It is beginning to look like summer, at the family farm.

It is beginning to look like summer, down at the farm. Trying to keep up with the mowing has been a challenge this year, with all the rain that we have gotten. My sister Kim, and brother in law John mowed on Monday, and while it looked beautiful when we rolled up on Saturday, it was once again time to mow.

Susan started on the weeds by the old apple tree and I hit jumped on the mower and started to do my part on the grass. My plan was to run a couple of passes, and take it down to about 2.5 inches, hoping to stay ahead of the mowing just a little, more rain in the upcoming week’s weather reports.

I am beginning to feel a little bit like the farmers, big plans on getting work done. As is often the case with farming, Murphy’s Law comes into play. While I got most of the mowing done in the front, the mower decided it was time for a break and I was unable to start it. It seems that one of the many “safety switches on the “BAD BOY’ is not functioning properly, preventing me from finish mowing. Very disappointing, to say the least. I will be making trip to the shop to see if we cant get an idea on what is going on, and to probably arrange to have it hauled back in for repair/adjustments.

Again, like I have said before, the work that we do on the farm is done for personal satisfaction and the pride we have of the farm. Planting and raising crops is serious business and when the farmer is faced with gremlins, they often times have to figure it out on the fly and make things work. I know too, that farmers do their jobs because it is their calling. They love the work that they do, and they take pride in their work. With all of the challenges, their day comes at the end of harvest, and hopefully with a decent pay day. Our pay day is a beautiful looking farm, just the way Dad kept it…

Rain,Rain, Go Away…

April showers bring May flowers. We have been hearing that since we were little kids. Not only does it bring May flowers, it makes it difficult to keep up with our chores on the family farm.

Living in town, and about 25 miles away from the farm, jobs and other obligations sometimes semi to get in the way, and we fall behind. Just a “perk” of living in town.

It happens every spring, and this year  is no different. I went down early this past week, and I couldn’t believe how tall the grass had gotten. It is going to be a chore to get this cut.

With the time I had to mow, I only got a small area completed. Most of i I had to cut at 4.5 inches, then make successive passes to bring it down to 3.5 inches.

There will be mowing this weekend, I and hopefully by Monday we will have that park like finish that w would make Dad proud

Time to Saddle Up

Well, we may not help with putting in the crops, but there is plenty of work for us city slickers as well. With spring weather the way it is, we are often behind the 8 ball when it comes to mowing in the spring time. Not a big deal, the ole “Bad Boy” will get the job done. One of my favorite things to do is to hop on the mower and clean the place up, all they while, trying our best to keep the place looking as good as Dad did. We certainly feel the same pride that he felt, so I think we get pretty darn close.

This will be our third season with this Bad Boy Zero Turn. It has been a great machine so far. It is easy to operate, it takes everything we throw at it, and it is always ready for the next task. With all the rain we have had, it might just be time to run back down to do some mowing…..hmmm

A New Beginning

It is always nice to see spring come to the farm. This spring, we got to see the winter wheat poking up thru the soil as we transitioned from winter to spring. It has been a very long time since there has been wheat growing on the farm.

As spring progresses, the wheat continues to grow, and the work continues. I was fortunate to be at the farm the day Don was spraying the wheat. I love to see the machinery in the fields, all in anticipation of growing a good crop so there is a decent payoff at harvest

Being a city slicker by day, I always learn new stuff about farming. On this day, Don stopped and we talked for a little bit. I found out that he was spraying the wheat to inhibit the growth of the plants. This is to keep the wheat stalks shorter so they will be less prone to breaking in the wind or thru the harvest process. Farming today is not the same as when Uncle Jim farmed, that is for sure.

Easter at the Farm, 2024

Despite being an early holiday this year, we had the perfect weather to celebrate Easter at the farm. Warm, but windy, plus a lot of sun made the perfect day to visit with family, eat some good food, and watch the kids (most of them city kids) run around and enjoy the freedom to play without worrying about who might be walking down the street. There is not a better place for an Easter egg hunt either. I have to say, that the kids in our family know how to work an Easter egg hunt.

With the farm being a natural area, it is also the perfect place to have the kids plant some wildflowers, and this year, even an apple tree (from seed) and an red bud tree. I think the kids enjoy this activity as much as any they participate in.

I used to see our Dad during our 4th of July celebrations, and it was truly his favorite time of year. He took so much joy in seeing the kids enjoy the same farm (it does not look much like it did when he was a kid) as he did. I think that the 4th was his “Christmas”. Everybody together, much more relaxed than Christmas time, and just enjoying the whole scene. You could see it in his face, and in his eyes. Well, I am beginning to feel that same thing. I see everybody enjoying time together on what has to be the best “park” we could have. All the things I mentioned earlier, it just makes me have hope for the future. It does not matter if it is Easter, or the 4th of July, maybe a Memorial Day or Labor Day, having the family together, sharing in the wonder, the piece and quiet (well, the sounds of the kids and people talking are really music), it is a good feeling. Thanks Dad, and Mom, for affording us the opportunity to enjoy the farm together.

I think Dad would be proud…..

Spring is in the Air

This past week has been a perfect picture of an Illinois spring. Warm, all the way up to 80 yesterday. Then down to the teens overnight when the bottom fell out. All in the day and life of a citizen of the state of Illinois.

Farmers are no exception. I am sure that the warm weather had them all thinking very seriously about the pending planting season. I am assuming that the seed has all ready been purchased and is waiting to be picked up at the seed dealer’s shop. Equipment is being fine tuned to eliminate the potential for equipment failure (all the planning and preventative maintenance in the world will not eliminate all surprises, but it hopefully will eliminate most of them.

I can’t wait to see the first planters in the fields. I love to see them moving across the field, putting this season’s crop in the ground. If the winter has been generous with moisture, the soil will be moist, but not muddy. It will have a very distinct but very pleasing smell that tells us that it is time for a new beginning on the farm. Next step, little green shoots of crop poking up thru the soil.

Since spring planting is not on the immediate horizon, I found one of my favorite images from a couple of years ago. I thought it would be a good time to share it on this post. When the guys are out in the field, I will have lots of pics to share of this year’s planting season. Till then, COME ON SPRING…

Off of the Family Farm

Still not a lot happening for us on the family farm. I am sure the guys are getting prepared for the upcoming planting season. They have more than enough to do at this time, but I know they are excited to get back in the fields, and I can’t wait to see the fields with the the fresh signs of being worked and planted. I also can’t wait for that distinct but pleasant smell of fresh earth being opened up. It signals hope and excitement for a good growing season and a rewarding harvest in the fall.

For us, it signals more trips around the yard with the mower. There is other work that we hope to accomplish as well, but sometimes life gets in the way, so we will see what happens. The prospects are exciting, and we will accomplish what we will, and we will be happy to have the opportunity.

As I write this, we are sitting warm in the house, looking out at a beautiful day with a layer of snow, we actually got 6.5 inches. That was more than we had received for the entire winter up until yesterday, so being that person who loves the snow, I was happy.

We didn’t have time to run to the farm, so we hit the local area near home. I thought I would share my favorites of the bunch. I hope you like them too.

Diddly Squat

So, what is happening on the family farm? For us, diddly squat. I did not want to go any longer without a post, so I thought I would let you know about a favorite program for us. It is on Amazon Prime, I know that you can still see Season 2, Season 3 will start May 10th, I think.

The show is “Clarkson’s Farm”, Diddly Squat Farms. It is a series about a British gentleman who decided he wanted to become a farmer. The show follows his efforts, sometimes downright stupid, sometimes enough to try the patience of a saint. The language sometimes is a little raw, a lot of humor at the expense of Jeremy, the farmer.

The cast of characters include Caleb, the young farmer who was roped into assisting Jeremy and his efforts, the interaction between those 2 will leave you in stitches. The complete cast of characters for the show are as follows:  

	Jeremy Clarkson(the Man), Kaleb Cooper(the young farmer charged with teaching Jeremy how to farm), Lisa Hogan(Jeremy’s girlfriend), Charlie Ireland(the accountant who tries to keep Jeremy from spending what he doesn’t have) and some other characters that are part of the fun, Gerald Cooper, Kevin Harrison, Ellen Helliwell, Alan Townsend and Dilwyn Evans.

The show also highlights the difficulties that the family farm faces on a daily basis. While this is a British production, and it takes place in Brittan, many of the difficulties seen there are the same ones that American famers face. I think that is why it is a great watch for those interested in farming, or who are actively engaged in farming. From the weather, to government overreach, and all of the other pressures put on to farmers are highlighted, giving an educational, and entertaining program that I am sure you would enjoy.
The show also highlights the difficulties that the family farm faces on a daily basis. While this is a British production, and it takes place in Brittan, many of the difficulties seen there are the same ones that American famers face. I think that is why it is a great watch for those interested in farming, or who are actively engaged in farming. From the weather, to government overreach, and all of the other pressures put on to farmers are highlighted, giving an educational, and entertaining program that I am sure you would enjoy.

There are several books out as well, all available on Amazon, while I haven’t read them, Mom has, and she has loved each one. They are easy reads and very informative. Again, something that might be worth your time if you are in any way associated with farming. I am not trying to sell anything here, just wanted to let you all know about this show, and since it has been really slow for us, at the farm, I thought now was a great time to share my favorite program with you.

If you decide to watch, or read the books, let me know what you think, post a comment. I don’t want serious slams, or anything hateful or insulting, if you don’t like it you don’t like it, maybe you think it is not presented well, you can tell us what you think without being hateful. Any comments that I deem to be hateful will not be allowed. We have enough to worry about, On the Family farm….

It is January, it is cold, it is wet and dreary, what do you do? Go to the farm, of course…

Well, our big snow (a whole 3 inches on the ground) is gone, the really cold spell is over, but it is still January. It is cold, it is wet, sometimes foggy, pretty much a hunker down in the house kind of weather for most everybody. I would agree to a certain level, but yesterday, the farm was calling.

I really wanted to take a picture down to one of the locals that I captured during our “big snow”, they weren’t home, so we were that close, we had to stop in.

Just like the rest of the area, the fog was settled in, and the damp cold cut to the bone. The place still looked awesome. Just like a layer of snow, the fog somehow has a way of creating a whole new world down at the farm. Like the snow, peace is the key word for the day. It supersedes the cold and damp. It makes it all worth while to walk back to the pasture because the ground is once again soft and, well it is just better to walk on a day like this.

There is plenty of water in the creek now, and I would bet that there will be flooding in a month or so. That is ok, it is a normal part of the creek and the pasture, it pretty much happens every year. The field tile is doing it’s job, dumping excess water from the fields, into the creek, so winter seems to be progressing as it should.

Won’t be long, the farmers will be chompin at the bit for a nice long warm dry spell so they can get this year’s crop in, they do have a short wait at least…..

A Look at the Past

Many years ago, I think maybe about 1978 or so, a friend and I went down to the farm to take pics of the old house that used to be there This was several years after Aunt Millie and Uncle Jim moved off of the farm and into town. The house was in disrepair, but it still was a testament to the past.

For a long time, I could never find any of the pics that I shot. The other day, while going thru some papers, I found a contact sheet of 35mm negatives that I had shot at the farm. No negatives found, but at least I had the contact sheet. I was able to cut each negative and create a not so pristine image, different views of the house. I have to tell you, when I saw that sheet, I was as excited as a child at Christmas

With these pics, I can now compare the current configuration of the yard, to that which existed back in the day. I will look at the place a little differently when I go down to the farm now.

Finally, Some Snow on the Farm

I am a bit of an odd ball. Most of my family curse the snow. They hate winter and the snow and ice and rain that is associated with it. Me on the other hand, love it. I don’t work during the winter, so I don’t have to get out in it every morning, I can actually get out in it and play till my heart’s content.

Last week we got one of the first measurable snows in quite a while, can’t remember that we got very much last winter. So, instead of doing things that need to be done at home, we grabbed the camera and headed to the farm.

While there was a nice covering, I would have been much happier with about 6 inches or more instead of the 2 or so that we had. I think I better be happy with that. The next “BIG” snow event turned into a rain event, any snow that fell, and all that was on the ground when we visited the farm is now only visible in picture and my mind.

If you have never been out in the country, with a covering of snow, there is a special feeling in the air. Yeah, it is cold, and a little dreary. What strikes me the most, is the quiet that is part of a coating of snow. Everything just seems calmer and quieter. There is a stronger sense of tranquility and peace in th

The forecast for the coming weekend is sounding a little bit better for us. The local tv weather is saying 2-4 inches, hopefully closer to the 4 inches. If it happens, I WILL be back on the farm, With so much open space down there, and with the high winds predicted, there should be some pretty good drifting, which makes for some interesting photos. My fingers are crossed, and be sure to check in early next week, I just might be able to score some more snow “On the Family Farm”

Neighbors

In town, we tend to ignore the fact that we have neighbors. They are there, but as long as they stay in their place, all is good.

Some neighbors, you wish did not exist. Watching the neighborhood thug come out of the building in cuffs, while a good thing, indicates a neighbor you would just as well wish that they did no exist.

Things are a little different in the country, especially when you live away from your farm property,. In this world, a neighbor can and most usually is, a valuable asset to the area.

On New Years Eve, I got a call from one of mom’s neighbors. There was a vehicle, that obviously had a key to get past the cable at the end of the drive. It was a vehicle that had not been seen before, and it had out of state plates. Mom’s neighbor felt it necessary to check to see if we knew that there were people on the farm that maybe should not be there. He even sent a picture of the vehicle so that we could check things out.

As it turns out, all was good. Our nephew and a buddy of his went down to do some target practice back in the pasture. No trespassers to worry about.

By being observant, he allowed us to investigate and determine all was well, and Mom, as well as the rest of the family feel safer knowing that the folks in the area have your back. We could use as one neighbors in town, like that…

Trespassers

Trespassing can be a problem out on the farm. Litter, and damage to property are always a possibility. We caught some trespassers on a couple of cameras located at the farm, not quite what you might think.

The deer population in the area is healthy, to say the least. It is always a treat to see these trespassers on the camera, especially when a really regal buck shows up. I am sure they do damage to crops, they can tear trees to shreds, but it is still nice to see wildlife on the farm.

I don’t think we will be calling the sheriff any time soon on these trespassers, We will just continue to record their presence on the cameras….

Chicken Pot Pie

The weather is not always good at the farm. Depending on how things are going, there might be a lot of stress, there is always more work to be done than is wanted. There is one thing though, that can be counted on, at the farm.

Food. Good, wholesome food. Most of it fresh from the farm, always made and served with love. It provides nourishment, it brings the family and the hands together to share a moment away from the pressures and stress of farming, and it is just good, fulfilling and it is guaranteed to give everybody a sense of comfort, not to mention the strong desire for a nap afterwards.

Aunt Millie always put on a spread when she cooked. There was a lot of work involved, from picking the fresh vegetables, gathering some eggs, maybe even providing a fresh chicken or some farm raised beef or pork. No matter, it was always good, full of flavor and it provided the workers the energy they needed to get their chores done, and it gave us kids the energy to play and enjoy life at the farm.

Chicken Pie
Heirloom recipe handed down from: Millie Watts
Servings: 6

Ingredients
1 chicken 2 rounded Tsp. of Baking Powder
(Sauce) 2 Tbls. of butter 1 Tsp. of salt
3 Tbls. of flour 1 egg
4 cups of chicken broth 2 Tbls. of Shorting
Instructions
Chicken pie: Cook chicken till half done. Salt to taste. When done take out bones
and put in a baking pan. Sauce or Gravy: 2 Tablespoons butter, add 3
tablespoons flour and mix well. Add 4 cups of chicken broth, stir while adding,
cook like gravy to a smooth sauce, have ready ½ cup milk heated. Mix with
gravy and pour this sauce over chicken till nearly covered. Put in oven to keep
warm while making crust. Crust: 2 ½ cups of flour. Add 2 rounded teaspoons of
baking powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons of shorting rubbed
through flour. Roll out and cut in small pieces or small biscuits and place on top
of chicken. Bake at 325 degrees for about 20 mins or until biscuits are done.

Enjoying coffee, at the Farm

The weather could not have been better. Fall color was finally starting to show, and area farmers were busy getting fall work done. Why not spend a Saturday morning, enjoying a bit of coffee, hot chocolate, breakfast muffins and a breakfast casserole at the farm?

That is exactly what we did last weekend. Comfortable temps, not a lot of wind, and that sun shining down on us made for a perfect Saturday morning. For us, that is what the family farm IS….

While we were there, Don, the guy who farms the place, stopped by. Found out that the farm produced pretty well this year, 235 bushel of corn to the acre. Not what he was expecting, but he surmised that it was because he had corn back to back seasons. I think the average for the area was 245 or 250 bushel to the acre. Still a pretty good showing.

In one of the pictures, you will be able to see something that we have not seen down there for so many years, it is hard to remember the last time, winter wheat. I think Dad would love to see that there is wheat on the farm again.

The End of the Season, on the Fromm Urban Garden/Farm

Out in the country, the crops are rapidly being harvested. Susan decided it was time to do the same in her garden/urban farm.

So, we cut down the corn, and the sunflowers. The corn was bound into bundles and taken out front to provide her trademark fall decorations. We also cut the sunflowers, and added them to the corn bundles, creating a small cafe for the squirrels that might come around.

Today, we drove down to the farm, grabbed about a dozen hedge apples, more decoration for the house. Susan won’t admit it, but she does a great job decorating, and the place always reflects the current season. Why else would you plant a garden full of corn and sunflowers?

Our Bad Boy is Back, thank GOD

Most people cuss the task of mowing grass. We welcome the days when we can spend a day at the farm,mowing the yard, the road and field edges and the lane. It is a form of therapy for me, and it is a way to spend a beautiful day at the farm.

It hit us hard when our Bad Boy mower wouldn’t start any more. We ended up not being able to mow for about 5 weeks or so. We are fortunate that Don and his guys stepped up and mowed the front yard for us, it was getting pretty shaggy. He recognized that there must be a reason that we didn’t mow, so he and his crew mowed for us. That was a big help to us, but we were suffering from a bad case of mowing withdrawal.

Well, our Bad Boy is back home on the farm, running like a top. Add 3 newly sharpened blades and we once again have our grass eating machine back again. Too bad there may only be a couple of more chances to mow this season.

Fall is Starting to Show at the Farm

The crops are out, the fields are waiting for their next assignment. In Mom’s case, there will be winter wheat planted in the front fields, and a cover crop planted on the back fields. I for one, am excited to see the wheat. It has been a very long time since I remember seeing wheat on the farm. I think we are all excited about that.

There is not a lot of color yet, on the farm, or anywhere around it, for that matter. The hedge apples are still hanging on tight to the trees, but there are plenty of insects around. Saw a huge praying mantis who moved to fast for me to get a good picture of, and there were plenty of butterfly’s around, not to mention spiders. All pretty strong signs of fall on the farm.

We were disappointed with the hedge balls, they were the reason for our drive down. Susan uses them to decorate the house for fall, and if if the squirrels decide to, they are food for them. We will give it another week, and try again on the hedge balls, hopefully they will start falling.

We decided to take the scenic route home, took the Black Diamond back to Pawnee and then headed towards Sangchris Lake. It is always a nice drive, and you never know what you will see. Today there was not a whole lot to see, a few people out fishing, a few boats on the lake, but pretty quiet there.

When we got closer to Springfield, we drove over towards the Wildlife Sanctuary, another place you never know what you will see. Many times there are more deer around than people, but just outside the sanctuary, we ran into what looked like a family of turkeys. Susan spotted them, so I backed up, and to my surprise, they had no concern with us being so close, so I grabbed some shots of them pecking around for something to eat. Pretty cools stuff.

All in all, as with any trip to the farm, it was a good day. Didn’t get what we wanted, but we have an excuse to go back next weekend. Nothing wrong with that…

Corn Harvest 2023 at Mom’s Farm

I got a text from Don Murphy yesterday. It was an invitation to ride along with Kevin as he harvested the corn. Of course, I took him up on the offer. If at all possible, I would not pass up on such an opportunity.

When I got there, they had already started, but I quickly found my seat in the combine, and off we went.

Dusty as it was, it was still a treat to sit in the cab and watch the corn being gobbled up by the machine, to be transferred to the grain cart riding along side. What a dance.

I have to admit, I am envious of the farmers, and what they do. I agree that it is a job that not everybody could do. There is so much more to it than what folks may think. Lots of nerve racking number crunching, lots of planning, hope and prayer. Don’t forget the long hours, trying to do everything in your power to beat that incoming rain or snow. All to put that crop in the bin, and then shipping it off to a buyer, for what you hope is a good price. If everything comes together, they are in the black. If not, the red ink fills the ledger, and yet they come back over and over again, year after year, to do it all over again.

If you ever have the opportunity to take a ride while a farmer is planting, or harvesting, I urge you to take it. It is educational, it is fun, and when it is all done, you do come away with a different perspective.

A huge THANK YOU to Don Murphy, and Kevin Murphy, and all of the crew of Black Diamond Farms, for allowing me to tag along, and to drone on and on with crazy questions. Also, as the guys were going to be working late into the night, Don’s wife, chief cook and bottle washer at Black Diamond Farms, made sure the team had a hearty meal on site. It is truly a team effort.

Labor Day at the Farm

I remember past celebrations at the farm. Usually held on the 4th of July, pretty much the entire family would gather to hang out on the farm, participate in the water balloon fight, play a little whiffle ball, light some fireworks, and if the tractor was running, Dad would take the kids for rides around the place. Watching him was like watching a little kid on Christmas. He always had a big smile on his face, and you could tell that this celebration at the farm, was truly his Christmas. Even as he sat and visited with the family, there was a look of pride in his eyes, These celebrations were his favorite. I am not sure, but I think I can see what he saw when we get together on the farm, maybe not quite what he saw, but I do appreciate what it means to get the family together on the farm, celebrating our past, today and our future.

Today, we still gather at the farm, hopefully on the 4th of July, but like this year, sometimes we can’t get that done for one reason for another. This year, we did get most of the family together for Labor Day, and while we missed those who did not make it to the party, we did have a great day at the farm. The weather could not have been better. Those that were there enjoyed chatting with folks we don’t get to see as often as we would like, they enjoyed some good food. Of course what meal on the farm would be complete if it didn’t include fried chicken. Not Aunt Millies fried chicken, but good chicken none the less, along with some goodies brought in by everybody, all made for a feast fit for a family celebrating on the farm.

Sunset at the farm

Nothing like the end of the day, down at the farm. The heat in town has been more than hot for the past couple of days, and when we arrived at the farm yesterday, it had cooled down, still warm, but pleasant with the breeze that was blowing thru. Much more enjoyable than being in town.

As you can see in the pic, the sunset, as in many evenings at the farm, was awesome. It was well worth the drive down, even if we didn’t stay very long. What a way to end the day…

As we were driving down, I told my wife that when I was a kid, the beauty of a farm sunset also held a bit of sadness to it. I know it sounds weird, but there was a feeling that would come over me, sad, I guess because the day was almost over, maybe I realized that I was going to be there overnight, and the rest of the family was back in town at home. Or maybe it was the fact that once the sun dropped below the horizon, it was DARK at the farm.

I am not saying that I didn’t enjoy sitting on the porch, watching the sun slowly set in front of me. The sounds of the bugs at night, seeing the first lightning bug of the evening, were all awesome. So was the home made fudge sickle that I got to eat watching this show. But when the sun was gone, well I will just say that I have never seen such darkness. I think maybe that is the reason for the sadness.

Good thing about it all, as I settled into bed for the night, I knew in the morning, when I woke, there would be a big hearty farm breakfast on the table. Then there would be a trip out to the garden, then the hen house to gather eggs, and some time to play with the dogs, climb on the tractors, explore the pasture, it was all good, and well worth a little melancholy as the sun left us for the day……

What is that noise I hear, SILENCE, awesome Silence…

Went to the farm today and I have to say, it was one of the best possible days to be at the farm. The temps were seasonal, not a lot of wind, and the most beautiful blue skies dotted with puffy, cotton candy clouds.

The crops look awesome, it seems that Mom’s place is in an area of Illinois that is no longer under drought conditions, and it shows. Absolutely beautiful fields of beans and corn pretty much all the way down.

And then there is the peace and quiet. Nothing but the birds chirping and what little breeze there was, rustling the leaves in the trees and on the corn plants. That turkey sandwich from Casey’s tasted so much better sitting on the porch of the shed, enjoying all this beautiful scenery and silence.

Of course, when we go to the farm, there is at least a little bit of work to be done. I jumped on the mower and mowed along the road and the field edges out front, then headed back to the pasture to mow the trail that is mowed to the back fields to make it easier for the farmer to move equipment to the back end during planting and harvest.

The tall grass waving in the small breeze is about as awesome as it gets, life is good, and for a couple of hours, no worries.

At the Urban Farm….ok, maybe not a farm, more like a garden…

Susan (my wife) has been nurturing this garden since she put the seed in the ground. Today, it is looking AWESOME. The flowers are absolutely beautiful, and all of the plants are flourishing. Tomatoes on the vine, the decorative corn is forming ears and the peppers are being a little slow in developing, but we have had one small one on our dinner plate, and there are a couple more forming. The sunflowers are amazing, with stems as big as some small trees. She is pretty amazing…

An interesting note about the corn, we recently visited a small museum at a fish hatchery up near the Illinois river when we saw a diorama where the Native Americans planted their corn in hills, many plants per hill. Susan and I decided to try it. Looks like it is working quite well. The added benefit, it makes a great screen.

The wildflowers look awesome

She has a green thumb

Won’t be long, we will have these on our dinner plate

I am sure most gardeners have said this…..

Looking from the alley towards the house

This corn makes the perfect privacy fence….

Susan always looks at the bright side….

Sweet Peas

Awesome Sunflowers

Awesome Sunflowers

The Urban “Family Farm”

I am truly disapointed. Don, the guy that farms Mom’s ground, called and offered to let me ride along as they planted Mom’s place. I have been wanting to do this for a long time, and I really thought I would pull it off this year. NOPE, not gonna happen, once again. I had some obligations come up on my real world job, so I had to pass. As I told Don, one of these days, the stars will align, and I will get my chance to ride along on the planting season.

Well, spring is also the time that my wife Susan gets her garden going. This year, I bought her 3 raised bed setups, hoping to make the gardening process a little easier. Over the weekend, we got them set up, and they are now awaiting the proper planting time (it has been a bit cool, and we have the possibility of another frost tonight. Won’t be long, we will be feasting on fresh produce from our urban “Family Farm”.

When you can’t make it to the farm…….bring the farm to town……..

More Pressure on the Family Farm

There are a multitude of pressures that face the family farm. The normal farming costs are huge, but they are a part of “doing business”. Today, more and more ground is taken up by corporate interests, and development by investors interested in building the next best super mall or subdivision.

It doesn’t end there. With the green initiatives of today, farmers are promised money in exchange for tearing up the farm for wind farms, solar farms, and now, a CO2 pipeline. Yep, you see it, believe it. There is a company that would like to build a CO2 storage facility in Montgomery County Illinois. It will be buried 1 mile below the surface. The high pressure CO2 pipeline will carry CO2 from North Dakota, Nebraska, and Minnesota, where it is a created in the manufacture of ethanol and fertilizer. It will be stashed away in Montgomery County Illinois if they have their way. As you will see in the images that I have here, the company that does this wants to be able to use eminent domain to grab ground for the project, after receiving massive tax credits from the government (us), not to mention the profits they will generate in this project.

In other areas where these storage facilities have been place, towns and farms have had to be evacuated due to failure of the storage facility, causing a dangerous release of CO2 on the area, not to mention the damage done to the farm ground in the area.

Sounds like a lose, lose, lose situation for not only the farmers, but the citizens of the state of Illinois. Bills are being introduced both pro and con on this project, I pray for the bill that will protect the farmers and the citizens of Montgomery County. We will see.

I am not allowing comments on this because I know there will be potential for a lot of argument both ways. I post this to inform and to provide those interested, a chance to see what the farmers in this area are up against. If you stand for the farmer, you may want to let your representative know how you feel about this project.

The Family Farm

The family farm has a different look today. The changes are a mixed bag, some good, some not so good. Many farms were started by homesteaders, claiming a piece of ground to raise crops and critters to sell and for food on the farm. They cleared the land, they worked the soil and they built their homes and barns to create a way of life, a living for their families.

If all went well, they were able to pass their farms on to their offspring. With luck, the offspring improved the farm, planted better crops and raised their families on that farm, and again, with some luck, they passed the farm onto their offspring. Along the way, that tradition started to change.

Over the years, as parents passed, and children inherited the farms, many decided that they did not want the farm life and sold their farms for the cash they could get out of it. Maybe they had to, to survive the financial pressures that many felt. At any rate, the family farms started to disappear, corporate buyers started to buy up the family farms so that they could expand their operations and to increase their profit margins. Families moved off of the family farm and today, the family farm is becoming a memory, cherished by those who are now wishing they had held onto their farm.

Today, there are many more pressures on the family farm. Because of financial pressures of all kinds, there is much more corporate ownership, and even worse, foreign ownership is growing, something that I don’t even think should be allowed. It is the worst possible situation when foreigners control our food source and a huge chunk of our financial freedom.

Add to that pressure, the quest for green energy. Wind farms are popping up all over the country, each turbine taking out about one acre of farm production. The companies that want to build these farms pressure locals, dangling nice looking carrots in front of them to win their quest to build these wind farms, potentially ruining the farm ground forever. Again, this takes farm ground out of production, yes, it gives the land owner some cash, but more than likely, that farm ground will never be used to farm again. I know that we need to come up with alternative energy sources, but I think a short sided view and effort without studying the long term impact is not only short sided, it weakens the family farm concept and it forces us to start relying on foreign sources of food and income. Not good for our country and our way of life.

I realize that this post may be a little bit controversial, but I believe in what I have said here, and I am not afraid to voice that opinion. I have no problem with differing opinions, but if any comments become snarky and anything other than an opposing view, the comments will be deleted, and commenting will be turned off. It is not my intention to create another reason to hate.

The images below have been more heavily edited than what I normally do. They do not really reflect the comments that I have posted, but they do represent change, change that is outside of my normal. It also shows that change can be beautiful, and if carefully thought out, change can work.

Spring has Sprung, Maybe….

Had to be in the area of the farm today, so I took the opportunity to take the battery for the “Bad Boy”, and get it hooked up with the idea that I will go down sometime this weekend to change the oil and clean it up a little more before starting the mowing season, which by the looks of things, won’t be too long down the road. I am more than ready, I love spending a couple of hours riding around on that mower, getting some work done, but also soaking in the fresh country breeze, enjoying the sights around the farm, and just relaxing.

While they may be small and hard to spot, there are definite signs of spring all around the farm. The trees in the front yard are budding out really nice, if the warm temps hold on, it won’t be long till we see the green of small, new leaves. Next thing you know, there will be the sound of the birds singing and flittering about, making nests and getting ready to raise the seasons new “crop”.

I also saw some workers prepping for some tile placement just south and east of Mom’s place, another sign that spring is just around the corner, getting the last of the winter projects cared for just in time for planting. I also saw a couple of guys getting their planters tuned up, can’t wait to see them in the field. The smell of freshly turned soil, is a joy that I think that most would not understand, but it is perfume of the highest quality, I wish somebody would bottle it.

As I was leaving, the sun was still kinda high in the sky, but the clouds coming in helped to turn it into a beautiful sunset image, another view that is always different on the farm, but always beautiful.

Going to Town

If we stayed on the farm with Aunt Millie and Uncle Jim for more than a day or 2, there was a good chance that one day would be dedicated to going to town, to the market. Time to take the eggs to the market and do a little shopping.

It was an adventure to say the least. Uncle Jim made the ride in exciting, can’t say he was the best driver in the world, but hey, we got there, and we got back, and that is what counts.

While in town, Uncle Jim would find the bench on the town square and sit down for a nice relaxing smoke on his old corn cob pipe. Millie and I would go to the store to sell the eggs, and to pick up essentials before heading back to the farm.

It was interesting to see how the eggs were handled. Until I got to go to the market with them, I had no idea that the eggs had to be checked, to make sure they were “good”, aka no embryo’s forming, and edible. Then they would settle up on a price, and Millie would walk away with the “egg money” tucked away in her purse, now it was time to shop. Can’t say I remember much of what she would have bought, they had almost everything they needed on the farm, but she picked up a few things, and then it was back to the farm. Back into our “work” clothes, and back into the garden, weeding and picking some good fresh veggies. Jim would take care of the animals, and then any other chore that needed to be done, then take his place on the well platform to have another smoke on the ole pipe.

Life back then, and in particular, on the farm, was a lot different than living in town. You had to plan your trips to town, take care of as much as you needed to so you didn’t have to make any unnecessary trips that would take you away from work needing to be done on the farm. A pretty nice lifestyle if you ask me….

While this is not the small town that Jim and Millie shopped and did business in, it is very typical of the small farming towns in the area.

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Not on the Family Farm….this weekend, anyway

Not much happening at Mom’s farm this weekend. I am sure there is plenty of work being done in the background, all prep work for the upcoming planting season.

A disclaimer for this post, it is not about Mom’s farm, but about a road trip through the Spoon River Valley in West Central Illinois. My wife Susan and I, broke away from our “normal” lives and spent the weekend driving around such places as Canton, Bushnell, Cuba, London Mills, Havana, Lewiston, Bernedotte and Ellisville Illinois. The area is full of beautiful farms, rolling fields of corn and soybeans. You can feel the good old fashioned family values that make up farm country. It is a comfortable and beautiful place to visit.

Being able to experience a little bit of farm life, and to be able to visit area’s that are rich in farm history and culture, is one of life’s treasures that I wish everybody could experience and appreciate. Maybe the world would be a little better for it…… Just my opinion.

You can just see the barn peaking out above the roadway
somewhere on the Spoon River Drive in West Central Illinois

Waiting for Spring

Well, we are closing in on the middle of February. No real big snowfalls to get excited about, we have had some really cold weather, but today, it is about 50 degrees out, and the sun is shining bright. Sounds like a good day to drive down to the farm…

So, Susan and I jumped into the truck, and we drove to the farm. The air was cool but comfortable, and the farm is showing some very subtle signs of spring. You can’t see in the pictures, but there is green in the branches on the trees. New growth, I am assuming. The ground is still a little bit frozen, but the top layer is thawing out, starting to get a little mud on the surface.

We didn’t really stay long, not much to do today, won’t be long it will be time to get the mower set up for a summer of mowing. Oil change, and all that stuff. I can’t wait. Most hate to mow, it is a time to escape the city and it’s problems. It is a time to empty the brain of garbage that is not needed. Relaxation on a “Bad Boy” mower. Don’t worry, you will see me in action once we start up again.

The pictures in this post were taken with my phone, I had my camera with me, but I just didn’t feel like getting that involved in the photo process, plus I can do a few different things with my phone that I can’t with my camera.

Time Marches On

For as long as I can remember, this old tree stood guard over the driveway at the farm. As kids, we would have races from the house to the tree. It was our guidepost, when we saw that tree by the road, we knew we were almost there.

Time stands still for no one. This tree, for so long, was “the farm”. All of a sudden, we drive to the farm to see the tree laying down in the yard. A high wind came through and took advantage of the weekend, hollow trunk, forever changing the landscape. We now wait to see the buildings on the horizon. Not the same, but still a reassuring sign that a good day is about to happen…

SNOW, Yeah Right…….

I love the snow. I especially like to be at the farm after a good snow. We have been promised a couple of good snows recently, only to be left to slosh around in a very wet, sloppy mess. No accumulation to speak of. I am disappointed as I had planned on spending some time at the farm with the camera. So far, the year has been a bust. Still some time left, we will see what happens.

I often wonder what it was like back in the early days of this farm. How did Aunt Millie and Uncle Jim handle the cold and the snow? With livestock on the farm, they had no choice but to tend the animals, and I am sure the outhouse was a very long walk with a foot of snow on the ground. (I do know they used a chamber pot at night) but it still had to be emptied. Other than that, I think life was pretty much business as usual. Get up early, get the stove fired up, get the heat back up in the house. I wonder about the well, I know deep down, it wouldn’t freeze, but I am sure the pump would freeze up, so an additional chore there. Then walk a path out to the chicken coop, and to the barn to feed the livestock and milk the cows. Go back inside warm up to get ready for round 2. Doesn’t sound like a lot, but fighting the probably blowing snow, the chores became that much more difficult to perform. I can tell you one thing, they probably didn’t fuss about all the snow, they just did what they do, and they got their work done. We could learn something from them….

Not a lot of snow on this trip from a couple of years ago. Still, the roads were difficult, and those ditches are deep. Not much of a chance without 4 wheel drive

Looks kinda stark and desolate, yet beautiful

If memory serves me, it was very cold and windy (it is always windy at the farm) on this trip to the farm. It sure looks cold.

Sharing History with the Young Ones

A few years ago, I was mowing down at the farm when a truck rolled to a stop in front of the farm. A gentleman was in the truck, along with his grand or great grandson, I can’t remember for sure. He waved at me, so I stopped to see what he might be looking for. He introduced himself and his offspring, and asked me a few questions about the family aspect of the farm, as well as a little history on the place. He then turned to the child and said “son, this is what a family farm looks like. There aren’t many more left like this, and by the time you grow up, there will be even less of them.

He then introduced himself as somebody who lived across the road, and a little south of the place. He was taking the child around to show him where he grew up. As it turns out, he spent many a day, hanging out with Dad back in the day, as a child. His large family would visit Aunt Millie and Uncle Jim often, and the evening usually involved some pinochle for the adults. The kids played outside and enjoyed the fresh air. That is the way it was done back then.

The conversation turned to “What is your families plan for this place”? I told him that Mom now had the farm, and her goal was to keep the farm in the family, and to keep it as Dad would have. I also told him that as Mom and Dad’s kids, we all had the same mindset, keep the legacy alive, maintain it as close to what Dad would do if he were still here, and hopefully pass it on to future generations. He lit up when he heard that. He told the child in the truck, “This is what it is all about, this is what family farm is, and at least for the foreseeable future, this farm will still be a family farm. There is hope…….”

It is Cold and Rainy Outside…

Well, you might think from my previous posts, that the farm was always a sunny and warm place, good for growing crops, and for playing. Far from it. There were plenty of cool, rainy summer days when we visited. We still found ways to have fun. There were cards to play, Chinese checkers, checkers, and if we got tired of those games, there was always the Sunday funnies from the news paper. I don’t think we ever got bored on a farm visit. Plus, if we were stuck in the house, then the home baked cookies were always close at hand.

If it got too cool, Jim would fire up the stove, not too much, just enough to take the chill out of the air. A warm living room, warm, fresh bake cookies, a checker board and maybe something on the old radio or if the reception was good that day, we could watch Chet Huntley and David Brinkley do the news (back then we had REAL journalist).

Once Aunt Millie finished with her chores in the kitchen, she would often challenge us to a game of Chinese checkers or regular checkers. There were no holds barred when we played her, she played to win, and we often times did not walk away victors. (We were part of the “if you don’t win, you don’t get a trophy” generation. How DID we survive?

Uncle Jim would be sitting in his rocking chair, corn cob pipe ablaze, listening to the news, (tv or radio) enjoying the moment and talking with Mom and Dad, discussing the news coming over the talk boxes. We were all happy. Life was good, at the farm……

Trail Cam

When I was a kid, and we used to hunt on the farm, there was plenty of game on the farm. Rabbits, pheasant, quail, and squirrel. Over the years, farming practices, and the fact that many farmers removed any and all trees from their property to make more room for crops, the wildlife population has dwindled quite a bit. You will see a rabbit once and a while, and it is not out of the question to see or hear a quail or pheasant. It is a treat to hear or see a quail or pheasant in the area.

Today, wildlife has taken on a different look. Lately, there has been an uptick in rabbits, I think the fact that we let the pasture grow now has helped with that. Today though, it is more common to see deer, a lot of hawks, and an occasional heron in the area. Of course, there are plenty of raccoons, and with the increased deer population, there are plenty of coyote running around the place as well. I haven’t seen any, but there have been reports of bobcats in the area as well. What a treat that would be to see one trotting across the field.

A couple of years ago, I was walking the creek when I saw something really odd for the area. It was obvious that there was a beaver on the farm. Not once in my lifetime, had I ever heard of a beaver in the area. I was excited to say the least. I did some poking around, and I found the beaver den, and after more investigation, I found the dam “Bucky” was building. It was hiding, right in plain sight at the south edge of the whistle/bridge over the creek. Now my excitement is growing.

I started to read up on beavers and their impact on the environment. Most of their impact is actually quite good. The negative in farming area’s is the potential for flooded fields. More reading, and I discovered ways to help control that so it would not be a problem downstream. It was going to be my plan to put those measures into place in the creek, so that we could let the beaver maintain his home and hopefully we would get a little beaver pond along the creek bed. It was all very exciting for me and the rest of my family. I had all kind of plans on documenting the beaver and his work as he worked forward.

Part of my efforts to document Bucky would be to collect pictures via a trail cam mounted close to his den so that I could catch him coming and going. The camera would also catch activity along the creek bank to see what other wildlife was hanging around the farm.

It didn’t take long to see that one of a couple of things happened with Bucky. Either he was trapped in the area, or he decided there was too much human activity in the area so he moved on. Maybe a coytote got him. Who knows.

Never did get any pictures of Bucky. We did however, get some pics of some of the other critters wandering around by the creek. It looks like an otter or maybe mink, some raccoons and one of the most beautiful coyotes I have ever seen.

On a positive note, there is more wildlife in the area, and with any luck, we will do our part to see that population grow, at least on the farm…

Dad’s Tractor

Early on, Dad found an old International Model H tractor, much like one that Uncle Jim would have had back in the day. It ran, didn’t look fantastic, but not bad. He drove it all the way from home to the farm. Quite a ride, well over 25 miles. He stuck to the back roads to avoid as much traffic as he could, but most farmers will understand, not everybody in a vehicle was happy with him being on the road. It made for an interesting and nerve racking drive, but he got it done. That was Dad. If it needed to be done, he would do it, period.

The farmer that farmed the place at the time gave him an old sickle bar mower which he used as much as possible (the mower was old, and required a lot of additional attention, plus it tended to get plugged up quite a bit. Again, Dad would do what he had to do to keep mowing. He wanted to keep that farm looking sharp, and he accomplished that despite any roadblocks put up by machines. He had the farmer gene in him, when it breaks, don’t whine about it, fix it and move on. Not that he didn’t get a little bit “tee’d off” at times, but what else can you do, you drive down 25 miles one way to mow, the mower breaks, you fix it so you didn’t make the trip for nothing.

As time moved on, it became apparent that the old tractor and mower were more trouble than they were worth. He broke down and got a riding mower and continued to maintain the park like lawn in the front end. He still kept the tractor running, and he cleaned it up and painted it, not to show condition, but it still, to this day, looks pretty good, dusty maybe, but good.

The old tractor became the center of fun for Dad during family celebrations. All the young kids took their turn riding with grandpa and the look in Dad’s eye’s told a story of complete pride, contentment and happiness, a feeling that he had all the time, but it really showed at the farm.

Uncle Jim and his corn cob pipe

Our Uncle Jim lived life to the fullest. I am not sure that I ever saw him that he wasn’t laughing or had a big smile on his face. He also was very adventurous.

As it turns out, our love of balloons may have been inherited. Except that Jim used to jump out of them. Yep he would travel with a team, and parachute out of (may have been gas ) balloons. if memory serves me, he said they had a trap door in the floor of the basket, and once they got to altitude, he would open the door and make his descent back to terra firma. I loved to hear his stories.

Uncle Jim was also a painter. He worked for a local paint shop, and he painted gold leaf on the ceilings of several old churches in the Springfield area. He had a lot of stories to tell about that too. Again, he enjoyed life, and what ever it was that he had to do, including farming.

One of Jim’s other loves, was his pipe. It was rare to see him without it. Corn cob pipes to be precise. He would smoke them until he burned a hole in it, then go buy him another one. The new ones, he had to smoke them a lot to get them broke in. He didn’t care for the taste of a new pipe. Kentucky Club Tobacco was his choice of tobacco”s, pretty strong stuff from what I remember. Even in his final days, he had to have his pipe, to hell with the Emphysema.

One of a few times Uncle Jim didn’t have his corn cob pipe. Looks like the dog “Star” and my brother Jim were hanging with him . This is in the back yard of the house, I think that the cinder block building/garage is about where the current metal shed is located, and the old outhouse in the background is about where the apple tree used to be.

Before the Christmas 2022 Blizzard

For the first time in I can;t count the years, we are poised to have a white Christmas. I am all for that, I really like snow. The problem is the timing. This year, the “blizzard” is poised to hit us right smack dab in the middle of the Christmas travel season. There will be a lot of people who will not be able to get to their holiday destinations. For them, I am sorry, but I am looking forward to a Christmas with snow. Maybe in that sense, a normalcy may be working it’s way back into the season.

In anticipation of a weekend of no power and frigid temps, my brother in law, John Luparell and I headed down to the farm to grab my generator, just in case. The day could not have been better. It was sunny, there was absolutely no wind (that is so rare), and the temps were comfortable.

We loaded up the generator, and a space heater to bring back home (yep, I am getting old, and I need help lifting generators and space heaters into the back of my truck. John isn’t much younger than me, but between the 2 of us, we could muster up enough strength to load both items into the back of the truck, and then into my garage. Now we wait and see.

While we were at the farm, we decided to take advantage of the nice day, and we did some walking around back in the pasture. We went up and down the creek, I saw signs of critters at the creek, paw prints from raccoons, and I thought maybe an otter or maybe a mink, sliding into the water, to swim away from the danger of 2 old farts, walking the creek bank.

John discovered a couple of old bottles back along the fence, I am thinking they were from the early 60’s, but they were cool, so John took them home to my sister Kim. Nobody has said anything about them getting broke over his head, so she must have liked them. A little cleanup, and they will probably make a nice vase. Pretty sure that at one time, those glass vessels sit in the pantry of Aunt Millie’s kitchen. Pretty cool.

Now, the big question is; Will the Christmas 2022 Blizzard happen? Or will it be another all hype weather event, with a lot of “cold air”? Time will tell, I just know that the snowblower is ready, We have plenty of ice melt, and are as prepared as we can be, so we just wait and see. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all. I hope that the coming year is a good one for all. Don;t forget to follow my blog so you can continue to see my updates, and thanks for visiting.

A tough but simple life

When we look at all the modern conveniences that we have today, it is interesting to look back to life as Aunt Millie and Uncle Jim lived it on the farm. While it was not an easy life, it was simple. They probably had their own brand of stress, but at the end of the day, they pretty much had what they needed on the farm. If not, they made it out of what they had on the farm. Here are some tidbits from Aunt Millie’s cookbook that kind of give you a look at just how simple life was on the farm.

From Aunt Millie’s Cookbook

Let stand for 24 hours before use as a liniment

½ cup turpentine

1 cup of vinegar

1 egg

Mix well

Let stand for 24 hours before use as a liniment

Plant potatoes when sign is feet in the dark of the moon

Plant Squash after June 10th to keep bugs off

Put slice of onion on Bumblebee sting

Mantles Fish Bait

⅔ cup of Rye flour

⅓ cup of corn meal

Make a still dough with a little water

Flatten to a cake, boil till floats

For foundered horse

A teaspoon of pulverised alum. Put as far back as you can on horse’s tongue so horse gets it all.

Help for sore Bunion

Take 1 tablespoon fresh lard and 1 small teaspoon common baking soda. Mix and bind on bunion or rub on. Two of three applications usually sufficient

Going Hunting with Dad and Pop

Hunting is, and probably always will be a right of passage for many young men. I haven’t been hunting for years, but one of my favorite memories from the farm, was to go hunting for the first time with Dad and Pop. It was that day, that I felt like I was grown up.

I was still pretty young, so I could not actually carry a gun, but I had the important job of being the “bird dog”. My job was to stir up the pheasants or quail in the grass along the edge of the field. (No, I was not put into harms way, I had to walk behind, I was too young to know that I was just tagging along).

None the less, it was a great day, trudging thru the snow, quietly, I might add, waiting to see that pheasant or quail, or maybe even a rabbit, come out of the grass, and then find it’s way to our dinner table.

The best part of the hunting experience was coming back to the house. After an hour or so, the cold soaked into your bones. We all were looking forward to getting back to the house, getting out of our hunting garb, and backing our fannies up to the stove in the living room, by now, Jim had that thing glowing red, and I have to tell you, it felt mighty nice to soak up that heat. Of course once we got warmed up, the heat in the living room was pretty intense. Jim liked a warm room……

Placing Field Tile

A farmer’s work is never done. They are always trying to make things better, both for improved crop production, but also to do it in a more environmentally friendly fashion, both to save our resources, but to also increase their bottom line.

Having a front row seat to the farming process, I am amazed at the effort put into making the farming process better. Placing field tile to improve field drainage was a huge investment in time and resources, but it also had a huge impact on the farm, and on crop production.

As I visited Don and his crew, I learned a lot about the process and it’s impact on our environment. One of the most interesting facts that I learned was that a 1 inch rain drops over 27000 gallons of water on an acre of ground. Totally blew me away with that stat. No wonder you see fields with small lakes after a huge rain.

Those ponds and lakes on productive fields do nothing but cause problems for the farmer. If they are lucky, the field will dry out in time to replant if the area is large enough to bother. Many times that does not happen. This cuts production and profit at the end of the year. Not something that makes a farmer happy for sure.

There is a lot of information to share on this topic, so stay tuned for additional posts on the subject.

From the fields, to your table…

With the winter wheat coming up on Mom’s place, it dawned on me that the wheat growing in her fields may well turn up on many a table next holiday season. It may be the bread or rolls that you eat, it could be in the cakes or pies. Who knows how the flour made from this wheat may be used. It is pretty cool that even though somebody else planted this, that Mom, and the family have all played a part in the food chain…

Just had to go…….to the farm

I hadn’t really planned on driving down to the farm today, but it was a beautiful day, so why not. Susan and I headed down and now that we are back home, we are glad we went.

As I have said earlier, there ain’t “diddly squat” going on at the farm. Wind blew another tin panel off of the red shed, and there is some snow still on the ground from our last round of snow. There was not as much snow down there as we got at home, but there was enough, that with the bright blue sky, the sun shining bright, and reflecting off of the snow, it was worth every minute and every mile to get down there.

The birds were singing and flying around, the trees are starting to show some faint green in the new branches, it was a short but awesome visit.