SVM Ag Magazine - Spring 2022

From agricultural ancestors to the next generation, group celebrates our nation’s farmers.

Farm family enjoys the meat and greet at their new shop.

Amboy high-schooler was in a class of her own.

A national coalition has answered a call to farms, to help America’s veterans.

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SAUK AG PROFESSORS MICHAEL SELOVER (LEFT) AND KEVIN LARSEN

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Published by Sauk Valley Media 113 S. Peoria Ave. | Dixon, IL 61021 815-284-2222 Have a story idea for Ag Mag? Let us know ...

Call 815-632-2531 or e-mail news@saukvalley.com Articles and advertisements are the property of Sauk Valley Media. No portion of Ag Mag may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Ad content is not the responsibility of Sauk Valley Media. The information in this magazine is believed to be accurate; however, Sauk Valley Media cannot and does not guarantee its accuracy.

Sauk Valley Media cannot and will not be held liable for the quality or performance of goods and services provided by advertisers listed in any portion of this magazine.

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Magazine editor & Page design Rusty Schrader

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Publisher/Ad Director Jennifer Heintzelman

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inside A society for the AGes

From agricultural ancestors to a new generation of growers, a national group is on a mission to celebrate America’s farmers.

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Growing by leaps and bounds It wasn’t that long ago that a college in the middle of corn country didn’t even have an ag program, but a lot has changed at Sauk Valley Community College.

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Meat and greet

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In a class of her own

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A call to farms

A local family is enjoying face-to-face time with folks who stop by their new shop for homegrown meat.

When an Amboy student taught an ag class, she discovered that her students weren’t the only ones learning to grow.

A national coalition has gathered its ground forces to help veterans find their place, and a purpose: Feeding America.

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BY C OD YC UT TE R he roots of farming run

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deep in America, all the way back to the amber waves of grain grown by the father of our country.

In fact, George Washington himself said, “I had rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world.”

Today, the spirit of Washington’s love of our land lives on in a group that celebrates the work of farmers like him, and the countless sons of daughters of our nation whose work provided them with a life and a livelihood as they fed our nation and helped it flourish.

The non-profit National Society Descendants of American Farmers promotes the history of farming, shares the stories of longtime farmers, provides a platform for farm enthusiasts to gather, and nourishes the future of agriculture through scholarships — and like the farmers it celebrates, the group has been growing, but a former Princeton woman would like to see an even bigger crop of members.

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SOCIETY cont’d from page 5 Nancy Gillfillan, the group’s national organizing director and co-ambassador for Illinois, is spreading the word about the group she’s been a part of for the past three years, hoping others will feel the same way she did when she found out about the group: “This one was absolutely right for me.”

The society began in March 2019 with 20 founding members.

Today it has about 1,250 members, and nearly just as many farmer ancestors who have been approved as supplemental members. Illinois has more than 50 active members.

Most of the money collected from membership dues, and other money that comes to the society goes to a scholarship fund, which has given $58,000 to ag students nationwide in the past 2 1/2 years.

Membership is open to anyone who qualifies as a lineal descendant of a farmer who lived within the present boundaries of the United States from July 4, 1776, to July 4, 1914 — the cutoff date determined by the Hereditary Community of the United States of America, which establishes the accepted dates for proven membership for nationally recognized lineage societies such as the NSDOAF.

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Gillfillan, a Princeton native currently living near Henry, farmed near Walnut with her husband of 59 years, Dick, for many years before they passed their farm to their son, David.

She also had a career in library science, serving as director of libraries in Dixon and East Peoria before teaching library administration at the University of Illinois until 2012.

Looking at the society as a way to honor her family’s farming legacy, Gillfillan decided to join in June 2019. Her work in the group so impressed the national leaders that they appointed her Illinois ambassador just 3 months later. A year later she earned another title: national organizing director, a position

that serves as a go-between among state ambassadors and the society’s leader, President National Janisue Rigel.

When she became a member, Gillfillan proved at least 12 farmer ancestors on both sides of her family.

“While I belong to a number of lineage societies and am active in them, this one was absolutely right for me; and its main mission was to give scholarships,” Gillfillan said. “I understood it and wanted to be involved and recognize my whole family background, past and present. I did not hesitate to send in my application.”

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What is the National Society Descendants of American Farmers all about?

The National Society Descendants of American Farmers is a national organization for men, women and children who are direct descendants of American farmers. It is a fairly new society that has been in existence less than 3 years. No other society has addressed or honored the American farmer the way this society does. Its purpose is just that: to honor, remember and recognize our farmers — past, present and future. Its main mission is to award scholarships to deserving university agriculture students. Those are the elements that appealed to me. Members are encouraged to have fun with no stress. Dues are paid only once, so it never is an issue again.

SOCIETY cont’d from page 7 In addition to NSDOAF, Gillfillan keeps plenty busy during her retirement. She’s a member of about a dozen other lineage societies, including her local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Daughters of 1812, Colonial Dames XVIIC and Southern Dames of Illinois — serving in state leadership positions in those four. She also served on the state Homemakers Extension Federation Board and was also Bureau County Homemakers Extension Association.

Northern Illinois AgMag talked with Gillfillan to learn more about the National Society Descendants of American Farmers.

Why should people considering joining?

It gives farmers and others the opportunity to honor and recognize their farmer ancestors. It is the only organization that salutes our farmers, and it is the chance for farmers, especially, to pay homage to their forebears. If farmers do not remember their ancestors and the years of toil, who will? They also may find it fun and interesting to learn about their farmer ties to the land.

How does membership work?

There are several ways to become a member: A regular lifetime adult membership is $300. There are also Super Senior memberships for those ages 80 or older, and youth and family memberships available. Applications and full information are on the national website, nsdoaf.com. It should be noted that 60 percent of all membership fees and 100 percent of supplemental fees (such as additional ancestors recognized by a member) go to our Scholarship Fund. National Membership is lifetime.

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in June in D.C. That’s a more appropriate SOCIETY cont’d from page 8 and special venue for all members to attend.

There are no yearly state or chapter dues because there Unfortunately, the last 2 years had to be held are no state nor local societies. This is different from many via Zoom. other lineage societies. It is actually very easy to become a In the last couple of years, a speaker series member. You need to prove that you had an ancestor farming has been held on Zoom. We have visited venues between July 4, 1776, and July 4, 1914. from all over the U.S. and have learned about a If you belong to a lineage society already, then simvariety of farm-related ventures, from wine and ply use the short application form on our website, cheese making to cattle ranching to beekeeping; select one of the listed ancestors whom you wish and the list goes on. The presenters have been to honor, find a census or other proof for him or her. fantastic, and it has been a real education to learn You will send directly to the National Registrar the how our lives are affected by farming. short form, a copy of your other approved lineage In Illinois, again because of COVID, not many insociety application, the proof, and your membership person events have been held. However, this summer, fee. Approval is usually within a week or two. This Julie Barnes the other Illinois Ambassador, Julie Barnes, was able to can all be done online. host a booth at the Marion County Fair. As COVID eases, it If you do not belong to any lineage societies or the farmer is hoped that more such events can be held. We hope to be you wish to honor has not already been proven, then you able to plan tours and get-togethers as well. will need the long application form. On it, you will need to We are also part of the Illinois Heritage Alliance — an list births, deaths, marriages of the generations back to the organization of more than 20 Illinois lineage societies farmer you wish to honor, and you will include documentathat meets in September in East Peoria. This is also a tion: birth and death certificates and the like and again the way to introduce our society to others. Currently, Illinois proof — like a census — record of your farmer. members have met virtually to get acquainted and share Does the society have any annual events that members can ideas and suggestions. Our next meeting is in February, and take place in, either nationally or in Illinois? the President National and the Registrar National will be atOur national meeting, the National Caucus, was at the tending, via Zoom.

Department of Agriculture building in Washington, D.C., before the COVID-19 shutdown. It is planned again this year SOCIETY cont’d to page 10

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SOCIETY cont’d from page 9 How does the organizational structure work?

The national organizational structure is similar to most lineage societies. There is an elected National Board led by a President National, five Vice Presidents National and other officers. Terms are 2 years. There are directors appointed by the President National for several areas of work: organizing, membership, scholarships, youth and Farmerettes. Unique to this society is the connectivity to members from all the states. Appointed by President National are state ambassadors. Each ambassador serves as the liaison between the members in the state and national. The ambassador keeps in contact with the state’s members via email, newsletters, telephone and activities. It is the ambassador’s responsibility to encourage membership, promote scholarships, coordinate get-togethers of members via Zoom or in-person, and support and share the myriad programs and activities that NSDOAF offers. The ambassador is actually the face of NSDOAF in the state.

There is a Diamond Award that honors those who have farmed for more than 60 years; are there any in Illinois, and how did that award come about?

The prestigious Diamond Award was designed to recognize those who have been active farmers for 60 or more years. It was felt by President National Janisue Rigel that this is a very special group of people who deserved the honor.

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preserve them. They were paid the same wages as men. The Libertyville farm developed a thriving market for its eggs and chickens, sold butter and cheese in Chicago stores, and the green tomato mincemeat was a big hit.

SOCIETY cont’d from page 10 They must be nominated with a description of their service. The form is on our website. To date, no Diamond Awards have been given in Illinois.

There is also the Farmer Recognition certificate which recognizes and honors farmers for their hard work and contributions in making our country the bread basket of the world.

One such certificate has been presented to Heritage Farms and the Johnsons of Watseka.

What else about NSDOAF would you like to share?

As I said, the main mission is to give scholarships. Until now, no students from Illinois colleges or universities had applied. Ambassador Barnes and I made a major effort to contact agriculture schools and departments in Illinois via professors and scholarship websites. This semesThere’s also the Women’s Land ter there were 55 applications submitted Army, which was created durto NSDOAF, and 16 were from Illinois!

More ing World War I; how has the The national committee just met and info society helped to remember is awarding four $2,000 scholarFind the National Society its importance? ships. Competition is very keen.

Descendants of American NSDOAF has created the We are thrilled that one of the Farmers on Facebook, or go project to try to determine scholarships is going to Emma to nsdoaf.com for membership the identities of the FarmerLagerhausen, a junior in Crop applications and more information ettes and to hopefully honor them Production Science at Southern about the society and its programs. by finding and honoring their descenIllinois University in CarbonTo see the work of members, find “NSDOAFdants. The Woman’s Land Army was a dale. She will also receive an Members in Action” on Facebook. civilian volunteer group, organized and Honorary NSDOAF memberEmail Illinois co-ambassador and nationfinanced by women, based upon similar ship. Illinois has its first scholal organizing director Nancy Gillfillan activities in England. Information and an arship recipient. Hopefully, that at gillfill@frontier.com for more Honor Wall, listing more than 1,700 names of will start a trend; and students will information on state women and some men, which war they served continue to apply. activities. and their hometown, is displayed on the NSDOAF What have you come to personally enjoy website. about being a part of the society?

Illinois played an important role during World War I with First, I am delighted that I have been able to recognize my a training camp at Libertyville. A number of the Farmerfarming background — my father, grandfathers and their ettes were students at the University of Chicago. Mr. W. V. ancestors — to honor my husband’s service to feeding the B. Ames, a Lake County farmer, donated his 200-acre farm, world, and now my son. I am so pleased to be involved rent free, for 3 years, for training at the Libertyville Camp. with a society whose first mission is to give scholarships to The women lived in units, planned and cooked their own worthy agriculture students. That is very thrilling, but I most meals, separate from the farm house, so as not to be a enjoy meeting all the people from around the country who burden on the farmer’s wife. Training consisted of learning have the same interests. I feel as if I know many people well, to care for all types of livestock, plant pathology, poultry, and I’ve only met them via Zoom, email and on the phone. I beekeeping, dairying and cheese making. They learned to have created new friendships that I will cherish. In this time plow with horses and gasoline-powered tractors, to cultiof Covid, this has been a wonderful new outlet and a new vate grain and corn, raise fruits and vegetables and can and venture of which I’m very proud.

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DIXON —Forget any “how to” guide on teaching advanced agriculture classes these days. That book’s still being written — and rewritten.

Faced with a field of study that’s constantly changing and evolving, ag instructors have to be on their toes if they want to give students the tools they need to By feed the world.

Cody Science and technology have teamed up to bring the future of farming to Cutter today’s classrooms, from tractors that put a satellite in the driver’s seat to sciSauk Valley ence that puts a world of genetic engineering in a seed.

Media It’s a good thing Kevin Larsen and Micheal Selover know how to dig in and plow ahead. The pair of ag instructors at Sauk Valley Community College have to in order to stay sharp and keep the college’s ag program on the cutting edge.

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SAUK cont’d from page 13 Not only do they have to be teachers, they have to be students too, learning as they grow along with the students, adapting to changes and new practices.

That hard work has paid off. Sauk’s ag program is thriving only 5 years after it was resurrected after a long absence, and the pair of professors have more in store.

It’s come a long way from planting its first seed — without a shovel.

“When the college restarted the ag program, they literally had nothing,” Larsen said. “They had the instructor, they had the curriculum, that was it. The instructor didn’t even have a shovel to teach a soil science class with; he had to bring his own.

“From then to now, it hasn’t been just leaps and bounds, but just jet-speed ahead.”

Since its first class in the 2017 fall semester, the agriculture program has grown to include 12 courses ranging from introductory studies, animal and plant sciences and business studies. Drone technology lessons also have become a part of the curriculum, and two more precision agriculture classes are set to be added in the coming semesters.

The program manages three plots: a 7-acre test plot operated in conjunction with Cornelius Seed, a 56-acre plot north of Dixon shared with Dixon High School, and a 14-acre plot currently being developed for organic production that will have a combination of corn, soybeans and other grains. Money generated from sales of product from the larger plot, off of Dixon’s Brinton Avenue, funds scholarships for Dixon High School students to attend Sauk for ag classes, and also provides cash flow for future ag program projects.

Enrollment is on the uptick, too. In the 3 years that Larsen has taught classes, the number of students — whether seeking a certificate or a degree — has risen each year, an accomplishment made all that more impressive considering it happened during a years-long pandemic.

Selover taught his first ag class last year, bringing horticulture back into the fold.

“The curriculum is always changSauk ing and the industry is always Valley Commuadvancing, and we have to stay nity College agriculture on or ahead of that curve or professors Michael Selover risk being irrelevant,” Selover (left) and Kevin Larsen may said. “If people are taking our have their feet firmly planted on courses and having positive the ground, but when it comes outcomes from that, both to the future of Sauk’s ag propersonally and professionally, gram, “the sky ’s the limit,” we’ve got a place to be.”

Larsen said.

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SAUK cont’d to page 15

SAUK cont’d from page 14 Many ag classes involve hands-on field work, and recently students got a helping hand, and some horsepower. After a few semesters of borrowing a tractor for classes, the college recently purchased its own — and they plan to build on that success, primarily with GPS guidance controls.

“We are going to be able to show our students that you can take a base model tractor and build it up,” Larsen said. “You don’t have to break the bank on equipment if you can do it moderately and build yourself up; that’s going to be a very effective model to go forward.”

Agriculture was part of Sauk’s curriculum from 1966 to 1984, when a referendum axed it. When president David Hellmich arrived in 2015, the thought of resurrecting the program came up after a curriculum evaluation. An advisory council of college and local leaders was formed to find out how it could be brought back.

Along with Larsen and Selover, Joshua West, Sauk Sauk’s dean of business, career and technical proag students st grams, and Jon Mandrell, Sauk’s vice president of get to see the late in academics and student services, were a part of t en pm in ag equi that committee. bot action, like this ro cal “We did a reassessment of everything to serve lo technology at a the community,” Mandrell said, “and we had been dairy farm. talking for years about how we literally sit between SUBMIT TED two cornfields and don’t have ag. How are we really serving our mission if we don’t have an ag program?”

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From farm to table arn Sauk students le sit it all. Here, they vi to op sh r he a local butc the in s er learn about care od fo industry as well as . quality and safety

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Larsen, who raises hay and beef on a farm near Morrison, and Selover were working elsewhere in the local ag community while serving on the initial council, and eventually became professors at Sauk. The council continues to help guide them on local trends and provides input

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on the curriculum.

“We rely on their feedback a lot,” Larsen said. “We started out as primarily agronomy and ag business, but now that things have grown and evolved, we saw what direction it was going with good enrollment in the production technology area, so we’ve been going into an all-encompassing ag production program.”

West oversees the agriculture program, and credits the professors with not only bringing more students into the ag program, but keeping them interested.

“It’s Kevin and Michael,” West said. “They’re pounding the pavement. They’re making connections. They’re really good teachers, and they are raising the profile of the program. We had a switch of faculty after a couple of years, and that naturally is going to set any program back a little when you do that. Kevin and Michael have been in the process of building the program back up.”

Their work has helped make Sauk more viable in local agriculture, Mandrell said.

“The lifeblood of our community, as we see it, is ag and manufacturing,” Mandrell said. “We’ve always had very strong manufacturing programs, and it’s great to be associated with agriculture as well. The collaboration and the support we get from everyone has been so positive.”

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The term “field trip” takes on a new meaning when you’re in an ag class. Sauk students often venture outside the classroom and head to farmers’ fields where they’ll learn about various aspects of agriculture, such as: the importance of soil quality, water management, and erosion control from a local grain farmer (right); how to use GPS tech to take soil samples (inset at left); and even learning about agronomy at a Christmas tree farm (inset at right).

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SAUK cont’d from page 16 The recent resurrection of the horticulture classes has also opened doors, including doors on a new campus greenhouse, which the college plans to build in the near future. That’s all thanks to $100,000 in COVID19 aid given to the college by the Lee County Board through the American Rescue Plan Act. The greenhouse “wasn’t even a thought 3 months ago,” Larsen said, noting how quickly things can change with the program. Now it’s to the point where Larsen and Selover are dreaming of additional ways to grow the ag curriculum, whether it’s planting orchards on campus for horticulture studies, or perhaps having students mow the athletic fields on campus to learn about turf management.

“We don’t have a history, which sounds a little weird, but we don’t have old molds to break,” Larsen said. “We are making our own molds, we are making our own future, we’re making it to what it is. We don’t have to live under a tradition of, ‘Sauk’s always done it this way.’

“We can forge our own path. When we recruit from high school classes, we tell them that it’s so fresh and so new that it’s so exciting because you don’t know what’s coming. Even our tractor wasn’t thought of last year.”

The future of the industry will lie in a combination of automation and utilization in data, Selover said.

“As a program, we’ll need to be able to keep up with technologies that are being used in the industries, Selover said. “We don’t yet have an automated tractor or planter, but in the future, we’ll need it. In another 10 years it’s going to be a certainty. We’re going to need softwares that are data-capable to deal with larger datasets, because that’s how decisions will be made in production situations.”

It’s hard to tell how Sauk’s agriculture program will look in a couple of years — “You can’t get a snow globe and get a picture of it, it’s so blurry as to where we’re going to be,” Larsen said — but one thing is for sure: It’s only going to get better.

“Where we’re going with the greenhouse and the precision classes, the sky’s the limit,” Larsen said.

From salesmanship to soil science, marketing to management and more, Sauk’s ag program has a lot to offer future farmers. Below are the courses they offer.

Two additional ag production classes will be introduced in the next couple of semesters. Go to svcc.edu/academics/programs/agriculture for more information INTRO TO AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS An introduction to the principles of economics including production principles; production costs, supply and revenue; profit maximization; consumption and demand; price elasticity; market price determination; and competitive versus noncompetitive market models. Other topics include a survey of the world food situation; natural, human and capital resources; commodity product marketing; and agricultural problems and policies.

SOIL SCIENCE An introduction to the chemical, physical, and biological properties of soils; the origin, classification, and distribution of soils and their influence on people and food production; the management and conservation of soils; and the environmental impact of soil use.

ANIMAL SCIENCE The application of the sciences of genetics, physiology and nutrition to the improvement of the animal industries and an introduction to management and production practices.

Includes animal breeds, breeding and selection; products and marketing; production technology and economics; animal behavior; and current issues in animal science.

INTRO TO AGRICULTURE MECHANICS Designed to provide a introduction to agricultural power (engines, hydraulics, calibrations, and agricultural equipment), agricultural electrification and applications (circuits, motors, and controls), agricultural structures (plans, loads, construction materials and layout and design), metal fabrication and soil and water conservation (surveying, mapping, drainage and conservation structures).

PRINCIPLES OF ORNAMENTAL HORTICULTURE An introduction to the principles and practices in the development, production, and use of horticultural crops (fruits, vegetables, greenhouse, turf, nursery, floral and landscape). Includes the classification, structure, growth and development, and environmental influences on horticultural plants; horticultural technology; and an intro to the horticultural industries.

INTRO TO AGRICULTURE BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Organization and structure of agricultural businesses; resource evaluation, policy development and implementation, functions of management, and laws and taxes that affect business.

INTRO TO AGRICULTURE MARKETING AND STANDARDS Survey of approaches to marketing agricultural products; implications for the producer, consumer, processor, and government; use of grain grading and standardization equipment.

AGRICULTURAL SALESMANSHIP Provides an introduction to the basic principles underlying the sales process in agricultural farm supply and practical application and development of sales techniques,, including an understanding of the salesperson's obligation to self, their company, and their customer.

INTRO TO AGRICULTURE EDUCATION An introduction to Agricultural Education programs and delivery systems, state and federal policies; the nature of teaching in school and non-school settings; types and purposes of Agricultural Education; program components; approaches to teaching, teacher characteristics; community relationships; educational change and innovation; trends and developments in Agricultural Education. A general study of the nature of Agricultural Education along with its opportunities and responsibilities will be explored.

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Sauk Valley Community College has done quite a bit of growing in the 50-plus years it’s been here, and not just in its ag classes.

The college opened in 1966 in temporary buildings (one of which is home to Sauk’s agriculture program) before moving to its current location — a 450,000 square foot, three-story building between Dixon and Sterling on state Route 2 — in 1970.

Second-generation farmer Charles W. Schuler once owned the land the campus sits on before selling 150 acres, about half of his property, to the college’s founders in October 1965 for $150,000. The parted property included a barn, garage and a small two-story brick house. Schuler and his father, Harry, raised Hereford cattle on their farm.

The younger Schuler later moved into a house on the remaining portion of the family property, and even tried to capitalize on the college’s early success with a plan for a proposed hotel on the corner of state Route 2 and Mound Hill Road, which eventually failed. Schuler then moved to Florida where he managed a Holiday Inn; he died in 2019, aged 96.

Schuler had already left for Florida by the time Sauk started its agriculture program in 1967. According to former Sauk librarian Duane Paulsen’s 2003 history of the college, “Out of the Prairie,” the agriculture department had 33 classes and had instructed nearly 3,500 students by 1979. The nationwide agriculture crash and the failure of a referendum resulted in the program’s cut in 1984.

Sauk restarted the agriculture program in 2017 after 33 years of dormancy. The program currently utilizes the former Schuler buildings for storage, but they will fall to the wrecking ball when the new greenhouse is built later this year.

Left: C.W. Schuler’s house and garage.

Above: Charles W. Schuler. At top: At one time a temporary home for Sauk, the building now houses the college’s ag program.

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By Cody Cutter | Sauk Valley Media

hen you fire up the grill for a sizzling steak or a juicy burger, or you snap a piece of jerky in half from Krogman Homegrown Meats, rest assured that what’s on your plate lives up to the business’ name.

For more than a half-decade, Chad and Julia Krogman have raised Duroc and large white hogs and Angus cattle, both grain-fed from local feed, on their farm between Shannon and Freeport.

The farm has evolved from old-fashioned technologies to the latest in livestock care. They even filled a small lagoon in and installed solar panels to source natural energy.

But one thing hasn’t changed: a dedication to delicious cuts of meat.

The operation expanded more than a year ago to include a small store attached to the farmhouse. Prior to that, they had sold their meat wholesale for 8 years, but when they expanded their business it did more than just open the doors to a store, it opened the doors to meeting new faces, and couple said it’s been a thrill to meet and — pun intended — chew the fat with customers.

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KROGMAN cont’d from page 23 “We had been doing wholesale halves and quarters to people, and we kind of got to talking about how not everyone has a deep freezer, and not everyone has a family big enough to where they want a whole quarter,” Julia said. “It’s kind of a lot to buy all at once if you’ve never tried it. So we thought we’d try the retail end of it and reach out to local people who don’t have the exposure to farm-raised meats.”

Customers can also order meat at the farm’s website, krogmanhomegrownmeats.com.

Chad and Julia are relatively new to their land, but not to farming. They grew up on farms, and when they got married, one of their dreams was to have a farm of their own. The dream came true in 2015 when they purchased 7 acres with a two-story house, and buildings that needed a little TLC.

The Krogmans — Chad and Julia, and their children (from left) Hezekiah, Titus and Brayden — invite you to their farm to check out the selection of fresh meat in their recently opened storefront.

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KROGMAN cont’d from page 24 “It gave us the opportunity to start with pigs inside an older facility before we built our first hog barn,” Chad said. “Then we built our second hog barn this year. If we wanted to stay in business, we needed to upgrade.”

At any given time, there are between 10 to 15 head of cattle in a pen, as well as 400 to 800 pigs in two buildings. Chad tends to the farm in the morning, and Julia does the same in the afternoon. On top of it all, Chad also operates a hog-hauling business, and Julia homeschools their three young boys, Hezekiah, Titus and Brayden.”

“We feel blessed to work together, even if it’s not all day, every day, it’s at least somewhat,” Julia said. “The kids love to come out to the store and say ‘Hi’ to people, learn to count change, and things like that.”

Ribeyes and tenderloins are quite popular with customers, along with briskets and beef sticks. The sirloin top roast is another hot seller; instead of taking the tip and making it a tougher steak, it’s left as a roast, which customers like to smoke, Julia said. The tri-tip cut, available as a whole roast or in 4-ounce cuts, is one not found in many stores, but the Krogmans have it: It’s a triangular-shaped top notch cut of meat that is juicy, tender and versatile with a rich beef flavor great for grilling steaks.

“It’s not a common cut and it’s hard to find,” Julia said. “It’s one that people like. It’s the tip of the sirloin and can either be cut into steaks or left as a roast, and a lot of people smoke it.”

One of the newest additions to the store’s freezers is the pitmaster-blend patty, a specialty grind that consists of chuck, brisket and short rib. The marbling and fat in those makes it really tender, juicy and flavorful, Julia said, and it can even be made into meat loaf.

Also available are sliced deli meats, brats, bacon and breakfast sausages that have “an old-fashioned sausage taste to it,” Julia said, “A real classic flavor.”

“We’ve met people from lawyers to marketing professionals to grandpas and grandmas who remember farm-raised meat that they haven’t had it in a long time,” Julia said. “Some are from the suburbs or even downtown Chicago, and some of them live right out here. It’s been interesting seeing a whole spectrum of people.”

“It’s been a good way to know people since we’re not from the community,” Chad added. “It’s a good way to get to know and interact with them.”

Even when the meat is processed, it doesn’t stray far from the farm. It never even leaves Stephenson County as it heads to AJ’s Lena Maid Meats in Lena, aged for 14 days before being cut, and then sent back to the Krogmans’ freezers for sale.

No hormones or unnecessary antibiotics are added to their meats. Cows are pasture-raised and grain-finished, and the meat dry-aged to give cuts appealing marbling and tenderness. Hogs are finished with a nutritionist-approved grain diet for tenderness and texture.

KROGMAN cont’d to page 26

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Titus, seen here standing next to the family’s initials near the hog pen, and his siblings do their part to help the family farm turn out tender cuts of meat. Julie (seen in inset at right) and Chad said the kids are great around the cattle and hogs, which helps reduce the animals’ stress. “There have been several studies that have shown the more tame the animal is, the more tender the meat is,” Julie said.

KROGMAN cont’d from page 25 Even the kids play a role in making the meat top notch. Julie and Chad said they’re great around the cattle and hogs, which can help reduce the animals’ stress.

“They love to feed the cattle, help unload the skid loader, and help tame the animals,” Julia said. “We’re literally tenderizing our beef. There have been several studies that have shown the more tame the animal is, the more tender the meat is. You can picture one of the boys petting a steer, and, yeah, we’re literally tenderizing our animals.”

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SAUKVALLEY.COM

KROGMAN cont’d to page 27

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KROGMAN cont’d from page 26 Despite only being open 2 days a week, a steady flow of customers have kept the Krogmans busy From city to country, Illinois to Wisconsin and Iowa, budding young barbecuers to experienced grillmasters, the Krogmans enjoy meeting their customers, and people like knowing where their meat comes from, and supporting a small family farm.

“I enjoy the lifestyle, having the space for the kids to run, and there’s always something to do,” Chad said. “We recently took a trip, and we were only gone for a day, but I just really missed the care for the animals. You just get in a routine and enjoy taking care of them, and the rewards that come with that.”

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SAUKVALLEY.COM

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ALEX T . PAS CHA L/AP ASC HA L@ SH AW M E

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Amboy high-schooler Dana Merriman says she learned an important lesson as a studentteacher: “It’s taught me that I can make a difference in someone else’s life.”

OF HER OWN

By Cody Cutter | Sauk Valley Media

When an Amboy student took on the task of teaching an ag class, she discovered that her students weren’t the only ones learning to grow

he bell rang to dismiss class in the middle of the day, and Dana Merriman joined her fellow students as they spilled into the halls at Amboy’s newly enlarged junior/senior high school building.

While the rest of the students went about their hallway hustle and bustle, dodging and darting on the way to their next destination, Dana was on her way to begin her temporary promotion in the junior high wing.

That’s when she became Miss Merriman to the eighth-graders in her Discovery Ag class.

During the fall semester, Dana jumped at the chance that

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Amboy High senior agriculture students have every year: the opportunity to put their ag know-how to work and teach it to future high school students for half of the year.

Opportunities like this don’t come along all that often, and Dana was eager to take a turn as a student-teacher.

“It’s taught me that I can make a difference in someone else’s life,” Merriman said. “That’s what my whole idea of this was, I really wanted to connect with students and let them know that there are so many opportunities with agriculture.”

MERRIMAN cont’d to page 29

MERRIMAN cont’d from page 28 The school’s Discovery Ag class is the earliest entry-level class catered specifically to agriculture. The 9-week course is required for each student to have before moving on to high school, where there’s a more advanced introductory class as well as specialized ag classes.

Being a student, and having been in that same class just a few years prior, helped Dana relate to the students, and vice-versa. But as she would find out, that didn’t mean there still weren’t a few students who just weren’t that interested, or tough to convince of the benefits of learning about agriculture.

But even the challenges were a chance to learn for Dana, who drew on her own experiences to spark an interest in students. She taught a variety of ag topics, which gave her a chance to be creative while sharing her love of agriculture with others, she said, adding that the students’ enthusiasm and interest made the whole experience fun.

MERRIMAN cont’d to page 30

ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM

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MERRIMAN cont’d from page 29 “They were so interactive, they were always joking around, and they were really into the lessons,” Dana said. “That’s what made it fun and a great experience. The fact that the students were still interacting and being engaged in the topics showed me that I was doing a good job, and that they’re liking what I’m doing.”

The experience was a familiar one for Dana, whose class had its own student-teacher, Justin Yocum, when she was in eighth grade. That experience inspired her to want to follow in Justin’s footsteps when she became a senior.

Her ag teacher, Jim Heavner, was all for it, and helped her with lesson plans and other tools she needed to make her experience a success. She also got plenty of help from her principal, Janet Crownhart, and her music teacher, Travis Kemmerer.

While Dana enjoyed having more of a say in the classroom, she was still under a teacher’s supervision. Jacqueline Owensby, an eighth-grade math teacher, observed each class session, helped Dana learn the ropes when it came to running a classroom, and offered guidance on getting students’ attention.

“They gave me a lot of good insight on how to keep everything on time, and time management with creating lesson plans and stuff like that,” Dana said.

Having trusted friends also helped. One of them, Ashley Althaus, taught the same class 2 years ago and provided Dana with some of the lesson plans she used. She edited them to fit her own goals and style, which included a more interactive

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classroom where students worked in groups and moved about the room to learn different things.

One of them was a lesson in hunting and gathering … candy.

Dana hid candy throughout the classroom; one type represented water and the other represented food, but the trick was that there wasn’t enough for everyone.

“It was a hunting and gathering game that taught the kids how hunting and gathering worked within the very beginning stages of agriculture,” Dana said. “Once all of the animals were gone from their area, they had to move from place to place. It taught them to keep looking for food, and it was just kind of a cool way to see who survived, and who didn’t.”

Another friend, Emma Dinges, raises goats and brought them to class to show the students, who learned how to show them as if they were at a fair. Another memorable day involved touring the high school ag wing and seeing those classes in action.

Students also got to see the big picture, learning how agriculture was all around them: Students read a list of everyday items and learned how they wouldn’t be possible without farms.

“I had a list of all of the things that you get from swine,” Dana said. “They use everything on the animal, and they learned a lot of things that they didn’t know, like lipstick, the dye comes from different parts of it; and there’s other things, like the bristles on a hair brush.

“They looked at the list, and they would be like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is something that comes from a ... ’ They were real surprised.”

MERRIMAN cont’d to page 31

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MERRIMAN cont’d from page 30 Despite her current agriculture interests, Dana doesn’t live on a farm. She lives with her family — parents Dave and Brenda Merriman and brother Dillon — in Amboy.

She’s also the school’s FFA secretary, and was elected vice president of Section 2 of Illinois’ FFA chapter, which includes several high schools in the north central part of the state.

There’s more on top of that outside of her ag activities: In addition to her studies, Dana also participates in Student Council, Leo’s Club, Outdoors Club, softball, being the school band’s drum major and singing in choir; and she’s gearing up to play the title character in the school’s spring musical, “Moana Jr.” from March 11-13 at the high school auditorium. She also won the 2021 Miss Amboy pageant, which she considers one of her proudest achievements.

While going to high school opened the door for all of those opportunities, learning more about agriculture made the biggest impact on her. Growing up in town, she didn’t know a whole lot about agriculture, and even less about FFA. When some older friends got to talking about the their involvement in

FFA, it eventually caught Merriman’s attention and pulled her in.

“I didn’t really know that much about it, but being in FFA for 4 years has really opened my eyes to everything that ag has to offer,” Dana said. “I started falling in love with it. I started taking [more] ag classes and trying to soak up everything that I could and constantly learning new things.”

This semester, Dana is continuing her studies in an ag science class, where students are learning the concepts behind constructing farm buildings, and some of those concepts have made their way from the farm to the stage, where students can apply what they’ve learned to the building of sets for “Moana Jr.,” including a boat.

After high school, Dana plans to continue with her agriculture studies in college. She hasn’t chosen yet where to attend, but by mid-January she had been accepted to Illinois State, Southern Illinois and Iowa State universities. As far as what field she’ll go into, she’s still thinking about it. Who knows.

She may even become a teacher again.

“I really enjoyed it,” she said of her time as a student-teacher. “It was a good experience.

It was really fun. I’d definitely do it again.”

ALEX T. PASCHAL/ APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM

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A national coalition has gathered its ground forces to help veterans find their place, and a purpose: Feeding America

By KAY SHIPMAN | FarmWeek

or two decades, Amy Hess always had an evacuation bag packed with essentials.

“I was always ready to leave,” the former Army Reserve major told FarmWeek.

It wasn’t until she was standing in the middle of her Mercer County pasture — seven years post-retirement — that she finally realized she didn’t have to go anywhere.

“I retired at 40 after 22 1/2 years of service. I had no idea how tired I was until I left the service. This gives me rest and also a purpose,” Hess said, looking over the rolling fields of her farm in Aledo, about 60 miles southwest of Sterling. “If you had told me in 2012 where I was going to be, I wouldn’t have dreamed it. I needed time to find what gives me joy.”

She also needed a helping hand, and she got it thanks to the Farmer Veteran Coalition, the nation’s largest nonprofit assisting veterans and active duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces who’ve embark on careers in agriculture.

COALITION cont’d to page 33

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COALITION cont’d from page 32 The coalition was officially formed in 2009, but its roots go back a few years earlier, to 2007, when its founder, Michael O’Gorman — himself a farmer — read a study by the Carsey Institute documenting zip codes of those killed in action in Iraq and Afghanistan. It showed that America’s veterans came disproportionately from rural America.

According to the group’s website, He thought “maybe those coming home from war would like careers on our nation’s farms, and maybe I could help,” and he did. He met with three gold star mothers — Mary Tillman (mother of Pat Tillman), Dolores Kesterman and Nadia McCaffrey — who had all lost their sons in Iraq or Afghanistan. Together they helped create a campaign to offer viable careers and places to heal on our nation’s farms for service members. Today, the group boasts nearly 25,000 farmer-veteran members, with 13 chapters across the nation. The group also funds Fellowship grants and more than 2,000 of its members are certified as Homegrown By Heroes.

With a grant from the Farmer Veteran Coalition, Hess bought a cabinet incubator and started incubating 200 eggs Nov. 1. “Now I won’t have to rely on a hatchery anymore,” she added.

Today, Hess finds joy in a small, diversified farm with heirloom breeds of pigs, chickens, ducks and turkeys; a few acres of hay and pasture; large garden; and big future plans. “I’m working toward self-sufficiency. It’s a lifestyle for myself and my family,” she said.

She said she took a “giant leap” late last year when she added a New Holland tractor with blade and mower to her operation. Now

Hess won’t have to miss a third cutting of hay again, like she did before when she had to rely on others to help. “That (missed cutting) was the catalyst to buy,” she said, adding that the equipment also brings opportunities for custom mowing and snow removal.

With a commercial license, Hess delivers an “eggscape” of colors that ranges from rusty red to soft greens and blues to customers across Mercer County. By the fall, she hopes to have spring turkey eggs, and birds available for Thanksgiving meals. For now, though, she’s plans to offer customers starter eggs or poults to raise. When their birds mature, those customers may return to Hess for help processing the mature birds.

Other plans include completing a small on-farm stand with a roof. The “farmers market of one” will offer a variety of vegetables from her two gardens, cut flowers, eggs and meat birds.

“It’s a lot of work, but if you love what you do … ” she said, her voice trailing off.

“I credit the Farmer Veteran Coalition for helping to fund my dreams, for understanding what it takes, giving me opportunities to pursue my dreams and for giving veterans a mission to serve a purpose,” Hess said. “It’s very important to be part of something bigger than yourself.”

Farmers seeking hard-working employees should consider hiring veterans, Hess said. Veterans are “equipped to handle and manage stress and remain calm. Until the job is done, our (veterans’) workday is not over. That’s the parallel to serving in uniform and farming,” she explained.

COALITION cont’d to page 34

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COALITION cont’d from page 33 While Americans owe much to veterans, they also owe those serving today. “We can never lose our awareness and appreciation for a volunteer force,” she said. That awareness applies to Hess’ twins. Her son, Ben, serves in the Marines and daughter Rebecca is in the Air National Guard. Their younger sister, Sarah, is a freshman at Mercer County High School.

On Nov. 11, the nation’s thoughts turned to those who serve and sacrifice. While thanking a veteran on Veterans Day is a kind gesture, it’s also important throughout the year.

Hess said she’d like to see more people take time to recognize those who serve throughout the year, and not just on holidays — and don’t just thank them for their service, talk to them, ask questions, and tell them how much their duty means to you.

“If you really want to thank a veteran, appreciate the freedoms you have,” she said.

This story was distributed through a cooperative project between Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Press Association. For more food and farming news, visit FarmWeekNow.com.

Joining FVC is free and is open to both veterans and non-veterans. Veterans who verify their service during the application process may apply to become a Veteran Member.

Non-veterans and other supporters may apply to become an Associate Member.

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