High-Tech on the Farm

The Illinois Farm Families took us to four farms this year. All four farms grow corn and soybean crops to either feed their livestock, sell as a commodity, or both. We learned about the different forms of technology they use and the ways in which it helps them to be more productive and efficient.

A field in spring 2014, farm buildings and grain bins beyond

It may come as no surprise that large farms in the U.S. rely heavily on computer technology. Farmers have always made informed decisions, but today’s technology gives them access to more data and analysis than ever before. Technology is being used to solve problems as well as conserve energy and resources.

Showing Field Moms how technology 

is applied on the Jeschke Farm

Of course, the computer updates come at a price, but most farmers find the benefits worth the cost. As you’d expect, the larger the farm, the fewer years it takes for the technology to pay for itself. It may take a large farm just two or three years to make up the cost of the investment.

There are several different forms of tech and gadgets that we learned about. The first is GPS guidance, which is used for steering control guidance, as well as field mapping. The second is hardware and software that is used for data collection, specifically harvest/yield data and soil data. A third is equipment that is designed with variable-rate technology, which enables very precise applications of fertilizers and pesticides, as well as unbelievably precise planting - with spacings measured in tenths of an inch! 

They also use desktop and laptop computers, in-tractor monitors, tablets, and smart-phones equipped with programs or apps linked to their data. They monitor and evaluate weather data using this hardware and real-time weather apps, as well. They are also starting to use drones, or UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), to monitor the crops during the growing season.

Matt Boucher demonstrating how a UAV

is used for crop monitoring

The GPS system enables farmers to create a map of their field, collect data referenced to the map, and then put that data to work to save energy and resources and be as productive as possible. 

GPS unit atop a tractor cab

One feature of the GPS guidance is that, with the flip of a switch, the tractor operator can let the tractor drive itself. This is particularly useful, when driving thousands of acres, to keep rows nearly perfectly straight and allow the farmer to turn around to monitor equipment, like a planter, for example.  As I rode in the combine, during corn harvest, we were riding on auto-pilot guided by GPS for most of the row.

Field, mapped by GPS, gridded for soil test

Every two or three years, a testing agency tests the farm soils. A grid is over-laid on the field map and samples are taken in the field from each quadrant of the grid. 

Field map showing soil organic matter levels

The report comes back to the farmer with colorful maps detailing each of the nutrients and recommendations based on what crop will be grown thereafter. The report informs the farmer on the questions of soil health and fertilization needs. It may also influence the questions of planting - what, where, why, and how.

Image of in-cab sprayer monitor 

showing pesticide application

The most surprising aspect of all the technology we saw was the variable-rate technology that is used with the sprayers and planters. As the name implies, it has allowed them to get away from blanketing fields with fertilizer or pesticide and they can, instead, control the flow rates with amazing precision. 

Sprayer on the Jeschke Farm

The hardware is sophisticated so that each nozzle is independently controlled by the computer technology. The farmer only puts fertilizer or pesticide where it is needed, saving costs. It also contributes to sustainability efforts which include using fewer resources and lessening pollution of our waterways.

The planter on the Jeschke Farm

On the Jeschke Farm, a particular corn spacing was 6.1 inches. Planting is very precise and that is important for reasons that were explained to us.

Along with soil data, farmers collect yield data. The combines have on-board computers that collect real-time harvest yield data and immediately upload it to the cloud.

 Real-Time Yield Data (corn harvest 2014)

The photo above is actually a tablet in the farmer’s hand as we sat in his pick-up truck near the field. He was using an app to pull the real-time harvest data from the cloud so that we could look at what the combine, in the field, was doing in real-time. It was fun to watch. This same exact screen image is also in the cabs of the combine and auger tractor where the operators watch the data as it is collected.

Combine & Auger Trailer on Martz Family Farm

In October, I rode along with Chris Gould in his combine as he was harvesting corn. Watching the corn stalks get sucked into the combine is a little repetitive after not too much time, so I was pondering what it would be like to do this all day, and I asked him, “when you’re up here in the cab, is there anything in particular you are looking for as you drive through the field?” He said that most commonly they look for pest damage, often root worm, and explained what that might look like. Just a few minutes later, we came to a rather large swath that was knocked over, just as he described. He pointed out on the computer monitor how big of an effect that swath had on his yield. The swath went from green to yellow on the screen and the bushel count dropped significantly. To a farmer who is always trying to make each field as productive as possible, that is a let down. It’s wasted time and resources with little or no return on investment.

Corn Harvest 2014 on Martz Family Farm

After they’ve collected the yield data and put it together with the soil data, they use the technology to evaluate what seeds are working where, what soils may be lacking nutrients, what areas are problems – maybe with insect pests or weeds, what worked and what didn’t, and then the cycle starts once again as they plan for the next planting season and create their prescription maps for fertilizing, planting, and crop-protection.

Farmer with a Manicure

We learn a lot on these Field Mom farm tours from what is said, but there are many more things we learn by observation and listening beyond the words. And it’s not all just about the animals, the crops and, ultimately, the food. Sometimes, it’s a “people” thing. Who are those unknown people raising our food, anyway?

When we hear the word “farmer,” it undoubtedly conjures up a mental image. I’m not sure what the image in your mind looks like (we all come from so many different places), but the person, whatever age and behind whatever clothes you’re imagining, is probably a man, right? How often does “farmer” conjure an image of a woman? Probably not too often. Did you know there are more than 288,000 women farmers here in the U.S.! According to the USDA’s latest census, 14 percent of the principal farm operators are female.  This, compared to 67 percent of the secondary farm operators (partner, likely a spouse) are female.

On our last farm tour, the Field (city) Moms rode the bus together to the Larson Farms Partnership in Maple Park, IL, a custom (beef cattle) feedlot. We were joined on the bus by two Farm Moms who manage and operate cattle farms.

One of the Farm Moms on the bus with us that day was a woman farmer – the one with the manicure. She is not joined in her farming venture by her husband or brother. She is the farmer. She is a tall slender woman, with straight blond hair, great taste in cowgirl boots, if that’s what you’re into, with an impeccable manicure. By appearances, she was more hip than half the city moms on the bus (myself included). She told us that twelve years ago – if my math is correct, at the age of 38 – she decided the work-life “off the farm” just wasn’t what she had in her heart to be doing. She decided to return to the life of farming that she knew growing up. That part of her story is an inspiration to anyone thinking about changing gears (or career) later in life!

As a woman (and daughter of a farmer), I have thought of dozens of reasons why it would be extra difficult to be a farmer and the greatest challenge for me would be strength. Machinery and equipment is heavy, maintaining fences and pulling wires require brawn, other farm tasks require great strength for lifting and endurance to do it all day (think haying or moving produce around), animals are heavy. I could go on. She explained to us that, because she is female – meaning a smaller frame and less strength than a man – she has to do things a little differently on the farm. One thing she does different than most is that she trains her cattle to walk on a lead. This way, if she needs to move them around, she can use the lead, sort of as you would a dog. She also described how much she loves her animals – even though they are raised for food. Maybe it is because she is female, or a mother, or something else, but she described her softness for the animals and how difficult it is for her to say good-bye to them. She actually has another person take the animals from her farm to market so that she doesn't have to do that part of the job. She's a woman who has figured it out and seems to be making it work.

That Farm Mom wasn't the only woman farmer we met that day. Lynn Martz and her husband Mike are partners, along with other family members, in the Larson Farms Partnership, which is a custom feedlot. One might assume Mike is the primary operator and Lynn is secondary, but actually, Lynn manages the grain and crop operation. She is another Farm Mom who is really interesting to learn from and is clearly passionate about her work and life.

Lynn Martz with her grandson explaining the 

beef cattle feed rations to us (Field Moms)

I recently read someplace that a teacher asked some families, “How well do you know your doctor? How about your dentist? Maybe your banker, accountant, or family attorney? How about, how well do you know your farmer? How well do you know the person who grows your food?” I think that is a great question and we Field Moms can definitely say we are getting to know our farmers – men AND women!

Chicago City Moms: Sign-Up is Now!

Friends,

If you are curious about mid-west farming, grew up in the city and know nothing about farming, wonder how those pork chops at the super-market got there and how the animals were raised, have always wanted to meet and talk to a real farmer, have read articles that have caused you to question how “we” got here with our food, or wonder if the food you are buying at the super-market is safe, you should consider applying to be an Illinois Farm Families 2015 City Mom. The deadline for applications is November 15, so don’t delay! Go to the link www.watchusgrow.org to fill out an online application.

I recently participated in my last farm tour as a City Mom in the 2014 Illinois Farm Families program. I was excited for the beef cattle tour, but I was also sad that our year of farm tours was coming to an end. I have enjoyed getting together with the other moms and spending a handful of Saturdays with them throughout the year. We shared the experiences and loved talking about it with each other. As we were leaving the farm, I was also sad that we wouldn’t be seeing our new farm friends for a while, a few of whom I’ve come to know through social media over the past few months.

What an experience. I wish it could continue.

For the next group of 24 city moms, the program will continue on and, hopefully, our farm friends will organize an alumnae tour for us. We will look forward to that!

We were together six times; five of which were all-day Saturday tours. Of the five tours, four were farm tours, but the first was a tour of a grocery store that included an informative morning session with a registered dietitian who talked to us about food labeling and marketing. It was a great way to kick-off our education.

Each time we were together, we met and talked to a handful of women in agriculture. Some were city slickers who turned into farm ladies through marriage; others grew up farm girls and continue to be farm women. I would say that most work off the farm (as well as on the farm) to supplement the family’s farm income, some work with their husbands on the farm (and are raising their family), and a few are actually the farmer leading the business. No matter where they grew up, how they got to the farm, or how they live now with their farm, they all have really interesting stories and are so inspiring!

I’ve learned more about food and agriculture in the past year than I expected. I didn’t even know how much I didn’t know; and I grew up in agriculture! When we use the word “agriculture,” we tend to generalize and lump a lot of different things together. But, no two crops are the same, every area of our country is good for different crops or animals, and each type of animal has different needs. Geography matters. Weather and climate matter. Soil matters. Economics matter. Transportation matters. Not only are there differences, but all these things have relationships to each other and everything is connected. Agriculture is big. It’s really big. And it matters a lot to each of us, whether we’re paying attention or not. I’ve come out of this experience with my own personal pledge to myself to keep paying attention. It is a new awareness I’m glad to have.

I am recommending this program to any city mom with an interest in learning where our food comes from and how our Illinois farmers fit into the global food puzzle. You will hear and see for yourself, how and why. You will ask questions and the farmers will give you explanations. And then, you will probably ask more questions. And they’ll keep talking with you.

I am encouraging my friends to sign-up for the next crop of city moms. It’s meaningful. It’s timely. It’s our food. It’s important. It’s an amazing opportunity and education. You will be glad that you did.

Go to www.watchusgrow.org to learn more and apply. If you want to read about my experiences as a Field Mom, follow the link to my journal at hmcgfieldmom.blogspot.com.

Thank you to all of the farm families in Illinois who support the program and make it such a huge success. Thank you to all the women behind the scenes who make it happen.

Sincerely,

Heather Guido

Behind the Milky Curtain: What Every Mom Should Know About Buying Milk

2014 Field Moms at Dean's Dairy

Huntley, Illinois

Have you ever noticed that there are a couple different brand choices when you are buying milk? I’m talking about the plastic gallons and half gallons that take up at least a couple of refrigerated cases at the supermarket. Usually, there is the store brand, which is cheaper by quite a lot, and there is a name brand that is more expensive. Have you ever wondered why the name brand costs more? Is it better quality? Or is it marketing?

I’m here to tell you, it is marketing. Keep your money in your bank account and buy the cheaper milk. It very well could be the exact same milk that is in the bottle beside it. You can even check this and I’ll tell you how! You may be amazed.

I’ll tell you how I’ve learned this – I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Yesterday, Illinois Farm Families took the Field Moms on a very special tour of Dean Dairy in Huntley, Illinois. Since 9/11, no one gets to tour like this anymore. Security is a high priority and they just don’t make exceptions. Except for the Field Moms; and we were all feeling really fortunate to be able to see the process of how milk comes to the plant, what happens while it’s there, and how it goes back out again to find its place in our refrigerator.

What we saw was this. All of the milk comes to the bottling plant via tanker trucks directly from the farms. Many farms test their milk at least once before it goes into the tanker truck and the certified truck driver tests the milk again before it is put into the tanker. At the plant, before it leaves the truck, the milk is tested for a long list of criteria, including things such as anti-biotics, water, titratable acidity (spoilage bacteria, a.k.a. sour milk), microscopic cell count (increased white blood cell count would indicate milk from a sick animal) and taste. It is then pumped into raw milk silos and further pumped into the plant for processing and more testing. The milk goes through a series of steps to homogenize and pasteurize it before it is bottled. The plastic bottles are made on site just before the milk is bottled, which is fun to watch and it only takes just over six seconds to make a bottle. The new bottles run overhead on a conveyor belt that winds its way all around the enormous bottling room until they come down the line to the bottling machine. After the milk is in the bottles, the labels are attached to them. Much to our surprise, the labels were not all Dean’s labels! There were actually about nine different brand labels, many of which I see when I shop at various stores around Chicagoland, including two very common store brands, Market Pantry and Jewel.

So, why does the price vary? Many times a store will use milk, a dietary staple, as a loss leader to bring us into their store. While we’re there, we will spend money on a few other things. Often, you will notice the store brand is cheaper because they are using the milk as a loss leader and may be just breaking even on the sale.

How can you find out where the milk came from? Easy. You can do it on your smartphone while you stand in front of the milk. We all pay attention to the sell by date. Usually right along with the sell by date is a code, the location on the container may vary depending on the product. It starts with 2 digits and those digits represent a state. Illinois’ code is 17-, Wisconsin is 55-, and Indiana is 18-. After that, there may be 1-5 digits. Go to whereismymilkfrom.com and type in the code. It tells you exactly what dairy (or milk plant) it came from. This goes for all dairy products including cheese, ice cream, and yogurt to name a few.

Another interesting fact we learned is that most milk gets from a farm to your refrigerator within 48 hours. That’s fast. It’s also kept very cold (about 38 degrees F) except for when it is pasteurized. When it comes from very large farms, with a thousand head of cows or more, it is actually very possible that the milk could be in your refrigerator about 24 hours after it came from the cow. At very large farms, their milking operation may run 23 hours a day (there is always a 1-hr down time for cleaning and sanitizing) and they can pump directly into a tanker truck. When the truck is full, say in the early morning, it goes to the bottling plant, is tested and bottled, and can be shipped out to a retailer later that same afternoon. If it’s put in the refrigerated case that evening and you buy it, voila! It’s virtually fresh from the farm milk!

Our family drinks four gallons of milk a week. No joke. We love milk. So that extra savings of even just a dollar a gallon adds up!

The Hero That Sat Beside Me

It isn't every day that you meet someone who is a full-fledged hero. And by hero, I mean, someone who saves the day for someone else in a big way.

I wrote a blog yesterday and talked about a farmer that I met from Alabama. Little did I know that there was a bigger story hidden in his work-shirt pocket. I want to share this story with my family and friends who are following me on this Field Mom journey.

On Saturday, I met a man – a rancher/farmer - from Alabama, and I wrote about him in my Field Mom Journal because he has inspired me to do more research into the seafood that we buy at the super-market, a part of U.S. agriculture that we aren't going to learn about in the Field Mom program.

As he described his work, or maybe it was the way he described his work, he struck me as a person with a passion for what he does and compassion for his livestock (fish and cattle). Specifically, we were talking about the use of anti-biotics in the beef industry. He was expressing to me how important they are to bring sick cattle back to health. He expressed to me, with sincere compassion, how much he hates losing cattle when they die.

I continued to ponder the conversation and I was eager to start looking into some of the questions I now had on my mind. I started my online search by looking him up, hoping to find his farm website – I thought that would be as good a place to start as any.

What I found next was unexpected. It was a “wow” moment.

This man, Richy Naisbett, did quite a remarkable thing in October of 2005, right after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In an article written by Darryal Ray, on November 30, 2005, titled “Shelter From the Storm: Louisiana Cattle Find Greener Pastures in Alabama,” I discovered that Richy and two other ranchers, stepped up, in a big way, to help out Louisiana farmers and their cattle in dire need. Below are excerpts from the article.

Ray wrote,

"The bawling babies and late-night feedings were taking their toll on Richy Naisbett. One night he was up mixing formula at 1 a.m. The next, he was up until 4 a.m. Before he knew it, the nights had stretched into days and the days into weeks until...just how long had it been anyway?

Two weeks? A month?

Naisbett can't say. "I've lost track of time," he said with a sigh.
Naisbett's life as a rancher turned wet nurse has been a blur since Oct. 2, the day the truckload of refugee cattle arrived at his sprawling farm in Demopolis from the hurricane-ravaged pastures of southern Louisiana."

"This mixed bag of frightened brood cows, skinny yearlings and stressed-out baby calves bawling for their drowned or missing mothers was the first shipment of about 1,000 bovine evacuees to find safe harbor in Alabama."

The article continues,

"When a friend needs help, they just need a yes -- they don't need all the small details to go around it," said Naisbett, who led the effort to enlist Alabama farmers' help in relocating the displaced Louisiana cattle. "These cattle were dumped in my lap, and their owners know that I'm going to take care of them. They don't have to worry about it. That's helping somebody."

"I've always been the kind of person -- and it's not always a good thing -- but I never say no," said Naisbett. "...These owners were in a jam and I said, 'Just start sending them. I'll deal with them when they get here.' There was no choice -- those cattle were standing in knee-deep water, belly-deep water, nothing to eat, no fresh water to drink."

There isn't anything more I can add, except, what a remarkably good deed - monumental and exhausting, no doubt. 

When we listened to the evening news during the storms, I remember the stories of people, structures, and landscape that were reconfigured by the storms. I admit I didn't think of the farms and their livestock, needing rescue, medical treatment, and food and water. When we think of natural disaster, we immediately think about helping the humans, as we should for obvious reasons. I'm reminded, however, by an Illinois Farm Mom that the loss of a farmer's livestock can take a very devastating emotional toll on a farmer, not to mention the financial loss. The ranchers/farmers are their animal's caretakers and, while it is their business, they feel a sense of failure when an animal parishes.

I've learned that thousands of livestock were lost in those back-to-back storms because of inland flooding and salt water contamination. Even when they could evacuate animals, there was a shortage of feed. I've learned that farmers all the way up here in Illinois donated hay and truckers donated their time to get it there. It wasn't always enough fast enough.

It's not unusual for farmers to step up and help each other at a moment's notice. Neighbors help neighbors every day. They are a community. They communicate, they keep in touch, and when something adverse happens to one of them, the phone lines start lighting up to find out what needs to be done. They don't consider themselves heroes. In fact, if asked, they'd say that's just a part of how we roll, it's not a big deal or heroic, it's just work that needs to be done. If the roles were reversed, the story would look the same. 

Good people and a fine example of life as a farmer.

From Illinois to Alabama, A Farmer’s Firm Conviction

When I applied to become a Field Mom last fall, I was excited to have the opportunity to visit several mid-west farms and learn about how they operate. I never imagined how much more I would get out of the experience. I continue to be impressed, over and over, by the farmers I’m meeting.

I was invited to be part of an agricultural panel discussion this weekend. The audience was a group of ag business leaders, mostly from the U.S., but a few from other countries, as well. Some were farmers, others may have been involved with an ag-related business. My role on the panel was to represent the consumer-mom. I learned a lot, it was all very interesting, and the audience asked a lot of good questions of this consumer.

I was thrilled to be there to learn, as well as represent the consumer, but that wasn’t even the most interesting part of the morning. There was a man in the audience who questioned me about how concerned he thought consumer-moms are, specifically the Field Moms, about country-of-origin labeling. I learned he is from Alabama, in the cattle industry, and also raises catfish. At the end of the program, he sat down with me and we had a very interesting conversation. I had some questions for him and he had some questions for me. I came to the conference knowing that most of the seafood in the U.S. is imported, and for me, it’s challenging to find US seafood at the super-market. He informed me that the seafood standards in other parts of the globe pale in comparison to the high standards and regulations of this country. He expressed to me that it’s a big deal and that he didn’t understand why more consumers don’t take more time to learn more about it. After talking with him, I have been pondering some of the things he said. The Field Mom program is not going to talk to us about seafood, so I now have another topic to learn more about.

I want to also share this with you. The first thing he said, after he sat down, he looked me directly in the eyes, and he told me that here in the U.S. we have the safest food supply in the world. He isn’t the first farmer to do that. The same words, with the same firmness of conviction, also came from Eldon Gould one-on-one at his hog farm. They want us consumers to know that, and not in a patronizing way, just honestly and one-to-one from the real person producing the food to real person buying the food.

Field Mom Report: Ten Things GMOs Aren’t

A year ago, I didn’t know what a GMO was.

On our spring Field Mom tour of Jeschke Farms, a 4,000 acre corn and soybean farm in Mazon, Illinois, we learned about biotechnology. It was explained to us in a positive light; they shared the benefits of biotechnology and also gave us resources where we could go to learn more.

I’ve come a long way in my understanding of biotechnology in the past few months, but I have a lot more to learn. While I’ve done a lot of reading on my own, most of the information in this post has come from the Illinois Farm Families and the resources they’ve shared. The resources are rooted in science and trust in our regulating bodies (USDA/FDA/EPA, as well as global partners in science).

1. GMOs aren’t…

…simple science. Biotechnology is sophisticated and it is abstract. We can't touch it or see it first-hand. Most ordinary folks, like me, may find biotechnology difficult to understand. As we read food biotech articles written by journalists, we need to keep in mind that they were probably not students of science, and are paid to do some research and write on the topic. Their information is only as good as their research. Biotech scientists are not paid to write for us. They spend their time "doing" the science and not talking about it. I like the GMO Answers website because scientists are answering some of our questions in plain English.

2. GMOs aren’t…

…the invention of Monsanto. Monsanto is a single company who is capitalizing on biotechnology and enjoys a significant market-share of 20 to 30 percent of the seed industry. GMOs did not originate there and Monsanto is not the be-all and end-all of biotechnology. Monsanto is not involved with all types of crops, nor are they the only research company. There are many other biotech seed companies, such as Dupont, Syngenta, and Bayer Crop Science. Illinois Farm Moms have made a point to tell us that they have many seed companies to choose from, about 150 U.S. companies, in fact. There is a great question and answer on GMO Answers about large versus small biotech firms. There are many small biotech companies and even universities, like Cornell University, creating GMOs.

3. GMOs aren’t…

…just about killing bugs and weeds. Food biotechnology is also about plant disease-resistance. The Hawaiian papaya industry was saved in 1998 by a GMO created at Cornell University that was resistant to a devastating plant virus. The Florida citrus industry is currently in danger of collapse from a virus and, similar to the Hawaiian Papaya, biotechnology may be the only long-term solution. The GMO is years from approval, but since it is a genetically-engineered solution, it will likely hang in the balance of consumer opinion. In addition to disease resistance, there are real opportunities to create plant traits with drought tolerance, nitrogen-use efficiency, and nutritional improvement. Imagine the effect on the environment of crops that use significantly less water, our most precious natural resource, or that require less nitrogen. Golden Rice is an example of how a GMO could improve human health. Millions of children in undeveloped nations are vitamin A deficient, which causes blindness and death. Rice, their staple food, could provide them with more of the nutrients they need. A new type of soybean has been planted in the U.S. this year that will produce soybean oil with a lower trans-fat level. We can think of the bugs and weeds resistance as Version 1.0, but Version 2.0 is in the labs and has potential to have an important and sustainable impact on crops, the environment, and human health.

4. GMOs aren’t…

…increasing the use of pesticides. Another informative website is called The Facts About GMOs. A global impacts study was done that shows, globally, pesticide use has been reduced by 9% between 1996 and 2011 due to the use of GMO seed. This, alone, stands out to me as an important way biotechnology is having a positive impact on the environment. Each crop has its own very specific handful of pests. On the Jeschke Farm, specifically targeting the worst pests for a particular crop and managing those pests through the modified seed DNA, the use of spray-applied pesticides has been reduced even more than the study reports. That means less input cost to farmers, a safer work environment for farm workers, and less collateral damage to other non-pest organisms, like bees and butterflies. We have concerns about our pollinators, but so far, studies have not proven that the GMO seed plays a part in the very complex problem of honeybee and Monarch butterfly populations. The EPA regulates and reviews environmental testing and there is undoubtedly still much to be learned.

5. GMOs aren’t…

…taking a backseat in sustainable agriculture. They are on the frontline, but as with just about everything in life, there are trade-offs. Illinois ranks number one in the nation for number of no-till acres. The Washington Post published an article that talks about why no-till is a big deal. This change-over to no-till has been made possible, in large part, by herbicide use and GMO seed. We don’t like putting harsh chemicals on our food plants and into our fertile soils, but if we don’t, we risk losing our crops. In the name of crop protection, we enlist herbicides to kill weeds. Before herbicide was used, tilling was a method used to control weeds, but tilling disturbs the soil. When the soil is disturbed, not only are valuable micro-organisms displaced, but soil erosion can occur and valuable nutrients are lost. This environmental impact of soil erosion has been reduced since farms have started going to no-till. Another benefit of no-till is a lot less tractor time in the fields. This translates to less fuel consumption and lower emissions. It is estimated the reduction of emissions is equivalent to removing over 11 million cars from the road per year.

6. GMOs aren’t…

…toxic, but there’s no data to prove they are safe. Are conventional soybeans safe to eat? Apparently, no one has tested them for that. And, apparently, there is no precedent for food safety testing, nor are there protocols or benchmarks. Isn’t that sort of shocking in this day-and-age? But, it makes sense. There is no definitive data that tells us conventional foods or GMOs are safe, and probably never will be. Scientifically proving a negative (that GMO foods are unsafe) is very difficult. Governing bodies, including the European Union in their decade-long EU funded GMO research project, concluded “biotechnology, in particular GMOs, are not per se, more risky than e.g. conventional plant breeding technologies.” GMO Answers shows that over 1080 studies have been done and the global scientific consensus has deemed GMO foods nutritionally equivalent to non-GMO counterparts. They are independently and heavily tested and regulated. They have been used in our food system for nearly 20 years and there has been no reported link to illness.

7. GMOs aren’t…

…brand new. Genetic research with respect to food has evolved from genetic knowledge that is thousands of years old. GMOs as we know them today were born in biotech labs in the mid-1970’s. The very first GMO food to go on the market was the Flavr-Savr Tomato in 1994. It was unpopular and under-funded and was removed from the market in 1997. Also in 1994, a virus-resistant yellow crook-neck squash was approved for market and is grown today, but not widely available. The development of the virus-resistant Rainbow Papaya is a great story and there is a good video from GMO Answers that explains how GMOs are created using the example of the papaya. From the mid-1990s, GMO corn, soybeans, cotton, sugar beets, alfalfa, and canola crops have been approved, widely planted, and have benefitted from GMO seed engineered to resist insect damage and herbicide. There are just eight commercially grown crops using GMO seeds, which are those I’ve listed in bold green print above.

8. GMOs aren’t…

…widespread among fresh produce. Less than 25 percent of the national fresh market sweet corn crop is GMO. GMO squash, like sweet corn, is not widespread either. About 80 percent of Hawaiian papaya is virus-resistant and a GMO. GMO Soybeans are widely planted. I can’t say that I’ve seen edamame (soybeans) in the fresh produce aisle, but I suppose it could be there in certain markets.  Field corn, soybeans, sugar beets, canola and cotton (cottonseed oil) are not sold fresh, but are processed and used in one form or another in most of the processed foods we buy.

9. GMOs aren’t…

…allowed in products displaying the USDA Certified Organic label. This does not mean other un-labeled (non-organic) food necessarily contains GMOs. But, if you are looking for non-GMO products, you should look to the USDA Certified Organic label.

10. GMOs aren’t…

…going away. To some, the discoveries leading to food biotechnology in the early-1970s were as ground-breaking as putting a man on the moon. To others, it was man playing God. Consumer opinion may hold back the winds of change for a time, but food biotechnology is too important to the environment, global food supply, global economics, and human health. Eventually, it will be accepted. As a consumer today, I am trying to be forward-thinking and open-minded so that I can learn about it, understand it better, and figure out how it fits into my daily life and the lives of my neighbors who may be someplace else on our globe. What IS going to happen when our global population grows to a point where we have no more land to utilize for increasing food production? Or when today’s developing nations are rich and eating a diet as rich as ours? How far off is that? Will it happen in my lifetime, my boys’ lifetime, or maybe in the lifetime of my future grand-children? We are hearing many folks claim that by 2050 there could be 2 billion more people to feed and their diets will be meat-rich like ours. Biotechnology is just one tool, but as I’m seeing it today, an important one.

Generally, the Illinois farmers we’ve talked with don’t like how one side of the GMO labeling debate leans toward abolishing GMOs. Paul Jeschke and his wife, Donna, are down-to-earth people and passionate about their work. I will end this post with something that Paul said to us before our day at his farm ended because his words have resonated with me. Paul told us he has been in Africa, as a missionary with his church, and has seen first-hand, a mother who doesn’t know if her child is going to have food that day. He told us, (to paraphrase) ‘There will always be niche markets for those who want to pay more for organic or non-GMO or whatever. If we want it, there will be a farmer to grow it for us.’ But, he asked us to ‘please be fair to those who are not rich, like we are, and allow me, and other farmers like me, to farm in the way I choose, to be able to help the people who don’t have the choices we have.’

What You Don't Know About Corn

Field Mom Acre, Corn Sprout 
May 2014

Field Corn is many things. Actually, it's made into more than 4,000 things. But there are two things it is not, sweet corn and popcorn. We learned a lot about corn on our last Field Mom tour and we were given additional resources so that we could go learn more. So, this post, while seemingly rudimentary, is going to shed some more light on corn for those of us on the edge or completely outside of "the cornbelt," physically or metaphorically. For folks concerned about GMOs, I've also included some clarity regarding genetically engineered sweet corn.

There are basically three types of corn (four, if you count flint corn). They are field corn, sweet corn, and popcorn. Corn is actually a grain, not a vegetable, despite the fact we often categorize it with other veggies; and the plant, itself, is a grass. We can eat sweet corn and popcorn unprocessed, but field corn is inedible to us as an unprocessed grain. If you were to bite into field corn, I think the reaction would be something like "Bleh!" It's high in starch, not sweet, and not juicy. Once processed, however, field corn is used in many foods that we consume.

On our recent tour of Jeschke Farms, a 4,000-acre family-owned and -operated corn and soybean farm, we learned how field corn and soybeans are grown. Did you know 95 percent of all corn farms in America are family owned? We learned those farms produce 90 percent of all corn grown in the U.S. The Jeschke’s, and most other corn growers, grow field corn (also called dent corn), which makes up 99 percent of all corn grown. In 2013, the U.S. planted more than 95 million acres of it! For reference, an acre is about the size of a football field. Sweet corn, on the other hand, makes up only about one percent of all corn grown in the U.S. and that’s only about 600,000 planted acres. Compared to field corn, that is a speck on our map! To put it in perspective, that’s less than two-thirds the area of Chautauqua County (in New York) or about four times the size of the city of Chicago! I looked that up three times because I couldn't believe it, myself!

Field Corn (Dent Corn) Kernels

I mentioned that field corn is used to make more than 4,000 products. There is very little waste in corn and just about every last bit is used for something. Here is how field corn breaks down, generally. Between 40 and 50 percent is used to feed livestock and about eight percent of that is used to make dried distillers grains. Dried distillers grains are used for livestock feed. Over 30 percent is used to make the fuel ethanol, over 10 percent is exported to foreign markets, and less than 10 percent of field corn harvested is processed to make food products such as tortillas, sweeteners, starch, cereal, and beverages/alcohol. That is field corn. 

Sweet corn, another type of corn, is what we eat off the cob when we buy it fresh in the produce aisle at the supermarket, fresh at the farm stand or farmer’s market, and it is what we eat canned and frozen. There is nothing like fresh picked corn-on-the-cob if you love to eat corn. Sweet corn is picked just prior to peak ripeness when it is tender, sweet, and juicy, unlike field corn and popcorn, which are dried on the cob in the field. The sooner you eat an ear of sweet corn after it is picked, the tastier it will be. Sweet corn loses sugar, moisture, and flavor very rapidly. If you keep it in the husks and refrigerated in a plastic bag, it will stay moist and flavorful longer than without the husks.

A red variety of popcorn

(photo courtesy of Tietz Family Farms)

Popcorn is the other type of corn that we eat. In contrast to field corn and sweet corn, popcorn is grown by less than 1,000 farms in the U.S. and the majority of those farms raise only 100 to 250 acres of popcorn. Illinois ranks third in the nation for popcorn production. It is also the official Illinois state snack food! Some people might think that you can take any kernel of corn, heat it up, and it will pop. Not so. It has to be a popcorn kernel. Ever wondered how heating a kernel makes it pop into our snack? Ears of popcorn are left to dry on the stalk before they are harvested. The moisture content in a dried kernel is about 14 percent. This little bit of water is what allows it to pop. When the kernel is heated, the water expands and creates steam which cooks the starch inside the kernel. When enough pressure builds up, the kernel pops and turns inside out. The outer shell, called the hull, bursts. I love popcorn and I don’t know about you, but I don’t like the hulls that get stuck between my teeth. A hull-less popcorn variety is available that has a more delicate outer shell and when it bursts, it virtually disintegrates. Each bite of popcorn nearly melts in your mouth, sans hull. It is a beautiful thing. There are two types of popcorn grown commercially, white and yellow. That's what we find at the super-market. I encourage you to try a specialty variety, like the hull-less type. 

Colorful Popcorn Kernels

(photo courtesy of Tietz Family Farms)

There are a wide range of other varieties with blue, black, red, yellow, and white kernel colors (they all pop white or near white). These varieties are often very flavorful; for example, some have nutty flavors, others taste buttery. My boys will eat this popcorn without any salt or butter, it is just so flavorful. I have listed two websites, and there are surely others, where you can mail-order a pound (or three or five!) of some really great tasting popcorn to try. Our family is enjoying popcorn from Tietz Family Farms in Watertown, Wisconsin, and they have a wide variety to choose from. Their web address is http://tietzfamilyfarms.com. I also know of a family-owned popcorn company in Illinois that sells black and crimson varieties. Their web address is http://www.blackjewell.com.

Some folks are concerned about GMOs (biotechnology). All popcorn is non-GMO. Genetically engineered popcorn seed is not currently available anywhere in the world. You may see company labels or marketing material that says their popcorn is non-GMO. It's true, but so is the other one without the label and GMO-targeted marketing.

Genetically engineered sweet corn has been deemed safe for human consumption and nutritionally equivalent to non-GMO sweet corn. Genetically engineered sweet corn seed is commercially available, which means it is available to commercial growers only. You cannot buy genetically engineered sweet corn seed as a backyard gardener. While it is available commercially, genetically engineered sweet corn seed is not widely used. According to gmoanswers.com, last year (2013) less than 25 percent of sweet corn planted in the U.S. for fresh markets was genetically engineered and about ten percent planted for all markets (which includes canned and frozen) was genetically engineered. If you choose to buy non-GMO sweet corn, you can do one of two things. If you are buying fresh produce directly from your grower/farmer, you can ask the grower directly if the corn he/she is selling was grown from genetically engineered seed. It does not have to be organic to be non-GMO. Or, if you are at the super-market, you can look for the USDA Organic seal on the sweet corn label. The USDA Organic seal does not allow for the use of GMOs.

There is a lot to corn, it has a long history, it is versatile, and it is very important to us. The next blog will dive deeper into field corn, how it is grown and what it is used for. I'll also share an explanation of the biotechnology used on corn and the outcomes of using that biotechnology.

Summer Reading Lists from the Farm (not just for kids!)

I asked my new Illinois Farm Mom friends for some book recommendations for young children that specifically show us what modern (commercial) farming looks like (not the romanticized version). Don’t get me wrong, I love Charlotte’s Web and the outdated farm picture books, but I specifically wanted to find out what was out there that could create a more accurate image of where our food comes from in the minds of my boys.

And it’s not just for kids! I have also included an adult reading list from another Illinois farmer. I was talking with this farmer about what I was reading and she offered to give me a list of books that would be the counterpoint to them. Once I discovered there was a “food fight,” I wanted to read both sides for a better understanding.

I don’t know about you, but when summer hits and the library reading program starts, the piles of books start to heap up on the coffee table, at the head of the beds, at the foot of the beds, in the car, and everywhere in between. We usually just "grab and go" as we find interesting covers on our library trips, but here are a few titles to seek out to add a little food and farm genre into your mix. I simply go online a few days in advance, request the books be placed on hold, and the next time we go the library they are waiting for us on the “Holds” shelf. It’s super easy and it’s like getting a present when we visit the library!

Books for Children

Farm

            By Elisha Cooper

I highly recommend this book. It is beautifully illustrated in watercolor and the story is well done. The large-farm setting matches the reality of what we have seen here on large farms in Illinois. The pages about the barn cats drew in my boys’ attention with lots of questions about their names!

Cloudette

            By Tom Lichtenheld

I am partial to this author. I met him in our village a number of years ago and we have enjoyed his other books. This is a fun read and another great reminder that you don’t have to be big to make a big difference to someone. It’s also a reminder that farming is dependent on weather, especially rain!

Oh Say Can You Seed?

            By Bonnie Worth (A Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library)

Who doesn’t love the Cat in the Hat? This is a fun book all about how seeds grow and what they do. It’s a great book for a wide age range. The youngest listener will enjoy the pictures and an older reader will get something out of the vocabulary and science.

Harvest Year

            By Cris Peterson

Harvest is occurring in every month throughout the year somewhere in the U.S. This book takes us month-by-month through many of the big crops that we enjoy eating all throughout the year. The text is concise and the photographs give us a glimpse of what harvests look like and how children enjoy the fruits of labor. A good book for all ages to enjoy.

Corn

            By Gail Gibbons

I have yet to not like a book by Gail Gibbons. This one does a good job of touching upon the many aspects of corn. This book could be enhanced by a post-reading trip to the farmer’s market to buy some sweet corn!

The Super Soybean

            By Raymond Bial

Soybeans aren’t usually one of the crops we grow in our garden, they aren’t something we usually see in the produce aisle, and they are even a little tough to find in the frozen foods case; but, soybeans are in so many of the processed foods that we eat and in many other non-food products, as well. Through photographs and detailed text, this book does a thorough job of teaching us all about soybeans. There are enough photos for the pre-reader to engage in and plenty of detail to interest the older listener. It was an unexpected education for me, too!

Farmer George Plants a Nation

            By Peggy Thomas

In addition to being a general and our first president, George Washington was a farmer who enjoyed experimenting!

Century Farm: One HundredYears on a Family Farm

            By Cris Peterson

This book tells a great story, in words and photos, about the family farm. Ninety-five percent of farms in the U.S. are still family farms and most of them have been passed on from one generation to the next several times. The stories and photographs in this book are not unfamiliar to the stories my own dad tells of his grand-parents who bought his farm in 1907.

Fantastic Farm Machines

            By Cris Peterson

This books shows children all the different, and mostly BIG, machines used to grow and harvest corn, soybeans, and alfalfa. My boys like this one.

Extra Cheese, Please!Mozzarella’s Journey from Cow to Pizza

            By Cris Peterson

This book has great photos and descriptions that tell us about the process of raising a cow for milk, making milk, and finally how milk is made into cheese for our pizzas.

Bonus Picture Books

Hogwash, Thunderstorm

            By Arthur Geisert

Hogwash and Thunderstorm are two of many books by this author/illustrator. These books are not specifically about farming (although, Thunderstorm makes a connection) and, really, the only connection to farming is the farm animal, pig. My boys love these books and Hogwash is our favorite – I think it’s the machines and gears that appeal here. These books are about the silly, fanciful, and imaginative activities that a colony of pigs engages in. The drawings are extremely detailed and my boys ask to “read” (Hogwash is a wordless book) the books over and over, while flipping forward and back to examine and question what is happening in the illustrations.

Books for Older Young Readers

The Hungry Planet

            By Peter Menzel

This book is fun to browse, even as an adult. It takes a look at what a week’s worth of family groceries looks like in many different parts of the world.

The Beef Princess of Practical County

            By Michelle Houts

The Heart of a Shepherd

            By Rosanne Perry

                                                

Books for Adults

The Locavore's Dilemma

         By Pierre DesRochers and Hiroko Shimizu

The Food Police

         By Jayson Lusk

In Meat We Trust

         By Maureen Ogle

Merchants of Despair

         By Robert Zubrin

No More Food Fights

         By Michele Payn-Knoper

Nutrition / Reference

American Dietetic Association Complete Food & Nutrition Guide

         By Roberta Larson Duyff

This book was recommended to us at our first tour by the registered dietitian who gave a talk. It's all in here! Food labels, health and fitness, how to shop, your safe kitchen, nutrients, feeding kids, for women, for athletes, reducing risk of disease, and on and on. This is a good reference to have and not too pricey.

Eating Healthy, Healthy Weight for Kids and Teens

          By Jodie Shield and Mary Catherine Mullen

I did a review of this book as one of my first blog posts in March. Good book, easy read.