The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Greetings to ever one in Western Illinois and all readers of The Quill.
I'm a hope'n this column finds ya have'n a good week thus far and make'n plans fer the rest of the week be'n even better.
Loss of a Good Friend
It is with a heavy heart ta note the passing of a good man and strong supporter of our farming communities. Larry Anderson will surely be missed for his many contributions throughout our area.
Harvest Progress
With the good weather this past week, harvest is progress'n rapidly. Southeastern Iowa seems ta be further along in harvest than in our part of western Illinois, but if'n I remember correctly the weatherman allowed them ta advance their planting earlier than ours last spring.
All in all it remains a good crop with the storage available at many elevators fill'n up or already filled up.
Ground piles of corn are crop'n up like mushrooms in various parts of the country.
Commodity prices are a fright, but have improved from the earlier lows. Farmers seem to be hold'n tight fer $4/bushel fer their corn and $11/bushel fer their soybeans, at least using them figures as a good point ta start some sales. I'm a hope'n they hold tight and make it to $4.50, a break even price for some farmers.
Some farmers are forced ta sell because they don't have adequate on farm storage fer their entire crop and the elevator storage is all used up.
Ethanol Usage Helps Corn Markets
Last weeks column generated a few more questions on the local West Burlington ethanol plant (Big River). One question frequently asked, is, how much corn do they use which builds up the market price. Well, it was surprise'n what Dessa Rodeffer found out fer us.
She said, Big River Resources has over 16 million bushel corn storage. They make over 405 million gallons ethanol per year by grind'n over 144 million bushels of corn. Ta put it in another way, they grinds over 400,000 bushels corn per day. In any given hour, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week they will grind over 16,660 bushels corn per hour or over 278 bushel corn per minute. But in micro scale, they grind 4.6 bushels of corn per second. Jim Leiting told her, Big Rivers Resources Manager.
If'n ya figures the average semi might hold 950 bushels of corn, that company grinds over 421 semi loads per day or around 18 semi-loads per hour. In 3 1/2 minutes they grind one semi load!
If'n a straight truck legally hauls 350 bushels of corn, they would grind over 314 truck loads per day or 47.6 truck loads per hour. In 1.2 minutes they grind a straight truck load of corn.
Big River Resources is only one company of over 100 companies in our nation make'n corn ethanol, accord'n ta Dessa's research. In the sum total, I reckon them what sez corn ethanol manufacturers in our nation help ta utilize surplus corn, creat'n good demand, result'n in a positive impact fer farmers prices.
The farmer historically spends his money.
As such, I suppose one could say the entire rural community benefits from ethanol not only economical, but as was said in last week's column balance of trade is helped, air is cleaner, and there is less dependence on foreign oil from countries that don't like us very well.
Thank you Dessa fer take'n the time and make'n the effort ta look up them ethanol figures.
Jesse the Chicken Plucker
Now fer a little information on Jesse the chicken plucker who hated his job. This inspire'n information came ta me courteous of southern Illinois friend:
Imagine, if you had to do it.
Jesse was a chicken plucker. That's right.
He stood on a line in a chicken factory and spent his days
Pulling the feathers off dead chickens so the rest of us
Wouldn't have to.
It wasn't much of a job. But at the time,
Jesse didn't think he was much of a person.
His father was a brute of a man.
His dad was actually thought to be mentally ill
And treated Jesse rough all of his life.
Jesse's older brother wasn't much better.
He was always picking on Jesse and beating him up.
Yes, Jesse grew up in a very home in
West Virginia. Life was anything but easy.
And he thought life didn't hold much hope for him.
That's why he was standing in this chicken line,
Doing a job that darn few people wanted.
In addition to all the rough treatment at home, it seems
That Jesse was always sick. Sometimes it was real
Physical illness, but way too often it was all in his head.
He was a small child, skinny and meek.
That sure didn't help the situation any.
When he started to school, he was the object
Of every Bully on the playground.
He was a hypochondriac of the first order.
For Jesse, tomorrow was not always something
He looked forward to.
But, he had dreams. He wanted to be a ventriloquist.
He found books on ventriloquism. He practiced with
Sock puppets and saved his hard earned dollars until
He could get a real ventriloquist dummy.
When he got old enough, he joined the military.
And even though many of his hypochondriac symptoms
Persisted, the military did recognize his talents and
Put him in the entertainment corp.
That was when his world changed.
He gained confidence.
He found that he had a talent for making people laugh,
And laugh so hard they often had tears in their eyes.
Yes, little Jesse had found himself.
You know, folks, the history books are full of people
Who overcame a handicap to go on and make a success
Of themselves, but Jesse is one of the few I know of
Who didn't overcome it. Instead he used his paranoia
To make a million dollars, and become one of
The best-loved characters of all time in doing it!
Yes, that little paranoid hypochondriac, who transferred
His nervousness into a successful career, still holds the
Record for the most Emmy's given in a single category.
The wonderful, gifted, talented, and nervous condition
Who brought us Barney Fife.
Was - Jesse Don Knotts
NOW YOU KNOW, "THE REST OF THE STORY"
There is a street named for him and his statue in
Morgantown, West Virginia, is place of birth.
Jesse Donald "Don" Knotts (July 21, 1924-February 24, 2006)
That's it fer this week. I hope ever one remembered ta vote either in absentee or in person last Tuesday. By the time ya reads this column the results will be known.
Hope'n ta see ya in church this week. Where ever ya is, what ever ya be a do'n, "BE A GOOD ONE"!
Keep on Smile'n
Catch ya later
BARNYARD BRUKE