CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING 800-778-5656

• Manure Management Systems• Dredging & Excavating

• Electrical & PLC Programming• Ventilation Systems

• Barn & Feeding Equipmentwww.braunelectricinc.com

St. Nazianz, WI920-773-2143800-876-2234

Bale Covers/Wagons#1BALE WAGONS: New Holland1069, 1068, 1037, and other self-propelled, pull-type models/parts. Buy/se l l / f inanc ing/de l iver y / t rade . (208)880-2889 www.balewagon.com

Barn Floor GroovingBarn Floor Groovers• Free Stalls • Feed Lots • Stalls • Pens • Holding Areas • Walkways• ½� - ¾� & 1½� Diamond Sawed

Grooves

Dick Meyer Company, Inc.1-800-228-5471www.barnfl oorgroovers.com

Custom Safety Groovers• Protect your investment• Keep your cattle from

slipping on concrete• No job too large or small 608-697-3099

Call today for a free estimate

Portage, WI

Dairy EquipmentDAIRY EQUIPMENT WANTED: Used Bulk Milk Tanks. Direct Expansion, 500 and Larger. (800)558-0112.

Farm Machinery

Sheridan Service Garage Co. LLC

Village of SheridanE519 Rieben Road • Waupaca, WI

Hustler Zero Turn MowersPhone: 715-256-1600

Fax: 715-258-7682

Chain sawsIngersollTractors

Sales, Service & Parts

SCHWEISS DOORS One-Piece Hydraulic doors, farm shop doors & Lift-Strap Bi-Folds. Great Pricing!!!SchweissDoors.com

Forage Products

SUPER TARPSHeavy Duty Hay Tarps, Tear Resistant Fabric. Completely Waterproof with Reinforced Seamswww.supertarp.com (866) 887-2727

AG BAG Silage BagsPlus: Covers

For current pricing contactBOHN IMPLEMENT

(920) 361-0515

General

RUSS THUMS CONSTRUCTIONSpecializing in Concrete Work

• Concrete Manure Storage• Feed Storage• Free Stall Barns• Parlors

715-748-3269715-965-4745

Call for Free Planning & Estimates

GeneralCat 60/70/80 Hydraulic SCRAPERS!!Heavy duty; professionally done; com-pletely refurbished. Buys/sells old cable scrapers, tires and parts. Oakes, ND. (701)742-2182. stevevoightman.com

FREE CATALOG Loyal conveyors, carts, grates, fans and much more. ROTH MFG. CO., Loyal, WI 54446 or (800)472-2341.

GeneralROUND BALER BELTING- Largest dealer in U.S. Original belting for all round balers. American made! Save hundreds! Free shipping anywhere! No 800#, just best prices. Since 1973!MC/Visa/Discover or C.O.D.HAMMOND EQUIPMENT, Faunsdale, AL 36738. (334)627-3348www.balerbelts.com

Manure Handling Equipment

Grain EquipmentGRAIN DRYERS, AUGERS, GSI GRAIN BINS- New, Used, All Makes. SCHULTZ ENTERPRISES, INC., Baraboo, WI (608)254-2551

Irrigation EquipmentROBERTS IRRIGATION: Serving the state with well drilling & complete irrigation systems.1500 Post Rd, Plover, WI. 54467 (715)344-4747

BASF Crop Protection/Headline AMP ..............10BASF Crop Protection/Xemium ........................15Blains Farm and Fleet .......................................20Brillion Farm Equipment ...................................29Case IH Agriculture ............................................9Case IH Agriculture ..........................................48Chrysler/Dodge Ram Trucks .............................31Citgo Petroleum/Mystik ...................................45CPS/Dyna-Gro .................................................21Ford Motor Company ..................................... 2-3Grinnell Mutual ................................................11Gypsoil/Benefi cial Reuse Management .............16Harvest Energy Solutions .................................22John Deere & Company ...................................17Kinzie Manufacturing .......................................26

Ad DirectoryMcFarlane Manufacturing ................................28Mills Fleet Farm ...............................................32National Farm Medicine Center ........................14O’Reilly Auto Parts ...........................................27Power Service Products ...................................25Salford Farm Machinery ...................................12Syngenta Group/Endigo ...................................47Syngenta Group/GTM Seed ..............................13Syngenta Group/Resistance Fighter .................18Syngenta Group/Resistance Fighter .................19Unverferth Manufacturing .................................44WinField Solutions ...........................................24Wisconsin Bale Net Wrap ...................................7Wisconsin State Fair ..........................................7Ziegler, Inc. ......................................................23

Aug. 27, 28 & 29 Decatur, Illinois

NEWwww.FarmProgressShow.com

Check out the online Interactive Show Planner tool!255 38th Avenue, Suite P St. Charles, IL 60174

(866)264-7469 shows@farmprogress.com

The show you can’t afford to miss! New product introductions- talk with factory engineers and product techs86-acre “Progress City” - even MORE exhibits for 2013 show!Latest products available for farmers and ranchersField demonstrations— harvesting & tillage Production and profitability seminars

GPS displays & demonstrationsAnd so much MORE!

Exhibits by hundreds of the top agribusinesses from across the country and around the world!

Host Publications

By ROD SWOBODA

PLANT in the dust and the bins will bust. That’s what farmers in Iowa and other dry areas of the western Corn Belt are hoping happens in 2013 if they have to put seed in dry soil. Many are heading into fi elds quite low on subsoil moisture at planting. “We will need timely rains this spring and summer,” says Elwynn Taylor, Iowa State University Ex-tension climatologist. Subsoil moisture reserves in the eastern Corn Belt and in the eastern third of Iowa have been somewhat recharged since last summer’s drought. But the ef-fects of dry weather are still lin-gering in 2013 in much of Iowa and the western Corn Belt, where subsoil moisture reserves remain signifi cantly below normal.USDA’s Prospective Plantings survey released March 28 shows an expected increase in U.S. corn acreage to 97.3 million acres in 2013, which would be the nation’s highest corn acreage since 1936. Iowa farmers intend to plant 14.2 million acres — no change from 2012. Slight acreage declines are predicted in some states due to lingering drought. Historically, the late March report is an “intentions” report and could shift as much as 15% as planting season rolls along. USDA’s Acreage Report, to be released June 28, will have fi nal estimates of crop plantings. “On our farm we’re sticking with a 50-50 rotation of corn and soybeans,” says Kevin Rempp, who farms near Montezuma and chairs the Iowa Corn Promotion Board. “This USDA report serves as an early yardstick to what kind of production might occur. How much moisture is available and the weather outlook will deter-mine what gets planted on the so-called swing acres.”

Iowa farmers intend to plant 9.4 million acres of soybeans. That’s 50,000 more acres than last year. Nationally, soybean acres are projected at 77.1 mil-lion, lower than some expec-tations. If realized, this year’s projected U.S. soybean acreage would be the fourth-highest ever. Good reasons to rotate Iowa Soybean Association leaders are optimistic more beans will be planted than the report indicates. Farmers often adjust based on ag-ronomic, economic and weather conditions. Also, more farmers are recognizing continuous corn is creating signifi cant issues, in-cluding pest resistance.Brian Kemp, ISA president-

elect, farms near Sibley in north-west Iowa. “My plans will not deviate from what they were previous to the report. Osceola County is one of the driest in the state for subsoil moisture,” he says. “A combination of soil mois-ture and previous cropping his-tory and crop rotation benefi ts weigh heavily in this decision. I prefer to spread my risk between corn and soybean crops as my current intentions do.”ISA President Mark Jackson raises crops and livestock near Rose Hill in southeast Iowa. The report won’t change his plans. “My planting plans are somewhat dictated as a no-till farmer,” he says. Manure is used on ground going to corn, which improves

the soil’s health in a corn-soy-bean rotation. “Also, there’s weed and insect pressure to consider. A corn-bean rotation benefi ts our efforts to lessen de-velopment of pest resistance.”In north-central Iowa, Brent and Travis Granzow plant 50-50 corn and soybeans on most of their ground. “We do a lot of no-till farming and usually have a corn-bean rotation,” says Travis. On certain fi elds with highly produc-tive soils, they plant a rotation of two years of corn followed by one year of soybeans. They farm near ethanol plants and livestock farms that buy corn, so there’s more money to be made on corn. To avoid the dis-ease and insect buildup common

2013’s game plan

when growing continuous corn, they plant beans every third year on those selected crop fi elds.Livestock feeders are hoping for a big 2013 crop. The drought-shortened production of 2012 left them paying more for feed, and forced ethanol plants to reduce output. Demand from Asia and other global markets for U.S. corn and soybeans further squeezed tight supplies, underscoring the need to plant and har-vest a big crop this year.

■ For more on crop risk management and mar-keting for 2013, see Page 6.

Key Points■ USDA: Nation’s farmers intend to plant most corn since 1936.■ Iowa farmers holding steady with corn planting intentions.■ Iowa 2013 bean acreage likely to increase slightly from 2012.

RAIN WANTED: Following last year’s drought, lack of subsoil moisture is the leading concern in most of Iowa this spring. “Thank

goodness we have crop insurance,” says Travis Granzow, who farms near Iowa Falls in north-central Iowa.

April 2013 www.FarmProgress.com

®

A Farm

Progress P

ublication Midw

est Group E

dition

Cattle and clean water Pages 7, 10Planting time primer Pages 18, 35Time to terminate covers Page 26Ensure healthy soils Page 48

48

e reserves inthe easter C

mers intend acres of soy0 more acrationally, sojected at 7han some alized, this

soybean aurth-highes

ns to rotatssociation le

more beans wreport indicjust based o

mic and wea, more farmontinuous ccant issuestance.ISA preside

TED: Followe have crop

mac0atojhal. ou

nAsme djmo,coficfistI

ves in the eastern Cor B l

Twe

How this farmer blends off-farm work

with farmingPage 42

New Web feature will monitor crop conditions

in three statesPage 14

New technology helps farm move forward Page 5

By TOM J. BECHMAN

L ONG before he was ready to spray burndown herbi-cides on cover crops and

no-till fields, Larry Huffmeyer, Napoleon, wanted to be sure his sprayer was ready. The local dealer sent a specialist out to in-spect the sprayer.

If it’s a minor adjustment, Huffmeyer or Nathan Wagner, his employee, can handle it. But they want to make sure there aren’t bigger issues that could lead to downtime.

Time is in short supply for Huffmeyer, who works full time as a regional specialist for Syngenta. He and his wife, Charlene, operate the farm with their son, William, who also works full time off the farm; William’s sister, Sarah Page, and her husband, Jeff, a forester for a timber company; and Larry Huffmeyer’s sister Lavita, who’s not directly involved in daily op-erations. The farm was started by Huffmeyer’s parents, Kenneth and Jane.

Huffmeyer was named out-standing Indiana Certifi ed Crop Adviser of the Year in Dec-ember. He also accepted the Outstanding Conservation Farmer of the Year award on behalf of the family from the Indiana Association of Soil and

Water Conservation Districts in January.

Sprayer mattersWhether the sprayer or the planter matters most on a reduced-tillage farm is up for debate. Huffmeyer would also throw in a tile plow for consider-ation. The family installs pattern tile when possible. They grow wheat in some years just so they can tile the fi eld after harvest.

A children’s book, “Johnny Tractor,” features a talking John Deere 620-style tractor, arguing

he’s more important than any other machines. He’s fi nally shut down by “Clancy Combine,” who says he doesn’t need help be-cause he has his own engine.

In real life on Huffmeyer’s farm, their self-propelled sprayer can certainly do the job itself, as long as a skilled operator is behind the wheel. However, planters and cer-tain other preparation tools are also important, Huffmeyer notes.

“There are lots of good sprayers on the market,” he says. “We wanted a front-mount boom so we could protect grass water-

Key Points■ The sprayer and planter are key

tools in this no-till operation.■ Dealer sends specialist to farm

in spring to go through sprayer.■ The last fi eld cultivator left

when the Turbo-Till tool arrived.

to move some residue so the soil can dry out.”

The Huffmeyers plant corn with a 12-row planter equipped with Martin row cleaners. The planter works well in true no-till or minimum-tillage conditions, Huffmeyer says.

The soybean planter is a Kinze 12-24 planter, so they can plant in 15-inch rows. It’s equipped with no-till coulters.

■ Learn more about conserva-tion practices on this farm on Page 44.

ways better, and we also wanted a taller sprayer for fungicides in corn.”

Reduced-tillage system“We stopped full-width tillage long ago and do a lot of no-till,” he says. “Sometimes we run an AerWay aerator over the soil, and we’re also going to try a Phoenix harrow to do some movement on the surface.

“We also have a Great Plains Turbo-Till, a vertical-tillage tool, and we run it light and quick, often in the spring when we want

MAKE EVERY MINUTE COUNT: When key players on the farm have off-farm jobs, every minute counts. Larry Huffmeyer goes the extra mile to minimize downtime on his sprayer by having a dealer inspect it each spring.

Seek peak performance

May 2013

www.FarmProgress.com®

Auug. 27, 28 & 29

move some residue so the soil n dry out.”The Huffmeyers plant corn

th a 12-row planter equippedth Martin row cleaners. Theanter works well in true no-till

minimum-tillage conditions,ffmeyer says.The soybean planter is a Kinze

-24 planter, so they can plant in -inch rows. It’s equipped with-till coulters.

Learn more about conserva-n practices on this farm onge 44.

A Farm Progress Publication M

idwest Group Edition

®

www.FarmProgress.com

America’s oldest farm publication since 1841

April 2013Keep resistant CRW at bay Page 16

Hiring tips for stock managers Page 33

Pork profi ts are on the way Page 60

YOUNG FAMILY: Kevin and Jessica Foran took some big steps in recent months. Four months ago, they had their fi rst child, Grayson. In January, they bought their fi rst farm.

Future investmentBy JOSH FLINT

W ILLIAMSVILLE’S Kevin and Jessica Foran are just starting out. Four months ago, Jessica gave birth to Grayson, who represents the eighth generation of Cooper (Kevin’s mother’s maiden name) farmers in northern Sangamon County. They also took the plunge in this high-priced land market, buying 61 acres of prime farmland for $12,930 per acre. These are exciting times for the Forans.Both Kevin and Jessica graduated from Illinois State University with degrees in ag business in 2008. Jessica went to work for a central Illinois fertilizer company. Kevin went back to the farm with his father, Tom, and uncle Roger Cooper. In January, a 339-acre property the family had farmed for more than 25 years went to auction. It was split into fi ve

tracts. The smallest tract, 23 acres with residential de-velopment potential, went to a local investor. A neighbor purchased a 94-acre tract. The remainder of the property was kept within the Foran-Cooper family. “They tell you not to have that emo-tional attachment to the land, but that played a part,” Kevin notes. “This is the farm I grew up on.”

Boom to bubble?According to Dale Aupperle, president of Forsyth’s Heartland Ag Group, prime central Illinois farmland averaged $13,000 an acre last year. That’s 20% higher than 2011’s average, $10,500. From 2010 to 2011, values for prime cen-tral Illinois farmland jumped 31%.

“It’s been a rocket ride,” Aupperle notes. “It’s just amazing.”For farmers nearing the end of their careers, it’s the opposite of farming in the early 1980s. Aupperle notes the upward trend began in 1986, when central Illinois ground averaged $1,600 an acre. By 2001, $3,000 was average.For farmers just starting out, land values are exciting, yet nerve-racking. Is it even possible for a young farmer to start from scratch these days? Without the backing of his father and uncle’s operation, Kevin and Jessica wouldn’t have been able to swing the $788,730 sale price.Where is this all headed? Are farmland values entering bubble territory? Or does underlying demand justify these prices?

Turn to Page 4 for more analysis on the farmland market. On Page 5, Kevin explains how he used the Farm Service Agency loan program, in conjunction with Farm Credit Services of Illinois, to buy his fi rst farm.

60th Annual Show

Admission: Exhibit Hours: Adults: $15 Ages 13 to 17: $8 Tuesday & Wednesday - 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ages 12 & under: Free Thursday - 8:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.

SAVE! Purchase discounted adult admission tickets online now!

PLATINUM LEVEL SPONSOR: GRINNELL MUTUAL REINSURANCE

JOHN DEERE GATOR™ UVS OFFICIAL OFF-ROAD VEHICLE OF FARM PROGRESS

The Nation’s Greatest Ag Showcase!

60060thth AAnnn ual Show

tteesstt AAgg SSSSSSSSSSSSShhoowwccaassee!!

38 www.FarmProgress.com – June 2013 Wisconsin Agriculturist