ICGA honors corn boosters with awards

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The Illinois Corn Growers Association honored several individuals for their roles in supporting farmers and the industry during the organization’s annual meeting Nov. 21.

Stauffer Stewardship Award

Jean Stewart received the Randy Stauffer Stewardship Award from the ICGA recognizing his farm conservation work through the Precision Conservation Management program.

This inaugural award recognizes a PCM farmer who embodies the land stewardship ethic and farm conservation leadership that was modeled by the late Randy Stauffer.

Special consideration is given to farmers who are on the leading edge of conservation technology or those who work to share information to other farmers, leaders and beyond.

Stewart has been farming in Vermilion County for 56 years and has been on the forefront of farm conservation efforts since the early 1980s.

He was one of the first to try no-till planters, and after two years of experimenting he moved to 100% no-till farming. Recently, Stewart no-tilled for his 36th season.

These early efforts did not go unnoticed. Stewart was recognized by his local SWCD as the Outstanding Cooperator of the Year in 1984 and Conservation Farm Family of the Year in 1988.

No-till was just the beginning of his conservation journey. Stewart was also an early adopter of cover crops and is a pioneer in terms of experimenting with the most economically viable nitrogen rates on corn.

With a deep focus on soil health, he weathered the learning curve when adopting these systems and remained dedicated despite challenges.

“Jean has dedicated his entire farming career to conserving the resources in his care and maximizing his returns through economically sound management while doing so. This is the epitome of what we strive to impart on our farmer cooperators in PCM,” said Greg Goodwin, PCM director.

“We applaud his approach to farming and believe Jean embodies the qualities Randy Stauffer spent his career helping farmers work towards. We are honored to present him with this inaugural award.”

Ethanol Award

Illinois State Sen. Patrick Joyce was presented with ICGA’s Ethanol Award at the group’s annual meeting.

Joyce sponsored a bill that was ICGA’s top state priority — the E15 tax incentive. The bill was signed into law on June 7.

The ethanol incentives established in SB 1963 reduced the percentage of retail sales tax on E15 blends by 10%, reduced mid-range blends by 20% and reauthorized the 100% reduction of sales tax for majority blended ethanol fuels, E85. The tax incentives will sunset on Dec. 31, 2028.

“This is just a win-win situation for our state. It helps farmers by increasing corn demand and supports our environment by incentivizing the usage of cleaner-burning fuels,” Joyce said.

Joyce has a 25-year history of successfully operating his own small business and family farm. In addition to agriculture, he brings a focus on health care, the environment and education to the Senate.

His top goals include making the healthcare system easier to navigate and more supportive for individuals and families suffering from serious illness, ensuring that everyone has access to clean and affordable drinking water and reducing class sizes throughout the state.

“Sen. Joyce is one of the only members of the Illinois General Assembly with firsthand knowledge of the agriculture industry,” said Matt Rush, ICGA president and Fairfield farmer.

“We are so grateful for his leadership on ag issues and for his leadership specifically on this tax incentive that will support markets for Illinois family farmers for years to come.”

Joyce represents Illinois’s 40th Senate District including a majority of Kankakee County and parts of Will and Grundy counties.

Media Award

Kay Shipman, who recently retired as reporter for Illinois Farm Bureau’s FarmWeek, was the recipient of ICGA’s Excellence in Media Award.

The award is given each year to an individual who promotes Illinois agriculture and, specifically, Illinois corn and corn farmers through their coverage in traditional media or through their engagement on social media.

“Kay invested 34 years at FarmWeek, covering state government, conservation and education issues on behalf of Illinois farmers. She did so with passion and a genuine love for our industry, as evidenced by her reporting and the additional years she spent covering agriculture before coming to FarmWeek,” Rush said.

“We are so grateful for Kay’s service to our industry and for the accurate telling of our story and the issues that matter to us over all these years.”

Shipman retired in April after 34 years of service to FarmWeek. She previously served as an ag reporter for the Peoria Journal Star; the Lafayette, Indiana, Journal and Courier; the Galesburg Register Mail; and the Wheatland, Wyoming, Record-Times. She was also an agriculture science writer at Purdue University’s Agricultural Research Station.

Shipman is also heavily invested in ag education, serving as a member and former vice chair of the Illinois Council for Agriculture Education and having served two terms as a governor-appointed member of the Illinois Committee for Agricultural Education.

“Knowing the two most immediate recipients of this award very well, I am joining a stellar group. It is gratifying to know that your lifetime of work is very much appreciated by the people you loved and the industry you served,” she said.

Shipman lives in Bloomington with her husband, Paul Swiech.

1,000 Articles

ICGA gave special recognition to Gary Schnitkey, University of Illinois Agricultural and Consumer Economics professor, who authored his 1,000th article on FarmDoc Daily last month.

The FarmDoc website was created by U of I in 2011 to share farm financial analysis spreadsheets, crop insurance tools and evaluation of market advisory services.

Schnitkey writes primarily about corn and soybean prices and forecasts, on-farm management decisions including conservation management, input costs and cash rent, and farm policy decisions that impact Illinois farmers.

His writings are a source of current, reliable information for farmers across Illinois and the United States, covering the most important economic and political issues faced in agriculture. FarmDoc has also been a critical resource for lawmakers, government agency staff and the agricultural industry in their roles representing and serving farmers.

“FarmDoc could not have become what it is today without the vision, hard work and time Dr. Schnitkey has poured into it for over a decade,” Rush said.

“He deserves recognition and gratitude from farmers across the country for his work helping us make on-farm decisions with more confidence and less risk and also for his expertise in crafting farm policy and crop insurance products that help lessen volatility on Illinois farms.”

Schnitkey has served in an Extension education and research role at the U of I since 1998. He is currently the Soybean Industry Chair in Agricultural Strategy within the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.

He attended Ohio State University for his bachelor’s degree, received his master’s and doctorate from the U of I and currently resides in Mahomet with his family.