciences Building,
Plant Sciences and finally to the College of Engineering open house
on the north end of campus.
For a
listing of the exhibits from last year’s open house, visit
http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/openhouse. Details about the 2003
exhibits will be added to the same Web address soon. For more
information, call (217) 333-9355.
[U of I
College of ACES news release] |
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What is
Logan County agriculture?
[JAN.
13, 2003]
The face of agriculture has changed greatly in the
last 10 years, and the rate of change is accelerating greatly. Now
the Lincoln/Logan Chamber of Commerce is having a mapping exercise
to plan for agricultural development in the area, and looking at the
historical facts is the first step.
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Farm size has increased from 396 acres
in 1987 to 515 acres in 1997. The new census of agriculture being
conducted right now will probably show acceleration in this trend
and many others. The number of farms has had a corresponding
decrease from 949 in 1987 to 739 in 1997. Cropland has increased
from 78 percent of land in farms in '87 to almost 92 percent in '97.
The value of land and buildings has
increased from an average of $638,191 to $1,371,841 over the same
period. Even corrected for inflation, the value has increased about
$330,000 for each farm.
The biggest changes have come in the
livestock area. There are almost 40 percent fewer farms selling cattle and
calves, and over 50 percent fewer farms are selling hogs and pigs over this
10-year period. We are down to 76 farms in the county (as of 1997)
selling hogs, but these farms have increased swine sales almost 150
percent,
selling over 190,000 in 1997.
Probably the most telling numbers are
the per capita income figures for the county (all residents and not just
agriculture). The per capita income, when adjusted for inflation,
has increased less than $1,000 over the 20-year period from 1980 to
1999. This is an 11.2 percent increase over the 20 years.
The mapping exercise has an end goal of
planning to increase economic development in the area, so if anybody
has any ideas they would like to pass along please feel free to
contact me.
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this article]
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Upcoming meetings
Jan. 14: Corn and Soybean
Classic, Bloomington, $50 fee, 333-2880 to register.
Jan. 14: Sheep Grazing Telenet,
telephone, 333-7351 to register.
Jan. 16: Strip Tillage Workshop,
Springfield, 782-6515 to register.
Jan. 18: Herb Day, Urbana, 333-7738
to register.
Jan. 23: Corn and Soybean Classic,
Springfield, $50 fee, 333-2880 to register.
Jan. 24: PAT training, DeWitt County,
935-5764 to register.
Jan. 24: Certified Livestock
Manager,
Sangamon County, 1 (800) 345-6087 to register.
Jan. 29: Sustainable Ag Grant Writing,
Logan County, (217) 968-5512 for info.
Feb. 20: PAT training, Logan County,
732-8289 to register.
Feb.
25: Crop Problems Diagnostics, Logan County, 732-8289 for information.
Feel free to call the
local Extension office at 732-8289 for information that is available on
these programs.
[John
Fulton]
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