Illinois Farm Families Blog

A WatchUsGrow.org reader recently asked us to define "modern farm equipment," so we put the challenge to our bloggers to share what's new on their farms. This is the first part of that series.

The tractor in the photograph isn’t new.  It’s a 2008 with over 2000 hours on it.  You could say it’s the equivalent of a car with perhaps 50,000 miles on it.  Neither is the implement attached behind it.  The implement is a fertilizer applicator that’s over 12 years old and has been over thousands of acres.  What could be considered “new” is the technology that resides on each and connects the two together.

By having GPS- and yield monitor-equipped combines, we’re able to generate yield maps of the various fields.  Merging those maps together over the years results in a composite map that truly gives us a good indication of the yield potential of the different zones within a field.  Using that information, we can write “prescriptions,” for the application rates of various materials – usually fertilizer quantities or seeding populations.

It sounds complicated, but hang in there with me.  Once I’ve made prescription maps, I can load those into the computer in the pictured tractor.  The tractor is also GPS-equipped and therefore knows where it is within a field.  It “talks” to the fertilizer applicator tells it where to put on more fertilizer, carried in the tanks behind, or less fertilizer, based on the prescription I’ve written.

The benefits are huge, by far outweighing the costs (this equipment isn’t cheap).  The primary benefits are efficient use of the fertilizer by putting only as much as is needed only where it is needed.  This helps protect both the environment and my checkbook.  The autosteer function in the tractor keeps it going straight – much straighter than I would normally steer – and prevents skips and overlap.  The whole process is recorded and documented for subsequent download, allowing for accurate record-keeping – a must in today’s world.

A tractor still has four wheels and pulls various implements through the fields.  That much hasn’t changed since my grandfather’s farming days.  What has changed is the technology we use to be more efficient in every way, and in this case, the efficient use of fertilizer.

Chris Gould
Elburn, Illinois

Did you have the day off of work Monday?

Since my "boss" lives in one of our upstairs bedrooms, there was no day off here in our little white house on the prairie.

But at least I don't have a morning commute...and I get to wear my sweatpants to work...and the boss takes a two-hour nap every day which allows for a little down time. (Just between you and me, when she's not around I drink iced coffee and plan my spring time assault on our garden and landscaping. When I'm feeling really crazy, I also watch Friends re-runs...Shhh.)

This spring-y-ish weather has really given me the gardening itch. My garden catalogs have started rolling in by the mailbox-fulls and they are starting to resemble my daughter's Toys R Us catalogs around Christmas time, dog-eared pages that are full of thick red magic marker circles. Truth be told, I already have an order prepared for everything from sunflowers to cilantro.

Matt and his cousins, Jack and Christopher, have been spending their winter "down time" helping local farmers do exactly the same thing. Only instead of sunflowers and cilantro, they are placing orders for corn and soybeans.

In modern agriculture, filling out your spring seed order isn't as easy as choosing between corn or soybeans. Genetically modified or non-gmo? Drought resistance? Food grade? Disease tolerance? How many acres of corn are you planning to plant? What about soybeans?

When farmers are paying an average of $260 PER BAG of corn and $50 PER BAG of soybeans, it's not a decision that one should take lightly.

Just as a point of reference, one bag of soybeans will plant just over one acre (1.1 to be exact) and one bag of corn will plant 2.3 acres. If a farmer plants just one 80-acre field of corn, his seed bill will be just a shade over $9,000.

Eeesh. That's like 45+ grocery trips.

I'm no math whiz, but I'm not sure that my $100 off any order of $200 or more coupon from Gurney's seed and nursery would get anyone very far. But for those farmers who really have their ducks in a row this winter, the earlier the seed order is submitted the larger the discount.

While my "boss" gives me my own daily dose of education on every subject from what's in Dora the Explorer's backpack to the finer points of proper princess tea party etiquette, Matt, Jack, and Christopher are spending their winter "down time" attending Pioneer seed meetings to learn about different varieties of seed corn and beans so they can better help farmers prepare for the fast-approaching spring planting season.

When the boys aren't attending meetings, they are visiting with local farmers, preparing seed information, organizing the seed shed, and training our seed shed watch cats to be fierce guardians.

I think they aren't spending as much time as they should on that last part.

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.

A hot meal will stop a working tractor or combine almost as quickly as a breakdown. Proof lies in the power of opening the van’s hatchback at supper-time. The harvest crew, a.k.a. relatives and farm help, start to gather like Grandpa’s cattle when he drives into the pasture with his pickup truck. They simply want a taste of what you brought to eat. Cattle expect a bucket of grain. The harvest crew desires a hot, home-cooked meal or the occasional take-out from town.

Sometimes traditions change and new lifestyles intervene. Yet food delivery to the working crew in the field remains one that some farm families like mine still preserve. Even this tradition has evolved with the introduction of warehouse club memberships and Styrofoam take-out containers.

A field-side picnic seems warm and fuzzy, and it really is in the moment. (In fact, the field remains my favorite place to dine.) But the daily process to plan, prepare and deliver proves a downright hassle sometimes, even for a farm woman who works from home. Often, her roles have heightened with farm records and marketing in addition to traditional farm and home duties.
The nightly preparation and delivery of a half dozen meals taxes the pantry and the mental menu for my mom. I relieve her about once a week, or at least contribute food to the cause. She looks for variety within the parameters of what the crew members will eat. Even then, you have a few short orders, such as warming green beans for the broccoli haters. She knows whether they like mustard or mayo, whether they’ll even put a spoon in yogurt or cottage cheese or need a side of ketchup with their peas (my kids).

At the start of harvest, I shared lunch with our son at a local sandwich shop and watched a farm woman at work. Without asking, I quickly identified that the visibly stressed lady in front of me was taking food to the field. The giveaways: The down-to-earth appearance. Open insulated containers on the table near the checkout. And a multiple sandwich order complicated by her mental recollection of several people’s topping preferences. Usually only wives know a man’s relationship with certain foods. Unless you’re a farm woman. Then you know it for all the farm employees and sometimes their kids.

I confirmed her motive at the beverage station and sympathized. She mentioned her preference to drive a tractor or grain truck. The task seemed simpler and focused. And she hoped no unannounced kids were tagging along in the field that day. Or she would be without a sandwich.

Joanie Stiers
Farm woman
Freelance writer from west-central Illinois

By Maria Chandler, WMBD/WYZZ TV

McLEAN COUNTY- It's the worst drought many can remember. And the severity seems to grow daily.
A McLean County family is at the center of it all. They say there's only one thing that's keeping them going.

David Schuler is seeing one of the worst times in the history of his business.  He's a farmer along with his father, and he's only been at it for a year.  Schuler says, "You hope when you start you'll have a couple of good years in a row to get your feet underneath you."

It comes with the trade, he knows he'll always be up against weather...but this season's planting the perfect storm.
"Once June, mid-June hit, we started realizing we were in trouble," explains Schuler.
 
There was enough  moisture to bring the crop up in the spring. But no rain and extreme heat in mid-summer shut it down.
 
Paul Schuler, David's father, explains,"People compare it to 1988. But I think, really in our area and throughout our whole area, it will probably go down in the record books as the worst in the last 30-40 years."

In the field, there's evidence to back it up.  Paul says, "This ear probably pretty much a third to half of what it could be."
 
For every decent ear of corn, there are three bad ones. And moving just 100 feet slightly up-hill makes a massive difference.
"There's only 15 kernels on here. It's impossible for the combine to thrash off to get into the grain tank," says Paul Schuler.

Ninety percent of the corn from the Schuler's farm goes to the elevator. Then it's shipped for feed or ethanol. This year won't bring near the profit margin they're used to. "To watch a crop deteriorate  is wearing on a person," explains Paul.

The Schulers  haven't used crop insurance in more than 20 years. Now, it's what's getting them through.

But it's not the only thing...
"To see my grandfather, father, myself and my sons come back and farm, I think we're very fortunate to have that opportunity," Paul explains.

This farm's been around since the 40's. It's tradition. And that's something even bad weather can't touch.
"You always know there's better days ahead," says Paul. That's just not part of a family farm's nature... to quit."

David adds to the school of thought, "We're gonna fight through it and we'll be fine as a family farm."

The Schulers won't begin to really know what they're up-against until they start to harvest some corn in September. And the  full effect won't be felt until insurance is sorted out by the end of October. We'll be watching the drought closely and checking back in with the Schulers to see just what all of it means for the family farm.

NOTE:  WMBD/WYZZ will be doing a drought series with McLean County farmer Paul Schuler and his son David.

For more, go to http://centralillinoisproud.com/fulltext/?nxd_id=265992

This past week set a new record as far as temperatures were concerned. On June 28, temps reached 108 degrees which is now considered the warmest temperature on that date ever for the St. Louis region. With no rain and drought conditions, this record setting weather I would chose to let pass. Triple digit temps and no precipitation is the ten day forecast.

The corn crop continues to show signs of heat stress as it enter into the pollination stage. There is still moisture 2 to 3 inches below the surface, but it is disappearing as this crop continues to develop under the dry heat. The great concern now is how well the crop will pollinate under the extreme heat.

First planted soybeans are now approximately 6 to 9 inches in height and developing a canopy over the row. Most farmers have finished applying post treatment of herbicide to control weeds in the fields prior to the excessive heat.

Emergence of the double-cropped soybeans has been good and now a couple inches tall. Now it needs a shower of rain to keep them growing.

Pastures in the area are turning brown and some farmers are starting to feed hay to their cattle much earlier than normal. Also, water levels in some shallow wells have dropped forcing some cattle farmers to haul water to supplement their water supply.

Local grain bids are corn $6.50, soybeans $14.70 and wheat $7.04.

Have a happy and safe Fourth of July

David Hankammer, Farmer
St. Clair County

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

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.  

The past week has been another dry week despite the promising potential of rain in the weather forecasts. After threats of thunderstorms from the west, the week ended with approximately four-tenths of an inch total rainfall from two separate showers. The first shower disappeared quickly due to the dry soil and warm temperatures. The second shower provided a greater benefit due to overcast skies and cooler temps, allowing the moisture to move to the root zone of the growing crop. Daytime temperatures cooled down to the low 80’s from the previous week highs of the mid 90’s.

The corn is quickly growing due to the cooler temps. Plant height ranges from 4 inches to waist high. The plant roots are down in the soil moisture and reaching deeper. There are areas lying in dry soil waiting for moisture to germinate it. Hopefully we received enough moisture get these areas growing.

Many of the early planted soybean fields have emerged and can be seen down the row. However, a large number of fields were planted during the week of high temperatures and like the corn; some of seed is in dry soil. Hopefully the rainfall was enough to get it spouted and keep it growing.

Some farmers have tried to combine wheat this week but found that the crop isn’t as matured as it appears. After inspecting our fields, I notice the grain is still soft and substantial number of stalks with green color remaining. Wheat harvest is still several days away.

Local grain bids are corn $5.07, soybeans $13.34, and wheat $6.13.

Have a great week.

David G. Hankammer
Farmer
St. Clair County

Most farmers are done planting first crop soybeans although there are some who have decide to delay planting some of their fields due to the lack of soil moisture and rainfall. They have decided to wait for rain to insure a uniform emergence of the crop.

Local grain bids are corn $5.89, soybeans $ 13.72, and wheat $6.29.

Have a safe week.  

Dave Hankammer
Farmer St. Clair County

 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