April 21st, 2022
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 ...read more
April 20th, 2022
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 ...read more
April 20th, 2022
May is Beef Month so let's talk about beef sustainability
Not only is beef delicious and nutritious, but the beef industry continues to implement numerous proven sustainability practices that contribute to the way beef is responsibly raised today.
Though the path to sustainability is never complete it is a continuous journey by ...read more
March 28th, 2022
Corn farmers in DeKalb County produced 200+ bushel corn last year.
The USDA reported a total of 44 counties in the state finished with a corn yield average above 200 bushels per acre in 2021.
In DeKalb County, the 2021 yields showed corn averaged 202.7 bushels per acre and soybeans averaged 62.9 ...read more
March 16th, 2022
There are many things that are associated with basketball which originate on the farm.
Basketball – Some basketballs are made of leather, which comes from the hide of beef cattle. The pros use leather basketballs. College basketballs are made of mostly synthetic materials.
Basketball shoes – Today’s shoes are a mix of ...read more
February 18th, 2022
The livestock industry benefits our county and state by supporting food security, protecting the environment, strengthening communities and driving economic growth.
Supporting Food Security
Illinois is home to more than 71,000 farms. DeKalb County has about 2,300 farms. Ninety-six percent are family-owned and a third of Illinois farms include livestock. For these ...read more
January 19th, 2022
Popcorn is one of America's favorite snacks.
• Most popcorn is grown in the Midwest – Nebraska leads in popcorn production.
• There are 4 basic types of corn – field (dent) corn, flint (Indian) corn, sweet corn (corn on the cob) and popcorn. Popcorn is the only corn which pops!
• On ...read more
December 20th, 2021
A new pair of shoes may be a welcome Christmas gift, even for horses!
Horses need new shoes about every 4-6 weeks, based on how their hooves grow and how the shoes have worn. Horseshoes are designed to protect horse hooves the same way shoes protect our feet. When horses work ...read more