Illinois Pork Producers Association Says Agriculture Helped Create Better Roadways

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Published on November 3 2016 4:00 pm
Last Updated on November 3 2016 4:00 pm

COURTESY OF THE ILLINOIS PORK PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION

In late October, a once deteriorated five-mile stretch of well-traveled road in Cumberland and Shelby Counties received a much needed upgrade thanks to the continuing growth of the livestock industry in Illinois.

“This was a big win for Cumberland County,” explains Ben Bland, Cumberland County Engineer. “This was a multi-county partnership with Shelby County that has allowed for substantial road improvements on a five-mile stretch of road located on County Highway 3 that connects with IL 121 and US Route 45.”

The entire project cost approximately $3 million to complete. The primary funding source of over $2.1 million was made up of two state awarded grant programs administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

The first grant program entitled, Truck Access Route Program (TARP), provides assistance to local governments in upgrading roads to accommodate 80,000 pound truck loads. The second, entitled Economic Development Program (EDP), provides state assistance in improving highway access to new or expanding industrial, distribution, or tourism developments. The remaining costs of the project, primarily dirt work, culverts and maintaining traffic control, were covered by Cumberland County.

Bland, who worked on the development of the plan design, also discussed the strict guidelines the county had to comply with in order to apply for the state funding.

“Under the guidelines of the EDP, the county must demonstrate long term results with the creation and retention of jobs,” says Bland. “For this road project, Cumberland County partnered with Walk Stock Farm, and, as the designated partner, Walk Stock Farm must report their annual employment numbers to the state for the next five years for the county to remain in compliance with the grant program.”

Walk Stock Farm is a fourth generation grain and livestock farm located near Neoga. The farm began in 1932 with Orville and Clara Walk who passed the farm on to Virgil, their only son.

Virgil and his wife, Theresa, continued working on the farm where they raised nine children with the values of hard work and family. Of Virgil and Theresa’s children, two, David and Roger, stayed behind to work and grow the farm full time. They in turn, raised their families on the farm with the same values their parents taught them, and now also have children who have stayed to work on the farm.

“Without the growth and investment of livestock in our area, this road project would have placed a financial burden on our county and pulled funds away from other necessary projects,” says Floyd Holkenbrink, Cumberland County Board President. “Now, thanks to the livestock industry, our residents have the ability to travel on a newly constructed road.”

Just two years ago, the county also partnered with Walk Stock Farm to upgrade a 2 ½ mile stretch of a township road south of Toledo.

“Agriculture is a strong economic driver in Cumberland County,” says Holkenbrink. “Anytime our county can receive funding to repair and update two roads, due in part to the Ag industry, we all win.”

According to the 2015 “Illinois Agriculture Economic Contribution Study,” livestock contributes more than $36 million to the Cumberland County economy. Livestock also accounts for 121 jobs in the county.