Resources

Pest Management and Crop Development Bulletin

http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/cespubs/pest/

This weekly newsletter will keep you current on pest and crop development issues in Illinois. This publication can also be ordered from the University of Illinois Information office at 1-800-345-6087

This Is Our Land

http://web.aces.uiuc.edu/tabloid/

The Rural —Urban interface and land use issues in Illinois are discussed.

Report 2001-03: 1999 Pricing Performance of Market Advisory Services for Wheat

http://www.farmdoc.uiuc.edu/agmas/reports/pricing.html
This report from the AgMAS Project Office presents an evaluation of advisory service pricing performance in the 1999 crop year for wheat. Specifically, the average price received by a subscriber to an advisory service is calculated for wheat crop harvested in 1999. The average net advisory price across all 23 wheat programs in 1999 is $2.64 per bushel, $0.04 below the market benchmark price. The range of net advisory prices is substantial, with a minimum of $2.18 per bushel and a maximum of $3.38 per bushel. The average revenue achieved by following an advisory service is $163 per acre, $3.00 less than the market benchmark revenue. The spread in advisory revenue also is noteworthy, with the difference between the bottom- and top-performing advisory programs reaching almost $75 per acre.

Beyond The Farm Gate, Agriculture in the 21st Century

This publication provides information that is valuable for identifying and launching successful agribusiness in the 21st century. It specifically targets ag producer groups and rural economic development personnel seeking to create and own larger scale processing operations in rural communities. The manual addresses four key topics necessary for increasing the odds of a successful business: how to create a process for action in an agricultural community; implementation of an action plan; requirements and options for the creation of a legal organization; and a comprehensive list of organizations available to assist in the various components of creating a new business. It is sponsored by the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs (IIRA) at Western Illinois University and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs (DCCA). For additional information contact Jim Holmes at (309) 298- 2674 or visit the IIRA website at www.iira.org.

Farmscaping to Enhance Biological Control

http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/farmscape.html
This publication summarizes practical ways to attract beneficial insects to your farm. These are the natural enemies (predators and parasites) of crop pests. If you can attract them to your fields by raising cover crops or flowers, they will work for you as biological control agents.

Copies can also be ordered from: Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA), P.O. Box 3657, Fayetteville, AR 72702, 800-346-9140, Fax 501-442-9842, http://www.attra.org