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The 17th annual International Farm Management Congress (IFMA17) drew to a close Friday at The Bone Student Center on the campus of Illinois State University.

During the conference, IMFA17 members were privy to a slew of academic presentations from students and professors from the 30 countries that were represented. IMFA17 also took to the road with stops at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, John Deere, Monsanto, Twin Groves Wind Farm, an ethanol plant, hog farm and countless other agricultural destinations.

The theme of IMFA17 was food, fiber and energy, and patrons certainly were educated on all three, whether they were touring an agricultural high school in Chicago or riding on the Peoria Charter Coach buses that have been running on more efficient bio-fuels since 2004.

This year’s conference was one of the most diverse, and allowed for a free exchange of ideas between academics, administrators and farmers. IFMA prides itself on its ability to create an environment where agricultural concepts can thrive, and this years congress certainly allowed for that.

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Bob Swires, President of the Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, presented the association’s mid-year survey Friday at the 17th annual International Farm Management Congress Friday. Here are the findings for the first half of 2009:

1. Illinois Society members indicated that land values fell slightly during the first half of 2009. For excellent quality farmland, land prices declined by $171 per acre, or 2.3%. For fair quality farmland, the decline was $225 per acre, or 5.4%.

2. On July 1, 2009, farmland prices averaged $7,200 for excellent quality farmland, $6,300 for good quality farmland, $4,900 for average quality farmland, and $4,000 for fair quality farmland.

3. Volume of sales declined during the first half of 2009 compared to the first half of 2008. Eighty-eight percent of respondents indicated that volume of sales were less during the first half of 2009.

4. Fifty-six percent of the respondents expected sales to be less during the last half of 2009 as compared to the last half of 2008.

5. Half of the survey respondents expected declines in farmland prices over the next twelve months. Thirty-two percent expected stable prices.

6. Interest rates are expected to increase by 53% of survey respondents over the next year. Forty-seven percent expect stable interest rates. No respondents expect declines in interest rate
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The International Farm Management Association 17 (IMFA 17) Congress, held at Illinois State University this week, came to a close on Friday, July 24 with a unique keynote address from Dr. Lowell B. Catlett. His presentation, “New Frontiers that Change Everything,” was an eye-opening discussion about the future of farm management in connection to changes that have developed within society.

Dr. Catlett began his address with a story about antibiotics first being discovered by those in the agricultural world. “Change is tough, it ‘ain’t’ what we don’t know that will kill us, it’s what we know that we don’t want to be so,” Catlett said in reference to the medical world’s slow acceptance of the claims made by those in the agricultural field about antibiotics and neurogenesis.

“If you want healthy humans, you can’t separate them from animals and nature,” Catlett said multiple times throughout his address. He emphasized the importance of farm managers in providing for the changing needs of each generation. “What’s a luxury for one generation, is a necessity for the next,” he said.

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MEDIA ALERT!

Who: Bob Swires, AFM, Swires Land and Management

What: The Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraiser will release their Mid-Year Survey of Illinois land values for 2009. Did the value of land increase or decrease? Bob Swires of AFM and Swires Land and Management will tell all during the final session of International Farm Management Congress 17 2009.

Where: International Farm Management Association 17 Congress (IFMA 17) at Illinois State University, Brown Ballroom, Bone Student Center, Bloomington, Ill.

When: Friday, July 24 at 9:30 a.m.

Why: The survey highlights changes taking place in farmland value, and the results are only released once a year. Also, this marks a change in venue for the survey results that are usually unveiled at the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Ill. Six weeks earlier than usual!

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Amin Ismail Abdou of the National Research Centre in Egypt presented the abstract of his paper on the role of Egyptian women in agriculture during Wednesday’s afternoon session of the 17th International Farm Management Association Congress.

Abdou acknowledged that Egyptian women have significantly improved their standards of living over the years. While the women’s suffrage movement during the 1920s and 1930s helped women to improve their social status in the United States, it was not until later in the century that Egyptian women were able to improve their quality of life. Since the mid 1970s, the number of women in the Egyptian parliament has increased from 30 to 65. Increased amounts of women are rising to high-ranking posts that were exclusively held by men in the past. Today, women constitute nearly 43 percent of Egypt’s labor force.

While women have made much progress, Abdou noted, these advances have been limited geographically. The rural sector has not made as drastic of improvements as the urban dwellers have and are still behind in most aspects. A mere 6.7 percent of rural women are in the official labor force, a small number compared to 28 percent of women in urban areas. Illiteracy rates range between 50 and 70 percent of women in rural areas, while less than 35 percent of urban women are illiterate.

There are many differences for this variance. Religion, traditions, education levels, geographic location and ethnic influence are major factors that prevent a better standard of living. North and South Egypt are vastly different in beliefs. In the South, women are not allowed to marry outside of their family for fear that the land will fall out of the family’s name once the woman marries. Therefore, genetic mutations such as blindness and lameness are common. Abdou also points out these factors are interactive.
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John Hewlett of the University of Wyoming teamed up with Jeffrey Tranel and
 Rodney Sharp of Colorado State University to develop a series of CD- and
 web-based courses to help producers manage different kinds of risk after
 studying the demographics of small-scale farming operations in the states of
Arizona, Colorado and Wyoming. The men presented their work yesterday at the International Farm Management Congress at Illinois State University.



After describing current trends in agriculture that have shown more
producers to be of older ages, with 86 percent of farm operators being over the age
of 45, and citing the increased amount of producers who have continued their
education beyond a high school diploma, Tranel emphasized the need for more
resources to be available to farmers who want to continue their education.
In addition, the agriculture industry has seen a tremendous growth in small
agriculture operations. Risk management is an important part of this, as many
producers want and need more education on this topic. Tranel encourages
good risk taking which he defined as taking the right risks to maximize
profits and reduce income variability in order to meet strategic goals.



Sharp introduced several programs that aid in risk management education.
The Ag Survivor Simulation Program helps producers to better understand
their own tolerances of risks. AGR Lite features courses that help farmers
with proper record keeping procedures that make tax preparations easier.
Proper record keeping also helps to enhance risk management. In light of
the research showing an increased population of aging farmers, the trio also
developed A Lasting Legacy. This program is for older producers who want to
make accommodations for their business operations, possessions, assets and
funeral arrangements before they die.


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It’s not only the IFMA17 members that are traveling around the state of Illinois this week, their spouses are getting in on the act to.
After participating in an Abraham Lincoln educational tour earlier this week, that included stops at the David Davis Mansion, The McLean County Museum of History and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, the husbands and wives took to the road again Wednesday.

The first stop was to Mitsubishi Motors Manufacturing plant, just a short drive from the Bone Student Center at Illinois State University, where this weeks IMFA17 Congress is being held. The group had the chance to see the processes involved in manufacturing some of Mitsubishi’s most popular cars. Spouses could see cars being painted, windows being placed by robotic arms and the everyday nuances that occur on “the line” at an auto factory.

Next up was Mackinaw Valley Vineyard where guests were able to take a tour of the entire vineyard, as well as take part in a wine tasting, that included several differing fermented beverages.

After walking the grounds and enjoying some of the great panoramic views of the vineyard, the spouses had a relaxing lunch before moving on to the Funk Prairie Home and Gem Mineral Museum.

The Funk home is the restored 1864 residence of former Illinois State Senator Lafayette Funk, and included several Funk Family memorabilia and antiques. The group toured the home as well as a beautiful formal garden. Spouses were also able to take in what is considered to be one of the largest one-man rock collections in America at the Gem and Mineral Museum.

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In the wake of headlined disease outbreaks in livestock, such as the H1N1 virus and Avian flu among several others, Dr. Ann Wilkinson, associate director of Global Alliances for Pfizer Animal Health in Christchurch, New Zealand, spoke at Wednesday morning’s session of the International Farm Management Association Congress on issues relating to advancements in animal health and food safety.

In her presentation, Dr. Wilkinson outlined several hot topics in the current livestock industry. With the occurrence of many transboundary diseases over the past several years, there are many human health issues closely related to livestock production. While an intense amount of scientific research goes into the development of new products and use of drugs such as vaccines, antibiotics and hormones, consumers tend to create their own perceptions of these developments and practices- regardless of the benefits and scientific logic backing such discoveries. These misconceptions have had a significant impact on the livestock sector, which accounts for 40 percent of agriculture’s Gross Domestic Product.

Dr. Wilkinson explained Pfizer, which is an animal pharmaceutical company with operations in 60 countries, has shifted their primary focus to disease prevention. “Prevention, prevention, prevention,” Dr. Wilkinson emphasized. Prevention is less costly and easier to implement in an operation as opposed to treating an entire herd. Over the years, less emphasis has been made towards antibiotic use and more focus has been given to prevention methods, including vaccination. Vaccinations have evolved rapidly over the years.
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As delegates from over 26 countries convene in central Illinois this week for the International Farm Management Congress, they are sure to not go hungry courtesy of local organizations.

Each tour allows for a 10 minute “grab and go” break where conference attendees can snatch a quick snack and share stories with other delegates.

GROWMARK called on organizations like the Illinois State University Department of Agriculture, Ladies of St. Ann’s Rectory and various 4-H Clubs to sponsor the refreshments.

Jane Castellano of GROWMARK explained these sponsorships may appear as a simple gesture, but the organizations’ support contributes to the overall networking purpose of the Congress.

Castellano said, “It gives [delegates] the chance to interact with the local farmers hosting the tours.” Castellano added the “grab and go” is also a benefit for central Illinoisans as well to gain a global perspective from the international delegates as well.

And after a long day of touring, the refreshments also provide an opportunity to relax. Congress correspondent Erin Yancey said, “It was just nice to know people took the time to think of us. Traveling all day can be exhausting so it was nice to have a quick break.”

The efforts of these organizations are not going unnoticed. IFMA 17 is offering to reimburse organizations or to provide a donation.

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