APRIL 2015

THE PRODUCE
PATCH
Business celebrates
20th anniversary

RURAL RETREAT
FARMS

Angus beef, rodeos woven

into farms history

RABBITS IN THE
HEDGES
Hedge family bonds
by rabbit breeding

THE MILK
INSPECTOR

John Stoll
remembers dreaded
childhood farm visit

AG DAY CELEBRATIONS: WELCOME BACK, SPRINGTIME!

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EDITORS PAGE
STAFF
Melody Brunson
General Manager
(812) 254-0480, Ext. 127
Lindsay Owens
Editor
(812) 254-0480, Ext. 123
Natalie Reidford
Design Editor
(812) 568-8991
Sara Hornback
Advertising Sales
(812) 254-0480, Ext. 111
Kim Schoelkopf
Advertising Sales
(812) 254-0480, Ext. 116
Wanita Tetreault
Advertising Sales
(812) 254-0480, Ext. 121
Alice Schwartz
Graphic Artist
PHOTOGRAPHY
Terri Talarek King,
Bill Richardson,
Kelly Overton and
Lindsay Owens
WRITERS
Kathy Fears, Terri Talarek King,
Damian Mason,
Angie J. Mayfield,
J. Scott Monroe, Lindsay Owens,
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.

I SPENT MUCH of a recent Saturday in our greenhouse combing through

plastic totes filled with leftover seeds from last year that I needed to test for quality
before planting. I was about halfway through the task, when I came across a package of Jubilee watermelon seeds. As I opened the package and tiny, pink-coated
seeds poured into my hand, I was reminded of someone who, like me, thought one
of the prettiest sights of summer was a grain trailer stacked high with big, beautiful Jubilees.
In fact, nearly every summer since I started selling at the Vincennes Farmers Market, this customer and I had the same conversation each August
when the Jubilees and other now lesser-planted
varieties appeared at my table. Most of the conversations started out with I once hauled a load
of those to (insert a destination here). Boy, theres
nothing prettier in the summer than a load of those
big melons stacked in the back of a trailer.
Those conversations about watermelons wont
happen anymore as my customer passed away
Our Growing booth at
recently. Im sure while others may remember him
Knox County Ag Day. |
best for his love of hunting and dogs, Ill always
PHOTOS BY KELLY OVERTON
remember him best for those conversations about
watermelons. Many of my Knox County friends reading this, Im sure, will know who
Im referring to. When its time to start picking those big, striped melons, Im sure Ill
think of him and all those talks at the farmers market that often kept him entertained
at my table long enough for his wife to complete all her market shopping.
While our farming friends have been preparing for spring, we at Growing have
been busy attending Ag Day celebrations, National Future Farmers of America
Week and Soil and Water Conservation District meetings. Its been busy, but I know
Ive had a lot of fun sharing my love of agriculture with our readers.
Be sure to check out our Growing in the Heartland Facebook page for additional photos from the events.

Lindsay Owens, editor

Send Lindsay your story ideas at

lowens@washtimesherald.com.

Lindsay took part in the North

Daviess High School Ag Olympics
bean spit contest. While she didnt
win, she had a lot of fun.
4 | APRIL 2015
p4EditorApr15.indd 1

x GROWING IN THE HEARTLAND

3/30/15 1:11 PM

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.
Franks services are a gift to the community provided by
Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation.

Frank Stepp
Vice President
Thompson & Associates

p5GSHFeb15.indd 1

TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT, PLEASE CONTACT:

Jennifer Pacheco
Foundation Director
Good Samaritan Hospital
Foundation
812-885-3377

1/28/15 8:27 AM

CONTENTS
APRIL 2015 | VOL. 2, ISSUE 2

18 PORK BURGERS,

EDITORS PAGE

PANCAKES, ESSAYS

AND BABY
ANIMALS

Remembering a fellow
watermelon grower
By Lindsay Owens

Knox, Sullivan counties

welcome spring with Ag
Days
By Lindsay Owens

8 THE PRODUCE
PATCH

Two farmers bring together

experience for successful
business
By Lindsay Owens

26

21 MY RURAL ROOTS
Lessons from the garden
By Angie J. Mayfield

22 THE FUNNIER SIDE

OF FARMING

Explaining ag truths to the 99

percent
By Damian Mason

23 DIVERSE FARMING
RECOGNIZED

Farmers are awarded and

Miss America 2009 speaks
By Lindsay Owens

Photo by Kelly Overton

11 IN SEASON

Loose leaf lettuce

By Lindsay Owens

26 THE NATURAL SIDE

OF THINGS

A world of beans
By Terri Talarek King

28 RABBITS IN THE
HEDGES

Rabbits keep Hedge family

hopping
By Rama Sobhani

12 RURAL RETREAT
Phillippe familys centuries
of farm history precede long
future
By Bill Richardson

Photo by Matt Griffith

15 FARM KIDS
CORNER

A Down-on-the-Farm word
search

16 AG EDUCATION

A little science, a lot of

common sense
By J. Scott Monroe

17 CALENDAR
WRV Swap Meet, Lucas Oil
Truck Pull

6 | APRIL 2015
p6ContentsApr15.indd 1

28

Photo by Terri Talarek King

31 DOWN ON THE
FARM

The milk inspector

By John H. Stoll

32 SEEDLINGS
Acreage reporting deadlines,
2014 farm bill
Submitted by Kathy Fears

33 GOOD TO THE
EARTH

North Daviess FFA contests,

Sullivan FFA awards
members

ON THE COVER: Allie Crowe

makes her way down the track
during the peddle pull held in the
exhibit hall on the Sullivan County
4-H Fair Grounds. The peddle pull
was part of the annual Sullivan
County Ag Day Breakfast. More than
two dozen children participated in
the event. | PHOTO BY LINDSAY OWENS

x GROWING IN THE HEARTLAND

3/25/15 5:46 PM

p7GermanAmericanApr15.indd 1

3/16/15 11:09 AM

The Produce Patch is a busy place in spring. Marvin and Amy Holstine started The Produce Patch 20 years ago and added flowers to the business five years
ago. | PHOTOS BY KELLY OVERTON

THE PRODUCE PATCH

Two farmers bring together
experience for successful business

By Lindsay Owens
THE PRODUCE PATCH, a local
hot spot for fresh Daviess County produce and colorful flowers, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year but
the Produce Patch, which operates four
locations and spans three counties,
may have never come to be had it not
been for a job at Farm Credit Service.
She was Amy Witten when she
came to Daviess County from her familys southeastern Ohio farm and applied for a job at the local Farm Credit
Service, a job which Marvin Holstine,
a local who grew up on a swine and
row crop farm, had also applied. Amy
got the job, but in the end, Marvin got
the girl.
When I came to town, I didnt
know anyone, said Amy, as she
worked on hanging baskets in their
greenhouse located near Cornettsville
in northern Daviess County. Someone
had suggested I call Marvin so I did.
8 | APRIL 2015
p8-10ProducePatch.indd 1

In 1993, Amy and Marvin were

married and the Ohio State graduate
officially planted her roots in Daviess
County. She continued to work as a
loan officer while Marvin worked on
the family farm but it wasnt long before she was itching to get her hands
back in the soil.

The beginning of a
tradition
Flash forward two years and the
Holstines decided to go back to their
roots and try their hand at raising
sweet corn and other vegetables on
the land Marvins family had farmed
for years. The year was 1995 and in
addition to the crops sprouting in the
sandy soil, turkey barns were also
sprouting up on the property.
Marvin bought the farm from his
great aunt Loretta Holstine after he
graduated from Purdue, Amy said of
the farm the family stills calls home.
So the farm has been in the family for

many years.
To market their harvest, the couple
also opened their first Produce Patch,
located on U.S. 50 near Antioch Christian Church.
1995 was really busy for us, said
Amy, adding that the second and third
Produce Patch markets opened in the
summer of 1997 and she had left her
job at Farm Credit to pursue the farm
markets. Those were our locations on
SR 57 in Washington and the Loogootee location.
Marvin and Amy were also the
proud parents of Lucas and Abby
by the time the additional locations
opened.
While Amys family has a wholesale/retail operation in Ohio, the
couple knew they had to raise enough
produce and generate enough profit
with their farm to support the young
family. The decision was made to be a
retail only outlet.
We retail everything, said Marvin. It was really our goal to be able to
grow enough to supply our markets.
One of the most popular products
grown on the Holstine farm may well
be the Aces High Sweet Corn.
The sweet corn is always really
popular at our markets, said Amy.
Produce is just actually about onethird of everything Marvin does.

x GROWING IN THE HEARTLAND

3/28/15 12:00 PM

Marvin is an excellent livestock manager and we have been one of the top
turkey producers with Perdue Farms
every year for the last 20 years.
In addition to his work with the
turkeys and row crops, Marvin also
works with brother raising grain. Amy
also started raising flowers about five
years ago. The flowers, all premium
varieties, are sold at the Produce Patch
locations on SR 57 in Washington and
the newest location, Jasper.
My family raises flowers for their
markets and this was something I
always wanted to do, said Amy.
Both Marvin and Amy take pride
in having great employees who help
manage their multiple locations. Jan
Wininger manages the Washington
locations and Nancy Freyberger mans
the Jasper location.
We have really great help, said
Amy, adding that both Lucas, who
attends Wabash College and Abby, a
junior at North Daviess High School,
both help on the farm as well. Weve
continued to use local kids as much as
we can to pick but once the kids return
to school it gets a little tricky to get it
all done. Marvin and I really both enjoy
working with the kids.
The SR 57 and Jasper locations
which also offer flowers will both open
in mid-April. The Loogootee market
and the U.S. 50 markets will open in
mid-June once the produce starts to
come off.

The Produce Pack

This year, Marvin and Amy will
be even busier with the launch of the
Produce Pack, the Produce Patchs
Community Supported Agriculture

Amy and Marvin Holstine take a break from planting to pose for a photo.

endeavor.
The Produce Pack is a weekly box
of fresh produce, said Amy, adding
that the packs will be available for pick

up at multiple locations around the

area including the WestGate Academy,
Crane Bloomington Gate, Petersburg,
Daviess Community Hospital
444

GROWING IN THE HEARTLAND

p8-10ProducePatch.indd 2

x APRIL 2015 | 9
3/28/15 12:00 PM

Marvin Holstine talks with Constantine Clark while working on hanging baskets.

and all Produce Patch locations.

Sample packs will include produce
picked at the peak of ripeness and will
vary throughout the growing season.
Those wishing to purchase the packs
have two options; full packs and half
packs.

A full pack may contain a dozen

of Aces High sweet corn, cauliflower,
one cantaloupe, pint of blueberries,
five regular red tomatoes, one yellow
tomato, one Brandywine tomato, lettuce, four green peppers and a lemon
cucumber.

Half packs could include dozen

Aces High sweet corn, one cantaloupe,
pint of blueberries, two regular red
tomatoes, one Brandywine tomato, lettuce, two green peppers and a lemon
cucumber.
The packs will vary as the season
continues, said Amy, adding that last
year, they held a trial of the Produce
Pack program at Daviess Community
Hospital. I think people like the convenience and its an investment in the
local food economy.
Other perks to the pack program
include weekly newsletters, recipes
and customized selections based on
the likes and dislikes of the customer.
The diversification of our farm
really contributes a lot to our success,
said Marvin. With three different
enterprises, it helps lower the risk of
having a bad year but that also contributes to not really ever having much
down time.
While the Holstines are unsure
what else the future of the farm and
the Produce Patch locations holds, we
both Marvin and Amy are content.
We love what we do and we feel
fortunate to be able to do what we
love, said Amy. Whether Lucas and
Abby want to this, is up to them but
we love it.

Complete the form below, include your check, money order or credit card information and mail to:
P.O. Box 471, Washington, IN 47501
Name:

Sign me up
to receive Address:
GROWING
Magazine Phone:
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10 | APRIL 2015
p8-10ProducePatch.indd 3

Exp.

PUBLISHED
FEBRUARY APRIL
JUNE AUGUST
OCTOBER

x GROWING IN THE HEARTLAND

3/28/15 12:00 PM

IN SEASON

Loose leaf lettuce

Luscious green and red leaves are a reward after winter

By Lindsay Owens

LOOSE LEAF LETTUCE is one of

the easiest and earliest crops to plant. A
lover of cool weather, loose leaf lettuce
offers a variety of options to suit the
needs of every gardener. From luscious
red lettuces to the ruffled green varieties,
the tiny seeds can be direct sown into
the garden plot or a container.

variety, can be cut and harvested several

times and usually grows fairly quickly. If
possible, plant your lettuce in spot with
partial sun. Some of my favorite varieties are the salad bowl mixes and black
seeded Simpson.
Wilted Lettuce
2 quarts of loose leaf lettuce (any
variety or mix but I like oak leaf
and black seeded Simpson)
2 tablespoons of sliced green
onions
5 slices of bacon
cup vinegar
1 teaspoons sugar
teaspoon salt
teaspoon pepper
teaspoon garlic salt
Rinse lettuce. Put lettuce and onions
in a large bowl and set aside. In a skillet,
fry bacon until crisp. Remove bacon
and set aside keeping the drippings.
Combine all remaining ingredients with
the drippings and bring to a boil stirring
constantly. Immediately pour over the
lettuce and onion. Crumble bacon and
add to salad. Toss well before serving
and serve immediately. Makes about
four servings.

Lettuce and Radish Salad

cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
1 clove garlic chopped
1 head of Bibb or other loose leaf
lettuce (about 6 cups)
4 to 6 radishes sliced
1 shallot sliced
teaspoon salt
teaspoon pepper
Homemade croutons (can use
store bought)
4 ounces of thick cut bread cut
into 3/4 inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
Heat oven to 400 degrees. On a
rimmed baking sheet, toss the bread
with the olive oil and teaspoon salt
and pepper. Bake until golden brown
tossing once (about 7 to 9 minutes). Let
cool.
In a large bowl, whisk the buttermilk, mayonnaise, parsley, garlic, salt
and pepper together. Add the lettuce,
radishes, shallots and croutons and
toss.

Typically, I plant my loose leaf varieties in rows, sowing the seeds in sort of
a loosely scattered zigzag pattern before
covering them with a small amount
of soil. Some recommend thinning the
lettuce, but I usually just nature take its
course.
The lettuce, depending on the

GROWING IN THE HEARTLAND

p11InSeasonApr15.indd 1

x APRIL 2015 | 11
3/25/15 2:04 PM

the farm traces its roots to the 1840s,

when the family settled in Illinois.
Since 1947, Rural Retreat has been
the home to registered Angus cattle, as
Carl Phillippe started the herd. Prior to
that, Carls father-in-law, Frank Lindsay,
farmed the land, before being killed in
an automobile accident in 1945.
Now Carls sons, Jim and Martin,
oversee things at Rural Retreat, along
with his grandson Logan and Logans
wife, Laura, both of whom possess
degrees in animal equine science from
Murray State University in Kentucky.
Logans brother David Phillippe also
plays an important role for the farm by
designing and managing the farms
website, business cards, and other
advertising materials.

Angus beef since 1947

RURAL RETREAT
The Phillippe family, from left, Logan holding 1-year-old Trent, Laura, Dean and Logans
dad, Jim. | PHOTOS BY BILL RICHARDSON

Phillippe familys centuries of farm

history precede long future

By Bill Richardson
THERE IS A lot more to Rural
Retreat Farm than meets the eye.
Located on about 150 acres in the
northeastern reaches of Lawrence
County, Illinois five minutes by vehicle from the unincorporated community of Pinkstaff, 10 minutes from
12 | APRIL 2015
p12-14RuralRetreat.indd 1

Lawrenceville and 20 minutes from

Vincennes, Indiana the farm has
been in the Phillippe family for going
on 200 years.
Named after the tiny town of Rural
Retreat, Virginia (population, 1,483),
where the Phillippe family entered the
United States many generations ago,

Angus beef has always been the

focus at the farm since Harry Truman
was in the White House. Thats not to
say, however, that the property hasnt
gone through a lot of change.
One of the biggest came in 2009,
when the Rural Retreat meat store
opened. With hours from 1 p.m. to 6
p.m., Monday through Saturday, the
store enables the Phillippes to sell individual cuts of meat, rather than just
quarters and halves.
It was a big decision, and a big
change, said Laura, who lists tending
to the store, delivering the product,
and selling at the Vincennes Farmers
Market, among her dozens of duties.
Its nice because now if somebody
wants a certain kind of steak or maybe
a few pounds of hamburger, theyre
able to get it.
Quality is a top priority for the Phillippe family. Angus beef is considered
to be a cut above to begin with, and
Rural Retreat Farms take things a step
or two further.
One of the good things we can say
is that we raise these cattle ourselves,
said Logan. I can guarantee you that
none of them have ever had a hormone
or growth implant, and we finish the
steers on an antibiotic-free feed.
The family is taking measures so
that soon the steers will be finished
with non-GMO corn, which is currently
a hot topic in the industry. In addition,
the Angus cattle at Rural Retreat are
pastured so that theyll graze only on
select grass.
Its not just a cattle farm, though.
Rural Retreat offers a variety of
services for horses, including boarding,
breaking and training. Riding lessons
are available, for those who may be

x GROWING IN THE HEARTLAND

3/28/15 12:10 PM

The Rural Retreat farm has been raising Angus beef, above, since 1947. In 2009, the Rural
Retreat meat store, below, opened, where the Phillippes offer individual cuts of beef for sale.

interested.
Theres never a dull moment, and
theres always something to do.
We stay pretty busy, said Logan,
a 1997 graduate of Lawrenceville High
School, who grew up on the farm located near the intersection of Lawrence
CR 1700 North (Emmons Lane) and
1420 East (Derr Road). We have chores
that we do every morning and every
evening, and in between it seems like
theres always something to do.

Laura and Logans rodeo

history
Logan was pretty busy during his
college days, too. Aside from all the
studying, he was a scholarship member of the Racers rodeo team. Riding
saddle broncs was his specialty, but he
also tried his hand at roping calves.
I had a couple of friends who
were interested in (rodeo) when I was
in high school, but I more or less just
played around with it before I went to
college, he said. Thats when it kind

of all kicked off.

He did well as a member of
the Murray State team, then briefly
making a go of it as a real-life cowboy,
mostly in the southeastern United
States. He was the 2005 Professional
Cowboy Association Saddle Bronc
Rookie of the year.
The rising cost of rodeoing helped
with his decision not to continue.
Raising a family and running the farm
were of more importance, and he has
no regrets.
Unlike her husband, Laura was
more or less born into the rodeo lifestyle. Shes a native of South Dakota,
near Sioux Falls, where rodeo is as
popular as basketball is in Illinois and
Indiana.
Laura was on a horse at early age
and began participating on her high
school team as a freshman. She was first
on the team at Northestern Oklahoma
A&M College, then accepted a scholarship to rope and tie goats for the Murray
State Racers her final two years. 444
GROWING IN THE HEARTLAND

p12-14RuralRetreat.indd 2

x APRIL 2015 | 13
3/28/15 12:10 PM

Logan and Laura enjoyed rodeo success in their high school and college years, and pictures
and awards grace the walls of their barn, above. Below, Rural Retreat Farm offers boarding,
training and riding lessons.

Laura was successful, as well, as

she was the Ozark Region goat-tying
champion and reserve All-Around Cowgirl in 2003.
The couple met in 2003 and in October will celebrate their 10th wedding
anniversary. There are reminders of
their rodeo past all around the property, from the pictures of both Laura
and Logan competing that hang in the
barn office, to Logans Murray State
rodeo vest that is displayed in the beef
store, to a roping chute in the arena
that was formerly used at the annual
Labor Day Rodeo in Palestine, Illinois.
There is no doubt that Rural Retreat
Farm has a long future, as it is already
on display. The only question seems to
be what direction things will go.
Logan and Laura have two sons,
Dean, 5, wholl start kindergarten in
the fall, and 1-year-old Trent, who on
many days can be found at the store
with his mother.
When Logan came home from
college, this is what he envisioned and
were trying to make it happen, Laura
said. The boys may envision something totally different. They may see a
totally different way of doing things.
They might not want to stay on
the farm at all, adds Logan. And that
would be fine.
Its hard to imagine, though, that
Rural Retreat Farm would be anywhere else but in the Phillippe family.
A lot has changed since the 1840s, but
a lot has stayed the same. You can find
more out about Rural Retreat Farm and
the meat store by visiting its website
at www.ruralretreatfarmllc.com. You
can also find the farm on Facebook.

We understand the importance of family and

farming traditions, and well bring safety, security,

At Midwest Ag, we are

ag people
serving
ag people.

14 | APRIL 2015
p12-14RuralRetreat.indd 3

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

we keep our promises. Its about being dependable and
doing what we said we were going to doprotecting
and taking care of you.
Put your trust in usyour future
and those that will fill your shoes
depend on it.
Loan officers Mike Cecil and
Brandon Decker, and crop insurance
specialist Kallie Burke-Schuckman
(812) 257-8801 |
www.midwestag.com

x GROWING IN THE HEARTLAND

3/28/15 12:10 PM

FARM KIDS CORNER

Print this page

How many words can you find DOWN ON

THE FARM? Words are hidden across,
DOWN and diagonally. Good luck!

Down on the farm

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GROWING IN THE HEARTLAND

x APRIL 2015 | 15
3/23/15 8:26 PM

AG EDUCATION

A little science, a lot

of common sense
By J. Scott Monroe

ONE OF THE hottest topics in

the produce world in recent years has
been food safety. Outbreaks of foodborne illness associated with fresh
produce, the Food Safety and Modernization Act, and consumer expectations have all encouraged growers to
become familiar with Good Agricultural Practices. These are the accepted
practices that produce growers use to
reduce the risk of contamination by a
foodborne pathogen.
Many people grow and consume
produce from their home gardens.
When products are consumed at home,
growers are free to do whatever they
want. However, when we start to
introduce produce into the public food
supply, be it at the farmers market,
through a CSA, or through a wholesale
distributor, we accept an increased
level responsibility for our products.
Fortunately, the majority of GAPs boil
down to good old-fashioned common
sense backed up by scientific research.
Regardless of farm size or products,
guarding the public (and our own) food
supply against accidental contamination by a foodborne pathogen comes
down to four areas of focus.

ply manure, incorporate, and sow a

cover crop to prevent soil loss. Watch
for accidental applications. Remember
that the 2-year-old running around
the garden in a cloth diaper presents
as great a risk for contamination as a
loaded honey wagon.

Workers
Regardless of whether you are employing 500 workers in multiple fields
or using the garden as a life-learning
experience for your kids, the principle
is the same: Make sure the workers
are healthy. Sick workers should not
be around or handle produce. Workers should also be trained to cover
any cuts or scrapes and to wash their
hands before entering fields or gardens
to tend plants or harvest.

Wild and Domestic

Animals
Unless you are using them for pulling implements, animals should not be
allowed in production areas. We cant
keep all wildlife out of the fields and
gardens. However, we can monitor for
excessive activity and manage when
populations get too large. Pets and
other domestic animals should not be
allowed in production areas. Ive seen
some of the things dogs like to roll in.
Im not sure I want that brushing up
against my tomatoes.
By taking a common-sense approach to food safety, and focusing
on these four areas, we can reduce
the risk of accidentally introducing
pathogens into our own, or someone
elses, food supply and do our part to
maintain the reputation of the produce
grown in our region.
Scott Monroe is a food safety educator
with Purdue Extension at the Southwest 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.

Water
We use water for multiple activities
in agriculture. When using water for
irrigation, make sure the water comes
from a reliable source. Those using surface water (such as ponds or creeks)
for irrigation should have their water
tested. Use only potable, or drinking,
water for postharvest operations such
as washing produce.

Animal Products
Farmers have used manure for centuries as a source of plant nutrients.
However, manure can also contain
pathogens. If using manure, a window of 90-120 days is recommended
between application and harvest of
crops. Always incorporate manure if
possible. The best strategy is to fall-ap16 | APRIL 2015
p16MonroeApr15.indd 1

Part of incorporating good agricultural practices includes making sure irrigation water
comes from a reliable source. | PHOTO BY KELLY OVERTON

x GROWING IN THE HEARTLAND

3/28/15 12:12 PM

CALENDAR
Daviess County
APRIL 3-4

Spring Vendor Fest

Eastside Park, Washington

APRIL 4

Dinkys Lawn & Garden Auction

MAY 25

Dinkys Special Horse Tack Auction

Purdue Extension
APRIL 1

4-H Beef & Dairy Steer

Identification, BBR Forms Due

JUNE 5-6

Lucas Oil Truck Pull

Elnora

APRIL 4

Sullivan County

WRV Swap Meet

APRIL 1

Elnora

Sullivan County Shifters Cruise In

6 p.m., Downtown square, Sullivan

APRIL 12

Washington Conservation Club 3D

Archery Bow Shoot

MAY 2

May Days Festival

11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Downtown Square - Sullivan

MAY 9

Bark in the Park - Friends for

Animals
APRIL 15

State Fair Exhibit Hall Youth

Worker Applications Due
MAY 1

State Fair Exhibit Hall Youth

Worker Applications Due

Knox County

JUNE 1

APRIL 25
MAY 16

Wool Fiber Arts Fair

99th Army JROTC Anniversary &

Guinness Record 5K Run

National 4-H Dairy Conference

Application Due

Noon, Vincennes Lincoln High School

GROWING IN THE HEARTLAND

p17CalendarApr15.indd 1

x APRIL 2015 | 17
3/25/15 2:11 PM

Top left, William Arnett, Brittany Norris and Kami White were Sullivan Ag Day Committee essay contest winners. | PHOTO BY LINDSAY OWENS
Top right, Ronelle Linneweber works the Helping Hands interactive exhibit at Knox County Ag Day. Onlookers line the track, above, during the Knox
County Ag Day celebration. | PHOTOS BY KELLY OVERTON

PORK BURGERS, PANCAKES, ESSAYS AND BABY ANIMALS

Knox, Sullivan counties welcome spring with Ag Days
By Lindsay Owens

AG DAY CELEBRATIONS have

been long standing traditions in many
Hoosier counties. From sausage and
pancake breakfasts to pork burger suppers, the Ag Day events in Knox and
Sullivan counties always draw a crowd
and always cost just $1 per plate.
Celebrations honoring the agriculture
industry have been taking place in
18 | APRIL 2015
p18-20SullivanAgDay.indd 1

both counties for years but Ag Day

isnt just at the county level. National
Ag Day was celebrated on March 18
with a variety of events and special
programs held in Washington, D.C. and
around the country.

Sullivan County
Sullivan County hosted its annual pancake and sausage breakfast
on March 7 at the Sullivan County

4-H Fairgrounds. The annual event

not only serves as a gathering place
where friends and neighbors catch up
after a long, cold winter and have a
good breakfast but also a place where
youngsters can participate in peddle
pull events and patrons can pick up
valuable information from the dozens
of vendors on hand.
Winners of the annual essay
contest sponsored by the Sullivan
County Ag Day Committee were also
announced during the event. The
contest provided $2,500 in scholarship
money to the top three entrants. The

x GROWING IN THE HEARTLAND

3/28/15 8:37 PM

Bryce Coomes holds Supergirl, a baby goat, at Knox County Ag Day. Coomes is a member of
the South Knox FFA. | PHOTO BY KELLY OVERTON

topic for this years essay contest was

How will the use of Unmanned Aerial
Vehicles or UAVs or Drones Impact
American agriculture? Those entering
the contest were all seniors enrolled in
Sullivan County high schools. Essays
were limited to 800 to 1,200 words.
Those winning the scholarship
money this year were William Arnett,
Sullivan High School; Kami White,
North Central High School; and Brittany Norris, North Central High School.
Arnett, the son of Wallace and Jennifer Arnett, took home the top prize of
$1,000. As a student pilot, the use of
drones or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles,
really concerns me, said Arnett, who
will be studying aviation at Purdue

University in the fall. The Federal Aviation Administration wont be regulating these until 2017.
Arnett said the lack of regulation
for the next two years could become
problematic. I think there should be
some training and regulation as to who
can fly the drones, he said.
Earning an $850 scholarship was
White, the daughter of Jackie and Marty White. She will be studying computer science at Indiana State University
in the fall. I think the drones could be
really beneficial to the industry, said
White. Crops and livestock could be
checked on and it could be beneficial
in determining if there was run-off in
areas. Id love to have one.
444
GROWING IN THE HEARTLAND

p18-20SullivanAgDay.indd 2

x APRIL 2015 | 19
3/30/15 1:09 PM

Top left, Erin Batchelor, of Cargil, explains their business operations during Knox County Ag Day at Vincennes University. Top right, Knox County
Purdue Cooperative Extension educator Valerie Clingerman registers for prizes at the Growing table. Bottom left, twenty-month-old Kathryn Daniel
enjoys some watermelon. Bottom right, an eager peddler puller makes his way down the track. | PHOTOS BY KELLY OVERTON

Norris, who plans to study pharmacy at Butler University, earned a

$650 scholarship for her efforts. I
really think more and more farmers
will begin to use drones, said Norris,
who parents are Lisa Swaby and Todd
Norris. They could be really beneficial
in determining disease in crops and
how to improve yields.

Knox County
Knox County celebrated Ag Day
with its annual pork burger supper
held at the Vincennes University
20 | APRIL 2015
p18-20SullivanAgDay.indd 3

Physical Education Complex on March

12. Each year, hundreds of people of
all ages flock to the P.E. Complex for
the giveaways, meal, and childrens
activities including a peddle pull and
the Helping Hands interactive exhibit
where children ages 12 and under
could learn more about where food
comes among other things.
Assisting with many of the Ag Day
activities, including the Fifth Grade Ag
Day program held during the morning, were members of the South Knox
Future Farmers of America. The event
offered more than 400 Knox County

students a chance to hold baby goats

and sheep while learning about the
impact of agriculture on their daily
lives. Students have been invited to the
special pre-Ag Day event for more than
30 years now.
Members of Knox County 4-H and
Purdue Extension were also on site
promoting the benefits of 4-H and educating the public on all the programs
Purdue Extension offers.
Pork burgers and sides were prepared and served by members of the
Knox County Pork Producers and Knox
County Farm Bureau, Inc.

x GROWING IN THE HEARTLAND

3/28/15 8:37 PM

MY RURAL ROOTS
Lessons from the garden
By Angie J. Mayfield

AS SPRING FINALLY approaches, I am anxious to till my garden

patch the first week of May and feel
and smell cool, misted dirt between
my fingers as I plant tomatoes, sweet
corn, green beans, butternut squash,
zucchini, peppers, cabbage, lettuce
and kale by hand. I
provide the genetic
blueprint (seeds), and
nature provides the
sunlight, minerals,
water, and air. Then, I
reap the rewards of a
bountiful harvest and
the knowledge that
Im saving money
and feeding my family tasty, healthy
food free of hormones, chemicals, and
additives.
Gardening has given me a matchless education and free therapy, but as
a child, the benefits werent as obvious.
If the hot, humid southern Indiana
weather wasnt miserable enough, add
in hours of hoeing weeds that spontaneously reproduced and itchy rashes
from picking bushels of produce. Of
course, we didnt plant a small quarter-acre garden like I do now. My dad
planted acres and my brother and I
were slave labor.
Each July, when the weeds are

PHOTOS BY KELLY OVERTON

starting to outsmart and outgrow my

patience and buckets of tomatoes seem
to ripen all on the same day when I
dont have time to juice and can them, I
reminisce of those childhood summers.
Still, I wouldnt have it any other way.
The pleasure of working in the soil, the
satisfaction of watching plants grow,
and the closeness the garden provides
for my family make it a worthwhile
endeavor. Biologys most fundamental
miracle not only nourishes our bodies,
but also our spirits as we plant, water, weed, harvest, preserve, and eat
together.
Of course, there were numerous
lessons to glean from before coming to
this point in semi-successful gardening.
Trial and error of planting seeds too
deep, shallow, or close together, making
rows too close and creating an overgrown jungle, learning how to tie up
beans and stake tomatoes, and experimenting with different plant varieties,
fertilizers, and weed prevention methods is all part of the evolving process.
Learning about soil is important for
a productive garden as well. A husband
who shares my passions and happens
to be an agriculture/biology teacher
doesnt hurt either. Checking pH, adding lime, rotating crops, proper drainage, water, and sunlight, and fertilizing
with manure are all factors in improving
our garden and decreasing fungus. I

still remind my husband of the time he

brought a load of cow manure from his
grandfathers farm that began a fiveyear battle with perennial sow thistle in
our garden. Now we use our chickens
manure. We know where theyve been.
Adding a cover crop of turnips,
kale, or buckwheat in the fall also
improves the soil. We till the foliage
under in early spring, and the organic
material adds nitrogen and nutrients to
prepare for the new seeds and plants.
Soapy water poured over our cabbage
helps with pesky insects, as well as our
guineas, that pick and eat insects from
the yard and garden.
Any endeavor involves risk, and
too much or not enough rain and sun,
storms, insects, and the local deer,
rabbit, and raccoon population can all
affect our yield, so we plant more than
we need. I am a big gardener to compensate for not always being a good
gardener. I believe in sharing. After canning and freezing enough to ensure my
family has plenty until next year, I give
the rest to family, friends, neighbors,
and co-workers. The cows, equines, and
pigs will also gladly munch on leftovers.
However, last year, even they were
sick of zucchini. My kids were using
zucchini as baseball bats and archery
targets.
Share those lessons in gardening
with your children. Encourage them to
plant, hoe, and harvest, even if they resist, because just maybe, those lessons
and work ethic will stick and provide
them with a life rich in yields. I feel
blessed to be a gardener, passionate
about growing, nurturing, and preservation. Gardening has taught me how
to feed my family, the importance of
sacrifice and sweat, lifes vital balance,
patience, tolerance and gratitude.
Angie J. Mayfield is an associate professor of English at Vincennes University
- Jasper campus, a farmer, author, and
mother of five.

GROWING IN THE HEARTLAND

p21MyRuralRootsApr15.indd 1

x APRIL 2015 | 21
3/25/15 2:11 PM

THE FUNNIER SIDE OF FARMING

Explaining ag truths to
the 99 percent

By Damian Mason
A COUPLE YEARS ago, the
Occupy Movement camped out and
played bongo drums protesting Wall
Streets Wealthy 1 percent. Their
gripes were the sort of emotionally
charged; rich-versus-poor stuff the
media loves. Pan to a shot of a bearded
pot smoker demanding someone pay
off his student loans because nobody
values his degree in Egyptian art
studies.

I see a different 1 percent under

attack and its equally absurd. Im
talking about farmers.
Yes, farmers are just 1 percent of
the U.S. population and thats being
generous. Of the USAs 320 million people, there are 3.2 million farmers operating 2.1 million farms. And 57 percent
of those farms had less than $10,000
in agricultural sales in 2012, the most
recent year for data from the National
Agricultural Statistics Service.
Agricultures occupiers consist of
food bloggers, documentarians, cause
groups such as PETA, HSUS, and the
Environmental Working Group. Even
the casual Whole Foods shopper joins
the fray when she signs a petition in
the parking lot.
Their list of demands demonstrates how out of touch with food production the American consumer is.
They want outdoor chickens without cages (so do the coyotes). They
want produce without insecticides (so
22 | APRIL 2015

do the potato leaf hoppers). They want

GMO food labeling. (But 80 percent of
consumers also want labels for foods
containing DNA ... hint, every living
or formerly living organism contains
DNA!).
Heres my attempt to communicate
with the non-food producing public,
a.k.a. the 99 percent.
Dear Consumer,
Im a farm boy and a farm
owner a 1 Percenter. By age
12, I had produced more food
calories for human consumption
than your backyard chicken
operation could produce in
300 years. I, along with my
farm cohorts, understand food
production.
Unfortunately, you dont.
You may think you know farming because youve watched
Food Inc. or read a social media post by The Food Babe. Or
worse yet, tuned into daytime
TVs favorite quack, Dr. Oz.
Those sources of information are designed to scare
you, not educate you, because
fear sells.
Heres the scoop ours is
the safest and most abundant
food supply in the history of
the world. Period. Its also the
cheapest, but as bottled water
sales figures and Whole Foods
business success illustrate,
youre not really motivated by
cost.
We, the people of agriculture are motivated to provide
you with whatever you want.
Within reason.
Yes, we use chemicals and
animal medicine in food production. Organic production,
neat as it sounds, has serious
limitations. Not to mention, a lot
of what you buy and believe is
organic isnt theres rampant
fraud, poor monitoring, and
even organic food is allowed
certain chemical usage.

Likewise, we try to be
efficient about food production because, after all, its our
business. Youve heard this
described as industrial agriculture. We call it, trying to
earn a living. Understand this
Old McDonalds Farm is a
nursery rhyme, whereas production agriculture is business.
We have mortgages, machinery
loans, and property taxes (lots
of property taxes) to pay.
Youve fallen in love with
the word sustainable. Well,
for our business to be sustainable, we have to be financially
solvent.
So please, dear consumer,
stop signing petitions, and stop
tuning into media scare sources.
More importantly, stop funding
fringe organizations whose
main purpose is to tell you that
agriculture is poisoning you.
Wouldnt poisoning our consumers be a bad business move?
Want to know why we do
what we do in agriculture? Ask
us. Admittedly, were hard to find
were outnumbered 99 to 1!
Damian Mason
Damian Mason is a farm owner, ag-vocate, and in demand agricultural speaker.
Find him at www.damianmason.com

x GROWING IN THE HEARTLAND

p22FunnierFarmingApr15.indd 1

3/10/15 11:00 AM

DIVERSE FARMING RECOGNIZED

Farmers awarded, Miss America 2009 speaks at
Soil and Water Conservation District meeting
By Lindsay Owens

THERE WAS A good crowd on

hand at the Eastside Park Community
Building in late February for the 73rd
Daviess County Soil and Water Conservation District meeting. The annual
meeting, which honored the 2014
River Friendly Farmer, Conservation
Farmer of the Year and the recipients
of the new John A. McCall Lifetime
Conservation Award, featured Katie
Stam Irk, Miss America 2009, as the
special speaker. Dinner was provided
by Schnitzelbank and members of
the Washington High School Future

Farmers of America assisted. The

meeting was sponsored by Farm Credit Services, First Federal Savings Bank,
Old National Bank, Pioneer Seeds and
White River Co-Op.
Started in 1999 and sponsored by
conservation and agricultural organizations, the River Friendly Farmer Award
Program recognizes farmers who work
to keep streams, lakes and rivers in
the Hoosier state clean. Last year, 59
recipients were honored at the Indiana
State Fair for their efforts in keeping
waterways clean and protecting natural resources through good production
management. One of those recipients

was Herb Lottes who operates Slate

Creek Farms.
Lottes uses minimum tillage as
well as proper manure application and
his focus on nutrient management are
indications of his stewardship with his
land and business. Slate Creek Farms
is a grain and livestock operation. The
east fork of the White River and Slate
Creek run through the property that
uses several features including filter
strips and variable soil testing to protect waterways.
Out of the 61,000 farm in the state
of Indiana, one local farmer stood out
from the rest in 2014 for they work they
do to protect Indianas natural resources, said Marvin Holstine, before
presenting Lottes with a large sign
designating the honor.
444

Todd Allison, left, presents Kenny Swartzentruber with the Farmer of the Year honor at the 73rd Daviess County Soil and Water Conservation District
Meeting. | PHOTOS BY KELLY OVERTON

GROWING IN THE HEARTLAND

p23-25FarmerOfYear.indd 1

x APRIL 2015 | 23
3/28/15 1:16 PM

Above, Ann McCall, middle, receives the first John A. McCall Lifetime Conservation Award
in honor of her husband, the namesake of the new award, from Mike Axom. Also pictured
are Alex and Nancy Stuffle, McCalls daughter and grandson. Below, Katie Stam Irk, Miss
America 2009, was the featured speaker at the Daviess County Soil and Conservation
District Annual Meeting in Washington.

24 | APRIL 2015
p23-25FarmerOfYear.indd 2

Sponsored by each of the 92

counties Soil and Water Conservation
Districts, the River Friendly Farmer
Award has been bestowed upon 761
Hoosier farmers since it started. Each
year, the Soil and Water Conservation
Districts in each county may nominate two farmers who work to protect
rivers, lakes and streams. Nominations
can also be submitted by watershed
organizations by submitting applications to the districts.
The Conservation Farmer of the
Year honor was awarded to Kenny and
Clara Mae Swartzentruber of Odon.
The award was presented by Todd
Allison.
This years Farmer of the Year has
a very diverse farming operation that
includes row crops, swine and sheep,
said Allison.
Swartzentrubers farm, located
just north of Odon, which Kenny
farms with his wife Clara Mae, features trees along streams and ditches
with well-maintained Conservation
Reserve Program filter strips; strips
of legumes and grasses, that are
used to limit the sediment, nutrients,
pesticides and other contaminants.
The strips also improve the quality
of water leaving the Swartzentruber
farm. Because the strips are marked
so they are not sprayed, the stand is
very good. Swartzentruber also uses
water and sediment control basins
that are well maintained and work to
reduce erosion. He also uses a crop
rotation that includes corn, soybeans,
and barley to supplement his livestock operation.
A new award presented this year
was the John A. McCall Lifetime Conservation Award presented by Mike
Axsom to the family of John A. McCall,
the namesake for the award.
John dedicated his life works
toward the conservation of our natural
resources, said Axsom. Following in
his fathers footsteps, John began his
service as an associate supervisor with
the Daviess and Martin County Soil
and Water Conservation District, then
was sworn in as an elected supervisor
on Feb. 27, 1952 where he served for 52
years.
McCall also served on the State
Soil and Water Conservation Board,
Four Rivers Research, Conservation
and Development Council and was a
member of Indiana Mine Reclamation
Team.
John was instrumental in making
many positive changes and having a

x GROWING IN THE HEARTLAND

3/28/15 1:16 PM

vision for the future conservation in

Daviess and the surrounding counties
as well as the state of Indiana, said
Axsom.
In 2004, McCall was honored with
the Sagamore of the Wabash.
John not only preached the ethics
of good conservation, he lived it, said
Axsom, who said McCalls conservation practices included grassed waterways, water and sediment control
basins and no-till among other things.
At the conclusion of the awards
presentation, Stam Irk, a spokesperson for Midwest Ag Finance, shared
her experiences as Miss America. Irk,
who is the only Miss America hailing
from the Hoosier state, was raised on a
dairy farm and is passionate about all
things ag related.
Agriculture is my background and
in my blood, said Stam Irk, adding
that during her reign as Miss America
she spoke about ag-related topics any
chance she had. Its been such a joy
to take the message about agriculture
across the world.
While Miss America, Stam Irk said
she stayed grounded with her rural
roots. I always wanted to remember
where I came from a farm in
southern Indiana.

Daviess County Soil and Water Conservation District supervisor Marvin Holstine presents
the River Friendly Farmer of Indiana award to Herb Lottes of Slate Creek Farms.

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GROWING IN THE HEARTLAND

p23-25FarmerOfYear.indd 3

x APRIL 2015 | 25
3/28/15 1:16 PM

THE NATURAL SIDE OF THINGS

A world of beans
By Terri Talarek King

IF YOU HAVE gardened, you

have probably grown beans. You have
probably enjoyed beans with chili,
tacos, ham, rice, or potatoes.
You can travel through history
with beans. Easy to grow and save,
bean seed is passed
down through
families, shared
among gardeners,
even stored in caves.
Some seed companies collect bean
seed from families,
preserving them
through cultivation
and sales. Some beans have history in
their names: Pigott Family Heirloom,
Mayflower, Trail of Tears. Some were
brought from Africa, helping to sustain
African-American slaves (e.g.: whippoorwill cowpea).
You can travel the world through
beans: favas (Mediterranean), edamame (Japan), flageolet (France), galopka
(Poland), or Tongues of Fire (Tierra del
Fuego). Chinese Red Noodle bean is

Carolina (Siera) lima beans in pod

from Monticello Gardens, then grown
at the Vincennes State Historic Site.
26 | APRIL 2015
p26NaturalSideApr15.indd 1

quite dramatic. Vining up a trellis, it

sports red-tinged leaves and delicious,
deep red, 18 long pods.
You can travel America with
beans. Greasy beans (with hairless,
shiny pods) originate in southern
Appalachia. There are bolita (New
Mexico), purple podded pole (Ozarks),
blue shackamaxon (Pennsylvania),
and many others. Some names contain
Native American roots: Hopi, Cherokee, Hidatsa. Carolina lima (sieva) bean
(known from as early as 1700) and
purple hyacinth bean were favorites of
Thomas Jefferson and are still grown
in the Monticello gardens.
How do you choose what heirlooms to grow? You might consider
if the variety is best suited for: soups
(Hutterite Soup), baking (egg), freezing
(Romano), drying (Turkey Craw) or as
a green side dish. Some are better as
fresh pods, some as dry beans, and
others for both. You might choose
beans by flavor, variously described
as meaty, nutty, grainy, creamy, etc.
Choose varieties for the climate. Some
prefer cooler conditions, while others
are heat tolerant (e.g. lima beans).
Read catalog descriptions for information.
Maybe you want to dress up
the garden or plate with color. Scarlet
runner bean has bright scarlet flowers
that attract hummingbirds and large,
red mottled seeds. Dry beans come
in almost any color: black, red, pink,
yellow, white, lavender, tan, brown,
purple. Some names describe patterns:
Painted Pony, Tigers Eye, Eye of the
Goat, Zebra. Soldier Bean has an eye
like a little red soldier. A distinct blackand-white yin-yang design appears on
Yin-Yang beans.
Beans provide nitrogen to garden soil, so they are good companion
plants and cover crops. Pole beans
(such as Rattlesnake) can be grown
up corn stalks, with sprawling squash
plants below, in a Three Sisters garden.
Cowpeas (Southern Peas, Crowders,
Pea beans) make great ground cover,
thriving in the hot summer. Leaves and
beans are both edible. Cowpeas have
the most amusing names in the bean
world, such as Iron-and-Clay, Coat-andJacket, Hog Brains, Monkey Tail, Ozark
Razorback, Washday, and Fast Lady.
Have fun with bean-growing and

Purple podded pole beans. | PHOTOS

BY TERRI TALAREK KING

cooking this year. Travel the world, dip

into history, try different flavors, or just
plant things with crazy names and see
what happens.
For additional reading, check out:
Hatch, Peter J. A Rich Spot of
Earth: Thomas Jeffersons Revolutionary Garden at Monticello.
Sando, Steve. The Rancho Gordo
Heirloom Bean Growers Guide. www.
ranchogordo.com/htm/rg_beanbook.
htm
Weaver, William Woys. Heirloom
Vegetable Gardening.
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.
www.rareseeds.com/store/vegetables/beans
Monticello seed store. www.monticelloshop.org/farm-garden-seeds-vegetables.html
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. www.southernexposure.com
Sustainable Mountain Agriculture
Center, Inc. www.heirlooms.org/heirloom-beans.html; www.heirlooms.org/
bean-terminology.html
Terri Talarek King lives in Knox County
and is a naturalist and organic gardener, educator and writer. She is certified
as an advanced master naturalist and
grow organic educator.

x GROWING IN THE HEARTLAND

3/25/15 2:16 PM

HI, IM JOE TAYLOR. Overton, Texas. What keeps me coming back to the Trail? Its just absolutely sensational.

I have people tell me what theyve spent playing one round at Pebble Beach and a night at the hotel, or going to
Pinehurst for a couple rounds. We do the entire week, travel, hotel, green fees, good meals and everything for
the price of one day at these places. And its absolutely a sensational place to come.
TO PLAN YOUR VISIT to Alabamas Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, visit rtjresorts.com or call 1.800.949.4444 today.
facebook.com/rtjgolf
twitter.com/rtjgolf

p2RTJ2Mar15.indd 1
RTJ747JoeTaylorAD_CNHImags.indd 1

3/4/15 4:16 PM
3/28/14 12:17 PM

RABBITS
in the
HEDGES

Pink, an English lop rabbit, has a floppy ear span of 25 inches from tip to tip. | PHOTOS BY MATT GRIFFITH

Ten breeds, more than 100 rabbits

keep Hedge family hopping

By Rama Sobhani
BREEDING RABBITS SEEMS
like an easy thing to accomplish. They
do, after all, breed like, well, rabbits.
Knox County residents, Phillip and
Amy Hedge, have gotten past the easy
part of getting their rabbits to multiple
and have now gotten to the point that
their large collection of various breeds
of rabbits are the subject of family trips
around the country to show them at
livestock events. Raising rabbits with
their two kids, Madison, 8, and Katelyn, 11, has been more than a story of
long road trips and awards for their
stock for the Hedges, its also been an
experience in family bonding.
The Hedges foray into the world
of bunnies came about four years ago
when their kids insistence on a pet
rabbit for the family came to fruition
and blossomed into something else
afterward.
The family now keeps about 120
28 | APRIL 2015
p28-30HedgeRabbits.indd 1

rabbits in their barn and travel to

about 100 livestock shows per year to
show their stock. All of the shows they
attend are within driving distance,
even if some are long distances which
mean long hours spent together in a
car.
Its a team effort, said Amy, who
works full time at the Toyota manufacturing plant by day. Weve always
been close but its a good family bonding deal.

Family bonding
Keeping more than 100 rabbits
at the family farm isnt a one-person
operation. Cages have to be cleaned,
feeders have to be filled, and the
temperature inside the barn has to be
monitored to make sure the rabbits are
comfortable. The Hedges have found
in all of this work several things that
make their family bond stronger.
And Amy says theres something

about the breeding season and seeing

all the newborn rabbits that tickles her
motherly instinct.
I can see them when they get
their fur. I watch them grow, she said.
Weve had to take care of some that
the mothers wont take care of.
The shows the Hedges take their
rabbits to are mostly in the tri-state
area with an occasional one farther
away. Some of them are 4-H competitions and many are events sanctioned
by the American Rabbit Breeders
Association, an organization that sets
the standards for rabbit husbandry by
which the competitions are judged.
The ARBA recognizes 48 different
breeds of rabbits.
Phillip, who runs a semi-truck
repair shop near Vincennes, said his
family has had moderate success with
its stock and has won a few awards
here and there and even some money.
Choosing a rabbit for each show is
a detailed process, that is, a detailed
inspection of the animal to be shown
has to be done. If any of the criteria
set by ARBA isnt met, like the rabbit
is molting at the time, it wont pass
muster. One little thing could lead to a
disqualification.

x GROWING IN THE HEARTLAND

3/25/15 2:18 PM

Please, may I have a pet

rabbit?
The Hedges started down the path
to rabbit breed four years ago, mostly
to indulge their daughters pleas for a
pet rabbit. Phillip and Amy didnt know
anything about what to do, but they
bought a pair of rabbits from a local
seller and learned as they went. Now
they have several dozen breeds and
keep pedigree records on all of them.
They grow at least 10 different breeds
of rabbit including the mini-rex and the
English lop, which can grow to weigh
as much as 20 pounds and have a twofoot ear span. Some are bred just for
showing, some are used for their wool
and some are meat animals, which
Phillip says his own family eats from
time to time.
But his favorite breed is the longeared English lop.
We have a thing for ears around
here, he said, pointing out that the
family also has made pets of Bloodhounds and Basset hounds, also
known for their droopy, long ears.
At the moment, about 120 rabbits
is what the family said they are comfortable with and dont plan to grow
much beyond that for now. The hour
per day it takes to keep their rabbits
444
happy and healthy is right

Phillip and Amy Hedge with daughters Katelyn, 11, holding her favorite bunny, Pete, and
Madison, 8, right, with her bunny Elsa.

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p28-30HedgeRabbits.indd 2

x APRIL 2015 | 29
3/25/15 2:18 PM

The Hedges have found success entering their rabbits in competitions, as

evidenced by the ribbons and trophies on display at their home.

about where they want to be. But, of course, their young daughters will
grow and eventually leave the family home, and Phillip and Amy know
that at some point they will be the only two left at the Hedge farm to look
after the rabbits from day to day. But thats fine by them.
Therell probably always be rabbits around us, Phillip said.

30 | APRIL 2015
p28-30HedgeRabbits.indd 3

x GROWING IN THE HEARTLAND

3/25/15 2:18 PM

DOWN ON THE FARM

The milk inspector

By John H. Stoll

NO ONE COULD strike fear into

the hearts of a bunch of bare-headed,
barefoot country kids quite like he
could. He only showed up on the farm
on a periodic basis and always unannounced. We would hide in the house
and watch with
bated breath from
behind the curtains
as he made his
rounds poking his
head into the milking parlor and the
milk house looking
for any reason to
write a citation.
He was the milk
inspector.
I grew up on a farm the old-fashioned kind where you have a few hogs,
a few cows, a few chickens, a few
horses, and so on and on. From the
time I was old enough to remember,
we milked anywhere from eight to 16
cows twice a day by hand. We then
sold the milk, Grade B, to Graham
Farms Cheese in Elnora.
From the milking parlor, where
the milking was done, we carried the
milk in stainless steel pails about 50
yards to the milk house where the milk
was strained into the old-fashioned
milk cans. The milk house contained a
cooling tank filled with water that was
cooled by an old Briggs and Stratton
motor and a cooling mechanism. The
cans were placed into the cold water
in the spring, summer, and fall to keep
the milk from spoiling until the cans
were picked up at our house every
morning by the milk man.
Every few months or so, the
inspector would show up at the farm.
Like any other inspector, his job was
to ensure that the dairy farms in his
jurisdiction were operating with the
proper levels of cleanliness. It was
hard to catch Mom off-guard; she was
a stickler for making sure the milk was
cooled to a certain level and that the

barn and milk house were clean and

tidy. Utmost care was given every
night and morning to clean all the pails
and strainers.
And we just knew the inspector
was an evil man. He prowled around
the milk house area shining his little
light into the stainless steel pails and
other milking equipment checking
for spots we may have forgotten to
wash that morning. From there, he
made the short walk to the milking
parlor and thoroughly inspected it.
Sometimes, he seemed to be gone
such a long time that the siblings and
I had concocted all sorts of wild ideas
of what he may be doing. It seemed
to us he was a very sober man who
scowled a lot. In our little world, he
was the closest thing to evil we had
ever encountered. Inspector day was
a very stressful time.
Our little farm seldom received

any citations. There were enough of us

kids running loose on the farm needing chores to do that Mom made sure
that ample time was spent in cleaning
our little dairy farm. As soon as the evil
inspector had sped away in his little
car, we scampered to the milk house to
find the report he left for us that would
tell us how we fared on this inspection.
If anything was marked unsatisfactory or needs improvement, Mom
would frump and grizzle and remind
us of it constantly until the next
inspector day and we were graded as
satisfactory again in those areas. As
I look back today, I can see that my
parents used our experiences with the
evil inspector to help shape all of us
children into the neat, organized adults
we are today. God bless the evil inspector man.
While not employed on the family
farm, John does enjoy helping out his
brothers there during planting and
harvest seasons. He is very appreciative of his heritage and is thankful he
was given the opportunity to be raised
a farm boy.

PHOTO BY KELLY OVERTON

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p31JohnStollApr15.indd 1

x APRIL 2015 | 31
3/25/15 2:19 PM

SEEDLINGS
Submitted by Kathy Fears
Acreage reporting deadlines:
Dec. 15, 2014: Wheat & fall seeded
small grains
Jan. 15, 2015: Apples
July 15, 2015: All other crops & CRP**
**Cucumbers and crops for Noninsured Crop
Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) coverage may
have dates not included above. Call or visit your
local county office for details.

Production for NAP crops must be

reported before the subsequent years
acreage reporting date for the crop.

plete, then farmers are reminded of

the deadline of June 1, 2015.

Dates associated with ARC

and PLC that farm owners and
producers need to know
March 31, 2015: Deadline for producers to update base and yields and to
make a one-time election between
ARC and PLC for the 2014 through
2018 crop years.

USDA Reminds Farmers of

2014 Farm Bill Conservation
Compliance Changes
The 2014 Farm Bill implements a
change that requires farmers to have a
Highly Erodible Land Conservation and
Wetland Conservation Certification (AD1026) on file. For farmers to be eligible
for premium support on their federal
crop insurance, a completed and signed
AD-1026 certification form must be on
file with the FSA. The Risk Management
Agency, through the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, manages the federal
crop insurance program that provides
the modern farm safety net for American
farmers and ranchers.
Many FSA and Natural Resource
Conservation (NRCS) programs already
have implemented this requirement and
therefore most producers should already
have an AD-1026 from on file for their associated lands. If, however, an AD-1026
form has not been filed or is incom-

32 | APRIL 2015
p32SeedlingsApr15.indd 1

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 convenience of a home computer or a mobile
device at any time. To learn more about
upcoming educational meetings, farmers can contact their local Farm Service
Agency county office at http://offices.
sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app.

The Marketing Loan Assistance

Program offers 2014 harvested
grain loans
Deadlines to apply for loans: Wheat
March 31, 2015.
Corn/Soybeans/Grain Sorghum
June 1, 2015.

2014 Farm Bill

For the latest on 2014 Farm Bill
programs administered by FSA, visit our
Farm Bill website at www.fsa.usda.gov/
farmbill and for an FSA program overview
please read, download and/or print our
recently posted FSA Farm Bill Fact Sheet
titled Whats in the 2014 Farm Bill for
Farm Service Agency Customers?
For more information on FSA, contact
your local USDA Service Center or visit us
online at www.fsa.usda.gov.

x GROWING IN THE HEARTLAND

3/25/15 2:21 PM

GOOD TO THE EARTH

Community helps FFA members after fire
NORTH DAVIESS FFA officer
Erin Abel presented Donald Russell
with some new FFA items to replace
those lost in a house fire. Donald and
his younger brother, Ricky, lost all their
FFA items to a house fire a few months
ago. With donations from the local
communities and the National FFA, the
North Daviess FFA replaced both of
their FFA jackets, ties, pins, and other
items they had purchased the past
several years. This added up to more
than 300 dollars. There was 100 dollars
left over and that money was presented
to Donald and Rickys parents for help
in rebuilding.

Washington
High School FFA
members keep busy

North Daviess FFA officer Erin Abel

presents Donald Russell with new FFA
items to replace what was lost in a
house fire. | PHOTO BY GARY STUCKEY

North Daviess FFA contests

NORTH DAVIESS FUTURE
Farmers of America members have
been busy participating in district
contests, National FFA Week activities
and other events. During National FFA
Week, North Daviess students participated in activities and won prizes.
One day during lunch times, students
who answered FFA questions correctly
drew a paper out of a box to determine
their prize. The prizes included free
6-inch subs from Subway, candy, or the
chance to throw a pie in one of the FFA
officers faces.
Ag students and FFA members also
participated in the Ag Olympics, where
students took part in the Oreo challenge, bean spit contest, nail hammering and trivia.
Some of the those receiving the pie
in the face were Brooke Mallett, who
put a pie in her sisters face, Taylor Mal-

Students attended the Purdue Extension

Forum at the Gasthof Amish Restaurant.
| PHOTO COURTESY OF GARY STUCKEY

lett, ND FFA vice president; and Shom

Berry, who put a pie in the face of Abby
Holstine, ND FFA treasurer.
444

Washington High School FFA

members, from left, Reid Memering,
Logan Aldrich and Ethan Clarke,
took part in Hatchet Highlights, an
event showcasing the talents and
accomplishments of WHS students.
The FFA students were just one of
many groups from the school that
participated in the annual event.
| PHOTOS BY KELLY OVERTON

Top, Holli Norris participates in the Oreo

challenge during the North Daviess Ag
Olympics. Lyndon Goodpaster, above, in
the nail hammering contest. | PHOTOS BY
KELLY OVERTON

Carley Petty, a senior at Washington

High School and a 10-year member
of Daviess County 4-H and 4-H
Chorus participant, recently sang
at the Purdue Agriculture Alumni
Fish Fry held at the Indiana State
Fairgrounds in Indianapolis. It
was a really great experience, said
Petty.
GROWING IN THE HEARTLAND

p33-34GoodToEarthApr15.indd 1

APRIL 2015 | 33

3/30/15 1:18 PM

Sullivan FFA awards members

Submitted by Kevin Cross
SULLIVAN FFA MEMBERS
were awarded on March 11 for their
outstanding supervised agricultural
experience programs. Supervised Agricultural Experience is the skill application portion of agricultural education
programs- students apply the skills
they have learned in the classroom and
through FFA to succeed in an ag-related

job. Students filled out applications for

proficiency awards that highlight their
involvement in specific aspects of the
agricultural industry. First place winners will advance to the state contest.
The results of the District VII Proficiency Awards are:

District VII Proficiency Award winners

were: Front, from left, Eric Holscher,
Karson Harris, Ryan Kaiser and
Gabrielle Thomas. Back, from left,
Chad Speece, Tristan Dinkel, Madison
Boston, Cole Hollingsworth and Ellie
Eslinger. | PHOTOS PROVIDED

Cole Hollingsworth: 1st Place,

Agricultural Sales
Madison Boston: 1st Place,
Agricultural Services
Tristan Dinkel: 1st Place,
Agricultural Mechanization
(Repair/Maintenance)
Karson Harris: 1st Place,
Agriscience Research--Plant
Systems
Eric Holscher: 2nd Place, Diversified
AgricultureProduction
Chad Speece: 1st
Place,FruitProduction
Ryan Kaiser: 1st Place,
GrainProduction
Gabby Thomas: 1st Place, Home/
Community Development
Ellie Eslinger: 1st Place, Turf
Management

Five Sullivan FFA members participated in District VII Leadership CDEs

on March 11. Madison Boston won
second place in the Extemporaneous
Public Speaking competition. All participants are:
Madison Boston: Extemporaneous
Public Speaking
Gabrielle Thomas: Persuasive Essay
Eric Holscher: Job Interview
Ryan Haag: Animal Science
Demonstration
Ryan Kaiser: Agricultural
Mechanics Demonstration

Sullivan FFA members who

participated in District VII Leadership
CDEs were, from left, Eric Holscher,
Gabrielle Thomas, Ryan Haag, Ryan
Kaiser and Madison Boston.

South Knox FFA winter activities

Clockwise from left, South Knox FFA

recently received a $2,500 check from
Monsanto. The South Knox FFA elves in
the Vincennes Christmas parade were,
from left, Jacob Mouzin, Isaiah Eveland
and Josh Smith. South Knox FFA members
participated in Tractor Day as part of
National FFA Week. Students could drive
their favorite tractor to school.
| PHOTOS PROVIDED

34 | APRIL 2015

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3/16/15 10:07 AM