Agriculture

This 54-million-dollar, farmer-owned Cooperative began to produce more than 40 million gallons of ethanol annually in July 2004. The plant has increased the basis paid on corn by 5-8 cents per bushel. This has added $3-5 million to farm incomes in a 50-mile radius of Crawford County, which averaged $34,000-$55,000 in 2002. A $10,000 investment has yielded over $7,000 in dividends in 2 years. Stock prices have gone from $1.50 per share to $12 per share. This has been a phenomenal opportunity for 450 investors and for our community.

Extension helped the Board of Directors by:

• Providing Office Space/Support
• Writing grants totaling $800,000
• Teleconferencing with experts
• Equity Drive Support
• Surveying interest in DDGS Feed.

The Agriculture Development Association (ADA) began organizing in June 1999 to find ways to increase profits. U of I Extension helped them explore alternative crop options and research marketing strategies. ADA now has 496 members from 22 counties in Illinois and 8 states. This grassroots organization, which has shown great leadership and foresight, is still visioning for the future.

A one-page list of phone numbers was compiled as a handy reference for use in tractors, pickups, and office desks. E-mail lists give farmers information at their fingertips. Local farmers use the farmdoc website extensively to keep themselves informed without cluttering their mailboxes.

www.farmdoc.uiuc.edu

U of I Extension and Farm Bureau are working to form a committee to involve young farmer couples. We also work closely with the Agriculture Development Association to develop programs.

We sponsor an Ag Bus Trip each summer reaching approximately 40 participants:

• SIU Soybean Assoc. Tour-Carbondale
• IL Corn Growers Barge Trip/Caterpillar
• John Deere Plant/Ethanol Tours in WI
• Louisville and Lexington KY Horses
• Tobacco/1800's Living Farm/KY Lake

Anyone interested in Agriculture can participate in an annual 2-day trip. The trip is educational as well as an excellent way to bond with farm families. In addition, many program ideas have originated from conversations on the trip.

We are working to bring a 1,000-head dairy operation to Crawford County. Developers are using Extension office space to develop partnerships to raise $4 million in local capital and create 18-36 jobs. The cows will be fed wet distillers grain, a by-product of the ethanol plant, plus other locally grown feeds.

• Pesticide Applicators Training
• Farm Safety & Health Screenings
• Work with the Agriculture Dev. Assoc.
• Grain Marketing Seminars/Telenets
• Livestock Tours and Clinics
• Agronomy Programs
• Livestock Waste Management
• Estate Planning Meetings
• Agriculture Bus Trips
• Digital Diagnostics
• Resourcing U of I Educators/Specialists