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 ...
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 ...
Planting corn and soybeans has seen significant changes since my grandfathers were dropping seed into the ground.
The older equipment was pulled a lot slower than today, some even by horses. My grandfathers would plant at 2 to 3 mph with a 2, 4, or 6 row planter. Today’s planters are ...
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 ...
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 ...
Answer: A farmer’s support system includes family, employees, and agribusiness people who assist with all aspects of the grain harvest.
As I look back upon this crop year, I cannot help but reflect upon the things that made it successful. There are many things that are out of a farmer’s control ...
Answer: Today many farms have GPS to guide machines through the field allowing farmers to use “auto-steer.” But a farmer still needs to keep an eye on things and manually steer at the ends of the field.
With auto-steer, the machine is set on a straight track (or line) and will ...
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 ...
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 ...
My family shipped cattle to the Stockyards for several years. Now they sell directly to the packing companies and some directly to consumers.
Livestock production runs deep in the history of my Dermody family. My fondest childhood memories involve our farm and ranch operation in Iowa. My dad and brother currently ...
