Farming in 2023 is a bit different now than when David Petefish’s family came to Illinois in the early 1830’s. Relocating from the state of Virginia, they settled in the area of Virginia, selecting that area for the rich, black soil.
Farmers and residents of rural communities often face stigma when it comes to mental health challenges, but state leaders hope to change that.
Governor JB Pritzker announced Tuesday that chapters of FFA – the group once known as Future Farmers of America – will be eligible for $1,000 grants to fund mental health awareness programs in schools and rural communities. Up to 20 such grants will be available through the Illinois FFA Foundation starting this fall.
Photos by Jaime Chapman & Kaitlyn Copley Ashland Arenzville Bluff Springs Virginia Login to continue reading Login Sign up for complimentary access Sign Up Now Close
Up before the sun, making sure he knows what everyone else is going to do and what he’s going to do for the day is how Marty Turner starts his day. Running a farm is a good way of life, but a hard way to make a living.
His family has been farming for many years. It started with his great grandfather. Then later his grandfather moved to Beardstown in the late 1950’s. His father helped his father farm the land along with taking care of cattle. Marty followed in the family business. And that’s what it is now, a business Marty says. Many changes in farming have occurred in the last few decades to make farming more modern and business-like.
Beard Implement Company has donated $25,000 and the use of a Case IH Farmall Tractor to John Wood Community College’s (JWCC) Agricultural Sciences Complex to support students’ experiential learning and research in West Central Illinois.
The tractor will be used by students and faculty for crop development, research and other projects at JWCC’s Agricultural Education Center near Baylis.
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Fall Harvest: Beardstown FFA Members
As a teenager, one of my farm duties was cultivating the weeds out of the corn and soybeans. I preferred to drive our bigger tractor because it was easier to handle, but the cultivator was mounted on the back which posed some additional challenges to the job at hand.
Back in those days, GPS was not an option. So I would have to keep an eye on the crop ahead of me and the equipment behind me. If I didn’t stay in the rows, I could tear out the crop. And it only took a few inches off track and I was in trouble. If I ignored the cultivator and it got clogged with bindweed it would rip the plants out of the ground. Both scenarios were ones I tried to avoid.