Renewable Fuel Tax Incentive Stalled
BLOOMINGTON - A budget bill amendment endorsed by the House Revenue Committee that would include extending the tax credit for biodiesel and ethanol has been stalled after the Senate failed to approve the tax break package last week.

The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA), along with the Ill. Chamber of Commerce, Ill. Manufacturers Assoc., Tax Payers Federation, Ill. Corn Growers Assoc. and other business groups signed a support slip for the bill. In addition to extending the ethanol and biodiesel tax credits, House Amendment 3 to Senate Bill 397 would provide $85 million in tax relief for the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and $15 million for Sears, as well as raise the state exemption for estate taxes and the reinstatement of other business tax credits, according to Mike Levin, director of issues management and analysis for the ISA.
“Many legislators are reluctant to support tax breaks for these high profile companies without some trade off for other small businesses and agriculture,” Levin stated in an e-mailed update circulated on November 29. “We will continue to advocate and watch this very closely...it can be taken as good news that (the) amendment was included, however these amendments also have a way of becoming an issue when there was not one before.”

Hager: Invasive Weed on Increase
URBANA - Palmer amaranth-- the topic of University of Illinois weed specialist Aaron Hager’s presentation during the U of I’s 2012 Corn & Soybean Classic on January 16 in Bloomington-- is a highly-competitive, glyphosate-resistant member of the pigweed family which can develop taproots that may outstretch a soybean plant’s root system. It also threatens field corn, cotton and peanut populations with its capability to grow several inches in length per day.
“We’re trying to get (farmers) here in the state to recognize what unfortunately might be becoming one of the more common weed species that we have,” Hager said during a phone interview last week. “Palmer amaranth has been causing a great deal of problems for farmers in the mid-south and the southeast, and is working its way up north.”
Illinois farmers have dealt with Palmer amaranth for decades, but crop scientists have noticed an uptick in the plant’s presence in recent years, according to Hager. “Due to some recent discoveries that have been made in the state, we’re very concerned that this is a species that may encompass more and more acreage in the northern part of the state
“It has changed the game if you will. Waterhemp is our dominant amaranth here in Illinois, but Palmer can grow faster than waterhemp and be more competitive, indicating it can cause more of a yield loss effect on agronomic crops than what waterhemp can do.”
Hager will offer tips on identifying and managing Palmer amaranth during his presentations featured in the Classics. Registration for the Classics and further information is available at www.cropsciconferences.org/ or by phoning (800) 321-1296.

Farm Econ Summit Offered by farmdoc
URBANA - Another group of speakers-- these from the farmdoc team at the University of Illinois-- will delve into the issues of farm profitability and challenges in farm management during the U of I’s 2011 Farm Economics Summit, to be held on Friday, December 16 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Bloomington (also the site of the Corn & Soy Classic in January). Several perspectives of profitability and management will be examined, including the direction of prices, government reports and data, estate planning, forecasting returns, crop insurance choices and changes to farm programs. Recent volatility in the commodities market will take center stage, according to event organizers.
“Exhibit A is the 20 percent drop in corn and soybean prices in September 2011. Understanding the sources of this volatility and how to deal with these large risks is front and center in the minds of all producers,” according to an article about the summit posted on Illinois Corn’s website.
The summit is actually a series of five morning-long presentations scheduled for venues in Champaign (December 12), Sycamore (Dec. 13), Galesburg (Dec. 14) and Mt. Vernon (Dec. 15) in addition to the Bloomington summit. The summit will feature experts from both the U of I Extension and the university’s Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics (ACES). More information is available on the farmdoc website or at ilcorn.org.

2012 Yield Challenge Announced
BLOOMINGTON - Jim Nelson, Yield Challenge coordinator for the Illinois Soybean Association, is looking for a few good growers to participate in the 2012 Illinois Yield Challenge. Illinois soybean farmers interested in testing new strategies to help achieve higher yield and profits are eligible for the program, which is sponsored by the ISA and funded by the Illinois soybean checkoff.
Individual growers, teams, students and FFA chapters are all welcome to participate in the challenge, which examines methods of overcoming obstacles to higher yields. I addition, team and promotional sponsorship opportunities are available for businesses such as ag retailers, equipment manufacturers, seed dealerships and other ag-related companies. Contact Nelson at (309) 825-7542 or at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to learn more.

Midwest Food Bank Receives Gift From Ag
SPRINGFIELD - Just in time to aid needy families during the holidays, the Midwest Food Bank in Bloomington was the recent recipient of more than 13,500 pounds of ground pork courtesy of the Pork Power: Partnering to Fight Hunger in Illinois campaign. Illinois pork producers donated the pigs to Pork Power, a partnership between the Illinois Pork Producers Association (IPPA), Illinois Corn Marketing Board and Illinois Soybean Association. The meat was processed at Gridley Meats, where over 30,000 pounds of donated pork has been processed during 2011 for needy families in central Illinois.
“It is important that Illinois families have access to protein not just during the holiday season, but throughout the year as well,” said Mike Haag, IPPA president, in a news release. “Illinois pork producers are proud to work with the partnering organizations to support the Midwest Food Bank and Gridley Meats’ pork donation program.”

Illinois Farm Fact:
During its four years in existence, Pork Power has generated more than 256,000 pounds of pork for donation to Illinois food banks and pantries. (Pork Power news release)

(Tim Alexander is a freelance reporter who writes agriculture, news and feature articles for the News Bulletin, Farm World and many other publications.)