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Purdue student receives TCF scholarship

Purdue University student Brooks Royal was a recipient of a Chicago Farmers’ scholarship for the 2020-2021 academic year. A student in the College of Agriculture at Purdue, Brooks studied Agricultural Systems Management and graduated in May 2021.

In a thank you note to TCF, Brooks shared that he was involved in showing livestock animals (mainly pigs) and he was an active member of the Purdue football team. Brooks was one of five student athletes from Purdue’s College of Agriculture to earn Academic All Big Ten recognition during the fall 2020 sports season.  He was among 96 Purdue student athletes to earn the title across the university.

To qualify for the academic Big Ten honor, a student-athlete must carry a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher while enrolled full-time. 2020 was the third year that Brooks earned the honor.

“Thank you for accepting me as a recipient of a Chicago Farmers’ scholarship for the 2020-2021 academic year,” Brooks wrote in his note. “The gift is very much appreciated due to the fact I am an out of state student, which makes the cost of Purdue much higher for me. This scholarship helps assist me reach my goal of being a successful student at Purdue.”

Brooks, a native of the state of Georgia, said that he chose to attend Purdue rather than a college closer to his home in Fitzgerald, Georgia, because Purdue ranks number one in Agricultural Systems Management and he also was offered a preferred walk-on opportunity with the football team.

Brooks said his goals included graduating from Purdue with a degree in Agricultural Systems Management and a minor in Animal Science and to use the skills he has acquired in his home state of Georgia. Noting that he was unsure of where these skills would lead him, he said that among the possibilities are creating his own company or becoming involved with an existing company. “I will not let my degree go to waste,” wrote Brooks.

Brooks wrote, “Thank you again for this generous scholarship. I hope to make you very proud in my future career.”

College of ACES touches many aspects of everyone’s lives

While the Covid-19 pandemic and its restrictions curtailed our lives and activities for a year, the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) continued to make an impact and plan for the future. Dr. Kim Kidwell, dean of the College of ACES, provided an update on the college’s initiatives during The Chicago Farmers’ May 3 virtual meeting.

“It is amazing to think of what we accomplished this year,” said Dr. Kidwell. “We strive to make the world a better place, and we help people live their best lives.”

She noted that the ACES’s curriculum is content rich, but also designed to make students “content ready” so they can hit the ground running upon graduation. Indeed, ACES graduates often navigate the learning curve more quickly than students from other institutions because of the abundance of immersion-based learning opportunities they experience during their academic careers, according to Dr. Kidwell.

“Our students have experience with industry, researchers and Extension personnel, which is a key to their learning. Additionally, ACES offers customized learning opportunities and builds a career path for the students that meets their needs and goals. We want them to be savvy about what they learned by applying it to real-life situations,” said Dr. Kidwell.

She said the university is emerging from the pandemic after 15 months, but during that time the community rallied to navigate the situation well. Dr. Kidwell said the university shifted to remote learning in March 2020. Many focused on aiding colleagues in navigating online teaching and supported them with mastering new techniques and teaching tools.

“We are now looking at what worked best in the online space over the last year, and we are implementing what best connects with people in powerful ways as we move forward,” said Dr. Kidwell.

Campus collaboration

During this period, interdisciplinary teams from across the campus came together to help reduce the spread of Covid-19 and develop the saliva test now used broadly to detect positive cases. The Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory in ACES developed badly needed hand sanitizer for hospitals and campus, and Illinois Extension transitioned all of its services to online. Dr. Kidwell said an interdisciplinary team of researchers also developed a rapid ventilator for short-term ventilation needs when the life-saving equipment was in short supply.

“All of this happened in just the first few months of the pandemic,” she said.

Online learning was the safety-oriented focus in fall 2020 with more in-person offerings in spring 2021. Members of the ACES and campus community stayed connected through virtual welcome events, as well as celebrations and student success webinars. 

“We expect more typical in-person interaction with the opening of school in fall 2021 with 75-80 percent of courses campus-wide being offered 100% in-person or in-person with online components,” Dr. Kidwell shared.

She noted these accomplishments and others brought increased visibility to the campus and ACES.

From implicit to explicit

“We had infrastructure in place and ongoing research that allowed us to accomplish great things during a very difficult time. It became more obvious to people what ACES does and why it matters to everyday life,” said Dr. Kidwell. “For example, Illinois Extension was able to connect people with information on food availability in their area through their quickly launched Find Food IL map. This great service provided support to people all over the state.”

ACES also:

• Expanded access to Extension/4-H programming so people could participate online
• Embedded a counselor in the college who focused on students’ mental health
• Kept people safe for a more robust campus life in the fall

With an enrollment at ACES of 2,800 students last year, Dr. Kidwell said the college expects an increase in enrollment to 2,850 for the 2021-22 school year.

“Our enrollment has held, and we are grateful; there is a lot of interest in coming to the college,” she said. “ACES has one of the highest retention rates in the country at 92-93 percent, and our 75 percent rate for four-year graduates is again among the best in the country. Furthermore, our graduates make 22 percent more money than their peers over the duration of their careers. We have world-class researchers, award-winning instructors, and incredible students and staff. I am extremely proud of that.”

Student focused for the future

Dr. Kidwell said ACES strives to give students a 21^st century land grant university education, including a lot of engagement in the essential area of digital agriculture. For example, ACES’ Agricultural and Consumer Economics department has been the home of farmdoc for the past 20 years.

“farmdoc is the best example of digital extension programs in the country. It provides real-time information for growers on a daily basis to support their on-farm decision making,” she said.

Dr. Kidwell discussed Metropolitan Food and Environmental Systems, a new major that just “went live.” It is designed to bring people in urban areas into this area of study who don’t have an agricultural background. It is the first undergraduate program of its kind in the United States and focuses on all the components of the food system. “It covers analysis of every aspect from production through consumption,” said Dr. Kidwell. “Our intent is to break down the silos across disciplines. The major fosters decision-making across sectors, investigates food systems, and food resilience at regional, national and global levels. Food system resilience was an issue during the pandemic.”

Dr. Kidwell emphasized experiential learning is a cornerstone of the new major, as well as all ACES majors. The program’s graduates will drive innovation, as well as much-needed infrastructure and policy changes in food and agriculture.

A component of the major is supported through the Discovery Partners Institute in Chicago. A food systems institute this summer offers students food and agriculture immersion experiences through an internship with Griffith Foods, a food product development company in Alsip, Illinois. “The program is designed to help students build a bridge between what is happening in the classroom and the real world. Griffith Foods is our first partner in the initiative,” Dr. Kidwell said.

Up next at ACES

Back in Champaign-Urbana, Dr. Kidwell listed the many advantages of ACES corridor: great labs that provide ready access to high-tech and field research facilities, such as the 120 companies located in the University of Illinois Research Park. “This is where academia meets industry, and our students are able to work with these companies during their academic careers. It is our hope that campus discoveries transition to commercial reality through partnerships with companies in the Research Park,” she said.

Plans are under way to develop the next asset in the ACES corridor, the enhancement of the university’s arboretum. A master plan focuses on developing pathways and creating demonstration/teaching gardens, outdoor classrooms/gathering spaces, and hospitality facilities for events. The arboretum also will become the physical home of the University of Illinois Extension, which is now located in six different places on the campus, and for 4-H.

“Ideally, this would be a gathering place for people from across the state and nationally to come together to solve problems,” said Dr. Kidwell.

Research pushes forward

Dr. Kidwell related that research did not slow down during the pandemic. The new Center for Digital Agriculture, a collaboration between ACES and Grainger Engineering, bolsters the portfolio. The center involves interdisciplinary teams dedicated to feeding and supporting a growing global population. “It is a partnership with industry to solve real-world problems,” she said.

The center is based on four research themes that leverage the expertise of Grainger, ACES, and Illinois Extension. The themes include: automation; data analytics; crops and animals; and people in agriculture.

“It has been an absolute success and embraces two new majors that include computer science/crop science and computer science/animal science,” Dr. Kidwell explained.

Also in development is the AIFARMS Institute, which was funded by a $20 million grant from NIFA and NSF. The acronym stands for Artificial Intelligence for Future Agriculture Resilience, Management and Sustainability and brings together the University of Illinois, Tuskegee University, University of Chicago, Michigan State University, the USDA, Argonne, and the Danforth Plant Science Center. It is a four-acre farm site that features robots that can do such things as travel within a field to collect plant growth data or to identify weeds for site-directed spraying.

“The farm is a test bed to improve farm productivity, sustainability and profitability, as well as serving as an accelerator of opportunities in high-tech agriculture. A lot of research will come to life on this autonomous farm with so many talented people and institutions involved,” Dr. Kidwell said.

Can’t-miss projects

In place since 2012 is RIPE (Realized Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency), which received more than $83 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It is an international research project that is engineering crops to be more productive by improving the efficiency of photosynthesis. The aim of the project is to boost staple crops and produce more food.

Carbon also gets a big nod at ACES where they are developing commercial tools to measure farmland carbon credit. A $7.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy is funding the research. Under the leadership of Dr. Kaiyu Guan of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, this project integrates field work, satellite and airborne data and analyzes it with deep learning and super-computing to provide real-time estimates of carbon credit in individual fields across the United States. The goal is to incentivize farmers to adopt sustainable practices through carbon credits.

ACES also is involved in the Illinois Regenerative Agriculture (RA) Initiative, which was funded by Fresh Taste, a collaborative of Chicago-region foundations working to improve equity of access to good food. ACES and the Institute for Sustainability Energy and Environment (ISEE) on the Urbana-Champaign campus are partnering on this project to improve RA capacity at the university.

“There is a lot of farmer integration in this initiative that allows us to ground test sustainable practices in real-life scenarios,” said Dr. Kidwell. “This is another example of an effort in ACES that emphasizes the power of working with outside partners to find solutions to big problems facing agriculture.”

Written by the Chicago Farmers Editor Denise Faris

Land Values Have Positive Outlook

“Despite the tumultuous year that 2020 was due to the Covid-19 epidemic, farmland values in our Benchmark program have been resilient and overall highly stable,” said Andrew Weidner, certified real estate appraiser with Compeer Financial and guest speaker during The Chicago Farmers’ April 12 webinar. Compeer is a sponsor of The Chicago Farmers

He said that Compeer has approximately 4.6 million acres of farmland linked to its benchmark program. The properties include 19 farms in Illinois, 10 in Minnesota, and nine in Wisconsin, all of which are appraised on an annual basis.

Weidner, who is based in Compeer’s Sycamore office and covers northeastern Illinois, said that the last three year value trend for the farmland in the benchmark program shows less than a five percent value change during that period. In noting the trend, Weidner shared the following:

• A quality cropland, +1.2 percent
• B quality cropland, -2.3 percent
• C quality cropland, +4.1 percent
• Recreational land, +11.8 percent

Weidner said that recreational land typically tracks more in-line with the general economy as opposed to agricultural tracts, and the upward trend seems to be associated with buyers applying discretionary dollars to other areas in place of trips or other family-oriented things they would have done, had pandemic restrictions not been in place.

In discussing cropland quality, Weidner noted the importance of the soil’s productivity index (PI). For example, Class A land has excellent productivity and ranges between 133 and 147 PI. “In Northern Illinois, it is typical for A quality cropland to produce 185 bushels of corn per acre or more,” said Weidner. “The land has tremendous yield potential. We are very fortunate to live where we live because Illinois has a lot of highly productive soils. There is a high correlation between the price paid for land and its soil class and productivity.”

Class B, with a PI range of 117-132, has the potential to produce 150-185 bushels per acre, and Class C, with a PI range of 100-116, typically produces 120-150 bushels per acre, Weidner said.

The rates of return, measured as a capitalization rate, on the benchmark farms show:

• Class A averaged 2.07 percent with a range of 1.92 to 2.23 percent
• Class B averaged 2.25 percent with a range of 2.16 to 2.73 percent
• Class C averaged 2.50 percent with a range of 2.13 to 3.30 percent

In calculating this return, Weidner said that Compeer assumes that the property is professionally managed and that expense, along with insurance and general maintenance expenses, is included in the figuring.

Weidner also discussed the cash rent market. He noted that soil productivity, drainage, land access (e.g., good road frontage), topography, and field size are taken into consideration when setting prices. For the 2020 year, cash rent in Illinois for cropland A averaged $309 per acre, with a range of $255 per acre to $345 per acre; cropland B averaged $283 per acre, with a range of $230 per acre to $328 per acre; and cropland C averaged $248 per acre, with a range of $215 to $282 per acre.

In Wisconsin, the average cash rent was $211 per acre, with a wide range of $100 to $300 per acre.  Similarly, in Central Minnesota the average cash rent was $213 per acre, with a range of $195 to $230; Southern Minnesota reflected those rates, averaging $235 per acre with a range of $215 to $250 per acre.

Generally speaking, Covid-19 had no effect on land values.  This can be partially attributed to the fact that the Midwest was already late into the heaviest sale season when restrictions began to be put into place in March, observed Weidner.

He did note that the auction format shifted dramatically to online auctions during Covid. Weidner referenced a comparison for the number of online auctions relative to “in-person” auctions throughout the year.  Generally speaking, it appeared that there was a slight premium paid for those auctions in an in-person format as opposed to the online format.  “I think that much of the differences in prices have to do with people’s familiarity and agility with technology,” remarked Weidner.

Regarding the future, Weidner said that many individual investors and investment groups have been reinvesting their stock market gains in farms and he believes that trend will continue. Operators also are in a better position now regarding liquidity and cash flow as a result of the continuation of emergency government funds due to Covid-19. Additionally, the Federal Reserve remains committed to keeping interest rates low. “We are beginning to see a surge in land values across Illinois,” Weidner said.

Weidner drew comparisons of recent farm sales in the DeKalb County market that indicated similar and significant changes in value from late 2020 to early 2021.  “Land values have responded in dramatic fashion given the increase in corn and soybean prices over the past six months.” Weidner said.  In some locations, recent land sales are being recorded at levels not exhibited since 2014.  The optimism surrounding agriculture right now is widespread with 2021 poised to be one of the most profitable in years for both operators and landowners.

Weidner spoke on green energy and related that Facebook intends to build an $810 million data center in DeKalb and recently purchased 502.14 acres.  The company touted the site for its accessibility to green energy due to its proximity to a wide swath of wind turbine farms operating in the area, its location to the interstate, and the potential workforce from Northern Illinois University.

In discussing wind turbines, Weidner said that initial leases for the wind turbines are typically 25 years in length, with the intention to extend the lease beyond the 25 years. He said there is often an increase in the operational fee that either tracks inflation or has a set percentage increase over the term of the lease.  Lease payments are often paid annually. He added that the newer turbines have higher contract leases because they are more productive and up to date.

In discussing green energy, Weidner spoke of a proposed 5,000 acre solar farm in Lee County, Illinois that will provide electricity for 116,000 farms and produce 600 megawatts. In contrast, a single wind turbine produces approximately 1.5 megawatts, Weidner said. “Interest in solar energy is steadily increasing, but currently there is limited information on it,” he added.

Weidner encouraged webinar attendees who are looking at farmland to contact Compeer’s financial offices to take advantage of its Farmland Finder program, which is free. He said it offers helpful information about farms such as the overall quality of the parcel including the soil’s productivity rating, topography maps, regional cash rent information, and even groups the 10 farmland sales closest to the property in question.

In response to a question from a webinar audience member, Weidner said the benchmark data were completed as of July 1, 2020, and new data will be completed this July. He said it is widely expected that there will be an increase in land values across Illinois for the benchmark farms.

For appraisal requests, Weidner may be reached at [email protected], (815) 751-0427 (cell) or (815) 756-3440 (office).

Written by The Chicago Farmers Editor, Denise Faris

The Chicago Farmers Argentina Study Tour 2020

Twenty-two Chicago Farmers members and guests arrived at Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the morning of February 9, 2020.  The group was greeted by Gustavo and Alejandra Miroglio, our Argentinean hosts for the following two days. We boarded two comfortable "combies" (coaches) and departed for San Andres de Giles, about two hours northwest of Buenos Aires.  

After checking-in to the Hotel Bianchi, we had lunch at the hotel’s restaurant and took a break to recover from the 10.5-hour overnight flight, before leaving for the Miroglio's home for our first Argentinean asado (cookout) that evening. Gustavo, Alejandra, their children and their families showered our group with their warm and generous hospitality. After a delicious asado, Gustavo gave us an overview of his farming operation and of the heavily taxed agroindustry in Argentina. Our group had ample opportunity for Q&A with Gustavo.  

Early Monday morning our busses took us to the Miroglio farm, where we saw first-hand the amazing operation the Miroglios run, growing wheat, corn and soybeans on 20,000 acres, and raising 3.5 million chickens a year. Most of their grain is processed on the farm for feed for the poultry enterprise. 

Next on the schedule for the day was a bus tour of the Santa Catalina feed lot, neighboring the Miroglio's farm.  A 10,000 head family-run facility takes grass-fed feeder calves and finishes them on mostly grain. They sell the beef locally and to Buenos Aires province.

Early in the afternoon we all enjoyed a delicious meal at a local Italian restaurant, we thanked and bid farewell to our wonderful hosts, familia Miroglio.

We arrived in Rosario, our next stop, around 7 pm.  A major river port and one of the largest cities in Argentina, Rosario, Santa Fe province, sits on the western bank of the Parana River, about 180 miles northwest of Buenos Aires. Worth mentioning, Hotel Puerto Norte, where we stayed, is a beautiful, wonderfully comfortable hotel ingeniously and tastefully built within a repurposed grain elevator located at a bend alongside of the Parana River.

On Tuesday, February 11, we visited the family owned Bertini planter factory. It was founded by Ing. Enrique Bertini senior, who in 40+ years turned this once garage-size one-man-dream into one of the most solid precision-planter factories in Argentina. With 120 employees, the factory produces their machines from design to final product practically without outsourcing. It has a product design and development department, an assembly sector with cutting-edge technology such as laser cutting and robotic processes, and an electrostatic painting department. Recently it added a shed of 22,000 m² to optimize the logistics. The Bertini planters are sold throughout Argentina as well as in Chile, Uruguay, Bolivia, Belgium, Italy, Spain, England, Finland, Romania and France.  Once more, the warm Argentinean hospitality was at its best as, Ing. Bertini, his wife Mercedes, son Enrique and daughter Vanina fed us a wonderful asado prepared right there at the factory.

In the early evening we attended an interesting presentation on the Grain Market in Argentina by Patricia Bergero and Emilce Terré, Economists from the Rosario Board of Trade. Their talk confirmed the picture presented by Gustavo Miroglio regarding the heavy taxation on the Argentinean farmers. Considering all taxes paid, including income, value added, property taxes etc., the resulting tax rate amounts to 83%.

Our visit to Rosario was cut short due to a change of our flight to Mendoza. Early Wednesday morning, February 12, we boarded our flight to Mendoza, via Buenos Aires, instead of taking a river tour of the Port of Rosario. But the long two-leg trip was soon forgotten when we arrived in the beautiful city of Mendoza. We began our stay with a visit to the Antigua Bodega Giol and mansion. Formerly touted as the largest winery in the world in the early 1900s, Bodega Giol boasts a unique and fascinating history that comprises it all, even—as legend has it—champion bull blood in the Giol wines. The tour included a light lunch and our first wine tasting.

We enjoyed a City Tour of Mendoza on the way to our Hotel Montañas Azules. The city of Mendoza is located on the plain east of the Andes mountain range. Founded in 1561, it grew to be a cosmopolitan city due to the large number of Italian and Spanish immigrants who settled there in the 1800s-1900s. Two of the main industries of the Mendoza area are wine and olive oil. The region around Greater Mendoza is the largest wine-producing area in South America. As such, Mendoza is one of the nine Great Wine Capitals of the world, and the city is an emerging tourism destination and base for exploring the region's hundreds of wineries located along the Argentina Wine Route. 

After checking into our hotel, located in the business district of the city, we had enough time to go shopping or just for a walk before dinner.  The group, minus a few, went to La Lucia restaurant, a walking distance from the hotel, and enjoyed a wonderful dinner and some of the great Argentinean wines.

On Thursday, we boarded our bus and left for Lujan de Cuyo for our tour and wine tasting at Catena Zapata Vineyard and Winery. Arriving at our destination, we were surprised at the large Mayan-pyramid style building in front of us. An Italian immigrant planted his first vineyard here in the Mendoza region in 1902. The winery has remained in the Catena family for over a century and is one of the few family-owned wine industries remaining in Argentinean hands. Now in its fourth generation, the family takes great pride in carrying on the tradition that began over a century ago. We enjoyed a very interesting, guided walk through the main barrel room, the bodega, and an educational tour of the vineyard. The tasting consisted of four high-end wines: Catena Alta Chardonnay, Catena Alta Malbec, D.V. Catena Vineyard Designated La Pirámide Cabernet Sauvignon and D.V. Catena Vineyard Designated Nicasia Malbec. All were excellent, unfortunately none are sold in the United States.

At noon we headed to Bodega Norton Winery, Perdriel location. A beautifully presented, very tasty and abundant lunch carefully paired with the various dishes was served for our group at the Norton’s Restaurante La Vid.

After lunch we proceeded to the guided tour and tasting. Bodega Norton has five vineyards spread over the main terroirs* of the province of Mendoza, in foothills of the Andes Mountains. It is not just geographical location that influences the quality of their wines, but the age of the vines. Their vines average age is around 30 years, but they also have many hectares planted  that are more than 80 years old.  Our tour was at Perdriel, the original Norton property, where the winery is located. With a hundred years of continuous cultivation, it consists of 100 hectares almost entirely planted 950 meters above sea level, with vines aged between 30 and 50 years old, which produce aromatic and concentrated white and red grapes, perfect for making powerful and elegant high-end wines. It excels in the Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec varieties.

*Terroirs: the combination of factors including soil, climate, and sunlight that gives wine grapes their distinctive character.

To end our tour and tasting, we were directed to the Cova where we were given the opportunity to make our own blend by combining varietals and discovering aromas, textures and complexity. We even designed our own label! All had a good time and went home with three or four bottles of our own wines to enjoy at our next group dinner.

On Friday, February 14, our bus took us to Maipu, Familia Zucccardi. This was a bicycle or “back-of-the -pickup” tour of the olive orchard, the processing plant, and an olive oil tasting.

Eighty hectares of olive trees are cultivated at Finca Maipú under an organic production system. The cultivation of an extensive varietal collection of more than 90 varieties of olive trees from different parts of the world allows them to research how well each of these varieties adapt to the region, allowing them to obtain quality oils with different profiles and flavors. Extra virgin olive oil is a natural food that we consume in the same original form as it is produced in the olive tree, with all its qualities, aromas and flavors, which is why it is considered an oily juice of olives. Preserving all these natural qualities and attributes requires careful handling at each of the stages of the production process, which consist of harvesting, transportation and washing, grinding and natural separation at low temperatures, ending with filtration and storage.  At the olive oil tasting we tasted Changlot (delicate and complex), Picual (aromatic and fresh), Corantina (intense and herbal) and Arauco, extra virgin (fresh y fruity).

The tour ended with a magnificent meal at La Casa del Visitante, Bodega Santa Julia, perfectly situated so that guests can take in the scenery of the vineyards and the mountains. The menu was a combination of traditional dishes with perfectly paired Santa Julia wines and varietal olive oils from Familia Zuccardi.

On our return to Mendoza, we stopped for a visit with the Corporación Vitivinicola Argentina, (COVIAR), the Argentine Wine Corporation, a public-private entity, like our corn and soybean associations in the US. They work to promote Argentinean wine, concentrated grape juice, raisins and table grapes on the domestic and world markets. Worth mentioning is the work that COVIAR is doing in the development of small grape producers to integrate them into the wine and concentrated grape juice business. Another interesting bit of information we learned at this visit was that in 2014, small producers across Argentina came out with a special and unique blend of wine, Todos, to be used by Pope Francisco in the celebration of mass.  Pope Francisco is Argentinean. In the evening, the group enjoyed a relaxed late dinner at Anna Bistró Restaurante, Cuyano- Mediterranean cuisine, a treat by Eric and Maria to celebrate Valentine’s Day and Eric's birthday!

On Saturday morning we flew back to Buenos Aires to spend our last two days in the Capital of Argentina.  Our bus took us from the airport to the Claridge Hotel and after checking in, we went to Puerto Madero for lunch.  Puerto Madero is a revamped dockside area. Its converted redbrick buildings contain upscale steakhouses and trails that loop around several lakes at the wildlife rich Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve.

The group scattered in different directions after lunch for a free afternoon in the city.  We met back at the hotel at 6:30 to board the bus that took us to Las Barracas for dinner and to a tango show at Señor Tango. Buenos Aires is widely recognized as the birthplace of tango dancing, so no visit to Argentina’s capital would be complete without watching a tango show. Señor Tango is a spectacular Broadway style show, the biggest in town, with large-scale sets, a live orchestra, professional dancers and outstanding performances that include horses, visual effects, and the latest generation technology.

Sunday morning was free to relax or to explore the surrounding area, attend a service, or finish shopping for souvenirs. After lunch we met at the hotel lobby and boarded our bus to take a three-hour tour of the city including Plaza Naciones Unidas, Barrio Palermo, Plaza Evita, Avenida Alvear, Recoleta Cemetery, Evita’s Tomb, Barrio El Retiro, Teatro Colon, Casa Rosada, Plaza de Mayo, Barrios San Telmo, La Boca, y Caminito. Then bidding farewell to Argentina our tour bus left us at Ezeiza Airport for our return flight home at 9 that evening.

We are thankful we made it back home just ahead of COVID-19, which could have really put a damper on an otherwise great trip.

Maria and I would like to say how much we enjoyed traveling with the Chicago Farmers group. You are a naturally curious group, and you value traveling, not just for its entertainment value, but as an opportunity to expand your knowledge of the world and its peoples. Thank you, all.

Barbara Clark receives 2020 Plowman award

Chicago Farmers Past President Barbara Clark was named the 2020 Plowman of the Year during TCF’s virtual December 7^th meeting. Barbara served two terms as TCF president and was a member of the Board of Directors for 10 years.

In presenting the award to Barbara, current President Alan Gunn said, “Barbara spent her tenure creating stronger processes for the organization, including developing our Scholarship Fund efforts. She truly left our association better than it was before her time, and we are forever grateful to her for that. As someone who served on the Chicago Farmer’s Board of Directors during her tenure as president, I remember her as a strong leader who made serving on the board a pleasure.  For your legacy and contributions, Barbara, it is our great honor to present you with the 2020 Plowman of the Year Award.”

As she accepted the award, Barbara thanked Alan for his kind words and noted, “It has been my pleasure and honor to serve The Chicago Farmers. I cherish the friendships I have made as a member of this group.”

Two Chicago Farmers members cited by their professional organizations

Chicago Farmers members Ray Brownfield’s and Jason J. Lestina’s expertise in land management recently garnered them well deserved recognition from their professional field. Both men are with Land Pro LLC in Oswego, Illinois.

Ray Brownfield, ALC Receives the Realtors® Land Institute's Most Esteemed 2019 RLI Leadership Award

Ray, an accredited farm manager and accredited land consultant (ALC) with Land Pro, received the 2019 Robert C. Meeks, ALC, Distinguished Service Award as part of Realtors Land Institute’s (RLI) Leadership Awards Program, according to a Land Pro news release. Named for dedicated, long-time ALC Robert C. Meeks, the award is presented to an ALC in recognition of their long-term commitment and service to fellow members, the land profession and the community.

Ray received the award during RLI’s Virtual National Land Conference (NLC20) on March 30 with land professionals from throughout the United States watching online. The presentation was made by 2020 National President Kyle Hansen, ALC, and RLI CEO Aubrie Kobernus, MBA, RCE. Four additional RLI members also received awards through the esteemed Realtors Institute Leadership Awards Program, the press release noted. All award recipients are nominated and selected by their peers.

“To receive this award from my peers is a humbling honor. It came as a complete surprise from RLI, whose professional members all distinguish themselves every day by providing the highest level of service to their clients,” said Ray upon receiving the award.

Aubrie Kobemus added, “The RLI Leadership Awards recognize the land professionals most dedicated to serving our organization and our industry. They are truly the best of the best in the business as proven by their service and contributions, and we could not be more proud to have them as a part of RLI.”

Jason J. Lestina  Receives the Realtors® Land Institute's Prestigious Accredited Land Consultant (ALC) Designation

The press release also related that the RLI announced that Jason, a licensed real estate broker and Accredited Farm Manager with Land Pro, received the Accredited Land Consultant designation on March 30. According to the release, “Jason is now among the most dedicated land professionals from around the globe, joining an elite group of over 500 land specialists who hold the designation across the globe, and one of 18 individuals in the United States that hold both the Accredited Land Consultant and the Accredited Farm Manager designations.”

Jason said, “I am honored to have received the ALC designation from the institute. I look forward to utilizing the knowledge and expertise I obtained to better assist my clients with their land real estate needs.”

The release noted that in addition to subscribing to the Realtors Code of Ethics, ALCs support the high standards of conduct and experience that directly relate to their specialty. As an ALC, Jason has access to the best industry knowledge, an unprecedented network of fellow land professionals, and a variety of resources to help best serve his clients.

Through RLI’s Land University (LANDU), Jason will gain expertise through an unparalleled land real estate education program that offers top-notch educational courses and webinars for land professionals, according to the release. The release noted that land is a unique real estate specialty that requires the kind of specialized professional education that can be found at RLI’s LANDU.

Tillable Shares the 3-Part Formula for Farmland Management: Technology, Process, Relationships

Good farmland management is based on three related components: data-forward processes, strong relationships, and the right technology.

Excellent farmland management isn’t the result of guesswork and luck—staying on top of farmland maintenance requires strong organizational skills. You can develop these competencies over time, but as a general rule, you should pay attention to your farmland property with the same respect and commitment that you’d apply to any other asset. After all, for many landowners, their farmland is the most valuable asset they own.

To do this, you’ll need to adopt data-driven processes, leverage technology and develop strong relationships to ensure that you and your farmer meet your goals next season and in the long-term. Here’s how to address these three pillars in your own operation:

1. Establish data-driven processes for your farmland operation

When you’re looking to clean up your farmland management practices, the first step is to carefully examine the processes you already have in place.

Ask yourself how you expect to receive your rental payments and how you’ll decide whether or not to renew your current tenant’s lease. It’s important to think about how your farmer is doing and to keep tabs on your soil’s health.

Once you’ve opened up the hood on your operations machine:

1. Decide what data is necessary. Look at the data you have on hand. Does it answer your questions? If not, you’ll need to identify and seek out other sources of information, whether through soil analysis or adopting new data collection practices in the season ahead.
2. Set benchmarks. Using the data you have, analyze the current state of your farmland’s health and productivity. This is the basis on which you’ll set your goals.
3. Establish goals. Decide where you’d like to see changes or improvements. Be sure to include a timeline, as change won’t necessarily happen overnight or even in one growing season.

This self-assessment is the first step in revamping your farmland operations, and it’s okay if you discover that you need more information. After all, there are more sources for farmland data available than ever before, which brings us to the second pillar.

2. Pay attention to your evolving technology and data needs

Technology is the number one tool for farmland management. Precision agriculture tools are widely available, and the data they generate can be an invaluable resource. Farmers today rely on this software to analyze the results of their operations, and this information is equally valuable to landowners.

If you’re working with farmers who use precision agriculture equipment but you’re not asking them to share the data these tools generate, you’re missing a major opportunity. It’s simple to print out a report, and if you know you plan to incorporate this data into your annual analysis, be sure to include data delivery practices in your next farmland rental agreement.

It’s also important to make sure you’re maintaining digital records of your farmland rental agreements and storing your records in an organized way. This can be as simple as establishing a naming convention for your digital files and entering data points into an Excel spreadsheet.

There are new digital farmland management options on the market, and if you’re looking for a user-friendly platform, try using Tillable’s to set up your next Hassle-Free Lease and track your farm’s data.

3. Build a strong relationship with your farmer

Although this is the third element in the formula for farmland management, it goes hand-in-hand with the first. You can make all the plans you want for your property, but unless you have a strong relationship with your farmer, you’re unlikely to meet your goals.

When you start to consider what your farmland management practices are and how you can improve them, don’t stop at asking yourself what your goals for the farm are. Reach out to your farmer and find out what they’re hoping to achieve in the next growing season and beyond.

As part of this conversation, you may identify that you need to start using new or different technology to get the right data to measure your farm’s progress. If they don’t want to share data with you, it may be time to start thinking about changing farmland tenants.

Your farmer will appreciate your investment in their stewardship of your land, and you’ll set yourself up for a committed relationship that supports executing a long-term plan for farmland success. It’s key that you develop a relationship built on loyalty and trust.

Strong communication around the outcomes you hope to achieve will help you both meet your goals for sustainability and profitability.

Use data to meet your goals for your farmland operation

There’s a vast amount of information available on the internet today aimed at helping farmland owners figure out how to improve their operations. By leveraging new technologies and agtech improvements, you can independently improve your farmland management skills and grow your knowledge base.

But this new information can be difficult to get a handle on and farmland management can be a lot of work. We understand that for some landowners it can feel overwhelming.

Tillable can help you find the right tenants and establish organized data practices to take care of your farm into the future without taking you out of the loop. If you’d like to learn more about how you can leverage data to meet your goals for the next growing season, reach out today to get the tools you need.

For more information, please visit https://tillable.com/the-3-part-formula-for-farmland-management-technology-process-relationships/

2019-2020 Sponsor Spotlight: American Farmland Trust

American Farmland Trust is a gold level sponsor of The Chicago Farmers and Michael Happ, gave attendees at the January 13, 2020, meeting a brief overview of the group. Happ is director of development, Midwest, for American Farmland Trust (AFT), which advocates for farming.

AFT is an early advocate of agricultural conservation and strives to ensure that the country’s farmland is not lost to poor community planning and harmful farming practices, said Happ.

“In the last 20 years, the United States has lost an amount of farmland that is equivalent to the state of Iowa,” said Happ. “If continued, this pattern will jeopardize our country’s ability to feed its growing population.”

Happ said that AFT is helping communities grow strategically so that farmland is not decimated. At the same time, AFT directly works with farmers to guide them in initiating healthy farming practices. “We are available to give them the resources they need to succeed in maintaining healthy soil” he related.

Happ also noted that the farming population is aging with the average age of the American farmer being over 58-years-old and 40 percent of this group 65-years-old or more.

“We are involved with young farmers and provide them with resources that help the young farmer early in their careers and erase barriers. Our goal is to give young farmers a smooth transition into farming,” Happ shared.

Happ related that AFT has begun a five-year fundraising campaign for farmland protection and gifts and pledges of all sizes are both necessary and appreciated.

“We are a non-profit group so monetary donations are a great help,” said Happ. “Look into our programming offerings and take advantage of them. Also, if you have young farmers in your family or community who could benefit from more resources, please put them in touch with us.”

Happ may be contacted at [email protected].

Inland Sponsor Spotlight

Dan Wagner, of the Inland Real Estate Group, LLC, a Platinum Sponsor of TCF, from left, Aubrey Kobernus, of Realtor Land Institute, Clayton Harris III, executive director of the Illinois International Port District, and Barbara Clark, past TCF president.

The Inland Real Estate Group, LLC is the newest Chicago Farmers’ Platinum Sponsor. During the November 18, 2019, TCF meeting, Dan Wagner, Senior Vice President, Government Relations, provided a brief overview of the firm, which has offices in Oak Brook, Chicago, and Atlanta, Georgia.

Dan explained that the group was founded 52 years ago by four Chicago public school teachers. Over the years it has purchased $47 billion in commercial real estate. In his discussion he focused on the Delaware statutory trust (DST) structure that is used in Section 1031 exchanges. Inland Private Capital Corporation’s counsel worked with the Internal Revenue Service to educate them on the DST structure and Revenue Ruling 2004-86 was issued as a result of the collaboration. Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code can provide a strategy for deferring capital gains tax that may arise from the sale of a business or investment real property.

With a DST, a person could own farmland, an apartment building or another kind of rental property, sell it and then enter into a Section 1031 like-kind real estate exchange through a fractional ownership of a large condominium complex, for example.

The DST structure allows the investor to continue to exchange real properties until the investor’s death. Upon the death of the investor, the heirs may receive a “step-up” in basis to avoid initial capital gains tax.

“I have just skimmed the surface of the 1031 Delaware Statutory Trust, but I would be happy to discuss it at length with anyone,” said Dan.

For more information go to these websites:

• Leader in Private Placements brochure, which is basically a company overview – http://go.inland-investments.com/IPCC-Corporate-Overview
• Utilizing DSTs in a 1031 Exchange brochure, which covers DSTs and how they are used in 1031 exchanges – http://go.inland-investments.com/IPCC-DSTS-1031-Exchange-Brochure

TCF’s annual election names 2019-2020 officers and directors

Among the officers and directors for the 2019-2020 year are, standing, from left, Barbara Clark, past president; Jennifer Filipiak, director; David Oppedahl, director; Jamie Cox, director; and Sarah Heck, director. Seated are Andy Holstine, vice president, left, and Alan Gunn, treasurer, right.

Election of officers and directors was held during The Chicago Farmers’ annual meeting on May 13, 2019 at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Officers for the 2019-2020 year are Mark Thorndyke, president; Andrew Holstine, vice-president; Barbara Clark, past president; Kay Whitlock, secretary; and Alan Gunn, treasurer.

The directors are:

Serving the first year of first two-year term:

• Jami Cox
• Jennifer Filipiak
• David Oppedahl

Serving the second year of first two-year term:

• Sarah Heck
• Ryan Tracy

Serving the second year of second two year term:

• Landon Frye

Martin family builds on its stewardship of the land

Chicago Farmers Member and past president Jeff Martin has long been an advocate of planting techniques that contribute to soil health. His sons, Derek and Doug, are following suit. This excerpt from a recent article posted on the AgWeb, which was written by Chris Bennett, Farm Journal Technology and Issues editor, gives one an idea of Derek Martin’s and his family’s commitment to sustainability, decreased erosion, healthy soil, and increased yields.

Derek Martin steps off a tractor and walks across rich, black soil teeming with life. He moves out of the field and passes between machine shed doors, pulls up a stool beside a vat filled with a biological brew, and peers into the lens tube of a microscope. With the conviction of a soil health evangelist, Martin, alongside his brother, Doug, and father, Jeff, has transformed a 6,000-acre operation from an input-guzzling leviathan to a profit-per-acre force: “Over the last 100 years our soils have been fed a strict, constant diet of NPK. That’s like a human eating a Big Mac over and over and expecting to be healthy.”

To learn more, go to https://www.agweb.com/article/illinois-farmer-paves-road-to-profit-with-soil-health/

Denise Faris, Chicago Farmers Editor

Colleen Callahan named director of natural resources

Colleen Callahan, Chicago Farmers’ member and past TCF president, was named director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources by Governor J.B. Pritzker. Callahan was president of The Chicago Farmers from 2008-2010. 

“I appreciate the opportunity to work again in public service.  It’s exciting to be a part of working together to help bring change to people and places,” said Callahan.

According to the PrairieFarmer website, Callahan spent 32 years as a Peoria-area farm broadcaster and served as Illinois director of Rural Development during the Obama administration from 2009 to 2016. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is staffed by more than 1,000 people, and it oversees 35,000 acres of DNR-owned farmland. DNR is responsible for state parks, fishing and game law enforcement, coal mine regulations and research into soil, water and minerals.

The PrairieFarmer also noted that Callahan co-chaired Pritzker’s Agricultural and Rural Development transition team with John Sullivan, who was appointed director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

Callahan told the PrairieFarmer that when she returned a recent phone call from the governor he answered right away and said, “You called me governor. I’d like to call you Madam Secretary. I’d like to ask you to lead our Department of Natural Resources.” Callahan said, “I accepted.”

The PrairieFarmer website went on to say that Callahan said her first mission on the job will be to ask questions and learn all she can about a department that has, much like the Agriculture Department, been underfunded and suffered a loss of employees. 

According to Callahan’s website, she grew up on a purebred Hampshire hog, Angus cattle and grain farm near Milford, Illinois. While attending Milford High School she took agricultural classes, but was not permitted to be a member of the National FFA Organization because women were not admitted into FFA until after her high school graduation. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications from the University of Illinois, Colleen became the first woman Agribusiness Director for WMBD Radio and TV in Peoria. After 30 years there, Colleen started her own communications firm. She continued farm broadcasting at WGFA Radio in Watseka, IL, until April, 2010.

This farm reaches new heights

Two stories above the intersection of Devon and Glenwood Avenues in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood on the North Side and above first floor Uncommon Ground restaurant sits the first certified organic rooftop farm.

This unique farm was the site of The Chicago Farmers’ 2018 Summer/Fall Program. The September 22^nd date was perfect for a day on this organic farm. Blue skies and moderate temperatures contributed to a fun and educational experience for TCF’s group. Coincidentally, the morning of our visit, the rooftop organic farm had undergone its annual audit by the Midwestern Organic Services Association (MOSA).

Created by Uncommon Ground restaurant owners Michael and Helen Cameron, the 10-year-old rooftop farm is an extension of the couple’s commitment to care for the environment and to provide their restaurant patrons with chemical-free food that is locally sourced. The rooftop organic farm, built on a floating deck, boasts 150 varieties of 70 crops and has 700 square feet of tillable soil. “It is a productive little area,” said Helen Cameron.

Before climbing a couple of flights of stairs to the rooftop, we visited the restaurant’s patio area, which is shielded from busy Devon Avenue by a tall wooden fence that serves as a backdrop for planters that surround the patio’s perimeter and are filled with organic herbs and vegetables, all of which make their way into the restaurant’s kitchen. Concord grape vines twist around overhead trellises. The grapes are harvested and are incorporated into cocktails, jellies, and syrups. This fall, Helen said, the menu will offer peanut butter and jelly French toast, which is complemented by grape syrup made from the grapes on site. Red and black currant bushes also grow around the patio. The black currants will be used in the making of Kolsch beer by Uncommon Ground’s Greenstar Organic Brewery that is housed in Wrigleyville with another Uncommon Ground restaurant, said Helen. “We surround our patrons with growing food,” said Helen.

As we made our way to the staircase, Helen pointed out the hops growing on vines that cover the restaurant’s brick wall. The hops too are organic and are sent to Greenstar. The brewery’s craft beer is available at the restaurants. A quick climb up a couple of flights of stairs took us away from the city sounds and sights to the roof, although a traffic light and the top stories of apartment buildings can be seen beyond the roof and reminds you of your location. Keeping in mind Uncommon Ground’s focus on conservation and care of the environment, Helen pointed out three solar panels that occupy a section of the rooftop and noted that the farm’s deck is made of recycled, reclaimed decking material.

Helen introduced Allison Glovak-Webb, the city agricultural spot’s farm director. “Allison is in charge of keeping the place beautiful,” said Helen.

Allison pointed out the garden beds that fill the deck and explained they were 10 feet by four feet with one foot of soil depth. They are watered via a drip irrigation system that comes from below and rests atop the beds, releasing a slow drip of water. Watering of the plants occurs twice a day for 20 minutes in peak season, said Allison. These beds produce about two pounds per square foot of growing area. There also are Earth boxes that are two feet by one foot planters that sit at the ends of each bed. They are watered from below via a water reservoir that is filled by hand from above. The Earth boxes provide about four pounds per square feet of produce.

Allison went on to say that the planters are amended annually with Purple Cow organic compost. Initially, Happy Frog soil was used to fill the beds, but it is no longer organically approved. Currently, if soil has to be added to the beds, Allison uses Sunshine Advanced #4.

Plants such as carrots, basil, squash, parsley, peppers, leeks, and edible flowers fill the densely packed beds and vines of beans grow on rope trellises that run along the length of the beds. The rooftop farm and the downstairs patio produce about 1,500 pounds of produce per year, said Helen. In the peak season, the two growing areas produce 10-20 percent of the restaurant’s produce. Annually, they produce two to three percent. Local suppliers supplement the restaurant’s other needs. Grassfed beef, pork, and chicken are sourced from Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

“No one else was doing this when we started the rooftop farm so there was not a prototype,” Helen said. “We developed a system that works. We need to be sure that it is a cost effective venture and we want to be an example. It was important to determine how to do this without chemicals. We figured out the puzzle to make it work and we hired a great farm director, Allison. We selected the crops we like the best and that add a lot of value. We are able to manage the cost of input and the labor. We also have an organic garden on a smaller scale at our Wrigleyville site.”

Helen’s one regret is that they are not able to compost the debris from the farm because they are in the city and composting is not allowed. The debris is hauled away, but it is costly to have it returned as compost to Uncommon Ground.

Allison noted that all of the plants are grown from seed; some are planted directly into the planters and others are started in a grow room in the restaurant’s basement. “Most of our summer crops, such as tomatoes and peppers, are started downstairs,” said Allison. “We source our seeds from several catalogues. Among all these catalogues we have more than 3,000 varieties of tomatoes from which to choose. As a result, our organic farm has a large variety of tomatoes.”

Allison said that she is able to harvest winter vegetables into the first week of December, weather permitting. When the rooftop plants are finished for the winter, Allison said that hairy vetch is used as a cover crop because it pulls nitrogen from the air and deposits it into the soil. It is a vining plant that helps to hold the soil in the beds. In the spring the vetch is chopped up and turned over into the soil.

Helen noted that Allison has interns who work with her during the summer on the rooftop and patio crops. At the end of their time at Uncommon Ground they complete a summer project. “The young people are learning about growing and harvesting,” said Helen. “We are growing people who can grow food.”

We ended our visit with a sampling of appetizers available at the restaurant. It was the perfect ending to our day on the rooftop farm.

2018 Study Tour Provides an Enjoyable Education on Norway

By Jim and Jeff Ward

Our group of 31, the largest study group in Chicago Farmers’ touring history, arrived in Oslo, Norway, on June 10th and began a busy week of gaining an appreciation of a nation filled with a variety of terrain and crops. Our first day after the overnight flight was spent on a tour of the city and arriving at our hotel, which had a ski jump on its spacious grounds.

Oslo, the capital city, occupies an arc of land at the end of the “Oslo Fjord,” has 670,000 residents, and has access to visiting cruise ships from all over the world. The king has his own private farm located within the city limits.

On day two, we embarked on a Monday morning tour that took us to the Viking Ship Museum and the Norwegian Folk Museum. The Museum provided a walking tour of typical historic dwellings and a stave-church. A special exhibit of Norwegian knitted mittens delighted my (Jim) granddaughter, Caryn Lantz.

Our Oslo Hotel	Viking Ship	Caryn and Mitten Exhibit

The group’s bus traveled along Mjosa Lake, the largest lake in Norway, to the Hoel  farm near the small town of Nes for lunch and a tour. Relics indicate the farm’s lakeside land has been cultivated since 300 AD.  After being operated by the church, it has been privately owned since 1679.  It now raises 200,000 chickens each year. Of interest is that 98 percent of the feed is locally produced and potatoes are processed for the protein component; no antibiotics are used.

Our host gave us an overview of farming in Norway.  Only three percent of all land is deemed agricultural.  The largest grain crops are barley, rye, and oats.  These are used to supplement potatoes and hay for feeding livestock. Farmers also use mini-round bales (three feet by three feet) for the many small hay fields.  They weigh about 70-90 pounds and are “unfurled” for feeding.  Smaller utility tractors (20 horsepower or less) can be used for baling on the steep terrain and between rows of other plantings such as apple trees.  Plastic wraps prevent spoilage and eliminate need for storage barns.   In Norway, the number of larger farms has increased, just as it has in the US.  However, the average size of a farm in Norway is 124 acres of arable land.  Norway has a complex system of subsidized pricing of grain and poultry through the Ministry of Agriculture. Norway is not in the EU; it is a member of the European Economic Area (EEA) since it was a founding member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).

Host Explaining His Farming Operation	Chicken Barn	Barn Exterior

The group arrived in Lillehammer, the site of the 1994 Winter Olympics, for the night.  We heard of the economic impact that the games provided to Norway as a country and the local area.  The village of 30,000 was packed during the ’94 event and likely resembled the impact on Lake Placid, New York, during the 1980 Olympics.  A number of the facilities have been repurposed for community and educational purposes.

We started our third day with a visit to the ski jumping hills that can now be used year-round due to artificial snow surface. The next stop was the nearby Mailhaugen Farm Museum. Guides described farming practices of the 1800s and early 1900s, and our group toured buildings and saw equipment used for irrigation, threshing, grain storage and livestock.

Olympic Ski Jumping Hill at Lillehammer	Sod Roofed Barn at Mailhaugen Farm Museum	Mailhaugen Farm Museum

The bus then lumbered up a mountain road to the Brimi Soeter farm near Randen for lunch and fiddle music. The farm, located on a high mountain plateau, had livestock that included pigs, cattle, and turkeys.  The farmhouse’s basement also served as a cheese curing location.

Mountain Farm	Grazing Slope	Cheese Storage

The day ended with a short ride to the town of Lom and the Fossheim Hotel.  Besides the nearby Jotunheimen National Park, the small town is noted for one of the largest remaining stave churches. 

Stave Church at Lom	Skiers at the Top of the Mountain Pass	Waterfall Seen on Flam Train Ride

During our fourth day, bus driver Jon Janson demonstrated his skills on the morning drive from Lom to the highest mountain range in central Norway on a road that is normally closed from November to May due to snow.  A brief stop at the top of the mountain pass allowed the group to see the still snow-covered peaks with cross country skiers venturing out onto trails between lakes.

The bus traveled on a historic western route towards the Hardanger fjord with one ferry crossing to arrive at Flam.  The afternoon was spent on the Flamsbanen train ride up to Myrdal and back again with a stop at its famous waterfall.  The group spent the night at the classic Brakanes Hotel located on the banks of the Hardanger fjord in Ulvik.

On the fifth day, we traveled from Ulvik farther up the Hardanger fjord to a (salmon) fish farm.  Following a salmon lunch, the group heard about the fish farming industry, which is a more modern Norwegian export to supplement the historic “fish stock” (dried cod) product from the northwestern coast in the North Sea.  The Hardanger Akvasenter fish farm has two tanks, each with 5,000 fish.  They take 14-22 months to grow to a mature weight of 5.5 kg (12 pounds).  Norway has responded to potential criticism of aquaculture practice and since the 1990s regulates the amount of fish-space in pens as well as organic vegetable and non-antibiotic feed. 

The afternoon was spent at the Hardanger Juice and Cider Factory.  The owner explained the processes of making must (freshly crushed apple including “pulp” with its cloudy appearance), various types of cider, and apple brandy.  The orchard uses four varieties of apples (Gravenstein, Summer Red, Aroma, and Discovery) and plants trees using the “espalier” technique for growing on wire trellises on the steep sides of the fjord.   We viewed his mechanized processing equipment and saw the cold room, distillery, and storage of aging barrels.

View of Hardangerfjord from Ulvik Hotel	Fish Tanks and Support Building	Apple Orchards

The bus traveled west on our sixth day past the major city of Voss, which was heavily involved during WWII, towards Norway’s second largest city of Bergen.  Near Bergen, the group stopped at the Dale woolen knitwear factory for a tour and shopping. It was established in the town of Dale in 1879 with access to both local Norwegian sheep and hydroelectric power.  They have been the producer of active wear for Norwegian winter Olympians.

Cider Processor	Aging Barrel Storage	Antique Wool Scale

After checking into the Thon Hotel in Bergen, the group had lunch (fish soup, reindeer “burgers” and waffles) at the Bryggeloffet & Stuene restaurant. Presentations were made to our guide, Nils, and our driver,  Jon. Having been both a travel agent and a farmer, Nils was perfectly qualified to help us understand his country. Jon has relatives in Wisconsin and wore his Green Bay Packers tie that he picked up on one of several visits to the US.

Nils led a walking tour of the Bergen city center and harbor, including the fish market and historic fish stock export center.  The walking tour then wandered through residential areas and city center parks.  Of note was the beginning of the Edvard Grieg Festival with many musical events to celebrate their hometown composer’s 175^th birthday.

Our Guide Nils	Statue of Edvard Grieg, Famous Norwegian Composer	Bergen City Markets

 
Following breakfast and some last-minute shopping on our seventh day, the group journeyed to the new Flesland Airport for departure.   Some of the travelers extended their trip with a week in Iceland prior to returning home, while others visited Denmark and Paris before returning to the US. We were all unanimous in our belief that we had a new appreciation of Norway.

Why I Teach about Food and Agriculture

Why I Teach about Food and Agriculture
By Beth Christian

I grew up on a fifth-generation family farm in Bureau County. My siblings and I learned hard work and collaboration at a young age. My family raised corn and soybeans as well as wheat, oat, rye, and hay, most of which was used to feed our livestock.

Growing up, my sisters, brother, and I were members of 4-H. 4-H is a nationwide program that offers young people the opportunity to learn through hands-on projects in areas like health, science, agriculture and citizenship. 4-H members are encouraged to take on proactive leadership roles and are given the guidance and mentorship they need to be successful. Even today, 4-H programs are in every county and parish in the country- even Cook County- through in-school and after-school programs, school and community clubs and 4-H camps.

With eager anticipation to put some space and concrete between my farm background and my life, I relocated to Cook County. Despite the distance, my farm background followed me all the way to Oak Park/River Forest.  

In my classroom, I was an advocate for project learning, inquiry-based discovery, and developing the curriculum-assessment cycle central to the interests of the child. As part of this teaching style, I’d ask parents to join us and serve as our “Project Experts” during our discovery of a topic. Once, a parent joined us for cupcake baking. The parent kindly brought the ingredients and introduced each item to the students. She proudly brought out brown eggs and stated they were brown because they were organic, not bleached, like white eggs. What she didn’t realize was that different breeds of chickens lay different colors of eggs. The chickens being raised used organic growing methods does not change the color of eggs that the chickens lay.

I quickly realized that there was a considerable amount of mis-information or lack of information that we, as parents and teachers, unknowingly were giving our children. I believe that providing accurate information is my responsibility as a teacher. So many children don’t know where their food comes from and unfortunately, as our population has gotten more urban, many teachers and parents don’t know much about the sources of their food.

Having grown up on the very same farm that my brother and father still farm, I sought help from the Cook County Farm Bureau’s Agriculture in the Classroom program (AITC). AITC works to ensure that Cook County teachers have the resources to enable them to incorporate agriculture into their existing curriculum and to provide agricultural opportunities for students in Cook County.

Cook County Farm Bureau® is the county’s largest general farm organization and is dedicated to bridging the gap between farmers and urban consumers. Through education programs targeting youth and their parents and programs designed to connect farmers with potential consumers, Farm Bureau members are actively engaging in conversations about food and the shared values between farmers and consumers.

Farm Bureau and AITC allowed me to share my love of the farm with students and enabled me to learn more about the care of animals and plants, farmers’ attention to sustainability using technology, and the shared values of farmers and consumers.

Teaching about agriculture is in everything I teach. I have become a better early childhood, special education, and collegiate professor through the Cook County Farm Bureau.

Pete Petges is Plowman of the Year

Pete Petges received the 2018 Plowman of the Year award from outgoing President Barbara Clark during the May 14^th annual meeting.

During The Chicago Farmers’ annual meeting on May 14^th, outgoing President Barbara Clark presented TCF Member Pete Petges with the Plowman of the Year award for the important contributions he has made to the group over the years.

“The Plowman award is given to a member of the Chicago Farmers who has contributed significantly to the organization over time,” related Barbara. “With this in mind, the 2018 award goes to Pete Petges. He served on the board from 2010 until 2016 with three years as treasurer. He gave unstintingly of his time and energy in that role as well as to the Farmland Forum over the years. Most recently he was heavily involved in our 2018 Farmland Forum, interacting with the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, our event site, on details ranging from meeting space to insurance to lunch for participants. Pete joined Mat Rund and George Heck on the Farmland Forum committee.”

Pete earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Ag Econ at the University of Illinois. After a tour with the Peace Corps in Kenya, he worked for 37 years for Farm Credit, now known as Compeer Financial, one of The Chicago Farmers’ platinum sponsors.

Outstanding In Their Field

By John Kiefner, Chicago Farmers member

I recently took a day off from work. I hope it will be one of many in the next 10 years as I try to slide gracefully into retirement. The USDA states that the average farmer is 58.3 years old. That means if I want be an above average farmer I have 4.1 years to go. Can I make it that long? Following is some background.

A few years ago the price of scrap steel was insanely high. It was a good time to haul many old pieces of machinery to the scrap yard to be melted and reused. First I called my son to see if there was any chance he would be the fourth generation in the family to farm. I was fairly certain what the answer would be, but I wanted to verify it. His answer was honest and quite frank.

My son was several years out of college at the time and climbing the corporate ladder. His reply to the query about whether he considered becoming a farmer was, “Not a chance, and remember, when you and mom die, we are getting dumpsters.” Perhaps I should have called my daughter and asked her instead.

My son’s honesty has helped me to decide how to finish out my life as the last farmer in the family. There is no legacy of passing it on to the next generation. No need to build the business or desire to buy the newest technology.

For my day off I traveled to Chicago to tour the office of The Climate Corp. This company is on the cutting edge of data collection for weather, yields, fertility, plant health, and equipment functions and, well, about anything you can imagine. The information that is gathered will be analyzed, sometimes instantly, and used by farmers to increase yields while reducing inputs, protect the environment and reduce waste. One would also expect that those who adopt and succeed with these technologies would also be more profitable, while lowering the cost of food even more.

This technology is above my intellect. It was mentioned that the farmer of the future might very well be a computer scientist or agronomist. We were asked to sign a confidentiality agreement to be allowed to tour the offices and labs. That is remarkable, because I could barely comprehend the concepts displayed, let alone appropriate any of the cutting edge technology.

Am I a dinosaur about to become extinct? Am I a relic, a holdout of farmers long gone? Retirement is going to come very soon for my equipment and me if these technologies evolve swiftly. That may please the realtors and developers that cannot wait to bulldoze the black dirt I have tried to save from erosion for most of my lifetime and build warehouses or subdivisions on my farm. Can I last long enough to become above average?

The Climate Corp tour was in the West Loop, about two miles from where I met my wife for the train ride home. Ironically, in the middle of Chicago, there was a wheat mill right behind The Climate Corp office. I walked to the train and admired dozens of buildings under construction on Fulton, Lake, Randolph, Washington, and Madison Streets. Is it possible that any of my recycled steel was in the beams being erected?

Upon my retirement or death, my remaining equipment will be reused somehow. The farm’s fate is uncertain. When I die, I hope they bury me and do not put me in the dumpster.

Editor’s note: John Kiefner is a member of The Chicago Farmers. He farms 525 acres of corn, soy, wheat, oats, hay, and straw.  His farm, which also has a smattering of animals, including bees and laying hens, is 45 miles southwest of downtown Chicago and on the fringe of urban development.  The southernmost Metra rail station is only one mile from John’s farm.  

John noted, “I wouldn't say that I am sad or depressed about urban encroachment, but I hope to make people think of what is the best way to grow cities and preserve quality farmland.  I originally lived and grew up right next to the Joliet Junior College Houbolt Road campus.  I remember when they built it next door to the farm my dad grew up on.  We have always had bulldozers working close to the farm.” 

2018 Report Card for Illinois Infrastructure

The Illinois Section of American Society of Civil Engineers recently released their 2018 report card about Illinois’ infrastructure.  We all depend on infrastructure for our lives and livelihood. Click here to read the report.

Eric Rund Named Plowman of the Year

The Chicago Farmers presented Eric Rund with the 2017 Plowman of the Year Award for his many contributions to the organization during the September 11 meeting. Eric served two terms as president of TCF. He also served as vice-president, treasurer and as a director.

Eric and his wife, Maria, operate their ancestral family farm that is located south of Champaign. The farm produces corn for Frito-Lay and seed beans for Pioneer using strip-till and no-till. The Runds also grow the perennial biomass crop miscanthus. It was planted for cellulosic ethanol, but today the Runds sell it for poultry and livestock bedding. “Eventually, we believe it will be used as a biomass fuel replacing LP gas,” said Eric. “To demonstrate the practicality of this, we sold and installed a multi-fuel biomass boiler at the University of Illinois’ energy farm, where anyone can see how it works.”

He went on to say, “My years with The Chicago Farmers have been rewarding. This unique organization has given me opportunities to listen to viewpoints from the consumer side of agriculture as well as the production side and from the landowner side as well as the tenant’s side. If farmers are to be successful, we have to know what our customers want and respond to that need. If customers want abundant, safe and inexpensive food, then they must become informed consumers and learn the facts and the science behind food production. The Chicago Farmers, like no other farm organization with which I am familiar, provides these learning opportunities to its members. I have met many intelligent and influential people while attending our meetings over the years, all of whom I have learned something from and many of whom have become lifelong friends.”

An outdoor history museum in Naperville welcomes The Chicago Farmers

The Chicago Farmers were transported back to the mid-19^th century when Summer Tour 2017 took the group to Naper Settlement in Naperville, Illinois. A perfect summer day, delicious lunch, and charming Naper Settlement staff members showed TCF what industry and agriculture were like in the area the last 180 years.

Our hostesses for the day were Debbie Grinnell, Vice President, Advancement and Campus Development, and Donna Sack, Vice President, Community Engagement and Audience. Ms. Grinnell noted that she and Ms. Sack had attended Chicago Farmers meetings over the last year and very much they enjoyed them. They also participated in TCF’s visit to the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences last summer.

“We wanted to be able to offer something in return to The Chicago Farmers and we thought a visit to our site would do that,” said Ms. Grinnell.

She noted that Naper Settlement sits on 12 of the 212 acres donated to Naperville in the 1930s. Caroline Martin Mitchell, the daughter of George Martin, a successful 19^th century businessman, deeded the acreage and the Martin family Victorian mansion that was built in 1883, to Naperville with the understanding that the property would be put to good use for the community and that the mansion would become a city museum. Hence, a hospital, schools, river walk, cemetery, municipal buildings, and Naper Settlement now sit on the property that at one time was the Martin’s farmland and rock quarry pit. Today, the Martin mansion and 30 buildings and ancillary sites features “allow Naper Settlement to tell the story of an agrarian community that transformed into a technoburb,” said Ms. Grinnell.

And, indeed, there is an audience for the story. Thirty-five thousand teachers and students from 12 rural, suburban, and urban counties in Illinois annually visit Naper Settlement in addition to the many other visitors that are split evenly between Naperville and other suburbs.

Naper Settlement, which serves as an outdoor history museum, operates on a $4.5 million budget; $3 million of which comes from the City of Naperville with the remaining $1.5 million raised by the Naperville Heritage Society. This fundraising arm was created in 1969 when a group formed to save St. John’s Episcopal Church in downtown Naperville from demolition. The church held its first service in 1865. The group raised enough funds to salvage the wooden Gothic Revival church and have it moved to the grounds of the Martin Mitchell Mansion. The church was renamed Century Memorial Church and has been restored to look as it did in the 1870s.

After lunch, our group left the visitor center, which houses a temporary exhibit reflecting on the Naperville community’s agricultural roots on the first floor and a permanent exhibit on Naperville’s settlement and town development in the lower level. We then went outdoors to tour the museum and view the historic buildings that dot the Naper Settlement site. A blacksmith, the Naperville Clarion Print Shop and Paw Paw Post Office are among the first buildings that are encountered as visitors begin a leisurely stroll around the grounds. “Interpreters” educate visitors on the work of the blacksmith, relate how a newspaper of 1869 printed the news, and share details about the early days of the postal system and the fact that Naperville was a stop on the stage coach route. Young teens and children dressed in period garb can be seen around the post office playing games that children of that era would have played.

As the walk moves on, visitors continue to be transported back in time and immersed in history. A stop at an 1830s log cabin that originally stood in Jonesboro, Illinois, allows visitors to interact with two children performing children’s tasks of the 1800s – churning butter and carding wool to prepare it for the spinning wheel. The adult “interpreter” talks about farming of the period. He noted, for example, that the 19^th century farmer would produce 30 bushels of corn per acre and sell it for 30 cents a bushel, which would be $30 today. Similarly, the farmer produced about 24 bushels of wheat per acre and sold it for 80 cents per bushel, $80 in today’s terms.

The walk along winding paths takes visitors past a Conestoga covered wagon that transported pioneers westward in the 19^th century, a reconstructed one room school house from the 1840s that originally stood at Route 59 and 83^rd Street, an 1843 home known as the “halfway house” because it stood halfway on the route between Naperville and Aurora, and the beautifully restored Martin Mitchell Mansion. But there is still more to see: a farm cellar, smokehouse and windmill from the 1900s, the Century Memorial Chapel, the Murray Building, which was a residence and business dating from the 1840s in downtown Naperville, and more.

While there is much to see at Naper Settlement today, the history museum has plans for the addition of an Agricultural Interpretive Center in the near future, Ms. Sack told TCF’s group. Currently, Naper Settlement is in the process of collecting artifacts, stories and funds for the $4 million center.

“There is a story to be told about how Naperville shifted from an agricultural base to suburbanization as it welcomed industry and a more diverse population,” said Ms. Sack. “There is so much more to tell. Our goal is to continue to focus and enhance our conversation about the importance of history, social studies and civics.”

The 5,000 square feet Agricultural Interpretive Center addition to Naper Settlement will be located close to the half-way house and will tell the story of agriculture from 19^th and 20^th and centuries in the context of agriculture today. It will show agriculture’s innovation through displays of past and present farm implements, facilitate discussions about the business side of agriculture and the skills that are needed to be successful, provide an ag-science learning lab for interactive activities, experiments and experiences, and the center also will include the story of women in agriculture, Ms. Sack said.

“We want to excite children about working in agriculture and agriculture related professions,” said Ms. Sack. “Agriculture is a huge business in Illinois and the center will show that. The center will provide data that will inform conversations about the evolving science and business of food production today, and how agriculture will feed the world’s population of tomorrow.”

TCF member Ray Brownfield is a long-time resident of Naperville and an ardent supporter of Naper Settlement and its plans for the Agricultural Center. “I have spent time talking with representatives of Naper Settlement about agriculture and where it is going,” Ray shared with TCF’s group. “We have talked about growing crops, GMOs and organic farming. I’m a stakeholder here. I believe the Agricultural Interpretive Center can become a destination for people to learn about agriculture. It is a very exciting endeavor.”

Jeff Martin receives Distinguished Service Award

By Andy Holstine, Past President

Jeff Martin has been associated with the Chicago Farmers for nearly twenty years.  During this time he has been very active, serving as a director, president and in nearly every other voluntary role.  He hosted the summer picnic on his family farm in Mt. Pulaski and spent fifteen years as co-chair of the Farmland Forum.  In short, his efforts to make our organization better have been enormous. 

But Jeff’s energy and contributions extend well beyond the Chicago Farmers and his industry leadership and service made the recognition of the “Distinguished Service to Agriculture” award well-deserved.  The Chicago Farmers first created this award in 1977 and you can find the list of past winners here.  You will find that past recipients of the award include the founder of McDonald’s, captains of agribusiness, leaders in academia and research, prominent media , and a Secretary of Agriculture.  While Mr. Martin may describe himself as “only” a farmer, the impact of his life’s work has contributed greatly to the evolution of farming practices employed across millions of acres each year.

Jeff started farming with his father in 1976.  As he recounted when accepting the award, early in his career he watched a dust storm destroy their fields.  For Jeff, who had grown up listening to his grandfather extoll a belief that the land they lived on could provide for their family forever, this experience galvanized a belief in the importance in taking a long view valuing conservation as central to good stewardship of the land.  This mindset led him to continually examine existing farming conventions and practices, explore new technology and share techniques that improved the land and added worth. 

Jeff was a very early adopter of no-till farming, initially building his own equipment and culminating in an award as the no-till innovator of the year and recognition in 2016 as one of 25 “no-till legends.”  After seeing the benefits of setting aside CRP acres on his farm, he started a business that has since planted more than 1,000 acres of trees and prairie grass.  He was at the vanguard of the use of cover crops and research he conducted on his fields was published in an industry magazine.  Jeff was appointed member of the Federal Reserve Agriculture Advisory Board for several years.  He has also been recognized as the Illinois wildlife landowner of the year, received the corn growers’ environmental action award, named the AgriNews farmer of the year, and his family has been featured in numerous publications over years.  Jeff has farmed with his grandfather, father, brother and now has both sons farming with him full time, maybe the greatest measure of success and a life well-lived. 

I view Jeff as a remarkable example of doing well by doing good.  When accepting the award, he remarked that the Chicago Farmers was one of the best groups he had ever been a part of.  Speaking for the Chicago Farmers, I would like to express how fortunate we are that Jeff chose to contribute so much over the years and congratulate him again on an award truly earned.

Austrian Study Tour Sets a Record High with Traveler Count and Alpine Altitude

By Jim Ward, Chicago Farmers Travel Chairman

Chicago Farmers and the three generation Austrian farm family.

Twenty-five Chicago Farmers members and guests spent the week of April 22^nd to 29^th learning about the diverse agriculture and historic cultural features of Austria. The group traveled 777 miles in a comfortable motor coach and a short distance by cruise ship on the Danube River with the leadership of our charming tour guide, Silvia.

Our Austrian Airlines 777 delivered us to the Vienna airport on schedule, and Silvia and driver Tomas took us to Graz, Austria’s No. 2 city, with a lunch of pumpkin seed soup and Austrian pancakes on the way. Graz was not bombed during World War II, so historic buildings were in their original condition.

Next morning, the group headed for Piber, the site of the famous Lippizanner stud farm and training stables. Our guide expressed the Austrian people’s gratitude to General Patton for rescuing the Spanish Riding School’s horses from the food shortage of post World War II. We saw 40 new foals with their mothers. They are born black and turn white as they age. Also on display were new riders in training.

A short drive through Austria’s “fruit basket” area revealed that most orchards use a technique whereby trees are trained/pruned to grow on trellises, which allows high production and easy harvesting. The evening was spent at a country inn.

In the afternoon, we drove west to the mountain area to visit an Alpine dairy farm. The Kettner family’s hillside home faced the snow-capped mountain peaks and looked over a sloping pasture. It was a perfect setting for our group photo with three generations of the family. Their modern dairy barn houses a 70 cow herd of Brown Swiss and Holsteins, with modern self-service robotic milking equipment. Haying steep mountain grassland and moving heifers to high summer pastures were part of the routine.

Like U. S. dairy farmers, the Austrians have the problems of low milk prices and government regulations. The Kettners work with other farms, forming a cooperative to own expensive farm machinery. They also lease pasture land from a nearby church in the valley.

By Tuesday, we had reached Salzburg and were ready to tour the “Sound of Music” city with our guide leading the bus in songs from the romantic musical. We began the day with the Mirabell gardens and moved through the various sites chosen to tell the story of the von Trapp family’s adventures. A side trip to the lake village of Mondsee allowed viewing the “wedding church” used in the movie. We had the evening on our own, and some of us chose to hear a Mozart style musical presentation with costumed singers. The setting was in an old abbey with vaulted ceilings and sparkling chandeliers.

Wednesday was our busy day with a fruit farm visit, with our host walking us through his row-on-row blossoming orchards of pear and apple trees. Some of the trees were 300 years old dating back to Hapsburg ruler Maria Theresa, who promoted educational, commercial and agricultural reform in the late 1700s. Then to his inn’s dining room where he served us samples of a spirit he had aged and distilled from the fruit, followed by a generous luncheon.

Next, we were on to Melk and a visit to the imposing Benedictine Monastery overlooking the Danube. It wasfilled with great art treasures and the business manager explained about their role in farming and forestry. They are one of the largest land owners in Austria and income from the property and tourist admissions sustain the maintenance of the aging structure.

The evening was spent in a charming inn on the banks of the Danube at Emmensdorf. Thursday morning, we met with the Monastery’s business manager at his farm headquarters and inspected some of the giant equipment for row crop production (potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans, and canola) that also is used for logging the forest property. Wood chips are used to heat the Monastery and local municipal buildings.

Next came our river cruise on the Danube, with castles on the shore and terraced vineyards on the river bank. Our guide told us they were originally built by the Romans, hundreds of year ago.

On our way to Vienna, Austria’s capital city, we passed the golden blossoms in the rape seed fields. The crop would be harvested to produce canola oil. Friday was a bus tour past Vienna’s many attractions, including the State Opera, the Belvedere Palace, Parliament, and many museums. We had the afternoon on our own.

As luck would have it, our drop-off point at the center of the city was near the Spanish Riding School!  Several riders had the beautiful white stallions posing for a photo shoot, so we did some photo shoots of our own and stopped in at the School’s gift shop. An afternoon of museum visiting finished off our sample of Vienna’s wonderful attractions. Austria is a well visited country; forty percent of the country’s national income is attributed to tourism.

Our farewell dinner featured a generous serving of wiener schnitzel and sacher torte for dessert. The private dining room provided music by a local pianist. Our guide surprised us with the gift of a torte cake to take home as a remembrance, which we shared at the May 8^th Chicago Farmers luncheon.

We were up early on Saturday to board our Austrian Airline 777 and had sunshine all the way home. Another Study Tour and the improvement of our knowledge of farming around the world and a benefit for our Scholarship Fund had come to an end.

Click here to see photos from the trip!

RECORD NUMBER VISIT SUNNY SPAIN ON FARM AND CULTURAL STUDY TOUR

By Jim Ward, TCF Travel Chairman

A record breaking 25 travelers embarked on Iberian Airlines for a Study Tour of Central Spain in late September, enjoying perfect weather and a blend of farm visits and historic places. The week-long visit was capped by a “farewell dinner” at the Café de la Opera with performances by local singers during the meal.

Our walking encyclopedic guide “Gari” took us to Toledo for our first stop. The city is known for its production of steel blades, so we toured a workshop noted for its swords and knives. The next day we moved to the country, and stopped to photograph a lineup of Don Quixote windmills. Next we went on to a Saffron Cooperative, learning about this rare crop in the group’s museum.

By mid-morning we visited a Manchego cheese factory. The cheese has a unique flavor due to its sheep’s milk origin. For our lunch we stopped in Villa Castilla for a generous meal of local dishes. Next, back to Toledo for a walking tour of the historic city, noted for its cathedral and castles.

Wednesday morning we were on the road again to visit the world famous Osborne winery, a 200 year old firm that is family owned, yet has an international reputation. They showed us the complete cycle of production and offered us a generous sample of their production.

After a hearty lunch at a local restaurant, we saw one of Spain’s largest cattle ranches, visiting a Charolais beef breeder. The host’s prize bull had just returned from a Festival in Southern Spain with the runner up ribbon. The rancher’s daughter was on hand and introduced her three sons, who are learning the ropes on the ranch. The rancher also was a big game hunter and invited us to a tour of his trophy hall, a separate building housing his mounted big game trophy heads and show awards. When asked what animal was hardest to bring down, he answered, “A wild buffalo.”

On the road again Thursday morning, the other side of the cattle business was our morning stop—a bull fighting training ranch owned by a retired (at age 35) matador and his brother. We were given a ride in a tram and driven to the pasture. One of his cowboys whistled for the herd and they came running for feed pellets as we watched from the safety of the tram. The “novice” bulls were not aggressive and some ate the pellets from the cowboy’s fingers.

Back at the ranch complex we toured the practice bull ring and presented our host with the traditional Chicago Farmers’ cap as a souvenir of our visit.

Nearby we stopped at a wheat, barley and rape seed farm, with most of the grain crops already harvested. The farmer was proud of his well-maintained equipment that enabled him to farm his acreage all by himself, and, he explained, “365 days a year.” He does have some extra hands during the peak seasons.

We stayed overnight at the ancient town of Vallodolid and headed out on Friday to visit the Planasa Corporation, one of Europe’s biggest horticultural firms. Their role is to improve the quality and quantity of plant and vegetable production by supplying seeds for growers around the world. We visited their fields and vineyards and were impressed by their techniques.

Our luncheon stop was just outside the walled village of Gomezerracin. A camera crew was shooting a TV commercial against the town’s wall and we had to pass their security to enter the restaurant! Inside we were served the unusual delicacy of roast suckling pig with flan custard for dessert.

Next stop Segovia, noted for one of the surviving Roman Aqueducts, as well as for their ancient city wall and cathedrals. Then back to our starting place, Madrid. It is Spain’s largest city and famous for its many museums and the nation’s palace.

On this final day of our study tour, our city guide gave us a compressed visit past the major attractions from our tour bus seats. We stopped at the Palace and saw the colorful changing of the guard ceremony. During the afternoon we toured on our own, many choosing to visit the world famous Prado Museum.

The Café de la Opera restaurant was the place for our group picture, with a colorful mosaic wall as the background. During the four course meal we were serenaded by four local opera stars and selections from classic operas.

On Sunday, we were off to the Madrid airport and the Iberian flight back to the United States, leaving mid-morning and arriving home mid-afternoon as we chased the sun west. It was another successful International Study Tour and a generous contribution to the Chicago Farmers Scholarship Fund.

Chicago Farmers visit Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences

Students from Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences (CHSAS) have attended The Chicago Farmers’ meetings numerous times. As recipients of TCF scholarships, the students are always welcome and enjoyable to meet. On August 11, it was our turn to visit their school for TCF’s summer program. TCF has visited in the past, but we learn something new each time we visit and we meet students we have not previously met.

Located on the far Southwest Side of Chicago, CHSAS educates 720 students in freshman through senior years. It receives 3,000 applications each year for 180 freshmen seats, according to Bill Hook, principal at CHSAS. Students are selected through a random lottery and hail from all parts of the city; some from nearby neighborhoods and others from the far North Side with one-way commutes as much as 1.5 hours.

“The University of Illinois receives the majority of our graduates, but all of the land grant colleges are popular destinations for our students,” said Hook. “Thirty percent of our students become ag majors in college and two-thirds don’t pursue agriculture as a study. However, 100 percent of our students are well served by the program at CHAS. They learn important skills and become responsible young adults. We thank The Chicago Farmers for their scholarships and it is great when our students attend your meetings. They offer discussions about current events and wonderful topics that we connect with our curriculum.”

Hook went on to say, “CHSAS has a 92 percent graduation rate and 83 percent of our students continue on to college. CHSAS is everything that is good about education.”

Opened in 1985, CHSAS and its fields sit on 78 acres, of which 38 acres are farmed. The site has been owned by Chicago Public Schools for 100 years and was leased by a family that farmed it until 1980. Although CPS had decided to sell the land, the neighborhood urged the system to keep the farm and build a school. Hence, CHSAS was built, one of only two such schools in the United States.

A short video narrated by Max Armstrong gave us an overview of CHSAS before we started out on our tour. “The school takes urban students and makes them aware of agribusiness and where food comes from,” related Armstrong. Following the video, we divided into groups and hooked up with a pair of tour guides. The guides were seniors and included Jennifer Ventura, Shane La Faire, Danielle Wood, Carleton Johnson, Caitlyn McFadden, and Emily Neeson. Each student had either spent the summer in an internship at a U.S. university or traveled abroad for an internship.

CHSAS offers a unique approach to education, said Hook. It has college prep education and ag courses. After sampling the six pathways offered by the school (Ag Education, Horticulture, Ag Finance, Food Science, Animal Science, and Ag Mechanics) during freshman and sophomore years, students rank the pathways in order of their preference and then pursue one of them during junior and senior years.

The livestock, which includes horses, cows (students built a shelter for the cows), pigs, goats, chickens, and turkeys, provide hands-on experience for students. The horse manure serves as fertilizer for the school’s crops, which are sold at the school’s farm stand that students manage. Lettuce raised by students was sold to Cooper’s Hawk Restaurant. Students in the Horticulture Pathway mount exhibits for the annual Chicago Garden Show at Navy Pier in March. Half of the honey produced at the school is sold at the farm stand and the other half is sold to Eli’s.

Caitlyn McFadden, who is studying in the Ag Education Pathway, kept us informed along with her partner guide, Shane LaFaire, who is in the Horticulture Pathway. Caitlyn is considering attending the University of Tennessee, where she completed an internship this summer, and Shane is looking at either the University of Iowa or Iowa State University. “I picked CHSAS because it is a good school, but I ended up falling in love with ag,” said Caitlyn.

In addition to learning about and caring for animals, students have the opportunity to learn about honey production, hydroponic farming and the raising of fish (tilapia) that are sold to DiCola’s, a local seafood shop. Caitlyn noted that a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) program is being added this year. Baseball, football, soccer, and water polo (the school has a pool) are offered.

The day culminated with lunch that featured student baked zucchini bread and hamburgers and Italian sausage that were made with the meat from the cows and pigs raised at CHSAS.

“This is an inspirational place,” said Barbara Clark, TCF president, as the day was wrapping up. “CHSAS is a good news story about Chicago’s public schools. It was a great opportunity to be here today.”