To promote Ag Expo each year, I draw from my archived photos from year's past. In doing so, I came across several photos I'd taken of kids… including several of my own children. I've gone to Ag Expo, every year for probably the last 15 years, and each year my girls would ask to go as the official assistant photographer. I would go at least two of the three days, so I would spend one day with Emily and then one with Elizabeth. Bringing them both on the same day was not…

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As my family drives down Interstate 70 heading west toward Sedalia, my mind races. Did I remember to pack the blower, clippers, spray adhesive, wool cards, sheep coats, buckets, feeders, health papers, and registration papers? And that is just for the sheep bedded down in the stock trailer. The show season is in full swing. Whether your child shows cattle, swine or sheep, as a livestock show mom (or dad) this is the time of year you long for. The countless hours you spent in the barn…

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I ran errands the other day, partly for the magazine and partly for the farm. I used my newer truck because I had to drop off the van to get an oil change, so my daughter, who usually drives the truck (she thinks it's hers but she needs to look at the title very closely!) picked me up on her way to watch nursery at Bible School. I dropped her off and took off on my errands from there. While waiting to pick her up and go back for the van, I happened to notice the variety of items I…

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  Grilling season is about to hit its peak. And what’s more fun than pulling that sizzling steak or pork chop off the grill? Perfect grill marks and the aroma make ones’ mouth water. But, as my father-in-law used to opine “nothing good ever lasts”. A Purdue University professor of Food Science says the chemicals contained in charred, seared and fried foods may over a period of time kick-start the body’s ability to add new fat cells and increase the…

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It's a good week in Illinois: the strawberries are ready for picking! We've been out once already and brought home five gallons, which have already been stemmed and made into approximately four batches of freezer jam, two pies, one fruit salad and two loaves of strawberry bread. I feel some homemade strawberry ice cream coming on, too, I'm just saying. Illinois specialty growers are a good folks and patches like the one we go to, Gillam's in Canton, are run by…

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We are at the beginning of a busy summer and the cool, wet weather has not been cooperating. We have one high school graduation and one wedding on our calendars. That's all. And I like to garden and have things done on time. That's the "farmer" in me. However, my planting window came and went about a month ago and I still have bare ground in the garden. It's going to stay that way unless I get some steeply discounted vegetable plants at a local nursery. And…

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Fifteen years ago today, the corn was planted. And so were the beans, but only barely. Fifteen years ago today, my husband and I married in a country church in southern Illinois. It was glorious, except for the planting season. John had finished beans on the Tuesday before, then drove to my parents' farm in Albion for our wedding a couple days later. Today, fifteen years later, we've finished planting everything - the first time - and are patching in some replant. But we…

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This past weekend I headed home back to Nebraska for a few celebrations and events. I headed out early Friday to get to Ft. Calhoun, just north of Omaha, staying with friends. That Saturday morning, I agreed to run in the Gateway to the West 5k race over in Blair, just a few miles away. I've been consistently running the past few months, but nothing to be excited about. The race started, and so did the rain. Luckily it didn't last long. My trick to running is to start off slow…

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So you may have noticed, Father's Day is this Sunday. And if you're like me, you may have seen those random internet gift guides offering up ideas for Dad: ties! Golf stuff! Man jewelry! Tech gadgets! And then, if you're like me, you realize that none of that is appropriate for your farmer husband. Or farmer father. My dad doesn't golf, he doesn't do technology, he doesn't grill, and he really doesn't "need" anything. My husband doesn't golf…

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There are places of comfort, with special significance, on everyone’s farms and ranches. We all have our favorite places. For me, the places I like most on our farm have nostalgic connections to the family history of our place and my memories growing up here. There is a vista, on a high hill north of our farmstead that rises about 100 feet above the home place that I really like. When I’m checking cows or fixing fence, I like to pause up there, and take a look at the old…

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