Cold Wasn’t as Bad as First Feared
Some aspects of farming have changed in my lifetime. When I was young I remember the push to finish planting corn, hopefully by Mothers Day. After corn planting was done Read more…
Look out Dr. Oz
I have spent the last week thinking of the right things to say to encourage drivers to be safer drivers, especially when encountering farm equipment on our local roads. I Read more…
Chickens
It is baby chick season. For the 4th time in my adult life I have become the surrogate father of 100 day-old chickens. I am entering my 10th year of Read more…
The Meaning of Words Can Change Over Time
Mother Nature has fooled me once again. Last week I wrote about the rising cost of fertilizer. Even when fertilizer is not expensive, I try to never waste any. Each Read more…
Hang on to Your Gas Cap
Spring has arrived. The grass is green and the temperatures are rising. The temperature is not the only thing rising; I suspect many are watching the price of gas. Many Read more…
We Have to Feed 7 Billion People, and Animals Too
It is spring and soon it will be time for farmers to head to the field and start another year. For over 6 months grain prices have rallied higher, to Read more…
Leroy Makes the Paper
Nine years ago in March during National Agriculture Week I sat down and wrote my first weekly column for this paper. But first, let’s tie up some loose ends about Read more…
Ice
Why does water expand when frozen yet almost every other substance shrinks when it gets colder? Why are Illinois roads so bad? Why did I want the ground to freeze Read more…
Snowy Winters
It was a little crisp Saturday, February 24th, at 8:00 a.m. when I tended to my chickens and heard the familiar drone of snowmobiles. I rarely hear snowmobiles so early Read more…
Our Perceptions Do Not Always Match with Reality
Did you know the ground is not frozen under the snow right now? How can that be when we have had over 20 days with temps below freezing? While pushing Read more…
