AG Mag 1

AG MagSouthwest Iowa

A Publication of Shaw Media Summer 2013

Magic Pill?Experts differ on how health care reform will impact farmers in Southwest Iowa

Drought relief: Local farmers will benefit from a record number of federal crop insurance claimsFuture farmers: How schools are preparing Iowas students for agriculture careersBumper crop: The corn crop in Iowa and elsewhere is on course to hit record levels

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Articles and advertisements are the property of Sauk Valley Media. No portion of the Southwest 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.

PublisherRich Paulsen

Advertising Director Craig Mittag

Managing EditorStephani Finley

Magazine EditorsLarry Lough, Kathleen Schultz

Page DesignJeff Rogers

Reporters & PhotographersDerek Barichello, Sarah Brown, Pam Eggemeier, David Giuliani,

Kayla Heimerman, Philip Marruffo, Matt Mencarini, Matthew Nosco, Amy Hansen Ost, Alex T. Paschal, Larry Peterson, Bailey Poolman,

and Kyle Wilson

Published bySauk Valley Media3200 E. LincolnwaySterling, IL 61081(641) 782-2141

AG Southwest IowaMag

14COVER STORY

Health assessment A look at how the Affordable Care Act will

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HEALTH ASSESSMENTWhat Obamacare will mean for Iowa farmers

BY DAVID GIULIANIFor Southwest Iowa Ag Mag

For Chris Peterson and his wife, health care is no small expense.

In the average year, they spend about $20,000 an amount that rises every year.

Peterson, who farms in Clear Lake, said the Affordable Care Act otherwise known as Obamacare isnt perfect, but its better than todays health system.

More than a third of farmers get insurance on the individual market a far greater proportion than the rest of society.

People who get insurance from their employers dont have to worry about pre-existing conditions. Theyre on group plans, so every member gets the same coverage and premi-ums.

Many farm families have off-farm employment that gets them relatively affordable insurance. Others, though, dont have that advantage. They must go into the insurance market on their own.

CONTINUED ON 15

AG Mag 15

For the Petersons, who have pre-existing conditions, thats particularly tough. Chris has diabetes, and his wife, Kristi, has a heart murmur.

Combined, they pay $16,000 a year in health insurance premiums, up from $13,000 just 3 years ago. They both have $2,500 deductibles. After their deduct-ibles, they pay 20 percent of the cost of their major surgeries.

Thats a high percentage of our income on a yearly basis. We are tapped out, said Chris, 58. We really are at the whims of the marketplace.

Because of the high costs, he said, theyre not getting all the care they need.

I put off doctor visits. My wife has a bad ankle. She should have surgery, he said. My wife and I are living for and hoping for Medicare at 65.

Study: Health-care costs burden farmers

Starting in 2014, the Affordable Care Act will take effect. Health care exchanges will be set up for each state either by the federal government or the states themselves. The law also involves mandates, subsidies and tax credits to increase the number of insured people.

Under its provisions, insurance com-panies no longer will be able to charge higher rates to people with pre-existing conditions.

Few studies have been done on farm-ers and their health care. Six years ago, though, the Boston-based Access Proj-ect examined the situation for farmers in Iowa.

It found that farmers and ranchers were burdened by health care costs. More than

one in six said that health care expenses contributed to financial problems, and one in eight had outstanding medical debt despite that 93 percent reported having health insurance.

CONTINUED FROM 14

David Derong/For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag Chris Peterson, 58, farms in Clear Lake. He said he spends about $20,000 a year on health care, an expense that rises annually. Thats a high percentage of our income on a yearly basis, Peterson said. We are tapped out. We really are at the whims of the marketplace.

Farm work remains among the most dangerous occupations, and tractor accidents are a big reason for that.

The University of Illinois keeps data on farm-related deaths, better than whats available in some other states.

From 1986 to 2011, the university logged 801 such deaths 44 percent of which were tractor accidents.

During the 25-year period, nearly 55 percent of the tractor accidents were overturns, claiming 193 lives. The second biggest factor involved those who fell off their tractors and were run over by them, claiming 49 lives.

Overall, 12.9 percent of farm-related deaths were connected to other farm equipment, 10.6 percent were roadway-related, and 8.2 percent were in grain bins, according to the universitys data.

In 2010, two teen workers were killed at a Mount Carroll, Ill., grain bin, when they became engulfed in corn while machinery was emptying the bin. OSHA cited the company for a number of infractions, including failing to provide body har-

nesses and lifelines to workers and failing to ensure all mechanical equipment was shut down before workers entered the bin.

The number of farm-related deaths has stayed about the same over the years. In

the case of tractor fatalities, the number ranges from 10 to 13 a year.

Chris Peterson, a farmer in Clear Lake, said the agricultural industry has far too many unnecessary accidents.

The problem is the older tractors [with-out rollover protection], he said. There are a lot of them out there. Most of the guys are smaller farmers. They dont have the financial ability to get new ones. Thats a huge problem.

Bill Field, an agricultural professor at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., said the last tractors without rollover protection were sold in the 1980s. So the agricultural tractor fleet is gradually becoming safer, he said.

There is a big number of them still without protective structures over them, said Field, who specializes in agricultural safety. Ive been doing injury prevention work for years. Its much easier to raise money to deal with a crisis. Its easier to get people to turn up for a training program to respond to a farm accident rather than prevent one.

Tractors are big cause of farm fatalities

Farm-related deaths The University of Illinois keeps track of

farm fatalities. Here are the numbers of fatalities and type of incidents from 1986 to 2011:

Tractor .................................... 353Farm equipment ...................... 103Roadway-related ....................... 85Grain bins .................................. 66Electrocution ............................. 32Animal ....................................... 20Power take-off (PTO) ................. 18Manure pit/storage ...................... 7ATV ............................................. 6Other ....................................... 111TOTAL..................................... 801

Source: University of Illinois

CONTINUED ON 17

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According to the projects survey, 59 percent of respondents had household incomes between $40,000 and $100,000, with their health care costs constitut-ing between 7 percent and 16 percent of their income. In that income range, according to the project, those who spend more than 10 percent on health care are considered underinsured.

The study showed that 62 percent who bought insurance in the individual mar-ket had high-premium policies, com-pared to about one in five who got their insurance through off-farm employment.

Thirty-seven percent of the respon-dents bought insurance on the individ-ual market, compared with 8 percent of the population nationally.

For many farm and ranch opera-tors, the Access Project concluded, their only real choices may be to scale back their operations, so they or a family member can obtain off-farm employment in order to obtain better insurance coverage or dip into savings that could be reinvested in the farm or ranch in order to pay for health care.

Not what the doctor ordered

Experts differ on whether the Afford-able Care Act will help or hurt farmers.

Jon Bailey, the director of research at the Center for Rural Affairs in Lyons, Neb., said his group believes the law could benefit farmers.

When you are out purchasing insur-ance on your own, you buy what you can afford, he said. If you have pre-existing conditions, you are out of luck. You either cant get covered or its way more expensive.

In a group plan, by contrast, the risk is spread among all members.

Where I work, we have 30 employ-ees, Bailey said. Thats not a big group, but its bigger than a single per-son. Premiums are reduced.

Farmers who go on the individual market dont have that advantage.

A lot of farmers who we talk to get health insurance, but they call it bank-ruptcy insurance: Its there so you dont have to sell the farm, Bailey said. If someone comes down with a big dis-ease that insurance has to cover, theyre not on the hook for the entire bill.

But such insurance falls short for pre-ventive care, including checkups.

To be sure, he said, the Affordable Care Act will have its kinks. Then again, Social Security and Medicare, which started decades ago, are widely popular, Bailey said, but policymak-ers still are finding ways to improve them.

The American Farm Bureau, the nations largest farmers organization, opposes the federal law, saying its taxes will hurt bureau members. A tax on health insurance policies, in particular, will affect farm families and business owners.

The higher taxes and thousands of pages of new regulations that come with ACA are certainly not what the doctor ordered for a recovering Main Street economy, Erin Anthony, the editor of Farm Bureau News, said in a March opinion piece.

CONTINUED FROM 15

When you are out purchasing insurance on your own, you

buy what you can afford. If you have pre-existing conditions, you are out of luck. You either cant get

covered or its way more expensive.Jon Bailey, director of research at the Center for Rural Affairs

CONTINUED ON 18

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She and other Farm Bureau officials didnt return calls for comment.

Bailey, of the Center for Rural Affairs, disagreed with the Farm Bureau.

The health insurance tax only applies to policies of a certain high dollar amount, he said. I dont think itll apply to a bigger portion of farmers than other segments of the popula-tion. Middle-class farm families have policies valued like much of the rest of society.

Besides, he said, the Farm Bureaus view on the Affordable Care Act is more ideological than anything else.

They, like a lot of organizations, have characterized it as a government take-over of health care, but the government is not going to tell you which doctor to go to, Bailey said.

The National Farmers Union, the second largest farmers group, parts company with the Farm Bureau by sup-porting the Affordable Care Act.

Farmers, ranchers and rural residents face significant barriers to obtaining accessible, affordable health care, the group said in a statement last year. The ACA con-tains significant, necessary reforms that help all Americans, including those who are self-employed and purchasing from the individual mar-ket. ...

The Farmers Union said it would work with the Obama administration to ensure the law is carried out as writ-ten.

The Wisconsin affiliate of the Farmers Union also came out for the law, back-ing its exchanges in particular.

[Farmers] often pay way too much for terrible coverage, Darin Von Ruden, president of the Wisconsin Farmers Union, said in an opinion piece last year.

BY KYLE WILSON For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag

Dean Cass remembers the day vividly.He and his nephew Cody Franks were

doctoring one of the steers on the Cass family farm located about one mile west of Fontanelle. The 650-pound steer had an infected foot, and they were assessing the damage.

We touched the foot, and it must have agitated the steer, Cass recalls, because it came at me, struck me in the chest and knocked me down. He stepped on my heel. I rolled over and he hit me in the rear hard enough to break my hip. He hit me one last time and broke my shoulder.

While on the ground, Cass was shout-ing to his teenage nephew to get in the nearby tractor and drive it over

the top of him to provide protection. Thats what Franks did, but the damage already was done.

I was taken to Des Moines for my injuries and spent 10 days in intensive care, said Cass, a former Marine. Then I was put on 30 days bed rest once I got home.

Cass, now 78 years old, said he had a small disability policy that paid about $250 per month while he recovered for six weeks at home in the fall of 1997.

Because hes a Farm Bureau member, Cass said, he also has a group health-insurance plan through Blue Cross/Blue Shield that paid for a large portion of his medical costs.

I had no complaints with the care I received at the hospital or my insurance company, he said.

Dean Cass, southwest Iowa farmer, spent 10 days in intensive care

CONTINUED FROM 17

CONTINUED ON 27

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AG Mag 19

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OPTIMISTIC OUTLOOK

Alex T. Paschal/For Southwest Iowa Ag MagThe corn and soybeans crops on Andy Pratts farm in Nachusa, Ill., are the best theyve looked in years. This year, he said, is much better than 2012, when the days and nights were much warmer. [The corn] never shut down, so it just drained itself, Pratt said.

BY MATT MENCARINIFor Southwest Iowa Ag Mag

Rock Katschnig is sitting behind the wheel of his red 2001 Kenworth T800 series truck, hauling about 925 bushels of corn to an ethanol plant in Annawan, Ill. He looks as comfortable behind the wheel as he would in a recliner in his living room.

Driving south on Illinois Route 78, he points out fields of corn that have been damaged by weather, and others that have just started to tassel. He seems slight-

ly skeptical of the predictions of a record corn yield this year, but says farmers in northern Illinois are far better off than those in the southern part of the state.

QQQLast month, the U.S. Department

of Agriculture lowered, by 55 million bushels, its 2013 estimate of the corn crop nationally, to an expected 13.95

billion bushels. However, that still would beat the record set in 2009 by about 858 million bushels.

About two-thirds of Katschnigs 3,500 acres is commercial corn, and all of it will, at some point, make its way to Patriot Renewable Fuel LLC, just 10 miles from his fields west of Hooppole. Hell make the trip about twice as many times as he did a year ago.

Crops planted late, but progressing at record pace

Right now, on the first of July, this is the best theyve

looked in years. And its almost scary good. Mother Nature could turn its wicked hand in a hurry.

Andy Pratt, farmer in Nachusa, Ill., on his corn and soybean crops

CONTINUED ON 23

AG Mag 21

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BY LARRY PETERSONFor Southwest Iowa Ag Mag

Just one year removed from severe drought conditions in southwest Iowa, farmers encountered a much different problem in the spring of 2013.

Through June 30, Iowa received nearly as much rain (24.88 inches) as it did in all of 2012 (26.49 inches), according to the state climatology bureau. With some heavy late June rains, this year edged out 2008 as the wettest first half on record.

The wet spring all but erased last years drought.

By the end of June, less than 1 per-cent of the state was abnormally dry, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. A year ago, that designation applied to 77 percent of the state. By the end of last summer, all of the state was in severe drought.

This years wet spring and cool tem-peratures forced many farmers to delay plantings. Stalled by muddy fields, farmers planted about three weeks behind schedule, according to state cli-matologist Harry Hillaker. Farmers had barely started on corn by mid-May this year, while a year ago they were almost finished by then.

As July arrived, some farmers still were finishing their planting, particularly in soybean fields, or busy replanting areas drowned out by heavy rains before crops emerged.

Standing water in many low-lying areas continued to be a concern regard-ing corn and soybeans in the early stages of their development.

This late schedule in the 2013 season led to concerns that crops could be

hit by warmer temperatures and drier conditions during important stages of growth that would suppress yields. For-tunately, better weather conditions in mid-May and June allowed many farm-ers to quickly catch up.

But, was it enough?Wed like to have kind of a cool sum-

mer and occasional rain, said Tracy Cameron, agronomist for Gavilon Grain in Creston. Youd be surprised how much you can make up for the bad things. Time is of the essence now.

Cameron made those comments on July 1, a stage when southwest Iowa

farmers normally are watching their crops flourish, rather than barely emerg-ing. Its been a season of chemical and seed application interrupted by frequent showers, often followed by weather too cool for prime plant growth.

The frequency of the rain has been the biggest thing, Cameron said. When youre trying to spray or plant, you cant get much done when you get a shower of six-tenths here, or another half-inch there, with no time in between to dry out.

Wet spring, late planting causes for concern locally

Larry Peterson/For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag The effect of standing water was evident in an emerging cornfield north of Creston in late June. Yields could be affected by late planting and excessive moisture dur-ing the planting season.

CONTINUED ON 22

22 Summer 2013

The USDAs crop condition report issued July 1 stated that 99 percent of Iowas corn crop was in the ground, and 96 percent had emerged, which is about three weeks behind normal. Warmer weather in late June helped push more of the corn into the good and excellent rating.

On the same date, 96 percent of the soybean crop had been planted, with 89 percent emerged, which is 8 percentage points behind the five-year average.

Farmers continued to make progress harvesting alfalfa as July arrived, with the first cutting at 89 percent complete.

Crop switchesAs July neared, Cameron was urging

farmers who hadnt started a field to switch from corn to soybeans, unless chemical applications were specifically designed for corn. It was just getting too late to expect any reasonable rate of return on a corn crop.

Most of the corn-related decisions by the end of June were based on covering spots in fields, so they werent bare and possibly fill in with weeds, Cameron said. With soybeans, they could still expect somewhat of a good yield.

Mid-June planting of soybeans would generate a yield about 82 percent of optimum, according to studies cited by

Cameron. That figure fell to 60 percent in the final week of June, and to 47 per-cent in July.

Corn yield expectations would be even lower with late planting.

On June 27, were talking about 45 to 50 percent yield in planted corn, Cameron said. You really run a dan-ger of wet corn that wouldnt make it to the first frost. You really have to get the right hybrid to make it work. Thats why were encouraging soybeans at this date.

Even in emerged fields, standing water in several low-lying areas in late June threatened crop conditions.

Corn plants need air around the roots, Cameron said, so that stand-ing water is not healthy. They wont last long in saturated soil and water. You see them yellowing up. Plus, the root system doesnt develop, so if you quick-ly run into a lot of heat and dryness, they dont have the roots established to get to the (subsoil) moisture.

Nitrogen lossThere was another casualty of all of

the heavy spring rains, according to Wayde Ross, Natural Resources Conser-vation Service district conservationist for Union and Ringgold counties.

A lot of farmers are talking about shortage of nitrogen, Ross said. Some

are putting on supplemental nitrogen. The heavy moisture took the nitrogen down through the soil profile, especial-ly before the soil was saturated. That is why we push for cover crops, to take up that nitrogen and hold it so it doesnt pass through the soil profile.

Ross said he observed some replant-ing of corn, but more often a replanting of drowned soybeans, particularly in Ringgold County near Highway 2.

Some of the corn popped up through those wet areas, but quite a few soy-beans did not make it, Ross said.

With the late planting, pollination of plants could occur during a hotter, drier period of the summer than usual. So, despite the early-season flooding, there could be moisture concerns in critical stages of the crops develop-ment.

Were still going to need timely rains in July for the crops, Ross said. But, in general, most of our soil moisture con-cerns have pretty much dissipated.

Our subsoil was very dry when this year started, Cameron said. But we accumulated a lot of rain, and allevi-ated those subsoil problems. However, the water that moved through the sur-face soil carried some nutrients with it, and some are unrecoverable by the root systems. Thats why some farmers had to go in this year and put in some addi-tional nitrogen.

CONTINUED FROM 21

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AG Mag 23

Those added trips, which take him about an hour each, are the result of much better crop conditions than a year ago. The first field Katschnig planted this year had started to tassel by July 10.

Corn has been showing rapid growth in the past week as average height increased by 16 inches, up to 48 inch-es, said the July 8 Illinois Weather and Crop report from the USDAs National Agricultural Statistics Service. Ample rain, the report said, led to significant crop devel-opment, although silking and corn height both were below the 5-year average.

Just over half of the states corn conditions (51 percent, according to the report) were rated as good, and 17 percent were rated as excellent. For soybeans, 61 percent of the states conditions were rated as good, and 12 percent were rated as excellent.

The report reflects what Andy Pratt has been seeing on his own land. Since, 2000, Pratt has been farming full-time, with his father, Mike, and brother, Peter. They have 3,200 acres of com-mercial corn, 1,200 acres of seed corn, and 1,000 acres of soybeans on land about 10 miles west of Dixon, Ill.

Right now, on the first of July, this is the best theyve looked in years, Pratt said from the porch of his home, looking out toward his grain bins and land. And its almost scary good. Mother Nature could turn its wicked hand in a hurry.

Just as she did June 24, when high winds flattened four empty grain bins in Walton, Ill., also damaging roofs, outbuildings, silos and several trees of area homes and farms, including some of Pratts crops.

But that type of outburst from Mother Nature has been an outlier in a relative-ly ideal weather pattern.

Last year, the problem was we had a lot of nights that were in 75 and 80 [degree weather], he said. [The corn] never shut down, so it just drained itself. And then that pollen, it just wont do anything.

The dry weather caused the corn crops to cannibalize themselves, Pratt said.

Right now, it looks like it should be fine, as long as we dont get a hot spell, he said. That 100 degrees is what we dont want.

Theres also optimism from Darrel Good, professor emeritus at the University of Illinois, who specializes in agricultural markets, pro-duction and forecasts.

In general, I think as we stand today, prospects are for large corn and soybean crops, recognizing that theres a lot of the growing season left, Good said.

The further into the grow-ing season it gets, he added, the more comfortable he and others can be about their predictions.

For the crop thats grow-ing right now, the expecta-tion is that they will be sell-ing it for a much lower price than last years stock, Good said. Livestock is more stable.

Simply put, more corn means a lower price, but it doesnt necessarily have to mean less profit for farmers.

Gunnar Ortgiesen is a symbol of modern-day farming. The 28-year-old Dixon resident spends much of his day at a desk, looking at three computer screens. To his left, theres a window that looks out onto Dan Kosters farm in Sterling, Ill. Ortgiesen is the chief financial officer and general manager of Tettens Grain LLC.

I believe theres going to be a lot of grain to go around come fall, he said. Some farmers knew that a few months ago, or felt that that was going to be the case with the amount of acres that were supposed to get planted, and I believe did get planted. So some farmers had sold ahead; some have not.

So far this year, Ortgiesen said, a lot of farmers have been hesitant to forward contract, but are beginning to get more comfortable as the growing season moves through July.

CONTINUED FROM 20

Michael Krabbenhoeft/For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag Gunnar Ortgiesen is the chief financial officer and general manager of Tettens Grain near Sterling, Ill. He said that many farmers have been hesitant to forward contract their grain, but are beginning to get more comfortable as the growing season advances.

CONTINUED ON 24

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24 Summer 2013

July and August, thats when the grain gets made with the weather, he added. Hopefully, well continue the weather trend, and it sounds like we will depending on which weather guy you talk to.

Tettens Grain has smaller storage space, about 1.6 million bushels, than larger facilities in the area, Ortgiesen said. As a result, he said, they tend to turn their storage over often.

We know that in the fall, if theres a big crop, were going to have to be truck-ing corn out, he said. So we sold some ahead, knowing that were always going to be trucking it out. Price doesnt really matter to us, because we hedge everything off on the [Chicago] Board of Trade so we dont have the price risk.

Its the basis levels, Ortgiesen said, that he watches more closely and that are more closely tied to demand, which can be high even when a lot of corn is expected.

Very fortunately, we have more mar-kets for our corn, Katschnig said. We have an ethanol plant in Annawan, Illi-nois, we have an ethanol plant in Galva, Illinois, and we have a rail load out facil-ity in Sterling. Previously, it was 50 miles to the Illinois River. Thats where all our grain went, the Illinois River.

Four years ago, Patriot Renewable Fuel LLC built the facility in Annawan,

thanks to the towns proximity to Inter-state 80 and state Routes 78 and 6. That plant, along with Big River Resources Galva and Rock River Lumber and Grain, in Sterling, Katschnig says, has created not only increased demand for the corn in the area, but also easier and faster delivery to those facilities.

And unlike 2012, when a drought greatly reduced the corn crop and drove corn prices up, this years biggest concern seems to be the fact that most crops were planted late.

Only some of the earlier planted crops have begun to silk, Mark Schleusener, census manager with the U.S. Department of Agricultures National Agricultural Sta-tistics Service, said in early July. Its going to be behind. It doesnt mean a horrible terrible year;; it just means behind.

Schleusener describes NASS as the bean counters for crops and livestock, mea-suring and recording purchase and sale prices, crop growth, and other factors monitored by both farmers and traders.

Theyre the agriculture version of base-ball umpires, he said: They dont tell you where to align your fielders or when to pinch-hit, but they call balls and strikes and close plays at home plate.

Because of the late planting, and some underperforming crops, Schleusener said, the yield report released in August will be highly scrutinized by the market and will have a bigger impact on this

years corn prices than the previous weekly crop reports his office released.

As Katschnig pulls up to the weigh station at Annawan to deliver a load of corn he sold about three months ago, his cellphone rings from his belt clip. The call was from grain merchandiser for Consolidated Grain and Barge Enterprises Inc. Corn had gone up $0.18, and the basis had improved.

A lot or farmers bins are empty this time of year, Katschnig said after mak-ing a counteroffer which later was accepted, he said and hanging up.

A week, two weeks ago, corn was down to $6.60; now its up to $7.10 [cash]. Thats a huge swing. Thats 50 cents per bushel. Thats $500 per load. So its just like rolling the dice. Its just like rolling the dice in Las Vegas.

Katschnig unloaded his corn, made his way back through the exit weight station, and started the 10-mile drive back to his crops. About halfway to his land, it started to rain.

Were over the hump, he said. We certainly need rain [in] August, during ear-fill. But at least, at this point in time now, when we have a crop that looks like it does right now, and we have the amount of rain weve gotten, were at least going to have something.

Last year we had a lot of fields that were nothing. Now, we know were going to have something.

CONTINUED FROM 23

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AG Mag 25

BY SARAH BROWNFor Southwest Iowa Ag Mag

BETHANY, Mo. When it comes to marketing and building relationships, Linda Collins knows how to leave a lasting impression.

Collins, general manager at Missouri Land Title Company in Bethany, Mo., said giving baked goods to others is a simple way to say thank you.

I work with Realtors and bankers, so, as a thank you, I tried to think of something that was differ-ent, Collins said. I thought it might be some-thing they would remember and appreciate.

And they do.Harrison County Assessor Lila Craig did not

hesitate to nominate Collins when asked whose cooking most stood out to her.

Amy Maize at the Harrison County Assessors office said Collins brings in baked goods about once a month and her soft and light cinnamon rolls and Danish pastries are very good.

Collins also bakes for her Sunday school stu-dents for each of their birthdays.

One likes lemon poppy seed bread, one likes zucchini bread, another one likes snickerdoodle cookies, one likes anything coconut, ... Collins said. I just know what they like.

Locally grownCollins and her husband, Jerry, moved back to

the familys century farm in Bethany in 1982, after living for 13 years in southern Iowa, where Jerry worked in the soil conservation business.

A DELICIOUS WAY TO SAY THANK YOU

Bethany, Mo., woman gives the gift of food

Sarah Brown/For Southwest Ag Mag Linda Collins prepares strawberry jam that she said is so easy to make. Ingredients are four cups sugar, two cups crushed strawberries, and a packet of Sure-Jell. CONTINUED ON 26

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26 Summer 2013

The Collinses farm, which has been in Jerrys family since 1857, is where Jerry now raises his cow-calf pairs of red and black angus.

While Jerry is tending to the cattle, Linda spends time in the garden, where she harvests a few home-grown goods, such as zucchini, rhubarb and berries, for her recipes.

She said she also tries to source pro-duce locally from the farmers market in Bethany and local Amish farmers.

Collins top cooking tipMake it in advance the night before

and pop it in the oven in the morning, Collins said.

And her cooking tip will pay off when others remember you for your warm baked goods.

Its something thats easy to do, just no one takes the time to do it, she said.

Lindas Sugar Cookies Ingredients:1 cup powedered sugar1 cup Crisco1 cup granulated sugar1 cup oil2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon cream of tartar1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon salt2 teaspoon vanilla extract teaspoon almond extract4 cups flourDirections:Cream together first four ingredients.

Add remaining ingredients and mix until smooth. Refrigerate overnight. Roll into walnut-sized pieces. Place on cookie sheet and press gently with a glass dipped in sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

Lindas tip:For watermelon cook-

ies, add flavoring to frosting. While cookies are still warm, cut in half without separating them and spread frosting on the warm cookie, allow-ing frosting to fall in the cut mark to achieve the watermelon look all the way through.

Lindas Rhubarb Crunch

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Combine topping ingredients in a sep-arate bowl until crumbly. Sprinkle over rhubarb layer and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

CONTINUED FROM 25

Sarah Brown/For Southwest Ag MagLinda Collins has a scrumptious recipe for watermelon sugar cookies.

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AG Mag 27

Some are uninsur-able because of the high-risk nature of farming. ... Exchanges will broaden risk pools for these people and bring down costs of insur-ance and health care dollars spent.

Someone will have to pay for it

Bill Field, an agricultural professor at Purdue Univer-sity in West Lafayette, Ind., said the Affordable Care Acts effects will be mixed.

Because of the large number of farmers who are underinsured, [the Afford-able Care Act] will pro-vide an avenue for at least catastrophic coverage, said Field, who has long special-ized in agricultural safety and health issues. But I dont think there is enough money in the United States to pay for everything they [policymakers] are expect-ing to pay for. Someone will have to pay for it.

In other words, he said,

while underinsured farm-ers benefit, those on the upper end who always have enjoyed good insurance will see higher bills.

The problem, Field said,

is that the Affordable Care Act and health care in general puts too little emphasis on prevention. For instance, much greater attention should be paid to

obesity, he said.Those on the lower end,

Field said, tend to weigh more and make riskier life-style choices.

We may cause someone who does not have those risky behaviors to compen-sate others with those behav-iors, Field said. Its a great-er form of charity. Were not going to request people to change how they live. Well be in crisis management.

In farmer Chris Petersons view, the Affordable Care Act is a step forward. But he had hoped for more government involvement in the health-care system, acknowledging that many farmers disagree with him.

A lot of farmers are pro-pagandized by the Farm Bureau and Republicans. They thought Obamacare was a poison pill and that we were better off without it, Peterson said. I was for single payer and was a major proponent of the public option to give insurance companies some heartburn, but the health exchanges will help to some degree.

CONTINUED FROM 18

Alex T. Paschal/For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag Brad and Erin Shippert have a high-deductible health insur-ance plan that will be put to the test as Erin, 30, battles pan-creatic cancer that has metastasized to her liver. A few pre-scriptions may get a little expensive, Brad, 29, said. Travel expenses are our biggest thing right now. Erin is getting care at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, consid-ered one of the best cancer treatment centers in the country. Here, Brad and Erin and their daughter, Reagan, 1, explore their new porch in their Eldena, Ill., home in June.

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28 Summer 2013

Philip Marruffo/For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag Kevin Kurz, a junior at Ashton-Franklin Center High School in Illinois, fills the food bins for sheep at the farm of Rick Petitt, who teaches agriculture at the school. Agriculture eduction, Pettit said, used to be more career oriented. Nowadays, its more education focused, he said. Kids are generations away from the farm.

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Philip Marruffo/For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag Kevin Kurz, a junior at Ashton-Franklin Center High School in Illinois, fills the food bins for sheep at the farm of Rick Petitt, who teaches agriculture at the school. Agriculture eduction, Pettit said, used to be more career oriented. Nowadays, its more education focused, he said. Kids are generations away from the farm.

BY KAYLA HEIMERMANFor Southwest Iowa Ag Mag

Carl Erbsen hardly recog-nizes his students these days.When I started teaching, half my kids came from the farm, he said. Now, Im lucky if two of my students live on a farm.

The overwhelming majority of stu-dents, even in the most rural school districts, are generations removed from the family farm.

School calendars once revolved around the planting, cultivating and harvesting schedule, and textbooks used to include plenty of agricultural references and examples.

Indeed, farming, farm animals, and crops were a familiar part of life, even for the youngest of children. Not any-more.

QQQThe agriculture education programs in

schools at least those still in existence

focus more on exposure, rather than voca-tional training.

Curriculum at the elementary and middle school levels now is centered on fostering an appreciation for agriculture, while cur-riculum in the high schools is concentrated on building an interest in agriculture careers and preparing students for college.

It is the highly technical, highly specialized pro-grams offered by community colleges that really educate and train people to work in agriculture.

Erbsen, 43, who teaches second grade at Eastland Elementary School in Shannon, Ill., is the current Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom Teacher of the Year. He believes young people should have an appreciation for agriculture.

Its important our kids know what agricul-ture is about, he said. They really need to know where things come from and the pro-cess by which those things get here.

K-12 educationAgriculture education starts in elementary

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CONTINUED ON 32

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30 Summer 2013 AG Mag 31

32 Summer 2013

The Agriculture in the Classroom pro-gram was created in 1981 to integrate agriculture with reading, writing and arithmetic and reinforce the significant role agriculture plays in everyday life. The program is known today as an easy and flexible way to supplement and enhance existing curriculum.

The program still aims to expose youths to agriculture, but agriculture has come to include more than just farming, said Katie Pratt, the ag literacy coordinator in Lee County in Illinois.

We used to say it was about corn, beans, pigs and cows, she said. But now, we talk about food, gardens, alter-native energy, and conservation [of resources], too.

The Agriculture in the Classroom pro-gram is most popular among elemen-tary and middle school teachers.

Agriculture education looks a bit dif-ferent at the high school level.

Most schools, at least the more rural ones, still have bona fide agriculture education programs and supplemen-tal ag-related activities, such as FFA (formerly Future Farmers of America) clubs. Although some of the largest schools in relatively rural areas in the past decade have eliminated agricul-ture programs.

CONTINUED FROM 29

Philip Marruffo/For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag Members of Rick Petitts FFA class at Ashton-Franklin Center High School in Lee County, Illinois, work through the summer learning how to properly care for farm animals. While some of the largest schools in relatively rural areas have eliminated agriculture programs, most schools still have them. CONTINUED ON 33

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AG Mag 33

Schools with dedicated programs and teachers no longer offer ag classes as vocational training. They instead offer classes to engage students in a smat-tering of ag-related fields and prepare them for the next level, said two agri-culture teachers in Illinois: Rick Petitt at Ashton-Franklin Center High School in Lee County and Sara Conner at Prophet-stown High School in Whiteside County.

Teachers introduce students to the stand-bys, such as plant and animal science, but also more modern applica-tions, such as mechanics, communica-tions and business.

The difference is, years ago, it probably was more career oriented, where nowadays, its more education focused, Petitt said. Kids are genera-tions away from the farm. Their knowl-edge of agriculture is more limited. It becomes more an education about agriculture than a preparation for a career. Thats what we have to do: try to reconnect the kids.

Conner added that the face of agri-culture had changed.

And our programs have started to reflect that, she said. Were develop-ing their interest in potential careers. ... Were getting them classes where they can see another side. ... Its more 21st century agriculture, showing them

what they really have an opportunity to do.

Teachers also are preparing students for college, as many jobs in the agri-culture industry require bachelors degrees, if not more education after high school, and as more career and technical education classes must meet college and career readiness standards.

Its not just vocational anymore, Conner said.

Students, it seems, now demand more ag programming in their schools, possi-bly because they are aware of the sheer number of available, in-demand and high-paying ag-related jobs, said Pam Clodfelter, the ag literacy coordinator in Whiteside County, Ill.

We need to keep sparking that inter-est and making them aware of their planet and where their food and their products come from, she said. And how they can be involved in that.

Post-secondary schoolsAgriculture education is perhaps at its

best at the community college level.Two-year colleges are equipped to

train people for careers, whether in agriculture or another industry, said Andrew Larson, an agronomy professor and agriculture department co-chair at Blackhawk College in Galva, Ill., south-

east of the Quad Cities.We really promote in all of our career

programs applied education, he said. We focus on things students will need to go out into the industry and work.

Blackhawk has a robust ag program that dates back about 50 years. The col-lege offers two tracks: one for students who intend to transfer to a major uni-versity, such as the University of Illi-nois or Iowa State University, to study agriculture, and one for students who want to quickly move into work in the agriculture industry.

The schools transfer degree options include agriculture, horticulture and animal science, while its terminal, career programs include management, production and mechanics.

Community colleges constantly are adapting and changing their programs to reflect the needs and wants of the industry. They are able to adjust to developments in the industry because their faculty members often are engaged in their fields outside of their lecture halls and in regular contact with regional employers, Larson said.

We [community colleges] can react to industry faster than the universities can, he said. If Growmark says, We need more people who can do this, then, bam, we add it to a class.

We have to. Its our lifeline.

CONTINUED FROM 32

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34 Summer 2013

To protect the usefulness and availability of these technologies for the future, growers must implement an Insect Resistance Management (IRM) program as specified in product use guides. For detailed IRM requirements for products with in-plant insect resistance, refer to the appropriate product use guide, available from your Pioneer sales professional or on the web at: www.pioneer.com/IRM.

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Herculex Insect Protection technology by Dow AgroSciences and Pioneer Hi-Bred. Herculex and the HX logo are registered trademarks of Dow AgroSciences LLC. YieldGard, the YieldGard Corn Borer Design and Roundup Ready are registered trademarks used under license from Monsanto Company. Liberty, LibertyLink and the Water Droplet Design are trademarks of Bayer.

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AMRW-R Optimum AcreMax RW Rootworm Protection system with a single-bag integrated corn rootworm refuge solution includes HXRW, RR2. Do not spray with Liberty. Not all seeds in the bag are tolerant to Liberty herbicide. AMRW Optimum AcreMax RW Rootworm Protection system with a single-bag integrated corn rootworm refuge solution includes HXRW, LL, RR2.

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Bailey Poolman/For Southwest Iowa Ag MagThese pigs are ready for their close-up. Southwestern Com-munity College agriculture students raise pigs, chickens and cows on the colleges farm.

BY BAILEY POOLMANFor Southwest Iowa Ag Mag

CRESTON Ag-related merchandising and produc-tion are two popular job market niches in southwest-ern Iowa. Practical experi-ence is a key to expanding knowledge in both fields.

A lot of hands-on expe-rience, said Erika Blair, Southwestern Community College (SWCC) instructor, farm manager, and head of the agriculture program. Thats where SWCC sets themselves apart from the other schools, is because we give a lot of hands-on learn-ing here.

Dean Michaelson, Gavilon Grain location manager, also said experience is important, with many differ-ent levels accepted.

MerchandisingThere are different types

of jobs available in the grain industry, ranging from accounting positions to grain merchandising.

We have grain merchan-disers, we call them, and theyre the ones that buy the grain from farmers, and buy it from other customers, and sell it, Michaelson said. So, thats one of our main jobs in the local area.

While merchandising is a popular position locally, there are other paths to take to get to the top in the world of agriculture.

If they want to follow the path to be a manager, we like them at a couple differ-ent locations, Michaelson said, just to get some dif-ferent experiences, because every location is a little dif-ferent in the Midwest.

Positions such as superin-tendent require a bachelors degree because of the secu-rity risks and paperwork. Other jobs require a basic high school diploma, or equivalent. Internships also are available, depending on the chosen path.

If its the right fit, well hire them whether they have an ag background or not, Michaelson said. A lot of times its better, so every-ones not looking at things the same way, to get some-one outside the box.

ProductionBlair said most of her stu-

dents go to work for local producers, including their own farm or a family-run farm. Some go into work in the feed industry, and others look at agricultural market-ing as their niche.

Ag marketing is becom-ing a very big industry, Blair said. ... The journalism, the marketing, the merchandis-ing side of it, thats growing. Advertisement, graphic parts, thats a growing part of the ag industry.

Blair also said production still is why most students go to SWCC. The college has

three agriculture degrees available: livestock produc-tion, crop production and agricultural business. Each degree has a curriculum tai-lored to fit the areas needs, but all students work on the colleges farm.

We have a 235-acre farm, so the students plant the corn, the students combine, ... they work the calves, theyre in charge of calving, they give the cows the vaccinations, theyre feeding the cows every morn-ing and every evening, Blair said. A lot of the ag industry, what you need to learn is not from a textbook, but its from actually being out there and doing it and gettting that experience.

Summer internships also are available for more expe-rience.

A lot of the times, the internships really allow them to evaluate: What sec-tions do I like and what do I want to do? Blair said.

Merchandising, production top areas for ag careers

A lot of the ag industry, what you need to learn is not from a textbook, but its from actually being out there and do-

ing it and getting that experience.Erika Blair, SWCC instructor

AG Mag 35

BY KYLE WILSON For Southwest Iowa Ag Mag

CLEARFIELD Its a place brim-ming with history.

The Nickle family farm, located on a dusty gravel road four miles south of Clearfield, is one of the oldest working farms left in southwest Iowa, with an origin date of 1855. Six generations of Nickles have worked the land, including the families of O.P., Elmer, Ray, Rue, Randall and, now, Nathan.

Nathan just moved his young family into the 5,400-square-foot farm house that was built in the early 1900s.

Nickle farm among oldest in southwest Iowa

FAMILY TRADITION

Contributed photo This is an aerial shot of the Nickle family farm, located about four miles south of Clearfield. The farm is one of the oldest working family farms in southwest Iowa. CONTINUED ON 37

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36 Summer 2013

Contributed photo

Members of the Nickle fam-

ily pose after receiving the

Heritage award at the Iowa State Fair in 2011. The

award is given to family farms

in operation for more than

150 years. Pic-tured are (front, from left) Ruth,

Nathan, Brittlyn, Brynn, Braya and

Natash Nickle; and (back)

Randall Nickle, George and

Leona Barker, Nancy Barker-

Ross, Candy Nickle, David

Cole and Susan Barker-Cole.

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AG Mag 37

You could bank on every Thanksgiving and Christ-mas at grandpa and grand-ma Nickles house, he said. I learned to bake and sew in that house. Weve had celebrations. There have been sibling fights. We even found out there was a funeral visitation for one of my grandfathers in the house.

Its really the day-to-day operation of this farm over the past century that makes it so special.

Randall remembers when he was an adolescent on the farm in the 1950s. He picked corn cobs from the hog lot to put in the stove in order to keep warm. He also recalls accidentally tossing tea on

brand new wallpaper hung by his mother, Ruth.

My sister and I were argu-ing at the dinner table, Randall said, and I didnt think there was any tea left in my glass. So, I did one of these [showing the spilling motion] and there was some left. Tea went all over moms fresh wallpaper. Needless to say, there wasnt much talk-ing that day after that hap-pened.

Randalls mother, Ruth, 97, now a resident at Clearview Estates in Mount Ayr, Iowa, remembers the incident.

I dont remember if it was striped or flowered wall-paper, Ruth said. I just remember it was stained wallpaper.

CONTINUED FROM 35

Contributed photo Pictured are Ruth and the late Rue Nickle on a 1947 B Farmall tractor, the first tractor they purchased for their heritage farm located near Clearfield.

CONTINUED ON 38

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Ruth was the disciplinarian at the Nickle farm straight through the 1990s, but shes best known in the family for her rhubarb streusel. For years, she grew fresh rhubarb, along with any other vegetables she could find seed for, in her quarter-acre garden located east of the farm house.

Today, Nathan, Ruths grandson, continues to make memories and prolong the rich history on the Nickle farm. He and his wife, Stasia, and three daughters Brynn, Breya and Brittlyn now live in the two-sto-ry farm house. Nathan farms corn and beans on the 700 acres sur-rounding the home. He also farms 5,000 head of swine in confinement and 150 cows.

Nathan said hes already found his replacement.

My 10-year-old daughter Brynn is the farmer, he said. Shes all about farming. She chores the hogs, wants to run the combine and shows cattle at the county fair. If shes not playing ball, shes out on the farm with me in shorts and mud boots.

Shes the one. Shell be the one who takes the farm over for me someday.

CONTINUED FROM 37

Owners Origin year CountyJohnny Potter 1813 Mercer, Mo.Fred E. Boyd estate 1839 Mercer, Mo.Clyde & Georgianna Johnston 1841 Ringgold, IowaGuy & Pauline Schooler 1841 Mercer, Mo.Edward & Ruth Schooler 1844 Mercer, Mo.Jim & Nadine Goodhue 1845 Warren, Mo.Wilbur Goodhue 1845 Warren, IowaHoward Hargis 1845 Warren, IowaTheodore & Donna Onstot 1846 Warren, IowaCraig & Shirley Paugh 1846 Wayne, IowaLuAnn & Otis Butler LLC 1846 Harrison, Mo.Elliot & Ira Miller 1848 Warren, IowaAaron Loe 1848 Mercer, Mo.William G. Gladston 1848 Worth, Mo.Frank Mitchell 1849 Wayne, IowaIvan Roberts 1849 Adair, IowaHarold Pennington 1849 Lucas, IowaE.F. Warren 1850 Warren, IowaKent Wilbur 1850 Warren, IowaKaren Abel 1850 Decatur, IowaClell McBroom 1851 Decatur, IowaDana McBroom 1851 Decatur, IowaRichard McBroom 1851 Decatur, IowaJohn Stone 1851 Decatur, IowaMary Gartin 1851 Decatur, IowaLinda Johnson 1851 Madison, IowaDoris See 1851 Madison, IowaRoy Edgar 1851 Adair, IowaHarriette Bean 1851 Warren, IowaHalden Bertholf 1852 Madison, Iowa

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AG Mag 39

Iowa adds factory far