They say you never know what you have until it’s gone. I agree. My years as the resident barn owl at Wonderland Farms have taught me that many take what they have for granted.

There’s something magical about Christmas on the farm. The stars in the sky reflecting off of a snowy field, the quiet hum of a heater in the barn office and that sense of peace that comes from being surrounded by open space and loved ones.

This Christmas column, first published in 1994, remains the most-requested column ever written by Alan Guebert. Maybe that’s because its lesson is both timely and timeless or perhaps it’s just a warm tale well told.

In addition to growing food organically, Marty Travis works with numerous Illinois farmers to provide marketing and distribution services that connect them to numerous buyers.

Wool is always breathable. The air spaces in wool fabric insulate, but also allow moisture to easily pass through. This keeps your skin dry and enhances your body’s temperature control.

Take advantage of these long nights to get rested up for spring. That’s our God-given advantage at this latitude.

It’s time to come inside and learn something. The Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition will be sponsoring several webinars this winter.

Honeycomb is gloriously simple, ridiculously inexpensive and one of the most impressive homemade holiday gifts you can whip up with nothing more than sugar, baking soda and 10 brave minutes.

With Christmas just around the corner, Ken Ropp and his staff were busy filling numerous cheese orders for delivery or shipping.

Each year during the holiday season, I sit down and make a list of things for which I am truly thankful. Some entries never change. These constants anchor my list, reminding me of the steady gifts that shape my life.

We have been going hard with AI synchronization and breeding, both cows and heifers.

Eighty-four percent of Christmas tree growers say they anticipate no increase in wholesale prices this year, according to the Real Christmas Tree Board.

There are plenty of options for those wanting to pick their own Christmas tree.

Christmas Nights of Lights, a drive-thru light show at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and Event Center, is returning through Dec. 31 this year.

On the southern Illinois dairy farm of my youth, we marked seasons by the work more than by the month.

With its rings of holly branches, this majolica platter carries the spirit of Christmas. It’s certainly something to celebrate, but a closer look shows its symbols are a little different from the decorations most of us may be used to.

All too frequently we seniors don’t ask for help when we need it, using as an excuse that others need it more. Sound familiar?

I am getting everything ready in the barn for winter. We do not have a lot to do since we do not lamb in the winter.

With the costs of everything seeming to go up by the day, how are we going to manage to stretch our budgets to include gifts?

An Illinois grain farmer and popular host of podcasts, radio and television shows was the guest speaker at Eureka Savings Bank’s recent inaugural ag event.

With the warm, dry conditions, harvest is almost complete at Riskedal Farms, where some corn and sunflowers remain to be picked.

Some of us have gotten to the age where we wonder if adopting a pet would be the right thing to do, even though we know that having a pet would help with feelings of loneliness.

Wheat harvest is complete on Riskedal Family Farms and cover crops have been planted that will be grazed by cattle starting in September.

Lena Olson’s love for animals is in her DNA.

New items are added each year to the exhibits at the museum located in the former Penfield school on the showgrounds of the Historic Farm Days, set for July 10-13.

We took a little break from the basketball season to celebrate Christmas and the New Year with a bunch of gatherings of family and friends. Cow work gets sandwiched in where a little time and help allows.

Whether you’re preparing a cozy family dinner or gearing up for a festive gathering, this recipe for turkey meatballs will have you covered.

Criminal activity is on the rise in many rural areas. Vandalism to crops, buildings, machinery, fencing and vehicles occurs more frequently than we would like to believe.

Many of us set goals that are too ambitious or unattainable. Simply put, we set ourselves up for failure when we set unrealistic goals. We also fail if our goals lack specificity and are hard to measure and track.

They say you never know what you have until it’s gone. I agree. My years as the resident barn owl at Wonderland Farms have taught me that many take what they have for granted.

We are down to the short rows of 2024. Winter is upon us. Christmas is days away. The older I get, the more quickly the days, weeks, months and years pass by.

The Christmas tree was a scrub cedar hacked from the edge of the woods that bordered the farm. Big-bulbed lights, strung in barber pole fashion, generated almost as much heat as the nearby wood stove.

While the president-elect continues to nominate prospective members of his incoming administration, the outgoing Congress faces a hectic sprint to complete a long list of unmet legislative duties before their pre-Christmas adjournment.

What if I told you there’s a breakfast so versatile, so satisfying and so easy to make ahead that it can save your busiest weekday mornings, elevate your lazy weekends and even grace your holiday table?

If you want to enjoy a taste of Indiana goodness, add an Indiana Grown Holiday Box to your Christmas wish list this year.

The largest drive-through light show in Indianapolis — Christmas Nights of Lights — is returning to the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

Excited members of the Yorkville Christian FFA Chapter gathered at Spirit Farms for a private concert with country artist Hailey Whitters. The chapter won the 2024 Rock the Crop contest from Firestone Ag.

As Halloween approaches and the ghosts begin to roam, why not conjure up a wickedly delicious twist on a classic treat? Let’s take deviled eggs and dress them up for Halloween — Deviled Monster Eggs.

It is that magical time of the year — August fair season. In a lot of ways, I look forward to the fair more than Christmas. 4-H has always been a big part of my family.

Like most southern Illinois farms of my youth, my family had a closet filled with guns.

The earth provides an overabundance of food, but the distribution of that food is the struggle.

A second quarter U.S. Department of Agriculture Hogs and Pigs report held few surprises for producers and traders.

The Rahn family operates a centennial farm in northern Illinois that includes row crops, hay production, cattle feeding and a cow-calf herd.

One of my annual routines to kick off a new year is to replace our big family calendar that is posted in our mudroom and begin filling it out.

At the height of the Christmas giving season, the governors of Iowa and Nebraska, two largely rural, heavily agricultural states, chose to play Grinch by turning down tens of millions of federal food assistance dollars.

It has been a blessed Christmas season. The halls are decked, presents have been wrapped and you can hear Faron Young singing Christmas carols when you step in the backdoor of our house.

Santa Claus is as popular a figure in antique Christmas collectibles as he is in today’s decorations. Most are more festive than this papier-mâché figure.

The holidays are in full swing with all the hustle and bustle and seemingly endless to-do lists. You know what we need, besides more money, lower prices and an extra week before Christmas?

They say you never know what you have until it’s gone. I agree. My years as the resident barn owl at Wonderland Farms have taught me that many take what they have for granted.

The Christmas tree was a scrub cedar hacked from the edge of the woods that bordered the farm. Big-bulbed lights, strung in barber pole fashion, generated almost as much heat as the nearby woodstove.