With planting season well underway, W-HFB wants to remind everyone to be safe out on the roadways!

• Slow down & give large equipment plenty of room.
• Farm vehicles make wide turns, so don’t assume the driver is turning if they swing wide in either direction. Watch for them to acknowledge your presence and signal their turn.
• Only pass when it is legal to do so. Ensure there is adequate distance to safely pass & no obstacles are in the way. Equipment can not move over when upcoming signs, mailboxes, or guardrails are approaching.
• Farm equipment does not behave like smaller compact vehicles when it comes to speed, turning or braking.
• Reduce speed, especially in agricultural areas where farm equipment may be entering or leaving the roadway.
• Make sure turn signals, blinkers, and SMV (slow moving vehicle) signs are working and visible.

We hope all farmers and motorists have a safe spring!
Rules of the County Road

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois Farm Bureau® (IFB) is accepting applications for its Illinois Veterinary Education and Training (IVET) loan program. Loans are available to second-year veterinary students attending any accredited college of veterinary medicine in the U.S. and who are focused on Illinois food animal medicine. The Illinois Veterinary Education Training (IVET) Program helps offset the high cost of veterinary education. The program loans up to $40,000 to as many as three veterinary students each year. Loans are made over a period of two to three years. IVET awards recipients a $1,500 stipend during their fourth year in school to help pay expenses associated with clinical rotations. Loans are repaid over five years, during which graduates must commit to working in a food animal practice that services Illinois livestock producers. 

Applications are due May 15, 2021 and can be found online at www.ilfb.org/IVET . The selection committee will interview eligible applicants in spring 2021. Successful applicants will be notified by mail. Loan disbursements begin in August. IFB established IVET in 2005. Since then, the organization has awarded more than $510,000 to 26 veterinary students who focus on caring for food animals in Illinois. For more information about the program, contact Tasha Bunting at 309-557-2993 or tbunting@ilfb.org. 

Area educators note – Tuesday, June 8th (Quad Cities) and Wednesday, June 9th (Peoria) will be the days of our annual Summer Ag Institute “Ag in a Day” teacher workshops. These workshops are intended to help teachers learn about ag topics and local agricultural products. Hands-on activities, tours, and free educational resources will all be part of the two workshops. The workshops are $10/teacher per day, teachers are invited to attend one or both days; workshops are open to all teachers & educators. Registration is now open; learn more by clicking here.

The Warren-Henderson Farm Bureau® is working with Rockford Map Publishers on a new 2021 plat book (we hope to have this edition available late this fall). W-HFB is currently collecting advertising for the plat book; if you know of a business that has interest and would be willing to advertise, please contact W-HFB at 309-734-9401 or whfb@whfarmbureau.org. We thank you for your support of this project and item that is so very popular!

Formerly known as the Illinois Pork Leadership Institute, the Illinois Livestock Leadership Institute (ILLI) is now a combined effort from IPPA, the Illinois Beef Association (IBA) and Midwest Dairy (MWD). ILLI provides an opportunity for young men and women to become actively involved in the livestock industry and all of agriculture. ILLI is a 4 day trip that focuses on leadership, citizenship, and communication skills through hands-on experiences. Youth will learn about pork, beef and dairy production, research, consumer information and issues that affect the livestock industry today. The 2021 trip will take place June 28 - July 1 to Des Moines, IA.

ILLI participants must be 16-20 years old by the time of the trip. ILLI participants need not be pork/beef/dairy producers or from pork/beef/dairy producing families, but must exhibit a sincere interest in the livestock industry and agriculture. A maximum of 27 students will be accepted. If chosen, there is a $150 registration fee to attend the trip, with all other trip expenses are covered by ILLI.

Learn more information & apply by clicking here
The application is due May 21, 2021. 
Please contact jenny@ilpork.com or 217-529-3100 with any questions.

Keeping up with Illinois agriculture might just put some money in your pocket! Simply “Choose Your News” for a chance to win a $500 gift card.

It’s a Win-Win. You receive the latest Illinois ag news, weather, and markets from Illinois Farm Bureau’s FarmWeekNow.com, FarmWeek, and the RFD Radio Network, and can enter a drawing for a $500 gift card.
It’s Easy. Sign up for the Daily Update,  FarmWeekNow.com 's e-newsletter, or download the FarmWeekNow.com phone app. Then register for the contest.

• Sign up for the Daily Update at: www.FarmWeekNow.com/newsletter. Then click on “Enter to Win” above the box where you entered your email address.
• iOS users can download the FarmWeekNow app here. Android users can download the app here. After you download, launch the app and look for the “Enter to Win” icon and story.

Mark your calendars for BIGGER savings with John Deere Rewards! From May 15-May 31 st , John Deere will offer Farm Bureau members a free upgrade to Platinum 2 Rewards savings for 60 days. Sign up for a Rewards account and keep up to $1000 EXTRA in your pocket with BIGGER savings on eligible equipment in the Rewards program. Sign up for a Rewards account and learn more at JohnDeere.com/FarmBureau!
Already a Rewards member through Farm Bureau? John Deere will email directly with a link to access your Platinum 2 upgrade!
Must be a Farm Bureau member for 30 days and have a valid personal email address to be eligible. Sign up for a Rewards account and learn more at JohnDeere.com/FarmBureau!

“What herbicide trait are your beans this year?” That is a question we should be asking of our neighbors and communicating our seed plans to them and to local custom applicators. This crop year will present many challenges for private and custom applicators. The adoption of the new Enlist and XtendFlex traits mean there will now be (predominately) two different and totally unique herbicide traits in area soybean fields this season. Communicating “what is planted where” is of the utmost importance in 2021.

Let’s review the terminology:
Liberty Link: tolerant to Liberty herbicide only
Xtend: “dicamba beans”- tolerant to Roundup & Dicamba (Engenia, Xtendimax herbicides)
XtendFlex: new for 2021, tolerant to Roundup, Dicamba & Liberty
Enlist: “2,4-D beans”- tolerant to Roundup, Enlist herbicides (2,4-D Choline) & Liberty

How do we communicate “what is planted where”? The first and best option is to pick up the phone and call or text your neighbor. Let them know what trait you intend to plant and don’t forget to reach out again if plans change in season. Secondly, add a visual layer of communication. Flag the Technology flags will be available at the Farm Bureau office, free of charge. To continue reading, click here.

Six area food pantries in Warren and Henderson counties received pork donations in late January thanks to Little York farmer Devin Reeder. Devin donated two hogs and worked with Warren-Henderson Farm Bureau® to distribute the frozen meat to Alexis Area Food Bank, Family Outreach Community Center in Stronghurst, Helping Hands of Roseville, the Henderson County Health Dept. Food Pantry, Jamieson Community Center in Monmouth, and the Lomax Food Pantry. Donated cuts included: ham hocks, spare/pork back ribs, butterfly chops, pork fresh ham steaks, cured ham steaks, ground pork, mild sausage, pork steaks, and sliced bacon. W-HFB paid for the processing fees from Woodhull Locker. A big thanks goes out to Devin and his family for their generosity and contribution to local communities. To donate or see how you can be of assistance to the food pantries listed above:

Alexis Area Food Bank: 309-337-5574

Family Outreach Community Center: 309-924-1872

Helping Hands of Roseville: 309-536-0229

Henderson County Health Department Food Pantry: 309-627-2812

Jamieson Community Center: 309-734-4251

Lomax Food Pantry: 217-966-0447

Now that 2020 is behind us, like many of you, we’re looking forward to a New Year and the opportunities it’ll bring. But we also see the importance of reflecting over the last 12 months. As we talk about what 2020 looked like for us, and where our farm is headed in 2021, let me share a little about our family’s history.

Seven generations ago, my family made the journey from Ireland and settled in Sumner Township in Warren County, about as far west as you can go in Illinois. Since then, all seven generations have raised cattle right here – making it a long-held tradition of providing our families and our communities with nutritious, sustainably grown beef. We also grow...click here to read the full write-up.