Knee High by the 4th of July

The 4th of July is the perfect time to celebrate our country’s independence, show off some patriotism, spend time with family and friends, watch fireworks — and, of course, check crops.

Knee High by the 4th of July

The 4th of July is a great time to celebrate our country's independence, show off your patriotism, spend time with family and friends, shoot off fireworks and check crops. It's been tradition for decades that farmers check their crops, especially corn, to see if it is "Knee High by the 4th of July." Now while knee high isn't the benchmark for farmers anymore due to hybridization and improved genetics, it is still a fun tradition for our family to benchmark our corn (and family's) growth every year. In fact, our family has been taking an annual "Knee High" photo for over a decade (2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012).

Knee High by the 4th of July

The 4th of July is a great time to celebrate our country's independence, show off your patriotism, spend time with family and friends, shoot off fireworks and check crops. It's been tradition for decades that farmers check their crops, especially corn, to see if it is "Knee High by the 4th of July." Now while knee high isn't the benchmark for farmers anymore due to hybridization and improved genetics, it is still a fun tradition for our family to benchmark our corn (and family's) growth every year. In fact, our family has been taking an annual "Knee High" photo for over a decade (see 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012).

Knee High by the 4th of July

The 4th of July is a great time to celebrate our country's independence, show off your patriotism, spend time with family and friends, shoot off fireworks and check crops. It's been tradition for decades that farmers check their crops, especially corn, to see if it is "Knee High by the 4th of July." Now while knee high isn't the benchmark for farmers anymore due to hybridization and improved genetics, it is still a fun tradition for our family to benchmark our corn (and family's) growth every year. In fact, our family has been taking an annual "Knee High" photo for the last decade (see 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012).

We're raising kids who raise livestock

Our kids watching the sheep and goat livestock auction

It has become a rite of passage in our family that when you turn five you get to raise your first animal on our farm. You get to pick it out, you get to feed it, you get to clean up after it in the barn, you take care of it, you bond with it and eventually, like today for our kids, you get to sell it.

Knee High by the 4th of July

The 4th of July is a great time to celebrate our country's independence, show off your patriotism, spend time with family and friends, shoot off fireworks and check crops.  It's been tradition for decades that farmers check their crops, especially corn, to see if it is "Knee High by the 4th of July."  Now while knee high isn't the benchmark for farmers anymore due to hybridization and improved genetics, it is still a fun tradition for our family to benchmark our corn (and family's) growth every year (see 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012).

What it Means to Grow Up on the Farm: An Interview with my Kids

Raising our kids on the farm is one of my favorite parts of our livelihood.  I am proud to be raising the 6th generation of farmers in my family.  My husband and I work hard everyday so our farm is sustainable for our children to continue on our family's farming legacy.  In honor of National Ag Day, I thought it'd be fun to interview the next generation (aka our kids), about what it means to grow up on the farm.  Enjoy!

Knee High by the 4th of July

The 4th of July is a great time to celebrate our country's independence, show off your patriotism, spend time with family and friends, shoot off fireworks and check crops.  It's been tradition for decades that farmers check their crops, especially corn, to see if it is "Knee High by the 4th of July."  Now while knee high isn't the benchmark for farmers anymore due to hybridization and improved genetics, it is still a fun tradition for our family to benchmark our corn (and family's) growth every year (see 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012).

Knee High by the 4th of July

The 4th of July is a great time to celebrate our country's independence, show off your patriotism, spend time with family and friends, shoot off fireworks and check crops.  It's been tradition for decades that farmers check their crops, especially corn, to see if it is "Knee High by the 4th of July."  Now while knee high isn't the benchmark for farmers anymore due to hybridization and improved genetics, it is still a fun tradition for our family to benchmark our corn (and family's) growth every year (see 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012).

Knee High by the 4th of July

The 4th of July is a great time to celebrate our country's independence, show off your patriotism, spend time with family and friends, shoot off fireworks and check crops.  It's been tradition for decades that farmers check their crops, especially corn, to see if it is "Knee High by the 4th of July."  Now while knee high isn't the benchmark for farmers anymore due to hybridization and improved genetics, it is still a fun tradition for our family to benchmark our corn (and family's) growth every year (see 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012).

The Gamble of Farming

Yesterday on my Facebook Page I shared a post from Dairy farmer, Dairy Carrie.  She wrote a wonderfully written post about the hard times facing the Dairy industry right now.  I had several followers comment on the post about how they had no idea, and to one I responded that "farming can be a gamble".

Why is farming such a gamble?

We work hard to make our farm is sustainable by investing in conservation and technology to ensure we are using the best practices.  But even if we are doing everything right, we are still at the mercy of things we can't control like the weather and the markets.  We try to harness those risks through investing in certain seed traits for our crops, by spraying during times of insect and disease pressure, and doing different market strategies to hopefully create a safety net.

But sometimes, like right now, no matter how you play your hand the cards aren't going to win you money and you're just hoping you leave the table (or each year) at a break-even.  Not too long ago we had strong commodity prices and were on a hot streak.  On our farm we used that time to build up assets, pay off long-term debts and build a buffer to help us ride out the low times till the odds were more in our favor.

Some farmers are starting to reach their limit of being able to stay at the table and unfortunately are going bust.  It is so sad to see all the hard-work and dedication of these individuals through the years, if not decades, and even generations have put forth to stay in the game that they love.  This is one reason why I've had such a high interest in mental health in the farming community lately.  In fact, I read the other day with things so hard in the dairy industry right now, that some dairy cooperatives were sending suicide hotline information out with their bills.

So why would you farm?

It may sound silly, but my husband and I farm because we love it.  We love that everyday is "bring your child to work" day and that our four children are learning life skills of hard work, dedication, respect and empathy.  I love that I am carrying on my family's tradition of farming as a 5th generation farmer.  I love that our children get to see multi-generations working together daily.  I love the community of agriculture and that everyone is willing to help one another.

Farming is special and there is no other place I'd rather be than right here on our farm, building on both my husband's and my family's legacies for the future generation, our children.

I hope you all have a great National Ag Day and I would love to hear any of your questions you have about farming.  As always, be sure to Comment for a Cause.

Reflections on a Lifetime of Farming

Thirteen years ago when My Farmer first brought me home to meet his family I got meet his Dad, his Mom, his sister and Merlin.  While Merlin might not be family by blood, he is definitely a huge part of our family.  He is a close family friend, neighbor, honorary grandpa to our children, one of our landlords, and is one of our seasonal farm hands.  This week Merlin turned 80 years old and we are celebrating his milestone this afternoon.  In honor of his 80th birthday, I sat down with him at his kitchen table, in the same house he grew up in, to reminisce about the last 80 years.

Merlin, a self proclaimed auctionaholic
His favorite things to look for at auctions are corn sign and cloth corn bags

Born in 1937, Merlin was the third generation of his family to farm the ground that he still lives on today.  His Grandpa bought the home place in 1899.  Growing up in the 1940's, Merlin describes his family's farm to be a typical farm of that era.  They raised a little bit of everything: cattle, pigs, chickens, milked some cows by hand, and they had some sheep while he was in 4-H as a feeder lamb project.  They also raised corn, oats, hay, had some pasture ground, and they even raised hemp during World War II that was used for the fiber to make rope.  His Mom also kept a large garden and the family had a personal orchard with apples and grapes.  The entire family, his Dad, Mom and himself, were involved with daily tasks of the farm.  He especially remembers helping with feeding the cattle and helping with field work during his youth.

Merlin graduated from high school in 1955 and then went to Eagle Grove Community College for one year, followed by one year at Iowa State University, before returning home to farm and get married to Margo in 1957.  (Side note, Merlin and Margo's first date was on New Year's Eve after they graduated high school.  She went to a neighboring school, but he knew her through 4-H.  He asked, she said yes, and the rest is history. 😉)  He farmed with his Dad and gradually worked into the operation by buying equipment when needed.  Merlin raised pigs, chickens and had feeder cattle on the farm, as well as raised corn, oats, hay, had some pasture ground and eventually added soybeans to his operation in the 1960s.  Merlin retired from farming in 2002 after farming full-time for 47 years.  At that time he rented out his farms to My Farmer's family and continues so today.  (But like any farmer, they can't fully get away from it, so Merlin helps us with seasonal field work every year. 😊)

One thing that I have always been impressed with about Merlin is that he went back to finish his Bachelor of Science degree at Iowa State in 1986.  He graduated in 1991 with a double major in Agronomy and Horticulture.  I asked him why he went back to finish his degree and he said he always felt like it was something he should do and finish.

Merlin helping us this past fall with tillage

There has been a lot that has happened and changed during the last 80 years.  One thing that Merlin kept on coming back to when reminiscing with me was how much the speed of communication and information has increased over time.  He grew up with a rotary dial phone on a party line and remembers when they got their first black and white TV.  He now uses a smart phone that he can call and text his children, grandchildren and great grandchild on who live in three different states, can access the internet on it and can even check in on the latest auction that is going live online (remember, I mentioned he was an auctionaholic - his words, not mine 😉).

Technology and information has changed on the farm too.  Merlin started farming in a cabless M Farmall, and now drives the quad-track tractor (seen in the photo above that he is seen standing in front of) with autosteer, GPS, air conditioning, heated seats, radio, bluetooth and a cab!  Merlin said that his friend and fellow auctionaholic, Leon, and him talk about the changes their fathers saw in agriculture, compared to what they have seen.  Their fathers began farming through all hand labor, to finishing by using tractors with mechanized equipment.  Merlin and Leon have seen the development of tractors and equipment, as well as the progress of crops.  He says that he thinks he has seen as much change and progress as his father did.

Merlin believes that the progress of corn and the development of hybrid corn was the biggest agricultural advancement during his lifetime.  Before hybridization, farmers saved the biggest ears of corn with the biggest kernels to plant the next year.  They were searching for the best strains, but in an unscientific way.  With the development of hybrid corn, plant breeders were working to crossbreed specific corn plants to create a higher quality plant.  Merlin said that open pollinated corn had a poor stand (weak stalk) and had a low yield.  But with hybrid corn, farmers immediately saw an increase in yield, as well as the corn plant was stronger, which allowed their mechanical pickers to harvest the corn easier and better.  Hybrid corn increased production and decreased labor needs.  When Merlin was born, less than one half of one percent of the United States land planted in corn was planted in hybrid seed.  By the time he was a teenager, that number had risen to over 50%.  Now virtually all corn planted in the United States is hybrid corn.

So what advice does Merlin have for My Farmer and I and other farmers?

• Pay attention to new things coming down the pipeline.  There have been a lot of changes in his lifetime, but there are lots of new things coming yet.
• Time goes faster than you think it does.
• Get involved in your community.  You will get a lot out of doing something beyond yourself and will meet good people no matter where or what your community is.  Community is bigger than it used to be due to transportation and communication.  So find your community and get involved.

Thank you Merlin for letting me sit down and interview you for your 80th birthday.  I feel honored to have this opportunity and privileged to have you as a good friend and part of our family.  Here's to a great day today celebrating and to many more Cyclone wins, auction finds, and memories made with our family!  Be sure to Comment for a Cause and wish Merlin a Happy 80th Birthday!

Harvest of Thanks to our Farm Family

Tonight My Farmer and I get recognized as a finalist for the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation's Young Farmer Achievement Award.  This recognizes young farmers, ages 35 and under, for their growth and progress of their farm and leadership achievements through the start of their career.  We are both honored and humbled to be finalist this year and we can't wait to find out tonight how we place!

Being a finalist for this award wouldn't be possible without our farm family.  We have been very fortunate to have such a great support system behind us.  Both of our families, neighbors and community members have backed us in different ways.  I wanted to recognize a couple members of our farm family to say thank you.

We would first like to thank my father-in-law.  He is the one who gave My Farmer the foundation and inspiration to farm starting at a young age.  He also helped My Farmer get the resources needed so he could build his pig barns in college.  Today, we work daily with each other.  As My Farmer describes in the video, we farm in parallel with each other; while it isn't a partnership, we trade labor back and forth, as well as share equipment.  Working with an established farmer, like my father-in-law, has been a huge asset for us as young farmers, as capital can be hard to get initially.  I also know that my father-in-law works hard to give us the opportunities to succeed, just like we as parents are now doing so for our children.

Next we'd like to thank our neighbor, friend and landlord Merlin.  Merlin has been a long-time family friend and neighbor.  I can't say enough of how great a man he is.  When My Farmer and I were dating Merlin was one of the first people I met from the community.  We instantly connected.  I think at some community events early on some people wondered "who is that girl with Merlin?" rather than "who is that girl with My Farmer?" 😉  Merlin too wants us to succeed.  Besides helping us out seasonally with field work, he is also one of our landlords that we rent crop acres from.  Most importantly, he really is like family.  He is like an extra grandpa for our children and we do fun things outside of the farm with him like going to Nut Frys, Church and Saturday Night Pizza.

The last member of our farm family I want to thank and share with all of you is Rusty.  Rusty is one of our long-time farm workers and I don't know if it is his favorite job, but it is probably the job he does the most, and that is drive semi, like he is seen standing in front of here.  The thing I appreciate the most about Rusty is his hard work ethic and fun attitude.  Things can get stressful on the farm, especially during our busy seasons of harvest and planting, but Rusty knows just what to do calm everyone down and make everyone laugh.  I guess you could say that Rusty helps keep our whole farm family sane during tough times.

This list wouldn't be complete without also thanking both sets of our parents, our sisters, our landlords, Cole, Tom, Hunter and Jared.  It takes this entire crew, this entire farm family, to make what we do everyday possible.  So thank you to our entire farm family. 😊

Do you have extra "family" members or a "tribe" that helps you succeed?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

Farm Friday - Harvest Recap + New Additions

As the first fall snow fell today, I was thankful that we finished our corn and soybean harvest last Monday and 95% of our field work at the beginning of the week before we got rain for three days and snow today.  What we didn't get done, will and can wait til Spring and I think we are all okay with that.

Combining our soybeans

This fall's harvest went pretty well.  We had average to above average yields for both corn and soybeans, and we were able to work almost daily to get the job done since it was so dry this fall.

A fun thing that the kids and I did this fall was host Flat Aggie during harvest.  Flat Aggie is similar to the Flat Stanley project (which I personally loved doing Flat Stanley as a first grader 25 years ago...) based on the book Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown.  Students send a flat cutout to friends and family to then go on adventures and return after a certain period of time with a story of their travels.  Flat Aggie travels to farms and ranches and this year is being shared with classrooms in Illinois, Kansas, California and Arkansas.

A new addition to this year's harvest for us was that we started bagging corn.  The current market price for corn and soybeans is low, so we wanted to store as much of our grain as possible in order to get a better price for it at a later date.  All of our soybeans and most of our corn is being stored in grain bins that we both own and rent.  But as we ran out of bin space we started bagging the corn.  Think of it as "on farm storage."  These 250' long bags are made of a thick plastic.  From the catch cart, we filled the grain bagger, which inches along as the bag gets filled.  We will have to unload these bags before spring, so we can plant in those areas.  But at least for this winter, the bags have given us some much needed storage space.

Our "on farm storage" - grain bags

And speaking of new additions, we are excited to announce that our family will be growing in May!  We are expecting Baby #4 on May 20th and are very happy and full of love.  The kids are excited and have given the baby the nickname of "Tinker".  Our son LP came up with the name and we asked him where he got the name from and he responded nonchalantly, "My brain."  Oh, of course.  But anyways, the name has stuck, and we are all very excited to welcome Baby Tinker this spring.

Do you have any questions about Fall Harvest or our new "Spring Arrival"?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

We are a FAMILY farm

What better way to start off my 31 Days From A Tractor Seat series than to give you a little background of our family farm!

My Farmer and I farm in North Central Iowa (where the land is flat and the dirt is black) where we raise, as my blog title shares - corn, (soy)beans, pigs and kids.  We primarily rent fields from landlords that we rotate corn and soybeans on from year to year and we own two hog barns that we raise pigs in for my Father-in-law.  Speaking of my Father-in-law, he is an important part to our family farm.  We share equipment and labor with him when it comes to our cropland and pigs.  Our partnership really has helped My Farmer and I get started and establish ourselves in farming.

My Father-in-law, LP and My Farmer
counting a new group of pigs as they enter the barn

It is a privilege to have three generations working together on our family farm.  My Farmer and I are proud to be 5th generation farmers and we work hard every day so our kids can be the 6^th.  I think it is really neat that the business of farming is so family focused.

The truth is our family is not the only ones who have made farming a family tradition.  In the United States 98% of all farms are family-owned.  So why do families make farming their heritage?  Farmers pride themselves on putting food on the table and preserving the land.  Through these goals, generations have learned a powerful work ethic and respect.  Because of this, the next generation feels a purpose to engage in farming and continue their family’s farming legacy.  Both my husband and I have always wanted to farm since we were little kids.  We are both so proud of farming today and feel fortunate to be doing so.  I can already see this sense of purpose to farm with our 3 year old son LP and 16 month old daughter MP.  They love helping on the farm!

MP, My Farmer, LP and me - continuing our family's farming legacy

What questions do you have about being a FAMILY farm?  If you are interested in learning about some of my family's farming heritage check out my Farming - A Family Tradition post.  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

(This post is a part of a 31 Days from a Tractor Seat series.  The best way to keep up with this series is to follow via email on the right sidebar of this post and by liking the Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids Facebook page.)

Knee High by the 4th of July

What a great Independence Day weekend!  I have so much I want to update you all on!  My Farmer, LP, MP and I traveled to East-Central Iowa to visit some college friends over the 4th and 5th (where we were able to mark off an item off our Summer Bucket List!) and then had fun at our local town's celebration on the 6th.  It was a busy weekend but it was a lot of fun!  Look for posts on both later this week!

As for today, I can't not share a mini "Independence Day" and "Farm Friday" update rolled into one "Monday after the 4th of July" post!  The old saying is that corn should be "knee high by the 4th of July."  In reality, corn is usually head-high and tasseling.  This year we are inbetween those two measurements.

I do have to admit, there for awhile I was afraid the corn wasn't going to be "knee-high by the 4th of July" but due to warm weather the last couple of weeks, the corn and soybeans actually got a chance to get some sunlight and have grown a lot over that time.  Now comparing our 4th of July photo from this year to last year you can see that our corn is behind in maturity.  It wasn't too far from now last year though that the rain stopped and we entered a drought.  Hopefully that doesn't repeat this year, otherwise our crops will be hurting come fall harvest.  I'm just happy that we were able to make it through this wet spring and get everything planted this year.  Those last two sentences I wrote I think can be summed up from a quote from Will Rogers:

"The farmer has to be an optimist or he wouldn't still be a farmer."

Hope you all had a great Independence Day!

Farming - A Family Tradition (Part II)

In February, I wrote a post about Farming - A Family Tradition.  In the post I shared some of my family's farming history and legacy today.  I enjoyed putting this post together and since originally posting, I have used the basis of the post for a presentation for civic groups this winter.

My Grandpa, Dad and Great-Grandpa
working on the hay elevator in the Summer of 1981

I bring this up because my Grandma just sent me a copy of a photo she took in the Summer of 1981 of My Great-Grandpa, Grandpa and Dad all working on the farm together.  By presenting about my family's farming legacy and what the future holds at civic groups this winter, I have discovered how truly blessed I am to grow up and know my family.  My Great-Grandpa and his brother helped on our farm for many years.  My Great-Grandpa passed away when I was in elementary school, and his brother died when I was in junior-high.  My Great-Grandma passed away my senior year in college.  How many people get to have close relationships with members of their family three generations before them?

By growing up in farming families both My Farmer and I have gained the work ethic and pride of being farmers from generations past.  Because of this, we both feel a purpose to engage in farming and to continue our family's farming legacy.  (And may I add, the reason we fell in love - ahhh!)

My Farmer and I feel so proud of farming today and feel fortunate to be doing so.  When our families started farming in the United States through just recently, farming was a means of family support.  Today, farming has become a business.  Even though this may be, My Farmer and I strive for farming to be more than a business for us, for it to be a way of life, just as it was for our elders.

Farming - A Family Tradition

When you hear the words “family business” what do you first think of?  The local restaurant, or maybe your dental practice, or maybe the community pharmacy store.  Do you ever think of the farmers in your community?  My husband and I are proud to be 5^th generation farmers and we work hard every day so our kids can be the 6^th.  Five generations!  Can many other family businesses say that?

My family’s farming story is similar to other Iowa farm families.  My great-great-grandparents, Julius & Reka, immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1890.  They settled in Hamilton County, Iowa, where they got married, started a family and continued their engagement in farming, which was my great-great-grandpa’s trade in Germany.  An interesting side note is that they paid for the passage of their farm-hand, Fritz, to come from Germany a few years later.  Fritz then worked for the family to pay-off his passage.  So in 1890 in Hamilton County, Iowa, my family’s farming legacy began and still continues today.  My Dad is now the fourth generation to work on some of that original ground that his great-grandpa Julius farmed.

Our Farming Tradition's 6th Generation

The truth is my family is not the only ones who have made farming a family tradition.  In the United States 98% of all farms are family-owned.  So why do families make farming their heritage?  Farmers pride themselves on putting food on the table and preserving the land.  Through these goals, generations have learned a powerful work ethic and respect.  Because of this, the next generation feels a purpose to engage in farming and continue their family’s farming legacy.  Both my husband and I have always wanted to farm since we were little kids.  We are both so proud of farming today and feel fortunate to be doing so.  I can already see this sense of purpose to farm with our 23-month old son.  He loves to help on the farm!  If it isn’t the season to be in the tractor with my husband or I, then he’s “carpet farming” in the house.  If he doesn’t get up early enough to ride along for morning chores with my husband, then he’s at least taking responsibility for the dog’s needs at the house.  A farmer has already been made in the sixth generation.

This is a guest post I did for a local chicken hatchery in Rudd, Iowa - Hoover's Hatchery.  Check out their blog and follow them on twitter, facebook and pinterest.

I feel like this post had great timing with all the excitement from the Super Bowl's "So God Made a Farmer" Ram Trucks commercial.  I think my family's farming tradition explains, as Paul Harvey would say it, "the rest of the story", behind why "God Made a Farmer".