We are well into the new year. That means that 1/3rd of the farmers in the state of Illinois had their pesticide license expire on 12/31/25, and they must renew their 3-year license to apply certain restricted use pesticides, (RUP). This is not my year for renewal, but with too Read more
Recently the federal government, through the USDA, started the process to disseminate 12 billion dollars of financial aid to farmers to offset the perceived financial ramifications of ongoing trade wars/disputes. To avoid any debate about whether it is necessary or the right thing to do, I am going to make Read more
Boy did it finally get cold. Did your tire pressure warning light come on when the temps dropped below 0? To prepare for this article I did some research and found out that a simple rule of thumb is that you lose 1 PSI of air pressure for every 10-degree Read more
About 20 years ago I was digging with a shovel to turn over the soil in a flowerbed in front of some people and a woman named Barb asked me where I bought that shovel. Which brings me to today. Either technology is moving too fast, I am living too Read more
It is the end of the year, and I suppose I should wrap up my writing with an end of year review. By now almost everyone is suffering from a cold, flu/norovirus, credit card shock, electric or gas bill fatigue or a hangover from the New Year holiday. But first, Read more
I recently traveled to the “big island” Hawaii. The trip was the worst part. We ran through the Los Angeles airport like O.J. Simpson with only 18 minutes to make our connecting flight. Then my wife’s Green Bay Packers beat my Chicago Bears an hour before the plane landed at Read more
I feel like writing an article tonight that lets the reader sort through some statements to determine if they are fact, fiction or sarcasm. I recently listened to a speaker that stated we spend more money on diet related health care than we do on food. Think about that for Read more
The battle of the bulge has begun. This is not a history lesson of the famous WWII battle; I am referring to what the winter season and all the holidays do to our waistlines. With all the “special” mealtimes coming soon, let’s re-digest one of the most controversial topics among Read more
One time when I was young and goofing off, my dad threatened to make me sleep in the barn as punishment? As Thanksgiving approaches, I believe it is safe to say that most farmers have concluded the harvest of their 2025 crops. How much has farming changed in the last Read more
Did you know that farmers continue to harvest crops across the nation despite their being some kind of political situation called a “government shutdown”. Did you know that I have entered a stage in my life that I am calling semi-retirement; it is like a partial shutdown. That means I Read more