Matt Helmers is the director of the Iowa Nutrient Research Center, the Dean’s professor in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and a professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at Iowa State University, where he has been on the faculty since 2003.
We have found through trial and error over 30 years that there are three fundamental areas of concern in an estate and farm transition plan that each family should independently address — cost of administration, creditor protection and transition plans for land and operating assets.
While clearing nearly 6 inches of snow from my driveway recently, I got to thinking about my years of snow removal work. As close as I can determine, I’ve been removing (shoveling, pushing, snow blowing) snow for more than 65 years.
If you have ever caught a whiff of ammonia while cleaning your kitchen or bathroom, you will know it has a strong, pungent smell that resembles the smell of urine. Likewise, when you are outside you can smell anhydrous ammonia (or NH3) at low concentrations, around 25 ppm (parts per million).
It was an exciting day when Joe Jackson was born. The oldest of five kids, Joe was always a favorite of his father. He was even named after his father, and it didn’t take long before he became known as Little Joe. It was better than Joe Junior or just Junior.
With only a few weeks before the planters start to roll, a good number of Midwest growers use this lull to head to places like Arizona or Florida where they bask in the sunshine and warmth — and maybe even enjoy a few rounds of golf. Others, though, head to the National Farm Machinery Show i…
As a young advertising salesperson in Sioux City one of my clients was a local nursing home, and on this day I had an appointment with the administrator. Having arrived at the care center early for an 8 a.m. appointment, the receptionist asked me to have a seat in the solarium.
You’d think that when it comes to the oldest equipment category in agriculture — tillage — that most of the new ideas and innovation occurred decades ago. But new generation tillage tools are creating a new category of super- versatile tools — multi-talented, multi-season implements that mig…
Farming, logging, and forestry, were rated as the happiest, most meaningful, and least stressful by workers in these and 17 other occupations, according to an article in the January 6, 2023, edition of the Washington Post. The author, Andrew Van Dam, drew on survey data from the Bureau of La…
Mindy Bunselmeyer grew up on a small grain and livestock farm near Farmersville in central Illinois and earned a degree in ag education at the University of Illinois. She served Illinois FFA as state FFA Reporter in 1989-90 and State President in 1990-91. She taught agriculture in Monticello…
In 1992, I had the good fortune to meet my business mentor at my very first college interview. He told me 10 years in the future, I would be the same person that I was that day with the exception of the books I read and the people I would align with.
Tim Maiers is executive director of the Upper Mississippi, Illinois and Missouri Rivers Association. The organization serves as an advocate for flood control and navigation on the three rivers that are vital to moving Midwestern grain, among other things.
While a lot of readers might be laser-focused on the upcoming planting season, there are others (and maybe you’re among them) who are dreaming of those hot and hazy days of summer and the intoxicating smell of freshly cut hay.
Rob Knox is a professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois, where he serves as a state Extension specialist and does research of global impact.
Jane was a fixer. She was good at it. She had been fixing for the last 40 years. It started in earnest when she was 18 years old. She was the oldest of four kids and had always been the responsible one. Whenever there was a problem, either she was asked to help or proactively stepped in to f…
A dozen or so years ago, one of my nieces and her family were our “almost” neighbors — they lived several blocks from my wife and me. Their family includes two daughters who were toddlers at the time. Cindy and I enjoyed serving as an extra set of grandparents and relished opportunities to b…
Mike Steenhoek is executive director of the Soy Transportation Coalition. The coalition, established in 2007, is comprised of the United Soybean Board, the American Soybean Association and 12 state soybean boards. The coalition works to promote a cost effective, reliable and competitive tran…
There is no question the 2020 pandemic had a significant impact on global and domestic supply chains, available labor and workforce participation, and parts and equipment inventories. And, after three years, the impacts linger. A recent AEM survey of 179 manufacturers revealed that 98% of eq…
Have you noticed that each year the soil and bodies of water in temperate climate zones shift almost overnight from warm to colder as the environment cools each fall and reverses each spring?
Russell Hiatt is president-elect of the Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, the forerunner to the national organization. Hiatt is accredited by the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers.
Our music teacher in elementary was wired differently than most. Her name was Mrs. Frakes and she had more energy than the entire class combined.
Wendy Johnson is a former president of Practical Farmers of Iowa’s board of directors. Johnson co-manages her family farm with her father in Floyd County, a 1000-acre corn and soybean commodity farm integrating practices that work toward using less inputs. The farm is 100% no-till and uses m…
The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) has announced the winners of its 2023 AE50 awards, which recognize innovative product development in the agricultural, food, and biological systems sectors. A total of 26 companies were honored this year, with some earning…
As policy advisor in the Economic Research Department at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, David Oppedahl conducts research on the agricultural sector and rural development, as well as analyzes business conditions and the regional economy.
It had been a busy day for Jake on the farm. There was a storm coming and, as a cattle feeder, Jake prepared for the days ahead. Late in the afternoon he discovered a broken piece on one of the cattle waterers and at 4:30 headed into town to get some parts.
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