Friday, May 17, 2013   Overview   It is hard to believe that the scheduled end of session is a little more than two weeks away, especially in light of the urgency that usually accompanies this time frame.  The major issues like pension reform, concealed carry, the state budget, and other issues just seem to be in more of a “posturing” stance.  The House and Senate…

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Nearly 900,000 farms in the United States use propane, according to the Propane Education Resource Council -- and with good reason. Propane is a clean-burning, reliable, and efficient energy source. Farmers can depend on propane to effectively and responsibly run their operations both in and out of the field. Activity has been increasing with propane engines throughout the country.  This is because companies are starting to do a better job of designing equipment, properly training…

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      Winter annuals, such as marestail and foxtail, sprung up around the state in recent weeks after temperatures reached the 70s and even 80-plus degrees in some areas.      “When we get these warmer temperatures, it really kicks off the winter annuals,” Barry Nash, GROWMARK weed science technical manager, told FarmWeek on a 70-degree day last week.      “They (winter annuals) are growing very fast,&rdquo…

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Seed placed in a cool, moist environment will soak up (imbibe) moisture, even though it may not be warm enough to trigger germination. Some damage to cell membranes inevitably occurs during this process. Some of the early damage that occurs due to cold water imbibition is irreversible. However, if warm soils allow the seed to germinate rapidly and the seedling continues rapid growth, the developing corn seedling often can repair the early damage and escape problems from invading…

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Viscosity is a physical property of a fluid defined as its resistance to flow and is highly dependent upon temperature.  Lubricant viscosity is closely related to its ability to reduce friction.  If the lubricant is too thick, meaning it has a high viscosity such as honey, it requires a large amount of energy to pump or move.  If it is too thin, the surfaces will rub, friction will increase, and wear will result. It is well known that the viscosity of oil increases (gets…

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  Friday, May 3, 2013   Pension Reform This week saw the first significant movement for pension reform in the General Assembly.  On Tuesday, Speaker Madigan filed an amendment to Senate Bill #1 that included many significant changes to the State Employees Retirement Systems, State University Retirement System, the General Assembly Retirement System, and the Teachers Retirement System.  The…

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I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that this year is shaping up to resemble 2008 with some characteristics of 2009.  It’s amazing to see the yearly contrasts. Last year at this time, corn planting already had come and gone, and today we are far behind the five-year average.  The good news is we still have plenty of good planting days ahead.  As we think back to previous years, crop protection challenges vary more drastically today than they did…

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     Central bankers and politicians across the globe continue to tinker with policies to mask their respective slowdowns, hide their past excesses, and reignite growth in their economies.      The two latest examples happened in the tiny country of Cyprus and, most recently, in Japan.      Government officials in Cyprus -- under the encouragement of the other members of the European Union (EU) -- recently decided they would…

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      What a difference one year makes!  At this time last year, planting was well under way, and in many parts of the Midwest corn was sprouting.  Mother Nature surely has different plans for us this year.       Likewise, it seems cold and wet in the energy markets. Recently, West Texas Intermediate crude oil made new lows.  To make a new low in April is very unusual.       Typically, prices…

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  Thursday, April 25, 2013   Senate Third Reading Today, Thursday, April 25th , is the third reading deadline in the Senate.  This means that Senate bills had to be voted out of the Senate by the close of session today or they will most likely not proceed through the process.  The House did not hold session this week, reaching their third reading deadline last week.  While both…

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