A week after my first IL farm tour day my mind is still reeling with everything I learned! I wanted to be a field mom so I could get out and see my food at its source. Assuming I knew at least the basics of how corn was grown, I was most interested to see the cattle and dairy cows being raised by the Martz and Drendel families. My biggest concerns were regarding their daily routine, level of care and learning about hormones and antibiotics used and how they may impact my family.  I definitely learned a lot about the animals, but learned so much more about topics I didn’t even consider. Overall it was a great day to learn and experience a day on a farm—combine and grain cart rides included!

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The Martz family’s beef cattle, soybean, corn and wheat farm

 My first impression of the Martz’s farm was that it was clean.  Clean in the way that makes you think someone cares about it. As we were welcomed into their “business” office, I felt like things would feel official. It was anything but official. They were all very well-spoken, articulate, and passionate. We were able to ask questions and they gave answers that were honest and thought provoking.  

 Throughout the whole day we could ask anything about everything. I especially liked Mike's saying “we do 100 things 1% better not 1 thing 100% better.” I believe that was not only their mantra for the farm, but the way they lived their lives. I learned many new things that day at their farm; seed selection, ground prep, how the combine works (though not really!), how they ultrasound cows to gain more information, how much moisture is allowed in their corn, their use of Texas wasps to combat flies, and the list is endless!

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 Our first farm tour was a few days ago already, but I feel like I’m still processing it all – we did SO much in just a few short hours!  From seeing cattle go through a squeeze chute (the kind designed by Temple Grandin) to actually watching cows being milked, everything was fascinating!

We started our day over at Larson Farms, with Lynn and Mike Martz, and let me tell you – my images of a quaint family farm were blown out of the water here.  I was picturing a little red barn, a white clapboard house, and a few cows or horses grazing contentedly.  What I actually saw was a true modern-day success story – family-owned business savvy and entrepreneurial spirit at their finest.  The ultrasound machine, the structurally advanced barns, the massive combine – everything was top of the line and high-tech.  What also struck me was how everything here was interconnected.  Some of the corn and soybeans that are grown go into the feed for the animals, then the manure is used to fertilize the fields, and so on.  I could tell that Mike and Lynn are leading the pack of modern farming, and have set the bar very high for other family farms in the state.

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I awoke Saturday morning at 4:10 a.m. Bright eyed. Awake. Not excited to be awake. But excited about the day ahead.

(Contrary to popular belief, not all farm people are automatically morning people. 4:10 a.m. is a ridiculous hour of the day. Amen.)

By 5:15 a.m., I was pulling out of the drive and pointing the car north. Northbound to Maple Park and the Mike and Lynn Martz farm, where the very first group of Field Moms would soon be gathering. Chosen by the Illinois Farm Families among scores of Chicago moms and bloggers, the Field Moms were making their first trip to the farm, accompanied by Roseville farmwife Deb Moore. I tagged along as both a member of the media and a farmwife myself.
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Fall - The combines are running.  Farmers are bringing in their harvest.  It is an exciting time of the year on the farm. It is also an exciting time for Illinois Farm Families.  

Last week, I was privileged to meet eight of the ten Illinois Farm Families Field Moms.  On Saturday they will be traveling to the Martz Farm to see their beef facilities and crops and then to the Drendel Farm to milk their cows!  

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I’m really excited about the Field Moms coming to visit us on Saturday, October 15.  I’m looking forward to hearing their questions.  Sometimes I think that’s a problem with agriculture – we need to open up more, listen more, and communicate with our customers. We need to be more consumer-driven.

I’m also looking forward to showing the Field Moms around our farm, and putting them in our combine. I love bringing groups through here, and opening their eyes to what modern agriculture is really all about. It’s always interesting to see what the biggest surprises are.  

For instance, when we bring teachers here, they’re surprised at how much technology we have on the farm, like GPS and precision farming technology on our machinery.  

Another big surprise is that even with our size, it’s still a true family farm. Our farm supports eight families.

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My 5-year-old daughter couldn’t wait to get off the bus recently and head to the corn field our family was harvesting. In fact, after a quick hug, she asked me to confirm our evening plans in the field and bounced with joy at the affirmative response.

Specifically, she loves to eat supper in the field. It’s her all-around favorite place to dine, trumping Grandma’s house and the nearby sandwich shop with arcade games. In fact, she will have her sixth birthday party in a corn or soybean field this week.

Greetings from west-central Illinois, where we grow corn and soybeans about a three-hour drive from Chicago. Also on some of my family’s farms you’ll find wheat, hay, cattle, pigs, a few barn cats and farm dogs. Corn and soybeans generate our household farm income and makes a living for my parents and brother.
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This statement has defined our lives, for better or worse, for the last 4 months.  It is the question I asked every time I got home after dark and hadn’t yet had a chance to see the day’s progress.  It is the question that all of our friends, neighbors, and families ask us when they see us.  You see, “The Barn”, has been the focal point of the summer projects.  On the farm you typically have a list of summer projects.  Sometimes that list may have things like paint the barn or re-roof the barn, but complete rebuilding of the barn is another level of project entirely.  Therefore, we have spent a great deal of time deciding all the little things that will make our cows lives better.  For some reason, we had the idea that we would turn the barn around & have it finished in May.  It is now September.  However, like at the end of planting or harvest, we can see a light at the end of the tunnel.  

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