Illinois Farm Families Blog

So let's get started on some good conversations. But first, introductions are in order.

Hmmm. What can I tell you about myself?  I suppose the basics are always good, so here goes.

I grew up on a close-knit farm family in western Illinois. My parents, Roger and Julie Newell, raise corn, soybeans and alfalfa, manage a herd of cattle with my grandparents and my two uncles and also run a small swine operation. I spent a great majority of my days working outside with my Dad, taking care of our livestock. On a day like today, when there was no school, my brother, sister and I would leave our Christmas presents in piles on the floor and venture outside to help Dad feed and water the pigs and scoop near-frozen manure. Ahhh, memories.

When all of the water tanks had been thawed and the feed buckets have been hauled, Dad would usually reward us in giant snow piles (if there was any snow to be had). A giant snow pile held such great potential for three farm kids. It could be anything, a fort, a hill for sledding on or a peak for playing king of the mountain. Most often though, giant snow piles were hollowed out and used as backyard igloos. It was during days like these where I really wished that we had neighbor kids that could walk (within a reasonable distance, of course) over to our house.

Nowadays, I don't have any pigs to feed or manure to scoop, but I definitely consider myself a "farm mommy". My husband Matt and I make up part of the fifth generation of Murrays to farm in Champaign county. Our two year-old daughter, Teagan, makes generation number six (or so we can hope). We raise corn and soybeans and the occasional chicken flock when we feel so inclined. Matt and his two cousins, Jack and Christopher, also make a living in the farming "off-season" selling Pioneer brand seed products.

We are in our fourth year of marriage and farming together and are just beginning our journey as a young couple dedicated to agriculture. Life is pretty good.

I am so glad to meet you and I am eagerly looking forward to many more blog posts to come!  Here's to a happy and healthy new year!

Roganne Murray

Roganne is a farm wife, mother to a spunky two year-old and all-around farm girl. She and her husband Matt live in a white house on the Illinois prairie, and you can follow their adventures raising what they hope will be the sixth generation of Murrays to farm in Champaign county at White House on the Prairie.

Food defines the seasons on our farm.  By spring, we’ve exhausted our winter stores of garden vegetables and plant seeds with visions of fresh salads and side dishes in our heads. Throughout the summer and early fall we eat from the garden, literally.  One morning my kids and I took our spoons out to the melon patch, picked a sweet smelling cantaloupe, sat down and ate right there in the yard.  That was the best breakfast. 

Of course, food in the fall means meals in the field.  Growing up, we lunched in the field.  That was the time of day my dad agreed to stop the combine, tractors and trucks.  We’d toss a blanket on the field’s edge or in the back of the pick-up and lay out our fare.  Most often lunch was a hearty ham sandwich ladened with garden fresh lettuce and tomatoes, an apple plucked from the backyard tree and cut vegetables from the garden.  My mom always had a sweet treat – brownies, pumpkin squares, apple squares, sugar cookies . . . my mouth is watering. 

These days my husband, his dad and brother stop for supper.  My mother-in-law, sister-in-law and I divide the week, each taking two nights. (I am thankful that on this farm we take Sunday to heart and rest for the day.)

We’re not the only farm wives that trek to the fields at dinnertime.  Between 5 and 6 p.m. you might see several combines stopped and a small group huddled around a dropped tailgate or raised hatch of an SUV.  The group consists of the harvest crew, which can range from one person to several and any kids, the farm wife and sometimes passers-by who stopped to talk.  Let me just say, retired farmers and agri-businessmen are smart.  They know when meals are served and who cooks and bakes what.  I always make plenty for the “extra help”. 

I have my go-to recipes and laughed out loud the year my brother-in-law said of the first meal, “Let me guess.  Sausage and rice casserole.”  Guess I had served that several years in a row. 

The kids get to see their dad, because they often go for days at a time not seeing him.  He starts work at 5 a.m. and will go until 9 or 10 p.m.  Meals in the field give the men a break to stretch their legs, talk to each other face to face instead of through the radio and to stop and see what they’ve accomplished. 

Standing in a harvested field at dusk sharing a meal, one can see for miles to where the purple night sky meets the earth. The low voices and deep laughter of the harvest crew fades quickly into the dusty waning light.  I am reminded of how tiny we are in the grand scheme of nature’s life cycle and yet so very blessed to be sharing the thrill of harvest with good people. 

Katie Pratt
Grand Prairie Farms

The past week we experienced some relief in daytime temps after some scatter storms moved through the region the weekend of July 7. With some areas receiving up to 3 plus inches of rain, temperatures for the week cooled down to the chilly low 90’s for daytime highs. Unfortunately, rainfall wasn’t widespread with much of the region receiving no rain.

Corn planted in early to mid-May seems to be catching up on its growth with many of those fields extending tassels and entering the pollination stage. Heat stress remained apparent on the entire crop by upright pointed leaves during the day, as the plants try to conserve moisture. On some recent trips in the region, the damage to the crop is apparent with several fields having short plants and the lower leaves already brown. Dry, brown plants can be seen on some of the lighter soils in some fields.

The first crop soybeans seem to remain resilient to the drought. Most fields are about knee high and have started to bloom. Some farmers are spraying their fields to control high population of spider mites infesting their fields due to the dry conditions.

Double-cropped soybeans are about 4 inches tall. Some farmers are experiencing some plant loss in the dryer parts of their fields. The young plants just ran out of moisture to survive. Fields with adequate plant population and growth potential are being treated with herbicides to control newly emerged and existing weeds since wheat harvest.

Local grain bids are corn $7.57, soybeans $16.11, and wheat $8.04.

Stay cool, pray for rain, and have a safe week.

David Hankammer

Farmer

St. Clair County

This past week was one of record setting temperatures and traces of showers. Triple digit highs and low humidity was the norm for the week with 108 degree being the highest temp. Isolated showers passed through the region with only a lucky few receiving a trace of rain. Overall it has been another hot, dry week.

The corn crop continues to suffer through the high heat. The earliest corn has pollinated and working on filling out the ear. Now corn planted at the beginning of May is starting to extend its’ tassel. It will be interesting to see which plantings will fare the best through this harsh drought.

The first crop soybeans continue to gain in height and extend its canopy to cover soil between the rows. The plants will start to bloom soon. Hopefully the temperature will return to a seasonal norm when blossoming is in full swing. The double-cropped soybeans are approximately 3 inches tall and waiting for rain.

Farmers with hay fields have made their third cutting of hay and are hoping for rain so these fields can recover enough to make another. Obvious yield reduction can be seen in these fields and the drought raises concerns over an adequate hay supply, especially with many of the pastures turning brown this early in the summer.

Local grain bids are, corn $7.57, soybeans $16.20, and wheat $7.97.

David Hankammer
Farmer
St. Clair County, IL

This past week was another mostly dry and warm one. Some rain showers passed through the area late evening on June 17. Rainfall amounts varied from 2 to 4 tenths in the county. Although rain was forecasted later in the week, it didn’t materialize. Temperature highs for the week were in the mid 90’s with low humidity.

On the bright side we finally received enough moisture to germinate seed in the dry bare areas of both corn and soybean fields. There was an enough plant emergence to change decisions to replant these areas that have been bare for 3 to 4 weeks.

Corn planted in early April is starting to tassel. There was a report of corn in the southern part of the county of being four foot tall and tasseling. This is an area of the county which has received very little rain since the beginning of April.

Soybeans plants are approximately 6 inches tall and farmers are post treating these fields for weeds. Water hemp is the obvious weed in many fields and it’s amazing how quickly this weed will grow despite the dry conditions. Herbicide application has been a challenge due to the high, warm winds that seem to start early in the day.

Double crop soybean planting went as quick as wheat harvest. Plant emergence is going well due to the much needed rain at the time of planting.

Continue to pray for rain and have a good week.

David Hankammer

Farmer

On Monday, June 11th the area was blessed with rain. Rainfall varied from four tenths to 1.5 inches in the county. It was a welcomed weather event which refreshed the growing crops on the farm. Temperatures were mild with lows in the upper 50’s to highs in the mid 80’s.

Corn planted in late March has started to tassel. The corn crop in all fields seemed to have jumped in height with the welcomed rain. The rain also has given us an opportunity to replant corn on some the slopes which have a poor stand of corn. The seed in these areas germinated but couldn’t survive or develop due to the lack of moisture.

The early planted soybeans have gotten off to a good start and continue to develop well. However, some of the fields planted in the later part of May have an uneven stand with many of the slopes looking bare. After inspecting a field several days after the rain, the seed in these areas has germinated and is pushing toward the surface. Hopefully, there will be enough plant population emerge to keep the field.

The majority of the wheat was harvested before the rain. With renewed soil moisture many of the farmers in the area are quickly planting soybeans and grain sorghum in the wheat stubble.

Locally grown sweet corn and peaches has hit the roadside stands. One peach grower has claimed this is the earliest harvest in memory. This is due to the early start of spring. Local grain bids are corn $6.31, soybeans $13.92, and wheat $6.06.

Have a great week.

David Hankammer
Farmer
St. Clair County

I've said it before and I'll say it again- I feel so fortunate to have been one of the inaugural members of the Field Moms program with the IL Farm Bureau.  What an incredible experience this has been!  Getting to talk with and ask questions of the people at the source of farming and food production in this country is an invaluable opportunity and one that I don't at all take for granted.  We had our third and final farm tour on June 9th and once again I am left with so much gratitude and awe but also some tough questions and things I need to think through.
 
This tour was in western IL, right near the Mississippi River and the Iowa border. Such pretty country!!  We had a lovely dinner with some local farmers and their wives on Friday night then headed to the hotel to get some sleep for a full day of farm touring on Saturday.  (sidenote:  although I didn't get to sleep very long, I DID get to sleep in a dark quiet room in a hotel bed all by myself...  heavenly!) 

 Our first stop on Saturday was the Twomey Company/CGB Enterprises.  They are a company that farmers hire to provide chemical fertilizers and herbicides and spray them in the farmers' fields.  The fertilizer they make is a mixture of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) which are all elements found in soil naturally.  Twomey just adds stabilizers to keep the nutrients in the soil longer and mixes them at precise concentrations depending on the needs of the specific farmer and his soil.  I know that "chemical "is a trigger word for most of us.  It is for me.  I am leery of any chemicals that are sprayed on my food or the soil my food is grown in as I don't want them to end up in my body or my children's.  But these are the same ingredients in any manure a farmer may use as fertilizer, just a little more precise and specialized.  They do use anhydrous ammonia during the production of the chemicals which is a little  concerning to me.  I'm not thrilled about something that is potentially harmful to your skin, eyes, mucous membrances, etc..  if you are exposed being used to fertilize the food we are eating.  But Twomey and the farmers promise that it is safely metabolized by the plant during the growing process and is no longer present in any final food product of the plant.  I believe them, truly.  But I need to sit with this one for a little more before feeling totally secure.

Before moving to the next part of our day, they drove us to their barge loading facility (where grain corn gets shipped to all over the country and the world) on the Mississippi River and it was just beautiful.  For reasons I am not totally sure of, seeing the river made me miss the beach.
 
Part two was a visit to Ron and Deb Moore's farm in Roseville, IL.  There they grow corn and soybeans and raise some cattle.  We got to see our "Field Moms Acre" of soybeans which they are documenting and using to teach us all about the process of growing and harvesting soybeans.  The biggest take-away lesson for me from the Moore's farm was learning about all their soil conservation efforts.  They have built tow wall structures to prevent erosion and improve water quality.  On a hay wagon tour around their property, we learned about the grass waterways and filler strips and other major projects they built with some cost-sharing assistance from the government conservation reserve program.  All these things are intended to preserve the land they love and create improved homes and water quality for all the wildlife in the area and the human residents too.  It was truly impressive and inspiring to see how much effort/time/money they have put into giving back to land that is their source of life and income.

After an amazing lunch of ribeye steaks (you don't get much fresher than eating a delicious grilled steak on site at a cattle farm!), we headed off to the Monsanto Learning Center and research fields and Monmouth,IL.  We have all heard of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and probably have strong opinions either way.  I tried to go in with an open mind, anxious to hear what they had to say and to learn about their role in this whole picture of where my food comes from. 
At Monsanto, they specialize in hybrid breeding of seeds.  They call it "genomics"- genetic marker assisted breeding in  order to increase crop yield and crop quality.  Their goal is to be able to produce the same amount of food using less land and less resources and less water.  And they do this by creating plants that can withstand stress better: insects, drought, wind, etc...  They are using scientific knowledge gained through research to help the farmers in the fields grow better, stronger crops so that they in turn can produce healthy, high-yield crops used to feed America and people around the globe. 

A specific example of their work: the Monsanto researchers have taken BT (Bacillus thuringiensis), a bacteria found in soil that is toxic to the root worm, a common pest to corn plants, and found a way to incorporate this bacteria into the corn plant itself.  This "GMO" corn is now resistant to this pest and can grow stronger and healthier in the field.  According to them, BT is non-toxic to mammals due to our acidic stomach so any amount (which they say is minimal) that we ingest when eating this corn is insignificant. They are doing things like this with almost any crop you can think of- improving they way the seeds grow and use resources so that the farmer can get higher yields and we can get better food.

I get what they are doing.  And I even get why they are doing it.  The folks at Monsanto, along with EVERY OTHER PERSON I have met during this Field Moms gig, are very concerned with the task before them to provide enough food to feed 9billion people by the year 2050.  The average farm today feeds 155people for a year compared to 26people/year in 1950.  But that's not enough.  They have to do more, and often times be able to produce more with less resources.  The farmers and everyone involved in the business of agriculture are always busy at trying to improve their processes, increase their gains, produce more food using less resources.  All with this goal in mind of being able to keep up with the growing global population.  They are mindful growers, not just farmers.  No one is simply throwing some seed on a field and hoping for the best.  They are analyzing every step to see how they can improve and do what they do better and safer and more economical.  And you cannot help but look at all that goes into farming (soil, seed, animals, research, business, ...) and be amazed at the passion and skill with which they do their jobs.  It is awe-inspiring and everyone needs to know how lucky we are that we have them behind the scenes doing all that they do. 

But the other side of the story is this- while I am deeply grateful for how mindfully they grow/produce food for my family and for the world, I too am mindful.  I am very mindful of what I eat and where it comes from.  And there are things that people are afraid of because they don't know about them and there are things that we should genuinely be concerned about.  And in all honesty, I am not 100% sure where this whole GMO thing lands on that spectrum.  I think I can truthfully listen to the folks that make the fertilizers and herbicides that are sprayed on the crops and be a little concerned but mostly feel content with their explanation of the needs of a healthy plant and why what they do is both best for the plant AND safe for my family. I can listen to the presentation by the researchers at Monsanto and understand both the heart and the goal of what they do and appreciate both for their sincerity.  They are good people with good goals.  But at the end of the day, I have to mindfully consider all I have heard and make the best choice for my family.  And I am not sure exactly what that is yet, but being willing to hear without judgement is the first step. 

That is what this program has been all about.  It has been my opportunity to take my questions about hormones and chemicals and GMOs to the source- to the farmers and researchers themselves- and give them the chance to answer honestly and dispel any myths that may be running rampant amongst us non-agricultural people.  And then it is my job to bring what I have learned back to my community and tell honestly the truth that I learned and my reaction to it.  We should not be afraid simply because we don't know.  And we should never let rumor or one person's side make up our mind on anything.  We have to give the farming community back their voice in all this debate over the safety of our food. And from what I have seen this year, our food is not just safe.  It is amazing.  And these farmers are amazing.  Do I still have some questions and reservations about different things?? Yes.  But if this Field Moms program has taught me anything, it has taught me that being a mindful eater means finding out the truth from the source and not listening to hype.  I am a mindful eater who appreciates the hard work and the fruits of the efforts of the mindful growers that I have been blessed to spend time with.  

This past week has been consistent in respect to the weather. It was dry and the temperature high was in the low 80’s. Despite a promising chance of rain for the beginning of the week, only a few areas received a couple tenths of an inch. Most of the area remained dry.

The corn crop is developing well on soil moisture. However it is showing signs of stress by rolling and pointing its leaves upward toward the sky, begging for rain. Some of the fields planted in mid-May on rolling ground have areas that haven’t emerged yet and the viability of the seed is starting to become a concern. Weed control is becoming a challenge. Areas of some fields which had previously held water from heavy spring rain are experiencing an outbreak of water hemp and climbing milkweed. The other extreme are fields which received very little rain to fully activate herbicides and begs the question to the level of weed control remaining for the season.

The soybean crop is also having similar problems due to the dry conditions despite rapid and timely planting. There are a lot of uneven stands of soybeans due to the dry soil.

One bright spot to the dry conditions is that it has dried the wheat crop down to favorable conditions, allowing harvest to move into full swing. Report of yields varies from the high forties to mid-sixties bushel per acre.

Hopefully a shower of rain will pass your way in the coming week.

Local grain bids are corn $6.15, soybeans $14.32, and wheat $6.18.

David Hankammer
Farmer
St. Clair County, IL

 Crop scouting is time-consuming; but, probably the most important job we do all summer.  With the assistance of a 4-wheeler, my husband spent most of Sunday and Monday riding down the rows of the planted corn and soybeans looking for insects, weeds and diseases that could hurt the young plants.  He was also checking for any germination issues with the seeds.  As the plants grow, the 4-wheeler becomes less helpful and we have to do a lot more walking through the fields!  We “scout” each field at least once a week during the summer months, as those little plants grow fast this time of the year! 

Because we finished scouting on Monday, we played “hooky” on Tuesday morning and headed to Oak Brook to meet our daughter-in-law and 1-year-old granddaughter, who live in Chicago.  While our daughter-in-law and I shopped, Grandpa and granddaughter enjoyed a couple of hours of playing peek-a-boo, giggling, and strolling as they followed us from store to store on this very beautiful and sunny day.  Oh, what grandfathers won’t do for their grandchildren!!! 

Back at home later that afternoon, Grandpa headed to the farm shop---that’s the shed on the farm where we do maintenance and repairs to the farm equipment.  He needed to do some repairs on his crop scouting buddy---the 4-wheeler. 

At dark, we sat down for a late supper…a little tired, but so thankful for such a wonderful day.  I told Grandpa how impressed I was of his shopping skills and reminded him that in less than six months he’ll be entertaining two granddaughters while mom and grandma shop.  He just grinned from ear to ear!

Donna Jeschke
Farmer,
Mazon, Illinois