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Showing posts with label Agrarian Lifestyle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Agrarian Lifestyle. Show all posts

Feb 29, 2016

Getting Ready for Spring Sampling

The time came to replace my old Dodge Truck.  The red truck had 249,000 miles on it.  Last fall it broke down and left me without  a work vehicle for 6 days.  Shopping on line and in the newspaper I spotted the white truck which looked to be a good deal.  At the end of January at my wife's urging we went to look at the truck and decided to buy it.  After getting it home, I found warranty issues and so back to the dealer it went.  I used the old truck in the meantime to do a septic investigation.  All the equipment was on the old one.

My wife said we needed running boards, so while it was in the shop, it got running boards.  The warranty repair was made promptly and to my satisfaction.  The old truck was parked in the driveway  with a for sale sign in the window.  I was able to clean out the interior before it was sold, but the toolbox still had tools in it.  The young man who bought it helped me put the stuff in my garage.  Then it was off to get a toolbox and mount it.  Last Tuesday, I used the new truck for work for the first time.  Even so, I wanted a bed mat to minimize scratches.  I finally got the bed mat installed, so it was time to load the 4 wheeler.  I found that the tie down points were in the wrong place, so I moved them.   Yesterday, I went through all the stuff in the cab hoping to consolidate some and throw some away.  I found broken equipment and repaired it.  I found little to throw away.  Most of the stuff I carry I  have needed at one time or another.  

It is still a month off, but I am hoping I am ready for the spring sampling season.  If I put on the usual 18,000 miles per year, and the truck lasts for 249,000 miles, I will have that truck for a long time.
Old Truck

New Truck

Feb 16, 2016

Hillsboro Soil Conservationist Passes

Hillsboro Soil Conservationist Passes

I am sad to report the passing of Don Long, former District Conservationist for USDA Soil Conservation Service in Hillsboro.  I first met Don when I was a young soil scientist in Edwardsville.  We worked in the same administrative area.  When I moved to Hillsboro, Don had been retired about 5 years.  He would stop by the office from time to time to share his wisdom.  He had solid common sense.  In more recent years, I have joined Don and a group of other retired people for coffee.  Don often had a story to share with the group.  I will always remember a road trip in the summer of 2014 to his farm near Crossville.  Don showed me all around the farm.  I collected soil samples to have tested using our then new Soil Heath Tool.  His land had been in continuous No-till for 30 years by that time, and it showed.  Don's obituary is worth a look.

Sep 26, 2015

Friday Night Lights

Friday Night Football is a big deal in small towns.  Hillsboro FFA served Pork Patties, Boneless Pork Chops and Marcoot Dairy's Custom Made Ice Cream.
FFA Cookout 

May 25, 2015

Memorial Day

This weekend we pause to consider the soldiers who fought and died for our country.  The veterans memorial in Hillsboro will be the site of a ceremony tomorrow, weather permitting.  General Logan first directed the decoration of graves in 1868.  The agriculture connection?  Many who fought and died for our country were farmers or farm boys who went off to war and then came home to grow our food.  Think of these guys as you enjoy your beer and BBQ.

Hillsboro, Illinois Veterans Memorial

May 23, 2015

Farmersville to Wagonner Green Diamond Trail

Farmersville to Wagonner Green Diamond Trail

By Angela Karban:

On Sunday, May 17, Don and I scouted our first trail of the 2015 Trailblazers Challenge.  We rode our bikes on the tree-lined asphalt path from Farmersville to Waggoner, the Green Diamond Trail.  We saw and listened to the melodic songs of many birds, including cardinals, robins, wrens, blackbirds, Baltimore orioles, and the beautiful indigo bunting. There was an abundance of milkweed plants along the edges which will feed the Monarch butterflies later in the summer.  And the sweet smell of the honeysuckle flowers was still in the air.  It was a delightful ride on a windy Sunday.
Come join us for the group walk at 9:00 a.m. on May 30th to start the season.  A light breakfast of orange juice and granola bars will be served  at the Farmersville entrance.  Bring your binoculars to view the birds more closely.

Apr 9, 2015

In Memory of Ed Winkle

In Memory of Ed Winkle

Ed Winkle, a fellow blogger and consultant passed away last week and was buried yesterday.  Ed's blog was Hymark High Spots.  He sometimes wrote more than one entry in a day, and he wrote on a wide variety of topics.  His last blog was March 30 concerning his health.  At that time he was still optimistic about treatments.

So how did Ed touch me?  He was about the only reader who commented regularly here to start with.  His comments were always kind.  He also used Facebook and twitter to get his message out.  I never met Ed in person, but he always seemed like a friend.  his Facebook page was loaded with comments on his passing.  No-Till Farmer printed a testimonial to Ed as well.  Ed was a true supporter of agriculture and conservation.

Apr 5, 2015

Mar 29, 2015

Water System

One of the joys of country living is the need to maintain your own water and sewer system.  The well had become clogged with fine sand and lime, so a new well was needed.  The well digger is using hydraulic force to open a hole to drop a well casing into.  It was an interesting day.  Manual labor and plumbing involved.  Neither is a favorite thing to do.  The good news is that the water system was fixed.

Dec 19, 2014

Happy Birthday Dad

Happy Birthday Dad

I went to visit my Dad today for his 86th birthday.  We celebrated with ham sandwiches, coffee, cookies and a shot of rum.  My brother stopped by to extend birthday wishes as well along with a couple of his friends.  He has a John Deere A in his shop that he is working to restore.  He hopes to get it running this winter and get it ready to paint in the spring.  Seems like a big undertaking, but it seemed to put a bit of a spark in his eye.  I am thankful he is still around and healthy. 

Nov 27, 2014

Nov 12, 2014

Farmers Serving Their Country

Farmers Serving Their Country

Since War began, I am sure that farmers have served in the military. One of the interesting observations  by Shelby Foote in Ken Burn's Civil War was the at the end of the war, the soldiers from both sides went home to the farm and returned to their lives by shucking corn and plowing fields, and threshing grain. General Sherman pointed out that the returning veterans had face hardship and death itself and that they approached life fearlessly.

I also think that war may have played a big role in shaping modern farming. Many World War II and Korean War veterans returned from war and used their GI benefits for college education of some sort.  Many farm boys got agriculture degrees and returned to the farm becoming a generation of highly educated farmers and agricultural professionals.  These men became leaders in the farming community and shared their knowledge with friends and neighbors.

We should all thank and remember these veterans for their service to their country and their service to agriculture.
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