Articles

I currently have a guest from Mexico at my house. Jesus owns two farms in Mexico. Since I have lived my entire life as a farmer, and most of it on the farm, I have a different perspective on life in the country than my wife. Cora grew up in Read more

When I was a much younger farmer, there were some very difficult years for a row crop farmer to be profitable. Diversification, not putting all your eggs in one basket, was the buzz word. Farmers could diversify by adding new crops or livestock to help spread risk and increase profitability. Read more

I have writer’s block. I always try to write what I believe is topical to farming and current life in addition to being as humorous and entertaining as I can. I have many ideas, but would anyone find them entertaining, relevant, funny, or interesting? Since I am still waiting for Read more

I need to finish this article as quickly as possible so I can go pick out my new Lamborghini. Should I go red or white? Have you seen the Clint Eastwood movie called The Mule? My first 13 years out of high school I spent most of my waking hours Read more

I have 3 quotes about corn that I often repeat for friends that are not astute about farming. Also, mosquito season will start in 3-2-1,,. Will this rainy spell be enough to produce abundant hay crops for the rest of 2023? The severe dry pattern that had plagued the Midwest Read more

If you like antiques, collectibles, long walks and Frank Lloyd Wright architecture among scenic valleys and farms, I recommend you visit House on the Rock in Wisconsin. A dry spell had parched crops at home, so it was time for a little recreation to the north, the land of cheese Read more

Drought! This will be the 6th period of severe drought in my 42 years of farming; and if it does not start raining soon it will rank with the serious droughts of 1988 and 2012. Now that I am a lot older and wiser than I was in 1982, I Read more

It is only the beginning of June, and the weather is already making headlines in the Midwest. If you love to mow everything you see to an inch or two height and water constantly, I advise you to quit reading now. There is a classic saying among agricultural and weather Read more

About 50 years ago I was taught that it takes about 100 years for the natural processes of nature to create an inch of topsoil. I was also taught that most of the soils in the upper Midwest owe their development to the grinding action of glaciers thousands of years Read more

Mother Nature has finally relented her chill. The asparagus is popping, and with warmer temps the annual ritual of wild asparagus picking will be finding many with the spring delicacy on their plate when this paper arrives in your mailbox. Did you know that the recent cold wave was probably Read more