Pritchard receives service to ag award

Former Illinois Rep. Bob Pritchard, R-Hinckley, recently received the service to agriculture award from the Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers.

The citation, the highest the society presents to nonmembers, honors people who promote and advance the state’s agriculture industry. Pritchard was lauded for his years of service in the interest of Illinois farmers during his 15 years as a state legislator representing the Sycamore and DeKalb area.

Pritchard resigned from the Legislature in 2018 when he was named to the board of trustees at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

The award has been presented annually since 1940. Its recipients have included educators, farm media, secretaries of agriculture, state and federal legislators, and agribusiness leaders.

Tech Connect scheduled for July 16

Tech Connect, a new event from the Illinois Soybean Association checkoff program, provides practical advice to help producers sort through multiple tech options and determine their on-farm potential.

The one-day, free event will be held July 16 at the iHotel and Conference Center in Champaign, Ill. A lineup of speakers and breakout sessions will offer insight into available agriculture technologies.

The program will kick off with “Today’s Ag Tech Landscape,” exploring different categories of today’s ag tech offerings.

Attendees will learn how to implement and evaluate success from Chris Harbourt, adjunct professor of agricultural and bioengineering from the University of Illinois and an ag tech entrepreneur. He will share insights into evaluating a tech sales pitch and making the first year of on-farm implementation a success.

There will be three breakout sessions:

1. Inputs and Planning: Digital Insight for Real Decisions. Participating companies are Growers and Nutrien Ag Solutions.

2. Marketing and Risk Management: Apps and Software for Soft Commodities. Participating companies are AgYield and FarmLead.

3. Integrated Tech Platforms: Moving Toward Whole Farm Tech. Participating companies are Indigo Ag and Granular.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to learn from tech-savvy producers during a panel discussion, “Ag Tech Lessons From My Farm.” Technology company representatives will be available at the end of the program to answer questions. 

The full agenda is available online, where producers can also reserve a seat. Space is limited to the first 75 registrants.

IDOA offers free agrichemical container recycling

The Illinois Department of Agriculture is encouraging farmers and agrichemical facilities to save their empty agrichemical containers as the department plans free container recycling days throughout the state.

Beginning in the middle of August and continuing into September, sites throughout Illinois will collect empty containers, which will be recycled and made into shipping pallets, plastic lumber and other useful products.

Metal and household pesticide containers are not eligible for the recycling program. Collection sites will accept only high-density polyethylene, No. 2 plastic agrichemical containers that are clean and dry.  Participants are responsible for rinsing them and removing all caps, labels, booklets and foil seals.

Additional information can be found on the IDOA website.

There are permanent collection sites at CHS Inc. in Carrollton (call Bryan McMurtrie at 217-942-6991) and Klein Flying Service in Lawrenceville (call Robert Klein at 618-884-1040).

Single-day collection sites will appear across the state, with AM hours of 9 to 11 a.m. and PM hours of 1 to 3 p.m. Asterisks denote site hours are 8 to 11 a.m.