bct-03-27-14

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Thursday, March 27, 2014

The Barn Quilts of Bureau County

By Goldie Currie [email protected]

TISKILWA — Bureau County’s first barn quilt trail is on the road to being completed.

The trail will consist of 24 barn quilts, located in various parts of the coun-tryside.

Beginning this summer, barn quilt enthusiasts will be able to grab a tourism guide and follow the trail, using the directory inside the brochure.

Barn Quilts of Bureau County was established last year when eight women came together with the same excitement about implementing a trail to help promote agri-tourism, the arts and a sense of community pride.

The group made its first presence at the Bureau County Fair last summer, where they were able to attract attention to the project and gather more members willing to vol-unteer their time and efforts to help establish the first trail.

The women have been able to network with area farmers, who have been more than willing to join

in as the “pioneers” of Bureau County’s barn quilt trail.

The love and apprecia-tion of what has been dubbed, “country art” has been popping up all over the United States since 2001. More than 6,000 quilts are part of orga-nized trails with dozens more scattered through the countryside waiting to be discovered.

Valerie Jensen of Tiskilwa was one of the founding members of Barn Quilts of Bureau County. Her enthusiasm for the project shines

through, as she talks about the long-term goals the group is hoping to establish.

“It’s really been fun,” she said. “It consumes you in a good way. It’s become a passion to see each barn quilt progress and get done.”

Right now the women all meet in a location in Tiskilwa, where they construct and paint the barn quilts. As the proj-ect expands, they hope to establish additional painting sites around the

22 • Spring Farm • Thursday, March 27, 2014 Bureau County Journal • Putnam County Record

The Barn Quilts of Bureau CountyTrail of quilts will incorporate agri-tourism,

the arts and community pride

See Barn Quilts Page 3

BCR photo/Goldie CurrieBarn Quilts of Bureau County members Sandy Carpenter (from left), Rita Dabler, Tracy Hannon and Valerie Jensen take a break from painting one of the barn quilts that will soon adorn a barn in Bureau County. These ladies, along with others, have painted several quilt “squares,” which vary in size and design.

At left, a “quilt” deco-rates the side of a barn owned by the Carpenter family outside of Ohio, Ill. Other various “quilts” can be seen throughout Bureau County, with additional “quilts” in the making.

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3Bureau County Journal • Putnam County Record Thursday, March 27, 2014 • Spring Farm • 3

county to make the task more convenient for volun-teers who live at different ends of the county.

Once the first 24 barn quilts are painted and hung this summer, the next goal for the group will be to network with more farmers and try to get at least one barn quilt in each Bureau County township. The group is always interested in hearing from farmers or

property owners who are willing to display a quilt.

“We want farmers pulling up and saying, ‘I want one, and I got the perfect barn for it,’” Jensen explained.

“I believe the more peo-ple see them and see their neighbors have one, they will keep emerging.”

Barn QuiltsFrom Page 2 “It’s really been fun. It consumes

you in a good way. It’s become a passion to see each barn quilt

progress and get done.”

Valerie Jensen

See Barn Quilts Page 4

BCR photo/Goldie CurrieValerie Jensen (left) and Rita Dabler mark out the design they will eventually paint on one of the barn quilts that will be hung in Bureau County. Once the first 24 barn quilts are completed and hung this summer, the goal is to eventually have at least one barn quilt in every Bureau County township.

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Additional volunteers willing to help paint or help promote the group are also always welcomed. Right now, the group really needs someone who would be willing to help design a website for Barn Quilts of Bureau County.

Sandy Carpenter of Ohio is among the volunteers and is the owner of one of the first barn quilts in the area. She became acquaint-ed with the unique idea when taking her first quilt tour in Wisconsin.

“When I saw them, I knew right then and there I wanted one,” she said.

Fellow group member Rita Dabler was also in Wisconsin when she spot-ted her first barn quilt.

“My husband was with me, and he was just as excited about the idea as I was,” she said.

Tracy Hannon of Tiskilwa has displayed a quilt on her garage for years. She said her love for quilting is what inspired her to have one.

For those interested in finding out more about the Barn Quilts of Bureau County, contact Jensen at 815-303-4608 or Dabler at 815-303-2845.

The cost for an 8-foot-by-8-foot barn quilt is $275, while a 4-foot-by-4-foot quilt is priced at $225.

The cost covers all mate-rials used to make the barn quilt. Materials are pur-chased locally at RP Lum-ber in Princeton and Sher-win-Williams of Princeton.

Cornbelt Energy has been willing to donate their time and manpower to help install the first barn quilts.

Comment on this story at www.bcrnews.com.

Barn QuiltsFrom Page 3

Anyone interested in learning more about the barn quilts can call Valerie Jen-sen at 815-303-4608 or Rita Dabler at 815-303-2845. Jensen of Tiskilwa and Laurie Bonucci of Princeton originally brought the idea to Bureau County to help grow agri-tourism in the area.

BCR photo/Goldie Currie BCR photo/Goldie Currie

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Using ‘holy water’ to fight weeds‘It’s back to

basics, and it all works’

By Ken [email protected]

PRINCETON — It’s a farmer’s dilemma.

In order to control weeds, a farmer adds an herbicide to his spraying routine. Over time, weeds grow resistant to the herbi-cide, which often leads to more herbicide used and a faster build-up of resis-tance in the weed. Accord-ing to the International Sur-vey of Herbicide Resistant Weeds, 25 different species of weeds in Illinois have developed resistance to her-bicides such as atrazine or glyphosate.

There’s now a way around the problem. No, it’s not increasing the herbicide but improving the delivery medium.

At Bonucci Farms in Princeton, Ag Focus LLC President/founder Brian Freed produces a fluid that has been called “holy water” among local farmers; its actual name is Blue Max.

“As farmers, it’s incum-bent upon us to try to feed the world. If something doesn’t work, we can come to that conclusion pretty quick,” Steve Bonucci said. “We’ve been using this for four years, and we see the value in it. We think it’s been helpful in adding qual-ity bushels to our produc-tion.”

Typically, spray water comes from a well and is hard and alkaline with iron and other contaminants. A typical water source has

a pH measuring between 7 and 8.5. Blue Max has a pH between 3 and 4 which most plants are more receptive to. The process of producing Blue Max starts with regular water.

“We take out all of the hardness — the calcium, the magnesium and the iron — It’s all eliminated with any alkalinity and any sodium that’s in there. It’s pure,” Freed said. “That way, when you put any products in you’re apply-ing to the crop, it works better.”

“Of late, one of the top-ics is resistance to certain chemicals, which means the natural tendency is to use more,” Bonucci said. “This takes you away from that because the way a plant develops resistance is by surviving an event. We’ve found by following the proscribed application using this water for solubil-ity that it kills the weeds and delays the amount of time a resistance might occur.”

“We’ve had this going on four years now and a resis-

tance problem, we don’t have,” Bonucci Farms Manager Rod Grunloh said. “We have no re-sprays. We’d go out and spray nor-mally in the past. You’d go out later and ask, ‘Why didn’t it work?’ We don’t have that problem today because we know we did right with just good clean water. It’s back to basics, and it all works.”

To make Blue Max, the source water is analyzed for impurities, then the water passes through a filtra-tion process that removes

each impurity individually before being stored.

Freed was told by many of his peers he wouldn’t be able to produce large vol-umes of the liquid or be able to process it without using a lot of space. Taking that as a challenge, he has been able to assemble the equipment in a container the size of a small semi trailer. Much of the technology is one-of-a-kind, with many pieces of equipment available on the market re-purposed for the processing. In addition, with the computer software

installed in the system, Freed is able to monitor the process using a smartphone or an iPad, saving money by eliminating the need for someone to continually monitor the production and thereby keeping the cost — and price — down.

The system at Bonucci Farms will produce 40,000 gallons in a 24-hour period. One of the last steps in the process is adding a blue dye to the water to make it eas-ier to use.

“I used to not put a color in there. I had a guy mix-ing one day with glasses as thick as a soda bottle,” Freed said. ‘He was stand-ing about 15 to 20 feet from the tank he was fill-ing, and there was a sight gauge. I saw him mixing, and then he reached over and grabbed a bottle of blue dye, and shot it in the mix. I asked him why he did that, and he said, ‘It’s so clean, I couldn’t see the mark on the sight gauge unless I throw in some color.’ It’s also an indication that once you see that, we’ve done the treatment.”

There’s another additive that helps the water stay on the plant when it’s sprayed. A food additive called gwar gum keeps droplets from bouncing off the leaves without affecting the pH of the mixture, allowing the plants to get the most from the mixture and making for a more efficient coverage.

Blue Max is made at sev-eral places throughout the state and is available to individual farmers through Bonucci Farms and some local FS dealers for 30 cents per gallon. Blue Max can be picked up at those locations or delivered.

Putnam County Record photo/Ken SchroederAbove, Brian Freed shows the individual controls for each of the filtration tanks for Blue Max. The filter-ing tanks can handle 40,000 gallons in a 24-hour period. A nearby computer regulator will alert Freed via a self-programmed Smart Phone application if there are any problems in the system. At right, reverse osmosis tanks filter out the sodium in the water. These tanks have been heavily modified to perform the task and cannot be found anywhere else in the world according to Freed.

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Popcorn pops because water is stored in a small circle of soft starch in each kernel. As the kernel is heated, the water heats, the droplet of moisture turns to steam and the steam builds up pres-sure until the kernel finally explodes to many times its original volume.

• Americans today consume 17.3 billion quarts of popped popcorn each year! The aver-age American eats about 68 quarts!

• While the first breakfast cereal was made by adding sugar and milk to popped popcorn, a shortage of bak-ing flours after World War II forced breadmakers to substi-tute up to 25 percent of wheat flour with ground popped pop-corn. Over the years, popcorn also has been used as an ingre-dient in pudding, candy, soup, salad and entrees.

• Popcorn’s nutritional value comes from the fact that, like other cereal grains, its primary function is to provide the body with heat and energy.

• Microwave popcorn is the same as other popcorn except the kernels are usually larger and the packaging is designed for maximum popability.

Cracking Up• In the U.S. in 1998, hens

produced 6,657,000,000 dozen eggs — that’s 6.657 billion dozen! After these eggs were laid, about two-thirds were sold in the shell and one third of them were broken — not by accident, but on purpose. Because after the eggs are broken out of their shells, they can be made into liquid, frozen, dried and specialty egg products.

• The egg shell may have

as many as 17,000 tiny pores over its surface. Through them, the egg can absorb fla-vors and odors. Storing them in their cartons helps keep them fresh!

• Eggs age more in one day at room temperature than in one week in the refrigerator.

• Occasionally, a hen will produce double-yolked eggs throughout her egg-laying career. It is rare, but not unusual, for a young hen to produce an egg with no yolk at all.

• It takes 24 to 26 hours for a hen to produce an egg; there is 30 minutes between each egg-producing cycle.

• About 240 million laying hens produce about 5.5 bil-lion dozen eggs per year in the United States.

• Egg yolks are one of the few foods that naturally con-tain Vitamin D.

Cherrific!• The same chemicals that

give tart cherries their color may relieve pain better than aspirin and ibuprofen in humans.

• Eating about 20 tart cher-ries a day could reduce inflam-matory pain and headache pain.

• There are about 7,000 cherries on an average tart cherry tree (the number var-ies depending on the age of the tree, weather and growing conditions). It takes about 250 cherries to make a cherry pie, so each tree could produce enough cherries for 28 pies!

• Today, in Michigan, there

are almost 4 million cherry trees which annually produce 150 to 200 pounds of tart cherries.

Head Strong• Lettuce is a member of the

sunflower family.• Darker green lettuce leaves

are more nutritious than light-er green leaves.

• Americans eat about 30 pounds of lettuce every year. That’s about five times more than what we ate in the early 1900s.

• In the United States, let-tuce is the second most popu-lar fresh vegetable.

• Almost all lettuce is packed right in the field.

• About 25 percent of all iceberg lettuce is made into fresh cut salads.

Macaroni Mania• Pasta is one of America’s

favorite foods. Last year, 1.3 million pounds of pasta were sold in American grocery stores. If you lined up 1.3 mil-lion pounds of 16-ounce spa-ghetti packages, it could circle the Earth’s equator almost nine times!

• Noodles got their start in China, not Italy as many people might think.

• Pasta made its way to the New World through the English who found it while traveling through Italy. The English made pasta by cooking it for about a half an hour and then smoth-ering it with cream sauce and cheese. This was the beginning of macaroni and cheese!

• America’s first large pasta factory was built in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1848 by a Frenchman who would spread out his spa-ghetti strands on the roof to dry in the sunshine.

What’s up Doc?• The plant pigment that

gives carrots and other vegeta-bles their vivid orange color is Beta-Carotene. Fruits and veg-etables that are yellow/orange in color contain Beta-Carotene and carrots are one of the richest in this nutrient. Our bodies convert Beta-Carotene into Vitamin A.

• The bright orange color of carrots tell you they’re an excellent source of Vitamin A which is important for good eyesight, especially at night. Vitamin A helps your body fight infection, and keeps your skin and hair healthy!

Going Bananas!• There are more than 500

different types of bananas. That means if you ate a dif-ferent kind of banana every-day, it would take almost a year and a half to eat every one!

• Although generally regarded as a tree, this large tropical plant is really an herb. That means it does not have a woody trunk like a tree. The stalk is composed of leaf sheaths that overlap each other and grow from an under-ground stem called a rhizome.

• The banana plant can grow as high as 20 feet tall. That’s as big as a two-story house!

• Bananas are about 99.5 percent fat free.

• Bananas are a great source of potassium. Potassium helps build muscle power and keeps your body fluids in balance.

• Banana’s are most likely the first fruit ever to be grown on a farm.

An Apple a Day• Apples are a member of

the rose family.• Washington state grows

the most apples in the United State.

• The apples from one tree can fill 20 boxes every year.

• Fresh apples float because 25 percent of their volume is air.

• In the winter, apple trees need to “rest” for about 900-1,000 hours below 45° Fahr-enheit in order to flower and fruit properly.

• If you grew 100 apple trees from the seeds of one tree, they would all be different.

• Apples are high in fiber.• There are more than 7,000

varieties of apples grown in the world.

Berry, Berry Good for You!• Blueberries are the sec-

ond most popular berry in the United States.

• Michigan and New Jer-sey produce 66 percent of all the blueberries in the United States, followed by North Carolina, Oregon and Wash-ington.

• More than 200 million pounds of blueberries are grown every year in North America.

• Blueberries are first picked by hand to gather the best of the early fruit. Later, if the fruit is to be mechanically har-vested, a harvesting machine goes through the field and gen-tly shakes each bush so only the ripe blueberries drop off.

• Blueberries are a good source of Vitamin C and fiber.

Source: Agriculture Council of America.

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USDA enhances farm storage facility loan program

SPRINGFIELD — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the expan-sion of the Farm Stor-age and Facility Loan program, which pro-vides low-interest financing to produc-ers. The enhanced pro-gram includes 22 new categories of eligible equipment for fruit and vegetable producers, and makes it easier for farmers and ranchers around the country to finance the equipment they need to grow and expand.

This is part of a broader effort to help small and mid-sized farmers and ranchers, as announced by Agri-culture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Producers with small and mid-sized opera-tions and specialty crop fruit and vegeta-ble growers now have access to needed capi-tal for a variety of sup-plies including sorting bins, wash stations and other food safety-relat-ed equipment. A new more flexible alterna-tive is also provided for determining storage needs for fruit and veg-etable producers, and waivers are available on a case-by-case basis for disaster assistance or insurance coverage

if available products are not relevant or fea-sible for a particular producer.

Additionally, Farm Storage and Facility Loans security require-ments have been eased for loans between $50,000 and $100,000. Previously, all loans in excess of $50,000 required a promissory note and additional security, such as a lien on real estate. Now loans up to $100,000 can be secured by only a promissory note.

“The Farm Storage and Facility Loan pro-gram has helped Ameri-can farmers and ranch-ers to finance on-farm storage for almost 13 years,” said Farm Ser-vice Agency adminis-trator (FSA) Juan M. Garcia. “We anticipate these changes will increase the number of individuals who qualify for these loans and help them access new mar-ket opportunities.”

The low-interest funds can be used to build or upgrade perma-nent facilities to store commodities. Eligible commodities include grains, oilseeds, pea-nuts, pulse crops, hay, honey, renewable bio-mass commodities, fruits and vegetables. Qualified facilities

include grain bins, hay barns and cold storage facilities for fruits and vegetables.

Other new changes to the Farm Storage and Facility Loan program will allow FSA State Committees to subordi-nate Commodity Credit Corporation’s lien posi-tion.

These changes to the program were issued via an official notice to state and county Farm Service Agency offices and are effective imme-diately.

More than 33,000 loans have been issued for on-farm storage, increasing grain stor-age capacity by 900 million bushels since May 2000.

More information about tools and resourc-es available to small and mid-sized farmers will be rolled out in the coming months, including information about access to capi-tal, risk management, food safety, and locat-ing market opportuni-ties on USDA’s Small and Mid-Sized Farmer Resources webpage.

Visit www.fsa.usda.gov or an FSA county office to learn more about FSA programs and loans, including the Farm Storage Facil-ity Loan Program.

Effort meant to help small and mid-sized farmers and ranchers

BCR file photos

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Farm, ranch safety for kidsChildren frequently want

to imitate their parents, but they’re not always ready to take on the tasks they observe. Help protect youngsters on the farm or ranch by observ-ing these safety practices.

Keep hazardous materials such as tools, sharp objects, poisonous liquids, etc., out of reach of little hands. Put up child gates to keep children away from dangerous areas. For older children, funnel their need for “thrills” like driving fast into other areas. Engage your child in age-appropriate activities to distract them from a potential hazard.

Here are some age-based guidelines for the kinds of risks children might be exposed to and the steps to take to mini-mize injury.

Toddler/PreschoolerTypical Risks/Injuries

Mistaking poisonous mate-rials for something to eat or drink. Falling off farm equip-ment. Drowning in ponds or manure pits. Wandering onto roads. Injury by livestock.

Protective steps to takeAlways have children in

sight. Use physical barriers such as closed and latched doors, child safety gates, etc. Have them engaged with age-appropriate toys. Absolutely no riding on farm machinery.

Early School Age (5-9)Typical Risks/Injuries

Wandering into animal pens and being injured by livestock. Getting tangled in augers, PTO or other farm machinery. Fall-ing off of farm vehicles or machinery.

Protective steps to takeDiscuss safe behavior.

Make sure safe behavior is a hard and fast rule and not an option. Make sure to have con-sistent rules around machin-ery. Assign simple farm chores

with supervision to introduce safe farm habits. If children are riding a bike, make sure they wear a helmet.

Older School Age (10–13)Typical Risks/Injuries

Injured by farm machinery. Falling from hay loft. Being struck by car while bike rid-ing.

Protective steps to takeCreate consistent rules with

definite consequences for bad behavior and rewards for good behavior. Specific training/education on farm machin-ery emphasizing the dangers involved. Increase in chores and responsibilities. Bike safe-ty classes.

Adolescent (13–16)Typical Risks/Injuries

Machinery or motor vehicle accident. Hearing damage from being around loud machinery. Exposure to farm chemicals/poisons. Possible head injuries from ATV accidents.

Protective steps to takeDevelop and enforce safety

rules. Safety training on all equipment — motorized and non-motorized. Involvement in 4-H, FFA and other agricul-tural organizations that stress farm safety.

Young Adult (16–18)Typical Risks/Injuries

Respiratory problems due to chemical and dust expo-sure. Motor vehicle accidents. Equipment rollover. Muscle or bone injuries. Possible alcohol or drug experimentation.

Protective steps to takeClear and consistent rules

about alcohol use especially around machinery. Rewards for accepting and adhering to adult rules and regulations. Opportunity to be a role model for other, younger children. Continued safety training on all equipment.BCR file photos

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Nominations still being accepted for third annual America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education

ST. LOUIS, Mo. — The deadline is fast approach-ing for farmers to nomi-nate rural public school districts to compete for a grant of up to $25,000 through America’s Farm-ers Grow Rural Educa-tion, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund. Nomi-nations will be accepted until April 6. Eligible farmers can nominate their school district by visiting www.GrowRu-ralEducation.com or by calling 1-877-267-3332. Grants are awarded based on merit, need and community support. The more farmers who nom-inate a school district, the more it demonstrates community support and can strengthen the school district’s applica-tion. This year, the pro-gram has expanded to 18 new counties, for a total of 1,289 eligible counties across 39 states.

School administrators in nominated districts will have until April 21 to submit their applica-tions online. The appli-cation website is also equipped to help answer specific questions about the Grow Rural Educa-tion program overall and assist with the grant writ-ing process.

“As we work to grow

our next generation of farmers, building a strong math and science foundation is vital,” said Linda Arnold, Monsanto customer advocacy lead. “Working together with farmers and rural school districts, we are building relationships that benefit the community, with the ultimate goal of improv-ing education.”

The America’s Farm-ers Grow Rural Educa-tion Advisory Council, a group of approximately 30 farmers from across the country, will review and select the winning grant applications. Advi-sory Council members were selected based on their passion for farming and education, as well

as experience in rural school districts.

Last year, more than 73,000 farmers nominat-ed 4,024 school districts, resulting in $2.3 million in grants to improve math and science edu-cation in 181 districts across the country.

The America’s Farm-ers Grow Rural Educa-tion program is part of a broad commitment by the Monsanto Fund to strengthen farming communities. America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education launched in 2012, after a successful

pilot in Minnesota and Illinois, and has since awarded nearly $5 mil-lion to school districts across the county.

For more informa-tion about the America’s

Farmers Grow Rural Education program and to view the official rules, a list of eligible states, counties and CRDs, visit www.GrowRuralEduca-tion.com.

Rural school districts are eligible for grants up to $25,000

About America’s FarmersThe America’s Farmers campaign is an advo-

cacy and community outreach program cele-brating U.S. farmers through communications, awards and special programs that highlight the importance of modern American agriculture.

Initiatives include:• America’s Farmers Grow Communities,

which supports rural communities by offering farmers the chance to win $2,500 for their favorite local nonprofit organization.

• America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education, which supports rural education by offering farmers the chance to nominate local school districts, which can compete for a $10,000 or $25,000 merit-based grant to enhance math and science education.

• America’s Farmers Mom of the Year, which celebrates women in agriculture by offering the chance to win up to $10,000 and the title of “National Farm Mom of the Year”.

• America’s Farmers Grow Ag Leaders, which launched this year in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Nebraska, North Carolina and South Carolina, and aims to encourage the next gen-eration to remain involved in agriculture by offering students the chance to apply for a $1,500 scholarship.

Safety tipsPreventing injury from

farm hazardsWhen heading out to

the fields for planting or harvesting, make safety a priority.

Spring PlantingWear hearing and eye

protection around running machinery. Use appropri-ate masks to filter dust and mold. If using chemicals, use chemical respirators. Wear appropriate gloves and protective clothing. Learn safe handling for all types of agricultural chem-icals.

Fall HarvestingVentilate silo headspace

at least 30 minutes before entering to remove con-centrations of harmful or lethal gas. Always disen-gage the PTO before getting off a tractor. Never step across a rotating power shaft. Never wear loose fit-ting clothes around mov-ing parts. When unhitch-ing wagons or carts from a tractor, always use wheel blocks to prevent rolla-way accidents. Make sure bystanders stay clear of the harvesting process. Closely supervise children in work areas.

Fence safety tipsFences keep animals

where they should be and prevent them from going where they shouldn’t be. Different animals need different types of fencing. Here are general guide-lines for barbwire cattle fencing:

Fence should contain three to five wires. Top wire should be at least four feet from the ground. Bot-tom wire should be at least 18 inches off the ground. Center wires should be evenly spaced between the top and bottom wire. All wires should be tight and securely fastened to fence posts. Barbed wire should be at least 13-gauge. Posts should be no more than 16.5 feet apart; 12 feet is preferred. Posts should be anchored at least two-and-a-half feet in the ground and stand at least four feet above ground.

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Young farmers remain concerned about farm, grazing land availability

WASHINGTON, D.C., — Securing adequate land to grow crops and raise livestock was the top challenge identified again this year in the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual outlook survey of par-ticipants in the Young Farmers & Ranchers program. That chal-lenge was identified by 22 percent of respon-dents, followed by eco-nomic challenges, par-ticularly profitability, which was identified by 15 percent of the respondents.

“For young people today, securing ade-quate land to begin farming or expand an established farm or ranch is a major chal-lenge,” said Jake Cart-er, AFBF’s national YF&R Committee chair and a farmer from Georgia. “Another major challenge is fig-uring out how to excel – not just survive – in today’s economy.”

Other issues ranked as top concerns by young farmers and ranchers included bur-densome government regulations and red tape, 12 percent; avail-ability of farm labor and related regulations, 9 percent; water avail-ability and urbaniza-

tion of farm land, 7 per-cent each; and health care availability and cost, 6 percent.

The 22nd annual YF&R survey revealed that 91 percent of those surveyed are more opti-mistic about farming and ranching than they were five years ago. Last year, 90 percent of those surveyed said they were more opti-mistic about farming compared to five years ago.

The 2014 survey also shows 93 percent of the nation’s young farmers and ranchers say they are better off than they were five years ago. Last year, 83 percent reported being better off.

More than 91 percent considered themselves lifetime farmers, while 88 percent would like to see their children follow in their foot-steps. The informal sur-vey reveals 87 percent believe their children will be able to follow in their footsteps.

The majority of those surveyed, 69 percent, consider communicat-ing with consumers a formal part of their jobs. Many use social media platforms as a tool to accomplish this. The popular social media

site Facebook is used by 74 percent of those surveyed. Twenty-two percent of respondents said they use the social networking site Twit-ter, 16 percent have a farm blog or webpage and 13 percent use YouTube to post vid-eos of their farms and ranches.

“Use of technol-ogy and all the tools at our fingertips to not only improve produc-tion practices on the farm but also to inter-act with consumers, our customers, among young farmers contin-ues to grow,” Carter said. “Use of social media platforms, per-sonal outreach through farm tours, agri-tour-ism, farmers’ markets or a combination of these methods is where we’re at today.”

High-speed Internet is used by 71 percent of those surveyed, with 28 percent relying on a satellite connection and fewer than 2 per-cent turning to dialup.

New this year, the young farmers and ranchers were asked about their rural entre-preneurship efforts, with 40 percent report-ing they had started a new business in the last three years or plan to

start one in the near future.

The survey also shows that America’s young farmers and ranchers are committed envi-ronmental caretakers, with 55 percent using conservation tillage to protect soil and reduce erosion on their farms.

AFBF President Bob Stallman said the results of the YF&R sur-vey point to the future of U.S. agriculture being in good hands.

“I am confident that the know-how and tenacity of our young farmers and ranchers will ensure that the best days are ahead for our country and agri-culture,” Stallman said. “They are the future of American agriculture and food production.”

The informal sur-vey of young farmers and ranchers, ages 18-35, was conducted at AFBF’s 2014 YF&R Leadership Confer-ence in Virginia Beach, Va., in February. The purpose of the YF&R program is to help younger members learn more about farming and ranching, network with other farmers and strengthen their leader-ship skills to assist in the growth of agricul-ture and Farm Bureau.

Other concerns include: regulations, availability of labor and water, urbanization and healthcare

Illinois State Fair schedule

Aug. 8: County Fair and Horse Racing DayMore than 70 county fair queens and 105 fairs and

expositions from across the state are represented at the fair on opening day. It is also the first day of har-ness racing at the fair’s one-mile dirt track, which is the fastest in the world.

Aug. 9: City of Springfield/Local Officials DayThe Illinois Department of Commerce and

Economic Development hosts a luncheon for local officials from across the state as they are honored on this special day.

Aug. 10: Veterans DayVeterans and their families are admitted to the

grounds for free. A veterans parade and activities are some of the highlights for the day.

Aug. 11: Senior Citizens Day/Scout DayFair visitors 60 and older are admitted to the

fairgrounds for free. Special events in the Senior Citizens Center, including inductions into the Illinois Senior Hall of Fame, take place throughout the day. The Scout Day Tent will be located directly outside the entrance to the carnival midway.

Aug. 12: Agriculture DayIllinois agriculture, which is featured throughout

the fair, is highlighted on this day. Grand champion junior livestock including the barrow, steer, wether, poultry trio and rabbit trio are auctioned at the Governor’s Sale of Champions, and the best of Illinois processed foods are auctioned at the Commodity Auction.

Aug. 13: Governor’s DayWhile the governor attends much of the Illinois

State Fair, this is his day to host special guests, including former Illinois governors.

Aug. 14: Republican DayIllinois Republicans host special guests on this day.

Past activities have included rallies and parades.

Aug. 15: Futures for Kids DayMany of the activities on this day are centered

around younger visitors. Several competitions are held including decorated diaper, diaper derby, pony-tail contest and smile contest.

Aug. 16: Park District Conservation DayMembers of more than 45 park districts from

throughout Illinois entertain fair-goers across the grounds and host activities in Conservation World.

Aug. 17: Family DayThe general admission price is lowered to $3 per

person to encourage more families to enjoy the last day of the fair.

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Farm Bureau kicks off Our Food Link program

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Farmer and rancher members of Farm Bureau from around the country officially kicked off the organization’s new Our Food Link program in conjunction with a con-ference for state leaders of Women’s Leadership and Promotion & Educa-tion programs.

“Our Food Link is a year-round program that county and state Farm

Bureaus use to provide consumers of all ages and backgrounds with infor-mation about today’s agri-culture,” explained Terry Gilbert, a Kentucky farm-er and chair of the Ameri-can Farm Bureau Wom-en’s Leadership Commit-tee. The AFBWLC spear-heads the program with participation open to all Farm Bureau members.

“People want to know where their food comes

from and who is grow-ing or raising it,” Gilbert said. “Helping people connect with sources of clothing, food, shelter and energy in their communi-ties is the foundation of this multi-faced new pro-gram,” she said.

Our Food Link activi-ties range from outreach at supermarkets or farm-ers’ markets to host-ing interactive booths at community events,

speaking with lawmak-ers and neighbors about food and visiting class-rooms to help students understand agricultural topics. Other program ideas include: an Adopt-a-Farmer program, fun runs, garden projects and “Zest ’n Zing” or other foodie events. Our Food Link activities may also include the collection of food and monetary dona-tions for Ronald McDon-

ald House Charities or other charities.

About 15 Farm Bureau members shopped for and donated food to Ronald McDonald House Chari-ties of Greater Washing-ton, D.C., in early March. The connection between Farm Bureau and Ronald McDonald House Chari-ties was forged in the mid-1990s. Since then, Farm Bureau members have donated more than $3

million in food and mon-etary contributions to Ronald McDonald Houses and other charities.

The Our Food Link planning toolkit and publicity tools may be downloaded at http://bit.ly/1j1jH5H.

New program connects consumers with where their food comes from

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Illinois Farm Bureau proposals shape American Farm Bureau policy

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Voting delegates at the 95th annual meet-ing of the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) approved Illinois Farm Bureau’s policy submittals to protect the proprietary data rights of farmers and to prevent certain changes to AFBF’s Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) policy.

Rapidly-advancing pre-cision agriculture has enabled farmers to col-lect data on yields, soils, inputs applied and other variables. These advances in data collection hold the potential to be a very ben-eficial management tool for farmers and agriculture companies. However, con-trol of the data and its uses are of growing concern to farmers.

IFB’s data policy, which was a new policy submit-ted and adopted by the delegates, requires AFBF to support efforts to bet-ter educate farmers and ranchers on data collec-tion, and support the rights of farmers who provide their data to agricultural

companies. “Proprietary data col-

lected from farming and agricultural operations is valuable, should remain the property of the farm-er, and warrants protec-tion,” said Rich Guebert Jr., president of the Illinois Farm Bureau. “The policy Illinois submitted to the AFBF Resolutions Com-mittee, which was subse-quently adopted, encour-ages protocols and calls for compensation to farmers whose proprietary data is shared with third parties.”

Additionally, IFB del-egates helped to block sub-mitted changes to AFBF’s RFS policy, which would have eliminated renew-able fuels tax incentives for biodiesel and cellulosic ethanol as well as federal incentives for gas stations to install blender pumps.

“We understand as an organization that any type of federal tax incen-tives must be justifiable to the tax payers,” said Chris Hausman, IFB del-egate and district 11 direc-tor. “We believe the old

blender’s credit did serve its purpose, so when it expired, we accepted that. But cellulosic fuels are still in their infancy stage and still need help, including blender pumps and infra-structure. Until that indus-try matures, we feel it’s going to need help.”

The AFBF annual meet-ing took place Jan. 12-15 in San Antonio. An esti-mated 7,000 people from 50 states and Puerto Rico attended, including 362 farmer and rancher del-egates who voted on grass-roots policies and policy amendments.

The Illinois Farm Bureau is a member of the Ameri-can Farm Bureau Federa-tion, a national organiza-tion of farmers and ranch-ers. Founded in 1916, IFB is a non-profit, membership organization directed by farmers who join through their county Farm Bureau. IFB has a total member-ship of more than 400,000 and a voting membership of more than 82,000. IFB represents three out of four Illinois farmers.

Delegates at 95th annual AFBF meeting approve proprietary data rights and Renewable Fuel Standard proposals

BCR file photo

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