From amber waves of grain to equipment and technology
Weed free fields are more than just for looks. Unwanted plants compete with the crop for sunlight, soil and water.
Check out some of the tools and strategies farmers use to control weeds in this week’s Farm Fresh Podcast with farmer Gerald Thompson.
Tune in every Wednesday at 12:45 p.m. for Farm to Table on WJBC Radio.
Did you know it only takes about 48 hours for milk to go from the farm to the grocery store? Now that’s Farm Fresh!
Find out more from Mary Mackinson Faber, a fifth generation family dairy farmer. Listen to our Farm Fresh Podcast to hear about cow care and how Mackinson Dairy Farm is using social media to share their story.
Hear the Farm to Table segment every Wednesday at 12:45 p.m. on WJBC Radio.
Nestled along farm fields on the banks of Money Creek, a series of wetland projects aims to improve water quality in McLean County.
“One of the big goals for this wetland is to reduce the amount of nitrates flowing into Lake Bloomington,” says McLean County farmland owner Tim Kraft, who installed a wetland on his land in 2014.
Money Creek is the main tributary to Lake Bloomington, one of the reservoirs used as a water supply for the city of Bloomington. The constructed wetlands act as filters, removing excess nutrients that can have a negative impact on water quality if they reach a high enough level.
Nitrates are a water soluble form of Nitrogen, an essential nutrient for plant growth. When heavy rains saturate the soil, nitrates can be washed away.
Nitrates occur naturally in the absence of agriculture, but fertilizer use can contribute to increased levels. Nutrient loss can be an unintended side effect of fertilizer needed for crop production and field tile drainage that make much of Illinois’ soggy soils farmable.
“Everyone has the same goal to keep the nitrogen in the field and out of the water,” says Rick Twait, Superintendent of Water Purification for the city of Bloomington. “The export of nitrates in tile drainage water doesn’t do anybody any good.”
In looking for solutions to keep nitrates out of the water, the city partnered with McLean County Soil & Water Conservation District, Nature Conservancy and the Environmental Defense Fund to explore wetlands. To learn more, check out this video on a similar project along the Mackinaw River:
As part of the ‘Drinking Watersheds’ project, monitoring equipment at the inlets and outlets of each wetland collect data for researchers to analyze how well the process is working.
“We’re seeing reductions of about 50 to 60 percent,” says University of Illinois Ecological Specialist, Mike Wallace, who visits each wetland about once a week to collect data and water samples. “No matter how much nitrate is in the water, the wetlands remove about half.”
In addition to reducing nutrients in water, wetlands serve can also serve a secondary purpose.
“The big emphasis is water quality, but a great side benefit is wildlife habitat,” Kirkham says.
To learn more, read the full article here.
Greg and Mariah Anderson planted the seeds for their business with 300 mums in 2009. Today, Triple M Farm has grown and blossomed into a much bigger venture marketing 10,000 mums annually plus fresh produce, bedding plants and more.
Hear about their farm’s story and what it takes to grow fresh produce in central Illinois from Greg in this week’s Farm Fresh Podcast.
Listen every Wednesday at 12:45 p.m. for the Farm to Table segment on WJBC Radio.
Picking the right date for planting can be a bit of a guessing game for farmers as they watch the weather and soil conditions. Gerald Thompson talks about factors influencing planting progress and discusses farm safety in this week’s Farm Fresh Podcast.
Advances in technology like rear view cameras and seatbelts can help protect farmers and motorists, but it’s always important to slow down and pass with caution.
Tune in every week for the Farm to Table on WJBC radio.
