First, were you a fan of the Terminator movies starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. If writing an article about farming with a reference to the famous body builder, turned actor, turned politician was on my bucket list, I can now check that one off. I have considered venting in this bi-weekly column Read more…
Do you know what nutritionist state is one of the healthiest condiments to eat? Can you guess what condiment I have shunned most of my entire life, until I met my wife Cora 4 years ago? Do you know what Elote is? Can a stubborn 60-year-old man of German lineage Read more…
How many memories do you have of your childhood? I have a couple for this article. When I grew up on our farm outside of Joliet, just west of Rockdale, was about 15 years after livestock had left the farm. The old pastures, no longer occupied by grazing cattle had Read more…
And just like that, summer is here and almost everyone’s yard/grass is becoming parched and possibly brown, unless they have been watering it. Now for a recap on the spring of 2024 so far. The rural landscape changes quickly this time of year. The planting process is crucial for success Read more…
How would you like to be known as the hunter who shot Bambi’s’ mother when he was a fawn in the famous 1942 movie? Recently I wrote about my policy of not baling hay in the month of May. I still remember about 40 years ago cutting hay early in Read more…
This week I shall write about a topic I know better than most of the population, making hay. Our recent wet spring appears to be continuing with no end in sight. That does not bode well for planting row crops; however, it may very well be a good thing for Read more…
It has been an un-bee-lievable winter/spring so far. February was a harbinger of the season; my wheat broke dormancy mid-month. It was green and robust long before St. Patrick’s Day. If this accelerated growth continues, it will lead to a late June harvest rather than occurring during the 4th of Read more…
Since the world did not end with the eclipse as some prophesied it appears I will have to write another article and farm another season. I was front and center for the eclipse, in southern Indiana. Being a “self-described weather geek”, I felt I should experience this event since I Read more…
A quick internet search finds the definition of Earth Day as an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. Did you know that the theme for the 2024 Earth Day is “Planet versus plastic?” I wish I had known that earlier; I had already drafted an Read more…
Two weeks ago, I wrote about how a farmland preservation program would work and why farmers/landowners would participate in such a program. It was my intention that I would write this week about why the non-farm community would support such a program. After much deliberation and a fair amount of Read more…