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Farmer Stories
02 – Mar – 2023

Jesse Hough and the Economics of Sustainability

On Jesse Hough’s farm in eastern Nebraska, sustainability means two things: taking care of the earth and ensuring the farming operation is profitable enough to continue. You can’t have one without the other, he says, because protecting the earth using new farming practices and technologies requires an investment of time and money, and farmers simply […]
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Farmer Stories
02 – Feb – 2023

Long, Fun Days on the Asmus Farm During Harvest

Dean Asmus knows he’s in for long days during harvest season on his corn and soybean farm in eastern Nebraska. “We try to get started by 8:00 in the morning, and we usually don’t quit until 11:30 or 12:00 at night, so they’re long hours,” he explained. “It takes a lot of hours and, and […]
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Farmer Stories
05 – Jan – 2023

Farming is a Brockhaus Family Affair

It was harvest time on the Brockhaus farm near Humphrey, Nebraska when we arrived with our video camera one morning in October. As we prepared for the video shoot, a grain cart moved slowly and smoothly past our parked car and proceeded down a row of freshly cut corn to be filled by the waiting […]
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Farmer Stories
22 – Sep – 2022

Reclaiming a Strip-Mined Farm in Western Illinois

The Sun Spot coal mine in Astoria, Illinois, was once an economic engine for the town. From 1962 to 1983, it produced 17.6 million tons of coal and was a major employer in the area. It also left behind a big mess when it shuttered. Farmland was destroyed or depleted. Wildlife habitat was disrupted. And […]
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Farmer Stories
23 – Aug – 2022

Randy Phelps: ‘Farming’s the Fun Part’

There was a lot on Randy Phelps’ mind as he was planting corn and soybeans on the farmland he farms across four counties in central Illinois. Input costs and interest rates are climbing, which threatens to cut into margins. Labor has become more expensive and harder to find, and truck drivers needed to haul grain […]
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Farmer Stories
09 – Aug – 2022

Smith Family Farms’ Sweet Story

According to Georgia’s Department of Agriculture, the farmer who first planted onions in Toombs County in the ‘30s was surprised when they tasted sweet, not hot. Locals and visitors bought the sweet onions at the Vidalia Farmers’ Market and were hooked on “Vidalia Onions,” a name that’s now protected by trademark and Georgia law. Today, […]
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Farmer Stories
19 – Jul – 2022

Nice Lawn, Charlie Baucom

The straight lines left from a recent mowing of Charlie Baucom’s lawn in Marion County, South Carolina seemed to stretch as far as the eye can see. It is lush green and there isn’t a bare patch or a brown spot anywhere in sight. Charlie has the kind of grass people would pay for – […]
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Farmer Stories
07 – Jul – 2022

Martinsville, Ill: A Little Town with a Big Farming Heritage

Derek Pine’s story is probably like a lot of the people who live around Martinsville, Illinois. “I knew from a very young age what I was gonna do,” said Pine, a fourth-generation farmer. “I knew I was gonna farm when I was big enough to follow dad around…when I was big enough to walk.” Martinsville […]
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Farmer Stories
28 – Jun – 2022

Preserving the Great Dismal Swamp with Ducks Unlimited

The Atlantic Flyway is one of four ancient pathways that migratory birds use to travel from breeding grounds to wintering areas. It’s also the most densely populated, which means vital natural habitats are threatened by development and urban sprawl. Ducks Unlimited (DU) has made the area a priority for conservation, and recently collaborated with Farmland […]
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Farmer Stories
16 – Jun – 2022

Variable Rate Technology on Full Display This Planting Season

There was a sense of urgency in the way Aaron Bartlow spoke as he stood in the large field of black dirt. Normally this field would be dotted by straight green rows of baby corn stalks or soybean shoots. But planting season was running way behind because of cold, wet conditions. In fact, Bartlow had […]
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