The weather this past week has been ideal for field work as well as other activities. With temperatures ranging from the lows in the mid 50’s to the highs in the low 80’s, low humidity and no rain allowed farmers to continue to plant their crops. Read more...
Illinois Farm Families Blog
Crop watcher report for the week of May 14
Illinois Farm Families - Tuesday, May 15, 2012
This past week the weather changed from unusually warm temperatures to more spring-like conditions. After a cool front moved through the area on May 6, we received up to one inch of rain in the west part of the county. The temperatures returned to highs in the 70’s and the lows in the upper 40’s.
Read more...Readying for Harvest
Illinois Farm Families - Wednesday, September 07, 2011
Greetings from Maple Park, IL. The Gould Farm is located exactly 50 miles west of the Loop, and situated roughly between St Charles and DeKalb. On our farm we grow corn, soybeans, winter wheat, and hogs. I farm with my parents, Eldon and Sandy, and wife Dana. Dad focuses mostly on the hogs, while I focus on the crops. Dana helps in the office with bookkeeping. Dana and I have three children – Kelsey, 17, Vanessa, 13, and Andrew, 11. Read more...Welcoming Farm Visitors
Illinois Farm Families - Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Welcome to our farm, our home…
My husband Paul and I farm together with my brother and sister-in-law, near Mazon, IL. Our farm is located about 75 miles southwest of Chicago, which is a perfect location because we are close enough to enjoy all the opportunities Chicago has to offer and far enough away to enjoy the more solitude life rural America can provide. We have two sons, Stephen and Thomas. Stephen, our daughter-in-law and our 5-month-old granddaughter live in Chicago…the most important reason to visit the city often! Our younger son lives on the farm although, currently, his job involves living in Decatur during the week. Off-farm jobs keep the boys busy but they are still involved in our family farm, spending free weekends helping whenever they can. Read more...
My husband Paul and I farm together with my brother and sister-in-law, near Mazon, IL. Our farm is located about 75 miles southwest of Chicago, which is a perfect location because we are close enough to enjoy all the opportunities Chicago has to offer and far enough away to enjoy the more solitude life rural America can provide. We have two sons, Stephen and Thomas. Stephen, our daughter-in-law and our 5-month-old granddaughter live in Chicago…the most important reason to visit the city often! Our younger son lives on the farm although, currently, his job involves living in Decatur during the week. Off-farm jobs keep the boys busy but they are still involved in our family farm, spending free weekends helping whenever they can. Read more...
Doing corn
Illinois Farm Families - Wednesday, August 17, 2011
On our farm we keep time in the summer by specific events and activities. Like when the strawberries ripen and we pick twice, Or when the wild blackberries are ready, and we spend early mornings filling buckets in the patch. The county fair, several annual neighborhood cookouts and town festivals help us keep track of our summer days. Perhaps one of the most anticipated summer activities is doing corn.“Doing corn” is not just an act; on our farm it is an event. Growing up, we knew when the first sweet corn landed on our dinner table, doing corn was not far away. My mom would make the calls to family, neighbors and friends and a few days later our farm would be bustling with activity.
Read more...
Cold, wet spring delayed planting
Illinois Farm Families - Wednesday, July 27, 2011
The 2011 crop season has already been quite eventful. When farming in northern Illinois, the goal is to start planting by April 15th. Due to an unusually cold and wet spring, we were not able to get out in the fields until May 1st. Even then, we had to carefully determine which farms to plant, as they were not all dried out. Yields are threatened by the late planting start which means farm revenue is already affected even before planting is complete. Read more...
Knee-High by the 4th of July
Illinois Farm Families - Wednesday, July 13, 2011
The old saying is that corn should be "knee-high by the 4th of July."That saying should now say "tasseled by the 4th of July."
The reason why farmers can grow enough corn (and other grains like wheat, oats, and soybeans), is that science has helped us have plants with a higher yield. We have eliminated different diseases and things that slow down plant growth. We have better herbicides and insecticides that are safer, better for the environment, and we use less of them to produce more.
NIU Football team visit to our farm
Illinois Farm Families - Tuesday, July 05, 2011
Hi, my name is Lynn Martz and welcome to our farm. My husband, Mike, and I farm with my parents, brothers and our son, Justin. Our farm consists of beef, corn, soybeans and wheat located in northern Illinois just 65 miles west of Chicago.
We are one of the farm families you can tour on the Watch Us Grow website. We hope, along with other farm families, to help answer questions about farm life and why safe nutritious food is important to us too. I hope you will follow along with our blog and ask questions if you like.
Our on-farm market
Illinois Farm Families - Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Welcome to our farm! Our family is made up of our two sons, a daughter-in-law, and grandson. My husband David and I, with help from our oldest son Matthew, farm 1,000 acres of mostly corn and soybeans. My husband is a 3rd generation farmer. We live on what at one time was his grandparent’s farm. My husband has lived within one mile of the home farm all his life.
I grew up in a small town and was thrilled to move to the farm after we were married 38 years ago. We farm along the Illinois River, so we have had our share of flooded fields. Even though there have been some rough times, I wouldn't change anything. Read more...
Welcome to the Farm
Illinois Farm Families - Wednesday, June 01, 2011
I'm so excited to help kick off the Watch Us Grow blog!
I am Holly Spangler, farm wife to John, farm writer for Prairie Farmer, former farm kid from southern Illinois, and farm mother to three little farm kids. That's a lot
of farm, and I am a little bit exhausted just thinking about it.
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