Overheard at church Sunday morning:
“It is probably just as well that it rained. I had to put a new water pump in the (model#) tractor. You used to be able to get a kit for $35. It cost me $475 yesterday. . .I just had the air conditioning fixed in that tractor last week. That cost me $1750. $7 corn isn’t looking quite so great right now.”
For many of us who live on farms across the Midwest, hunting for Morel mushrooms is a Springtime tradition. I went mushroom hunting last evening. These mycological treasures are soaking in salt water in my refrigerator. I’ll dip them in an egg & milk mixture, then flour and salt and fry them in a skillet.
Without a doubt, Morel mushrooms are a treat to find and a treat to eat!
Butch Gardner, owner/operator of Gardner Cold Storage in Pittsville, Wisconsin, gave Brownfield’s Julie Harker and Bob Meyer a tour of his operation.
With soybeans down to 8 percent moisture, Tippecanoe County Indiana farmer Josh Cox told me on Tuesday they were going to stop harvesting beans and wait for a rain to add some moisture back in. We certainly didn’t hear that last year.
The rapid harvest, fall tillage and wheat planting all happening at once have challenged fuel suppliers, basically since the end of August. Jon Lantz, VP of Marketing for CountryMark tells me a lot of hard work, and long hours by member co-ops has helped meet the demand. Hats off to all those responsible for delivering fuel to farmers.
Kristy Meyer with the National FFA tells me that as of October 12, online registrations for the 83rd National FFA Convention next week in Indianapolis totaled 48,000, that’s up from last year just a skosh.
And finally, are these corn stalks to match flip flops or are they flip flops to match corn stalks? Is there a purse to match?
That’s what I’m hearing.
-Dave Russell
This guy was keeping an eye on carrion while perched majestically in this tree near the creek on my farm. Although we see them frequently in winter months, spotting a bald eagle from April through October is a pleasant surprise.
Indiana Farm Bureau is asking farmers to tell their stories and possibly win a pretty great prize. Here’s the scoop:
Your Life, Your Story” Plans have been laid for the Indiana Farm Bureau state convention, scheduled for Dec. 9-11 at the Indianapolis Convention Center. This year’s theme is “Your Life, Your Story.” The theme builds on public relations efforts that encourage farmers to share their stories – about agriculture, their lives and their communities – with others.
“People in rural communities live a life that is interesting and desirable to our urban neighbors,” said Chris Fenner, convention committee chair and IFB leadership development coordinator. “We want members to take advantage of opportunities to share their experiences and build relationships with people.”
While the state convention will give members the opportunity to hone their storytelling skills, the IFB public relations team is working on ways to get those stories out to a broad public audience. What better way, asks IFB public relations director Andy Dietrick, than through an online contest?
“We’re working on the submission and voting timelines and all the technical details that go on this website,” said Dietrick. The convention team is looking at three contest categories – short essay, photo, and video. Submissions in all categories will be accepted throughout the summer and online voting for the best story in each category will take place in the month leading up to the state convention in December.
Prize and rule information will be posted on this site. So, dust off that pen and paper, and those cameras and check this site often for more convention and contest information.
What’s holding you back? If you are an Indiana farmer, I say “go for it!”
For the past 8 years, I have tagged along with the staff of the Jacksonville branch of Farm Credit Services of Illinois, delivering a complimentary hot meal to a farm family during Farm Safety & Health Week. It is a great program and a great opportunity for me to spend some time with friends back in my “old stomping ground” as I began my career in farm broadcasting at station WJIL in Jacksonville, Illinois.
Over these past 8 years, most of the farmers we’ve fed have been part of a multi-generational farming operation. That was the case this year. We enjoyed lunch under the most enormous hard maple I have ever seen and I enjoyed the stories family members shared about that tree.
Wes Kirchner remembers clearly his grandmother sitting under the tree and singing church hymns. About that tree, Wes said, “It’s quite a tree. If it could talk I’m sure it would tell you a lot memories.”
You can read more about Meals in the Fields 10th anniversary and our visit to the Kirchner farm on the Brownfield website.
Mark Jagels of Davenport, Nebraska snapped this neat photo of grain trucks waiting in line at the Cargill elevator in Carleton, Nebraska. Mark is a director on the Nebraska Corn Board and is a past board chairman. Thanks, Mark.
-Ken Anderson
Looking forward to next week. . . .
I’ll be with Jacksonville staff of Farm Credit Services of Illinois taking lunch to the field for a farm family.