By: Jacqueline Muhammad Contributions By: Rich Clemmons and Liz Brown-Reeves Emanuel “Chris” Welch was elected Speaker of the Illinois House, making him the first African American in Illinois history to hold the position. Welch’s victory comes after Michael Madigan, the longest serving speaker in U.S. history decided not to continue his campaign for the speakership. Madigan faced an uphill battle to secure the 60 votes needed as support from his party dwindled due to a federal indictment examining his role in a bribery and influence scheme with Commonwealth Edison (ComEd).
Many farmers want to implement conservation practices, but they need opportunities to help manage risk. The Fall Covers for Spring Savings Program addresses that need by providing $5 per acre on the following year’s crop insurance for every cover crop acre. The second year of the Fall Covers for Spring Savings Program ended with 768 applications requesting to plant nearly 185,000 acres of cover crops. Signup for the program opened December 15, 2020 and saw the acreage limit met within its first 24-hours. “We were expecting great interest after a successful first year, but to meet our 50,000-acre allotment so quickly was astonishing,” said Jerry Costello II, IDOA Acting Director. “It shows there’s a great interest out there for cover crops and IDOA is committed to promoting conservation farming in Illinois.”
Commodity Classic has set the dates for its 2021 Special Edition, which will take place March 2-5, 2021 as a digital experience. Registration will open Tuesday, January 26, 2021 at CommodityClassic.com. The registration fee is waived for the first 5,000 farmers, thanks to the generous support of sponsors. All other registrants and farmers after the first 5,000 will be charged $20. The registration covers all online educational sessions and events, as well as access to all archived sessions through April 30, 2021.
In line with Inauguration Day festivities, ceremony and traditions, IL Corn Growers Association President Randy DeSutter sent a letter to President Joseph R. Biden welcoming him to The White House and summarizing ICGA priorities. The letter included discussion on the opportunity a low-carbon, high-octane fuel standard presents, the need to invest in updated and upgraded inland waterways infrastructure, as well as Illinois farmer contributions to conservation and economic development in Illinois.
In a historic move following the insurrection of the U.S. Capitol the U.S. House of Representatives impeached President Donald Trump with a single article, “incitement of insurrection” just a week before his term will end. The move makes Trump the only sitting president to be impeached twice in U.S. History. The vote 232-197 was the most bipartisan impeachment in history with ten Republicans joining all Democrats. Despite the disruption and chaos, last week members of both chambers were able to hold joint sessions, and Congress was able to affirm votes from the Electoral College to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s win. Simultaneously, Democrats managed to flip and claim both Senate seats in Georgia.
An hour-long presentation held virtually showed audience members the climate patterns taking place not only in the Midwest but also throughout the world. Eric Snodgrass is the Principal Atmospheric Scientist at Nutrien Ag Solutions which is the world’s largest supplier of crop inputs and services.
New construction on locks and dams on the inland waterways system is critical to agriculture and other industries throughout the state, Midwest and nation. Recently, ICGA and NCGA submitted a letter to R.D. James, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works advocating for a new construction start for the Navigation & Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP). Additionally, ICGA put out a call to action to our members to contact their legislative representatives in which 534 contacts were made. The new start is funded by the Energy and Water Development appropriations bill, passed through the Omnibus on December 21 and signed into law on December 27.
Since its inception, Pork Power: Partnering to Fight Hunger in Illinois campaign has donated over 3 million servings of pork to date. In 2020 alone, the program donated 101,326 pounds of pork throughout the state. Farmers and partnering commodity groups work together to donate to the program year-round in order to help feed those in need. Lead by the Illinois Pork Producers Association (IPPA), IL Corn and the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) join in for the program to get much needed protein to hungry people. “The Pork Power project is one of my favorite projects IL Corn invests in,” commented Dirk Rice, ICMB Chairman. “As a farmer, I feel very connected to the job of feeding hungry people and this project allows all farmers, all over Illinois, to do just that. I’ve seen how happy the food banks and their customers are to receive the excellent protein source we are donating. This is a great opportunity to give back to our communities, work together for good, and eat more pork.”
