Greg is a corn and soybean farmer from Southern Illinois. He and his wife, Nancy, are the sole operators of their family farm and take a great deal of pride in the agricultural industry. Greg and Nancy always keep the best interest of their consumers number one while preserving their farmland, and protecting the environment. They keep up with all of the latest technology advances and are always willing to try something new in hopes of improving their farm. Greg is a previous Illinois Corn leader and is very knowledgeable in regards to the locks and dams system along the Mississippi River.

Kelsey: Can you tell me a little bit about your farming practices?

Greg: The corn grown on our farm is conservation tillage and we have no-till soybeans. We use integrated pest management and a variety of different chemistries for weed control. Even though many consumers worry about the different chemicals farmers put on their fields it is important to remember that we all use as little as possible and everything we do use is approved through the USDA. We are feeding your family the same thing we feed our own families and we always keep that in mind! Every four years we soil test our farmland. This enables us to not only preserve the soil but improve the soil quality. While making decisions for our farm Nancy and I discuss our plans with seed, crop, and marketing specialists. We feel that this is the best way to learn new techniques and ensure we are taking the right steps to operating a successful farm.

Kelsey: What roles does your family play in making the farm successful?

Greg: Nancy and I run our farm completely on our own. Nancy does an outstanding job at jumping right in and getting her hands dirty! She runs the combine, drills beans, and does the tillage. I, of course do a little of everything; including all of our spraying. Farming is not an occupation but a lifestyle and there is no way in which we would rather live our lives!

Kelsey: What do you feel is the biggest issue facing the agricultural industry today?

Greg: I really believe that there is a lack of knowledge among consumers in regards to production agriculture. Therefore, as with any lack of understanding, consumers are easily deceived about the agricultural industry. This is primarily due to the fact that there is no single good source of correct information about production agriculture. Many groups such as HSUS and EPA have more resources to get information about their cause into the public eye.

Kelsey: How is your harvest going?

Greg: Harvest is going GREAT! We are extremely early this year which is definitely nice compared to our last two years and their immense amounts of wet weather. I am currently finishing up corn and getting ready to start soybeans. Since the 1970’s our corn yields have doubled and soybean yields are up twenty-five percent. This is very encouraging to me and farmers throughout the United States.

Kelsey: Living in Southern Illinois you are close to the Mississippi River; how do the locks and dams affect you and your farm?

Greg: A portion of both my corn and soybeans goes to the export market. This means that they are put on a barge and transported on the river. The locks and dams really affect my farm in two ways. First of all, the transportation costs increases because the transportation method (river transportation via barge) is extremely inefficient. Second, the inefficiency makes our prices higher for everything we use on the farm that is transported on the river. A couple examples of these products would be fuel, fertilizer, and coal.

Kelsey: Recently, President Obama did not authorize and money for locks and dams. What are your thoughts on his decision?

Greg: As an Illinois state senator Barack Obama supported locks and dams upgrades along with levy improvements. However, as President he supports highways and railroads. This is very frustrating because the locks and dams are in great need of an upgrade. There is currently only one lock chamber and if something were to happen to the lock chamber there would be no alternative. The individual locks were built in the 1960’s and 1970’s resulting in numerous unscheduled repairs which shuts down transportation. Improving the locks and dams would not only help the agriculture industry but everyone who uses any product transported on the river.

If you have any questions regarding Greg and Nancy’s farm please e-mail me @ whosyourfarmer@gmail.com.