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Twin Groves Wind Farm
Located on the wind-swept Bloomington Moraine in eastern McLean County, Twin Groves Wind Farm offers 396 megawatts of affordable, pollution-free wind energy, enough to meet the annual energy needs of about 118,000 homes. The project supports the local economy through royalties to 140 landowners whose land spans over 22,000 acres -providing a cash flow that supplements earnings from farming. During construction, 350 jobs were created and presently, 37 full-time employees support current operations. Twin Groves also brings new jobs and substantial tax revenues to the county and local schools.
Monsanto Learning CenterThe Monsanto Learning Center near Monmouth, Illinois was developed to provide answers and solutions to current questions and issues related to production agriculture. At the Monsanto Learning Center, you will learn about agronomic issues that affect you today, as well as tomorrow.While at the here you can tour the research plots and labs, and have classroom training. Some of the more common topics attendees are interested in include: weeds, insects, diseases, tillage, fertility utilization, hybrids and varieties, intensive corn and soybean management systems, plant populations, plant spatial arrangement, herbicide application, and future technology.
Pioneer Hi-Bred Seed Corn Processing and Soybean Research Facilities
Congress guests will be able to select a tour through the Pioneer Hi-Bred International seed corn production facility at Princeton, Illinois, and its sister soybean research facility just a short distance down the road. Both facilities are state-of-the-art and will offer Congress attendees an upclose close look at the activities carried on at these two facilities. Lunches will be served at the seed corn plant.
Keynote Congress Speakers Announced
Dr. Rob Fraley, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for Monsanto. Dr. Fraley is recognized as the inventor and discoverer of the herbicide marketed as RoundUp. We have asked him to focus his presentation on the need for and acceptance of genetically modified organisms...or GMOs...in feeding a hungry world.
Dr. David Pimentel,who is a professor of ecology and agricultural sciences at Cornell University, in Ithaca, NY. Dr. Pimentel is most noted and quoted for his study that finds that producing ethanol and biodiesel from corn and other crops is not worth the energy.
Dr. Robert Thompson, Gardner Chair in Agricultural Policy at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.
William Niebur,Ph.D., Vice President of DuPont Crop Genetics Research and Development with Pioneer Hi-Bred. Dr. Neibur has responsibility for driving worldwide crop genetics research strategies to create new value for seed and agricultural value chain customers through advanced plant genetics. Dr. Niebur has been invited but has not as yet confirmed his attendance.
Gabriel Alonso, chief development officer with Horizon Wind Energy. Horizon’s parent company, which is headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal, is the third largest integrated Iberian electric utility and one of the leading generators of electricity from renewable sources globally. Horizon Wind as the developers of the Twin Groves Wind Farm located just a few miles east of Bloomington/Normal.
Welcome to Bloomington/Normal - Video
Theme, Logo Announced for 2009 Farm Management Congress
"Agriculture: Food, Fiber and Energy for the Future" has been selected as the theme for the International Farm Management Congress which will be held in Bloomington/Normal in July 2009. Hosting the event will be members of the Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers.
"This is extremely topical and versatile as a theme," says Chapter President Andy Brorsen, ARA, of Brorsen Appraisals in Kankakee. "Agriculture in the United States, and for sure in other regions of the world, has always had a focus on food and fiber. Now, as corn and other biomass crops are being used for the production of ethanol, and soy oil is becoming a greater factor in the production of diesel fuel, we can certainly add energy to the list, particularly energy for the future."
Brorsen went on to explain that a good deal of the program during the 2009 Congress will address the elements of the theme. "There will be a great many academic papers presented and the subjects of those presentations will springboard off the theme that we have selected.
An International Logo
The logo has a true international flavor to it as it was designed by a young fine artist in Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria. "Dido Kaludov is the brother of one of our daughters-in-law," explains Carroll Merry, executive director of the Illinois Society. "We met Dido when our son and his wife were married in Bulgaria three years ago. We knew he had a particular talent for design concepts, so when it came time to develop a logo we asked him to submit some ideas. The final piece is actually a composite of two renditions he submitted.
"He has finished his formal education and is currently working for a company that produces music. He does a great deal of the art on the cd jackets," Merry notes. "We did not want a corn and soybeans theme in the graphics. It had to be something that could be considered much more universal in approach."
The Congress will run July 19 - 24 and will be based out of the Illinois State University campus facilities. Merry notes that the Congress is held every two years and this will be only the second time it has been in the United, the last time being 1982. Merry and other Illinois Society members travelled to the 2005 Congress when it was in Brazil and to Ireland this summer for IFMA16. The 2011 event is scheduled for New Zealand.
"Agriculture: Food, Fiber and Energy for the Future" has been selected as the theme for the International Farm Management Congress which will be held in Bloomington/Normal in July 2009. Hosting the event will be members of the Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers.
"This is extremely topical and versatile as a theme," says Chapter President Andy Brorsen, ARA, of Brorsen Appraisals in Kankakee. "Agriculture in the United States, and for sure in other regions of the world, has always had a focus on food and fiber. Now, as corn and other biomass crops are being used for the production of ethanol, and soy oil is becoming a greater factor in the production of diesel fuel, we can certainly add energy to the list, particularly energy for the future."
Brorsen went on to explain that a good deal of the program during the 2009 Congress will address the elements of the theme. "There will be a great many academic papers presented and the subjects of those presentations will springboard off the theme that we have selected.
An International Logo
The logo has a true international flavor to it as it was designed by a young fine artist in Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria. "Dido Kaludov is the brother of one of our daughters-in-law," explains Carroll Merry, executive director of the Illinois Society. "We met Dido when our son and his wife were married in Bulgaria three years ago. We knew he had a particular talent for design concepts, so when it came time to develop a logo we asked him to submit some ideas. The final piece is actually a composite of two renditions he submitted.
"He has finished his formal education and is currently working for a company that produces music. He does a great deal of the art on the cd jackets," Merry notes. "We did not want a corn and soybeans theme in the graphics. It had to be something that could be considered much more universal in approach."
The Congress will run July 19 - 24 and will be based out of the Illinois State University campus facilities. Merry notes that the Congress is held every two years and this will be only the second time it has been in the United, the last time being 1982. Merry and other Illinois Society members travelled to the 2005 Congress when it was in Brazil and to Ireland this summer for IFMA16. The 2011 event is scheduled for New Zealand.