Horses vs. Modern Machines
In the early days of farming, horses served as the powerhouse of farm work. Many farms had several horses used to pull their plow or haul a wagon of grain. Steam engines and tractors eventually replaced horses on farms.
• When tractors were first introduced, 1 tractor had ...
Some fun facts about grapes and wine
• Grapes are the most planted fruit all over the world.
• A ton of grapes can be produced into 720 bottles of wine.
• There are 10,000 varieties of wine grapes existing worldwide.
• “Aroma” is the term for the fragrance of young wine, while “Mellow” ...
Several crops are being harvested locally in September and October.
Farmers are harvesting corn, soybeans and so much more!
Field corn and soybeans are the BIG 2 farm crops being harvested here in DeKalb County. But that’s not all. Fall harvest also includes specialty crops like apples, pumpkins, red raspberries, grapes, gourds, ...
When I was your age... I walked to school uphill both ways.
This is something that Grandpa may have said to underscore the challenges that the younger generation does not have to endure. There are variations of this saying – I walked for miles to school, in the snow, uphill both ...
There are all kinds of cool things happening in farm fields around us. July is the month for lots of activity among the growing crops in DeKalb County. As you pass by fields you will probably see some of these same scenes.
Farmers typically harvest wheat in mid-July. The wheat is ...
Kids learn how important safety is on the farm
Farm safety is important! By educating our youth about it we can prevent accidents from occurring. If children are educated and know the appropriate safety precautions, the hope is that they can use this knowledge to prevent accidents and stay safe on ...
The Chicago Union Stockyards could handle at any one time:
75,000 hogs
21,000 cattle
22,000 sheep
Livestock came from all over by rail and by truck to the south side of Chicago from 1865 to 1971. After the Stockyards closed, the Chicago-Joliet Stockyards opened and some area farmers shipped their livestock there. Other marketing ...
An artist relies on agriculture for so many of the tools they use:
Sketchpad/Paper – Made with wood cellulose (from trees) or cotton cellulose (from cotton plants).
Paints – Many paint pigments are obtained from plants, trees, or even insects. Oil paints are made with linseed oil derived from seeds of the ...
A look at some of the conservation practices used by farmers
Conservation Tillage - Farming with Crop Residues
Reduces soil erosion, keeping sediment and organic matter out of waterways
Combines soil drying and warming benefits of tillage while disturbing less soil
Conserves soil by retaining crop residue on soil surface
Vegetative Filter Strips
Removes sediment, organic ...
Remember the 1980’s television commercial for Wendy’s which featured Clara Peller asking, “Where’s the BEEF?”
The commercial was a hit and brought increased attention to eating “real” beef. Now, the “BEEF It’s What’s For Dinner” commercials resonate with consumers.
In DeKalb County, we raise 17,300 beef cattle on 69 farms. These cattle ...
