2. By Dale Boyer
Arcola First Bank
Illinois football is back in
the news and the area appears
to be jumping on board the
Lovie Smith bandwagon.
There is more buzz around the
Illinois football program now
than there has been since the
Rose Bowl season almost a
decade ago. So, what does a
new football coach at a school
that hasn’t produced much
success on the field have to do
with an article on agriculture?
Well, for 2016, I think its all
about defense. You see, Lovie
Smith has been known for his
defensive philosophy, a phi-
losophy that allowed him to
lead the Chicago Bears to
Super Bowl XLI in 2007. With
limited profitability prospects
on the farm, 2016 will be a
year that needs to be managed
cautiously. The farmer would
be wise to take a more defen-
sive position in managing
costs and taking small profits
when available, versus taking
undue risk and trying to score
on a big play.
Before we delve into an
unpredictable future, let’s
take a moment and look at the
past. The 2015 farm operating
year has come and gone with-
out many newsworthy high-
lights, and that’s a good thing.
It wasn’t a great year, but it
wasn’t a terrible year either.
Farmers in Douglas County
and the surrounding areas
were pretty fortunate in 2015.
Growing conditions in our
area were a lot more favorable
than others throughout the
state. Many areas throughout
Illinois were hit with heavy
rains in the spring that caused
significant delays in planting
and ponding issues in fields
from which they were not able
to recover. Yields in 2015
were once again above the 5
year moving average for most
local operators. This is a posi-
tive trend as this moving aver-
age continues to drift higher.
Commodity prices continue
to be a major challenge for
farmers. From 2010 to 2013,
farmers were able to take
advantage of prices that had
reached record levels. Grain
prices today are well off from
those record levels and are
anticipated to remain well
below those levels. Grain
prices are being pushed down
by a multitude of factors, but
really it’s simply supply and
demand. Supplies of grain
around the world are abun-
dant and thus demand is suf-
fering. Three of the largest
corn crops in the history of the
United States have attributed
to this abundance of supply.
Slowing ethanol production
has also been a factor in
reduced demand and thus
prices. Prices for corn and
beans started 2015 at levels
around $4.00 per bushel and
$10.00 per bushel, respective-
ly. Unfortunately, prices did
not maintain these levels
throughout the year. Corn
prices fell to less than $3.25
around harvest time while
beans fell to the $8.50 range.
Current prices are up a little
from these lows, but we have
not experienced rapid price
appreciation. Long range price
projections for 2016 and
beyond are not showing much
positive change. A recent price
projection from the USDA esti-
mated a range of $3.50 to
$3.75 for corn prices and
$8.55 to $8.75 for bean prices.
These lower prices have
caused reductions in net
income on the farm the past
couple of years and are
expected to continue to affect
bottom line results in 2016 as
well.
Commodity prices are just
one side of the equation, what
about costs? The continual
decline in prices of grain over
the last 2 years has many
operators focusing on ways to
lower costs in their operation.
In some cases, this is easier
said than done. The retreat of
input costs has lagged the
retreat in grain prices. One of
the largest expenses in the
farm operation is the cost of
ground. Cash rents of farm
ground escalated over the
past decade, and is one exam-
ple of an area that has been
slow to respond to the reduc-
tion in commodity prices.
Cash rents have retreated
some in 2016, but some rents
are still way too high to farm
profitably. In 2006, the aver-
age cash rent in Illinois was
$132 per acre. By 2014, the
average cash rent had risen to
$234 per acre, an increase of
more than 77% over the 8
year period! We did see some
relief in 2015, as the average
rent declined to $228 per acre
in Illinois. Average cash rents
for 2016 in our area are
expected to be around $265 to
$275 for good ground. Seed
costs have actually continued
to increase. Reasoning for the
increase is partly due to the
research and development
component and genetics in the
seed that allow the crop to
perform better in varying
growing conditions.
Anhydrous and other forms of
fertilizer are trending down
heading into the spring plant-
ing season, and this trend
needs to continue to play out
to assist bottom lines. Many
operators are also continually
looking into their chemical
and weed management pro-
grams for ways to save on the
cost side as well.
So, what does the future
hold? Reduced grain prices
paired with elevated costs
have led to projections of real-
ly tight margins for the 2016
crop. Input prices do typically
adjust to changes in crop
prices, but the degree of
adjustment varies across the
inputs. As stated above, costs
have been slow to retreat.
Thus, farm profitability is
expected to continue to take a
step back in 2016. Grain mar-
keting will be extremely
important in determining the
overall profitability of the
farm.
A popular topic of conversa-
tion in the agricultural indus-
try continues to be the elevat-
ed level of farmland values.
The appetite for farm ground
is still strong throughout
Illinois. Price levels are hover-
ing near recent highs, even
with the drop in grain prices
and profitability in farming.
The amounts received at land
auctions throughout the area
remain above historical levels
and are extremely attractive
to potential sellers. Recent
sales in Coles and Douglas
County have seen prices vary-
ing from $10,000 to $12,500
per acre range. Many factors
affect these sales prices,
including soil types, produc-
tivity ratings and terrain. With
the aforementioned reduc-
tions in cash rent levels as
well as profitability issues, the
short term outlook is that
farmland prices will be pres-
sured to come down.
However, capitalization mod-
els run by the University of
Illinois recently implied that
farmland values are not too
high, unsustainable or leading
to a bubble. So, I don’t expect
to see any drastic changes in
land prices in the near future.
As noted in previous arti-
cles, agriculture plays a big
part in the success of the over-
all economy in Central Illinois
and in the communities in
which we live. Many business-
es in our area are linked to
agriculture in one form or
another. With tighter margins
expected on the farm, most
operators do not plan to make
any major equipment changes
in an effort to maintain work-
ing capital and decrease lever-
age. This will probably have a
negative impact on the local
implement dealers and other
suppliers. These businesses
may suffer as farmers look to
preserve cash. Prices on used
equipment have fallen over
the past few months.
Implement dealers have sales
lots that are full of used equip-
ment with what appears to be
limited market potential.
Cronus Chemicals continues
to move forward with it’s’
plan of constructing a billion
dollar fertilizer plant in
Douglas County. While
delayed from the initial time-
line, the project continues to
move forward and work on
the site should begin this sum-
mer. This new major manufac-
turing facility will bring
numerous jobs to the area.
The addition of this facility
will not doubt aid in making
Douglas County more attrac-
tive to other forms of agri-
business as well. The farming
industry is no doubt alive and
vibrant in our area.
The challenge for success of
local producers in 2016 are
apparent. Farmers would be
wise to not take any additional
risks within their operation
and move forward cautiously.
As Coach Lovie Smith’s
resume shows, sometimes it is
better to punt and play
defense than go for it on 4th
down. Scoring on the big play
is risky and the success rate is
low. Being conservative isn’t
always easy and popular, but
can lead to long term financial
success.
So, as we move closer
towards planting season, I
hope Mother Nature is once
again kind to us throughout
the year and our local opera-
tors are able to achieve con-
tinued success in 2016 and
beyond.
PAGE 2B Thursday, March 31, 2016 ARCOLA RECORD-HERALD
It’s all about field position
Dale Boyer, president & CEO, Arcola First Bank.

3. As planting time nears,
March has been busy with
meetings and decisions. For
the most part seed, fertilizer
and herbicide choices have
been made for the growing
season. Crop insurance level
declarations had to be made
March 15th. Douglas County
Farm Bureau hosted a meet-
ing early in March dealing
with markets and crop insur-
ance and has a meeting about
truck regulations scheduled
for 10 AM Thursday March
31st at the Douglas County Ag
Center. The speaker will be
Kevin Rund of Illinois Farm
Bureau. He makes the myriad
of regulations on trucks a little
more understandable.
On the farm, tractors,
planters, sprayers and tillage
equipment are being readied
for the planting season. This
can vary from general mainte-
nance such as greasing bear-
ings and airing tires to
updates that will help with
efficiency and accuracy in
planting or application. In the
past, corn planting usually
started in mid to late April
with the goal of being done by
May 10th. Improved seed corn
genetics coupled with seed
treatments that prevent seed-
ing disease and insect damage
have moved planting into the
first part of April. An even,
consistent stand of corn plants
is essential in having a good
corn crop. The tillage and
planting equipment of the
past would not handle a lot of
crop residue – stalks, leaves
and other parts of the plant
left in the field after harvest.
The first tillage trip of the year
was often with a moldboard
plow to bury the residue from
the previous year’s crop. This
allowed the secondary tillage
and planting operations to
proceed with less trouble due
to crop residue. Better equip-
ment and seed are helping
with getting the crop off to
good start. The longer grow-
ing season offered with early
planting adds to that good
start. Research is showing that
late April planting of soybeans
leads to increased yields as
well. However no matter
what the calendar says, good
soil conditions and a soil tem-
perature no lower than 50
degrees are usually the best
conditions to start planting.
Herbicide choices are
weighed carefully each year.
The weeds the farmer needs
to control, the crop being
planted and the genetic resist-
ances the seed carries, the
previous year’s crop and her-
bicide used on it and the crop
planned for the following year
all enter this decision. Cost is
important too, with tight mar-
gins in the farm sector. The
herbicides of 30 years ago had
application rates of 2 or 3
quarts per acre and often had
long residuals in the soil.
Today’s weed control prod-
ucts are applied at ounces per
acre and are often contact
killers with no soil residual. A
mix of the two are looked at
recently to offer better control
of hard to kill weeds. Some
weeds have always been hard
to control. In other cases,
resistance is developing after
repeated use of similar herbi-
cides in successive crops,
making the herbicide choice
even more important.
As planting season begins,
we ask you to watch for farm
machinery on the road. A trac-
tor and planter folded on the
road might be 60 feet long, 16
feet wide and not very maneu-
verable. With traffic moving
55 mph and a farm implement
moving 15 mph, accidents can
happen very quickly. As I have
noted before, we don’t want to
be on the roads with farm
equipment. We just don’t have
any choice as we move from
field to field. Thank you for
being careful on the roads this
spring and thank you for read-
ing this update on Douglas
County agriculture.
Larry W. Dallas
President
Douglas County Farm
Bureau
URBANA – The results of
new research at the University
of Illinois indicate that it is
possible for producers to
reduce feed costs if yellow
dent corn, a staple of swine
diets in the United States, is
ground to a finer particle size.
The smaller particle size
allows pigs to derive more
energy from the corn, which
means producers can reduce
the amount of fat added to
diets (reducing their costs)
without affecting the growth
performance or carcass char-
acteristics of pigs
Hans H. Stein, professor of
animal sciences at the U of I,
and his lab conducted an
experiment to determine if
growth performance and car-
cass characteristics differed
among pigs fed diets that had
the same amount of energy,
but contained corn that was
ground to different particle
sizes. Current industry recom-
mendations call for corn fed to
pigs to be ground to a particle
size of around 650 microns.
"When corn is ground to
smaller particle sizes, pigs can
derive more energy from it
because the increase in sur-
face area means that digestive
enzymes have more access to
the nutrients in corn, which
results in increased digestibil-
ity of starch," said Stein.
"Therefore, you can reduce
the amount of fat added to the
diets without a loss of metabo-
lizable energy if you use more
finely ground corn. In this
study, we tested the hypothe-
sis that added fat can be
removed from diets contain-
ing finely ground corn without
impacting growth perform-
ance and carcass characteris-
tics of the pigs."
The researchers fed grow-
ing-finishing pigs diets con-
taining corn ground to 865,
677, 485, and 339 microns.
Diets were formulated to con-
tain the same amount of
metabolizable energy by vary-
ing the amount of added fat.
The diets using the most
coarsely ground corn con-
tained 3.60 to 3.87 percent fat,
whereas the diets using the
most finely ground corn con-
tained 2 percent fat.
The carcass characteristics
of pigs fed diets containing
corn ground to the different
particle sizes were very simi-
lar. Backfat depth, hot carcass
weight, loin eye area, pH of
loin eye area, and fat-free lean
percentage were not affected
by particle size. However,
dressing percentage
increased, and empty intestin-
al weight decreased, as parti-
cle size decreased.
Growth performance was
also not affected by corn parti-
cle size. The pigs' final body
weight, overall average daily
feed intake, and overall aver-
age daily gain were not differ-
ent among treatments. For
gilts, the gain:feed ratio
decreased as particle size
decreased, but this was attrib-
utable to the reduced intestin-
al weight. When calculated on
the basis of hot carcass
weight, gain:feed did not differ
among treatments.
Stein said that these results
indicate that it is possible for
producers to reduce feed costs
if corn is ground to a finer par-
ticle size. "By using corn
ground to a smaller particle
size, producers can decrease
the amount of fat added to
growing-finishing diets with-
out affecting growth perform-
ance or carcass composition.
However, the increased dress-
ing percentage may result in
an increase in the amount of
saleable meat from the pigs
fed diets containing corn
ground to a smaller particle
size."
Although feeding corn
ground to smaller particle
sizes has been observed to
lead to ulcers in some studies,
there was no incidence of
ulcers in the esophageal
region of the stomach in pigs
in the current study regard-
less of particle size. However,
an increase in keratinization
was observed as particle size
decreased, which Stein cau-
tioned might lead to ulcers if
pigs are stressed.
The paper, "Effects of parti-
cle size of yellow dent corn on
physical characteristics of diets
and growth performance and
carcass characteristics of
growing–finishing pigs," was
co-authored by Oscar Rojas
and Yanhong Liu of the U of I,
and is published in a recent edi-
tion of the Journal of Animal
Science. The full text can be
found online at
https://www.animalscien-
cepublications.org/publica-
tions/jas/articles/94/2/619.
ARCOLA RECORD-HERALD Thursday, March 31, 2016 PAGE 3B
Improved treatments, genetics means
earlier corn planting season here
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4. "Achoo!" A sneeze, cough,
itchy, runny eyes and nose are
all symptoms of seasonal
allergies. While they can
make anyone miserable, they
often have a more serious
impact on the lives and health
of seniors. Complicating fac-
tors, such as chronic disease
and conflicts between medica-
tions, make it difficult for
older adults to safely treat
their allergies.
Here’s what you need to
know about spring allergies
and how you can help your
senior loved one stay safe dur-
ing allergy season.
What caregivers
need to know
about seniors and
allergy season
What causes allergies?
An allergic reaction results
when the body's immune sys-
tem becomes sensitized and
overreacts to something in the
environment. The most com-
mon triggers are grass, mold
and pollen.
In the Midwest, spring aller-
gies can actually begin in
February and last until early
summer. Mild winter temper-
atures cause plants to polli-
nate early. A rainy spring can
promote rapid plant growth
and lead to an increase in
mold, causing symptoms well
into fall.
Ragweed grows wild every-
where but especially on the
east coast and in the Midwest.
It is the most common culprit
for fall allergies. Ragweed
plants bloom and release
pollen from August through
November.
Why are allergies
especially dangerous
to seniors?
Allergy symptoms and nasal
congestion can lead to
increased shortness of breath
for older adults who have a
chronic disease. According to
the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC),
allergies are the 6th leading
cause of chronic illness. Adults
in this country spend over $18
billion a year trying to manage
them.
Allergies impact seniors in a
variety of ways.
Antihistamines, which many
people take to minimize the
effects of allergies, can
increase blood pressure.
Medications many seniors
take to lower blood pressure
may negatively interact with
antihistamines. Cardiac and
pulmonary conditions such as
COPD can be aggravated by
pollen, mold and dust.
Make sure to inform your
doctor about your senior
loved one's allergies and con-
sult with him or her before
using over-the-counter med-
ications. This seems obvious
but patients often focus on the
"big" health issues with their
physician and fail to mention
allergies.
Get to know what
triggers a senior
loved one’s allergies
What might surprise you is
that more than two thirds of
spring allergy sufferers have
year-round symptoms.
Common allergy triggers
include:
• Pollen, mold and dust
• Smoke from campfire or
fireplace
• Insect bites and stings
• Chlorine in indoor and
outdoor swimming pools
• Pine trees and grass
3 tips to protect
a senior during
allergy season
1. Control the environment
Encourage your senior
loved one to stay indoors with
windows and doors closed
during peak allergy season.
Keep the windows shut when
riding in the car. Use an air
conditioner, fan or humidifier
to cool the house and car.
2. Avoid outdoor exposure
Pollen counts are highest
midday and in the afternoon.
Avoid going outdoors during
times pollen counts are pre-
dicted to be the worst. If you
have to go outdoors, wear a
filter mask, take medications
beforehand and change
clothes when you come back
inside.
Local weather reports often
include pollen alerts in their
daily updates. The National
Pollen website also publishes
allergy forecasts.
3. Work closely with your
doctor or allergist
An allergist can help you
pinpoint the source of your
aging loved one's suffering
and find safe ways to treat it.
Consult your senior family
member’s primary care physi-
cian to obtain a referral to one
of these specialists.
Also be sure to discuss any
over-the-counter allergy med-
ications with your physician
before taking them. Remind
your doctor of all non-allergy
medications you or your sen-
ior loved one are taking to
avoid potential drug interac-
tions.
PAGE 4B Thursday, March 31, 2016 ARCOLA RECORD-HERALD
TRIPLE H GRAIN SYSTEMS
JOHN TAYLOR
P.O. Box 319, Ashmore Rd. • Oakland, IL 61943
Office: (217) 346-2155 • Cell: (217) 218-3614 • Fax: (217) 346-2159
Brenda Hearn
Carriage Crossing Assisted
Living & Memory Support
Spring is in the air;
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5. ARCOLA RECORD-HERALD Thursday, March 31, 2016 PAGE 5B
We’ll Grow
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Spring tips for your lawn and garden
A great lawn
in less time
A stunning lawn is the trade-
mark of most proud homeown-
ers. After all, the front yard is
the first thing visitors and
passersby see. But achieving
and maintaining the perfect
landscape can be time consum-
ing without the right tools.
Want more of your week-
ends back? Experts say achiev-
ing professional-level results
in less time starts with the
equipment you use to do the
job. Take stock of the tools in
your garage or shed. Are they
up to the task? If you’re spend-
ing too much time on the yard,
it may be time to make some
key upgrades.
The right lawnmower, for
example, “is not just an invest-
ment in the beauty of your
property, it’s an investment in
your quality of life,” says Judy
Altmaier, general manager of
Exmark, a leading manufactur-
er of mowers and other lawn
equipment. “A faster mower
means more free time, plain
and simple.”
With that principle in mind,
here are a few insights about
what to look for when replac-
ing an older mower with a
new, more efficient model.
• Maneuverability: Between
trees, flower beds and other
landscape features, a mower
should be easy to maneuver, so
you can mow closer and spend
less time with the trimmer.
• Quality of cut: Not all mow-
ers offer the same quality of
cut. When choosing a new
mower, take this factor into
consideration, as well as the
type of lawn and grass you
have.
• Durability: A durable
mower will include features
such as welded, fabricated cut-
ting decks, commercial engines
and heavy-duty welded, tubu-
lar steel unibody frames.
For quick guidance, consider
taking a cue from those who
make a living by being more
efficient in the yard – land-
scape professionals.
“These days, it’s safe to say
that zero-turn riding mowers
have become the tool of choice
among landscape profession-
als,” says Altmaier.
Those from Exmark, for
example, are available at vari-
ous price points and offer great
mower productivity, power
and durability. For more infor-
mation, visit
www.Exmark.com.
This season, give yourself
more time and energy to enjoy
the yard you so painstakingly
maintain.
Attract beautiful
birds to your yard
When hosting neighbors and
friends for spring gatherings,
your thoughts may dwell on
accommodating guests. But
how often do you consider
your animal visitors?
“During spring, flocks of
birds migrate and are looking
for places to refuel and rest,”
says Spencer Schock, Founder
of WindowAlert, makers of
bird-friendly products for
homes. “A few small tweaks to
your yard, is like placing out a
welcome mat.”
Unfortunately, migration is
not without peril or hardship,
but Schock says turning your
home into a refuge for birds
can be fun and add beauty to
your yard. He offers these tips
to keep feathered travelers
safe during their migratory
journey.
• Protect flight: Millions of
birds die annually by striking
glass, making windows a haz-
ard to birds in flight. Try apply-
ing special decals that reflect
ultraviolet sunlight to your
home’s windows, particularly
those windows that are highly
reflective of open sky.
The decals won’t affect your
view because they’re virtually
invisible to humans, but will
help keep birds safe. For exam-
ple, those from WindowAlert
have patterns that give the
appearance of slightly frosted
translucent glass, but glow like
a stoplight for birds. The brand
also makes a high-tech liquid
called WindowAlert UV Liquid,
which can be applied between
decals.
Such ultraviolet decals have
been scientifically proven to
keep birds safer. A 2015
American Bird Conservancy
Study found that the more
WindowAlert decals that were
applied to a piece of glass cov-
ering the departure point of a
flight tunnel, the more birds
avoided it (a net protected all
the birds in the study from
actually getting hurt, no matter
where they chose to fly).
• Bed and Breakfast:
Birdfeeders come in all shapes,
sizes and styles, and simply
adding one to your yard can
help beautify it and give birds
the energy needed to continue
their flight.
Remember though, bird
strikes are often a problem
near bird feeders, as feeding
birds are easily frightened and
are apt to take wild, evasive
flight; position feeders closer
than three feet or farther than
30 feet from windows. If your
feeder is close to the window,
birds fly away from the house.
Believe it or not, the safest type
of feeder is the kind that attach
to the window itself.
You can also make your
home’s outdoor spaces more
bird-friendly filling your gar-
den with the right plants and
flowers for pollinating bird
species.
• Watch and record: Grab a
pair of binoculars and a field
guide book and take note of the
types of birds you see and
when. This will help you
become better prepared for
next season. In addition, con-
sider becoming a “citizen sci-
entist” by submitting your
observations to The Audubon
Society and Cornell
University’s database at
ebird.org.
For more tips on making
your home and garden a bird
haven, visit WindowAlert. com.
“By making a few simple
modifications to your yard and
home, you can assist birds on
their long journey,” says
Schock..
Spruce up
outdoor space
When the weather warms
up, it’s all about relaxing out-
doors. But it’s possible you’ve
neglected upkeep on your
home’s outdoor spaces during
the chilly months of winter.
To enjoy yourself more this
season, take time to spruce up
your yard. Here are some quick
tips.
Do a Survey
Take a walk around the
perimeter of your patio, deck
and yard to survey what needs
to be cleaned, repaired or
replaced. Did potted plants and
lawn ornaments survive the
cooler months? Are outdoor
light fixtures functioning? Are
fallen branches littering the
yard? Make a mental to-do list.
Deep Clean
Like interior spaces, periodic
deep cleans are necessary out-
doors too. But don’t waste
your leisure time.
“With the right tools you can
work smart, not hard,” says Jeff
Devlin, host on a popular home
improvement channel. “A
heavy-duty cleaner, such as
Mean Green Degreaser, not
only works indoors, but is ideal
for my tough outdoor cleaning
jobs.”
Devlin recommends using
the Super Strength multi-sur-
face formula -- which is lab-
tested to clean and remove
grease, grime, mildew, dirt,
and oil more effectively than
its competitors -- to clean and
remove mildew from patios,
outdoor furniture, concrete,
composite and wood fences
and siding, as well as to clean
and degrease tools, lawn
equipment and grills. Use it as
a concentrated spray or dilut-
ed solution. Clean with a brush
or sponge.
“For your toughest jobs, add
it to your pressure washer,”
says Devlin. Helpful cleaning
tips can be found at
MeanGreenDegreaser.com.
Routine Maintenance
Perform routine upkeep to
keep items from falling into
disrepair or becoming over-
grown or unkempt.
Sweep walkways and your
deck regularly, especially if
they are situated under trees.
Promote a healthy lawn by
mowing it regularly, never
removing more than one-third
of the grass blade. Keep gutters
devoid of leaves and debris so
that water does not collect in
your yard or at the base of your
home’s structure. Rinse patio
furniture, umbrellas and
awnings using water or a dilut-
ed cleaner.
Spring is in the air. With a lit-
tle effort, you can be prepared
to make the most of it.
(StatePoint)

6. By Melinda Myers
Whether planting a garden,
enjoying the beauty of your
landscape or sitting down to a
delicious meal, you have bees,
butterflies and other pollina-
tors to thank. These essential
members of our ecosystem
are responsible for much of
the food and beauty we enjoy
each day.
Unfortunately pesticides
and habitat loss are threaten-
ing their existence. There is
something you can do to help.
Turn your garden, backyard
or balcony into a pollinator’s
habitat.
Plant a variety of flowering
plants that provide nectar and
pollen throughout the season.
Planting masses of natives,
herbs and other pollinator
favorites like sedum, zinnias,
alyssum, cosmos, and
columbine will attract these
beauties to your landscape.
Include a variety of day and
night blooming flowers in a
variety of colors and shapes to
support the widest range of
pollinators. But don’t let a lack
of space dissuade you; even a
window box of flowers can
help.
Keep your plants healthy
and blooming with proper
care. Match the plants to the
growing conditions, provide
needed water and fertilize
with an organic nitrogen fer-
tilizer like Milorganite (milor-
ganite.com) when needed.
You’ll promote slow steady
plant growth that is less sus-
ceptible to drought and pests.
Plus the slow release low
nitrogen won’t interfere with
flowering which is essential to
the health and well being of
our pollinators.
Supplement pollinators’
diets with a bit of rotten fruit.
And be sure to provide trees,
shrubs, parsley, dill and other
plants that caterpillars, grubs
and the immature stage of
other pollinators prefer to
feed upon. Put away the pesti-
cides and tolerate a few holes
in the leaves of their favorite
plants. With a diversity of
plants you can easily overlook
the temporary leaf damage.
Plus, this is a small price to
pay for all the benefits they
bring to the garden.
Provide pollinators with
shelter from predators and
the weather. Include a variety
of trees, shrubs and perenni-
als. Leave patches of open soil
for ground nesting bees and
some leaf litter to shelter
some butterflies, bumblebees
and other pollinating insects.
Supplement natural shelter
with commercial or home-
made nesting boxes. You’ll
find do-it-yourself plans on
the internet from various edu-
cational sources.
Puddles, fountains, bird-
baths and even a damp sponge
can provide needed water.
Include water features with
sloping sides or add a few
stones to create easier access.
Or sink a shallow container of
sand in the ground. Keep it
damp and add a pinch of sea
salt for the butterflies and
bees.
Maximize your efforts by
teaming up with your neigh-
bors. Together you can create
a larger more diverse habitat
that provides pollinators with
the resources they need to
thrive.
Your efforts will be reward-
ed with greater harvests,
beautiful flowers and colorful
birds and butterflies visiting
your garden.
Gardening expert,
TV/radio host, author &
columnist Melinda Myers
has more than 30 years of
horticulture experience and
has written over 20 garden-
ing books, including Small
Space Gardening and the
Midwest Gardener’s
Handbook. She hosts The
Great Courses “How to Grow
Anything: Food Gardening
For Everyone” DVD set and
the nationally syndicated
Melinda’s Garden Moment
TV & radio segments. Myers
is a columnist and contribut-
ing editor for Birds & Blooms
magazine and spokesperson
for Milorganite. Myers’ web
site is www.melindamyers.
com.
PAGE 6B Thursday, March 31, 2016 ARCOLA RECORD-HERALD
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Plant a pollinator garden
and enjoy many benefits
A mOnArCh ButtErFLy on a tithonia. Pollinators
such as bees and butterflies are responsible for many deli-
cious meals and colorful blooms. you can help them do their
jobs by planting a pollinator garden.
RELATED: On the web — Plant
pollinator pockets. University of
Illinois Extenstion: http://web.exten-
sion.illinois.edu/cfiv/pollinators/