View from the Cab: Looking back on '22
By: Kent Casson
As another year comes to a close, it is time for us to take a look back at some of the bigger local ag stories covered by the Central Illinois Farm Network in 2022.
The newly-named state executive director of the Farm Service Agency was Scott Halpin from the Gardner area. He looked forward to helping Illinois agriculture through the variety of programs offered by FSA. The Gardner-South Wilmington High School graduate farms in that area with his father and brother, raising corn, soybeans, hay and beef cattle.
Though she resides in Central Illinois, Carol Zimmerman Turner’s heart was in eastern Europe where she has visited several times. The Pontiac resident, formerly of Chatsworth, took a two-month trip to the region in 1983. Though war is occurring in Ukraine following the February Russian invasion, Turner visited during a time of peace but also Communism.
With cold temperatures lingering into April, local farmer Rodney Rhoda was leaning toward planting soybeans first. He used to put corn in the ground first by nowadays, feels farmers are better off planting beans while waiting for soil temperatures to warm.
“It’s going to be cold but I think ground conditions maybe will get close enough to plant some beans,” Rhoda told The Central Illinois Farm Network.
One of the Republican candidates for Illinois governor visited with farmers at the Prairie Central Cooperative grain elevator west of Chenoa over the summer. Jesse Sullivan and members of his “Farmers for Sullivan” coalition gathered in a shed for lunchtime conversation and a brief media availability.
A new garden was added to the Livingston County fairgrounds in memory of a longtime fair volunteer who dedicated her life to children and 4-H members. Roberta Maubach, who passed away last fall, served on the Livingston County Ag Fair board for several years and was a leader for the Cornell Classic Clovers 4-H Club and Cloverbuds. She was inducted into the Illinois 4-H Hall of Fame in 2021 for her contributions to 4-H.
Local farmers like Matt Kilgus hopeed to be going strong with the 2022 harvest before September ended. Just a couple of weeks prior, he thought most of the corn would be harvested before his beans since the beans were so green.
Those are some of our top Central Illinois Farm Network story picks for 2022. Have a Happy New Year.
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