Illinois soybean farmers document crop progress through website

Nine Illinois soybean farmers are documenting their farming operations and processes during the current crop year using SoyCam.com, funded by the Illinois soybean checkoff, to make it easy for web users to see soybean production in action.
The site allows visitors to get a glimpse into Illinois' agriculture industry, say the participating farmers. "We believe that it is through efforts like this that farmers best can demonstrate the interrelationship between crops, livestock and the grocery store,” said Kate Hagenbuch, one of the participating soybean farmers and hog producer from Utica, Ill. Sustainable farming is another focus of the project, and the site also provides profiles of each photographer, production tips, crop updates and a variety of statistics related to soybean production in the U.S., Illinois and each of the state's 102 counties.
The full list of participating farmers is:

• Bill Wykes, soybean farmer from Yorkville, Ill., and Illinois Soybean Association vice chairman
• Karl Spencer, soybean farmer from Yale, Ill., and former Illinois Soybean Association soy ambassador
• Nick Wurl, soybean farmer from Urbana, Ill., and Illinois Soybean Association soy ambassador
• Rob Shaffer, soybean farmer from El Paso, Ill., and Illinois Soybean Association secretary
• Ross Prough, soybean farmer from Greenfield, Ill., and Illinois Soybean Association vice chair for yield
• Sherri Kannmacher, soybean farmer from Martinsville, Ill., and former Illinois Soybean Association soy ambassador
• Dan Farney, soybean farmer from Morton, Ill., and Illinois Soybean Association production committee chair
• Ron Moore, soybean farmer from Roseville, Ill., and Illinois Soybean Association vice chair for sustainability
• Kate Hagenbych, soybean farmer and hog producer from Utica, Ill.