Clearing up misconceptions about farming

October 22nd, 2022

ON THE COVER: Farmers harvest fields in Scott County as the season draws to a close for another year. USDA estimates say statewide corn yield per acre is expected to rise slightly from last year, although the 10.7 million acres planted in Illinois was down 3% from 2021. Soybeans could bring a record 66 bushels per acre yield in Illinois this year after seeing a 6% increase in acres planted, at 11.2 million. There are an estimated 5,988 corn and soybean farmers in Morgan and surrounding counties.

Darren Iozia/Journal-Courier

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Roelof Bos/Getty Images Bryan Richardson, a farmhand at Richardson Farms, said the one thing nonfarmers don't understand about farming, in his opinion, is the amount of time it takes to be a farmer.

By Ben Singson

R EPORTER

Farming is ubiquitous in westcentral Illinois, with farmland seemingly everywhere.

Despite this, many people outside the agriculture industry still have misconceptions about the work that farmers do. Farmers cleared the air about the time, effort and capital it takes to make it in the agriculture industry.

Bryan Richardson, a farmhand at Richardson Farms, said the one thing that nonfarmers don’t understand about farming, in his opinion, was the amount of time it takes to be a farmer.

“They think most farmers just work six months out of the year and then they go on vacation,” he said. “But that’s not the case. Most farmers, they have livestock yearround, seven days a week, sometimes 24 hours a day.”

Richardson said a normal day for him starts at 6 a.m., where he takes care of chores and cattle, which he said was a twohour ordeal. His day ends at around 9 or 10 p.m., he said, and the kind of work he gets done depends on the time of year.

“There’s always maintenance to do on everything,” Richardson said. “There’s never a typical routine of the day.”

Jacob Freeman of Freeman Seed in Murrayville said many people didn’t understand how much money went into agriculture, particularly the inputs such as seed and farming equipment. He said these expenses impact farmers by limiting what they can do with things like fertilizer and herbicide. Many consumers are trying to pursue organic crops, he said.

“I’m not saying that’s a bad thing,” Jacob Freeman said. “It’s just defiConcept continues on A4

nitely a different way we have to reorganize our operation to their wants, I guess.”

Jon Freeman, also of Freeman Seed, concurred, saying that nonfarmers were unaware of “the investment, the knowledge and the time” that went into agriculture. Many legislators try to write laws about agriculture without knowing how it works, he said.

“Now, we’re getting a lot of government regulation from legislators and people that do not know what it actually takes... for us to be able to grow the food and put the products on the table,” he said.

Jon Freeman referred to a Californian animal welfare law called Proposition 12 as an example of what he saw as people who don’t know about agriculture trying to regulate it. The law, which is currently in front of the Supreme Court, bans the sale of pork, veal and eggs which come from animals whose cages failed to meet minimum space requirements.

Proposition 12 is being fought over by the pork industry and animal rights activists. Jon Freeman said the people who wrote the law “are not knowledgeable enough or don’t have any experience to actually know what really needs to be done.”

Ashland farmer Andy McClain seconded Jacob Freeman’s claims on both chemical use and the cost of farming

“Everybody’s looking for a product in the grocery store on the shelf that’s priced right for them,” he said, “but they don’t realize what goes into the production of agriculture and the cost involved.”

KDP/Getty Images Jacob Freeman of Freeman Seed in Murrayville said many people don’t understand how much money goes into agriculture, particularly seed and farming equipment. He said those expenses impact farmers by limiting what they can do with things like fertilizer and herbicide.