Indiana Corn Acres Decrease as Ethanol Production Increases
For the last five years, Madison County farmer Mike Shuter has maintained the same crop rotation on his farm of two-thirds of his fields in corn and one-third in soybeans. He hasn't seen the need to increase his corn acres even with the evolution of the biofuels industry and its need for corn.  This seems to be the trend across the state. Indiana farmers planted 5.7 million acres of corn in both 2008 and 2009, down from 6.5 million acres in 2007. The majority of Indiana farmers plant corn and soybeans in a two-year rotation, unlike farmers in the Western Corn Belt where you see a more continuous corn environment.

Indiana Corn Acres Decrease

Skillman Speaks Out on Farm Safety
Herbert Off, a farmer in Tipton County, was using a wrench to repair the combine when the tool dislodged and struck him in the head; he died from his injuries. According to Tipton County Coroner Brad Nichols, he was using a wrench to dislodge a clog in the combine's throat when the tool dislodged from the machine. This is the second year in a row that Indiana farm fatalities have been on the rise. Indiana farm fatalities totaled 24 in 2007 and 28 in 2008. Alarmed with this trend, Lt. Governor and Secretary of Agriculture Becky Skillman is speaking out for farm safety, "If there is anything I can do to raise awareness about farm safety as we enter this harvest season, I want to spread that message." She is spreading that message with an announcement being aired by radio stations across the state. The message reinforces things that farmers know all too well but often forget when things get busy. Skillman urges producers not to work when they are tired. She said, with harvest running several weeks late, there is added pressure to get the crop in quickly.   She said the harvest is important but not at the cost of a human life.
Skillman Speaks on Farm Safety

Specialist Offers Tips for Weed Control Before Planting Wheat
Farmers looking to plant winter wheat after the harvest of corn and soybean fields should place weed control near the top of priority list, said a Purdue University specialist.  Weed management is important because it helps with stand establishment, explained Bill Johnson, Purdue Extension weed specialist.  "In areas of the state, we've had a relatively dry fall and these weeds can continue to deplete soil moisture and result in poor wheat stands," he said.  Weeds to be on the look out for include: chickweed, henbit, purple deadnettle, dandelion, and winter annual grasses such as Carolina foxtail, annual bluegrass and little barley. There are only two broad spectrum herbicides labeled for use before planting wheat -- glyphosate and gramoxone, Johnson said.
Weed Control Before Planting

Farm Bureau Speaks Out on RFS2 Proposal
American Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman warns, the Renewable Fuel Standard proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency could allow the EPA to dictate how a farmer manages his or her land. The main concern is the EPA's proposal regarding indirect land use provisions, which claim that ethanol production in the United States indirectly leads to deforestation in tropical countries. This increased authority for EPA greatly worries Farm Bureau members.
RFS2 Proposal