Such a deal we have for you!

For many years, you received the Resource Review in the mail on a bi-monthly schedule. Beginning with the January issue, the publication was switched to a monthly frequency to provide you more up to date information. We would like to offer you the opportunity of receiving the Resource Review electronically by e-mail. About the first of the month, you would receive an e-mail, with an attachment in Adobe Acrobat, which is the software for "pdf" files. If you do not already have Adobe Acrobat, you will be pleased to know the software can be obtained without charge, and we can provide an Internet link to obtain Adobe Acrobat that will ease the process for you.

Why are we making the change? One reason is cost. To reach all operators and landowners in Macon County, 2,300 copies are printed at a cost of $1,500 per issue. That charged is shared by Extension, and either FSA or Macon County SWCD, whichever partner is featured in that issue. A second reason is that many farmers would prefer to have an electronic document, instead of a paper copy. When you begin receiving electronic copies, your name will be removed from the mailing list for paper copies. If you change Internet providers at some time in the future, and your copy comes back to us, we will contact you for an updated e-mail address.

To receive an electronic copy of future issues of the Resource Review, address an e-mail request to: pmariman@uiuc.edu and indicate "Resource Review" in the subject line. Please be assured that your e-mail address will be used only to send you the Resource Review. It will not be sold, and if it were, we would be in more trouble with University of Illinois Extension and USDA, than just creating ill will with you.

The deadline for Farm Bill sign-up is fast approaching. After April 1, you can no longer prove your yields; and June 1 is the deadline to sign up for any part of the program. University of Illinois Extension in Macon County has assisted hundreds of farmers with their calculations. There is not one answer for every farm, and there are no mass generalizations that can be made, however, there are several points to consider:

• For Macon County so far none of the analyses has suggested options One and Three. Option One retains PFC acres and Option Three retains PFC acres and maximizes soybean acres.
• There has been only one farm that had an advantage with Option Five which exchanged wheat acres for soybeans.
• For the vast majority of farms in Macon County, Options Two and Four were the preferred choices. Option Two retains PFC acres and proves soybean yields and Option Four updates all acres and yields.
• Exploring all of the options available, the only one that makes no financial sense is to not sign up for the program. You will leave a lot of dollars on the table if you do not sign up for the program.

Consider one Macon County farm in which the operator owned approximately 300 acres, in addition to other land he rented. His actual yields were higher than the county average, and the base PFC acres for corn were higher than the acres that could be proven for corn.

If the farmer just signs up for the program he will receive approximately $4,600, without counter cyclical (CC) payments. If the farmer proven the planted acres and proven the yield for corn and soybeans the payment would have increased to approximately $6,500. If the full CC payment were issued, the payment would be just short of $16,000 compared to only $10,000 if he would have just signed up without proving the yields.

The 2002 Farm Bill was designed to keep the farm sector of agriculture strong and provide for an ongoing food supply for the country. The money is available to farmers and landowners who sign up for the program. If your farm is not already in the program, the economics of the farm program suggests that you think about that decision very carefully.

University of Illinois Extension has an Excel spreadsheet that can provide calculation on which option to choose and Farm Business Educator Paul Mariman is willing to help calculate your farm information. Also, the spreadsheet is free, you can download it from www.farmdoc.uiuc.edu or come into the office and we will help you download it. (The spreadsheet requires Microsoft Excel 97 or newer to run.) If you have any questions or would like help with the spreadsheet call Paul Mariman at 877-6042.

Are you considering turning over your operation to the next generation in the next few years? If so, you will want to attend a farm estate planning seminar scheduled for March 10. Jim Endress, a Certified Financial Planner, will present with seminar at the Extension Conference Center from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The subjects will include; pre-planning the passing of farmland; the use of insurance as a planning tool; setting up trusts in the planning process; and the importance of a will in the planning process.

Endress is an Extension Educator, and is an experienced financial planner, with a background in banking. He is also a farmer who understands production agriculture today. If you are involved in a farming enterprise, you should attend this program. Even if you think you have your estate planned, the laws regarding this area are constantly changing.

There is a $25 registration fee, which covers the cost of materials and pre-registration is required to ensure sufficient quantities of materials are available. To register call University of Illinois Extension at 877-6042.

Livestock grazing and the conservation portion of the Farm Bill are the topics on March 26 at the Extension Conference Center from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Ed Ballard, Animal Systems Extension Educator, will discuss "Integrating Grazing Into Cropping Systems and Economics of Grazing". Karen Brinkman, NRCS District Conservationist, will outline options available under the conservation reserve program.

The cost of the program is $15 and pre-registration is strongly requested in order to have sufficient materials available. To register please call Macon Extension at 877-6042 or send in your name, address, phone number with a check made out to University of Illinois Extension, to: University of Illinois Extension, 2535 Millikin Parkway, Decatur, Illinois 62526.

Pesticide Applicator Licenses and testing have been a burr under farmer's saddles for many years. And Vernon Johnson of Kirkland in DeKalb County expressed his ire recently in a weekly issue of Illinois Farm Bureau's FarmWeek. Although he was complimentary of the training he received, he was critical of the exam and the overall length of the evening clinic. Extension Specialist Bruce Paulsrud who coordinates training seminars answered Johnson's criticisms:

1. The Private Pesticide Applicator exam questions are based on the Private Applicator Training Manual (SP39-7; dated October, 1999) and a commercially-available and representative pesticide label provided by the pesticide manufacturer. Each question is reviewed by the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDA) and the Pesticide Safety Education specialists. Many questions are developed based on recent enforcement actions and concepts that could prevent future misapplications. For example, spray drift complaints continue to be the number one complaint received by the IDA. Also, the legal application rates and application sites/crops on pesticide labels are changing more frequently than ever before. As a result, the past several exams have included more questions than usual relating to spray drift, misapplications, and the example pesticide label. Finally, the certification exam provides proof to the public that a certified applicator knows how to properly handle and apply pesticides and interpret use directions. A multiple choice exam question with one blatantly obvious answer only serves to erode public trust in the certification process. Last season, the state-wide pass rate was 95% and the average grade was 83.86%. Early reports indicate that exam results this season are even higher.

2. How long should the training last? The Illinois Pesticide Act (Sec. 250.80 and 250.110) calls for 3 hours of training and specifies coverage of a number of different competency areas. I am proud to say that over the past few years the average length of training (not including testing time) has been very close to three hours. We have an excellent group of trainers across this state and I can tell you, based on clinic evaluations, that our clients are quite satisfied with the training we provide. Keep up the great work, and please hold the line regarding the length of training.

3. What about day vs. evening clinics? Although some of our clients prefer and request evening clinics for various reasons, clearly some do not appreciate them, particularly if there are no daytime alternatives nearby. I am not a proponent of evening clinics and for many years the IDA and I have urged everyone to limit them (e.g., our state-wide goal is to have no more than 25 to 33% evening clinics). When you can offer three or more clinics (based on the number of clients up for retest), it is not difficult to hold down the percentage of evening clinics you offer. However, during years with few clients, use your good judgment and consider co-hosting and co-advertising a clinic with an adjacent Unit in the same situation. Although a daytime program may cause some clients to miss one workday, it only happens once every three years.

Other options for the client to consider when there are no convenient clinics available: 1) Training is optional, so the client can simply attend test-only session (local, regional, or by appointment at one of the IDA offices). 2) The client should consider using the Private Pesticide Applicator Self-study CD prior to attending a test-only session.

The sign-up deadline for federally subsidized crop insurance is March 15. Selecting the proper policy for your farm depends upon several factors. Here are some suggestions on choosing the right policy for your farm.

CAT (Catastrophic)
Farmers should at least choose CAT. CAT doesn't provide much coverage, but its costs are low. Producers and landowners selecting CAT should have the following characteristics:
· Strong farm financial position
· Low yield variability
· Self-Insurance fund to cover one or two years of expenses.

APH (Annual Production History)
Insurance covering yield losses from a farm or unit with:
· Moderate to vulnerable financial condition.
· Use pre-harvest hedging
· High yield variability
· Some high risk farmland

RA-BP or IP (Revenue Assurance-Base Price or Income Protection.)
Insurance covering revenue losses due to low prices and/or low yields on farms with:
· Moderate to vulnerable financial position
· Little or no pre-harvest hedging
· Desire a revenue guarantee

CRC or RA-HP (Crop Revenue Coverage or Revenue Assurance-Harvest Price.)
Revenue coverage for aggressive pre-harvest hedging strategies for farms with:
· Moderate to vulnerable financial condition
· Aggressive pre-harvest hedging
· Desires a revenue guarantee

GRP (Group Risk Plan)
GRP is yield insurance for farms parallelling county yields.
· Strong financial condition
· A history of farm yields following county yields
· Use pre-harvest hedging

GRIP (Group Risk Income Protection)
Revenue insurance pays indemnities when county revenue is below a revenue guarantee, and is for farms with:
· Strong financial condition
· A history of farm yields following county yields.
· Little or no pre-harvest hedging

www.farmdoc.uiuc.edu/cropins/products.html has more information.