February 28, 2003

C-FAR Holds Annual Meeting and Elects 2003 Leadership

SPRINGFIELD--The Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research (C-FAR) met for its annual meeting on February 18 at the Northfield Inn, Suites & Conference Center in Springfield. The C-FAR membership elected four individuals to serve on the seven-person Board of Directors. They include Fred Bradshaw (Griggsville), David Downs (Allerton), Nels Kasey (Paris), and Karen Little (Pleasant Plains). Special recognition was given retiring directors Jack Erisman and Constance Locher Bussard for their service on the Board of Directors a combined 16 years. The following officers were subsequently elected at a Board of Directors meeting on February 26: Alan Puzey (Fairmount), Chairman; David Downs, Vice Chair; Fred Bradshaw, Secretary/Treasurer; Carol Keiser (Champaign), Membership Chair; Larry Fischer (Pittsfield), Research Chair; and Nels Kasey, Research Vice Chair. Additional committee chairs and members are being considered and will be appointed by Chairman Puzey upon approval by all Board members.

A meeting highlight was the presentation of C-FAR's 2003 Donald A. Holt Achievement Award. State Representative Dan Reitz, chairperson of the House Committee on Agriculture & Conservation, joined Dr. Donald Holt in presenting this special award to the Livestock and Urban Waste Recycling research team. The team was recognized for their outstanding and innovative team research and outreach to develop and refine environmentally and economically sound livestock and urban waste recycling techniques. Another highlight of the meeting was a presentation given by Dr. Laurian Unnevehr, a professor of agricultural and consumer economics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, on a report by The National Academies regarding key areas in agricultural research.

The C-FAR working groups met to review final reports submitted by researchers whose projects were completed in FY02 and to elect chairs and vice chairs to serve in 2003. The new working group leadership includes:

Expanding Agricultural Markets:
Dan Kelley (Normal), chair and Phillip Borgic (Nokomis), vice chair

Rural Economic Development:
A. J. Harland (LaFayette), chair and Kevin Brussell (Casey), vice chair

Agricultural Production Systems:
Molly Ann Godar (Rochester), chair and Anne Builta Crider (Arrowsmith), vice chair

Human Nutrition and Food Safety:
Jeanne Harland (LaFayette), chair and Jim Fraley (Bloomington), vice chair

Natural Resources:
Byford Wood (Breese), chair and Dale Crawford (Sullivan), vice chair

C-FAR members discussed the reduction (53%) in the FY03 C-FAR appropriation and the negative impact that a second year of reduced funding would have on Illinois' food and agricultural research programs. Members expressed the importance of communicating with elected officials, many of whom are new to the Illinois General Assembly. "In addition to a very limited portfolio of new initiatives, a continued reduction in the C-FAR appropriation will have additional consequences," said Kraig Wagenecht, C-FAR Executive Administrator. "Illinois is beginning to lose some of its top scientists and is becoming less competitive in attracting the very best faculty to our state. The finest researchers do look at the level of state funding that can be available to them when deciding upon their career. Currently, Illinois ranks 9th out of the 10 Midwestern states in regard to its investment in food and agricultural research."

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