AGN_Freedom 250_073126

FREEDOM 250

Celebrating America’s Agricultural Heritage SPECIAL SECTION

2 Friday, July 31, 2026 | FREEDOM 250: CELEBRATING AMERICA’S AGRICULTURAL HERITAGE | www.agrinews-pubs.com

Patriotism shines with Old Glory on Kestel farm “It was a little more than $500, but that’s been up there now since about 2022 and it looks as good as the day he finished it.

“It’s really kind of cool. It wasn’t intended to do that, but it’s kind of become a landmark, and we keep a light on it all the time at night.”

By TOM C. DORAN tdoran@shawmedia.com

MANHATTAN, Ill. — It has not been verified, but Dave Kestel’s blood may run red, white and blue.

The Will County farmer always had a strong conviction toward patriotism. His dad, Tony, who died in December 2016, served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, and Kestel has carried on his parent’s love of country.

It was during the events of 2020 when Kestel took that love to another level.

He spearheaded efforts to have a July Fourth parade in his hometown in 2020, when such COVID-era gatherings were not allowed, and hung a 12-by-18foot nylon American flag on his corn crib.

He also installed red, white and blue landscaping lights around the front of his house in 2020 that continue to grace the farm today.

Red, white and purple petunias border his house and his mom’s house. There are no blue petunias, so he planted the nearest color.

“The disrespect that people have for our flag” moved Kestel to put a flag on his crib, add more later around the grounds for Independence Day and organize that 2020 parade in Manhattan despite being told by local officials that he couldn’t.

“The burning, and then throwing the flags on the ground, all the riots and the disrespect for the flag and our country,” Kestel said.

“Some of the illegals that are here and are flying the flag from their country, well, if you’re so proud of that flag, why did you come here? Even people here and the division in this country politically, I couldn’t stand it.

“People disrespecting our flag and disrespecting this country just rubs me the wrong way.

That’s when I created the Fourth of July parade and put the flag on the corn crib.

“I put a lot of Christmas lights in the yard, too, but some people go bananas over Christmas. I go

Dave Kestel’s farm is a patriotic showcase year-round with his corn crib flag, landscape lights and flowers. Kestel takes Old Glory to the next level in honor of Independence Day with dozens of small and standard-sized flags adjacent to the crib. little bananas on the Fourth of July because I think we should.

“I’m proud of this country, and it irks me to see people disrespect it. I don’t want to say I go overboard. I just feel like I’m just a good American.”

In the week leading up to July Fourth, Kestel’s patriotic display also includes 50 small flags, dozens of standard-sized flags and one atop the grain bin to accompany the permanent crib flag.

CRIB FLAG He installed the first flag on the corn crib to surprise his mom, Eleanor.

“I had ordered the 12-by-18foot nylon flag for something like $250. I got up real early one morning near the Fourth of

July. I didn’t want her to know what I was doing, so I was out there at daybreak,” he said.

He attached the flag to 1-by2-foot boards that were painted red, white and blue and attached it the crib and put small flags in the yard.

“I was putting all these flags in the front yard. My mom got up and she hollered out the window, ‘Wow, that looks really cool.’ I said, ‘You can’t see the best part from the house,’ and she walked out there. She’s like, ‘Oh, my goodness,’ when she saw the flag on the crib,” he said.

That flag lasted about a year and a half before Mother Nature ripped it apart. The notion of installing another large nylon

flag on the crib and getting it straight “was a bigger job than I thought because you can’t screw it up — you’ve got to do it right,” Kestel said.

He had also priced new 12-by18-foot nylon flags and the cost had gone up to around $500.

Painting a permanent flag was the answer.

Kestel called his cousin, Matt Boucher, of Dwight, for contact information for Steve Connor of Conman Painting.

“He brought somebody with him that day, got here at 8 or 9 a.m. in the morning. He brought some scaffolding, and at 2:30 p.m., I think I was planting, he called, said they were done, and that he’d just send an invoice,” Kestel said.

CRIB’S HISTORY The crib itself also has a story to tell of its historical significance and ties in with the nation’s fight for freedom.

Prior to construction of the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant, also know as the Joliet Arsenal, in November 1940, there were 450 small farms in the Elwood area near Manhattan that the federal government needed to purchase for the 40,000-acre project. The plant began ammunition production on July 12, 1941.

Kestel’s crib is from one of those farms.

“When they put the in Army ammunition plant, the corn crib was dismantled there, brought up here and rebuilt,” he said.

Field Art The Kestel farm has also featured other popular displays. He tilled in an 840-foot-long cross in his field in celebration of Easter.

In 2022, he created roughly a 90-by-60-foot flag in foot-deep snow using a Gator utility vehicle to lay out stars and stripes just south of the farm buildings.

He used food coloring and applied the appropriate flag colors with a hand sprayer.

FAMILY FARM Kestel’s patriotic displays are on the family’s centennial farm.

“Grandpa bought the farm here in 1914. This is not the original farm. The original farm is about two miles from here and was bought around 1870, 1890, something like that,” he said.

“I’m fourth generation. My daughter will be the fifth, and then I have a grandson and a granddaughter that will be the sixth generation.”

See SHINES, Page 3

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SHINES FROM PAGE 2

Kestel raises corn, soybeans and a few beef cattle. He’s been a Pioneer seed dealer for 31 years.

“I no-till, strip-till everything. I also have a couple of fertility plots I’ve been messing with for the last five or six years. I pull soil samples every year and tissue samples every summer to see exactly what’s going on, and these two plots are pretty juiced up,” he said.

“I do a National Corn Growers Association entry. I didn’t hit 300 bushels per acre in 2025, but the year before we tipped the scale of 305.

“That’s nothing for the guys in central Illinois, but up here it’s a big deal, and it’s fun. I’m not competing with the guys in central Illinois. I’m competing with me. I just want to do better than I did last year.

“This is an exiting year for Pioneer, too, with their 100th anniversary.

That’s really exciting to be part of it.

They’re doing a lot of fun things this In celebration of Independence Day, Dave Kestel adds numerous small and standard-sized flags around his corn crib’s permanent flag. summer.”

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7

Family proudly displays Old Glory on old corn crib

By TOM C. DORAN tdoran@shawmedia.com

ODELL, Ill. — A corn crib, which carries a bit of history itself, was given a fresh coat of paint in 2017 when Mike Fogarty decided to add a special touch.

“Jeff Telford was painting the crib. So, I said to him when it was about done that I wanted a flag on it, and Jeff painted the flag,” Fogarty said.

He initially got the idea when seeing a flag on a barn near Ocoya, south of Pontiac.

The corn crib was built in 1963, shortly before farmers began shifting toward using combines that shelled corn in the field and replacing cribs with on-farm grain bins and dryers.

The farmstead and adjacent farmland was owned by the Gebhardt family at the time and farmed by Mike’s dad, Don, who purchased the property a few years later.

“It was one of the last cribs built. There were one or two built after this one, but they’re gone. There’s not too many cribs left,”

Fogarty said.

Mike and Barb Fogarty’s homestead is located along a busy county road that runs from Odell to Fairbury in central Illinois.

“It’s on a good location on the county road and people see it going by,” he said.

During the Christmas season, they have a Nativity scene spotlighted so it casts a large shadow onto their barn.

Patriotism runs deep in the Fogarty family, and they proudly display the flag that fills the crib’s west wall.

Mike’s dad, Don, was in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1945, serving with the 3rd Armored Division in the European Theatre during World War II and earning a Purple Heart. Don died in October 2010.

The Fogarty family’s farming roots also run deep in this piece of Livingston County.

“I was either the fifth or sixth generation of the Fogartys who farmed around here and I’m the last. My dad moved down there when he was 2 weeks old in March of 1920,” Fog-

arty said as he pointed to the original farmstead less than a mile southeast.

Mike’s last crop was in 2020.

“I didn’t retire, I gave up,” he grinned.

“I miss certain things about farming, some things I don’t miss. I wasn’t good with technology and I just decided that these young guys can do it, and it’s time for me to get out of their way. I sit here and I watch them. Sometimes I don’t know exactly what they’re doing.”

There’s also a historic tidbit for this family.

Mike’s dad was the first

AGRINEWS PHOTO/TOM C. DORAN

When Barb and Mike Fogarty had their corn crib repainted in 2017, they opted to include Old Glory on the west side. The crib was one of the area’s last ones built in 1963, shortly before farmers began shifting toward using combines that shelled corn in the field and replacing cribs with on-farm grain bins and dryers.

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9

Farm wife writes book about family, patriotism

By MARTHA BLUM mblum@shawmedia.com

ALEXIS, Ill. — Although Trinette Olin worked on writing a children’s book for many years, it took retirement for her to complete the project.

“In my mid-30s, I thought it would be really cool to write a children’s book, but I didn’t know what it would be about, so it just simmered for a long time on the back burner,” she said.

“When I would get inspiration, I would write things down,” said Olin, who taught fifth grade for 17 years. “One day, I was working in my yard and it just came to me that I needed to find a middle name for grandma.”

As a result, Olin wrote her first book, “The Bicentennial Year and the Forgotten Name: The Story of a Young Girl’s Quest and her Battle Against a Ferocious Dog.” “I went back to my fifth-grade year, which was the bicentennial, so it was a patriotic time and I started filling in the events of the 1975-1976 era,” she said. “I worked on it on and off for years and then I got really serious when I retired.”

The book is an epistolary novel.

“The story is told through letters exchanged between my fifthgrade self and my grandma who lives on a wheat farm,” Olin said.

Grandma does a lot of reminiscing in the book.

“She helps me overcome my fear of my piano teacher’s dog — a vicious, evil dog,” Olin said.

“It’s sharing our daily lives in a patriotic time and all the festivities that went on throughout that year.”

The book is about family, patriotism, American history and 1970s pop culture.

“And hopefully the lost art of letter writing will make a comeback,” the author said.

While writing the book, Olin received help from her students

The story of this children’s book is told through letters exchanged between a fifth-grade student and her grandmother during the bicentennial. It is about family, patriotism, American history and the lost art of letter writing. at Immaculate Conception.

“They added so much to it by being really good listeners and asking so many questions,” she said.

“The kids asked me if I was going to write another book and I had not even thought of that,” she added. “I have ideas coming all the time, so I think I will.”

Olin has done several booksigning events in western Illinois, as well as presentations at schools and libraries, since her book has been published.

“I really love talking to the kids about the book — it has been fun,” she said.

“Adults that lived through the ‘70s say it is a nostalgic trip down memory lane for them because they forgot a lot of stuff or it brings back memories,” said Olin, who farms with her husband and son near Alexis, where they grow corn, soybeans and raise a few feeder cattle.

It was important for her to include farming in the story.

“There is so much to be learned

Trinette Olin is a former fifth-grade teacher, farm wife, mother, grandmother and lover of children’s literature. The first-time author wrote the semi-autobiographical book, “The Bicentennial Year and the Forgotten Name: The Story of a Young Girl’s Quest and her Battle Against a Ferocious Dog.” from farm life and hard work,” she said. “You have to depend on your faith to help you get through some of those hard times and there is so much unknown with the markets and the weather.”

Olin was hesitant to write a book because she did not know if kids would like it or if she would be able to handle the criticism.

“Then I came across a book that helped me,” she said.

“It said we all have God-given talents and we are meant to use them for the greater good,” she noted. “If we don’t, that is disobedience.”

Another message in the book asks, “What if what you have to offer is what someone else really needs?”

“Kids need to know about the past and maybe they need a little inspiration to take them to a

happy place or another place in time,” Olin said.

“I like sharing that we are meant to answer our calling and we should not ignore that and be courageous,” she said.

Olin’s book is available to purchase on Amazon.

For more information about the author, go to trinetteolin.com or send an email to tolin6294@gmail.com.

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11

Community celebrates democracy, freedom Vincennes honors nation’s founding

By ERICA QUINLAN equinlan@shawmedia.com

VINCENNES, Ind. — The community of Vincennes in southwestern Indiana is celebrating America’s 250th anniversary for the remainder of the year.

From guest speakers and reenactments to guided history walks, there are many opportunities to learn about the area’s Revolutionary War history.

“Some people don’t realize Vincennes is Indiana’s Revolutionary War site,” said Janice Barniak, executive director of the Vincennes/Knox County Visitors and Tourism Bureau.

“The battle of Fort Sackville happened here, and we have a national historical park in memory of the event. In 2025, we began a committee to shape how we would commemorate America’s birthday, culminating in a year of festivals, guest speakers and reenactments.”

In 1779, the Battle of Fort Sackville was a pivotal victory for American forces.

Led by Lt. Col. George Rogers Clark, a small group of frontiersmen and militia marched through harsh winter conditions to surprise the British-held fort in Vincennes, according to the county’s historical society.

The capture of Fort Sackville secured the Northwest Territory for the Americans and boosted morale.

In July 1778, the French residents of Vincennes pledged their commitment to the American cause after swearing an oath of allegiance.

As part of the 250th anniversary celebration, Vincennes is dedicating a monument in honor of that oath and collecting signatures online for those still dedicated to democracy.

Barniak shared other ways

PROVIDED PHOTO/CLARK Z. CONWAY

Vincennes celebrated America’s anniversary with a 250th themed rendezvous — a weekend long Revolutionary War battle reenactment with period-correct food, crafts, soldiers and more. the community is celebrating the milestone.

“In May we had a 250th themed Rendezvous, which was a weekendlong Revolutionary War battle reenactment with period-correct food, crafts, soldiers doing encampment, performers doing historical characters and more,” she said.

“This weekend we’ll have our Vietnam reenactment, and in

September, our second World War II reenactment of the year, along with monthly speaker series and period Christmas-themed festivities.

“Grouseland, the home of President William Henry Harrison, is hosting a historical gun exhibit in September, and the Red Skelton Museum has opened a new exhibit about Comedian Red Skelton’s patriotism for the 250th.”

A local hot-sauce maker is making a 250 -themed sauce called “Fort Sackville Fire.”

All the ingredients are things that were available 250 years ago.

“Even our tattoo parlor offered 250th themed tattoos,” Barniak said. “This push has really been a way to bring people together and celebrate the freedoms we have.”

“It’s also a great time to re-

member that while America feels very divided right now, in a real sense, we’ve been here before,” she said.

“We’re deciding again and again what freedom looks like in a democratic country. It’s a real honor to be in a place where we’re connected to that history every day.”

A list of events, as well as merchandise, can be found at visitvincennes.org/vincennes250/.

12 Friday, July 31, 2026 | FREEDOM 250: CELEBRATING AMERICA’S AGRICULTURAL HERITAGE | www.agrinews-pubs.com

Celebrating 250 years: How 2026 compares to the bicentennial

By ERICA QUINLAN equinlan@shawmedia.com

COLUMBIA CITY, Ind. — As the country celebrates 250 years of independence, many Americans still remember the bicentennial celebration held in 1976.

Searching through archives from the Indiana Historical Society and local newspapers from the 1970s, one can spot the differences between the two celebrations.

In 1976, Hoosiers wanted to build permanent physical markers for the 200th anniversary. A stone carver named Frank Arena Jr. in Bedford carved a life-size limestone replica of George Washington crossing the Delaware.

Once finished, Paul Revere’s fathe 30-ton statue mous ride. toured Indiana But overall maon a flatbed truck ny of the celebrabefore being trantions are seen in sported to Pennlocal communities sylvania. Today, or through digital you can see it in outreach. person standing John Woodmannext to the his- Woodmansee see, a Purdue Extoric Washington tension educator Crossing Inn. in Whitley County, penned Many counties also bur- a story about how agriculied bicentennial time cap- ture has been the cornersules, marked to open in stone of America through 100 years, in 2076. Across it all. many Indiana communi“I’m showing my age, ties, fire hydrants were but I was a teenager when painted red, white and America celebrated its blue. bicentennial in 1976,” he In 2026, the celebrations said. are a little different. There “This year we are celeare nine lanterns travel- brating the United States’ ing to each county in the 250th anniversary, its state, inspired by the lan- semiquincentennial. tern signal that launched “Throughout those ye-

ars, agriculture has been a cornerstone of America’s development.

“Countless farmers, families, inventors, plant breeders, engineers, organizations, companies and acts of Congress have contributed to the feeding of our nation’s people and agricultural advancement.”

A publication from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “After a Hundred Years: The Yearbook of Agriculture 1962”, shows a glimpse into farm life in 1862: “On farms, food was mostly grown and preserved at home. Much of the clothing was homespun. Homemade candles and the flicker of the fireplace provided light. Animals and men were the

PROVIDED PHOTO/TOM BARTHOLOMEW

There are nine lanterns traveling to each county in Indiana, inspired by the lantern signal that launched Paul Revere’s famous ride. power that tilled the soil.

Buildings were erected from home-sawn trees or from the sod of the prairie.

Fuel came from the wood-

lot or was the cow chips that littered the range.”

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13

Indiana exhibit on display at the Great American State Fair

By ERICA QUINLAN equinlan@shawmedia.com

WASHINGTON — Indiana brought a piece of Hoosier pride to the National Mall for the Great American State Fair.

An interactive miniature golf experience celebrating Indiana’s history, innovation and culture was on display June 25 to July 10.

“Since 1816, Indiana has played a pivotal role in the fabric of our nation,” said Gov. Mike Braun. “I am proud of our state’s contributions to our great nation and excited for Americans to get a feel for who we are as Hoosiers as we celebrate 250 years of American ex-

cellence.”

Each hole of the golf course showcased a unique aspect of the state’s identity, from agriculture and natural resources to sports and beloved traditions like the Indiana State Fair.

Ahead of Independence Day, the governor also met with leaders in Dubois County to discuss their plans for commemorating America’s 250th anniversary.

Braun encouraged communities across Indiana to take part in local celebrations with support from the Indiana 250 County Grant Program.

“America’s 250th anniversary is a chance for Hoosier communities to reflect on the courage,

sacrifice and enduring principles that built our great country,” he said.

“I encourage local communities across Indiana to take advantage of our Indiana 250 County Grant Program to create memorable experiences for Hoosiers during this historic American celebration.”

Through the Indiana 250 County Grant Program, counties can apply for reimbursement funding to support local events, educational programs and community celebrations.

The Indiana Semiquincenten- Indiana’s exhibit at the Great American State Fair was a Hoosier-themed mini nial Commission offers Indiana golf course. counties a $1,000 grant — one county, visit tinyurl.com/Amergrant per county — to support ica 250 celebrations.

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Corn maze honors USA’s anniversary SPRING GROVE, Ill. — It’s America’s 250th birthday — and the “world’s largest” corn maze will mark the semiquincentennial in extraordinary style.

Depicted in the 28-acre maze this year will be an American eagle, three stalwart signers of the Declaration of Independence, a 13-starred, early American flag, fireworks streaming out from a star emblazoned with the numerals “250” and the bold letters “USA” perched over the nation’s birth year.

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son, who operate the farm along with George’s brother, Robert; Robert’s wife, Carol; George’s son, Ryan; and Ryan’s wife, Kristen.

“It’s a wonderfully detailed image,” George Richardson said of the 2026 maze design, once again a creation of Idaho-based MazePlay. “I particularly love the eagle flying above the early American flag. I think it’s going to be really spectacular.”

Ryan Richardson said the family decided to reveal its maze design a bit early this year.

“It’s a celebration all year long,” he said. “This is an especially cool and fitting design for an especially milestone moment in our nation’s history.”

A visitor equipped with a map enters the 2025 Richardson “world’s largest” corn maze. This year’s maze design celeSee MAZE, Page 15 brates America’s 250th birthday.

www.agrinews-pubs.com | FREEDOM 250: CELEBRATING AMERICA’S AGRICULTURAL HERITAGE | Friday, July 31, 2026

15

MAZE

FROM PAGE 14

The Richardsons noted that along with celebrating America’s 250th, this fall’s festivities will feature the opening of a renovated 1876-era octagon barn on the adventure farm property at 909 English Prairie Road, Spring Grove.

“This year marks 150 years since that barn was originally built,” George Richardson said.

“Think of that — it was built just 100 years after the colonies declared independence.”

While history will feature prominently, the 2026 adventure farm also will beckon with plenty that’s new, with improvements planned for several of the family-friendly activities that draw tens of thousands of visitors annually.

Further details will be made available as the event start date draws near, the Richardsons said. Pricing details, hours and more will be available at rich-

SM-LA2336734

An American eagle, fireworks, flag and more will herald America’s 250th in the 28-acre corn maze at Richardson Adventure Farm in northeastern Illinois. ardsonfarm.com.

Those who’d like to be among the first to hear the latest Richardson Farm news are encouraged to sign up for the free

e-newsletter. Click “Join our Newsletter” under the “Contact” dropdown on the farm’s website.

Following Richardson “World’s Largest” Corn Maze on Fa-

cebook and @richardsonadventurefarm on Instagram also are great ways to keep up with what’s new.

Along with the fall adventure

farm, Richardson Farm is home to a cut-your-own Christmas tree farm in the winter and the Richardson Tulip Festival in the spring.

16 Friday, July 31, 2026 | FREEDOM 250: CELEBRATING AMERICA’S AGRICULTURAL HERITAGE | www.agrinews-pubs.com

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