Ask A Farmer/Farm Family

Featured image for “What types of tractors does your farm use? And how has machinery changed?”

What types of tractors does your farm use? And how has machinery changed?

Answer: Tractors and machinery have changed tremendously in the last 80 years on our family farm. Today, we use tractors with tracks, RTK-GPS auto steer and a guidance system. Things have changed considerably since my grandfather, Merwin Ness, started farming in the 1940s. He was a grain and livestock farmer and owned a Massey 44 tractor that had a metal

Featured image for “How do farmers determine when corn and soybeans are ready to harvest?”

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 excited to get in the fields. Leading up to

Featured image for “Why do some farmers bale hay? What do they do with it?”

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 hay and grew the business from there. Now, after

Featured image for “How is planting corn and soybeans different today compared to your grandfathers’ days?”

How is planting corn and soybeans different today compared to your grandfathers’ days?

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 able to do a precise job at 5 mph

Featured image for “Why did you choose to farm?”

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 them, learning from some of the best. Farming is

Featured image for “Our winters can be bitter cold, so how do you keep your animals warm?”

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 known to tell people: “The barns are warmer

Featured image for “Looking back at harvest, does a farmer need extra help to get the crop out?”

Looking back at harvest, does a farmer need extra help to get the crop out?

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 – weather, commodity markets, and world politics have a

Featured image for “Don’t new tractors drive themselves? What do farmers do in the cab?”

Don’t new tractors drive themselves? What do farmers do in the cab?

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 follow that line until the driver turns it around

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 & Livestock Changes – My great-grandfather started with

Featured image for “How do farm kids balance farm work with school and other activities?”

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 hard to balance sports and livestock, especially with