GROWING in the Heartland February 2015

COVER CROPS: NEW RESEARCH PROVING BENEFITS

A RESOLUTION FOR AGRICULTURE

Standing up to the opposition

BIRD COUNT Record-setting numbers during Knox County Bird Count

TURKEY FARMS The benefits to our Southern Indiana community

FAMOUS MARKET, YOUNG FARMER

Austin McKinley carries on market and restaurant tradition

FEBRUARY 2015PRODUCE FOOD SAFETY Why it matters

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4 | FEBRUARY 2015 x GROWING IN THE HEARTLAND

TTHE BITTER COLD winds of February may make spring feel like an eter-nity away, but I like to look at the shortest month of the year as one of opportunity. It’s a time to start fresh and prepare for the upcoming growing season. Preparing for that season could be compared to switching one’s winter wardrobe to their spring wardrobe except in this case instead of clothing, we switch out seed cata-

logs. The winter months feel like Christmas nearly every day when I open my mailbox and pull out the latest editions of seed catalogs from various companies. Those catalogs, as silly as it seems, give me hope that winter won’t last forever and scouring the pages for the perfect seeds is really one of the few things I enjoy the most about the often sloppy, cold winter months. The task also leaves me anxiously awaiting the day I can begin to sow my seeds for the new year.

While I’m grateful for the opportunity to watch the seeds push their way through the rich southern Indiana soil in the upcoming months, I have to thank 2014 for providing

me a chance to combine two of the things I love the most: Writing and agriculture. Over the last several months, I’ve met wonderful people who share my passion for not only the area we call home but also what we do.

Farming, whether raising crops or critters, is not for the faint of heart. It’s not al-ways as simple as those not involved in the industry may think. The seeds, tractors and technology are ever changing, but the blood, sweat, tears and pride put into the crops never do. It’s a constant. Each year, the tractor engine turns over and the plow whisks under the remnants of the previous year’s efforts. Farming is a gamble and is about as predictable as selecting the winning lottery numbers, but it’s a gam-ble that generations of farm families have gladly accepted.

It’s far too early to know what 2015 has in store for us, but with any luck, the weather will be gentle, animals will thrive and crops will prosper. With any luck, there’ll be lots of sunshine too. After all, what’s a farmer without a farmer’s tan?

Lindsay Owens, editor

Lindsay, who already has tomato plants among other things sprouted, is counting down the days until planting season offi-cially begins. Until then, send her your story ideas at [email protected].

EDITOR’S PAGESTAFF

Melody Brunson General Manager

(812) 254-0480, Ext. 127

Lindsay Owens Editor

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Terri Talarek King, Angie J. Mayfield,

Bill Richardson, Kelly Overton and

Lindsay Owens

WRITERS

Toni Allison, Terri Talarek King,

Damian Mason, Angie J. Mayfield,

J. Scott Monroe, Darla Norris, Lindsay Owens, Dan Ravellette, Bill Richardson, Rama Sobhani

and John Stoll

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Growing in the Heartland is published five times a year, serving primarily the Daviess and Knox county areas. The subscription price of $20 per year can be mailed to P.O. Box 471, Washington, IN 47501.

Ellie Mae is thinking about running through rows of flowers when the weather gets warm. | PHOTO BY LINDSAY OWENS

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Frank SteppVice President

Thompson & Associates

Frank Stepp, Vice President of Thompson & Associates, is a national leader in estate planning. He has helped thousands of Americans draft estate plans which reduce estate taxes and increase the assets which they can leave for their heirs.

Frank’s services are a gift to the community provided by Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation.

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CONTENTS3 EDITOR’S PAGE

Gearing up for a new growing seasonBy Lindsay Owens

8 GREEN FIELDS ALL YEAR LONG

Surge in cover crops lets farmers increase productivityBy Lindsay Owens

11 DOWN ON THE FARM

Billy the BackerBy John Stoll

12 SOUTHERN INDIANA TURKEY FARMS

A benefit to our communityBy Angie J. Mayfield

15 MY RURAL ROOTSRaising chickens: A backyard benefitBy Angie J. Mayfield

17 SEEDLINGSSafety net programsSubmitted by Darla PM Norris

18 AG EDUCATIONProduce food safety: Why it

matters

By J. Scott Monroe

19 FAMOUS MARKET, YOUNG FARMER

Austin McKinley carries on tradition at McKinley Orchards Market and RestaurantBy Dan Ravellette

22 THE FUNNIER SIDE OF FARMING

A New Year’s resolution for

agricultureBy Damian Mason

23 COUNTING BIRDSGary and Lisa Bowman lead volunteers during 10th Annual Knox County Bird CountBy Bill Richardson

26 THE NATURAL SIDE OF THINGS

Native landscape

By Terri Talarek King

28 SOIL HEALTHRay McCormick using non-standard farming techniquesBy Rama Sobhani

30 GOOD TO THE EARTH

Katie Stam Irk goes from

farmer to Miss AmericaBy Toni Allison

ON THE COVER: The red

barn with a green roof is east of

Montgomery, Indiana. . | PHOTO BY

KELLY OVERTON

FEBRUARY 2015 | VOL. 2, ISSUE 1

15

Photo by Angie J. Mayfield Photo by Terri Talarek King

26

Photo by Kelly Overton

8

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TBy Lindsay Owens

THE WINTER MONTHS used to leave farm fields frozen over and almost in a hibernating state, but a recent surge in the use of cover crops has led to green fields nearly all year long and farmers are reaping the benefit of increased productivity.

While winter wheat and rye have been used as cover crops by melon farmers to avoid losing valuable top soil for a number of years, they are not the only options available. Radishes, turnips, oats, crimson clover, winter peas, hairy vetch and annual ryegrass, among others, are all gaining popularity in southern portions of the state. The fall planted crops are also not exclusive to just melon farmers either.

“Each person kind of goes at using cover crops in a unique way,” said Tom Held, Natural Resources Conservation Services District Conservationist in

Knox County. “The crops are tailored to the needs of each farm.”

Prior to the introduction of chemical fertilizers, cover crops were used as an essential tool in maintaining the fertility of soil. The use of chemical fertilizers gained popularity and farmers started reducing the number of acres that were put into cover crops. With new technol-ogy and research, farmers are realizing the importance of keeping soil healthy to increase productivity.

“By adding organic matter and increasing microbial activity, the cover crops make the soil healthier,” said Kev-in Allison, conservation and livestock technician with the Daviess County Soil and Water Conservation District.

The crops also do far more than prevent soil erosion as they provide a variety of benefits including weed, disease, and nematode suppression as well as improved water filtration, and alleviated soil compaction. The im-

proved water filtration allows the soil to drain excessive water but still maintain moisture during a drought.

Betsy Bower, an agronomist with Ceres Solutions, said the extra diversity contributed by cover crops builds extra nutrition.

“Different crops offer different ben-efits,” Bower said. “We try to pinpoint what will be the best fit and then try to come up with the best recipe for each field.”

Bower said just like other crops, each cover crop requires a different growing time to mature so what works for someone who harvests and replants with cover crops in August, may not work for someone harvest and replants with a cover crop in September or October.

“When cover crops are going in late, we can try to find the crop that will pro-vide the most benefits for the shorter growing season,” she said adding that some Hoosier farmers might find it best to try a variety of cover crops.

For use over winter, some of the cover crops can be sowed as early as August and as late as October and still

GREEN FIELDS ALL YEAR LONGSurge in cover crops lets farmers increase productivity

Greg Dellinger is the fifth generation to farm the ground he and his father, Dale, share. They both hope to leave the fertile soil in better shape than they found it by utilizing cover crops.| PHOTOS BY KELLY OVERTON

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GROWING IN THE HEARTLAND x FEBRUARY 2015 | 9

provide added benefits. Bower also stresses that to reap the most benefits; cover crops should be used annually. “You really need to use the cover crops for more than a year. The more you use cover crops, the more benefits you will see. We do more than we did 10 years ago but we can build on that even more.”

Just like every cover crop is tailored to meet specific needs, the methods used to sow the nutrient rich crops also vary.

Troy Hinkle, executive director of Knox County Soil and Water Conser-vation, said that locally farmers use a variety of methods for sowing.

“Some drill the crops, or use broad-cast methods,” said Hinkle. “But we also have some farmers who use crop dusters.”

A popular, but often difficult to handle, cover crop for many Hoosier farmers is annual ryegrass. The annual ryegrass, not to be confused with cereal rye, can have up to 3-feet of roots to aide in reducing soil compaction among other things, when it has as little as 3-inches of tip growth. The forage grass can also become out of control when warmer weather breaks before the crop can be destroyed in the spring. Cereal rye though, remains a popular choice for many.

The father and son duo of Dale and Greg Dellinger, who farm just east of Vincennes, have been using cover crops since the early 1980s. They also favor cereal rye for the mostly clay-loam fields.

“I started in 1965 with traditional farming,” said Dale, who said he initially left the now 150-year old family farm thinking he wanted nothing to do with it. “I’ve been doing no- till since around 1982 or 1983. Greg is the fifth genera-tion to farm the ground.”

Dale said by using cover crops and other conservation methods, he and Greg hope to leave the acreage in better shape than they found it.

“There really are a lot of advantages to using the cover crops,” said Dale, a former teacher and Pioneer Seed sales-man. “It saves on fuel and equipment costs.”

“We have a lot of hilly farm area,” said Greg, who said they had worked with Bower to craft the best crop for their land. “The cover crops along with using no till work really well on those areas.”

Now in the third year of planting all their acreage in cover crops, Greg said they’ve experimented with some varieties other than the cereal rye. “We’ve tried some blends with crimson clover and annual ryegrass but the challenge is getting it in early,” he said, as he turned over the soil. “The cereal rye puts down big root masses and will continue to grow in the spring.”

The root masses are also home to lots of earth worms that the farming duo welcomes.

The Dellingers, who farm a 50/50 rotation of soy beans and corn, said they’ve had success broadcasting their cereal rye with potash but have also tried using other methods.

Dennis Walton Farms has been using cover crops in their soybean and corn fields for a number of years. Walton said he’s seen a difference in his ground since he started using cover crops.

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“We can broadcast the seed and just leave it,” said Dale. “It’s a lot easier than drilling it.”

In addition to the use of cover crops, Dale and Greg have also made other improvements to the farm includ-ing adding waterways and dry ponds among other things.

Dennis Walton, farms just outside of Montgomery in Daviess County and farms in Martin County as well. He has also been using cover crops for a num-ber of years. “I started doing no-till in 1992,” said Walton, who also raises soy beans and corn.

Walton said he typically uses cereal rye in fields he will be planting soy beans in and uses tillage radishes in the corn fields. He’s also had some success with crimson clover in the past.

“Cover crops and no-till really go hand in hand,” said Walton. “The residue adds organic matter to the soil regardless of the crop but sometimes destroying that crop in the spring can be an issue.”

Wet springs means it’s harder to get equipment into the fields to the kill the crop and causing cover crops, like rye, to grow rapidly.

“We try to conserve water with no-till and the cover crops help with that too,” Walton said adding he used cover

crops on the highly erodible Martin County ground before the recent surge in their popularity. “Without the cover crop, erosion is hard to control. Once you start losing soil, you’re in trouble.”

Both the Dellingers and Walton said the best the advice they could give to someone wanting to use cover crops is

to find what best suits their needs and use the resources available to them in their area.

“The Soil and Water Conservation District has a lot of great resources for people,” said Walton. “But it still takes some trial and error since no two years are alike.”

Dale Dellinger stands in one of the fields he and his son, Greg, farm in Knox County that has been sown in cover crop cereal rye.



HBy John H. Stoll

HE WAS THE smallest horse on the farm but he was the king. All the other horses, Belgium and Standard-bred alike, bowed down to the little old horse with the red hair. When he snorted, all heads snapped to atten-

tion. What he decreed stood as law. Unquestioned. His name was Billy, Billy the Backer.

Billy was a Standardbred, which is the breed of horse used to pull the buggy from back in my child-hood days on the farm. He was small

in stature with red hair and a darker mane and tail.

He had developed several unde-sirable traits in his old age but he was notorious for his ornery reverse. You see, it isn’t easy to train a horse to walk backwards while hitched to a buggy, but it is a necessary function espe-cially when tied to a hitching rail with other horses and buggies. Billy had an exceptionally helpful reverse gear which resulted in a lot of mishaps in the time of his reign on the Stoll farm. One of these, which happened to my mother, is described below.

It is important to inject at this point that Billy was also noted to go from “docile standing position” to “forward pulling position” with a firm and sudden jerk. If you weren’t safely in your designated seat when Billy jerked forward, it was not at all uncommon for you to take an ungraceful nosedive onto the floor of the buggy — or worse!

It happened when Mom went to Uncle Joe and Aunt Rosemary’s house in the open buggy with my older sister and brother in the front seat with her. An open buggy is the one you see without an enclosed top. While at Joe’s, my brother, in his excitement, stood up from his seat and when Mom clucked at Billy to proceed to the hitching rail he gave a famous jerk

and threw my startled brother from the buggy. He landed in the path of the rear wheel which ran over him. Mom’s reaction, of course, was to give a firm pull on the reins to stop Billy which instantly sent him from forward to reverse. Before poor mother could rectify the situation, Billy in his notori-ous reverse, had backed the rear wheel over my brother again. And mom, act-ing on instinct, slapped the reins firmly on Billy’s rump and he switched again to forward. With his Billy-like jerk he propelled the buggy forward and ran over dear brother with the rear wheel a third time!

The story has a happy ending as he escaped unhurt. Buggy wheels are very narrow in width and are covered in rubber and since there were no peo-ple in the back seat the weight of the rear wheels was not as significant as it otherwise might have been.

Another incident that comes to mind happened in the late 1980s to Dad, myself, and my younger sister. And Billy of course.

It was at this time that the Stoll family got their first top buggy. A top buggy is the name given to the rigs with the enclosed tops to protect from the weather.

My cousin Sharon had married a carpenter named Rich and Dad had corralled him into making the top for our first top buggy. Early one morning we left for Rich and Sharon’s house to help make the wooden top for the new buggy. Along in the afternoon, the contraption was near enough finished that it was decided to take it for a test drive. It is important to note a number of things at this point- the wooden top had not yet been covered in black vinyl as it eventually would be, and also Bil-ly had never seen a top buggy, much less actually been hooked to one.

How Billy came to be hooked to the strange-looking buggy without in-cident is still a mystery; however, what happened next is not. All seemed to be going fairly well until we got to the end of the driveway where Dad safely maneuvered a right turn onto the graveled county road. At this time Billy

either saw, or heard, this new creation we had hooked him to or maybe it was a combination of both. At any rate, it was different than anything he had ever seen or heard before. It quickly became apparent that Billy was not in agreement with being involved in this historic test drive.

As I remember, he snorted and gave a swift firm kick with both hind feet and when the buggy remained intact he switched gears into his aforementioned famous reverse. Much shouting and chaos ensued as Billy backed the rear of the new buggy into a ditch and gave a quick firm jerk which resulted in one of the shafts being broken out. The ditch was deep enough that in spite of Billy’s deter-mined efforts he could neither extract it from the ditch, nor could he detach himself from the strange-looking rig.

Eventually, everyone calmed down and Billy was unhitched and led back to the farm. To Rich’s credit, the buggy was well-constructed and needed only minor repairs. Eventually, Billy got to the point where he made many trips through the countryside pulling the top buggy and it bothered him not at all.

And on and on could go the tales of Billy the Backer and the time when he was King, back in the good ole days on the farm.

While not employed on the family farm, John does enjoy helping out his brothers there during planting and harvest seasons. He is very apprecia-tive of his heritage and is thankful he was given the opportunity to be raised a “farm boy.”

DOWN ON THE FARM

Billy the Backer

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PBy Angie J. Mayfield

PERDUE FARMS, THE fami-ly-owned parent company of Perdue Foods and Perdue AgriBusiness, em-ploys 180 contract growers within 100 miles of Washington, as well as 750 associates at their Washington process-ing complex and another 100 employees combined at the feed mill in Washington and hatchery in Vincennes. Including wages, taxes, utilities, local purchases, and community grants and donations, their community impact for 2011 alone was more than $300 million.

Mike and Patty Fuhs of Montgom-ery have been growing turkeys for Perdue since 1987. Mike was a coal miner from 1978 until 2004, but winter layoffs forced him to seek an addition-al income. The Fuhs agree that their relationship with Perdue has been a positive endeavor for their finances and family, and they are encouraging their son to take over the business so he can spend more time with his own family.

The Fuhs claim the least appealing aspects of growing turkeys include the

cleaning and the 7-day a week com-mitment, even in the most inclement weather. Due to increasing technology and learned tricks of the trade, the Fuhs have become more efficient over the years, now spending only about an hour a day caring for the turkeys. It doesn’t hurt that Mike is a handyman when it comes to maintenance. How-ever, when the one-day old birds are delivered every 12-13 weeks, a 12-hour day ensues as they prepare, unload, and check on the baby poults. Still, the Fuhs point out there is a great deal of lax time compared to a regular job.

After a few weeks of growing, the turkeys are separated and moved to two buildings to provide more room and clean out manure. Then, at about 20 weeks, and about 40-45 pounds, the turkeys are grown and ready to be shipped out. That often requires another 12-hour day of work. However, the process has evolved and due to hydraulic trucks and conveyor belts, rarely is there a necessity to handle the birds at all. The brooders/growers are paid per pound of poultry that arrives

alive at the processing plant. (Consider-ing the weather we’ve had lately — and the fact I’ve seen a few turkeys along the road occasionally that managed to escape, I didn’t quite think that was fair to the farmer but they seemed under-standing.) The farmers can also sell the manure compost for profit, but it is strongly regulated by IDEM.

Wagler, an Amish farmer in Daviess County, who asked that his first name be omitted, has been growing turkeys for Farbest Foods for seven years. In today’s tough economy where everything is more expensive, most Amish farmers in the area have been forced to seek anoth-er job or craft to support their families. The turkey barns allow Wagler to stay on the farm but supplement his income.

Farbest, like Perdue, contributes extensively to economic growth in our area and in addition to its Huntingburg, Indiana facility, opened a turkey pro-cessing plant in Vincennes last year, employing 300. Both Perdue and Farbest process 35,000 - 40,000 birds five days per week under strict food safety and freshness guidelines. Farbest Farms has 160 contract growers, but unlike Perdue, their baby turkeys are hatched and delivered from out-of-state. Accord-

A benefit to our community

Mike and Patty Fuhs of Montgomery stand in front of some of their turkey barns. The Fuhs have been raising turkeys since 1987. | PHOTO BY ANGIE J. MAYFIELD

We’ve all driven by those long poultry buildings throughout southern Indiana and maybe even complained a little about the slight smell during certain warm seasons. However, few people realize how much turkey farms have boosted jobs and economic growth in our area.

Southern Indiana

TURKEY FARMS

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ing to the farmers interviewed, Farbest pays slightly better per pound; however, Perdue assists farmers more in financing buildings and helps with upgrades, tech-nological renovations, and unexpected costs. Perdue also provides a guarantee/insurance to pay if something happens to a flock; whereas, Farbest does not.

Animal welfare and quality are important to both companies and to all farmers. Obviously, if the animals are sick, mistreated, or die then both lose money. The turkeys live in a cage-free, temperature-controlled house, protect-ed from the elements, predators, and disease. Also, the birds are free to move about with continuous access to food and water as well as fresh-air ventila-tion. (After taking a look inside one of the buildings, I admit I was amazed at how much room the turkeys actually had to roam around. I quickly found out why environmental groups’ pictures provide a false perception of birds cramped together. Turkeys are attract-ed to noise, and as soon as the turkeys heard our voices, they came running, crowding together in the one end of the building where we were. It reminded me of my equines fighting over atten-tion and treats when I meet them at the gate of my pasture.)

The Fuhs pointed out that a great

deal has changed in the 27 years they have been turkey farmers. There is more government regulation now, more prob-lems with environmentalists, and more paperwork, but there are also the posi-tive aspects of increased quality, auto-mated technology, and tunnel-ventilated buildings. The turkeys have changed too, however, probably due to genetics. The birds are larger and more aggressive, Mike claimed. He said that ironically, the more area the Toms have to run around, the more they fight. Of course, their pea-sized brains do not warrant them as the smartest animals in the food chain.

Wagler pointed out that the reason the babies must be watched so closely the first day is because they will overeat, fill their crops, become top heavy, then tip over under the heaters and roast them-selves. He said he and his boys check on them hourly the first day, tipping them back over and moving them away from the food or heat lamps if necessary. The Fuhs create an infirmary area for those who need a little extra care. After the first day, the babies seem to adapt. The con-tainers are all green, which is attractive to turkeys and helps them learn to access food and water. As they grow, the con-tainers and heaters are lifted to accom-modate. The new babies need tempera-tures of 90 degrees, but as they

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An employee of Wagler Farms prepares the nursery for baby turkeys. | PHOTO BY ANGIE J. MAYFIELD

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grow they prefer about 84 degrees.Perdue and Farbest provide the

birds and all-natural feed (1-2 semis per week to the Fuhs family), but the growers are responsible for the labor, buildings, electricity, water, and fuel for heat. The baby turkeys arrive in boxes of 100. The Fuhs receive 13,000, while Wagler receives fewer due to a smaller building. Wagler and Fuhs both use dug wells for water. Wagler also has a pond as backup, but the water must be filtered first. Considering the turkeys drink 5,000 gallons of water per day, city water would be more expensive.

The Fuhs’s did use propane for heat but now use natural gas after the catastrophe of last year’s supposed pro-pane shortage. Wagler and Fuhs both discussed how companies backed out on their contracts and propane skyrock-eted from $1.40 to $4.00 overnight that nearly broke them. “We suddenly had a $14,000 propane bill,” said Mike Fuhs, “but Perdue was nice enough to pay half.” Wagler stayed with propane, and had to pay his own bill, but he has now changed to Co-op because they hon-ored their customers’ contracts. Wagler generates his own electricity through wind, solar, and a back-up generator.

The Fuhs and Waglers both raise antibiotic-free birds and agree that the most appealing aspects of raising turkeys is pride in what they do; check day — because being paid for one’s time is important — and the independence of working on their own land and not having to clock in, drive, or deal with people. “The turkeys don’t talk much or judge us,” laughs Patty Fuhs. “We get along real well.”

An empty barn at Wagler Farms is ready for a delivery of turkeys. | PHOTO BY ANGIE J. MAYFIELDTurkeys, inset, are shipped to processing plants at about 20 weeks old. | PHOTO BY KELLY OVERTON



IBy Angie J. Mayfield

IF YOU GREW up with chickens like I did, then you know that the flavor and quality of those pale, tasteless store-bought products cannot begin to compare to farm-raised eggs. However, chickens offer other benefits besides fresh eggs.

First, their manure can be compost-ed with yard waste to produce excel-lent nitrogen-rich fertilizer. Free-range,

backyard chickens also love to devour protein-packed in-sects and serve as an organic pest-cleanup crew. Who isn’t eager to curb the tick, ant, beetle, and mosquito larvae population

on their property? Finally, mine are wonderful companions for my dogs and kids. Chickens are very social animals and always know when my boys are going fishing. The chickens follow them around as they lift up rocks and boards seeking worms, and happily help peck and scavenge a few for themselves that the kids deem too small for bait.

If you use a dozen eggs a week or less, two hens will do nicely. If you eat more or plan to share or sell, then you probably want a few more. On average, the pullets, or younger hens, start lay-ing at 6 -8 months of age, depending on the breed. For the first couple years of a hen’s 5- to-10-year life, she will deliver an egg just about every day, and take only a few weeks off a year, averaging about 212 eggs per year. Then produc-tion slows to every couple of days, then a couple a week, and eventually none. We keep them about 3 years then retire them to the roaster — except for Mabel, who is a pet and part of the family.

We raise Rhode Island Reds (brown egg layers) and Araucana (blue-green egg layers). We own one Araucana rooster so we can raise some babies in the spring. We also love that morn-ing crow, though Foghorn sometimes thinks he’s a snooze alarm that must continue encore after encore.

My 5-year-old son Tucker is the master hatcher. We regulate the temperature first (between 99–99.5 if you have an incubator with a fan and

100.5 – 101.5 if still air) and usually put the eggs in the incubator Sunday so they’ll hatch three weekends later. The incubator turns the eggs at regular in-tervals the first two weeks, but Tucker keeps track of the days on the calendar and checks the incubator several times each day for accurate temperatures and hints of hatching. We candle the eggs at 10 days to check for embryos using an old projector. Then at around 21 days, the chicks hatch (28 days for ducks and guineas). I’ve never seen Tucker more excited than when watch-ing a tiny beak peeking through the shell — and more nurturing than when caring for tiny chicks. It’s a wonderful lesson every child should experience.

Chickens are easy to care for, even if you don’t let them run loose in the back-yard. We have a tall coop we leave open for them to roost at night and in inclem-ent weather. The light — and heat lamp in frigid temperatures — ensures more production, and the coop with nesting boxes and a perch offers protection from predators such as foxes, owls, and coons, who sometimes roam the area looking for a meal. In addition to their pickings from the backyard and plenty of available water, we also provide a daily handful of a corn, soybean meal, minerals, and bought oyster shell mix-ture to ensure proper nutrition. You can also buy commercial laying mash or pel-lets, though I recommend organic. You can also save on feed costs by letting the chickens pick over food and lawn scraps. Chickens love table scraps from fish and meat, potatoes, fruits, veggies and greens, and baked goods. Between the kids, dogs, chickens, and two rac-coons I raised and released this summer, nothing is wasted at our house.

With chickens running loose, how-ever, occasionally the age of a stray egg found in the yard is unknown. One way of testing eggs for freshness, whether farm raised or store bought, is to fill a deep bowl with water and disperse the egg. A very fresh egg will be heavy, sink to the bottom, and lie flat on its side because the air cell within is very small. A slightly older egg (1-2 weeks old) will still lie on the bottom of the bowl but at a slight angle, bobbing slightly rather than lying still. Gradually, the egg will start to lose freshness as more air enters the egg,

and it will begin to stand upright (2-3 weeks). The smaller end will lie on the bottom of the bowl, while the broader end points toward the surface. Howev-er, the egg is still good enough to eat. If the egg fully floats, is very light, or has a pungent odor, then discard it. Eggs with tiny red or brownish spots are also safe to eat. These are only blood vessels that ruptured as the egg formed.

Washing is also a controversial topic for eggs. Actually, you should not wash the egg unless you plan on using it within a week. Eggshells are covered with a thin, protective mem-brane that is destroyed with washing. By not washing, the membrane stays intact and the egg keeps longer. When I am ready to use them, I wash the eggs with warm water and detergent, rinse with clean warm water and allow them to air dry. Commercial egg plants use chlorine bleach — not good.

It’s reassuring knowing where our food comes from and what the animals have been fed and exposed to. Teach your children the benefits of growing your own food and the rewards of tending to animals and our environ-ment. There’s nothing like fresh eggs in the morning to start the family’s day healthy and happy, so buy a couple chickens and watch your backyard brighten.

Angie J. Mayfield lives in Loogootee, but she and her husband, Doug, also own a farm in Fairfield, Ill. She is a professor at Vincennes University, a mother of five, and the author of Love, Loss, and Lunacy in a Small Town. She can be contacted at [email protected]

Raising chickens: A backyard benefit

Backyard chickens provide fresh eggs, mosquito control and company for the cat.| PHOTO BY ANGIE J. MAYFIELD

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FEB. 17Regional exam for private chemical applicators3 p.m. – 6 p.m. Pike County fairgrounds. Contact local extension office for manuals. Registration is required.

FEB. 26Daviess county soil & water conservation district 73rd annual meeting

6:30 p.m. Washington City Park Community Building. Reservations required by calling 812-254-4780.

FEB. 27Southwest Indiana Crop Seminar on grain storage and management noon – 3:45 p.m. Near Bretzville at the Dubois County Fairgrounds.

MARCH 7Sullivan County Ag Day6:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.$1 pancake breakfast and kiddie peddle pull at the fairgrounds

APRIL 4 Sullivan High School FFA auction at the fairgrounds all day

SEEDLINGSSubmitted by Darla PM Norris

Coverage Selection for New 2014 Farm Bill Safety Net Programs

Producers have until March 31, 2015, to choose the program best for their operation

Farm owners and producers are reminded that the opportunity to choose between the new 2014 Farm Bill estab-lished programs, Agriculture Risk Cover-age and Price Loss Coverage, began Nov. 17, 2014, and continues through March 31, 2015. The new programs, designed to help producers better manage risk, usher in one of the most significant reforms to U.S. farm programs in decades.

USDA helped create online tools to assist in the decision process, allowing farm owners and producers to enter infor-mation about their operation and see pro-jections that show what ARC and/or PLC will mean for them under possible future scenarios. Farm owners and producers can access the online resources, available at www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc, from the convenience of their home computer or mobile device at any time.

Covered commodities include barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, long grain rice, medium grain rice (which includes short grain rice), saf-flower seed, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat.

Dates associated with ARC and PLC that farm owners and producers need to know: • Now through Feb. 27, 2015: Farm own-

ers may visit their local Farm Service Agency office to update yield history and/or reallocate base acres.

• Now through Nov. 17, 2014 to March 31, 2015: Producers make a one-time election between ARC and PLC for the 2014 through 2018 crop years.

• Mid-April 2015 through summer 2015: Producers sign contracts for 2014 and 2015 crop years.

• October 2015: Payments issued for 2014 crop year, if needed. To learn more about which safety net

options are most appropriate for specific farming operations, farmers can use new Web tools at www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc, which can be accessed from the conve-nience of a home computer or a mobile device at any time. To learn more about upcoming educational meetings, farm-ers can contact their local Farm Service Agency county office at http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app.

Beginning Farmer Loans FSA assists beginning farmers to

finance agricultural enterprises. Under these designated farm loan programs, FSA can provide financing to eligible applicants through either direct or guar-anteed loans. FSA defines a beginning farmer as a person who: • Has operated a farm for not more

than 10 years • Will materially and substantially par-

ticipate in the operation of the farm • Agrees to participate in a loan assess-

ment, borrower training and financial management program sponsored by FSA

• Does not own a farm in excess of 30 percent of the county’s average size farm. Additional program information, loan

applications, and other materials are avail-able at your local USDA Service Center. You may also visit www.fsa.usda.gov.

FSA Announces New Yield Data for Safety Net Calculations

Farmers can update yield history through Feb. 27, 2015

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency offers farmers new information to update program payment yields that will help them better select protections offered by the Agricultural Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs. The new programs, estab-lished by the 2014 Farm Bill, are corner-stones of the commodity farm safety, offering farmers protection when market forces cause substantial drops in crop prices and revenues.

The Farm Bill provides landowners with the option of updating their farm program payment yields and this is the first time that many producers have been able to update yields since 1986. FSA has worked with the Risk Management Agency to make available certified yield data that producers can use to better calculate how the new safety net programs can offer the best protection against market swings.

Producers can check with their local FSA county office to see if data is avail-able for them. This data belongs to the producer and only the producer associat-ed with the crop insurance records will be provided this service. Updating yield history or reallocating base acres can occur until Feb. 27, 2015.

As a reminder, from now until March 31, 2015, producers will make a one-time election of either ARC or PLC for the 2014 through 2018 crop years. For more informa-tion, producers are encouraged to make an appointment to go into their local FSA coun-ty office. To find a local FSA county office, visit www.offices.usda.gov. Additional infor-mation on the new programs is available at www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc.

CALENDAR

p17SeedlingsFeb15.indd 1 1/27/15 9:39 AM


SBy J. Scott Monroe

SEVERAL YEARS AGO, I was working for one of our local watermel-on producers. The harvest was in full swing and the pace around the farm was hectic, bordering on manic. In the midst of the craziness, I was handed a folder by the boss. It contained infor-mation about a company that he had been working with in California. His hope was to sell them watermelons for processing, but he had run headlong into the company’s internal produce food safety program. Apparently, for us to sell them our melons, we needed to fill out a food safety questionnaire, engage in something called Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), and go through an audit by the company’s food safety inspector.

Thus began my leap into the world of produce food safety. Having grown up on a produce farm, and being a sixth-generation melon person, I was quite skeptical of the whole process. However, being a dutiful employee, I took the boss’s file, reviewed it, and started a new file on my computer. I won’t tell you what I named it, but it rhymed with “GAP.” Who knew that a dozen years later, I would be employed by Purdue Extension to work in the area of produce food safety across the state?

As I work with produce growers, many of them approach the food safety issue with the same skepticism that I had that day on the farm. Many lament the additional work generated by a food safety program, stating that they’ve never personally made anyone sick and are too busy to have addi-tional responsibilities laid upon them. Behind most of the comments, how-ever, is the same basic question; does this really matter and, if so, then why? To answer those questions, I’ve put together a list of the top three reasons why I think food safety matters and should be a concern for ALL produce growers:1. PRODUCT QUALITY – Coming

from a farm background, and hav-

ing been around produce growers my entire life, I have yet to meet any farmer that begins his day by finishing that second cup of coffee, stretching, looking out over the fields, and declaring, “What a great day to make someone sick.” It just doesn’t happen. However, looking at CDC data, one sees that many of the foodborne pathogens that have traditionally been associated with other agricultural commod-ities (Listeria, Salmonella, E. coli) are showing up with increasing frequency in produce. We can debate where it’s coming from until we’re blue in the face. How-ever, the fact remains that if we, as growers, wish to continue to pro-duce a quality product that meets consumer expectations, then we need to be aware of this issue and do everything we can to prevent something from accidently getting into our products.

2. CONSUMER AND BUYER EXPECTATIONS – Consumers expect a relatively safe food supply. Having worked overseas in areas where one is warned not to eat any-thing raw as soon as they get off the plane, I’ve come to realize that the mere fact that consumers have the option of eating fresh produce in this country means that growers are doing a lot of things right. Due to food safety issues, fresh produce is not an option enjoyed by con-sumers worldwide. That being said, in this country, consumers’ expec-tations of a safe food supply are increasing. These expectations are being expressed through produce buyers, many of whom now require third-party certifications prior to purchasing large quantities of pro-duce from growers.

3. LIABILITY – The Food Safety and Modernization Act was passed in 2011. Fruit and vegetable grow-ers are currently waiting for FDA to publish the final version of the Produce Rule under this act. Contained within the Act are ex-

emptions for small and very small farmers. The language is frequent-ly referred to as the Tester Amend-ment. This language has given rise to much debate as to who should fall under the Act and who should not. In practical terms, it really doesn’t matter whether a produce grower is exempt from regulations or not. If an outbreak of foodborne illness is traced to a specific farm, then the implicated grower will face the same liability as any other grower, regardless of size. Should an outbreak of foodborne illness be traced back to a specific farm, an active and aggressive food safety program will help to demonstrate that the grower was acting in good faith.Whether you grow fruits and

vegetables commercially and send produce out by the truckload or simply plant a little extra in the garden for the farmers’ market, produce food safety is an issue that will continue to affect all growers. Please feel free to contact me or the Purdue Extension Educator in your county if you would like informa-tion on how to get started with pro-duce food safety and GAPs.

Scott Monroe is a food safety educator with Purdue Extension at the South-west Purdue Agricultural Center and can be reached at 812-886-0198. Scott lives in Sullivan County with his wife, three kids, three horses, one dog, and an odd assortment of barn cats.

Produce food safety: Why it matters

AG EDUCATION

p18MonroeFeb15.indd 1 2/2/15 8:57 AM


WBy Dan Ravellette

WHEN CARL ROGERS planted his first trees in northern Knox County, he probably didn’t realize the tremen-dous impact it would have on the future generations of his family. Two of the most recognizable names in Knox County orchard-related businesses

are branches that have sprouted from those original trees. Local icons such as the Big Peach and the McKinley Orchards Restaurant are results of those first-fruit efforts. Austin McKin-ley, Rogers’ 18-year-old great-grandson, is the latest member of this home grown family to carry on this fruitful tradition.

The Big Peach Farm Market has been an icon in Knox County for more than 60 years. It has stood majestically on the west side of Old Highway 41 South as well as on the east side of New Highway 41 South. The building itself; the miniature, bright yellow replica of the Washington Monument in our nation’s capitol, and the 20-foot-high metal peach have provided the background for pictures taken by thousands of visitors and customers down through the years. The Big Peach orchards and building struc-tures were created in 1954 by Wilbur and Doris Yates. The property was then purchased by Rogers in 1968. A blaze caused extensive damage to the main building in 1975 and Rogers was forced to sell the business in 1976. Af-ter operating The Big Peach for nearly 10 years, his daughter, Margo and her husband, Bruce Donnar took over the reigns. The Donnars also decided to sell the business in August of 2013.

Beginning with a roadside stand

It may be safe to say that birth was given to the McKinley Farm Market and to the McKinley Orchards Restau-rant in 1968 by Austin’s grandparents, Sandy and Hugh McKinley, along with his great aunt Barbara and great uncle Larry Lamb. Locally grown apples, peaches and other fresh produce, from plants and trees nurtured by Sandy and Barbara’s father, Carl, were sold in front of these ladies’ childhood family home on the side of the two-lane Old Highway 41 just north of Oaktown. A bushel of peaches, nestled in a basket made of 3-inch-wide strips of almost-yellow balsa wood with thin, silver wire handles on each side, was sold for just $3. Austin noted that this year, the price of peaches was right at $42 per bushel.

Sandy beams with pride as she shared details of why and how the restaurant came into being. “In the early ‘80s, while produce was being sold in the Farm Market, we just start-ed serving pies. Then people started asking for soup and sandwiches.”

The now-famous McKinley’s fried chicken, along with the area-famous apple dumplings, had their humble beginning and were first enjoyed at the Farm Market.

“She pushed Grandpa out,” Austin said with a chuckle. The evolution from this earliest form of peddling pro-duce on the side of a major highway, to the famous McKinley Orchards

Austin McKinley carries on tradition at McKinley Orchards Market and Restaurant

FAMOUS MARKET, YOUNG FARMER

Austin McKinley holds a bag of apples picked from his trees. | PHOTOS BY LINDSAY OWENS

444

p19-21McKinleyOrchard.indd 1 2/2/15 10:30 AM


Market and Restaurant they have be-come today, is simply amazing.

Farm to tableIt’s also amazing when you realize

that Austin, who is Rogers great-grand-son, grows and delivers the fresh, tree-ripened apples, peaches, canta-loupe, watermelon, sweet corn and a variety of other fruits and vegetables di-rectly from the field to the McKinley Or-chards Restaurant buffet line. For about 25 years now, the McKinley Orchards Restaurant has been open from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. every Friday and Saturday evening, offering the most delicious, home-cooked food you’ll find anywhere outside of your own kitchen.

The McKinley’s are very proud

to note that the restaurant has never opened with a McKinely in the build-ing. Austin’s aunt, Michele, does the cooking and Hugh runs the cash reg-ister but other members of the family can be found helping out as well.

Not only does Austin plant, spray and tend to the Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Honey Crisp and Wolf River apple trees; August Prince peach trees, plus other fruits and vegetables for the restaurant, he also provides these for the McKinley Farm Market, a rustic wooden pole barn structure just about a stone’s throw southwest from there on Old U.S. Highway 41. The open shelves in this special venue display a colorful and fragrant summertime ar-ray of fresh, home grown produce from

the last week in June each year until the first part of September.

One of the first actions of the grow-ing season is also spraying the orchard trees. “I like to have the trees sprayed on by my birthday,” he said. “That’s on Feb. 25.” With careful planning and scheduling, he tries to merge spraying both the approximate 150 apple trees and right around the neighborhood of 75 peach trees in order to save time and money.

It was the summer between his first and second grade school years that Austin was initially introduced to the business of produce farming. His father, Michael McKinley, provided the first hands-on education for his son by placing him on the seat of a red Model

Sandy, left, and Hugh McKinley can be found working at the restaurant each weekend along with their daughter, Michele, who does the cooking. Hugh runs the cash register.

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1066 International Harvester tractor during the watermelon-picking season that summer. With his father’s words of wisdom, such as “Keep it right on the row” and “go straight,” Austin ex-perienced his first taste of the farming industry right across the road referring to Old Highway 41 north of Oaktown. He fondly recalls with a grin the fact that, because his legs were too short to reach the pedals, his father would jump on the tractor at the end of the half-mile-long rows; push the clutch down; turn the wheel and get it lined out for the next row.

As with any type of long-term business endeavor, changes are in-evitable. Austin explained that many factors that were out of his control have caused differences in the orchard and produce businesses. “It’s gone a lot downhill,” he said. “There’s always been a market for commercial apples; it just fluctuates with the economy.” The North Knox High School senior cited gasoline as a comparison, “Peo-ple are always going to buy gasoline; they’re always going to buy it, I don’t care what the price is. People don’t have to buy fresh apples. Whenever money is short, they buy the absolute necessities. Vegetables are a necessity, but you can make do without fresh, farm produce,” he said.

A long list of duties are waiting for him this summer which include running the field crew, overseeing the sweet corn end of the business; and working with most of the buyers or peddlers. “A lot of the watermelons now are through a broker. They come and pick them for us; they bring their

own crews and they have their own contacts that they sell to,” said Aus-tin. He indicated other duties may be assigned to him that his grandfather or dad don’t want to do.

Austin proudly tells the story of a sprayer he purchased so he was able to keep it in the family. When the Big Peach equipment was sold in October 2013, Austin said he was able to pur-chase a sprayer that Sandy’s dad had used on his farm

“It was actually in good shape and was actually usable,” he said.

College plansWith only a few weeks remain-

ing in his high school career, Austin

is faced with the daunting task of making one of the most important decisions of his young life — which college to attend. Taking his early life experiences and his family history into consideration, it is not at all surprising he mentioned going into the field of “Ag Business or Ag Engineering”. He is carefully weighing all his college offers and options. However, one thing is certain. If he chooses to attend a college outside of Knox Count or even outside of Indiana, Knox County and the surrounding area would be ex-tremely fortunate to have a young man of his caliber, character and work ethic to come back home.

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The loft at McKinley Orchard Restaurant in Oaktown is filled with antiques.



ABy Damian Mason

AS I PEN this article it’s mid-Jan-uary, which means most Americans have already broken or abandoned their New Year’s Resolutions.

The problem with resolutions is, they require effort and people don’t like effort. You can easily say you’re gonna lose weight, quit smoking, and start exercising over a champagne

toast on December 31. Actually doing those things, however, takes commit-ment once you turn the calendar. As such, the average New Year’s hang-over lasts longer than most folk’s resolutions.

But you’re ag people, which means you’re no stranger to effort.

So, I give you one simple resolution for agriculture: learn to fight HSUS and PETA.

Agriculture, I want you to stand up for yourself. Because, at the moment, you’re getting your butt-kicked by a bunch of tofu eaters.

Every day, the Humane Society of the United States and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals work to put you out of business.

Their members trespass onto live-stock facilities, record salacious video (some of which is staged) then release it via social media or through their connections in the media.

Think you’re not affected because you’re a grain farmer and not a livestock producer? Think again — 80 percent of your grain goes to livestock feed.

Think you’re not affected be-cause you nur-ture your farm animals like your very own babies? Think again — com-monly accept-ed livestock handling procedures, when depicted in a negative light, are shocking to the consumer. Remember, the average suburbanite requires a week’s bereavement when their pet goldfish dies. And you expect them to comprehend de-horning? Needle teeth removal? Beak trimming? Castration? Slaughtering and butchering (which we now refer to as “harvesting” be-cause it sounds better)?

By the way, animal activists don’t want “humane” treatment of animals. Their ultimate goal is a world with NO animal agriculture. They want to impose a plant-based diet onto all humans. They want a world without leather, meat, eggs, milk, or wool. Of course, no sensible person would give up bacon, leather boots, and don’t even get me started on cheese! That’s why the activists distort the truth and appeal to human emotion.

Did you know 85 percent of America is at least three generations removed from production agricul-ture. Agriculture, to our customers, is whatever they see on the internet. Our opponents know this. They also know ugly, shocking pictures garner atten-tion.

More importantly, our opponents know how to fight — granted, not physically. How tough can a person be on a steady diet of organic dande-lion greens? Sorry if that offended the vegetarians; then again, what’s the harm in that? The average vegetarian doesn’t possess the strength to throw a punch anyway!

But you do possess strength agri-

culture, and it’s time you start swing-ing your fists. Here’s how: 1. EXPOSE THESE CAUSE

GROUPS FOR WHAT THEY ARE: Tax deduction-funded, “non-profit,” Washington DC organiza-tions, intent on taking away choic-es from the American people.

2. TALK MONEY: 99% of HSUS funds go to paid staff and to legislative efforts intended to put livestock farms out of business. Only 1% of HSUS funds go to dog and cat rescue shelters.

3. LET THE MEAT-EATING, MILK-DRINKING, LEATHER- AND WOOL-WEARING CON-SUMER FIGHT THE BATTLE FOR US: Tell the guy at Waffle House PETA wants to take away his ham, egg and cheese omelet and he’ll fight. Inform the fash-ionable lady that HSUS aims to remove her leather pants, wool sweaters, and entire shoe collec-tion, and she’ll be less likely to donate. Most importantly, stop giving our

detractors ammunition to use against us. Agriculture, you may not like

confrontation, but isn’t your farm, your livelihood, and your right to choose worth a little dust up? I resolve to keep up the good fight in 2015 and beyond. For you, agriculture, and for porter-house steak served medium rare!

Damian Mason is a farm owner, ag-vo-cate, and in demand agricultural speaker. Find him at www.damianmason.com

THE FUNNIER SIDE OF FARMING

A New Year’s resolution for agriculture

p22FunnierFarmingFeb15.indd 1 2/2/15 9:36 AM


WBy Bill Richardson

WHEREVER THEY GO, Gary Bowman and his wife, Lisa, are on the lookout for birds. But once a year, on a weekend day in either late December or early January, the couple steps up their game and heads up the Knox County Bird Count, an event certified by the National Audubon Society.

This year’s count was Jan. 4 — postponed by a day due to heavy rainfall — and involved 24 field observ-ers, split into eight teams, covering a 15-mile radius that was centered near Verne. It was the 10th such Knox Coun-

ty count that the Bowman’s had been involved with, and the fourth certified by the National Audubon Society.

Despite conditions that were far from ideal due to frigid temperatures and strong winds, this year’s count was by all measures a success. The group set a record by spotting 81 differ-ent species (breaking the old record of 77) and counted 39,710 birds in total — also a record.

“I was surprised for two reasons,” said Gary, who is a regular participant in other bird counts in southwest Indiana. “First of all there were strong winds, and strong winds always seem

to make the birds hide a lot more. Sec-ondly, after meeting with the others at lunch time, it wasn’t looking very promising. I was pleasantly surprised when everything came in.”

Gary noted that one new species was added with this year’s count, the gray catbird.

“The gray catbird is not an uncom-mon bird during the summer, but it’s very rare during the winter,” he said. “That’s one we haven’t had before.”

While the group enjoys bird-watch-ing and always looks forward to count day, Gary said the efforts serve an important purpose. “The information is collected by National Audubon,” he said. “Some of the counts go back 100 years, and they can look and see, year after year, the changes in species and numbers. You can get a good 444

From left, Linda Sutterer, Lisa Bowman and Gary Bowman look for birds during the 10th Annual Knox County Bird Count. Despite falling temperatures and strong winds, the group set records by spotting 81 different species and counting 39,710 birds in total. | PHOTO BY BILL RICHARDSON

Gary and Lisa Bowman lead volunteers during 10th Annual Knox County Bird Count

COUNTING BIRDS

p23-25BirdCount.indd 1 2/2/15 10:30 AM


idea of environmental changes,”“It’s like citizen science,” Lisa said

of the count. “By doing this, I feel like we’re contributing to science.”

“There’s no way you could ever get a governmental organization, a uni-versity, or whatever to do this,” Gary added. “But I think what we’re doing is important. I think it helps. And it’s really interesting, over a period of time, to see all the changes.”

Gary first became interested in birds as youngster, while visiting his grandfather’s farm in LaPorte County, in northern Indiana. “He was a natu-ralist in general, and a great wildlife photographer, especially when you consider the equipment he had com-pared to what’s available today,” Gary said. “They talk about everybody hav-ing a spark that gets you into a hobby, and that was my spark.”

Gary said his grandfather had bird feeders near his home, and that’s where a lot of the bird-watching took place.

“He was an early-riser,” he said. “It was always fun to see the vast variety of birds coming onto the feeders before breakfast.”

Gary and Lisa were out before breakfast for this year’s count, too.

They and some of the others left before daylight in hopes of hearing barred owls. The search was fruitless — or perhaps birdless would be a better word — as none of the species was spotted or heard.

“Barred owl and field sparrow were missed for the first time,” Gary said. “Those two really hurt. Other misses were turkey vulture, which was missed for only the second time in the last seven years as well as sharp-shinned hawk missed for only the second time. Yellow-bellied sapsucker was another big miss. For the second year in a row, it was a count week find, as it was seen both the day before and the day after the count.”

The Bowmans said the weather conditions led to not spotting many of the smaller birds. The high of 40 de-grees occurred before dawn, and the temperature dropped quickly, reaching a low of 19 at noon. The Bowmans noted that there was a 14-mile-an-hour wind early in the day, which increased to 27, with gusts even higher.

“Many of the smaller birds were hard to come by as they hunkered down to avoid the cold, blustery winds,” said he said. “Sparrow species in particular were either missing entirely or found in lower than usual numbers with the exception of dark-eyed juncos.

13,957-Snow Goose12,505-European Starling4,284-Mallard1,619-American Crow1,209-Canada Goose1,183-Rock Pigeon518-Brown-headed Cowbird446-Red-winged Blackbird414-Northern Pintail383-House Sparrow343-Horned Lark314-American Robin275-Gadwall188-Mourning Dove162-Northern Cardinal153-Dark-eyed Junco152-Common Grackle 91-American Goldfinch71-Blue Jay69-American Kestrel67-House Finch61-Red-bellied Woodpecker55-Greater White-fronted

Goose 47-Hooded Merganser 40-Carolina Chickadee39-Northern Shoveler39-Ring-necked Duck38-American Tree Sparrow37-Red-tailed Hawk32-Eastern Bluebird26-Tufted Titmouse26-White-throated Sparrow25-Green-winged Teal 25-Wild Turkey24-Northern Flicker24-White-breasted Nuthatch22-Bald Eagle17-Downy Woodpecker

16-Northern Mockingbird15-Eurasian Collared-Dove14-Carolina Wren12-American Black Duck11-White-crowned Sparrow10-American Wigeon10-Ring-billed Gull10-Song Sparrow9-Cedar Waxwing6-Bufflehead6-Cooper’s Hawk6-Great Blue Heron6-Golden-crowned Kinglet 5-Lesser Scaup 5-Northern Harrier5-Red-headed Woodpecker5-Eastern Meadowlark4-Redhead4-Horned Grebe4-Eastern Screech-Owl3-Pied-billed Grebe3-Pileated Woodpecker3-Swamp Sparrow3-Lapland Longspur2-Hairy Woodpecker2-Common Goldeneye2-Northern Bobwhite2-American Coot2-Belted Kingfisher2-Eastern Towhee1 Cackling Goose1-Wood Duck1-Red-shouldered Hawk1-Great Horned Owl1-Red-breasted Nuthatch1-Brown Creeper1-Winter Wren1-Chipping Sparrow

THE COUNTResults from the 10th annual Knox County Bird Count, conducted Jan. 4.

An albino robin perches in a tree. The 10th Annual Knox County Bird Count listed 314 American Robins, but surely not too many were albinos. | PHOTO BY KELLY OVERTON



Woodpecker numbers were all down except for red-bellied. The strong winds also were the reason we had fewer owls calling and missed the barred owl totally.”

On the other hand there were record-high numbers for more than a dozen species.

“Snow goose, five species of duck, wild turkey, bald eagle, red-bellied woodpecker, American kestrel, white-breasted nuthatch, European starling, and red-winged blackbird all were found in record numbers,” Gary said. “Both snow goose and bald eagle are species increasing in the state in general.”

The count was a result of 18.5 hours spent in the field on foot and another 47.1 hours by car, according to Bowman. Counters logged 4.6 miles on foot and 501 miles by car.

Already plans for next year’s count are being made.

“The fun part about doing this year after year is that you see changes in species and changes in habitat,” Gary said. “You never know when you might find one you haven’t seen before.”

Gary Bowman and Tom Cronk compare notes during lunch, above left. | PHOTO BY BILL RICHARDSON One hundred eighty-eight mourning doves, above right, were counted in the 2015 Knox County Bird Count. Several species of geese such as these on Baumert Lake, below, were also counted. | PHOTOS BY KELLY OVERTON

Washington, INTravis Schaffer, Mgr.

• Crop Scouting • Custom Application• Crop Input & Protection Needs - Certifi ed Crop Advisors

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WBy Terri Talarek King

WOULD YOU LIKE to:Have less lawn to mow? Do less

watering? Reduce or eliminate fertilizer and pesticide costs? Cut way back on pruning jobs (pun intended)? See in-teresting wildlife? Still have a beautiful

landscape?Does this sound

improbable to you?It is actually realis-

tic – if you use plants native to our area. With the great variety of native trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, ferns,

wildflowers and mosses, your landscape will be full of diverse textures, colors and layering, with little or no care.

How is this possible?“Native plants” are those that were

here to greet the pioneers. They have been here long enough to evolve under local conditions. Because they are well adapted, they flourish in local soil environments and with the amounts of sunshine and moisture we receive. They survive extremes better than ex-otic plants because native species have done this repeatedly through centuries. Pest control is built into the system, so to speak, in the evolved, natural food chain associated with the plant. Poten-tial pests are kept in check by other wildlife the plant attracts. Native plants

provide shelter, food and nesting for native wildlife species, seldom provided by alien species.

How do I landscape with natives?First, remove or control any in-

vasive plants, and decide if there are native plants you wish to retain.

Then, consider your specific condi-tions. Is your property suitable for prai-rie, meadow or woodland, or for plants that don’t mind wet feet?

Next, consider what you would like to see in your landscape.

How do I choose plants, and where can I get them?

Do your research first. Explore the sources listed below to find out what is native to our part of Indiana.

See if any local nurseries have the na-tive plants you are looking for (they carry mostly non-natives). Avoid cultivars.

Do not buy “wildflower” seed mixes, which often contain non-native species.

Do not dig plants from the wild (though you can collect seed from some plants).

Lastly, use the sources listed below to find native plants for sale. Some of the sources also contain much informa-tion about native plant landscaping.

After you find the plants and get them in the ground, the rest is easy (well, compared to a landscape of exot-ic, alien species). Sit back and enjoy the beauty, and the wildlife!

• Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife With Native Plants; Douglas Tallamy

• Designing for Beauty and Diversity in the Home Garden; Rick Darke and Douglas Tallamy

• Field Guide to Indiana Wildflowers; Kay Yatskievych

• Go Native!: Gardening with Native Plants and Wildlife in the Lower Midwest; Carolyn Harstad

• Native Trees of the Midwest: Identi-fication, Wildlife Values and Land-scaping Use; Sally Weeks, Harmon P. Weeks, Jr., and George R. Parker

• Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest: Identification, Wild-life Values and Landscape Use; Sally Weeks and Harmon P. Weeks Jr.

• www.awaytogarden.com/the-gar-den-as-habitat-with-doug-tallamy

• www.inpaws.org/landscaping• www.wildones.org• www.indianawildlife.org/wildlife/

native-plants

Terri Talarek King lives in Knox County and is a naturalist and organic garden-er, educator and writer. She is certified as an advanced master naturalist and grow organic educator.

THE NATURAL SIDE OF THINGSNative landscape

Hawthorns, small trees, provide birds with nest sites and protection as well as berries in the winter. | PHOTO BY TERRI TALAREK KING

At Midwest Ag, we are

servingag people

ag people.

We understand the importance of family and

farming traditions, and we’ll bring safety, security,

and a personal approach to your table. At Midwest Ag,

we keep our promises. It’s about being dependable and

doing what we said we were going to do—protecting

and taking care of you.

Put your trust in us—your futureand those that will fill your shoesdepend on it.

Loan officers Mike Cecil andBrandon Decker, and crop insurancespecialist Kallie Burke-Schuckman(812) 257-8801 |www.midwestag.com

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RBy Rama Sobhani

RAY MCCORMICK IS a man who appreciates the concept of symbiosis more than most. As a farmer who uses management techniques that are de-signed to improve the health of his soil, he has an understanding of just how important the health of his land is to his own and the health of the community and world around him.

McCormick is a local who prac-tices various non-standard farming techniques, all of which are concerned with improving and maintaining the biological viability of the soil in which he grows crops. He is one of a growing number of farmers who are starting to look at the old ways of putting crops into the ground as detrimental not only to the viability of future plantings but also to the prospects of a healthy and

sustainable world population, as well. Getting away from the old methods, like tilling and fertilizing soil, will have huge implications not just for local communi-ties but also for the whole country and even the rest of the world.

Soil health is how McCormick and other farmers like him refer to the end goal of management techniques that are intended to maintain and improve the miniature ecosystems that exist within soil. In any handful of soil there are billions of microbes — bacteria, fungi, protozoans — that coexist and even help other organisms thrive, including plants like crops. To support these systems, minerals and elements in the soil must remain at a certain balance. McCor-mick’s is a holistic view of these delicate-ly balanced, interconnected systems.

“We knew what soil biology was in the past but we had little understand-

ing of what farmers could do to build soil biology,” McCormick said. “This is a systems approach.”

What McCormick and other farm-ers are doing and advocating for is methods of planting that do not disturb the integrity of the soil in any way, using technology for close monitoring of soil health, and the use of cover crops to protect soil during the post-growing season. Modern GPS systems allow farmers to know exactly which parts of which field needs more attention. It’s a combination of very old farming methods and modern advancements to restore the soil integrity.

“You can’t build soil health if you disturb the soil in any way … cover crops were used by our grandfathers before commercial fertilizers became available,” McCormick said. “Back then we knew the value of growing clover, rye and peas.

“Now because of GPS systems we know what to apply where. It’s efficien-cy — the right nutrient at the right time in the right place.”

If the balance of nutrients and organisms in the soil is maintained, the result is soil that not only improves the quality of each crop grown in it, but also help reduce some of the many very serious problems associated with large scale agricultural operations, like soil erosion, nutrient loss and sedimen-tation of the watershed. That last one has been a big problem because of the associated loss of habitat for fish as wa-terways become sandier and less veg-etated. Large algae blooms in the Gulf of Mexico that have caused massive fish kills there have also been linked to runoff carrying too much farmland soil down into ocean waters. Switching large scale to the farming methods advocated by McCormick will mean solutions to these problems which have impacted the future ability of mankind as a whole to feed itself.

“In just 50 years, we’ve lost 50 percent of the organic matter in the soil biology. Once it’s lost, the area becomes un-farmable,” he said.

Because of the worldwide nature of the problem, several federal and local agencies are partnering up in programs to educate farmers about how and why they should change how they manage their fields. The Natural Resources Conservation Service and local Soil and Water Conservation districts around the country are making available educa-tional materials as well as conducting educational sessions to get knowledge into the hands of farmers. Within the

Modern advancements and old farming techniques work together to improve soil viability

Ray McCormick practices various non-standard farming techniques concerned with improving and maintaining soil viability. | PHOTOS PROVIDED

SOIL HEALTH

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state, the partnerships include univer-sities, the state Department of Agri-culture, commodity advocacy groups and the Indiana Farm Bureau. Private industry is involved as well with the Monsanto Corporation, the Walton Fam-ily Foundation and the Nature Conser-vancy playing a part.

Locally, at least, it’s paying off in a big way.

According to McCormick, south-western Indiana is one of the leading areas in soil health with more than one million acres now protected by the use of cover crops. Because the climate in this region of the state is conducive to a long growing season, there is more time out of the year that farmers can successfully use cover crops.

“(The success of the state) is because of those conservation partner-ships. We have a couple dozen conser-vation leaders across the state. This is the answer to so many environmental issues; soil health offers a unique system to solving those issues,” McCor-mick said.

Ultimately, the real impact will be measured in economic terms. How much will improving soil health improve yields? That data is being collected now and McCormick says it looks promising so far. That success will be part of a big-ger picture that includes a more sustain-able food supply in the coming decades and solutions to environmental issues that impact that supply. The big picture of that is not lost on McCormick.

“Our responsibility as caretakers of land resources is that they are available to those who have to feed 10 billion-plus people in 2050 and beyond,” he said. “This will save the planet.”

The data collected so far on current soil health practices looks promising, showing improved yields as well as decreases in soil erosion, nutrient loss and sedimentation of the watershed.

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T

GOOD TO THE EARTH

Submitted by Toni Allison

THE DAVIESS COUNTY Soil and Water Conservation District has set February

26 for their 73rd Annual Meeting. The meeting will take place at the Washington City

Park Community Building at 6:30 p.m.

Katie Stam Irk, our featured speaker, was raised on a dairy farm in southern

Indiana. Katie grew up understanding the importance of

family, relationships and agriculture in her community,

and abroad. She is a 10-year 4-H member and graduate

of the University of Indianapolis with a degree in

Communication.

In 2009, Katie was crowned the first Miss America

from the state of Indiana in the pageant’s 88-year

history. Since passing on the title of Miss America,

Katie continues traveling the country on her national

speaking tour as an advocate, spokeswoman, host,

author, branding professional, and performer.

Katie now incorporates her background into her

public speaking, promoting the agriculture industry

and its importance to sustain future generations.

Professionally, she is an Executive Consultant for New

Sunshine, LLC in Indianapolis, specializing in product

development and marketing within the skincare and

cosmetics industry. Katie is also a Realtor with Keller

Williams Indy Metro Northeast and co-owns/operates investment properties with her

husband under Irk Property Management in Indianapolis.

Personally, Katie is passionate about ovarian cancer research, education and

support, serving on the Board of Directors for Ovar’comingTogether, Indiana’s ovarian

cancer awareness organization. She resides in Indianapolis with her husband Brian,

their two puppies, Hank and Gus, and their newborn daughter, Charlotte Bell.

Midwest Ag is thrilled to welcome Katie to their family as she begins this journey

into the national spotlight, promoting the field and future of agriculture.

Schnitzelbank Catering will serve the dinner this year. Besides a wonderful meal

and entertainment, there will be an election of a district supervisor and reports on

conservation progress throughout the year and conservation awards.

Tickets for the evening are on sale for $8 per person and may be purchased from

any district supervisor, Philip Flint, Todd Allison, Marvin Holstine, Rob Sullender, Alan

Keith, or at the Daviess County SWCD Office located at 2524 East National Highway

in Washington. Tickets will not be sold at the door.

From dairy farmer to Miss America: Life on the farm, life on the road

Katie Stam Irk, the first Miss America from Indiana, will speak at the 73rd annual meeting of the Daviess County Soil and Water Conservation District. | PHOTO PROVIDED

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GROWING in the Heartland February 2015

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Transcript of GROWING in the Heartland February 2015