Wagner Feed

Our first harvest

2012-01-27T15:03:00.003-06:00

Today we had a notable achievement at the Farm. For the last couple months we have been working together with North Shore Special Education to offer farm experiences to their students. Their toil produced a reward in the harvest of their first popcorn crop. The ears look a little smaller than what you might be used to seeing. They used a heirloom variety of corn because we needed something smaller for the space we had in the greenhouse. The students will be able to take the corn back to their school and pop it for the class to enjoy. With the growing cycle complete, the story of what it takes to put food on the table will be something these kids will never forget.

Here's a factoid - Popcorn is the oldest type of corn know in the world. In the late 1940's researchers working in New Mexico found a cave that had human artifacts that dated over 3,000 years old. Amongst the tools and other finds was a cache of popcorn kernals. When the the men got back to their offices at Harvard they took a couple of the kernals and put them in hot oil and they actually got it to pop! No report on how it tasted.

Staking our claim

2012-01-25T13:29:00.003-06:00

I'm going to be honest, I am not a big fan of winter. Of all the seasons, the cold and dark that blanket the land this time of year doesn't do anything for me. However, it does give all of us a chance to get ready for the spring. One of the new programs that we are working hard on right now is the Community Garden. For the last few years we have offered a small garden plot program that specialized in heirloom plant varieties. With so many requests to participate we felt the need to expand and enhance the program. Besides the addition of over 60 plots we are also developing programs that will tie into the themes of gardening and food preservation. In December the Glenview Park District board approved the program which allowed staff to get started in earnest. While it is somewhat hard to see the markers in the picture, we did have the area staked out so that we are ready for plowing and fencing as soon as the ground is thawed.

White everywhere

2012-01-21T12:19:00.002-06:00

Tapas 1920's style

2012-01-19T09:11:00.005-06:00

Last night Allison hosted another great volunteer meeting at the Farm. The presentation tied in with the historic dinners program we offer during the winter. Samples of all of the major dishes were served up with the historical background and the recipe. It is really interesting to research the types of food that were common in the 1920's for this area. Factors such as ethinic heritage, economic level and profession all play an important roll. As an example, the Wagners came from southwestern Germany. The dishes that reminded them of home would have been more along the meat and potatoes type versus the fish that was common in northern Germany.

Tidying up the classroom

2012-01-17T16:25:00.003-06:00

With winter here we start to look for those inside jobs that can keep us warm. After morning chores we have been repainting and cleaning up in the milking parlor and science classroom. Even though the building is only six years old it gets a lot of use and especially in the areas where livestock come in. We are able to do this cleaning because during the winter we actually ship the milk cows to a neighboring farm and have them help us out with milking duty. With fewer staff and not a lot of visitors it makes more sense. I have to say, I do like this part of city farming. Still it just seems strange to not have the girls down here.

Winter project

2012-01-14T06:23:00.000-06:00

A while back the Farm was given a Massey-Harris 33 tractor. It had a sound body but needed some engine and transmission work. Thanks to the efforts of our volunteers Paul and Dick, the mechanical parts are now working fine. They guys have moved on to the restoration of the metal work and giving the 33 a fresh coat of paint. When I went down to snap a couple of shots I got to start it up and move the tractor back to its bay. There is something very different about a Massey that I find intriguing. Growing up on the farm there wasn't a lot of tractor diversity. The majority of the farms ran Farmall Internationals. The second most popular was John Deere and then a couple families had Allis-Chalmers. There was no one who had Masseys so I guess this is where my real interest in learning and working with this old 33 comes from. If you are used to the sounds the different tractors make the Massey is different in that it actually sounds more like a car than it does a tractor.

As the restoration continues I will post some more pictures to show the progress.

Snow Day!

2012-01-13T05:22:00.000-06:00

We are finally getting the first real snow for this winter. With white on the ground we got to test out a recent donation to the farm, a Bobcat snow brush. This attachment for the skid loader spins a plastic brush really fast and clears away up to 7" of snow. So far it seems to be doing a really good job.

Patrick's last day

2012-01-12T15:14:00.002-06:00

This week we said good-bye to our 2011 Eastern Illinois Graduate intern Patrick. Over the course of the last six months Patrick has managed the soda fountain, lead school programs, helped with some farm jobs and done a lot of historical research. Best of luck to Patrick and congratulations on a job well done.

Vet visit

2012-01-09T08:18:00.004-06:00

Welcome back to the Wagnerfeed. I took a bit of a break from posting but I'm ready to tell a few more stories so here we go for 2012!

This week we had our veterinarian come by for the winter herd check. As everyone in these parts know this has been a very unusual winter in that we have hardly gotten any snow and even fewer days below freezing. While it is hard to cheer against mild weather there are some detriments to not being a "real" winter. For the livestock, it is tough on them to have big swings in temperature and conditions. When we swing from 50 degrees one day and then have 25 the next the bacteria have a hayday and pneumonia becomes a real problem. I'm happy to report that everyone (bovine) passed the check-up.

Happy New Year

2011-12-31T05:51:00.001-06:00

Here is number 1

2011-12-30T07:13:00.002-06:00

This started out as a little look back at some of my highlights for 2011 at Wagner Farm. For the number one position I did not chose a single event but rather something that drives me in my role as director here at Wagner. The number one highlight this year for me was getting the chance to teach. I know for some this might be somewhat anticlimactic so I'm sorry if I let you down. The thing is, I really like to teach. Whether it is one person, a class or even a lecture hall, passing something on is fun. In my job, I spend most of my time as a manager. It is kind of funny, I run a farm but have to actually work hard to find time to leave the office and get outside. So, when I get the chance to teach, it is just the greatest. In 2011 I got to show preschools how to press apples. I taught elementary kids how to hand milk a cow. I even lead my daughter Cassidy's final school field trip of the year to Wagner Farm. It was a great 2011.

Enjoy 2012.

Here is number 2

2011-12-29T05:54:00.002-06:00

In May, our Wagner Farm team was given an opportunity of a lifetime to present an outreach program at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. We were asked to do this as part of their Gardenfest special event. The program we put together complimented their efforts in trying to illustrate where our food originally comes from. Sarah, Jeff and I loaded the Fordson and John Deere model H tractors, a transplanter, a cider press and headed east. Fifteen hours or so later we made it to Washington. While the journey was easy, maneuvering a 30 gooseneck trailer and truck through the capital was not. The Smithsonian had us set up the display on the National Mall just in front of their Castle building. For the two days that we worked there, I never lost the amazement of looking up and seeing the Washington Monument, the Capital Building or the Lincoln Memorial. We even got to see the Marine One helicopter a couple of times overhead. The whole experience was amazing but getting to meet so many people from all over the world was the true highlight for me.

Here is number 3

2011-12-28T05:38:00.001-06:00

The number three highlight is a recent development as it has only been a month since the Farm was given the historic Dunbar popcorn wagon. This donation was made possible by the generosity of Ron Bernardi who purchased the wagon at the Leroy Hartung auction. Over the next year or so we will restore the wagon to it's former glory. Once operational, it is our plan to use it at events at both the Farm and throughout the community.

Here is number 4

2011-12-27T08:46:00.005-06:00

The next highlight took not only time, but a lot of effort by so many people. Wagner Farm crossed the 100,000 yearly visitation mark for the first time. When the museum started in 2002 we were pleased with our 2,860 total that year. These days, we will have weekends where that many people come to the farm.

I sometimes wonder what Pete and the rest of the Wagner family would think of all that has happened to the farm since they left it. I would imagine, being the private people they were, some of the historical interpretation of the family might make them a little uncomfortable. However, the farm that they called home is now a landmark that bears their name. Pete might have some satisfaction from knowing that we are teaching young people about farming. When the Wagners owned the farm it was not uncommon for him to have the neighbor kids come down and lend a hand with chores or some other farm task. In many ways, we are still doing the same thing only on a bigger scale.

Here is number 5

2011-12-26T09:54:00.002-06:00

This post will resonate with parents and teachers especially. When you are living in the minute you loose sight of time passing. Before you know it days turn into years. This is the way I feel about two events that happened this year. First is the high school graduation of the 4-H kids who were with me when the program was started at the Farm. For the last 10 years these kids have been here so much that for many of them it was like a second home at times. To see them graduate was strangely, unexpected. New kids have come into the fold but the "first class" will always have a special place with me.

The other event that provided a highlight this year was the marriage of our first intern Jami. When the museum started out there was a lot of work and not many us around to do it. Jami quickly moved from intern to staff member and friend.

These two events were definitely highlights for 2011

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T03:50:00.000-06:00

Here is number 6

2011-12-24T07:06:00.002-06:00

Number six represents the cumulative effort put forth by the kids of the Glenview Clovers 4-H club at the Lake County Fair. From projects in wood working and wielding to visual arts and cooking the members of our club represented the community in shining fashion. I was particularly pleased with the effort put forth by the members who showed livestock. The club took home a majority of the showmanship trophies and two grand championships in dairy and lamb.

Here is number 7

2011-12-23T06:57:00.001-06:00

In looking back at the highlights for 2011 number seven is a nod to years of practice. While I was in West Virginia at the national museum conference I entered the plowing contest. I figured years of walking behind a plow might finally pay off. My goal was pretty simple, keep the tip in the ground and try not to trip. When the dust had settled I had placed 6th in the country. Hats off to Jon Kuester from St. Charles, Illinois who won it all.

Here is number 8

2011-12-22T05:47:00.001-06:00

In the spring the Farm received a very special visitor, Dr. Temple Grandin. In the agricultural circle Grandin is well known for her work with better understanding animal psychology and improved handling methods. Outside of ag she is a leading speaker on the subject of autism. The recent Claire Danes bio-picture about Grandin won numerous awards. Thanks to a cold call and some coaxing from Julie Tracy, Grandin agreed to come tour the Farm and make a special presentation on livestock care to the Glenview Clovers 4-H club.

Here is number 9

2011-12-21T09:01:00.005-06:00

I occasionally get the opportunity to present research and professional paper at conferences. This year I stayed especially busy and was asked to present three programs at the regional Midwest Museum Conference, two for the national Association of Living History, Farms and Agricultural Museums and one for the international Agricultural Historical Society. I will confess, public speaking has rarely bothered me. However, Ag. Historical Society one did make me a little nervous. The thought of presenting to a room full of academics and authors was a bit daunting. Some of my apprehension could surely be traced back to an experience I had while as the Farm Director at the Museums at Prophetstown in Lafayette, Indiana. I was asked to give a short program on the history of agriculture to a retirees group. Life lesson number one in public speaking, always ask about your audience. My failure to do so reinforces this point. I remember confidently rambling on for about 45 minutes about this change and that impact in farm history. I also remember a couple of gentlemen in the front row who kept leaning over to one another and whispering something. At the time I was just happy everyone was still awake, it was just after lunch. At the end of the program there were a number of questions and then I went out into the audience and meet some of the men in the room. The two gentlemen in the front row, Dr.s Earl Butz and Don Paarlberg. (Dr. Butz had been the US Secretary of Agriculture)The group was the made up of retirees from Purdue University. In the end, they did like the program and later we would work on a number of projects together at the museum. I still would have liked to know that some of the most influencial ag minds of the day were sitting in the room.

Here is number 10

2011-12-20T05:51:00.002-06:00

In the spring, one of the great friends of the farm, Ed Koenig was honored by the Village of Glenview as the Citizen of the Year. I am sure Ed won't mind sharing his honor with the countdown. I considered this list worthy because it is people like Ed and the Friends of Wagner Farm who have helped make the museum, and the community what it is. Ed has an interesting story that relates to Wagner Farm. His family used to be in the dairy business. Back at the turn of the century they would go from farm to farm picking up milk and cream and then processing it for sale. Koenig Dairy did very well and was eventually purchased by Borden. If you will scroll down the blog page and look at the original Dairy Breakfast art on the right side of the screen you will see a picture showing a Koenig Dairy truck stopping by Wagner Farm. As we got ready to open the Heritage Center Ed gave us a 1925 Ford model T truck painted in the Koenig company colors. it is still on exhibit in the main hall. Congratulations Ed on an honor that is so well deserved.

Here is number 12

2011-12-18T05:13:00.003-06:00

2011 marked the ten year anniversary of my working at Wagner Farm. Considering the job was supposed to be a short stop and then moving on, this anniversary kind of snuck up on me. The reason that I am still here is in part thanks to all that great people that I have met and worked with over the years. The load has been heavy at times but the burden was shared. I have to also say that seeing so many people enjoy the farm has has been a reward in itself.

Thank you for making this such a fun job and great place to call home.

Top 12

2011-12-17T09:14:00.001-06:00

Come this time of year I try to figure out something a little different to blog post. Last year's 12 days of farm Christmas worked well but I had a different idea for this year. Instead of the 12 days of Christmas I thought it might be interesting to do 12 highlights from the year. Narrowing the options was a bit hard but I think I have a few that stand out.
To get this effort started I wanted to offer up a Honorable Mention - the new farmyard shed. The twists and turns on getting the shed have been numerous but in May it finally started coming out of the ground. Over the course of the summer, farm staff worked hard to have it ready for fall programs. When Glenview's Springman Jr. High came we were able to teach one of the segments in the new shed. There is still a little grading to do but it is already serving the farm well.

Good-bye to Patrick

2011-12-16T04:51:00.000-06:00

With the month half over I wanted to take a minute and recognize our 2011 graduate intern Patrick. He will be wrapping up his time at Wagner at the end of the month. Patrick has done a great job with tasks from managing the soda fountain to leading school tours. One of the big projects Patrick took on was developing a new first person program for staff to use in the farmhouse during the dinners program. First person is a type of historical interpretation in which the staff take on a persona of the time and do not come out of character. Currently we do all third person interpretation so Patrick's research will lead to some big programming changes.
Please stop by and wish Patrick well as he leaves the Farm. He has been a real star here and will be greatly missed.

A candidate for silo hall of fame

2011-12-15T08:55:00.003-06:00

So there really isn't a silo hall of fame but if there were, this structure would have to be in it. Since we are working on a silo project here I have built a small collection of silo pictures. The rare silos are the brick and early glazed tile examples. The reason this one is so unusual is not only how good of shape it is in but how the farm's name and year are spelled out in the brick. This picture was taken last summer by one of the friends of the farm, Greg Britton. The family that built the silo still owns the land and farms it up in Scandinavia, Wisconsin.
If anyone out there has other great silo pictures let me know.

Eagle Scout Project

2011-12-12T04:36:00.001-06:00

Over the years, the Farm has participated in a number of Eagle Scout Projects. Our latest effort was completed by scout Kevin Gordon of Glenview. His project was to rebuild our existing picnic benches which were in really sad shape. Throughout the summer Kevin raised money and then initiated a work plan with his fellow scouts to get the benches done. They did a great job and the picnic benches are going to get a lot of use in the coming years.
Thanks so much and job well done Kevin.

Last event of the year

2011-12-11T12:40:00.003-06:00

We close out the 2011 special event year with a intimate little gingerbread house decorating party. A tub of frosting and a bunch of candy are always ingredients for a good time.

A great picture

2011-12-10T13:00:00.000-06:00

As many of you know, we recently obtained a 1930's era broom corn machine. While production is still on the small side we are learning some of the "tricks of the trade". With having a broom corn operation folks are starting to find interesting pieces to give us. The latest to come in is a picture from the late 1890's or so. From writing on the back we think it was taken in Illinois somewhere. The thing I love about photographs is the more you look at them the more you see. The gentlemen in the picture are stripping the seed from broom straw and bundling the heads. The machine they are using is based off the groundhog system and is being powered by a 1 mule sweep drive. Now, here's the hide and seek, do you see the chickens? Dinner is served!
A big thank you to Steve.

Glenview Park District Holiday Party

2011-12-08T20:30:00.006-06:00

The Glenview Park District staff gathered tonight to celebrate the holidays and reflect on the year's accomplishments. This year's holiday party was graciously hosted by Wagner Farm. Over 70 staff enjoyed food and merriment and remembrances of 2011. A silent auction was held and staff throughout the district generously donated items. Almost $1,000 was raised for two local charities; the Northfield Food Pantry and the Heartland Animal Shelter. Happy Holidays to all.

Growing up on a farm is about to change

2011-12-08T05:54:00.003-06:00

I try not to veer off the road and write non-Wagner Farm topics too often but I recently came across an article that got my attention. The United States Department of Labor will be enacting (1/1/12) new rules concerning youth employment on farms. Much of the impetus stems from the inherent dangers that working in agriculture present. According to the Government Accounting Office, agriculture has the "highest fatality rate among young workers at 29 per 100,000 compared to 3.6 per 100,000 across all other industries." In 2008, 456 people under 16 were killed while doing an agricultural task. (1/3 of all the injuries involved tractors.) There is no arguing that farming has dangers involved. Anecdotally it would be hard to find a person in farm country that could not name someone that has been hurt or worse while working the job. The problem with the new rules is while attempting to protect youth it is actually building a wall around an occupation that is fast disappearing in America. How do we as a country hope to produce competent farmers when we keep those most willing to learn on the sidelines? With the average age of a farmer in Illinois at 56 years old it is an issue that needs consideration.

So what about the new rules. The 97 page document that outlines the changes is mind numbing to say the least. Between the multiple HO's catagories (hazardous occupations) and the differing age requirements it is a little hard to totally digest the changes. The following represents some of the more interesting points.
* Youth under 16 will not be allowed to operate power driven equipment.
* Youth under 18 are prohibited from harvesting of fruits and vegetables.
* Machinery operators under 18 can not use electronic or communications devices while on said machinery. (So much for walkie talkies and GPS)
* No one 15 years or younger maybe employed on land not directly owned by their parent.
* Youth under 16 are not allowed to work above the height of 6 feet.
* Youth under 18 are prohibited from interactions with certain livestock without direct adult supervision.
All of these rules contain some differing level of potential "parental exemption" should the parent be the direct land owner. The biggest hitch in this is most farmers have to rent additional land and then this negates the exemption. Also, if the farm is set up in an LLC as many farms are, this too, would impact the parental exemption section.
I don't want to characterize this as an issue that I am totally against. I have a daughter and a nephew and niece that are engaged in farming and I want them to be safe. The thing is, I also want them to have a chance to decide for themselves if agriculture is something they want to go into. Having your first real chance to participate at 18 is just too late.
Being from Iowa I can tell you many tales of kids knowing that farming was in their blood from an early age. My brother Dave would be a prime example. Like many farm kids he collected toy tractors and was read books with characters like Johnny Popper and Corny Cornpicker. He followed Dad around the farm helping out where he could and learning by doing. By age 10 he was able to start his own business making custom hay bales. By 12, Dave was able to purchase a 100+ horse power John Deere 4450 and start farming his own land. Today he operates a multi-million dollar agricultural business. Would Dave had grown up to be a farmer with these new rules in place? I venture to say yes. But with out the experience and the jump start in farming he would not be in the place he is today. Agriculture isn't just a major you can take in college. To do the job, you have to devote years to it. Farming is dangerous, it always has been and will be. With only 1.5% of the United States population farmers, it is easy to see why the voices of dissent over this ruling are not being heard.

Game time

2011-12-06T20:25:00.001-06:00

All that practice paid off, the singing was great! No matter how cold it is or how many people come out this night is one of the highlights in the 4-H year. After our tour of the neighborhood it was time for a gift exchange, treats and some dancing! Happy Holidays from the Glenview Clovers!

Holiday wagon ride

2011-12-05T04:02:00.000-06:00

This Sunday we helped our friends at Lake Forest Open Lands with their Santa on the Prairie event. Last year we had almost a foot of snow so it seemed a little more like Christmas. They had about 150 people come for a story with Santa and carolling.

Get your tree

2011-12-04T10:43:00.000-06:00

Tree sales have started in earnest. The first weekend in December is usually the two biggest days for sales. With the wet weather we did not break any records. Still we have a good start. If you are looking for a great tree and want to support the Farm we would appreciate your business.

Getting ready

2011-12-03T12:26:00.003-06:00

This coming Tuesday the 4-H kids will be hitting the road for their annual Holiday caroling through the neighborhood. It is something that was started pretty early on in the life of the club. The first year we went out we did so on foot. We must have looked menacing as very few people opened their doors to us. The next year we hooked up the pick-up truck to the hayrack and drove through the neighborhood. This was a little more successful but by the time most folks got to their door to see what all the commotion was we were past. Over the last couple years we have gotten a lot better response by sending out a notice before hand that we are coming by. This year we are taking our game to the next level by actually practicing first. Maybe more people will open their doors if we don't sound like a herd of screeching cats. On Friday we had our first vocal practice. All was going well until I broke out the microphone. I never knew we had so many, hmm, all-stars. Still it was a lot of fun.

Case change

2011-12-01T18:34:00.003-06:00

Every so often we change out the small exhibits in the case by the donor quilt. For the last couple of months we have highlighted a number of toy tractors that belongs to Mary Beth's father, Victor. It seems that the retired farmer has a very impressive collection numbering over 3,000 items. I'm not sure who enjoys seeing the display more, the adults who marvel at all the different tractors or the kids who just wish we would open up the case and let them play with the tractors.

The last outreach

2011-11-29T18:08:00.004-06:00

Today we took the show on the road for the last time in 2011. Our travels took us to blistery Lemont, Illinois. It was so cold that we got the teachers to allow us to move the cider pressing and wheat grinding indoors. No such luck with the tractor ride so that made for a long day. As evidence by the pictures, the kids still had fun today.

Soda fountain work

2011-11-26T04:56:00.000-06:00

The soda fountain kids got together one more time this year to work on one more project, cleaning the parlor.

Farmhouse repair

2011-11-25T06:06:00.000-06:00

Late this past summer we noticed that some of the shingles from the farmhouse roof were coming off. This was a bit strange since the roof is only about 10 years old. When we got on the roof to do an inspection we found that the nails were totally gone. Rusted away to dust. We called in a roofing expert and they said that there was a brief period where the material used in the nails was of just really poor quality (yep, from China). Additionally, he said that some of the fireproofing on the shingles when mixed with water contributed to the corrosion of the nails. With that new information it was time to attack the job for a second time in a decade.

Happy Thanksgiving From Wagner Farm

2011-11-24T05:24:00.000-06:00

Living in the land of plenty

2011-11-23T09:25:00.000-06:00

A while back I was given a box of old post cards from my great grandfather to my great grandmother before they were married. She did a lot of traveling around the Midwest, especially for the era in which she lived. One of the cards caught my eye immediately. It is of a bountiful harvest of apples in the little Michigan town of Baroda. Being a historian, I wanted to find out a little more. Ends up Baroda and the county of Berrien is one of the major fruit producers in all of Michigan. Those 15,000 bushels of apples would take up three and a half semi-trucks if loaded up today. To get an idea of how many apples this is, it takes on average, 126 apples to make a box (which is equal to a bushel) That means, in this picture there is about 1,890,000 apples. Wow. This harvest was definitely picture worthy.

As you get ready to have your Thanksgiving feast don't forget where your food comes from and those that work so hard to put it on your table.

Good-bye Lilly

2011-11-22T07:38:00.001-06:00

With the end of the school program year it is time to send Lilly up to Golden Oaks Farm for the rest of her lactation cycle. Something I bet most people don't know, dairy cows are on a pretty strict schedule. The way it is supposed to go, a cow freshens (giving birth), then milks for about 305 days. At that point she takes two months off and stops milking. In this period she is called a dry cow. At the end of that two months, she will again re-freshen and the cycle starts again. This little circle of life is fine when everything goes smooth. If a farmer is really lucky the cow will have a handful of heifers and then you can grow the herd. However, like everything in farming, nature plays its hand in the game. Lilly was bred a couple of times this year and did not take. This failure means she needs to keep milking until she catches. Here comes the trouble, the longer a cow milks the less she gives. At some point she will actually just quit making milk. Lilly gave birth to Daisy back in February. According to plan, she should right now be going into dry and having a calf in March or there abouts. Well, so much for planning. Lilly is one of those All-Star girls like Gibson that is a great milker and loves the public. Hopefully we will see her back down at WF soon.

Interesting news

2011-11-20T07:01:00.000-06:00

Last week the Glenview Park District published their 2011 survey results. Under the heading of highest participation by survey respondents, the Glenview Farmers Market came in second behind the 4th of July parade/fireworks. Fifty-three percent of those asked attended the market. That was really neat to read.
In a somewhat unrelated topic, the survey showed that more people found out about GPD offerings through e-mail blasts that any other way. Guess this on-line stuff is here to stay.

A truckload of fun

2011-11-19T04:50:00.000-06:00

Two trucks full of Christmas trees arrived today. We are all a little tired and smelling of pine.

A couple that grouts together stays together

2011-11-18T05:57:00.000-06:00

Somehow Rob managed to persuade Lindsay to give him a hand with grouting the stone foundation of the farmshed.

Working the ground

2011-11-17T08:44:00.000-06:00

The farm got a little help with fall work as Cody brought his new (1950's)John Deere model A over to start discing corn stalks. Once the crop is harvested we need to cut up the what is left of the plant. In this case, there is a lot of the plant left that goes back into supplying nutrients for the soil. After discing the field some farmers went ahead and plowed the ground so it is ready for the coming spring planting. Other farmers left the field with the disced stalks on top so as to minimize erosion over the winter and spring. With our fields being on the small side we will wait to plow until closer to April.

Pony time

2011-11-16T13:16:00.002-06:00

This morning Robin and Carlin took advantage of the break in good weather to take Bob and Sue out for a spin.You can tell the horses are getting ready for winter as they are putting on a very thick coat of hair.

Foreigners

2011-11-15T13:56:00.002-06:00

When I was walking to the farmhouse today I spotted one of our chickens and a goose having a conversation. No really, they were just cackling back and forth. I wonder what they were talking about.
Did you hear the one about the guy who walked into a bar with a goose under his arm? Well, did you hear the one about the real reason the chicken crossed the road?
If we only knew.

A new dinners crew

2011-11-14T17:03:00.004-06:00

This weekend we had another historic dinner booked in the farmhouse. With Sarah out of town we called in Mary Beth and Claire to fill in and act as the hostesses for the evening. They did a great job and we all had a good time. Before our guests arrived we were playing around in the parlor with the organ and making jokes. I thought the pictures were fun. We were trying for our best old fashion stoic face. Claire really isn't very good at the serious look.

Final voyage to get home

2011-11-13T07:15:00.001-06:00

While you would think getting the Dunbar wagon to the farm would have been the hardest part there was still one more mountain for us to get over before the wagon could be resting at it's new home. We needed to get the wagon off the trailer and down our mega steep ramp to the basement. On this end we are lucky to have a Bobcat that is plenty powerful (thanks JT). Using the Kubota we slowly pulled the wagon to the back of the trailer. From there we used the Bobcat to bring it down the rest of the way. The hitch on the Dunbar wagon takes a 2" ball so we drilled a hole in one of the Bobcat forks and inserted a trailer ball. With this set up we could basically steer the wagon any direction. As we approached the basement ramp we took binder straps and secured the wagon to the running gear and then started the decent. With it really muddy out there was a little worry that the wagon might actually pull the Bobcat down the ramp and in turn would smash the wagon if we lost control. To safe guard against this we chained the back of the Bobcat to a pick-up truck that followed us down the ramp. Quite the operation. I'm happy to report the Dunbar made it safely down the ramp and is now parked next to the 1932 Studebaker truck and enjoying the warm, dry Wagner Farm basement! Now on to start the research on 1909 Dunbar Popcorn wagons.

On the move

2011-11-12T06:06:00.000-06:00

Stressful would be a good description of the overall feeling we had while working to get the Dunbar wagon back to Wagner. Because the current(non-correct) carriage is so far under the body we had to use a Bobcat to pull it out of Hartung's shed. The clearance between the top of the wagon and the bottom of the shed could have been measured with playing cards. It was quite the sight to see five guys stuffed into the wagon to weigh it down so we could get out of the shed. Once the wagon was out then came to task of getting it on the trailer. There were numerous suggestions on how to load it but the professionals from the auction company came up with with the idea of lifting the wagon with Bocats from both sides and then backing the trailer under it. Once on the trailer, we lashed it down carefully and made the slow trek back to the farm.

Brrrr.

2011-11-11T06:38:00.000-06:00

For those of you living in Arizona or Texas, be happy. We got our first snow today

A gift to the farm

2011-11-10T10:12:00.005-06:00

This past week the town of Glenview was surrounded by the excitement of Leroy Hartung's estate auction. Even within Lee's hometown most people did not know the man. His collection however was world famous in automotive circles. Lee was a scrap-man who started keeping odds and end that he came across in the late 1940's. Someone would call him and ask if he would please take some old car or other vehicle. These calls would at times yield gold like when he was given a 1912 Harley-Davidson single cylinder motorcycle. Other times he just got junk like when we gave him the Wagner's 1954 Chrysler Windsor car. This was the only time I ever met Lee and I remember thinking he was going to hurt himself as he laid under the jacks holding up the car and pounding on the brake drums to try to get them to free up. He finally got the wheels to turn and drug the old rusty car back to his shop. We later learned that Lee even considered the Wagner car too far gone to keep and it was sold as scrap metal.
Lee died this past May and the fate of the collections was in doubt. During the late summer huge white tents went up on the property and we all learned that the entire collection would be auctioned off. It took the auction company almost three months to sort through and catalogue all the items in Lee's shed. By the time they were done they had over 80 cars, 26 motorcycles and more than 2,000 lots to be auctioned.
Thanks to the generosity of one of our friends, Ron Bernardi, one of those items will be calling Wagner Farm home, a 1909 Dunbar steam powered popcorn wagon. While it does not have the original carriage it is one of the most complete examples of this model in existence. It is our plan to do a frame up restoration on the wagon and use it to sell popcorn and peanuts at our events and maybe even sometimes at the farmers market. Who knows,we might even start growing our own popcorn!

If you would like to see the items that were sold and what they brought check out Auctions America website According to the local newspaper the auction brought in over 4 million dollars!

On the road

2011-11-09T12:35:00.004-06:00

Over that last couple weeks we have hit a number of schools with our outreach program. The one pictured is Niles West High School preschool program.

Congratulations to Jami

2011-11-07T13:29:00.002-06:00

Not long after I started at WF I met Jami. She was a De Paul University student looking for an internship in large animal care. Jami impressed us from the start by being one of those people who always went above and beyond to get the job done. After the internship we hired her on to help out with everything from doing chores to school programs and even starting the farm's gift shop. During those days she bonded with my daughter Cassidy to the point that whenever we saw a jeep like Jami's Cassidy would yell out "hi Jami!". After graduation she went to the University of Connecticut and got a Masters degree in Bovine Lactation that she has put put to use in her different roles at some of the biggest milking machine companies in the world.
While she hasn't had the chance to make it back to the farm for a while many of the staff and volunteers around here still remember Jami. This past weekend she tied the knot with her best friend Michael. Best of luck and good wishes from all of us at Wagner Farm

A smurch

2011-11-05T07:38:00.000-05:00

The other day Jeff and I were walking up from the farmhouse and we noticed a bunch of the leaves on the ground had a jet black spot on them. When you looked up in the tree all of the leaves there too had the spot. I quickly sent our local tree expert Fred a note asking about it. He said that it is called a tar spot. Ends up it is not harmful to the tree or other trees as it is a fungus that attaches to the leaves in the spring.

Shed work

2011-11-04T08:33:00.000-05:00

While the carpentry part of the shed is finished the guys have switched focus to the foundation work with the hope of getting the job done before the first snow.

2011-11-03T07:26:00.000-05:00

For the last couple years I have posted a shot of this little maple tree that works so hard to put off the best colors around. I wanted to show you what she did this year.

Outdated exhibit

2011-11-01T10:08:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, the world past a milestone that impacted one of the exhibits in the Heritage Center. According to a United Nations demographic report, the world's population crossed 7 billion people yesterday. We have an exhibit that uses an apple to represent the world and different pieces can be slide out to show just how much of the earth's surface can be used to grow crops. In case you are curious, if the oceans, mountains, deserts, cities and the other places where you obviously can't grow crops are eliminated you end up with only 3% of the worlds surface that can be used in food production. The exhibit copy, which was written about seven years ago says the world's population is a little over 6 billion. Kind of funny when something you think is new becomes outdated.
Another tidbit, when Thomas and Julia Wagner built their farm in the 1920's the world population was under 2 billion total people.

Happy Halloween From Wagner Farm

2011-10-31T06:28:00.000-05:00

Our own master pumpkin carver

2011-10-29T06:09:00.000-05:00

If you have driven down Wagner Road in late October you have likely seen the carved pumpkin display out in front of the Wagner farmhouse. For the last 15 plus years our own Farmer Jeff has been the man behind the amazing creation. He usually starts a couple days before Halloween and uses pumpkins that others don't want. Maybe the pumpkin is odd sized or has a broken stem or even a little rot going on. Jeff takes the rejects, adds in a couple more and really makes something worth seeing. As of today, Jeff has completed the first of two tiers on the wagon so there is still a lot of carving yet to do.
If you happen to come by, see if you can pick out the couple pumpkins Farmer Andres helped out with this year. Look for the cow, pig and cat.

Kicking off the Dinner Season

2011-10-28T08:21:00.002-05:00

As the leaves start to fall we switch gears from school tours to working the Farmhouse Dinners program. With a little wood stove and a handful of 1920's recipes we make history come alive. In this job there are a few times when you can actually imagine you have traveled back in time. For me it is strongest when I'm out plowing with the horses and when I'm sitting at the old oak table surrounded by smells of a old time meal. So here's to starting our 5th Dinners season. By the way, if you are interested in booking a meal give Sarah a call. You don't want to miss out.

Another job off the list

2011-10-27T07:45:00.000-05:00

When the parking lot was built in 2002 it seems the contractor didn't use treated lumber. Take nine years of Illinois weather and most of the fence was being held together with nothing but paint. The fence replacement project started with the demolition help from the Kraft Foods volunteers at the beginning of the month. Then Andy and Rob took on the task of digging 55 new post holes and nailing on 165 new fence boards. This time the fence was built right. Not only did they use treated lumber but every post is sitting in concrete. Check the blog in nine years and we'll see how this fence is fairing.

Moving pumpkins

2011-10-25T09:21:00.001-05:00

If you have ever wondered how all those pumpkins get to Wagner I can tell you it takes a lot of work. Because we only have 18 acres we do not have enough room to grow all the pumpkins that we would need. We buy most of our crop from local Wisconsin and Illinois farms and then truck them to Wagner. In the course of an average season we sell about 46 tons of pumpkins. At about 5-10 pounds a piece that ends up being a lot of gourds. We really appreciate all the support folks give us by coming to the farm to get their mums and pumpkins. The money that we raise through the Fall and Winter sales goes to off set the cost of feed for the livestock here at the farm. So thank you for your help.
Great job Jeff and Andres!

Buttercup is back

2011-10-24T11:00:00.004-05:00

After a long "vacation" from Wagner our favorite Jersey is back.

Angry Birds...right here in Glenview

2011-10-22T05:08:00.000-05:00

So the picture doesn't really do it justice but it was an interesting morning. On my way to the barn I walked through whatever the plural of flocks of birds is. With fall setting in we have an over abundance of winged critters. From the Canada geese to the occasional black bird the farm is a "must stop" on the feathered feeding circle. This morning I think it was mostly sparrows that I disturbed as I made my way to the barn. Usually the birds just take off as you approach. Today they formed a kind of funnel cloud of winged furry around my position. OK, it really wasn't that menacing but it impressed me enough that I went back and got my camera so I could tell the story.

Pumpkin Sales!

2011-10-21T06:20:00.000-05:00

Are you still looking for that perfect pumpkin for home? Make a weekend trip to Wagner Farm and pick out a pumpkin and all your fall fixings.

2011 Dairy Days

2011-10-20T06:31:00.000-05:00

Every once in a while the Wagner team gets the chance to leave the farm and help other organizations spread the word about agriculture. This week a handful of our staff has been going up to Golden Oaks Farm to lead programs for their Dairy Days. Golden Oaks is a state of the art dairy in Lake County that produces over 6,200 gallons of milk every day. Just for a reference, that is enough milk for more than 100,000 people to all have an 8 oz. glass of milk.
The folks up at Golden Oaks had a really neat day set up for the kids. In the section that I lead we talked about cattle nutrition and Total Mixed Rations or TMR. For a cow to be healthy they need certain amounts of different foodstuff. After I showed the kids everything a cow eats from cracked corn to cotton seed we had the kids make a TMR of their own. Only their TMR was breakfast cereals that represented the ratios of the different feeds that are combined to make the cow's dinner. It was a pretty creative way to illustrate the TMR concept.

Corn Harvest Part 2

2011-10-19T06:11:00.003-05:00

Corn Harvest Part 1

2011-10-18T05:55:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we hosted the 10th annual Corn Harvest Festival. In keeping with the theme we had all kinds of activities surrounding that great Illinois crop of corn. There was corn husk dolls, corn picking, broom corn harvesting, broom making and corn shelling demonstrations. We even carried the theme over to the lunch with a specially made corn chowder. Attendance was strong with 2,394 guests during the day. And with that, we close out the 2011 special event season!

Getting serious with broom corn

2011-10-18T05:29:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the detective work by our own Lindsay, we now have an electric broom corn machine. In years past we did the demonstrations with a Shaker model from the 1860's. While really neat to have in the historical collection, it was risky to be actually using something so valuable. Not to mention, it wasn't easy using "the old method" when you know there is something out there that is much easier. That easier method is called a kicker machine. The big idea that made the kicker so much better is that when you are adding the wire that is at the top of the broom you can keep the tension very tight on the broom stick. Next time you are sweeping up, take a look at your broom. The wire that holds the broom straw to the stick is super tight. In the Shaker model this tension is all done by grasping the broom stick in your hand while winding the wire with your other hand. A hard job to do, even in the 1860's. The kicker machine held the broom handle in place while you stepped, or kicked the treadle. Each step on the treadle would cause the broom stick to make a 1/4 turn. Between each turn of the broom stick you would add more broom straw and then kick the treadle again until you had made all the rotations needed to fill out the broom. Lindsay's machine has one truly awesome upgrade and that is the kicker is motorized. The kicker machine and the accompanying deseeder are all from the 1930's and are electrically powered. Now here comes the scary/interesting part. Like most machines from that era, OSHA and operator safety was not part of the design work. The machines we got happen to be from the Ohio School for the Blind. Wow, learning by feel takes on a whole new meaning when you are talking about this kind of machinery. We are having a lot of fun working with our new set up. It is our hope to start making brooms from our farm and selling them in the gift shop. Now that would be "locally sourced"!

Shed update

2011-10-17T17:21:00.003-05:00

Today with help of John and the mighty Bobcat we were able to put the final rock grade down in the farm shed. It was surprising that it took 5 dump truck loads of rock to fill the shed floor and create the approach. We used crushed sandstone so that it will match the existing driveway and because of how well it packs. It almost gets like concrete after driving on it for a while. I also heard that it is a lot better for the trees around the driveway as it doesn't change the pH of the soil like crushed limestone does.

Our neighbors to the north

2011-10-15T06:46:00.003-05:00

This week our friends in Glen Oak Acres had their annual Fall Fest at the farm. They had great weather and a lot of eager families join in the fun. Besides the chili cook off, wagon rides, scarecrow building and tons of games they also used the occasion to raise money for a local charity, Feed the Dream.

Glenview 7th graders go back in time

2011-10-12T12:00:00.002-05:00

This week the farm hosted about 280 7th graders from Springman Middle School in Glenview. This is the second year we have done a day long program for the local middle schools and all of the students, teachers, and our staff have a great time! The kids get a chance to learn about Glenview during the 1920's and how farming connected to the overall community. Students do domestic chores such as sewing, luandry, and cooking; they learn about livestock care and farm machinery; they visit our 1930's grocery store and learn about bartering and store credit; they even get to milk a cow-a highlight for all! This was also the first time we have used our new shed for a program. Though the staff is pretty tired by the end of the week, this is a very rewarding program, and you leave feeling very happy to have taught so many kids about Glenview's history. Thanks for visiting Springman!

Isabel meets Isabel

2011-10-07T07:04:00.000-05:00

This past weekend my friend Brett brought his little girl Isabel to the farm to meet all the animals. The horses were big, the chickens were noisy and the pigs were showing off. The best part was when Isabel got to feed the calf Isabel her noon bottle. Even though it is a big bottle she can take it down in only a couple minutes. A fun day on the farm.

Farmers Market

2011-10-06T07:33:00.002-05:00

Well, the market it about done for another year. Back in June the 16 week season looked to be an eternity. It is just amazing how fast it went. With one week left we have had over 20,000 shoppers come through our little market. The big highlight for me was our introduction of the LINK program. To open up the market to all, including those on food stamps was a big step in building an inclusive community. Not only did the Glenview Farmers Market introduce the LINK program we also partnered with Glenview State Bank, the Friends of Wagner Farm, the Glenview Women of Today, Glenview Rotary and the Northbrook/Glenview Kiwanis club to offer double value tokens for all LINK users. I have been told that our program is the only one of its kind in Illinois. Other markets that offer double value all use state or federal funds. I'm proud of Glenview for stepping up to make this program happen.

I also want to thank Roxanne, Christine, Lindsay and all the market volunteers for the work they put into making this year such a success. Despite the blazing heat, hurricane winds, typhoon rains and even the pelting hail they did their jobs with a smile. Thank you so much. You guys make it happen. Finally, I want to thank all our friends who also braved the elements to come and support the market. The real highlight is getting to talk to and meet so many great people. If you haven't made it to the market this year you have one week left. The weather is supposed to be 70 degrees and sunny, perfect for making a trip to the farm!

New officers for the Glenview Clovers 4-H Club

2011-10-05T06:06:00.001-05:00

Once a year the Glenview Clovers 4-H Club elects their new officers for the coming season. I always enjoy hearing the kid's speeches on what they would do if elected and why they want to be officers. This year Cody, Claire, Cassidy, Bridget and Marina are taking over the reins of the club. Good luck guys!

Kraft Day at Wagner Farm

2011-10-04T06:45:00.000-05:00

Today a large group of employees from Kraft Foods came to the farm to spend the day volunteering. It was one of the nicest days weather wise we have had in weeks. The projects this year were to tear out the fence in the parking lot and help us harvest broom corn. In four hours it is amazing how much we we got done. I'm sure there will be some pretty sore folks tomorrow.

The first decade

2011-10-03T07:54:00.001-05:00

Well this October 1 marks ten years at Wagner Farm. I remember thinking when I took to job that it would take a couple years to get the basics of the museum started and then maybe a couple more years to fund raise and build the visitor center and then we would be moving on. All I can say is ten years really go by fast. Glenview has been a great place to work and call home. Thank you to everyone who lent a hand making this such a fun and rewarding experience.

Lake Forest Bonfire

2011-10-02T10:51:00.001-05:00

On Sunday Robin, Laura and I traveled to Lake Forest to help them with the annual Bagpipes and Bonfire event. This is always an interesting event. This year it was made all the more exciting when we blew a tire on the people wagon. With the help of one of their workers we got some air in the tire. Once inflated, we could still hear an air leak coming out of the valve stem. In true farmer fashion we wired it up and packed it full of duct tape in hopes of limping along with the ride. Ten minutes later we were flat again. So much for "the handy mans secret weapon - duct tape". Since the ground was soft from the recent rains we chose to push on even with the flat tire. Despite the strange mangled rubber sounds coming from the tire we did pretty good for about 45 minutes. Then the ponies Bob and Sue whispered to us that this arrangement wasn't going to work for them anymore. The increased load caused by the flat was just too much to ask them to pull up and down the hills of Lake Forest. With a unanimous vote, we loaded up and ran for home. Every year our trip to Bagpipes and Bonfires seems to supply us with another year's worth of stories.

Almost done

2011-10-01T05:36:00.000-05:00

Today Rob and Andy nailed the last board in place on the farmshed. The next step is to finish the wiring, put the outer edge on the foundation and establish the final grade. A big thank you to the construction team for all your had work this summer to get this job finished. It looks even better than I had imagined.

She said yes - part 2

2011-09-30T07:15:00.000-05:00

One more thing happened Saturday that I think people should know about. One of our soda fountain employees had a surprise guest come and formally invite her to homecoming - and she said yes.

She said yes - part 1

2011-09-29T07:07:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday has given me a lot to blog about. With the bonfire and scarecrow events we had a lot of people on the farm. So, we were a little surprised when all the sudden there was a large wedding party taking some pictures with the barn as a backdrop. When I see things like this it makes me really happy. Yes, of course for the new couple but also for our community. This farm has become a special place for so many people from all over the area. And to think that it was only saved but the slimmest of margins from becoming yet another subdivision. Thank you Glenview for saving some of our town's history for our future generations.

Bonfire at Wagner Farm

2011-09-28T06:59:00.000-05:00

Saturday was a busy day at the farm. Not only did we have the scarecrow building and the farmers market but was also hosted the Bonfire event. Over the years this has grown to be a local favorite. Somehow we were able to squeeze it in between all the rain. Numbers were down a little but we still had over 1,400 visitors that evening.

Scarecrows a plenty

2011-09-27T06:52:00.000-05:00

On Saturday the farm hosted the annual family scarecrow building event. It had rained really hard that morning so it looked like we would have to cancel. Just as the event was set to start the sky opened up and showed a little bit of sun. To cover our bets however we moved the event from the big field to under the porch. It made it a little tight but everyone seemed to have a great time. There is just something funny about people carrying these stuffed bodies to their cars.

This morning

2011-09-26T18:45:00.004-05:00

With all the rain we have been getting it isn't surprising that we get rainbows once in a while. Today's rainbow was pretty interesting in that one leg started at the Wagner farmhouse with the other one at the heritage center. The sight of it made our own Patrick McGuire jump for joy, and then mumble something about rehidding the pot of gold.

Old friends

2011-09-23T10:26:00.003-05:00

Before I came to Wagner Farm I was the director of a historic site in Lafayette, Indiana. The place was called the Museums At Prophetstown. It was a unique venture between the State of Indiana and the museum. The concept was to have a historical attraction within the boundaries of the new state park that they were just completing. The Museums at Prophetstown had three different areas of interpretation. There was the 1811 Native American village, a restored tall grass prairie and a 1920's farm. To be working on such a massive new project was very exciting. The hard part being, this was the first time Laura and I had moved away from home. With a six month old baby and no family around it wasn't easy. As the museum got up and rolling I put out the call for volunteers for the historic farm. We were blessed to not only attract a great corps of helpers but also people who made Laura, Cassidy and I part of their family. When the time came to move on to the next job is was hard to leave our Indiana family. This week Helen, Lucille and Jean came up to Glenview to check in on me. We had a good time talking about the old days and showing what we've been up to recently.

Let's Play Two!

2011-09-22T09:18:00.003-05:00

Join us this Saturday for a double bill! Build a scarecrow from 12-3 pm. $5 buys you a pumpkin head and straw. You bring your old clothes to stuff! Then come back in the evening from 5-8 pm for a harvest bonfire. $3 per person gets you cider and s'mores. There's nothing like autumn at the farm.

Pumpkins are here !

2011-09-22T04:07:00.000-05:00

It is Fall and time to bring on the pumpkins. Last month when we got the straw shipment I had a picture where Blackie the cat was hiding amongst the bales. Too keep with the theme I lured Blackie over for the photo shoot. While interested, he still manages to play it cool for the camera.

First 4-H meeting of the year

2011-09-21T10:12:00.004-05:00

Last night we kicked off the 2012 4-H year for the Glenview Clovers. There was a lot of excitement as we talked about upcoming events and projects. And like most meetings, it is very important to have cake !

Timber !

2011-09-19T18:31:00.004-05:00

Sorry for the long break between posts. It is not because there hasn't been anything going on. Actually, it is quite the opposite. Thank you to all the blog readers who check in with me to make sure I know they are ready for some new posts. (O.R.!)

Last week we had a crew come in and do some tree trimming and removal. Like the rest of the Northshore communities, the farm has been hit hard with Emerald Ash Borer. This is a little insect that gets into the tree bark and then eats the "bloodlines" of the tree until it kills them and then moves on to the next tree. There are treatments to protect the trees but so far they are only partially successful. Between the Ash borer, the Dutch Elm Disease and the bad storms of recent, the town of Glenview is looking hurt.

I have to give props to the guys from the tree crew. Without hesitation, they not only climbed to the top of the trees, then they proceeded to hack the trees down and perfectly place every falling branch. It was so impressive that a bunch of people stood in awe watching these men working. I looked out my office window and wondered what had so captivated all these people's attention. When I saw what they were looking at I had to snap a couple of shots.

Around the farm

2011-09-14T06:46:00.000-05:00

These fall nights have been so nice lately. Here's a few shots from around the farm.

Barn Dance 2011

2011-09-13T15:31:00.002-05:00

This past weekend we had 800 or so of our best friends over for a little barn dance and ice cream social. Of all the events we do the barn dance is one of my favorites. While we strive for public interaction, most of our events are heavy on the seeing part. The barn dance is all about the doing. Families taking the time to be together on an amazing fall night and just enjoying the fun. Thanks to everyone who came. Next event, the Harvest Bonfire is September 24th from 5-8.

Barn Dance II

2011-09-13T15:27:00.004-05:00

Barn Dance III

2011-09-13T13:55:00.001-05:00

Annual Blessing of the Pets

2011-09-10T13:04:00.006-05:00

One of the relationships that I'm proud to have in the community is with Saints Peter and Paul Greek Church across the street. Through a great partnership they allow us to use their parking lots for our events and even the weekly farmers market. One of the fun things we do is participate in their blessing of the pets ceremony. Some years we take the big horses and other years little calves. It is always a hit to have the farm represented.

Mangelwurzel

2011-09-09T06:21:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago I wrote about the Polish ground cherry that Paul had planted in the house garden. I thought I would introduce you to something else that Paul put in and is just as bizarre, Mangelwurzel. This is in the beet family and is most popular in central Europe. Interestingly, it isn't grown for human consumption, although people do eat them. They are mostly used as fodder for livestock. The first mention of them being purposefully cultivated is in the early 18th century. I pulled a few and tossed them into the chicken yard to see if there was any interest by the birds. Within a couple hours one of the mangels was gone and they had started on the next one. I'm going to try the horses next. Funny thing is, our dairy animals get dried beet pulp in their regular rations. There really isn't anything new.

Crazy awesome progress

2011-09-08T06:13:00.000-05:00

The farmshed is really coming along this week. The windows have all been put in, the flashing installed, the siding is going up and the roof is done. To top all of this off, literally, Rob placed the weather vane.

Mums are back

2011-09-07T18:08:00.003-05:00

As many of you know, WF off-sets the livestock feed bill by selling mums, pumpkins and later Christmas trees. It is a real mark of fall when the mums arrive. If you are interested in getting some flowers come by the farm Monday-Friday 10-6, Saturday and Sunday 10-5.

Farm Progress Show

2011-09-03T11:15:00.005-05:00

One of the great things about my job is what I do for work is also what I love to do for fun. So this week I got to run down to Decatur, Illinois for the Farm Progress Show. There were a couple of vendors that I needed to check in with about some Wagner Farm things, but while I was there I took in the whole show. The best way I can describe the FPS is to say it is a little bit like a state fair crossed with a farm carnival. Almost every manufacturer of agricultural goods sets up shop and is trying to get you to come visit them. Some displays like the Dekalb seed corn tent were amazing. They pulled out all the stops with an air conditioned tent to a new motorcycle made by the OCC. The Case/IH display started with a demonstration by the world record crossbow champion and ended with a GPS tractor precision driving show. Everything was brand new and for sale. Outside of the tents and displays they have massive field trials set up so farmers can see the different equipment in use. Combines harvest in the morning and tilage equipment in the afternoon. The shear size of the ag equipment is mind blowing. I think back to how much change my Dad saw in the 70 years he farmed. When he was born, our farm had one F-20 tractor and a couple teams of horses. The corn was picked by hand and the fields were plowed every year. By the time he was done farming the tractors were 10 times more powerful, driven by satellite GPS and reduce tilage farming has made the once symbol of farming, the plow, obsolete.

Big machines

2011-08-30T17:23:00.005-05:00

This past weekend was the Monster Machine event. There were big tractors, back hoes and even a combine.