New Toys at TGF.






On February 26, we had a sleety rain and then overnight got some beautiful snow. It coated the plants outside and it was really beautiful. This is my walking stick bush against the outhouse in the garden. Photo is dark because it was taken at about 5:30am, it was really beautiful.

Some things are meant to be.....

A new day has dawned at TGF. Today (Monday, February 25, 2008) we closed on our farm. 26.404 acres just south of our house. It touches both E. 22nd Road and E. 2150th Road. Its story is interesting to us, perhaps it is interesting to you. About a year ago. (March 2007) our banker, Richard Bend called me and inquired if we had noticed the auction notices for some land that was close to what we currently farmed. I teased him about his unusual method of drumming up business. We talked it over and decided to go to the auction to bid on the property. I had a little health scare (breast-all is FINE, thank you) and wouldn't finish the tests until after the auction. Because of that and general unknowns, we decided to bid $X. It was interesting to go to the auction as the neighbors were all nosy and there not perhaps to bid, but more importantly to see who bid. If you've ever been to an estate auction, a land auction is similar. Our parcel was the last to be sold. The piece that sold ahead of our intended piece went for less than our maximum bid. I was sure that we were going to get the property and then someone from the doorway bid and when we reached our maximum, we stopped bidding. I was so nervous, I thought I was going to pass out-seriously, I thought I was going to hyperventilate. TGF had teased me that I would buy get my arms a-waiving and buy the farm regardless of the bid, but when the time came, I couldn't bid-it was all I could do to stand upright, he did the bidding for us that day. Anyway, we didn't buy the land that day and my health issue turned out to be nothing but a scare (yes, thank heavens). The new buyer planted it and by the beginning of the summer, we heard rumors that he wanted to sell it, pretty soon we saw a listing sign on the property and I checked it out. He had it listed for $10,000 per acre, definitely more than we were interested in paying. Cut to January, a Thursday, for some reason, I was home alone that day and I saw him come down and pick up some of the bales that he left on the property. I heard the tractor stop and then a knock came on the front door (no one who knows us knocks on the front door). He asked to speak with TGF who wasn't home. TGF called and we worked out the deal. Coincidence? I think not, but I'm a little nutty that way as perhaps you know. I plan to walk the boundaries of the property, make a snow angel in the middle of it and pray extra hard for soft rain, good sunlight and a bountiful harvest. I have recently come to discover that unconsciously more than consciously, I longed for the safety of owning a piece of "God's Green Earth" as my friend Janette says and today thanks to the banker, TGF and I do.

HAIL TO THE CHIEF

The 4th generation in the AG Department at the University of Illinois. Katie was the 1st 4th generation, but Jack is the 1st 4th Gen in Ag. It's a good thing as there is so much orange and blue around here, if he didn't get in, I don't know what we would do. He was accepted into Purdue (chemistry) as well, but U of I was HIS first choice. Heaven help my checkbook and keep good thoughts for him that he uses his best study skills to absorb all of the opportunities available at the University of Illinois. HAIL TO THE CHIEF!

Time Flies???

It is Illinois Today. We were dumped with about 8" of snow yesterday and last night, it is beautiful to look at and I'd love to take a walk in the woods, but alas, I was faced with the following choice. Go to work or Referee the hoard of children who were not in school due to a snow day - easy choice for me. TGF was not so lucky as he has no work excuse, hee, hee, hee.

I don't remember the last time I posted to the blog, but I think it was after harvest. We were blessed this year with timely rains, abundant harvest and increased prices for the corn and soybeans that we grew this year. Of course the imput prices (fertilizers and seed and etc) have adjusted their prices accordingly, but all in all, it was an excellent year for us. All harvest was accomplished in a safe and more or less organized manner. I have said before and will probably say again, I think farming is the most important job in the world, without TGF and his partners in relaxation (i.e. other farmers) we would not enjoy the abundance of goods to be purchased at the store. If we don't eat well, we don't live well. It does us good to remember that from time to time.