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To begin the day, Farm Bureau President Derek Martin
welcomed everyone and thanked the many sponsors who help make the
breakfast possible. He said Lincoln Memorial Hospital sponsored the
breakfast.
Next, two members of the Mt. Pulaski FFA read the FFA
creed.
Farm Bureau member Dave Opperman gave the invocation thanking God
for the blessings of faith, family and farms. Opperman asked God to
be with the winners who are the future of agriculture and to guide
them through college.
Opperman also remembered Farm Bureau Director Jim Drew who was
absent from the event due to health issues. Opperman’s prayer noted
that Drew is improving and asked that God continue to bless Drew’s
progress.
Everyone then ate a delicious breakfast of biscuits and gravy, hash
browns, breakfast casserole, sausage, bacon, fruit salad and various
pastries.
As the program started, Reagan Tibbs, President of
the Young Leaders group of the Logan County Farm Bureau, provided an
update on the group. He said they are open to new members between
the ages of 18 and 35.
This group meets once a month on the second Thursday and has
speakers come to the meetings. Last week, Tibbs said they heard from
Robby Meeker of Wyffels Hybrid.
The upcoming events the Young Leaders are sponsoring include cosmic
bowling at Logan Lanes this Saturday, March 22 and a golf outing at
the Lincoln Elks Club golf course on June 30.
Sponsors for ag scholarship breakfast included
Wyffels Hybrid, Central Illinois Ag, Olson Farms, Grainland Farmers,
Atlanta Ag, Frontline Ag, Deron Powell State Farm Agency, DCPM
insurance in Mt. Pulaski and Edward Jones.
Other sponsors were Elkhart Grain Company, Compass
Grain, Farmer’s Grain of Central Illinois, Farmer’s State Bank of
Emden, Farmland Solutions, Grieme-Arnold Insurance, Hartsburg Grain,
Jim Xamis, James Abott Associates, Klemm Tax Service, Lake Fork
Fertilizer Service, Lincoln Chrysler Dodge Jeep, Rohlfs Implement,
Smith Family Farms, Smith Family Trucking, Top Flight Grain, Beason
Ag, Elkhart Cross Seed, Elkhart Fertilizer, Farm Credit, EC Farms,
Hoerbert Farms and Lincoln Memorial Hospital.
Martin also thanked sponsors Country Financial, Young Leaders of
Logan County Farm Bureau, Aue Acres, Beggs Hybrid, Fennel Seed,
Donald Farms, Representative Sally Turner and Larry Martin Farms.
Martin asked everyone to give all these sponsors a round of
applause.
Martin and Farm Bureau Vice President Blair Hoerbert
then handed out plaques to representatives from businesses who gave
$1000 or more in sponsorship. These included Ag-Land FS, AHW, First
Bank of Tremont, Graue Chevrolet, Green Prairie Animal Hospital,
Longview Community Bank and Harbrand Inc.
In the eight years the Farm Bureau has held this breakfast, Martin
said they have been able to award $180,000 in scholarships.
This year’s ag scholarship recipients are:
Reed Naughton of Olympia High School, who is
the son of Dan and Amy Naughton. Naughton plans to attend Lakeland
Community College for two years and be on their livestock judging
team then transfer to Iowa State University to pursue a degree in
Agronomy. He received a $2000 scholarship.
Liam Smith of Mt. Pulaski High School, who is
the son of Dave and Linda Smith. Smith plans to attend Parkland
College to study agriculture and aviation. He received a $3000
scholarship.
Abby Jones of Mt. Pulaski School, who is the
daughter of Andy and Jamie Jones. Jones plans to attend Lincoln Land
Community College to study agriculture. She received a $6000
scholarship.
Kristy Morrow of Lincoln Community High
School, who is the daughter of Kristin Green, David Morrow and
Terence Puffer. Morrow plans to attend the University of Illinois
ACES program with an undeclared major. She received a $6000
scholarship.
Rohan Allspach, Mt. Pulaski High School, who
is the son of Gary and Kella Allspach. Allspach plans to attend
Lakeland College for a two year degree in agriculture production. He
received a $6000 scholarship.
The keynote speaker was Greg Webb, Vice President of
Government Relation at Archer Daniels Midland. Webb has been working
at ADM for 38 years.
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As Webb began, he said he was very pleased to be with
everyone for this celebration of agriculture in Logan County. He
grew up in deep southern Illinois in Johnson County. Their farm was
in the middle of Shawnee National Forest, so Webb said they grew
peaches and apples plus had cow and calf operations.
Then Webb spoke about ADM, agriculture and our youth that we need
for this industry. He said these are some of his favorite things.
Webb said ADM began in 1902 originating grain from those who produce
it and transporting products by rail cars, trucks, barges and
vessels.
ADM also has processing plants. Webb said there are
450 origination elevators and 280 processing plants around the
world. They grind corn and crush soybean, canola, sunflower, flax
and cottonseed. In Canada, the Caribbean and the UK, they mill
wheat.
With such a large global footprint, around 42,000 people for ADM.
Webb said about 17,000 employees work in the United States. Just
under 6,000 of those ADM employees work in Illinois and over 4,000
of them work in Decatur.
ADM does business in 200 countries, so world trade flows are very
important for the originators of the crops whether sold as whole
grains or transformed, manufactured products like soybean meal..
Webb said ADM does quite a bit of destination and end-to-end
marketing. Products from Logan County may end up in places like
Cairo, Egypt.
Next, Webb talked about how people in agriculture face both peaks
and valleys but are often eternal optimists.
In Decatur, Webb said they have evolutionary products. For instance,
Webb said ADM has been producing ethanol since 1979. Biofuels have
helped create markets for the company.
When Webb first joined ADM, there were just a few
ingredient streams. Now, with the development of science, innovation
and marketing the same kernel of corn that once had just two or
three marketplaces can have 20 marketplaces.
Placemats Webb had at each table helped give everyone
a sense of the diversity of crops people grow. It is surprising to
many people.
Something Webb said ADM is trying to do is lessen its carbon
footprint. In Decatur, they have been doing decarbonization.
Decarbonization involves capturing the carbon dioxide stream from
the ground corn, super condensing it and then putting it back into
the earth for permanent storage.
ADM believes lower carbon food ingredients, feed
ingredients, fuels, biochemicals are bio industrial products are
what consumers are going to want to demand. Webb said for the
benefit of the producer, these products could be another marketplace
that opens up.
From a sustainability perspective, Webb said producers should think
about leaving the land better tomorrow than it was today.
In ADM’s sustainability program, Webb said there are four pillars
ADM strives for. The program is called Strive 35. The four pillars
are a reduction in water intensity, reduction in energy intensity,
reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a limitation on how much
is sent to the landfill.
The ADM website provides reports on their sustainability. Webb said
they try to keep track of these things in real time.
A message to the younger generation
Webb participates in the Illinois Advisory Committee. He said being
around young people and especially FFA members “really turns my
crank.” There are now more than one million FFA members.
It is the lens into our future and Webb told the youth there the sky
really is the limit with so many opportunities available to them.
Years ago, many careers in agriculture were oriented to the
production side. Today, Webb said there are more than 300 careers in
agriculture and food industries.
Webb said you need to do something you love to do.
Growing up on a farm, Webb knew he wanted to be involved in
agriculture. He loves being involved the agricultural and food
industry and finds it a stimulating, invigorating and satisfying
career. He said we need a diversity of interests and thinking and
told the students a career in agriculture can be very satisfying.
FFA is something Webb loves because it teaches students life skills,
responsibly and accountability. These are all important attributes
for young people to be successful. Webb said young people are our
future and the adults can be mentors and examples for them.
As the event drew to a close, Martin thanked all the FFA advisors
from the various schools for their hard work and asked everyone to
give them a round of applause. He then thanked everyone who came to
support the breakfast.
Reed Naughton, Rohan Allspach, Liam
Smith,
Abby Jones and Kristy Morrow
Once the event was done, the scholarship winners
posed for a photo.
[Angela Reiners] |
