Faith

Fall is a great time to enjoy the fruits of our labor as farmers and to remind us of our many blessings as we approach Thanksgiving. Be sure to give proper thanks to the author of those blessings.

Once again, no shortage of things to do on the farm and couple that with the planning and office work that continues to be done, there won’t be much time for rest or slacking.

As stewards of farms and ranches, we know the benefits of each season for growing crops and raising livestock. Those four distinct seasons help us learn to live in the moment. Every year, we only get a few months of each one.

With the current crises we face on all fronts, foreign and domestic, we need a strong leader and God’s help to get us through.

I asked my wife, “What have I done in the last 30 days?” She said, “Praying for rain, moving sheep and praying for rain.” I’m still praying for rain.

Between harvest and preparing for the state corn-husking competition, From the Fields contributor Clay Geyer has a busy October ahead of him.

Over its 50-year history, the Illinois Stewardship Alliance’s causes may have shifted, but it has never lost its focus on advocating for local farmers and communities.

We’ve gone more than a month now without any rain and none in our forecast, so the pastures are thirsty. In spite of that, the cover crops on our wheat stubble are looking surprisingly well.

A team of nine people from Huntington University traveled to serve local communities through sustainable agriculture projects to Momostenango, Guatemala.

Beef production spans generations in the Hanson and Kuipers family in Iroquois County where they operate a forage-based program utilizing a paddock grazing system along with growing corn, soybeans and wheat.

As summer presses onward, From the Fields contributor Mark Seib continues balancing farm and family life.

Providing improved seeds, tools and fertilizer along with training is changing the lives of farmers in Uganda through a project developed by Joe and Nathalie Schmidt.

Things are really green everywhere. I feel very good about where we are in the grazing year. That is, we are ready to start the last rotation on our fescue, before we begin stockpiling for winter grazing.

Summer is in full swing on Clay Geyer’s home fields, where he’s on the lookout for — and has already found — some plant diseases and weeds.

What is the condition of your corn and soybean crops and what are your thoughts about the grain markets as we start down the homestretch of the growing season and begin to prepare for harvest?

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

As a father, grandfather, farmer and man of faith, balance has become a cornerstone of my life. I have come to appreciate how crucial balance is in every aspect.

I have heard that you should not discuss politics, religion or money with friends and family. Apparently, some people are incapable of discussing these topics without fighting. I am not one of those people.

Maybe it’s time to put some eggs in a different basket — that is, livestock. And since cattle prices are formidable for newcomers, I suggest a more reasonable approach to diversification: sheep.

A generous donation of whole and lactose-free milk to local food banks will impact the lives of thousands of Illinois families.

Early in my first year at the Big U, a new friend from Chicago’s South Side asked me what he thought was an innocent question.

May is Mental Health Month. This time is a great reminder for each of us to make sure we are consistently checking in with ourselves, with our friends and family, and beyond our fencerows with our neighbors and community members.

When the alarm goes off at 3 o’clock in the morning, volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians answer the call. They roll out of bed, pull on their clothes and speed to the fire station.

We’ve had a cold winter across a lot of our state, and I am enjoying spring and all the opportunities the new season brings for family fun and good food.

Spring has arrived and it is good to see grass growing and greening up. I won’t say that grass growth is exploding, because over the last few weeks, winter has tried to hang on.

This is my favorite time of the year. It is the time when new life is created.

Recently, I was asked to describe myself without saying I was a wife or mother and that hit me a bit differently. After all, as parents, it is hard for us to see beyond that.

Authorities have identified the five people killed in a fiery collision between a school bus and semitruck on a highway in rural Illinois, including a young brother and sister, another 3-year-old boy and both drivers.

Bethany Community Gardens is offering several free gardening classes this spring with a free meal included.

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

The Burgener family, of Moweaqua, was named the Illinois Pork Producers Association 2024 Family of the Year.

While my father milked cows and farmed for almost 50 years, I never heard him say he loved — or, for that matter, even liked — either cows or farming.

AgriNews and Beck’s are proud to announce the 2024 Indiana Farm Family of the Year — the Muegge family of M5 Family Farms in Hancock County.

Bruce and Linda Muegge lead their family farm with faith and a strong work ethic. They’ve worked hard to build the farm to what it is today — a successful corn, soybean, wheat and cattle operation with an on-farm meat store.

Have you saved your spot at the 2024 American Farm Bureau Convention? There’s still time! I’m excited for the lineup as we explore New Frontiers together in Salt Lake City Jan. 19-24.

It’s been great so far this December to do chores without having to break the ice on the energy-free waterers we use here. Pretty much all fieldwork has been done by now around here.

‘Tis the season to give, so I gave the rams to the ewes. Now everybody’s happy. I should start lambing about mid-May. Hopefully we will have a lot of green vegetation to graze.

As I sit here to pen this column tonight, I find I am quite exhausted after another extremely busy day, which included us doing timed AI breeding on 90 heifers. It took us about three hours to get it done.

Kendra Downing has learned how to deal with adverse conditions and as a result won the National FFA agricultural proficiency award for agricultural sales — entrepreneurship.

A beloved Boilermaker and horticulturalist, Ross Byers died Nov. 24. Byers grew up in Vincennes, where he and his family managed Dixie Orchard — the largest grower in the state at that time.

Brian Duncan took a minute before he stepped to the podium. His title was just a few hours old when he was introduced to media as “the president of Illinois Farm Bureau, Brian Duncan.”

The Illinois Corn Growers Association thanked Rich Clemmons for over four decades of work representing agriculture in Illinois policy. Clemmons announced his retirement after supporting ICGA as a lobbyist since 2008.

Demeter is a common name in the grain trade. For example, Indiana-centered Demeter LP was a family-owned, regional grain business for more than 50 years.

How can every harvest be so similar and yet completely different? The goal is always the same — get everything through the combine and into bins, and yet there are so many circumstances that come into play.

Picking up where I left off last month, the Lord has indeed blessed us with another great month. For the most part, things have been going very well. The weather has been good.

Ted Mottaz was fresh out of college and all set for a career in agriculture education, but Uncle Sam had other ideas.

It’s been a beautiful dry fall, almost too dry. With all the talk about an El Niño weather system, I sure hope we get a lot of moisture this winter because we need to recharge the soil moisture. But you make your prediction. What do you think?

For once I have no complaints on the weather, especially the past couple of weeks. Temperatures have been warm, but moderate, now turning to more fall-like. Mix in two nice rains and conditions seem to be quite good.

The Federal Reserve left U.S. interest rates unchanged this month, waiting to see if the rapid rate hikes since March 2022 will finally push inflation down to their target of 2%.

Hoosier writers Beth Gormong and Susan Hayhurst are proud to present “Growing the Fruit of the Spirit: 100 Devotions for Farm Families.”