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.

Craig Morgan - International Harvester

Safety First

As some of you may already know, this week is Farm Safety Week. For a multitude of reasons I feel it is extremely important that everyone understands the dangers associated with the agricultural industry and the precautions we can take in order to keep us all safe whether we are on the farm, road, or in the field.

According to the National Safety Council, farm accidents and other work-related health problems claim as many as 1,300 lives and cause 120,000 injuries a year, most of which are preventable. Most of these accidents are due to equipment overturns or machinery entanglements, farm structure emergencies such as grain bin entrapments, electrocution, silo entrapments, farm chemical spills and exposures, or farm animal incidents. Tractor accidents on farms cause the highest number of fatalities with tractor overturns

accounting for 44 percent of all tractor fatalities. These farmers are husbands, dads, brothers, grandpas, uncles, and friends who have a strong passion for their industry and are doing their best to make a living for their families.

If you are from a rural community similar to mine, during harvest it is nearly impossible to get anywhere without being stuck behind a tractor, combine, or grain truck. While it is easy to become frustrated, honk your horn, fly by the slow-moving vehicle, and demonstrate an unfriendly gesture, please put yourself in the farmer’s boots for a few seconds. Believe it or not, the farmer also has an important place to be and has a million things on his mind, just like you. However, unlike you, his combine, tractor, or grain truck is larger than the road making mailboxes and street signs easy targets, his vision is limited, he can not go any faster, and he is attempting to accommodate all of the other drivers he meets along his path. Therefore, during harvest, please keep your eyes open for the orange slow-moving vehicle triangles. As you approach the piece of equipment, slow down and be cautious if you choose to pass. All farmers understand the hustle and bustle of today’s society and will most likely pull off the road as far as possible for you and help make sure it is safe for you to pass them. Finally, as country music singer, Craig Morgan, sings, “Just smile and wave, and tip your hat to the man up on the tractor.” To view Craig Morgan's music video, "International Harvester", check out my next blog!

My Family Farm

As I begin this blog I feel that it is only appropriate that I start with my family’s farm in Central Illinois. My dad, Rick, and my Uncle, Ron, farm together. My cousin works at the farm-full time, two of my great uncles work at the farm part-time, my mom does the bookwork, and my sister and I help wherever we are needed from running the combine in the fall to picking up parts from the John Deere dealership when something breaks down. We truly are a family farm and without each person we would not run a successful operation.

We farm around thirty five hundred acres throughout a ninety mile span. We raise field corn, seed corn, sweet corn, popcorn, soybeans, green beans, pumpkins, and wheat. We sell our popcorn to Weaver, which is a popular brand of popcorn found at grocery stores and Walmart, in the microwave popcorn aisle. It is also often used in popcorn machines at sporting events. The green beans on the farm are produced for Del Monte and can be found everywhere. My family takes a great deal of pride in our farm; doing everything possible to make our grains and vegetables the absolute best for families, just like ours, throughout the world.

Our seed corn, sweet corn, popcorn and green beans are all raised in sandy soil. In order to hydrate our crops in the sand we run twenty six irrigation systems from May until September, when needed. This can make for an extremely busy summer! My Dad and Uncle spend many late nights in the fields turning the systems on and off or rotating them in order to keep our crops healthy.

Everyday agricultural engineers and scientists are finding new ways to better the technology used in the agricultural industry. I find it absolutely mind boggling that my Great Grandpa used a horse and plow to plant his fields and today with the GPS system built into our tractor the only thing I have to do is turn the tractor when I come to the end of a row; the tractor literally drives itself! My dad and uncle, similar to most farmers, love to keep up with the latest technology and are far from the stereotypical farmers wearing overalls with a pitchfork in hand.

My Dad has always said that farming is not an occupation, but a lifestyle and that truly is the way my family lives from day to day. Growing up on the farm has been an incredible experience and has taught me everything from responsibility to patience to the fact that when Dad is watching the weather my mouth is shut. I am currently a college student studying agricultural business with future intentions of managing my family farm. I have a strong passion for the agricultural industry and will do everything possible to make sure it is given the reputation it deserves. If you have any questions about my family's farm don't hesitate to e-mail me at: whosyourfarmer@gmail.com.