Replanted Soybeans

During a very wet June 2015, part of our field of soybeans across from Prairie Creek was covered with water and the soybean plants drowned.

In this video, you can see Prairie Creek's path marked by the greener soybeans among the more mature soybeans:

Farmall H Tractor and Summer Clouds

Some videos of a Farmall H Tractor and summer clouds:

Oldest Tractor in the United States of America

Here is a video of the oldest tractor in the United States of America, the Old Hart-Parr Number 3.  The tractor is on loan from the Smithsonian Museum in Washington to the I & I Farm Museum in Penfield, Illinois:

John Deere 7720 Titan II Combining Soybeans

I took some photos of my dad and brothers combining soybeans.  My older brother unloaded the wagons into the grainery and my younger brother was riding in the combine with my dad.  The beans farther away from the grainery are double-crop soybeans that were planted after wheat.

Check out this video of my dad and brothers combining soybeans:

Decay, Decay

American Gothic Gourds at Will County Fair

For people who attend the Will County Fair every year, the Fair can seem like one experience that never changes.  I love walking through the exhibition hall and seeing the familiar and beautiful displays of fruits and vegetables lovingly grown and displayed by local gardeners.  Last year, however, this entry for the "Gourd Dressed as a Farm Wife" class caught my eye and made me realize there is always something new to discover at the fair!

Gourds placed in a diorama replicating "American Gothic" 

Drought 2012 and Hay Production

As the drought of 2012 continues, farmers are trying to harvest as much grass hay as possible from pastures.

Farmer cuts hay a little closer to the creek on August 2, 2012.  This farmer is trying to get some more round bales off this pasture in response to demand for round hay bales from local cow and horse owners.

Farmers who own feeder cattle are trying to decide whether to continue feeding out the cattle using 8 dollar corn or sell the cattle---risking a possible loss on the cattle---in order to be able to sell their corn on the market. 

Here in Will County, Illinois, my dad has learned from surveying our corn field that while the corn ears along the road do not look so terrible, once you go into the field about 4-6 rows, the corn ears become much smaller.  My dad hypothesizes that the corn along the road had the benefit of better air circulation during the sweltering heat of July.  My dad is hoping to get 80 bushels per acre corn.

Will County Corn Harvest 2010

Will County farmers enjoyed warm and dry weather--along with soaring commodity prices-- while completing their 2010 harvest.  In fact, it was so warm that corn kernels that fell out of wagons and combines germinated and grew, as seen in the pictures below:

Corn harvest, 2010, warm weather induced dropped corn kernels to germniate

An odd sight: volunteer corn in a newly-harvested field.  Will County, October 2010