URBANA, Ill. — Some skepticism regarding last-minute campaign timing surfaced the eve of Illinois’ Nov. 4 primary election, in which Democrat Gov. Pat Quinn lost a hotly contested race to multimillionaire Chicago Republican Bruce Rauner, a political newcomer.

The spark was Quinn’s announcement on Oct. 31 that the state will grant $3.5 million to the University of Illinois to construct a new Feed Technology Complex (FTC) at the university’s South Farms at Urbana-Champaign. The FTC is to be the centerpiece of a training platform that will create jobs and provide skilled workers to the industry.

The complex would replace the century-old feed mill now at the site and help the university maintain its reputation for excellence in animal science research and education, Quinn noted in a news release the day of his announcement. It also stated the world-class research conducted at the university is key to attracting businesses and supporting agricultural and economic growth in Illinois.

“It’s one of those tough calls when everyone is basically broke, and what your top priorities are,” La Salle County Farm Bureau President Monty Whipple of rural Ottawa remarked.  “For livestock farmers, the top priority probably means quite a bit to them and to the earth. Whether or not it’s the best use of limited state funds – I’d have to do a little more background research on it.”

The total cost of the project is an estimated $13.3 million. Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM) has agreed to donate $1.5 million toward the new complex. The state grant funding is part of the governor’s $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now capital construction program, Quinn’s news release noted.

“I just couldn’t give you an opinion on it, and I hate to say that because it sounds like, as the Farm Bureau president, you’re trying to turn down money that would be used for agricultural purposes,” Whipple said.

“I’m also a pragmatist and I think the state doesn’t have unlimited funds to divvy out. You’d have to weigh this with other sources of grants, and that cities and townships and organizations and schools are all looking for grant money to do something.”

Quinn’s statement added the FTC would give university students and faculty the ability to process customized animal feeds and support world-class research and educational programs in crop and animal sciences, nutrition and food science. The facility would be used to develop and test new technologies that can be applied to the manufacture of animal and human foods, and would support research on safe food production, animal nutrition and sustainable livestock practices.

Dean Robert J. Hauser of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, stated the FTC will support the university’s animal nutrition, bioprocessing and bioenergy programs. The center would be the central critical element that supports the research and training programs of future entrepreneurs in modern agricultural industries, the news release added.

“Our graduates are aggressively recruited to fill positions in the food manufacturing, feed technology, bioenergy and livestock industries,” Hauser was quoted as saying. “The FTC, designed to meet precise animal nutrition parameters and specialized feed preparation, is a linchpin of discovery research and education in food security and safety, alternative energy forms and health issues such as obesity, cancer and healthy aging.”

Without knowing more details about the FTC grant and how it weighs priority-wise with other projects, Whipple hesitated on saying anything too definite at present.

“I’m all for agricultural research, of course, and that type of funding,” he said. “(Agriculture) is the biggest industry in the state and the University of Illinois is the No. 1 university, so obviously that’s the place to be spending money for research. But how this money is being spent compared to other uses, I wouldn’t want to say at this time.

“I don’t want to come across as not being pro-agriculture or pro-research, but on the other hand, I’m also looking to roll back the (state) income tax that (otherwise is) going to cut us back even more money than what we’ve got now. As far as spending this money wisely, I’d have to look at all the alternatives for spending some of this grant money.”

Lacking more comprehensive information about the FTC project, Will County Farm Bureau Director Mark Schneidewin of Joliet had little comment regarding Quinn’s last-minute grant announcement.

He noted that agriculture is Illinois’ biggest industry and has his wholehearted support. He also said the state’s livestock industry is increasing in numbers, especially in the central and southern sections of Illinois.