Grandpa expressed concern about three things when he left the hospital: getting home to the farm, making sure the yard was mowed and checking that the crops were planted.
One year has passed since Grandpa died last spring at home on the farm where he had raised crops, hogs, cattle and a family. The grass had been mowed, and we finished planting corn and soybeans 48 hours before his death.
The land intertwined with each of Grandpa’s dying wishes. It was part of his soul. He was as committed to the earth as his family, and I think the fields and pastures were his church, where he connected to something greater than himself. Like farmers across Illinois, Grandpa accepted the responsibility to steward the land and leave it better than he found it.
That accomplishment shines in the statistics: Today, we grow double the corn off the same amount of land with fewer resources compared to when Grandpa started farming as a full-time career in the early 1970s.
During that time, farmers improved soil health, learning that minimal to no mechanical tillage reduces soil disturbance. Water management structures in fields prevent topsoil erosion. Cover crops serve as a ground cover to hold soil in place, keep the soil active, store nutrients, retain moisture and improve the soil structure between cash crops.
Throughout this lifetime, Grandpa also witnessed some of the most incredible technological advancements in agriculture. As a youngster, his neighbors used horses to plow, plant and cultivate. By age 80, he operated a 500-horsepower tractor hands-free, guided by satellites.
Grandpa particularly loved his beef cows, and his herd’s genetics continue in the cows and calves that graze the pastures on our home farm today. I think of him when I see those cows and when I plant soybeans in the Coe fields, the Ostrom terraces and the 90 acres north of his house. I remember him in the calm, pre-dawn air as early as 4:30 a.m., his routine wake-up time on the farm.
Dad and I inherited our preference for early mornings from him. On Sundays, my dad traditionally drove to Grandpa’s house by 5 a.m., and together they watched a weekly farm show on TV.
Grandpa died on a Saturday. That next morning, Dad watched the early farm show by himself and went outside to check every cow, a nod to Grandpa and a steadfast commitment to the land.
About the Author: Joanie Stiers farms with her family in west-central Illinois, where they grow corn, soybeans, wheat, hay and cover crops and raise beef cattle, backyard chickens and farm kids.
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