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State Six Value-added cow A genetically superior Holstein cow and her 14 embryos were recently purchased for $1.3 million. Source: Technology. Public Policy and the Changing Structure of American Agriculture, Congressional Office of Technology Assessment (OTA). Monsanto milk The first wave of high tech agriculture turns out to be milk. A synthetic form of bovine growth hormone could be approved for commercial use in the U.S. within two or three years — perhaps even earlier in Europe. Injected into cows the hormone, known as bovine somatotropin, increases milk production by 20 to 40 percent and enhances the cow's ability to convert food energy. This could mean cheaper milk, fewer farms and less cows. Farmers, needless to say, are deeply divided on the hormone's use. Some say it means improved efficiency and productivity and is inevitable. Others question the hormone's effect on the farm surplus, milk drinkers and cows. Monsanto Company (which bought G.D. Searle last year) of Creve Coeur, Mo., along with American Cyanamid Co., Upjohn Co. and Elanco Products Co. are in the race to develop the hormone. Source: Bill Lambrecht, "Engineered hormone worries dairy farmers," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 9, 1986. Elasticity Dairy farms expected to benefit in the 1990s, if revved up cows prove viable, are large farms in Arizona, New Mexico and California. Displaced midwestern and northeastern dairy farmers can switch to selling water and alfalfa pellets. Source for projections on the Southwest: OTA report. Transgenic pig It's still not on the market, though the U.S. Department of Agriculture is trying hard in Beltville, Md. What we want is a healthier, faster growing pig with maybe leaner bacon. To this end scientists are creating transgenic pigs — pigs with cloned transplanted growth genes from humans or cows. So far, researchers have gotten hairier pigs, pigs with bigger snouts and shorter foreheads and pigs that lie on their side most of the time with their eyes closed. They have also produced a leaner pig and, paradoxically, a smaller pig. But not yet a super pig. Nobody's discouraged, however. In this game all you need is one. Source: Lambrecht, "Gene Splicing Aims for 'Super Animals,' " St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 8, 1986. Restructured farms About 170,000 farms have gone out of business in the last three years. Life insurance companies, the Farm Credit System and the Farmers Home Administration hold about six million acres of farmland — equivalent in size to the state of Vermont. Farm management companies, often owned by insurance companies, now control 62.5 million acres of land, up 16.5 million acres or 36 percent in the last six years. These companies manage foreclosed farms and farms belonging to other lenders and absentee owners. Who's buying? Older farmers adding to their holdings and city investors such as doctors and lawyers, many of them with farm backgrounds. Farmers (90 percent of them near retirement age) were the purchasers in 58 percent of the farm sales in 1986. In the past, they accounted for 80-85 percent of the purchases. Outside investors were the buyers in 32-38 percent of the sales, compared to 15 percent in the past. An investor can get 3-10 percent annual cash returns from renting land. This seems to be too small to attract large corporations. Foreign investors apparently account for only a small amount of land. Who's renting? Young and/or restructured farmers. Source: The Wall Street Journal. "Changing Fields," February 3. 1987. Regulation golfing holes With 1,575 of them, Cook County is the No. 2 county for golfing holes* in the nation. Palm Beach County in Florida is No. 1 with 1,629, and Riverside County in California is No. 3 with 1,251. They easily beat out such all-show no-go contenders as Dallas County, Texas (only 765), and Nassau County, New York (909). But quantity isn't everything. You have to consider accessibility — which is where Cook County golfers get into big trouble. There are more than 3,300 people per hole. In Los Angeles County the situation is even more volatile — one golfing hole for every 5,430 Los Angelinos. Your best bet for a safe, quiet game is in Beaufort County, S.C., where the ratio is 134 to 1. *Miniature golf courses don't count. A regulation hole has to be on a golf course with real grass, tees, fairways and greens. Source for statistics: "Golf Beach," American Demographics, January 1987. General funds creep up The general funds balance at the end of January was $144,613 million, the first time it's been above $100 million since September. The average daily available balance in January was $137,037 million. The state also sold $100 million in general obligation bond certificates on February 10 in order to stabilize its cash flow. During the first seven months of fiscal 1987 general funds revenues were 3.7 percent higher than in fiscal 1986, mostly because of an 11.9 percent increase in receipts for individual income taxes. January receipts for individual income taxes set a record. Source: Illinois Comptroller's Office. Unemployment rates The national seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in January was 6.7 percent, the same as December. In Illinois the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stayed steady at 7.4 percent where it has been since November. In January there were 5.620 million people in the state's civilian labor force. Of these 5.205 million had jobs and 415,000 were looking for work. There were 4.75 million people on the payrolls for nonfarm jobs — 70,000 more people than a year ago. Final November unemployment rates in the state's major metro areas were: Aurora-Elgin, 5.4 percent. March 1987/IMnois Issues/29
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