By JIM THOMSON 



Ats't Cdlfor, lAA RICORO .' 



THE ILLINOIS Agricultural Asso- 

 ciation's terminal grain marketing 

 program took a long stride nearer 

 its goal recently with the complet- 

 tion of the 160,000 bushel elevator 

 at Hennepin. The new elevator started 

 taking grain in July. 



The Hennepin elevator is one of three 

 river houses planned by the Prairie 

 Grain Company, a nine-county Farm 

 Bureau grain marketing organization af- 

 filiated with the lAA's Illinois Grain 

 Terminals Inc. A second elevator is 

 now under construction at Lacon, and a 

 third is to be built in the Ottawa 

 area whenever a suitable site is obtained. 

 Dedication of the elevator recently 

 marked the first annual meeting of the 

 Prairie Grain Company at which county 



Farm Bureau and lAA leaders urged 

 support for this farmer-owned and con- 

 trolled enterprise. 



Carl O. Johnson, Marshall-Putnam, 

 secretary-treasurer of Prairie Grain 

 Company and chairman of the building 

 committee, estimated that the elevator, 

 including land and river dredging would 

 cost close to $200,000. It will be able 

 to load and unload 9,000 bushels of grain 

 per hour. 



Tracing the history of Prairie Grain, 

 Johnson said the organization held its 

 first meeting three years ago in Ottawa 

 to consider requests by farmers and co- 

 operative elevators for an arrangement 

 to provide for the shipment of grain by 

 river barge. Other meetings followed 

 and it was decided to incorporate with 

 the following nine counties as the terri- 

 tory to be served by Prairie Grain: Lee, 

 La Salle, Henry, Marshall-Putnam, 

 Bureau, Stark, Peoria, and Woodford. 



This is the new grain elevator at Hennepin. 



TOR 



HENNgiM^ 



IS READY FOR BUSINESS 



160,000 BUSHEL CAPACITY STRUCTURE 

 IS PRIDE OF PRAIRIE GRAIN COMPANY 



Other counties along the Illinois and 

 Mississipppi rivers are or will be served 

 by their own respective organizations also 

 affiliated with Illinois Grain Terminals. 

 The lAA parent organization is promot- 

 ing the construction of these elevators 

 along the rivers between Chicago and St. 

 Louis. Large terminal elevators will be 

 built in both these cities for the terminal 

 marketing of the grain collected in the 

 river elevators such as the one at Hen- 

 nepin. 



President H. T. Marshall, La Salle, 

 said the elevator was located at Hennepin 

 because of its strategic bridgehead posi- 

 tion and because most interest was shown 

 there. In the area served by Prairie 

 Grain, the 10-year average shows that 

 farmers market 53 million bushels of 

 cash grain a year. 



Speaking at the dedication of the 

 elevator, lAA Director Russell V. Mc- 

 Kee, Marshall-Putnam, said: ""This eleva- 

 tor is a step in farm progress. It is an 

 indication that our organizations are 

 growing up. We may not enjoy all the 

 fruits of our work, but we can help those 

 who follow. We are building for the 

 next generation." 



Principal Speaker George E. Metzger, 

 lAA secretary of organization and infor- 

 mation, complimented Prairie Grain 

 leaders for their hard work and devotion 

 to the cause of farmer-owned terminal 

 grain operations. 



"I question the value of this fine 

 structure," Metzger said referring to the 

 elevator, ""unless it can raise the standard 

 of living back on the farms around here. 

 That is the objective of organized agri- 

 culture. That must be the objective of 

 the elevator. It can be done with your 

 support." 



L. L. Colvis, lAA secretary of market- 

 ing, told the assembled crowd : "' A'grain 

 elevator takes more than sand, gravel, 

 cement, and steel; it requires courage, 

 imagination, and determination. It is 

 with courage, imagination, and determi- 

 nation that Illinois farmers are planning 

 to go further along the road of grain 

 and other commodity marketing." 



George H. Iftner, acting director of 

 Illinois Grain Terminals Inc. said: ""The 

 statewide program will soon go into 

 gear. Then will come the test. We can 

 move far out ahead with the support of 

 80 to 90 per cent of the farmers. We're 

 in the grain business. Let's stay in it." 



Members of the Prairie Grain Company 

 board ef directors who served during 

 the past year are ieft to right, front row: 

 Wesiey J. Attig, Lee county; H. S. Lampe, 

 Woodford; Aibert Hayes, vice president, 

 Peoria; E. R. Kuntz, Peoria; C. E. Studiey, 

 Bureau; H. E. Myers, Henry; and R. H. 

 Jocicson, Starlc. On platform are Carl 

 O. Johnson, secretary-treasurer, Mar- 

 shall-Putnam; and H. T. Marshall, presi- 

 dent. La Salle. Attig retired and was 

 replaced by Glen Pfouts, Lee. All ethers 

 were reelected for the ensuing year. 



■t 



II 



4 

 D 



fc 

 E< 



•I 



cc 



V 



IM 



(• 

 (I 

 <• 

 (• 



la 

 Fc 



P> 

 N< 

 N( 

 N( 





Wa 



L A. A. RECORD 



AUG 



