It is one thing to listen to a lecture about the functions of a fully developed wind farm, but it is quite another to learn about the 265 ft. tall turbines as they turn in front of you. As the International Farm Management Association Congress (IFMA) continued today, attendees got to see several agricultural practices first hand throughout Central Illinois. One group toured the Twin Groves Wind Farm, Pioneer research center, and the Klein/Stoller Farm Partnership. It was a once in a lifetime experience for not only those attending the IFMA tours but also for those the giving the tours to learn from others in the international agriculture fields.

The first stop on the tour showcased an up and coming technique in utilizing farm land. The Twin Groves Wind Farm located in McLean County five miles east of the Central Illinois Regional Airport. The wind farm produces 396 megawatts of clean energy per year enough to power around 120,000 homes in Illinois. With over 240 massive turbines the Twin Groves Wind Farm is one of the largest in the country. Most people on the tour were surprise by the ease that the wind farm integrated with the traditional farming practices around it. The turbines themselves only use approximately an acre of land each, therefore, the owners of the land were still able to farm corn and soybeans with little interruption.

Next, the tour headed north to Princeton, Ill. to visit the research center of Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. The center researches and develops hybrids of corn, soybeans, and other crops that are sold internationally. Each product is developed differently depending on the needs of each farmer and region that it is grown in. For example, one strain of corn has been engineered to require 50% less water than most corn grown in Illinois and is deemed “drought resistant.” This kind of corn is sold in very dry areas of Chile and South Africa. It was an eye-opening experience for several IMFA attendees to see the plant where the seed for their crops is produced.

The final stop on the tour showcased a working Central Illinois Farm. The Klein and Stoller families’ consolidated farm utilizes some of the latest technology in agriculture. The most intriguing aspect of the farm, however, was its operation system. It works as one large farm, yet each of the four managers are separate owners of the land. “I really enjoyed the uniqueness of the farm operations, with the families coming together and combining resources. There are huge advantages to the division of labor and specialization that occurs here,” said Doug Jose, an IMFA attendee from the University of Nebraska.

AgWired coverage of the IFMA 17 is made possible by