Illinois Corn Rebuts Yahoo News Article

BLOOMINGTON - With agriculture booming as other industries struggle during this economic recession, Illinois Corn has issued a strong rebuttal to a recent Yahoo! News article citing agriculture as the most “useless” college major.

The article, submitted by reporter Terence Loose, says that agricultural careers have “virtually little to no projected job growth.” Loose quotes USDA figures provided by author Laurence Shatkin, Ph.D, purportedly showing the Department of Labor projects 64,000 fewer jobs “in this field” over the next seven years.
Lindsay Mitchell of the Illinois Corn Marketing Board, who holds a degree in animal science, rebuked Loose’s article while pointing to an increase in ag exports and rising farmland prices as indications that agriculture is alive and well. “I, for one, have never had to consider losing my job, being downsized, or not getting a cost of living raise for several years in a row like many of my counterparts in other industries,” Mitchell blogged in Illinois Corn’s “Corn Scoops” online newsletter.
Mitchell also said that as the population continues to grow worldwide, the opportunities for agricultural technology careers increase. “If we are really to consider the question of feeding millions more people without destroying the earth, we must study the genetic makeup of our crops to increase production per plant. We must study the soils, making our plants more efficient to leave the soil composition intact. We must study the food animals we raise, growing them more efficiently and minimizing death and illness. We must study alternative crops, alternative best management practices, and alternative policies to maintain our food security,” Mitchell opined. “I hardy agree that a degree in agriculture is useless as careers within the industry are secure and greatly needed if Americans and others around the world still want to eat.”

Food & Ag Communications Symposium Set
URBANA - Speaking of agricultural sciences and education, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will sponsor a first-of-its-kind international symposium, “Food and Agricultural Communications: The Next Frontier,” on February 17 at the U of I campus. With hunger a rampant issue, “We must find innovative ways to communicate more efficiently about the daunting challenges facing agricultural sciences in the global task of feeding and clothing 10 billion people,” according to a U of I announcement for the event.
A panel consisting of representatives from AgriPulse, McMillan LLC, Monsanto and Elanco Animal Health will turn the spotlight on communications challenges. Subtopics of the symposium include “Communications Leaders: Creating the Next Generation,” “Food and Ag-- Colliding Beliefs and Common Ground” and “Bringing Nutrition and Rural Development to the Farthest Reaches.”
Anyone concerned about strengthening communications regarding food, fiber, feed, renewable energy, rural-urban relations, natural resources, rural development and other ag-related issues is encouraged to attend. For more info, go to agcommevent.com; registration is due by Feb. 1. (Ill. Corn Scoops)

Yield Challenge Entrants Sought
BLOOMINGTON - It’s that time of year again when farmers are focusing in on the latest, most innovative techniques from major crop input suppliers in preparation of planting their 2012 crop. The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA), through funds from the Illinois soybean checkoff, are looking for hardworking, tenacious growers interested in combining their skills with the latest input technology for the 2012 Illinois Yield Challenge. Since its launch two years ago, the Yield Challenge has helped participating growers boost their yields by an average of 5.2 percent-- including an increase of 6.45 percent in 2011.
Individual or team growers are encouraged to explore new strategies and products as part of the Yield Challenge. Overcoming old obstacles in production is a key focus of the Challenge. Awards are given for highest overall yields and percent yield increases. Growers and teams may solicit sponsorship or may be asked to be paired with a sponsor by the ISA.
College Ag Departments and FFA Chapters are also encouraged to compete. Benefits include practical experience and hands-on knowledge, in addition to a chance to win cash awards for their schools by posting the highest yield increase over their respective county’s average. Student team entry fees are paid by the ISA.
A “grower interest form” may be completed at SoyYieldChallenge.com/interest. Questions may be directed to Jim Nelson at (309) 825-7542 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . (ISA news release)

GROWMARK Essay Contest Open to FFA Members
BLOOMINGTON - GROWMARK, headquartered on Veterans Parkway in Bloomington, has announced the theme and guidelines for its 2012 Essay Contest: “Cooperatives in a Global Environment.” Now in its 19th year, the contest, in conjunction with state FFA leaders, asks student to focus on three questions:
1: What benefits do co-ops provide their member-owners?
2: How do co-ops improve the quality of life in their communities?
3: How do co-ops contribute to economic growth throughout the world?
“Students who write essays will learn that farmer cooperatives provide many benefits for their member-owners and their communities worldwide,” said Jane Castellano, cooperative education specialist with GROWMARK.
The deadline for the Illinois contest is March 15. The winner receives a $500 scholarship, with an additional $300 for their FFA chapter. Four runners-up will receive $125 scholarships. More info on the contest can be found on GROWMARK’s website, www.growmark.com.

Illinois Farm Fact:
Corn Stocks in Illinois on December 1, 2011 totaled 1.67 billion bushels, down three percent from a year earlier. Soybean stocks totaled 398 million bushels, down two percent from the previous year’s total. The number of hogs and pigs in Illinois on Dec. 1 was 4.60 million head, up five percent from a year earlier. (USDA-NASS Illinois)

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