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Ask A Farmer/Farm Family

How do farmers determine when corn and soybeans are ready to harvest?

Answer: There are a number of factors which affect crop maturity: varieties, growing degree days, moisture content, and of course weather conditions. The final stretch is underway. This time of the year is always an exciting time to be a farmer! Our preparations are getting finished up and we are all ...read more

Why do some farmers bale hay? What do they do with it?

Answer: Some farmers bale hay to feed their livestock. Other farmers, like us, have a hay baling business as part of our diversification on our family farm. I started baling hay in 2001, as a way to diversify and stay on the family farm. I started out with 20 acres of ...read more

Why did you choose to farm?

As a 4th generation farmer, there really isn’t anything else I’d rather be doing. There was no question as to what my career would be. I was born and raised on a farm. Both sets of my grandparents farmed as well. I spent all of my time working alongside all of ...read more

Our winters can be bitter cold, so how do you keep your animals warm?

Answer: Temperature-controlled barns with some added insulation keep our pigs warm and healthy during the cold winter months. Tropical vacation? Who needs that when you have heated hog barns to go into everyday! Keeping our livestock warm is an important part of our daily chores in winter. My wife, Liz, has been ...read more

How has cattle and grain farming changed on your farm?

Answer: The biggest changes have been in farm size, technology, and production costs. My Great-Grandfather Marsden Carey started this farm back in the 1950’s. He farmed with his sons, including my Grandfather Don Carey. Today, I farm along with my parents, John and Cindy (Carey) Baenziger, as a 4th generation farmer. Grain ...read more

How do farm kids balance farm work with school and other activities?

A strong work ethic helps us focus on our livestock chores along with schoolwork and sports. This is Warren and Eli Schweitzer responding to this question as we now are back in school. We are farm boys that raise livestock as 4-H projects. We also play football, basketball, and baseball. It is ...read more