Planting a Seed this Earth Day

When we think of Earth Day we most likely think of planting a tree, or picking up trash, or your city's local clean-up day where you can finally get rid of that old TV or couch.  For me, I've been thinking of a couple things, planting literally millions of seeds in a day, and sustainability of our farm.

Planting a Seed - Literally

My Farmer planting corn this spring
Follow me on Instagram (@PlaggeVal) to see more pictures of #Plant16

It's easy to be thinking of "planting a seed" this time of year, as we are busy with our corn planting season and next month will be switching to soybean planting.  Every day, as long as fit planting conditions persist, we plant over 10 million corn kernels a day.  Our rate of planting for corn is an average of 34,500 kernels per acre (about the size of a football field) and we plant an average of 300 acres a day.  We make decisions all year long to make sure that we are taking care of our land and resources.  Conservation is a daily aspect of our farm.  We review and analyze the production of our land throughout the year so we can make the best choice for the use of our land.  We have acres that are used for corn and soybean production, while others are enrolled in conservation programs like CRP and the Wetlands programs.  We are also continually looking for new practices and technologies to help us better our farm.

Planting a Seed - Figuratively 

A family selfie taken last spring during planting
We haven't fit all of us in a single tractor cab yet this year ;)

We are a family farm.  Both My Farmer and I are 5th generation farmers and we feel honored to be carrying on our great-great-grandfathers' trades and traditions.  We're thankful that the generations before us took care of our land, so we, as the current generation can continue their work and efforts.  We also are "planting a seed" with our children, the 6th generation, in hopes that they will want to continue our farm.  All three of our kids love being outside and helping in the field especially.  Our oldest son, LP, tell us he wants to be a farmer when he grows up.  He loves the idea of farming like Dad and Mom, and of course tractors and pigs are pretty cool aspects of the job too ;)  My Farmer and I work everyday to make sure that our farm is not only sustainable for our family, but for future generations too.

What are you doing today to celebrate Earth Day?  What does Earth Day make you think about?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

Thoughts this Earth Day

Today is Earth Day.  When I think of Earth Day I think of spring time, planting trees and community clean-ups.  I also think about the spring planting season on the farm!  However, this year rather than being in the field planting our crops, we are waiting for things to dry and warm up.

I ran across this quote in an article from Jay Baer, a national social media consultant, the other day and fell in love with it.  I was reminded of it today, on Earth Day, as farmers across the Midwest wait to plant due to current soil and weather conditions.  I decided to take the quote and place it on a photo that I took a little over a year ago of My Farmer planting corn.

On Earth Day we are reminded that everyone has a responsibility to respect and care for the land.  For some people, Earth Day is the only day they think of that duty by participating in an Earth Day activity.  For My Farmer and I, and other farmers across the United States, we make decisions all year long that look at how we can take better care of our land and resources.  Farmers have made changes in their traditional practices that have resulted in growing more food on less land and decreases in soil erosion, to name a couple.  We make those choices not only for the current year, but so future generations will be able to raise crops on the same land that our great-great grandparents did when they first settled here in the United States.

What are your Earth Day plans?

What does Earth Day mean to me?

Today is Earth Day.  For some this means they might clean up a ditch or plant a tree, but for me, it makes me think of all the things my family and I, as well as other farmers, do every day to keep my family, my community, and my environment healthy and strong everyday.

To celebrate I'd like to pass along some interesting facts about how farmers are continually being stewards of the land:

• Iowa farmers used conservation tillage on nearly 60 percent of planted acres in 2008, up from 30 percent in 1989. (Conservation Technology Information Center)  My family and I use conservation tillage practices such as no till.
• The latest National Resource Inventory (released by the Agriculture Department's Natural Resources Conservation Service) show that America's farmers and ranchers care for the land, and through their actions the environment has continually improved over the past 50 years, while at the same time farm and ranch productivity has dramatically increased.
• Iowa farmers have more than 611,000 acres enrolled in the continuous, targeted Conservation Reserve Program, more than any other state.  (Farm Service Agency)  My family and I have acres enrolled in CRP and the Wetlands programs.