central iowa agmag - 02-21-2013

AG Mag 1

AGMagCentral Iowa

A Publication of Shaw Media Spring 2013

Water, Please!Their land thirsty for moisture, Central Iowa farmers mull options as planting draws near

Numbers game: Why data now drives many decisions on today’s farms

Cliff notes: How the ‘fiscal cliff’ dealhelps and hurts you and your neighbors

Steady wind: Iowans remain ‘pretty darn positive’ about wind energy projects

2 Spring 2013

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AG Mag 3

4 Spring 2013

Central Iowa Ag Mag stands out because of its local focus

It is with great excitement that we introduce the inaugu-ral issue of Central Iowa Ag Mag, a publication focused on the success of Iowa farmers and the agriculture industry. The magazine will feature best practices, discuss trends, and provide a forum for profitable ideas.

We intend to create a top-flight agriculture magazine that will stand out compared to all the rest. The way we intended to make it stand out is to make it the most locally focused agriculture publication in the market, and we are confident we have done that!

Inside this issue you will be able to read about the local impact last year’s dry weather had on our area and how other growers and agriculture professionals are moving forward. You will find profiles of local growers as well as information on yield statistics, best practices, tax and gov-ernment policies, and more. You might even see names and photographs of people you know. There are even some tasty recipes for those who not only grow food, but who enjoy eating it, too.

Aside from the editorial content, this edition is packed full of locally based advertising about the valuable prod-

ucts and services area agriculture profes-sionals offer. Those of us working to pro-duce this magazine are especially grateful for our advertisers’ support, for without it, producing this publication would not be possible.

The second issue of the Ag Mag will publish in August. It will examine how the growing season is progressing and take a read on how local growers plan to market their grain and livestock. It will

also feature vacation opportunities and profile area farm-ers’ favorite trips.

The final issue of the year will publish in November, with a two-pronged focus: It will examine how area growers fared in 2013, and then delve into planning for next year.

We hope you enjoy this issue, and we hope you have a great 2013.

Regards,

Dan Goetz, publisher

Message from the Publisher

Dan GoetzPublisher

Jasper County • 641.792.6433

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach programs are available to all without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability. CER.12.13G January 2013

In 2012, more than 6,000 Iowans participated in our meetings and webinars and called our hotlines and specialists for updates on crop, livestock, and horticulture issues.

Visit the Our Story website and learn more about how we benefit Iowans across the state.

www.extension.iastate.edu/our-story

AG Mag 5

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Articles and advertisements are the property of Sauk Valley Media. No portion of the Central Iowa Ag Mag may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Ad content is not the responsibility of Sauk Valley Media. The information in this magazine is believed to be accurate; however, Sauk Valley Media cannot and does not guarantee its accuracy. Sauk Valley Media cannot and will not be held liable for the quality or performance of goods and services provided by advertisers listed in any portion of this magazine.

PublisherDan Goetz

Advertising Director Jeff Holschuh

Managing EditorBob Eschliman

Magazine EditorsLarry Lough, Kathleen Schultz

Page DesignJeff Rogers

Reporters & PhotographersDerek Barichello, Pam Eggemeier,

Bob Eschliman, David Giuliani, Kayla Heimerman, Mandi Lamb, Philip Marruffo, Amy Martens,

Alex T. Paschal, Nicole Wiegand, and Kyle Wilson

Published bySauk Valley Media3200 E. LincolnwaySterling, IL 61081

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AG Central IowaMag

8COVER STORY

Feeling the Heat Farmers fear another year of drought could

be devastating if commodity prices fall.

Feeding the worldNewton High School senior

James Leonard already is well aware of agriculture’s importance. 11

Index

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IndexUncertainty, still, about Farm BillNo one’s happy that the lawmakers in Washington, once again, have kicked the can down the road on the Farm Bill.

Legislative priorities

Iowa Farm Bureau sets its agenda for lawmakers in

Des Moines.

Good talks, great foodHomemade Iowa comfort food brings people to the Coffee Cup Cafe on the Sully square.

Wind still strong in Iowa

Wind energy projects are not meeting the same

opposition here as in other Midwestern states.

12

13

16

Potential tax burdens liftedThe “fiscal cliff” deal in the nation’s capital brought some blessings to farmers in Iowa and across the country.

20

24

Planting by the numbersWhat data do you need to make your operations more efficient? Technology makes getting it easy.

28

8 Spring 2013

BY Matthew Shepard and KaYla heiMerMan

For Central Iowa Ag Mag

Early last year, Kellogg farmer Todd Lenz became concerned about drought-like conditions he saw

around him. As nearby creeks began to run dry, he knew many farmers were getting worried.

“It’s a concern [now],” Lenz said. “Farmers have been hauling water since last summer. The amount of water to recharge [the] groundwa-ter is astronomical.”

n n nThe intense 2012 drought parched

field crops throughout much of the

country, including the top corn-pro-ducing states in the Midwest, and deliv-ered a punishing blow to yields across the nation.

Federal crop insurance, coupled with strong corn prices, made up for some of the loss. But the threat of another dry growing season – with agricultural land thirsty for water after fall rains and early winter snows failed to fully recharge soil moisture – has farmers worried.

Although Lenz said he was not affect-ed much by the 2012 drought – “60-80

miles south of here had it worse,” he said – this coming season could be trouble.

The Jasper County farmer saw an increase in sales for his products because other areas were affected by the drought. But if enought snowfall does not come this winter, his crops might struggle this coming season.

He also is concerned about livestock because of a hay shortage.

Feeling

theheatThreat of drought through 2013 has farmers worried

’’‘‘ history tells us not to anticipate the situation will correct completely during this year. it tells us to anticipate the

problem will continue.elwynn taylor, a professor of agronomy at iowa State University

ContinUed on 94

AG Mag 9

Sarah Brown/Central Iowa Ag MagCattle close in on Tony Allen of Diagonal as he takes feed to the herd. Allen is concerned what a continued drought through 2013 could mean for the more than 300 cattle he owns. “If it doesn’t rain, livestock will go away,” Allen predicted. “You could not buy enough hay to keep cows going.”

Fort Atkinson Hay Auctions reported that hay bales usually cost about $35 a round, but with the drought, the price has increased to about $100.

How bad was the 2012 drought?

The 2012 drought was the most intense and widespread drought to grip the United States since 1988. It was comparable in severity to the droughts of the mid-1950s, said Elwynn Taylor, a professor of agronomy at Iowa State University and a climatologist for Iowa State University Extension.

More than 50 percent of the country was experiencing some level of drought conditions as of early January, accord-ing to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The 2012 drought crippled corn pro-duction after six consecutive years of above-average corn yield, Taylor said. In 2010, when the drought started, output for the first time in six years fell below the average. And in 2011, it fell even further.

“And in 2012, we were not only below the trend, we were in extreme drought,” Taylor said. “So, we had three consecutive years below the trend, and we’re likely moving into two more years.”

Withered crops limped through the summer on subsoil moisture deep into the ground, Taylor said. But most of that subsoil moisture is gone and has yet to be replaced – a special concern now that the ground has frozen.

“We did not have a full recharge over [the past] winter,” Taylor said. “Some places had a normal recharge, but half didn’t.”

Irrigated crops did well, said Bob Rosengren, who grows corn and soy-beans in Lee and Whiteside counties, Ill.

“Anything under water did survive and was a decent crop,” Rosengren said. “We kind of take it out of Mother Nature’s hands because we can make it rain.”

But according to the 2007 Census of Agriculture, the most recent survey available, only 2.09 percent of har-vested cropland in Illinois is irrigated. In Iowa, that figure is even smaller: 0.79 percent. Those numbers could increase in a 2012 survey that is being compiled.

Most growers slogged through the drought and made up for their losses with crop insurance, said Emily Pratt, a

crop insurance specialist for 1st Farm Credit Services in Rock Falls, Ill.

“Those with adequate crop insurance were still able to conduct business as usual and even make plans for the com-ing year,” Pratt said. “The insurance made them feel secure in knowing that if they did have a loss, then some or all of their investment would be covered.”

Soil moisture still a concern

Most of the country remains in a drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

A three-month drought outlook, released Jan. 3 from the Climate Pre-diction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, showed easing drought in northern Illinois, continued drought with some improve-ment in northwestern Illinois and east-ern Iowa, and persistent or intensified drought throughout much of the rest of the country.

Soil moisture and water levels are at near-record lows – so much so that barge traffic on the Mississippi River

has halted – and are not likely to fully recover by spring, said John Eise, a meteorologist for the Central Region of the National Weather Service.

“Even if we received normal precipita-tion this winter, we would still have a deficit in everything from topsoil mois-ture to water levels [in ponds, streams and rivers],” Eise said. “Unless we have some good, wet snows that can perco-late into the soil and recharge the soil moisture, we’re going to have problems going into the spring.”

Corn and soybeans survived the drought on subsoil moisture. Rooting conditions last year were near ideal, and observed corn and soybean roots were 8 to 9 feet in many places, Taylor said.

That deep rooting provided sufficient water to produce decent crop yields but resulted in moisture-depleted soil. Many locations now require 16 to 18 inches of precipitation – because each foot of soil has a capacity for 2 inches of plant-available water – from the past October to May to adequately replenish subsoil moisture, Taylor said.

“That is not likely,” he said. “Judging from normal precipitation and his-tory, it’s not likely the soil will be fully recharged.”

Years of scant moisture, or drought years, often lead to an immediately subsequent year of below-average pre-cipitation.

4 ConTInueD froM 8

’’‘‘ Those with adequate crop insurance were still able to conduct business as usual and even make plans for the

coming year.emily Pratt, crop insurance specialist in rock falls, Ill. ConTInueD on 104

10 Spring 2013

After the 1988 and 1956 droughts, for example, 1989 and 1957 saw precipita-tion “shy of the normal,” Taylor said.

“History tells us not to anticipate the situation will correct completely during this year,” he said. “It tells us to antici-pate the problem will continue.”

Forecast is unknownThe spring forecast is fuzzy, at best.Meteorologists look to the tempera-

ture of the surface waters in the Pacific Ocean near the equator to predict the weather. Warmer-than-normal waters are known as El Niño, and cooler-than-normal waters are known as La Niña. The cycle, together called the El Niño/La Niña–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), influences temperature and precipita-tion in the United States.

Meteorologists aren’t seeing much, though. Neither El Niño nor La Niña is dictating the weather right now, said Brad Rippey, an agricultural meteorolo-gist with the USDA.

“We’re in a neutral situation,” Rippey said. “It’s [ENSO] one of the very few things we have to give us some confidence in a forecast looking out many, many months, and we don’t have it this winter.”

Meteorologists then look elsewhere – at a mish-mosh of factors that affect weather

in ways that are much harder to predict.

“We’ve had highly variable weather so far,” Rippey said. “If I had to go out on a limb, that would be my forecast: periods of stormy weather at times ... a lot of extremes, from mild and dry to cold and stormy.

“I’m afraid to venture a guess into the spring.”

Other experts agree.“We probably will not have a

good, reliable outlook until we get to, let’s say the middle of January, or even to be really sure, to early April,” Taylor said. “Usually by then, we do have weather patterns and a handle on them for what they will be for May through Sep-tember [the growing season].”

Chuck Rhodenbaugh, who farms 1,600 acres of commercial corn with-out irrigation in Lee County, Ill., is worried less about the persistent dry conditions and more about the falling price of corn.

“I’m worried, yes, that it will be dry and we won’t get the yield we need,” he said. “But I’m more worried about how much the price is going to drop. ... With the high cost of inputs, if that price gets back down to that $3.50 figure, a lot of farm-ers are going to go out of business.”

The drought sent corn prices through the roof – to a record-high of about

$8.50 a bushel this past summer – but a return to more normal yields this year could send them spiraling downward, said Chris Hurt, an agricultural econo-mist at Purdue University Extension.

The USDA predicts the midpoint on 2012 corn will be $7.60 a bushel. If yields are more normal in 2013, the price could fall to $5.50, the largest ever year-to-year drop, Hurt said. But prices won’t move sharply lower until produc-tion becomes more assured as the sea-son progresses, he added.

CONTINUED FROM 9

Alex T. Paschal/For Central Iowa Ag MagChuck Rodebaugh, who farms commercial corn without irrigation in Lee County, Ill., is more concerned about how much prices will drop than he is about persistent dry conditions.

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Newton Senior High School senior James Leonard is just 18 years old, but he already is an avid farmer and busi-nessman with a passion for all things agriculture.

“[Farming] is important to me because we feed the world,” he said. “Without agriculture and without farm-ers, a lot of people wouldn’t get food, and I just feel that it really helps and that I’m doing this for a good cause to help feed the world.”

Leonard grew up on a 500-acre farm about 10 miles north of Newton, where his family’s main crops are corn and soybeans. Leonard himself even has a small cattle operation consisting of nine head of feeder calves that he plans to sell in July or early August.

“My dad had hogs at our house, and he got out of that business and we had the empty barn space,” he said. “So I started buying some calves and feed-

ing them out, and it’s made me some money.”

When he’s not on the family farm, Leonard stays busy at school as the chapter president of the National FFA Organization at NHS, which has about 75 members.

“I ran for offices throughout my high school career and didn’t get them, so I got the short end of the stick there,” Leonard said with a laugh. “But this year, I ran for chapter president, and the chapter does an interview process with each applicant, so I gave a two-minute speech and members voted me in.”

With the title comes the responsibility of giving radio and newspaper inter-views, as well as going on chapter visits and attending workshops and leader-ship conferences. Leonard cites one of his major accomplishments during his time in the FFA as his selection as a South Central District sentinel – one of six throughout the state of Iowa.

After his graduation from high school this spring, Leonard plans to attend Iowa State University to major in agri-cultural business and accounting. But the FFA will always be a part of his life.

“I will be an active member until I’m 21. Then, I’ll join a collegiate FFA ... and hopefully work on the family farm after college,” he said. “I’ll still be around town and be a supporter of the FFA.

“Actually, we just started an alumni chapter of the FFA here in Newton, and I’ll be a member of that after I graduate.”

‘We feed the world’ NHS student already

doing his part

Amy Martens/Central Iowa Ag Mag Newton Senior High School FFA chapter President James Leonard has grown up on a 500-acre farm about 10 miles north of Newton. There, Leonard himself has a small cattle operation consisting of nine head of feeder calves that he plans to sell in the summer.

James Leonard Age: 18Home: Rural NewtonSchool: Newton Senior High SchoolFFA activities: Newton FFA presi-

dent, South Central District sentinel, member of Program of Activities Team that received ninth at state in 2012, Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) is raising feed lot beef cattle

Academic activities: Maintained 3.5 GPA throughout high school, member of Student Activities Advisory Committee

Sports: 4-year varsity letter winner in golf, 3-year varsity letter winner in soccer

Family: Father, Tim Leonard; moth-er, Michele Leonard; sister, Macy Leonard (16)

AG Mag 11

12 Spring 2013

Photo illustration by Alex T. Paschal for Central Iowa Ag Mag

By PAM EggEMEIErFor Central Iowa Ag Mag

In a business where uncertainty is a constant occupational hazard, the recent one-year extension of the 2008 Farm Bill does little to alleviate farm-

ers’ fears of the unknown.The Farm Bill extension was part of the

last-minute “fiscal cliff” deal that was bro-kered in Congress on New Year’s Day. While more than 35 programs set to expire will now be authorized to operate at last year’s spending levels, farm advocates and legisla-tors say they are disappointed in the inabil-ity of Congress to give farmers the security of a new five-year deal that would make it easier for them to plan.

“Uncertainty is the big thing,” said Adam

Nielsen, director of national legislation and policy development for the Illinois Farm Bureau. “Farmers are hoping that we’re not on a treadmill of Farm Bill extensions.”

Newly sworn-in 16th District Congressman Adam Kinzinger of Illinois said the uncer-tainty that lingers with the extension has been the biggest agricultural concern voiced by farmers in his district.

“Without knowing which insurance pro-grams, or possible new regulations may be placed upon their industry, farmers are left vulnerable when deciding which crops, feed, or investments they should make for years to come,” Kinzinger said.

KicKing the can Down the RoaD, againUncertainty for farmers remains after another extension of the Farm Bill by Congress

ConTInuEd on 144

AG Mag 13

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BY BOB ESCHLIMANFor Central Iowa Ag Mag

The Iowa General Assembly recon-vened Jan. 14 for its annual 110-day session with a number of new legisla-tive priorities. But the eyes of many farmers and rural landowners will be looking to see how legislators respond to calls from the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation to protect the state’s land owners and control the growth of prop-erty taxes.

Republican and Democratic leaders in both the House and the Senate have stated that property taxes – particularly commercial property taxes – will be a major focus of the 2013 legislative agenda.

IFBF President Craig Hill, in an inter-view in the most recent issue of the Farm Bureau Spokesman, said property taxes had increased sharply.

“Our continued efforts to protect property taxpayers are essential because, over the last decade, property

taxes have increased by over $2 billion, an increase of over 75 percent,” he said. “Farm Bureau members believe the primary objective of property tax reform should be to reduce the property tax bur-den on all classes of property.”

Another major issue will be how the state dips into a nearly $800 million budget surplus from the last budget year. Hill said IFBF members sup-port using a draw-down of those funds for one-time expenses, such as property tax relief and infrastructure needs, but opposes any new long-term spending commitments from the surplus.

Other IFBF legislative priorities in 2013 will include:

• Advancing conservation efforts and

addressing water quality issues,• Protecting Iowa’s road and bridge

infrastructure,• Positioning the state as the leader in

bioscience research and development, and

• Increasing legislative oversight in the rule-making processes of state boards and commissions.

Hill also said in the interview that IFBF would work to establish budget growth limitations for local govern-ments as a way to further limit property tax increases.

“Reasonable limits are needed so property tax collections do not con-tinue to outpace the economy and family wages,” he said. “In addition, protecting the productivity formula for property taxes on farmland will be a key focus, ensuring that agricultural land is assessed on its ability to produce rev-enue, rather than on the current market value, especially in this period of sharp-ly higher land prices.”

Farm Bureau states its top priorities for 2013

Craig Hill: President of the

Iowa Farm Bureau Federation

At the Statehouse

14 Spring 2013

Kinzinger said that the impact of last year’s drought and historically slow economic growth make a five-year Farm Bill even more important.

Nielsen believes the extension is dou-bly frustrating because much of the heavy lifting for a new bill had been done, and a cash-strapped federal government stood to save a substan-tial amount of money in farm subsidy concessions. A bill passed by the Senate included savings of about $23 billion over 10 years. Another version in the House contained $35 billion in cuts, but a finished product never made it out of the House.

“Negotiations were taking place in December 2011,” Nielsen said. “We basically had the bill then, but it failed in the supercommittee. Now we’re back to square one.”

Randy Faber of Sublette, Ill., was one of 14 state farmers to participate in the Illinois Farm Bureau’s Leaders in Washington trip in mid-September. The delegation had the opportunity to talk to legislative leaders one-on-one about the need for a new Farm Bill and participate in a rally at the Capitol. While Faber said it was a productive trip, his excitement was tempered by a

healthy dose of reality.“There was a lot of enthusiasm at the

rally, and I was kind of surprised by the optimism by the congressmen,”

Faber said. “I just personally never did think we would get this done by the end of the year.”

Faber said he knew that the proposed cuts to the food stamp program would be a huge roadblock to getting a deal out of the House. The House version of the bill called for $16.5 billion in cuts, over a 10-year period, to the Supple-mental Nutrition and Assistance Pro-gram (SNAP), which makes up more than 75 percent of the Farm Bill budget. Democrats feared that the cuts would eliminate food stamps for up to three million Americans.

He also understood the gravity of the fiscal cliff negotiations, which forced the Farm Bill to take a back seat.

“There’s a $16 trillion debt,” Faber said. “You can’t keep kicking the can down the road when no one can tell you when you’re going to hit the wall. All you have to do it look at what’s happened in Greece and the rest of Europe.”

Congress and the ag community agree that the Farm Bill is outdated and the extension merely delays reform efforts. Most heavily debated in the reform conversation is the fund-ing for safety net programs, which are now extended in their current form for another year.

As crop prices have gone up dur-ing the period covered by the 2008 Farm Bill, crop insurance has clearly emerged as the risk management tool of choice in the Midwest. Direct pay-ments have become the poster child of an antiquated Farm Bill.

4 Continued from 12

david rauch/Central iowa Ag magrandy faber, who farms near Sublette in Lee County, ill., said that while he “was kind of surprised by the optimism of congressmen” during an illinois farm Bureau Leaders visit with lawmakers in Washington in mid-September, he never expected a new farm Bill to be passed by the end of 2012.

AP photoCongressman Adam Kinzinger, a republican who now serves the 16th district in illinois, said “farmers are left vulnerable” in decisions about crops, feed and investments because of the uncertainty about the future of the farm Bill.

’’‘‘ negotiations were taking place in december 2011. We basically had the bill then, but it failed in the supercommittee.

now we’re back to square one.Adam nielsen, director of national legislation and policy

development for the illinois farm BureauContinued on 154

AG Mag 15

The main objective for lobbyists in the next bill will be to protect the crop insurance programs that now cost the federal government about $9 billion a year, Nielsen said.

“We’re not pushing for direct pay-ments, but now we have them for another year,” he said. “It’s a great example of how this bill is out of step with the times. Farm Bureau is focused on preserving and enhancing crop insurance, but this is a symptom of a process that broke down.”

The ag sector booked record profits of $122 billion in 2012, fueling the argu-ment to cut subsidies. Many farmers seem to have accepted the likelihood that direct payments are living on bor-rowed time. Some would even like to see them disappear.

Jim Schielein, a grain producer in Lee and Ogle counties in northern Illinois, served 10 years on the IFB board. He says he was in favor of doing away with direct payments in the 2008 Farm Bill.

“We could see it coming,” he said. “Direct payments had their time and place, but they became untenable. With prices recovering as they have, why are we getting these dollars?”

Scott Irwin, professor of agriculture and consumer economics at University of Illinois, agrees that fixed direct sup-

ports are “dead on arrival,” but agricul-ture lobbyists want the next Farm Bill to include a different, more modern sort of safety net system in exchange.

“They are proposing replacement pro-grams that work in conjunction with crop insurance and vary with market conditions,” he said. “I think the big-gest concern for farmers this year is how robust the safety net will be in the next Farm Bill.

But making concessions during good farm times can be a slippery slope, especially now that the Farm Bill is like-ly to be drawn up while the debt ceiling deadline and appropriations bill expira-tion both loom on March 27.

Jerry Quintin, director of the Lee County Farm Service Agency, says the next Farm Bill must not “throw out the baby with the bathwater” just because this year was the first time in 30 years that prices have exceeded production costs. There will always be numerous factors that farmers can’t control.

“We can’t forget the essence of these programs,” he said. “We have to remember the cyclical nature of farm-ing and what we needed to do to get to the good times. We had $5 corn in ’96-’97, and then $1.40 corn in ’98-’99. Lee County received about $25 million in drought insurance in 1988-’89. We lost a lot of farmers that year, but the insur-ance saved us.”

Newly elected U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos of the 17th District in northwest Illi-nois, who received an appointment to the House Agriculture Committee, will work with the committee to craft the next Farm Bill. She said she will listen closely to her constituents to gauge their priorities. She said she was disap-pointed that a long-term bill wasn’t completed in the last Congress, but she understands that reconciling subsidies with the current budgetary crisis will be challenging.

“The lack of certainty puts farmers in Illinois in a difficult position when it comes to planning, and it also impacts investment in agriculture,” Bustos said. “We need to have subsidy reform, but also need to remember that farmers are at the mercy of Mother Nature. They do need some kind of safety net in place, such as a strong crop insurance pro-gram.”

Bustos said that the need for a long-term bill was the dominant ag issue discussed while she was on the cam-paign trail. She believes there will be an important teaching aspect to her com-mittee work on the Farm Bill.

“It is important to educate Congress about how a Farm Bill is beneficial to everyone – not just those in agricultural districts – because of the impact it has on things like food prices and food safety,” Bustos said.

Alex T. Pascal/Central Iowa Ag MagJim Schielein, a grain producer in Lee and Ogle counties in northern Illinois, favored doing away with direct payments in the 2008 Farm Bill. He said, “With prices recovering as they have, why are we getting these dollars?” Many farmers seem to have accepted the likelihood that direct payments are living on borrowed time.

4 COnTInued FrOM 14

‘The place to go’Homemade Iowa comfort food brings folks to the Sully square

Nicole Wiegand/Central Iowa Ag MagRon Williams and David Gertsma fin-ish their drinks before heading out on a Thursday morning. While a usual crowd of regulars fills the rustic din-ing room in the early morning, most patrons clear out by 10:30 a.m. before returning for lunch later in the day.

By NICole WIeGANDFor Central Iowa Ag Mag

Business cards for the Coffee Cup Cafe in Sully, Iowa, don’t list an address. They simply read, “South

Side of the Square.”If you’ve been to Sully, popula-

tion 821, you know where the square is, and, as it’s the only restaurant in town, you probably know where the Coffee Cup is, too. While a restaurant has occu-pied the building along Fourth Street for nearly a century, the Coffee Cup as it stands today has been run by Robin and Darin Morvant of Sully since 2004.

T-shirts hanging on the walls boast “Since 1970.” Robin explains that, while the property has changed own-ership, the restaurant has retained its original integrity. Since 2004, the Morvants have made some renova-tions and a few changes to the menu, but haven’t altered anything drasti-cally.

The menu, Robin explained, is chock full of homemade Iowa comfort food that keeps the regulars coming in day after day — some of them multiple times a day, like David Gertsma, Ron Williams and Gilbert Van Wyk.

Gertsma and Van Wyk hail from nearby Lynnville; both are retired farm-ers. Williams, of Sully, has been a truck driver and is “almost retired,” according to a joking Gertsma.

Like clockwork, they meet around 9 a.m. each day.

CoNTINueD oN 174

16 Spring 2013

The Coffee Cup Cafe’s pancakes have received many rave reviews online, likely because of the homemade syrup.

Among the favorites at the Coffee Cup Cafe in Sully are the hot beef sandwich, pancakes with homemade syrup, and freshly baked pies.

The Coffee Cup Cafe is the only restaurant in Sully, population 821. Its menu is full of homemade Iowa comfort food that keeps the regulars coming in day after day, says Robin Morvant. one of the restau-rant’s owners since 2004.

AG Mag 17

It’s coffee for Williams and Van Wyk, but “never anything but iced tea,” for Gertsma.

“Well, Gilbert gets here about seven minutes after 9 o’clock. Anything later than that and he’s late,” Gertsma joked. “Some of us are here twice a day; Ron, he’s in here three times a day.”

“We just talk about anything and everything,” Wil-liams said. “Our wives ask us what we hear in here, and you just can’t explain.”

“Sometimes you’ll learn something here about yourself you didn’t know before,” quipped server Tammy Fisher as she refilled a coffee for Van Wyk, who’s been frequenting the Coffee Cup for decades.

“I’ve been coming here pretty near 50 years now,” he laughed. “My dad used to come in here, and I did a few times, too. I must’ve started a bad habit early. When I used to do seed corn, I’d park the truck out front, stop for coffee, and then go deliver.”

Over the course of those 50 years, the restaurant was briefly owned by Van Wyk’s grandfather and uncle, and his wife worked as a salad maker in the kitchen for 10 years.

“We know just about everybody, but there’s always strangers that come in,” he added.

It’s not just coffee and conversation that the men gather for each day – they come for the food as well.

“I like the triple deuce,” Williams said. “That’s two eggs, two sausages and two pieces of toast.”

“My wife and I are pancake lovers,” Van Wyk added.

Rightfully so, as the Coffee Cup’s pancakes have numerous rave reviews around the web, likely because of the homemade syrup. Among other favorites, explained Robin, are the hot beef sand-wich, Dutch lettuce salad, and homemade pies.

Daily pie specials are listed on a whiteboard adja-cent to the counter; this particular Thursday morn-ing featured peach, banana cream, coconut cream and cherry. With the combination of home-cooked food, fantastic service and a friendly sea of faces around, the three wouldn’t go anywhere else.

“There’s got to be something good here, because we just keep on coming back,” Williams said.

“You know,” Gertsma added, “it’s kind of the high-light of the day for me.”

4 ConTInued fRoM 16

18 Spring 2013

Photos submittedMarie Bookout (left) and her family pose for a portrait in Ness City, Kan., during the height of the Dust Bowl.

By NiCole WiegaNDFor Central Iowa Ag Mag

Although Newton’s Marie Bookout has lived in Iowa since she was in fourth grade, the years that have passed haven’t erased her memories of enduring the Dust Bowl of the 1930s as a child in western Kansas.

“I was a little kid when we lived in Kan-sas,” Bookout, 84, said. “[Her father] drove the gas truck, and he’d fill it up and take it out in the fields to the combines. If they saw one of those dust storms com-ing, it’d be like a tornado now, but it’d just be a solid wall of dust.”

Such dust storms became the hallmark of the ecological phenomenon that swept across the American plains during the mid-1930s and was thusly deemed the “Dust Bowl.”

Surviving the DUST BOWLNewton woman recalls

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Spurred by extreme drought and the utilization of farming practices that eliminated the prairie’s deep root struc-ture, dry and dusty conditions left fields vulnerable to wind erosion.

Bookout’s family took extreme mea-sures to evade the dust, even within the walls of their prairie home.

“After one of those storms, you’d have dust everywhere,” she said. “It just came in through nowhere.

“If there was a storm when mother was cooking, you know, you’d have to keep lids

on all the pots and pans, of course,” she recalled. “She would set the table and put a tablecloth over all the plates and forks and knives, and we’d have to stick our heads under the tablecloth to eat supper.”

It wasn’t just their food that Bookout’s family was concerned about – breath-ing in the dust was even more danger-ous than eating it.

“Daddy built me a bed with sides on it, and mother would lay a damp sheet over it every night before bed,” Marie said. “You’d wake up after one of those

dust storms, and you’d have dust [an inch thick] on the outside of it. My mother worked herself half to death to keep me from breathing in dirt. Just imagine having to rinse that sheet out every day, and then having to do it all again.”

Depending on the direc-tion of the wind and the severity of the storm, Bookout and her family could predict where the devastating dust storms originated.

“We could tell almost the exact location of where the dust was coming from just by looking at the color,” she explained. “If it was red, it was from Oklahoma; if it was yel-low, it was from Texas. ... If you were there, you could tell.

“Lots of times they’d say, ‘That dust is from Texas,’ and that’d mean it came clear over Oklahoma to get here.”

The dust took a toll not only on farm-ers, but on the prairie wildlife as well.

“The men would all get together and drag the [dead] critters up from the corners of the fields and burn them,” she said. “We had to beat the rabbits

to death to keep them from eating the food the people needed to eat. My fam-ily tried to farm, tried the corn and the wheat and could do pretty good with the wheat. Mother always had a milk cow or two, a hog, chickens and a garden. If you could feed the animals, you could exist.

“You know, it was an awful lot like that ‘Grapes of Wrath’ movie,” she added. “It showed what a hardship it was to make a living.”

CONTINUED FROM 18

The prairie near Marie Bookout’s home in Kansas was a barren wasteland during the Dust Bowl years.

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20 Spring 2013

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BY PAM EGGEMEIERFor Central Iowa Ag Mag

With taxes taking center stage late last year in the looming fiscal cliff negotiations, farm-ers and their tax planners were hoping for the best but preparing for the worst as 2012 came to a close.

While all the uncertainty over ag-related tax issues made planning difficult, the deal reached late on New Year’s Day not only included a one-year extension of the 2008 Farm Bill provisions, but some big tax victories that farm lobby-ists had pushed hard for in 2012.

■ ■ ■

According to CPA John Berge, the three most important tax changes set for 2012 were a sizable decrease in the Section 179 expense deduc-tion, the expiration of the bonus depreciation allowance, and the antic-ipation of higher estate taxes. Now none of those changes will come to fruition this year.

“This allows farmers to have more options for 2013 and gives them more flexibility,” Burge said.

Section 179 and the bonus depreciation allowance, often used in tan-dem, provide write-offs for equipment purchases that can help to shel-ter income during good years.

TAX CLOUDS LIFTED Farmers score victories

in fiscal cliff deal

CONTINUED ON 22

Photo illustration by Alex T. Paschal/Central Iowa Ag Mag

22 Spring 2013

Before the fiscal cliff deal, the dollar limit for the Sec-tion 179 expense deduction was to drop from $500,000 to $139,000 for 2012, and all the way back to $25,000 for 2013. The 100 percent bonus depreciation allowance applies to qualifying prop-erty with a longer shelf life acquired after Sept. 8, 2010. The 50 percent bonus depre-ciation allowance applies to qualifying property acquired after Dec. 31, 2007. Both bonus depreciation allow-ances were to expire in 2012.

Now the maximum Section 179 deduction remains at $500,000 for 2012 and 2013. The 50 percent bonus depre-ciation allowance is extended through 2013. The ceiling for equipment eligibility also has been lifted to $2 million, instead of the $560,000 asset maximum that had triggered a phase-out of Section 179.

Berge said the extension of those write-offs at their current rates is important in stimulating small business and agriculture.

“Farming is a very capital-

intensive business,” he said. “It takes a lot of capital to be successful. We saw a lot of equipment being purchased in 2011, and fewer capital purchases in 2012 because of the possibility of the tax changes. When the tax bur-den is less, it’s a real incentive to invest in new technology.”

Illinois Farm Bureau mem-bers made federal tax issues a big priority in 2012, and lobbyists turned up the heat on Congress by putting out a legislative action request from Nov. 30 to Dec. 7. The result was close to 4,000 par-ticipants banding together in support of retaining current estate tax and capital gains provisions, and extensions of the Section 179 deduction, as well as extensions of the renewable fuels and energy tax credits.

The estate tax keeps the personal exemption at $5 million for an individual and $10 million for couples. The exemption will be adjusted for inflation, making it $5.12 million in 2012 and about $5.25 million in 2013.

4 Continued from 21

By KyLe WiLSonFor Central Iowa Ag Mag

Farmers, especially family farmers, received a “blessing” Dec. 31, farming consultant Ray Powell says.Powell has helped southwest Iowa farmers with their

business decisions and taxes for the past three decades through his business, Positive Farming Assistance, in Creston.That great blessing, he said, came in

the “fiscal cliff” deal, whereby the govern-ment permanently extended the federal law on the estate tax.If that law had not been extended,

those who inherit or buy the farm would have had to pay a 55 percent inheritance tax on any value above $1 million.Because of the extension, heirs will pay

estate taxes only on a farm’s value over $5.12 million.“There is a very dramatic difference between $5.12 mil-

lion and $1 million, especially because land values are high right now and several farms are above $1 million in value,” Powell said.“This was a great blessing for farmers and really is an

amazing help to many family farmers. They can breathe a little easier now that the government has made its decision.”

Farmers receive ‘blessing’

Ray Powell

Continued on 234

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A worst-case scenario had the estate tax exemption falling to $1 million and the tax rate jumping from 35 percent to 55 percent. Earlier in the year, the Obama administration had been lean-ing toward a lower exemption of $3.5 million and a 40 percent tax rate. The tax rate is bumped to 40 percent, but retaining the permanent $5 million exemption was a big win.

“The fiscal cliff was all about tax issues,” said Adam Nielsen, director of national legislation and policy devel-opment for Illinois Farm Bureau. “The estate tax is done and it’s a great out-come. We were really afraid the estate tax would drop to three-and-a-half mil-lion. We can live with the extra 5 per-cent on the tax rate.”

Berge believes the $5 million exemp-tion is a fair amount, especially given the way farmland values have been rising.

“If this exemption would have dropped to $1 million, it would have excluded very few people,” Berge said. “The huge run-up in farm values is what was really scaring people. The increases were far outpacing the exemption.”

Lee County, Ill., farmer Randy Faber is on the Illinois Beef Association Board and active in Illinois Farm Bureau lobby-ing efforts. He said that if the $5 million estate tax exemption had been reduced,

it would have caught people who thought the tax would never touch them.

“Today’s farmers need at least 700 acres to make a comfortable living,” Faber said. “With land values going up the way they are, 100 acres is worth about $1.4 million. I think congressmen understood the problem.”

Jim Schielein grows corn, beans and wheat in Lee and Ogle counties in Northern Illinois, and spent 10 years on the Illinois Farm Bureau Board of Directors. He said that tax policy has been at the top of agriculture’s legisla-tive agenda for several years.

“The estate tax really hits home with farmers,” Schielein said. “If we would have gone down to a $1 million exemp-tion, about 97 percent of farmers would be subjected to the estate tax.”

Schielein said farmers played by the rules and did their estate planning as best they could, but the stress of getting farms from one generation to the next began to mount.

“In Northern Illinois, farmland values were up 22 percent just in the last quarter,” Schielein said. “It took the estate planning we’ve done and thrown it out the window.”

Schielein said his farm was owned by his parents and he helped pay for it. He feels fortunate that his land still is in the family; others have not been so lucky.

“These farms are your heritage, and the sweat and tears you’ve shared

as a family,” he said. Unfortunately, because of the estate tax, many farmers have had to sell to move their land on to the next generation.”

Many people mistakenly believe that farm tax returns are due on March 1. Indi-vidual taxpayers have an April 15 deadline. However, if they owe income tax, they may be subject to a penalty for underpay-ment of estimated taxes. Farmers have a special provision that allows them to avoid the penalty if they file their return by March 1. A farmer is allowed to make a single estimated tax payment by Jan. 15, basing the payment on their prior year income tax liability. Making this payment extends the filing deadline to April 15.

Berge said the key to planning for farm taxes is understanding the uncer-tainties involved in the business.

“You have to plan for uneven income – there are good years and bad ones,” Berge said. “When planning taxes, we try to even out the good and the bad. We prepay expenses in good years and try to maximize within the 10 to 15 percent tax bracket.”

That involves trying to project income as flat as possible, Berge said. That’s where the write-offs become important.

“Doing farm income averaging is a lot harder with less depreciation,” he said. “We may suggest they not sell some-thing or withhold inventory until the next year, depending on the tax rates for the next year or the income situation.”

CONTINUED FROM 22

24 Spring 2013

Sarah Brown/Central Iowa Ag MagWind turbines sprinkle the landscape in Bridgewater, Iowa, as part of Rolling Hills wind project in Adair, Adams and Cass counties. It is the largest wind farm in Iowa, with 193 Siemens 2.3-megawatt wind turbines.

BY DAVID GIULIANIFor Central Iowa Ag Mag

Wind farms go back only a decade in Illinois. The first one was Mendota Hills, near Paw Paw, a small village in the northwestern part of the state.

Lee County officials quickly approved the 63-turbine wind farm. The county’s zoning panel met just one night on the proposal.

In the years since, the county has given the green light for other wind farms – with essentially no opposition.

That’s not surprising. As the wind energy industry is quick to point out, poll after poll shows an overwhelming percentage of Americans support alternative energy.

In more recent years, however, many people in rural areas of northern Illinois have become unhappy with turbines – or the idea of turbines – in their midst. They complain about the noise, shadow flicker and vibrations, among other things.

And they’re relating their experience to others. As a result, opposition to wind farms is becoming more organized – and more vocal.

But the opposition seen in Illinois and other Midwestern states is more organized than in Iowa, according to Harold Prior, executive director of the Iowa Wind Energy Association.

“The mood is pretty darn positive with wind projects in Iowa,” he said.

Northwestern Iowa’s Pocahontas County, for instance, has seen virtually no opposition to wind farms, said Don McLain, the county’s zoning administrator.

Part of the reason is that the county is sparsely populated, he said. Pocahontas County’s population density is 12 per square mile, one-fourth of what it is in Lee County, Illinois. Pocahon-tas County has 217 turbines; Lee County has 232.

Pocahontas’ first wind farm was built in 2007.

Opposition to turbines not evident in Iowa

The wind of opporTuniTy?

CoNtINUeD oN 264

AG Mag 25

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Local farmer takes unique approach BY NICOLE WIEGANDFor Central Iowa Ag Mag

When a handful of companies looked to set up a wind farm in southern Marshall County in 2007, Jeff Heil and his neigh-bors did something that hadn’t been done before: they drew up a contract with more than 60 landowners to partici-pate in a wind farm that would benefit everyone, regardless of turbine location.

“There were two different brokers that sort of go out and develop the farms before they sell them off,” said Heil, a farmer from Haverhill. “A few of us neighbors got together to chat about what was going on, because we didn’t want a checkerboard effect.”

Heil and his neighbors decided to do a bit more research, talking to other wind farmers, attending symposiums, and even contacting the Agricultural Law Center at Drake University.

“We ended up selecting RPM Access to intermediate, get us set up,” Heil said. “We sort of created a new type of contract that hadn’t been done in the state of Iowa – a contract that allowed everybody in the border to participate financially.

White House official photograph Jeff Heil, his father Richard (left) and President Obama tour the Laurel Wind Farm in Iowa’s Marshall County last summer. The president stopped at the farm during his 2012 campaign to promote wind energy. CONTINUED ON 27

26 Spring 2013

“The wind farms don’t really go near any towns in our county,” McLain said. “Our experience has been very good. The development in our county has been very good, and the associated employment has been very welcome.”

That’s especially beneficial in a county with a declining population, he said. The population dwindled by 15 percent between 2000 and 2010, according to the U.S. Census.

But the latest wind farm proposal in northwestern Illinois – the three-county Green River project of Ireland-based Mainstream Renewable Energy – was bogged down for much of 2012 with hearings.

Neighbors of the proposed site attended public meetings regularly. But so did people from areas near other wind farms. They had nothing good to say about living near turbines.

One of those people is Lee County farmer Wesley Englehart, who lives in the middle of a wind farm near the small village of Compton. Five turbines are on his property.

He has a little advice for farmers who are approached by wind farm compa-nies: “Run like hell the other way.”

In June, a 72-turbine wind farm – known as Shady Oaks – went online in Lee County’s Brooklyn Township. It

started with some fanfare. In late May, Illinois Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon climbed up the inside of one of the turbines.

During a brief presentation before-hand, wind farm supporters spoke of the jobs that wind farms bring to a commu-nity. And three school superintendents – invited by wind farm companies – tout-ed the benefits of increased preoperty tax revenue from turbines.

“All that good news without mention-ing renewable energy,” Simon said.

No wind farm opponents showed up. They hadn’t been invited.

So what does Englehart have against turbines?

They’re noisy, he said. While in his garage, he told a reporter to listen. A humming sound could be heard from nearby turbines.

He also said a turbine across the road will cause shadow flicker for a couple of hours later in the day during winter.

Years ago, Bruce Papiech of nearby Sublette approached Englehart about the wind farm that he was planning for Brooklyn Township.

At the time, Englehart felt comfortable with the idea. He signed a lease.

“I thought we were dealing with a local person,” Englehart said. “Pretty soon, he sold out.”

Mainstream Renewable Power ended up with the project, then sold it to Goldwind USA, a subsidiary of a Chi-

nese company. (One objection to wind farms is that many are foreign-owned.)

For farmers who are interested in hav-ing turbines on their properties, Engle-hart advises them to put the towers far-ther from their homes. In his case, one turbine is within a quarter mile of his home. Four others are within a half mile.

Landowners, including Englehart, typ-ically enter confidentiality agreements with wind energy companies, which means they are not supposed to reveal what they’re paid. However, he said he understands that his neighbors get the same amount – a flat fee every year.

Iowa farmers ‘thrilled with turbines’

Windustry, a Minneapolis-based wind energy information organization, states on its website that wind lease terms can vary. But the rule of thumb is that land-owners are given $2,500 to $5,000 a year for each turbine, the group said. Larger turbines can mean bigger payments.

The Iowa Wind Energy Association esti-mates an even higher number for farmers’ turbine payments. The group says farmers get an average of $6,000 a year for each turbine in the Hawkeye State. Executive Director Prior says he knows of a farmer in northwestern Iowa who gets $10,000.

CONTINUED FROM 24

CONTINUED ON 27

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AG Mag 27

“The farmers I speak with are thrilled with turbines,” he said.

“They wished they had more of them.”

Prior estimates that about half of farmers who host turbines live on their farms. Many of their neighbors get “good neighbor” payments from wind energy companies, but he didn’t know how much they received.

As for noise, Prior said, that shouldn’t be a problem.

“If the turbines are making a lot of noise, then they’re having a mechani-cal problem,” he said. “If a turbine is operating properly, they make very little noise. It’s a very low swoosh. I’ve climbed them five times, been around them dozens of times.”

Not many wind farms in works

Wind energy companies need two things for a successful project – a windy site and nearby access to transmission lines.

“The windiest sites have been built or are under leases,” said David Loomis, director of Illinois State University’s Center for Renewable Energy. “Com-panies are branching out to sites that are less windy and would need new transmission to be built to unlock the wind.”

He said the industry isn’t planning many more wind farms now.

“We have this pent-up demand” said Loomis, an ISU economics pro-fessor in Bloomington. “We have a lot of wind farms that have been

issued permits but haven’t been built yet.

“The question remains, Will those get built before the permits expire? No one wants to go out and do brand-new development until they see more movement on the existing permits.”

Examples of permitted-but-not-yet-operational wind farms are in Bureau and Ogle counties, both next door to Lee County.

As for Shady Oaks, Englehart wishes Goldwind’s plan had received more scrutiny.

He regrets his decision to allow the turbines.

“I will be stuck with them for 25 to 30 years,” Englehart said. “The turbines weren’t worth the money we’re get-ting.”

CONTINUED FROM 26

“We tried to make a com-munity type of contract instead of an individual one.”

Specifically, the contract outlines a base financial benefit to any landowner within the boundaries of the farm. In addition, land-owners are compensated for each wind turbine con-structed within the confines of their property.

Upon its completion, the Laurel Wind Farm was pur-chased by Mid-American Energy and was fully func-tional as of December 2011. After just a year of living in the shadow of the farm, Heil says his and his neighbors’ decision to lease their land has been a positive one.

“You know, you drive around the state and you see them, you know they look good from a distance, but if you live underneath one you

think, What’s the impact?” he said. “Everybody had all these kind of concerns and questions.

“Farming around them is less of an inconvenience than I thought,” said Heil, who has five turbines on his property and two along his property borders. “We were worried about the roads they were putting down, but we use them for access, so it’s been more of a convenience than an inconvenience.

“Overall it’s been a good experience,” he said of the decision to lease his land – a decision that led to a visit from President Obama dur-ing his 2012 campaign in support of wind energy. “Going in, we knew the pros and cons. If we’re going to live within a mile or two [of ideal land], we’re still going to see turbines, so we fig-ured, Why not do something beneficial to everybody?”

CONTINUED FROM 25

’’‘‘ You know, you drive around the state and you see them, you know they

look good from a distance, but if you live underneath one you think, What’s the impact? Everybody had all these

kinds of concerns and questions.Jeff Heil, a farmer from Haverhill, speaking about

the impact of wind turbines

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28 Spring 2013

By Derek BarichelloFor Central Iowa Ag Mag

Limitless.

That is how seventh-generation farmer and tractor dealer Adam Hen-kel describes the range of data avail-able to farmers today.

“What do you want to know?” asks Henkel, who works for Johnson Tractor in Rochelle, Ill. “There are sensors that can tell a computer whatever you want, from tilage to planting to spraying to cultivating to erosion, all the way to harvest. You can track every single step of your crop since the moment you plant it, all the way to the grain bin, if you want.”

n n nHenkel said the information is derived from a geographi-

cal info system, the same device being used in cars to tell drivers how to get from point A to point B.

This information gives farmers a window into their crop like they never had before.

From the soil to the grain bin: Data is driving efficiency

Photos submitted by Witmer Precision ServicesABOVE: chuck Witmer of Witmer Precision Services in Mount Morris, ill., installs the sophisticated technology on a planter that will help a farmer place seeds in specific locations with 99 to 100 percent accuracy. infrared sensors allow computers to communicate data to the farmer about rate populations, row clutches, the effects of speed and meter performance. TOP: a view of the Witmer Precision Services shop in Mount Morris, ill.continueD on 294

Photo submitted by Witmer Precision Services of Mount Morris, Ill.A serviceman at Witmer Precision Services in Mount Morris, Ill., installs the “20/20 AirForce” to a planter. The AirForce measures the amount of down force in plant-ing. Root zone compaction is caused when there is excessive down force applied to the row unit during planting. That compaction can cut yields.

AG Mag 29

Some farmers, such as Henkel’s family, who farm in southeastern Lee County, Ill, cannot get enough data to make important decisions on crop placement and monitoring. Taking seeds and planting them in the most opportune location, avoiding double planting or skipped rows, and see-ing problem areas within their field and analyzing data to see what went wrong.

“My family has never been afraid of trying something new to gain an edge,” Henkel said. “We’ve used it since the 1990s, and it continues to change the face of farming.”

Other farmers, however, see a price tag starting at $7,000 to $20,000 for top-of-the-line equipment and wonder whether it makes enough of a difference in increased yields or decreased costs to turn a profit. Hen-kel is certain it pays off, but he admits the difference is relative to the indi-vidual farmer.

“There are plenty of variables,” Hen-kel said. “There is a spreadsheet that says this equipment will save you an average of this many bushels, but there’s no guarantee how each farmer will use it. Farmer A may use his data differently than farmer B, and maybe farmer A sees more yield and farmer B uses less fertilizer or spray.

“It all depends on how much data they want and how much they want to use, whatever tells them what they need to know.”

Henkel guesses a little more than 50 percent of farmers are using data-driv-en technology.

Old farmers like Monty Whipple in LaSalle County, Ill., who has spent more than 60 years in agriculture, have depended on their experience to tell them what’s happening in their fields.

The size of ears on the corn, for exam-ple, might tell him what area of his field is producing more than another.

“The real question for me is whether the data is telling me something I don’t know,” Whipple said.

The technology could cost as much as a field’s annual yield brings in.

“If a farmer has a system that’s working for them, they may be reluc-tant to take a risk, especially smaller farmers or hobby farmers,” Whipple explained.

The irony, to those who work closely with data-driven technology, is the risk that the technology seeks to eliminate.

For example, Witmer Precision Servic-es in Mount Morris, Ill., provides data-driven technology for planting.

4 ConTInued FRoM 28

’’‘‘ My family has never been afraid of trying something new to gain an edge. We’ve used [technology] since the 1990s, and it continues to change the face of farming.

Adam Henkel, seventh-generation farmer in Rochelle, Ill. ConTInued on 304

30 Spring 2013

Meters are designed to place a seed out of its planter in a specific location. Infrared sensors measure the accu-racy with a goal of 99 to 100 percent. Computers communicate the data to the farmer about rate populations, row clutches, the effects of speed and meter performance.

Adjusting meters, vacuum pressure, transmissions and speed can perfect performance. Productivity can be maximized by increasing planter speed without compromising performance. Down force can be measured to elimi-nate costly root compaction and slot-ting.

“The equipment is designed for farm-ers to control their planting before crops come up,” said Kelly Stevens

of Witmer Precision Services. “They wouldn’t know they’ve skipped every 10th seed until the crop comes up, and then it’s too late.”

The cost of every skipped row or dou-ble seed adds up.

For example, if the equipment is able to rescue 10 bushels to the acre at $6 a bushel, that’s $60 for one acre, $600 for 100 acres and $6,000 for 1,000 acres.

“Farmers want to know how they can increase yields and reduce costs,” said Matt Lillpop, executive director for Whiteside County Farm Bureau in Illi-nois. “Data has always driven farming, whether it’s on a monitor in front of them, or figured at the end of the year. Farmers are constantly looking at sup-ply versus cost.”

Henkel said geographical info systems

are becoming automatic features on new tractors. Most new tractors are designed to run automatically without a driver, so farmers can observe seed placement and track progress on a computer screen.

“There’s such a demand for them,” Henkel said. “There’s a demand for effi-ciency.”

While there isn’t as much of a demand for it, Henkel said, satellite trackers on trucks can monitor crops at harvest time from the field to the grain bin.

“Some companies want to measure the efficiency there,” Henkel said. “How much is being loaded? How quickly is it arriving? Is there a better way to do it all?

“The possibilities really are limitless. What do you need to know?”

Photo submitted by Witmer Precision Services of Mount Morris, Ill. A “picket fence” row is established through precision planting.

What technology is on the horizon?

Data-driven technology has grown leaps and bounds since it changed the face of farming when it was introduced in the 1990s. Here are other technologies on the horizon, according to the University of Illinois Extension offices:■ A map visible from a mobile

computer that shows where all farm vehicles are operating and their fuel levels, how much product has been applied or how much crop harvested, and even whether a piece of equip-ment is ready to break down.■ Geographical information sys-

tems tracking livestock and barn animals.■ Manufacturers are introducing

controllers, drives and shutoff sys-tems with ever-finer resolution and the ability to apply multiple products at variable rates. Controlled traffic systems, such as strip till, also have become a reality.

CONTINUED FROM 29

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AG Mag 31

Joseph Murphy/Iowa Soybean AssociationNewton-area farmer Rolland Schnell stands

with his combine, one of the many tools he uses to gather and map data while out in his fields.

Schnell relies on GPS mapping and variable rate application input data he receives on his smart-

phone and tractor to guide his farming decisions.

DIALED INOUT IN

THE FIELD

By NIcole WIeGANdFor Central Iowa Ag Mag

As agricultural technology advances further, don’t expect local farmers to be left in the dust.

In fact, one Newton farmer has combined the capabilities of his smartphone and his tractor’s built-in GPS to keep his fields in tip-top shape while monitoring everything from fertilizer cover to crop yield.

n n n Rolland Schnell, a Newton-area farm-

er, relies on GPS mapping and variable rate application input data to guide his farming decisions.

“I collect all my data, and I have since the late ’90s,” he said. “I compare layer yield data information from one year to the next and look at the yields on

respective fields, and use that informa-tion in my planning.”

Harvest season is one of the most important times of the year for Schnell to gather statistics. The numbers he collects as he harvests help him to determine his needs as a farmer for the coming growing season.

“In the fall, a yield monitor plots data every second and records a plot with longitude, latitude and elevation,” he explained. “And you’re also recording grain flow, moisture and temperature, which boils down to bushels per acre.

“I use my smartphone extensively,” he said. “I’m always on it in for weather when I’m in the fields. During harvest time and planting time, I’m covering every square inch of my fields. With that bird’s-eye view, I record any prob-lem areas in my field, like rocks, and I download the coordinates straight to my computer.”

That allows Schnell to combine data collected via his GPS devices with that sent directly from his phone for an accurate and complex map of each of his fields. Additionally, he employs applications on his phone to identify anything that might compromise the quality of his harvest.

“If I see a weed and am not sure what it is, I’ll look it up on my weed app and identify it.” Schnell said.

In addition to identifying weeds and pests with his phone, he keeps track of farm commodity markets throughout the season.

With those technologies combined, Schnell said, not only data collection, but data analysis, is becoming more attainable for farmers.

“There’s no question it’s allowing us to become much more efficient in every way,” he said, “which is the bottom line dollar.”

32 Spring 2013

Newton library’s cookbook offers tasty, accessible recipes

‘FRIENDS’ WITHTASTE

BY MANDI LAMBFor Central Iowa Ag Mag

For a variety of tasty recipes, from appetiz-ers and breads to desserts and drinks, Newton residents need look no further than the Friends of the Newton Public Library’s “Cooking With Friends.”

“Cooking With Friends” features 170 pages of recipes submitted by more than 100 Newton-area residents. The cookbook is divided into eight sections: Appetizers & Beverages; Breads; Soups & Salads; Meats, Poultry & Fish; Sides & Casseroles; Cookies, Candy & Snacks; Pies, Cakes & Desserts; and Miscellaneous.

■ ■ ■An impressive variety of recipes is provided for any meal,

from Bessie Mae’s biscuits, doughnuts, and pumpkin waffles for breakfast to lobster bisque, creamy spinach bake, and lem-on-soy herbed pork tenderloins for a delicious multi-course dinner.

As for the dessert sections, the cookbook offers recipes for the most basic of desserts – such as brownies, pumpkin bars and snickerdoodles – to original family favorites like Mara-beth’s Potato Chip Cookies and Great-Great-Grandmother’s Gingerbread.

Dividers allow for quick and easy access to each section of the book, and each section begins with a page of relevant cooking hints or tips, temperature guide, term list, conver-sion chart, or calorie count list. The book has a short table of contents listing the main categories, but a more in-depth index lists the page number of each recipe in each section, creating a well-organized cookbook with dishes for any kind of meal.

One of the best features of “Cooking With Friends” is the three-ring binder easel format, which allows users to bend the cookbook’s cover across the middle to prop it upright on the counter and flip through the pages with ease. The cookbook also includes several pages for notes, a spot to list the name and page number of favorite recipes, and enough space to add a few more pages of favorite local recipes if the cook so desires.

CONTINUED ON 33

They’re the humble heroes who rise before dawn and battle the elements. They put clothes on our backs and food on our tables. Their genuine values and tireless work ethic are an inspiration to us all ... we salute them.

I invite you to join Farm Bureau in saying thanks to America’s farmers.

Celebrating America’s Farmers3 col x 5.75”

Helen Clausen809 Fourth Avenue Grinnell, IA 50112641-236-8712















AG Mag 33

The cookbook was printed in 2009, but the Newton Public Library still has plenty for sale at a cost of $7.50 each.

Here are some recipes to try:

Bacon Cheese Ring (Rita Baker)12 oz. bacon1 lb. extra-sharp grated Cheddar cheese6 green onion stalks, finely chopped2 c. mayonnaise1 tsp. cayenne pepper½ c. slivered almondsStrawberry preservesCrackers or French breadFry bacon until crisp. Drain well and

crumble. In medium mixing bowl, combine bacon, cheese onions, mayonnaise and cayenne pepper. Mix thoroughly. Place almonds in the bottom of an oiled 7-cup ring mold; press cheese mixture into mold. Refrigerate overnight. Unmold onto platter. Put custard cup (or other small dish) in the center of the ring and fill with jam. Serve with crackers or small French bread slices. Yield: 20 to 25 appetizer servings.

Chicken with Cranberry Sauce (Sharon Brown, Betty Asby)4 med. Chicken breasts, halved, bone-

less, skinless1 (8 oz.) btl. Catalina or fat-free French

dressing

1 (16 oz.) can whole berry cranberry sauce1 pkg. dry onion soup mixPreheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray

a 9-by-13 inch pan with cooking spray. Place chicken in pan. Mix sauce, dressing and onion soup mix in bowl. Pour over chicken. Bake 1 hour.

When time matters, cook chicken in micro-wave, then add the rest of the ingredients and finish in the oven. The sauce works well with pork chops or pork loin as well.

Laura’s Rigatoni Casserole (Charlotte Townsend)

1 lb. rigatoni pasta2 cloves garlic, chopped1 lb. grated Mozzarella cheese½ tsp. oregano½ c. Romano cheese1 ½ lb. bulk Italian sausageSalt & pepper, to taste1 bay leaf1 tsp. sweet basil2 (12 oz.) cans tomato paste2 tsp. sugar2 (15 oz.) cans tomato sauce5 to 6 cans waterBrown sausage with garlic, salt and

pepper. Add tomato paste, tomato sauce, water, oregano, bay leaf, basil and sugar. Cook about 2 hours. In 6 quarts of water, cook rigatoni until almost done; drain. In 3- to 4-quart cas-serole, put a layer of sauce, layer of riga-

toni, layer of Mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with Romano cheese. Repeat until dish is full. Cover and bake in 325-degree oven about 30 to 45 minutes. Yield: 8 servings.

If you like less spice, you can put some ground beef in place of sausage. Any leftover sauce can be used at the time of serving.

Raspberry Almond Bars (Susan Hawk)

½ C. butter or margarine1 c. vanilla chips, divided2 eggs½ c. sugar1 tsp. almond extract1 c. all-purpose flour½ tsp. salt½ c. raspberry jam¼ c. sliced almondsIn saucepan, melt butter. Remove from

heat and add ½ cup vanilla chips, do not stir. In small mixing bowl, beat eggs until foamy. Add sugar. Stir in butter mixture and add flavoring. Combine flour and salt. Add to egg mixture until just combined. Spread half of batter into greased 9-inch square baking pan. Bake at 325 degree for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden.

Melt the jam, spread over the warm crust. Stir remaining chips into remaining batter and drop by teaspoon over jam layer. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool, cut into bars.

CONTINUED FROM 32

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34 Spring 2013

Iowa Farm BureauMark and Stacy Boender are presented with the Iowa Farm Bureau Federa-tion’s 2012 Young Farmer Achievement Award on Dec. 5 in Des Moines.

The

FuTureoF

FarmingMahaska County farmers win Young Farmer Achievement Award

BY LAurIe JohnSIowa Farm Bureau

Mahaska County farmers Mark and Stacy Boender were presented the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation’s (IFBF) 2012 Young Farmer Achievement Award on Dec. 5 at the organization’s annual meeting in Des Moines.

The annual contest honors young farmers who show outstanding management ability in their farming operations and involvement in Farm Bureau and community activities. Receiving second place in the con-test were Tom and Jessica Forbes of Monona County. Third place recipi-ents were Erik and Emily Oberbroeck-ling of Clayton County.

The Boenders raise corn and soy-beans, and also operate an excavating business.

Mark and Stacy both grew up on farms, so working with family mem-bers every day came naturally to them. Mark works with his father and brother, farming and running a custom farming business that offers a variety of services, including plan-ning, harvesting, manure hauling, tillage work and more. The partner-ship also includes a custom farming business that now includes all five of Mark’s siblings.

“We grew up working together,” Mark wrote about his family in his

Achievement Award application. “We can accomplish more together, build off each other’s strengths and grow our businesses. Family is very impor-tant to me.”

Mark and Stacy have been active on the IFBF Young Farmer Committee at the state and county levels and on the Mahaska County Farm Bureau board of directors. They also volunteer with their church and school board.

For their award, the Boenders will receive either a John Deere Tractor/Loader combo (5-7R Series) for a one-year or 300-hour lease, or a TX Gator, a 90-day NPNI (no payment, no inter-est) John Deere Farm Plan Certifi-cate and an expense-paid trip to the 2013 Growmark annual meeting in Chicago. In addition, the winner will represent Iowa in the national Young Farmer Achievement Award com-petition at the 2013 American Farm Bureau annual meeting in Nashville. The family also receives a family por-trait, video and plaque.

The Forbeses started farming on their own in 1999, renting land and having the corn and soybean crops custom planted and harvested. They purchased equipment in 2001 and now offer a variety of custom farm-ing services to area farmers. They also operate a seed dealership, offering the latest seed genetics and traits to

area farmers. Tom has served as the Monona County Farm Bureau young farmer chairman and also has served on the political action committee and county board of directors. Jessica also is involved with the local chamber of commerce and community economic development committee.

For their second-place honor, the Forbeses receive parts on Site Bin, a 90-day NPNI Farm Plan Certificate, a $500 gift certificate from Grow-mark, and a family portrait, video and plaque.

The Oberbroecklings raise corn, soy-beans and feed hogs. They also offer custom farming services, including round baling, application and truck-ing. They farm with Erik’s parents, working the land that his grandfather started in 1961. The family also is building a swine wean-to-finish facil-ity that will also allow Eirk’s brother, a recent college graduate, to join the family farm. The Oberbroecklings are involved with the Clayton County Farm Bureau and active with their church and community.

For third place, the Oberbroecklings receive a gift certificate from Grainger, a 90-day NPNI Farm Plan certificate, a GPS unit from Farm Bureau Finan-cial Services, a John Deere-branded Safe, and a family portrait, video and plaque.

AG Mag 35

In an age of political-correctness overload, it’s downright hyp-notic to hear someone speak without filter or fear. But, then again, Temple Grandin always

has been a trailblazer.A designer of livestock handling facili-

ties and a Colorado State University professor of animal science, Grandin has long been recognized as an expert by livestock farmers and meat processing folks; but it was the HBO movie about her life, starring Claire Danes, that made her a celebrity with consumers.

She uses her international fame to do a job that makes others shudder in their cowboy boots. No, I’m not talking about bull castration, pig wrangling or heavy-lifting. (She does those, too, no doubt.) What Temple advocates is ... deep breath! ... speaking out.

Speak up! Step Forward! Be Bold! Share! Temple says farmers need to get bet-

ter at that, because the good news of farming is being hijacked by fear mon-gers who have a “bone to pick” with progress.

Grandin spoke to Iowa farmers at the 94th Iowa Farm Bureau Annual Meet-ing. Her progressive, “straight talk” key-note was delivered like a shot across the bow of a battleship; more than a thou-sand Iowa farmers sat in rapt attention as she talked about the public’s thirst for farming knowledge.

“I talked to one student at the Univer-sity of Colorado-Boulder that thought if beef cattle went to Whole Foods they were born on pasture, and if they went to Safeway or Kroger or someplace like that, they were born in a feed yard,” Grandin said. “I explained to them that no beef cattle are born in a feed yard. The most basic things people just don’t know. It’s kind of appalling.”

Grandin says the majority of farmers and consumers she talks to are receptive.

“The public is who we need to be talk-ing to,” she said. “Because one of the big problems we’ve got today is [that] the Internet increases the voice of radicals.

“I don’t care what the issue is: if you’ve got a big, fat mouth, you can make a big, huge splash on the Inter-net. Well, the people that we need to be

communicating with are the people in the middle, the public.”

Grandin acknowledged that while there are things the public needs to learn about farming, there also are cer-tain things that are harder for them to embrace because sometimes the scale and innovation of farming and food production surprises consumers.

“But, they need to know that big isn’t bad. Small isn’t necessarily good.”

But, the true message we all need to embrace is the need for being there to answer questions, share a story, listen to consumers, and provide choices. Speaking out actually is easy, once you get started.

Whether it’s done through fun chan-

nels, like on You Tube, or simply by taking a little extra time to chat about where bacon comes from while you’re in the checkout aisle at the grocery store, the stage is yours.

You don’t have to be a celebrity. You don’t need a college degree. You just need passion. And that, my friends, is one thing today’s responsible Iowa farmers have, in spades.

Now, wouldn’t Temple be proud?

“Between the Lines” is written by Iowa Farm Bureau Public Relations Manager Laurie Johns and examines rural life and the role agriculture plays in the lives of all Iowans.

Make Temple Grandin proud Laurie Johns

Iowa Farm Bureau“Between the Lines”

Shaw News Service file photoTemple Grandin admires a model cattle truck designed by Randall Witmer of Dixon, Ill., during a tour of Dale Pfundstein’s farm in rural Sterling, Ill., in July 2010. Grandin says farmers need to get better at speaking out and being advocates for themselves and their industry.

’’‘‘ But, the true message we all need to embrace is the need for being there to answer questions, share a story, listen to consumers, and provide choices. Speaking out

actually is easy, once you get started.

36 Spring 2013

By Iowa State University Extension

Average Iowa farmland value is estimated to be $8,296 per acre, an increase of 23.7 per-cent from 2011, according to results of the Iowa Land

Value Survey conducted in November. This is the third year in a row of values increasing by more than 15 percent. The 2012 values are historic peaks.

The increase is somewhat higher than results of other recent surveys of Iowa farmland value: the Chicago Federal

Reserve Bank estimated an 18 percent increase in Iowa land values from Octo-ber 2011 to October 2012, and the Iowa Chapter of the Realtors Land Institute estimated a 7.7 percent increase from March to September 2012.

“The difference in survey estimates could be due to values increasing more rapidly in the past few months than earlier in the year. Better-than-expect-ed crop yields and the level of land sale activity due to the proposed changes in land-related taxes contributed to the

increasing values,” said Mike Duffy, Iowa State University economics pro-fessor and extension farm management economist who conducts the survey.

“The Iowa State survey samples dif-ferent populations, and uses different wording than the other surveys. This could also lead to different results especially in times of uncertainty. Even within the Iowa State survey there was considerable variation in the estimates.”

Farmland value reaches historic heights

CONTINUED ON 37

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O’Brien County had an estimated $12,862 average value, the highest aver-age county value. O’Brien County also had the highest percentage increase and highest dollar increase in value, 35.2 percent and $3,348, respectively. Osceola, Dickinson and Lyon coun-ties also saw 35.2 percent increases. The Northwest Crop Reporting Dis-trict, which includes all four counties, reported the highest land values at $12,890, an increase of $3,241 (33.6 per-cent) from 2011.

“The 2012 land value survey covers one of the most remarkable years in Iowa land value history,” Duffy said. “This is the highest state value recorded by the survey, and the first time county averages have reached levels over $10,000. While this is an interesting time, there is considerable uncertainty surrounding future land values.”

Why values are increasingDuffy said understanding some of the

causes for the current increase in farm-land values is helpful in assessing the situation. Farmland values are highly correlated with farm income. As farm income increases, so will land values. In 2005, corn prices averaged $1.94 per bushel in Iowa. The preliminary

estimated price for November 2012 is $6.80. Soybean prices changed from $5.54 to $13.70 over the same period. Coming into 2012 there was a general sentiment that prices would decline from their peaks. But, the drought changed this and the prices remained at high levels. How long the high prices will last is unknown.

There has been considerable variation in commodity prices over the past few years, but farm income has increased substantially. The Iowa State economist goes on to say, the increase in income has been the primary cause for the increase in farmland values, but not the only one.

“There are other causes for the increase,” Duffy said. “Interest rates are at the lowest level in recent memory. Farmland purchased by investors went from 18 percent in 1989 to 39 percent of purchases in 2005, but investor pur-chases are back to the 1989 level of 18 percent this year after decreasing for the third year in a row.”

Another key component is the costs

of production. In the past, costs have risen in response to higher commodity prices. This is especially true for rents. Iowa State University estimated costs of crop production have shown a 61 percent increase in the cost per bushel since 2005. Without land, the increase has been 87 percent.

Duffy believes there still is discipline in the land market, while land values have increased 64 percent in the past three years, in 2009 values did decrease by 2.2 percent. Therefore, it is prudent to be mindful of the factors that influence land values. The economist said there are several key components to watch:n Weather related problems – both

here and around the world.n Government policies – especially

policies related to estate and capital gains tax rates.n The amount of debt incurred with

land acquisition.n What happens to input costs – land

being the residual claimant to any excess profits in agriculture.

4 Continued from 36

’’‘‘ the 2012 land value survey covers one of the most remarkable years in iowa land value history. ... While this is an interesting time, there is considerable uncertainty

surrounding future land values.mike duffy, iowa State university economics professor

38 Spring 2013

MarchFriday, March 1

8 a.m.-4 p.m. Iowa 4-H Scholarship Applica-tions Due to State 4H Office

Wednesday, March 61:30-4 p.m. Ornamental & Turf Applicators

CIC, VintonThursday, March 7

12:30-1 p.m. Bi-weekly radio program, KFJB Marshalltown

4-5:30 p.m. Babysitting Clinic, GrinnellFriday, March 8

10 a.m.-2 p.m. Private Pesticide Applicator Testing, Van Horne

Saturday, March 99 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Early Childhood-Positive

Behavior Intervention & Supports, NewtonWednesday, March 13

9-11:30 a.m. Certified Handlers CIC, Vinton6:30-7:30 p.m. 4H County Council Meet-

ing, VintonThursday, March 14

1:30-4 p.m. Private Pesticide Applicators Training, Marshalltown

7-9 p.m. Private Pesticide Applicator Con-tinuing Education, Montezuma

Monday, March 186:30-8 p.m. The Family Storyteller: “Have

You Seen My Duckling?” NewtonThursday, March 21

9 a.m.-4 p.m. Nonprofit Management Acad-emy, Marshalltown


Saturday, March 239 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Early Childhood-Positive

Behavior Intervention & Supports, Newton9-11 a.m. 4H Derby Swine Weigh-in/Breed-

ing Gilt Tagging/Heifer Tagging, VintonSunday, March 24

1-5 p.m. 4H Volleyball Tournament, Vinton

aprilWednesday, april 3

7-9 p.m. Private Pesticide Training, TraerThursday, april 4


Friday, april 5 – Sunday, april 78:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Kirk Stierwalt Show Cattle

Clinic, GrinnellWednesday, april 10

6:30-7:30 p.m. 4H County Council Meet-ing, Vinton

Thursday, april 1812:30-1 p.m. Bi-weekly radio program,

KFJB Marshalltown

MayThursday, May 2


Saturday, May 48 a.m.-Noon 4H Sheep/Meat Goat Weigh-in

& Breeding Gilts Tagging, VintonWednesday, May 8

6:30-7:30 p.m. 4H County Council Meet-ing, Vinton

Thursday, May 1612:30-1 p.m. Bi-weekly radio program,

KFJB Marshalltown

JuneThursday, June 6


Wednesday, June 126:30-7:30 p.m. 4H County Council Meet-

ing, VintonThursday, June 20


JulyThursday, July 4


Wednesday, July 10 – Sunday, July 14

8 a.m.- Midnight Central Iowa Fair, Marshall-town

Wednesday, July 17 – Sunday, July 21

8 a.m.-Midnight Tama County Fair, Glad-brook

Thursday, July 18 – Monday, July 228 a.m.-8 p.m. 2013 Poweshiek County Fair,

GrinnellThursday, July 18


Saturday, July 20 – Friday, July 268 a.m.-10 p.m. 2013 Jasper County Fair,

ColfaxWednesday, July 24 – Sunday, July 28

8 a.m.-10 p.m. 2013 Benton County Fair, Vinton

March-July Area Ag Calendar

AG Mag 1

AGMagCentral Iowa

A Publication of Shaw MediaSpring 2013

Water, Please!Their land thirsty for

moisture, Central Iowa

farmers mull options as

planting draws near

Numbers game: Why data

now drives many decisions

on today’s farms

Cliff notes: How the

‘fiscal cliff’ deal

helps and hurts you

and your neighbors

Steady wind: Iowans remain

‘pretty darn positive’ about

wind energy projects

Look for ournext edition

of

AGMagCentral Iowa

August 2013

Featuring additional coverage in Jasper, Poweshiek, Marshall,

Tama, Benton, Marion and Mahaska Counties.

AG Mag 39

We’re here to help you be successful!

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Index of AdvertisersADM Grain ....................................................... 27

Agrigold Seed ................................................... 33

All Things Satellite ............................................. 2

Baxter Oil Co. ................................................... 40

Clemon-Maki Insurance .................................... 37

Colfax Livestock Sales ....................................... 6

Daltons Farm Toys ............................................ 25

Dingeman Concrete Construction ..................... 26

Farm Bureau ...................................................... 23

Farm Bureau Financial-Helen Clausen ............. 32

Farm Bureau Financial-Agents ......................... 18

First Newton National Bank ............................. 39

G.F.-Ag Inc ....................................................... 37

Goos Implement LTD. ...................................... 10

Grinnell Implement Store ................................. 26

Hamilton Glass .................................................. 20

Hatzer & Nordstrom ........................................... 5

Iowa Family Farms ........................................... 20

Iowa Grain Systems .......................................... 21

Iowa State Extension ........................................... 4

Johnstone & Associates ..................................... 21

Key Coop .......................................................... 22

Killduff Feed and Grain .................................... 23

Lauterbach Buick GMC .................................... 27

Midwest Biotech ............................................... 39

New Century FS .................................................. 7

O’Grady Chemical Corp ................................... 13

Prairie Brand Seed ............................................ 19

Rohrer Fertilizer Inc .......................................... 39

Shawn’s Hay Grinding ...................................... 33

S.I. Distributing ................................................. 36

Southard Implement Co ...................................... 3

Stayner Insurance Agency ................................. 30

Sullivan Auctioneers ......................................... 10

Sully Farm Supply Inc ...................................... 25

Tama County Mutual Insurance ........................ 36

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central iowa agmag - 02-21-2013

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