The Driftless Area, the Land the Glaciers Missed
After the weather prevented hay cutting for 25 days on my farm, I prepared for a 4-day long weekend trip to Galena, Illinois and Dubuque, Iowa. It was suggested that Read more
Canadian Thistle and Its Big Brothers Bull and Musk Are Not Wanted on the Farm
Tonight I intend to write about a prickly subject. It is not about too much rain or data centers or solar facilities. I would also like to ask a serious Read more
Algebra, Hay and Reckless Driving Apparently Do Not Mix Well
When I took algebra in the 8th grade, I was thoroughly convinced there was no way it would ever be useful for the rest of my life. Did you feel Read more
Memorial Day 2026
Once again the nation has paused to honor those who have secured and guaranteed the freedoms we use and unfortunately sometime abuse. I have repurposed an article I originally wrote Read more
The Land of Kiwis
In 2005 I traveled to New Zealand as a participant in the Illinois Farm Bureau’s market study Program. New Zealand agriculture had previously become heavily subsidized. In the 1980’s they Read more
Spring Fever
I bet most of us our enjoying this burst of warm weather. My weekly weather email stated that for our meteorological district to date for the month of April, it Read more
The Big Easy, Saw Some Sleazy, Too
At 9:15 P.M. on March 21, my wife and I boarded the Amtrak train, City of New Orleans, in Kankakee. Upon entering the train, we went to the dining car Read more
Happy Easter Everyone!
Happy Easter everyone. Do you do anything special for Easter? Easter means it is the anniversary of a little experiment that I started in 2012. After a brief visit with Read more
Succession… or Extinction
Are you a fan of Charles Darwin? I am a fan of what most people refer to as Darwinism. I must also admit that I have spring fever with all Read more
License, We Don’t Need No Stinking License! Ooh, Yes I Do.
We are well into the new year. That means that 1/3rd of the farmers in the state of Illinois had their pesticide license expire on 12/31/25, and they must renew Read more
