Harvest For The Holidays

I haven’t written in awhile.  I thought it was time.

Tonight it is kind of a view form my couch… It’s icky outside, I’m curled up watching one of my favorite holiday movies (Elf) and playing “Dug of War” with my dog.  FYI – “Dug of War” is a play on my dogs name and the popular game tug of war.

I’m not sure if you have heard about our little “adventure”… But I thought I’d take some time to explain it.

While on one of our last Harvest Tour stops I was talking to one of the guys from Farm Credit Services of Illinois about his recent afternoon that consisted of going around his community and collecting grain in a grain cart, selling it and then gifting it back to the food bank.  WOW.  I thought it was a great idea and such a fun way to make a difference.  Food banks are struggling again this year.  With unemployment still at unbelievable levels (9.9% as of Sept 2010 in Illinois – which by the way ranks us 40 out of 51) it isn’t difficult to grasp that people are struggling to put food on the table.  An increased demand for food and nutrition benefits puts additional pressure on food banks when donations may not be increasing with the same strides the demand is, is a serious problem.

You may be wondering how all of that makes its way to where we are today.  That night I was on my way to a meeting.  I started to think about what John had done and how we could take his great idea and develop it further and get everyone involved.  I made a few phone calls and started to plan and develop.  I had notes… and notes on notes…. and notes on notes on notes…. you get the picture.  That night I was at my parents for dinner and I started to talk to my dad about this program and the best way to implement the ideas and how, most importantly, to make it successful.  He was a great springboard and had great advice.

So there I was… With this great idea.  Now, I just had to make it work.  After going through all the channels and getting all of the logistics lined up (there were a lot of phone calls made over the course of a week) we had great reception from the communities.  We have the help of eight local farm bureaus (Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, Fulton, Mason, Marshall-Putnam and McLean Counties) and their young leaders.  We also have great sponsors that are taking part (THANK YOU a million times over – without you this probably wouldn’t have been possible) and most importantly a cause that will benefit greatly.  That cause? Feeding the food and nutritionally insecure in Central Illinois.  Ten bushels of corn and soybeans at a time.  Pretty cool concept, eh?

Here’s how you can take part (and help).  Visit our website:  http://www.harvestfortheholidays.com and find your local participating elevator.  Give them a quick phone call and say you’d like to participate in the program.  You can donate 10 bushels of corn or soybeans (or you can donate 50 – we won’t turn away larger donations) and on December 13th after The Noon Show – we’ll call all the elevators and sell the grain on the cash market.  All the checks will be sent to the Midwest Food Bank to benefit the Tender Mercies Program.

The packets which are part of the Tender Mercies Program feed anywhere between 4 and 8 people.  My goal is 100 farmers to donate across eight counties.  That’s pretty reasonable, right?  Let’s do the math to what exactly 100 farmers can do this holiday season.  One hundred farmers have the potential to raise anywhere between $6,000 and $10,000.  That’s between 12,000 and 20,000 packets.  That is anywhere between 48,000 and 80,000 hungry mouths that get a warm, nutritionally sound meal.  Isn’t that AWESOME?!  I sure think so.

I know not everyone who is reading this has grain they can donate… And I have answered this question a lot, too.  ”How can I help if I don’t have grain to donate?”  If you’d like to make a monetary donation – you can mail checks to the Midwest Food Bank.  Just put “Harvest For The Holidays” in the “memo” portion of the check.  All of the money collected during the Harvest For The Holidays program will also benefit the Tender Mercies program.

As I wrap this up… ahead of a shortened holiday work week.. I am certainly thankful for so many things.  A roof over my head.  A family that loves and supports me.  A love of an industry that not only has the heart to give back – but the ability.  And the “Pay It Forward” that was started in me over six years ago (which is a story for another day).

Please help the less fortunate this fall.  It’s a quick phone call.  A small donation that means so much to the food insecure this holiday season.

In His love….

Fall Is Here (Officially)

Today was a very special day for me.

I spend a lot of time in cabs of different combines, tractors, trucks and 4-wheelers over the course of a year.  I love being outside, on the farm and learning from the people who know this industry best.  But, I rarely take the time to ride in the cab with my dad.  Which seems odd to me… knowing how much I love and respect him and how much I enjoy spending time with him.  Add into that mix – if it wasn’t for him, I am not sure I would have fallen in love with the agriculture industry as much as I have.

I am nowhere near the perfect daughter.  In fact, I was quite a heathen growing up.  But as I saw my dad’s hair transition from dark brown to pepper with a little salt into what is now mostly salt sprinkled with a little pepper I started to realize that maybe he

knew a thing or two and maybe I should listen more.  Our fall back when I was younger for conversation used to be sports.  Now, it is farming (and sports, too).  We talk yield, the ins and outs of his daily life and even a history lesson wrapped into a generally friendly conversation.

When I travel around the state talking to producers about their operations – often times I think about how their operation works and functions in comparison to our family’s.  I can find similarities and differences.  No matter where I am, I always can find something to talk to my dad about. I have often times wondered why he chose his this lifestyle.  He is a very intelligent man and could have done anything – but chose to remain on the farm.  I heard my grandfather say today “he could have done anything – but this is what he loves.”  I couldn’t be more thankful.

Today was awesome and one I won’t forget for a long time.  I took the opportunity to catch up on some quality daddy/daughter time as I jumped in the cab with him this afternoon.

It wasn’t an easy day by any means.  It’s damp, cool and the sun wasn’t shining.  But for me – it was the perfect opportunity.

My maternal grandparents come down from the Quad Cities every year to help my dad’s family with harvest.  Grandpa’s job: semi driver.  Dad took off to get some end rows picked while I took some photos and watched my grandpa attempt to get out of the field and head to the elevator.  I mentioned there are always challenges (this week has presented a few) and I also mentioned it was damp, right? When he went to take the semi out of the field , it was stuck.  I helped my grandpa hook up the chain to the tractor and we waited for my dad to circle back around to pull him out.  He did so successfully and grandpa was on his way to Varna… 

Dad and I were off in the other direction.  I was in the cab and my mouth was moving.  Constantly.  I asked questions.  He answered.  They were carefully thought out and well formulated responses.  We talked about the industry.  He talked about corn hybrids and I learned more about refuge.

I also learned a lot about his personal style.  For example – when he is emptying the hopper into the grain cart he prefers the cart to stay at a steady pace and he control where the grain is going by his speed.  I was unaware that he preferred combining corn over beans.  Another fact I learned today.

When we talk yields with producers around our area it is variable. No two fields and hybrids yielded the same this year. When dad and I talk yields he is incredibly happy with all the hybrids he planted.  The field we were in today will probably be his lowest yielding corn this year.  Not because there is something wrong with the what he planted – but because he says on a good year that field makes 150/bu.  It is incredible to know that makeup of the ground can result in higher or lower yields.

I finished up my day taking a load of corn to the elevator with my grandpa.His story is one for another day. Afterall – he is a master story-teller.

I am always thankful to those that let me ride along and bug them with photos.. Questions… and their take on the industry.

Today I was thankful it was my dad that put up with me for a few hours.  One of my favorite quotes he used to say is from President Dwight D. Eisenhower: “Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you’re a thousand miles from the corn field.”

Today – I wasn’t a thousand miles from the field.. I was in it.  I got to spend some time in the cab with someone – who no matter what he thinks – is one of the most influential people in my life.  Even when he thought I wasn’t listening – I was.  It enabled me to learn a lot from him.  For that, I am thankful.

….Until our next view from the cab

Corn, Soybeans and Research… Oh my.

Today has been a very busy day.  It was business as usual and then I left the studio and headed to Tremont to film our next episode of Growmark Gleanings (which will begin airing July 1).  Then I was ”Eastbound and Down” to Downs, IL for a tour of the Beck’s Hybrids PFR (Practical Farm Research) to visit with my friend Jason Webster.  Jason heads the research at the farm.  Over the past few years I have learned a lot from my talks with him (remember – I am an animal science girl that has recently found her love of agronomy).  It seems like there is always something new to learn.  Especially when you’re a producer (and me, too!). 

The name Practical Farm Research pretty much speaks for itself.  It is Practical Farm Research.  Its purpose?  To serve the growing demand of information that producers want.  Part of the goal?  Give producers the tools they need to make the best decisions for their farms.  With 300 dedicated acres and multiple field trials and studies there is plenty of information for a producer to digest.  (You can view the results from the 2009 Practical Farm Research HERE).

With all of this talk I wanted to see for myself.  We’ve been there on remote but when we’re there I never have time to tour and to hear what is going on at the PFR.  I feel like I don’t get to fully experience it.  I’ve been told for months that I should come for a tour…  Today’s weather was great – I was already out… I thought why not?  Today was a perfect day to be on a farm.  Warm and sunny. 

When I got to the farm Jason and his interns (whose names I didn’t catch) were working on the sprayer.  Oh the days of internships.  They finished up and off we went.  Jason and I got on the Mule and began our tour of the farm.  As we drove back to our first stop Jason pointed out Twin-Row corn and soybeans (we’re going back at one point this summer so we can learn more about those test plots).  We stopped at a soybean field – Jason pointed out the correlation between the soybean root and the color of the flower (nothing majorly scientific – but definitely something interesting).  This spring has already presented challenges – ones that we are starting to get used to after the past few years and he took time to point out some yellowing of the bottom leaves of the soybean plant (the unifoliolate) but other than that the soybeans in that particular plot looked very healthy. 

On the opposite side of the soybean plot were rows upon rows of corn.  Personally, I think the beauty of a corn field is often taken for granted.  I am certain there isn’t a more beautiful sight (but again, that is simply my opinion).  Jason pulled apart a stalk of corn to show the stage.  (See the picture slide show to see if you can identify the stage of corn).  We continued our tour of the grounds and looked at more research.  We saw anything from Nitrogen studies for corn on corn to Nitrogen studies on first year corn.  The amount of Nitrogen increases as you move west along the plot and you can definitely see the difference in the crops.

Beck’s PFR Slide Show

 One of the fun studies on display is the Hail study.  Jason allows his interns to mutilate the corn stands with a weed whacker at differing stages of development to see how it recovers and develops.  It really was an incredible day.  I learned a lot.  I got a lot of great photos and on a side note continued to develop the really awesome tan lines on my feet (not kidding).

Beck’s Illinois PFR Field Show is coming up in August (August 18th to be exact).  If you want to find out more information about the Field Show click HERE.

Today was an awesome day.  When I left – Jason’s day wasn’t finished… He was off to mark plots and if it was dry enough attempt to spray.  I always thought I had long days.. But I think his surpass mine.  I am always excited to learn and enjoy learning from people who are passionate about their field.

I appreciate the opportunity to tour the PFR today and it was awesome to be out in the field.. With this weeks (or month at the rate we’re going) view from the cab…

Volume II… It Has Been Far Too Long

I know it has been far too long between postings when I start being asked why I haven’t been posting.  When we first launched this it was supposed to be a weekly posting…

However – due to business travel (Washington, DC for Washington Watch), inclimate weather and scheduling problems – our “View From The Cab” has been running a few weeks behind. 

Hopefully – we’re back on track. 

Granted it hasn’t exactly been great weather – over 7″ (closer to 9″ in some places) of rain so far in the month of May.  I’m sure you’re thinking “NO WAY”… But that’s what we have figured… 

We have a listener that keeps a really close eye on the weather – specifically the rain fall totals and I spoke to him this afternoon… He said he had 1.2″ of rain in about 20 minutes…  That’s a whole lotta, whole lotta if you ask me. 

This is from an email from our “weather watcher”:

This year we had 8 days in April with measurable rain with a total of  2.85″    In 2009, there were 12 days in April with  6.45″  total.
Here is the one that is hard to believe:
May 1- 25  this year  there were 15 , yes  15 days that had rain with a total so far of 7.55″     Believe it or not,  all of May 2009 had only 6 days of measurable rain with a total of 4.85″.

Last night I decided to take a drive and see how things looked around the area..

I ended up in Tazewell County.  I’ll insert some of the photos I took while I was out…

This was my view from the cab (of my little G6) last night:

 

We’ll be back soon (hopefully)… From another field… With another View From The Cab….

The First Edition

This is a new venture.  I spend countless hours on the road.  Often times it is in the driver’s seat and sometimes it is in the passenger’s seat while my engineer Mike Sabol is driving to and from remotes.  Regardless of where I am in the vehicle – I see the same thing.  Farmers working.  Their ability will always amaze me.  Who is more capable of feeding, fueling and clothing the world than the American Farmer?  I am confident we know the answer to that question.  No one. 

As I see farmers around Central Illinois working – I wonder their thoughts.  Do they have concerns already?  What is next for them?  I have a mind that never shuts off.  My quest for knowledge is insatiable. 

I was trying to figure out how I could answer all these questions not only for my own personal knowledge but to continue in the education of others.  It’s pretty simple, I suppose.  I ask.  So I have and I will continue to do so as the year progresses. 

Our first View From The Cab was shared with Jim Campion.  Jim and I have been friends for almost twenty years.  We met at the Marshall-Putnam Fair many years ago.  Our friendship has grown over the years and he’s always one of my favorite people to sit down and “talk shop” with over a nice cold beer. 

Jim and his family farms in Stark and Marshall Counties.  We spent our afternoon/evening working ground to prepare what would normally have been a no-tilled soybean field.  However with the harvest of 2009 still lingering over many producers heads, Jim like many other producers in the area needed to work the ground before this weekend’s rain so it would be better suited to plant and produce soybeans. 

I spent nearly three hours in the cab of the tractor with Jim.  I got a chance to learn about the equipment he was using.  You’ll hear Jim in the video explain what it is and why they are using this version.  I think it’s an interesting story.  Hopefully, you’ll find it interesting, too.

 

One of our goals with this new project is to get a “hands-on” opinion about the ever-changing agriculture industry.  Everyone has a story.. This is our chance to tell yours.

We’ll be back next week.. from a different field.. With a different View From The Cab.