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Monica: This week on the Four
Rivers Ag Report, the
Transmission Power Lines
are coming...
but where will they be and
who wants them there?
Fred: There is another high
demand Agricultural
product... Ag Students.
Monica: Also rural
depopulation?
Hopefully not for
this show.
Fred: That and more on the Four
Rivers Ag Report.
(Music)
Fred: Welcome to
the Four Rivers Ag Report,
I'm Fred Peralta Monica:
Monica: And I'm Monica Becker.
We have finally reached
what I would call Summer
weather.
It too hot to do much of
anything other than
watching corn grow.
Fred: I'm sure that's what
you do on your days off.
Monica: OK, maybe not.
But the in the last week
or so we've seen huge
gains maid in both corn
and the soybeans.
It's reflected in this
weeks' numbers but it
should really be seen in
next weeks report.
But first of all, you've
been following something
for a couple of weeks now,
Haven't you?
Fred: Yeah, and it feels
like I kind of fell into
it and "itÓ is something I
feel like I should have
known about earlier.
Fred: "It" is the Illinois
River Transmission Line
project.
It is part of the
nationwide plan to rebuild
our power infrastructure.
Specifically the Illinois
River Transmission project
would be a 330 mile,
345,000 volt transmission
line that would stretch
across the state from a
new substation near
Palmyra, Missouri, across
the Mississippi river to
Quincy and then to
Meredosia, Pawnee, Mt.
Zion and then to Kansas
just east of Charleston.
From Kansas it would
connect to Sugar Creek in
Indiana.
Why?
The purpose for the line
is to connect newer
renewable energy creators
in the west to population
centers in the east,
improve reliability of
power of multiple areas
and be a much more
efficient transmission
system.
All good goals.
Monica: It's when it goes
from concept to
construction that things
get sticky.
Particularly if you are a
land owner who wakes up to
discover that the
"Transmission Line of the
Future" is heading
straight through your
generations old family
farm.
Today we're going to start
looking into the project
and hopefully provide
information for you to
begin to make up your own
mind.
Not In My Back Yard, also
known as NIMBY is a
concept we've all had to
deal with sometime.
You like living out in the
middle of nowhere, by
yourself when the
Megastore buys the land
across the street from
you.
Fred: Or as in the case
with my hometown, we love
living near the local
farms until a large hog
producer suggested
building a Pig Factory
Farm downwind from some
McMansions.
It happens and it isn't
fun.
The perfectly legal and
economically beneficial
project for one is often
the perfectly terrible and
economically horrible
project for the person
that was there first.
So what are your rights
and what can land owners
do now?
First of all, I have been
in contact with Ameren
Transmission Lines, not
associated with Ameren
Power, who is building and
operating this project
trying to get a
spokesperson on to go
through all this.
They have not return calls
yet, but I hope to get
them on at the earliest
possible show to talk
about the project and
peoples options.
Monica: But in lieu of
that, let's go over what
we do know.
Material can be found on
the projects website
"IllinoisRiversProject".
We will post the web
address during much of the
show and there is a link
to the project map on our
website.
Monica: First of all any
plans for the Transmission
Lines has to be approved
by the Illinois Commerce
Commission.
Before that though there
is an path that takes
place that included
notification of affected
landowners, information
gathering, evidentiary
hearings and a final
proposed order.
Fred: As far as the path
the line will take through
our area, you will need to
check the pdf map on the
Illinois River Project
website.
There are proposed lines
through most of the
counties in our viewing
area: Moultrie, Douglas,
Champaign, Shelby, Edgar
and Clark counties.
And not all of the
proposed lines are on
these maps, so if in doubt
you should contact the
project coordinators.
The transmission lines
will utitilze single pole
designs.
The easement for the
project is 150 feet, 75
feet on either side of the
pole's center.
The landowner retains
rights to farm the land
under the pole.
Representatives of the
company operating the
transmission lines will
contact the landowners to
discuss the details of
each property including
compensation and property
restoration.
There are qualities that
are listed as
Opportunities and
Sensitivities.
Among the sensitivities
are: Agricultural Zoned
Land, Airports,
Floodplains, Schools and
Industrial Use areas The
rules for intervening and
other documents can be
found on the ICC website
Monica: The one thing that
I can tell you is that
many of the people who
live and farm along the
path are not happy with
the prospect.
Again we hope to have on
the project proponents on
future shows, but this
week we talk to a couple
of farmers who found out
to their chagrine that
they farm at ground zero
for the project.
Fred: With me now is Gary
Appleby.
He's a farmer on Douglas
County near Atwood, and
he's one of the land
owners who's effected by
the proposed by the
Piat-Douglas transmission
line.
Gary, how did you find out
about the proposed line in
Douglas County?
Gary: Well, orginally,
back in the fall, we'd
heard about it then.
Ameren was having meeting
around the county, Piatt,
Douglass, and Moultrie
county, and some of us
went to the meetings, and
they said, "Well, you're
in Douglas and Piatt
county, you don't need to
come to the meetings,
because this line is going
to Moultrie County."
And that's how we first
heard about it.
And then we kinda forgot
about it for a while 'til
probably about the first
of the year, then we
started hearin' comments
from down south, you
knopw, Moultrie County
that they had got a group
together called
Intervieners, and we're
sending the line north.
Fred: So inseatd of going
through Moultrie County to
the south where the line
is going to attach towards
Kansas, this proposed line
goes north and through
Piatt-Douglas?
Gary: Yeah, it angles
north from Mt.
Zion through the corner of
Macon straight across the
bottom edge of Piatt
County into Douglas, or it
drops down into Douglas,
and then straight across.
No regarud fro property
lines, houses, or what.
Fred: So what, I've gone
over some of the criteria
that they state they try
to look for.
What's, what about this
property line do you find,
what about this line do
you find troublesome?
Gary: Well, there's no
regaurd for property
lines.
They run right down
through the center of the
fields, near houses.
It goes right through our
Amish community, which is
located on the West side
of the county.
We have an indian, ah it's
a artifact burial ground
over near the river.
It goes right across it
and no reagurd to that.
It's richer by the state.
Fred: So you also said
it's getting offly close
to the town of Tuscola,
correct?
Gary: Yes.
It's probably a half a
mile south of Tuscola, and
it's probably a quarter of
a mile south of the
airport, which is, which
has a crop dusting
business, and it's really
gonna effect his business.
Instead of flying south in
his pattern when they take
off, they'll have to
circle and go over Tuscola
to leave.
Fred: So as you know it,
is that part of the
criteria that they
normally choose to pick
out that line?
Gary: No.
It seems like they came up
with this line in about
three weeks, where the
orginal Moultrie County
line they spent several
years studying it.
Fred: Now, who came up
with this purposed route.
Gary: Well the Moultrie
County Interveners, which
is a group of Moultrie
county farmers.
The ICC and Ameren gave
them the option of coming
up with their own line if
they didn't like the line
the two routes that they
came up with.
Fred: I do know that by
reading the information
that Ameren has provided
to me that if you have an
objection to the route,
you are permitted to
present your own route to
the ICC, correct?
Gary: Correct.
Fred: So this may not
necessarily be the optimum
route, this is route
proposed by the Moultrie
Douglas County
Interveners, correct?
Gary: The Moultrie County
Interveners, correct.
Fred: Now as a farmer,
we're talking big poles
aren't we?
Gary: Oh yeah, we're
talking 80 t0 100 foot
poles, ten foot bases and
they'll be there forever.
The concrete, I think they
have to drill down thirty
to forty feet.
Fred: So we're talking a
major obstacle for
farmers?
Gary: Oh yes.
Fred: If you are in this
line and you are
concerned, what
should you do?
Gary: Well, August 1 at
the Tuscola Community
Building.
We're going to have an
information meeting to
tell what we have done and
what we need to do to
continue to fight
against this.
Fred: So if you are
interested in finding out
more, the Ameren
Tranmission Line, Illnois
River Project website one
place that you can check.
Also this informational
meeting in Douglas County.
Where is it going
to be at?
Gary: The Tuscola
Community Building.
Fred: OK.
Thank you Gary.
(No sound)
Fred: With me now
is Tom Donnell, he
farms near Humbolt and as
best as we can tell, the
new powerlines goes
through your
property, righ?
Tom: The secondary line
will be on the north edge
of where I live, actually
for 3 quarters of a mile.
And then it will be on my
brother in laws and
sisters farm for
half a mile.
But it goes, supposedly
down the line between me
and my neighbor
Mr. Wayne Lamphier.
Fred: So this is not just
affecting your family,
it's affects your inlaws
and your neighbors.
Tom: It affects the whole
community.
Fred: It affects the whole
community.
So talk a little bit about
how you found out that you
were on one of the
proposed lines.
Tom: First we got a letter
in the mail saying that
they were going to put
this in so call a certain
number for information.
Secondly, then I got a
phone call wanting
permission for a survey
crew to go out and
survey the land.
My response was "6 inches
of water and very muddy
and I don't want you on
the ground" "What about
when it dries up?"
"When it dries up we
immediately plant beans on
part of it, corn on
the rest of it.
Last winter the ground was
frozen.
Why didn't you call me
then?"
"So you are denying me
permission to survey?"
"Absolutely" And then I
got a few more phone
calls.
Fred: I bet you did.
So basically you found out
from this letter saying
"Here we come.
We want to survey."
So you had not a whole lot
of time to react to this.
Tom: Well then a
gentleman, a nice
gentleman, he's a
professional at this, came
up from Texas to get
leases got a hold of us.
We had a meeting in the
Farm Bureau offices.
This guy was smooth; he's
talking to a bunch of
farmers who don't know how
to handle this.
Then we had an
informational meeting put
on by the Coles County
Farm Bureau at the Fair
Grounds right?
Almost a hundred and fifty
people were there, but
most importantly a very
wonderful young lady, an
attorney that works for
the Illinois Farm
Bureau out of
Bloomington showed up.
She told us exactly what
we need to do.
They have a website that
makes it very clear, step
by step by step what I
need to do which is band
together with my
neighbors, hire one of the
list of lawyers that they
gave us who have dealt
with this before.
We are fighting city hall.
The final decision will be
made by a state commission
that has three people,
none of whom are farmers.
All of them are appointed
by Governor Quinn.
Fred: Well, politics
aside, this is a big state
project that is going
clear across the state.
So there are a lot of
unhappy people who will be
talking at this
meeting, right?
Tom: Right.
Fred: So how can you best
make your case for a path,
I know one of the
suggesting of the Illinois
River Project people is
that you suggest an
alternate route.
That pretty much sets
farmer against farmers.
Tom: That's been done.
They have moved it from
one place to another
depending on resistance.
I don't think that there
will be any more hearings
that I know of.
We're just going to have
to wait and see
where the ax falls.
If I don't want it, why
would I shove it off on a
neighbor three miles
up the road.
Fred: Well, one neighbor
you might not like, but
several neighbors...
So Tom, you found out a
lot of information from
the Farm Bureau.
What would you suggest
someone does?
If someone goes and looks
at that website that we
will have up on the screen
and finds out that, oh
my goodness I am
near that path.
What would you suggest
they do?
Tom: Get together with
your neighbors
immediately.
Contact Mary ***, the Farm
Bureau manager here.
Get a list of attorneys
that they recommend.
Various groups of farmers
in this county and
surrounding counties have
already have contacted a
lawyer.
But if they're not going
choose a route on me, why
should I put out money for
a lawyer?
Fred: It's the sort of
thing where "if it is not
me, it is someone else."
Tom: If they do decide to
go one me, before I do
anything, I absolutely
have to talk to a lawyer.
If they tell you you don't
need a lawyer, that's when
you need one.
Fred: Tom, you are
absolutely correct.
Now I think that is great
advice all the way around.
The most important thing
is to get informed
quickly, correct?
Tom: How do you do that?
Fred: Well...
Tom: It seems to be a
state secret.
Fred: There are a couple
of websites you can start
out with, but talk to your
neighbors, talk to the
Farm Bureau I guess.
Tom Donnell, thank you
very much.
Tom: Thank you sir.
Fred: Again we'd like to
say we are hoping to get
representatives of the
project on air to discuss
the pros and cons of the
project.
If you want more
information please go to
the websites, but also
check with your neighbors,
the local governments
nearby and your
local farm bureau.
It's your land, it's your
future...
you should know what
you're getting into.
Fred: Well, that was
a ride.
Was there anything else
happening out there in
agriculture?
Monica: A little bit.
Or a whole lot of growing
might be a more accurate
description.
Statewide Corn is
reporting at 21% silking,
up from 8% last week,
still behind the 2012 and
5 year averages and the
average height is 63 inches
which is actually above
the 5 years average of
57 inches.
The quality of the crop is
pretty good in the state
with 1% corn listed as
Very Poor, 5% Poor, 25%
fair, 50% good and 19%
Excellent.
Locally we're reporting
Corn at 15% silking.
In Soybeans 32% of the
beans are blooming, up
from 9% last week and
almost up to the 5 year
average of 38%.
And 3% of the crop is
listed as setting pods.
The crop is in great shape
with 2% rated very poor,
4% poor, 21% fair, 61%
Good and 12% excellent.
In the East Southeast
district, we're seeing 30%
of the plants blooming and
no setting pods as of
Monday's report.
Don't go spending
that money you're going
to make on your
crop just yet.
According to a report by U
of I Ag Economist Gary
Schnitkey 2013 Net Income
for Grain Farmers is
likely to be below levels
of recent years.
He crunched the numbers
and concluded that with
near average yields and
commodity prices at
current harvest levels,
grain producers will see
lower net incomes.
Between 2007 and 2011,
Schnitkey states average
net grain farm incomes
have exceeded $200,000.
But with increased input
costs and lower grain
prices will mean net
incomes of less than
$200,000 on average.
How much lower?
Depends on what
happens in the fall.
Good luck.
One of the things that is
in demand are Ag Students.
With Agribusiness growing
and becoming more
technologically advanced,
there is a large need for
highly qualified workers
in fields like engineering
and financial services.
An USDA spokesperson said
that while there has been
an increase in the number
of students enrolled in
agriculture at US
Universities, that
increase has not be enough
to keep up with the
demand.
On report shows that
between 2010 and 2015 an
estimated 54,400 jobs will
be created annually in
agricultural, food and
renewable natural
resources.
Presently about 29,300
students are expected to
earn degrees in
agriculture and life
science related fields.
Add that to the 24,200
students who earn business
and biology degrees who
could, emphasis, could go
into agriculture...
you have a shortage.
Companies have been trying
to show prospective
employees that the old
fashion world of farming
now includes genetics,
highly technical financial
instruments and robotics.
So the question becomes
how are you going to keep
them down on the farm,
after they have degrees?
How about this?
FARMERS MAY SOON HAVE A
SAFER, MORE COST-EFFECTIVE
WAY TO MAINTAIN THEIR
FIELDS AND LIVESTOCKÑBY
HAVING EYES IN THE SKY
UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS
CALLED "U-A-S" HAVE
TYPICALLY BEEN USED TO
MAKE DANGEROUS JOBS SAFER
BUT NOW THEY MA Y BE USED
TO HELP FARMERS INCREASE
THEIR YIELD.
KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
HAS BEEN STUDYING THE USE
OF UAS IN PRECISION
AGRICULTURE FOR MANY YEARS
AND IS NOW MAKING IT
AVAILABLE TO FARMERS.
A KIT TO BUILD A SMALL
U-A-S COSTS ABOUT
2-THOUSAND DOLLARS AND
WILL HELP THE FARMER
IDENTIFY INFORMATION ABOUT
HIS CROPS NOT VISIBLE TO
THE NAKED EYE.
GARY PIERZYNSKI: IT WOULD
TREMENDOUSLY BENEFIT
AGRICULTURE.
THINK OF IT IN TERMS OF
THE LANDSCAPE AND HOW MUCH
OF THE LANDSCAPE IS
UTILIZED FOR AG, WHETHER
TO GROW CROPS OR FOR
PASTURE.
MANAGEMENT OF THAT
LANDSCAPE HAS VERY
IMPORTANT IMPLICATIONS FOR
ALL OF SOCIETY,
ECONOMICALLY, WILDLIFE,
FOOD PRODUCTION.
IT'S A VALUABLE TOOL FOR
ALLOWING US TO BETTER
MANAGE, TO IDENTIFY
PROBLEMS EARLY ON AND
APPLY CORRECTIVE MEASURES
BEFORE THEY HAVE AN
ECONOMIC IMPACT ON THE
FARMER OR RESULT IN LESS
FOOD PRODUCED OR SOME
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE THAT
WE COULD HAVE AVOIDED.
Monica: CURRENTLY, THE
FEDERAL AVIATION
ADMINISTRATION DOES NOT
ALLOW THE COMMERCIAL USE
OF U-A-S IN THE AIRSPACE.
LAST FEBRUARY, PRESIDENT
OBAMA SIGNED AN FAA
MODERNIZATION AND REFORM
ACT INTO LAWÑWHICH
PROVIDES FOR THE
INTEGRATION OF UAS INTO
THE NATIONAL AIRSPACE
SYSTEM BY SEPTEMBER 2015.
SO FAR 30 STATES HAVE
EXPRESSED INTEREST IN
HOSTING A TEST SITE
Monica: One more thing
that stinks is that the
population in rural areas
continues to shrink.
It's has Chris Langen and
Cameron Craig looking at
the numbers to see why on
this week's On the Map.
Cameron: On this week's On
The Map, I'm here again
with Chris Laingen, and
we're gonna talk about
rural depopulation
Chris: Yeah.
Cameron: What does that
mean?
Chris: Well, for a long
time now in our country we
have been depopulating the
rural areas of our states,
of our nation.
As you can see this, we
look at urban population
is the opposite of rural.
We're up to over eighty
percent today of our U.S.
population is classified
as urban.
Cameron: Why is that?
Why do they re-shift?
Chris: It goes along with
everything we've talked
about in sort of previous
On The Map segments.
The scale of agriculture
has been changing almost
since the United States
has had agriculture fewer
farmers farming more and
more land doesn't require
as many people living in
these rural areas.
So there's more
opportunities in urban
areas for a lot of people.
Cameron: So we have
families that have farmers
to have children, and the
children are seeing
opportunities in
the urban area.
Chris: Yeah, it is.
It's opportunity.
It's brain drain is one of
those things we sometimes
talk about in class.
We can map it out.
We can see that if we map
out population density all
of these little blue areas
or these urban areas,
these urban centers are
now taking in a lot of the
people coming in
from rural areas.
And eighty-eight point
four percent, excuse me,
eighty-eight point four is
the people per square mile
average for the country.
So if you take everybody
in the country, or every
square mile on average,
it's be eighty-eight
people.
Cameron: Per square mile.
Chris: Per square mile.
And you gotta remember,
you know, in places like
New York City, think of
how many tens of thousands
of people live in
a square mile.
It all balances out.
So this is my hometown.
This is where I grew up.
Cameron It's a nice
little, it's a quiet
community.
Chris: Nice little square
mile.
Cameron: I've been there,
yeah.
Chris: 1939.
These five places that are
circled here, were once
farms like the one I grew
up in.
And by 2012 each and every
one of them has been
erased off the face of the
world.
Just an example of this
rural to urban migration
pattern that we see.
And if we look a little
bit further, a little bit
more closely at this
region, pick a few
counties in southern
Minnesota, where I'm from,
and we start back in the
late 1800s. Okay.
The darker you get towards
these blue colors we're
looking at over fifteen
people per square mile.
So in the lighter tens
we're gonna see population
densities at the greatest
in the 1930s.
And really since the 1930s
all across the country has
been when we've seen these
areas depopulate.
So by 1970 we're already
down to most townships
having fewer than ten
people.
By 2010 most have five,
five to ten people.
Cameron: So what does this
mean for the future?
Chris: Basically, it's a
lack of upkeep in a lot of
these rural communities.
Small towns get smaller.
We're gonna see these
regional hubs start to
take shape and probably be
the dominant areas within
the rural areas.
Cameron: Well, Chris, once
again, thank you.
Chris: Thank you.
(Music)
Jessica: Hi I'm Jessica
Killough with your
Inside Extension The fair
season is here!
This year, due to
flooding, the Cumberland
County 4-H livestock fair
will be held at the Coles
County fairgrounds.
Come by the Coles County
4-H barns to see the
Cumberland livestock shows
from 8 a.m.-6p.m.
on Saturday the 20th and
from 12-4 p.m.
on Sunday the 21st.
On Monday the 22nd make
sure to check out the
Cumberland Master
Showmanship
contest at 8 a.m.
The Moultrie Douglas 4-H
livestock shows will begin
this upcoming weekend.
Stop by the
Moultrie-Douglas
fairgrounds at 8 a.m.
Saturday, July 20th for
the Rabbit, Poultry, and
Goat show.
Then, come back on Sunday,
July 21st at 9 a.m.
to see the Dairy, Beef,
and Beef showmanship
contest.
The fair will conclude
Saturday, July 27th at 9
a.m with the 4-H horse
show The Coles County 4-H
fair kicks off on Sunday,
July 28th with the rabbit
and poultry show at 2:30.
The 4-H livestock shows
continue Monday at 8 a.m.
with the goat,
swine, sheep, and
beef rate- of -gain show.
The fun continues Tuesday
at 9 a.m.
with the beef show.
Of course, you won't want
to miss the 4-H Master
Showmanship Contest at 6
p.m.
on Wednesday July 31.
on Thursday, August 1, at
5:30 p.m, check out the
excitement of the 4-H
auction.
The fair wraps up Friday,
August 2, at 9 a.m.
with the horse and pony
show and the dairy show.
For more information check
out our website or call
the office at 345-7034.
We look forward to seeing
you at our Coles County
Fair!
As always like us on
Facebook, follow us on
Twitter, and visit our
website to stay up to date
on our programming.
From U of I Extension
serving Coles, Cumberland,
Moultrie, Douglas, and
Shelby counties, this has
been Jessica Killough with
Inside Extension.
(Music)
Fred: Finally this
week, a quick look at the
Four Rivers Ag
Report Test Plot.
Again remember that I had
a head start, but it's
looking really good.
Good ear formation on all
of the plants, no signs of
squirrels or other pests
and the corn is the height
of a good NBA team.
Next week, with luck,
I'll have an expert
checking it out.
Monica: Good luck with that.
Remember if you're
interested in finding out
more about the Illinois
River Transmission Line
Project, go to the website
listed below, or
weiu.net/fouróriversóag/
we should be posting the
link anytime.
Fred: And check with your
local governments and farm
bureaus...
that is often a good place
to start.
Monica: So work hard, be
safe and enjoy the
beautiful sunsets.
I'm Monica Becker.
Fred: And I'm Fred Peralta.
Thanks for watching the
Four Rivers Ag Report.
(Music)