Centennial Farms program honors family farms
I just read an article this past weekend in another regional paper that stated that everyone should run in and get your FOID card renewed. This is a true statement, but you cannot get your card renewed unless it is less than 60 days before the renewal date. Mark on your calendar when to come in, because if you come in too early you will just be sent back out to come again later.
Do you have a farm that has been in your family for many years? The Centennial Farms program honors generations of farmers who have worked to maintain family farms in Illinois. To qualify for Centennial Farm status, an agricultural property must have been owned by the same family of lineal or collateral descendants for at least 100 years. A lineal descendant is a person in the direct line of descent, such as a child or a grandchild. A collateral descendant is not a direct descendant, but is otherwise closely related, such as a brother, sister, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece or cousin.
To qualify for Sesquicentennial Farm status, an agricultural property must have been owned by the same family of lineal or collateral descendants for at least 150 years.
To qualify for Bicentennial Farm status, an agricultural property must have been owned by the same family of lineal or collateral descendants for at least 200 years.
If you qualify for any of these and need more information, go to the Illinois Department of Agriculture and go under the Assistance tab. You will find the application online, or if you need my help, please call the office at 618-435-3616.
Are you thinking that when the weather breaks, you will be so glad to finally get your garden put out? That thought is going through a lot of minds - both for individual gardeners and for the farmers in the county as well. Not sure exactly when that will happen, as we have had more rain this week.
When thinking about an individual garden, have you ever thought about a raised bed garden? If you live in an apartment or if your soil is just not that productive, this might be your perfect solution. Raised beds seem to be the newest craze, and I can't think of a better one. You can make it as large as you would like, or you can make several smaller ones to separate the veggies and/or flowers. If you need more information, call the office and we can give you the information to get your started.
Melissa Lamczyk, Ag in the Classroom coordinator, has been very busy taking incubators to schools for hatching chicken eggs, and one classroom is going to try their hand a hatching duck eggs. This is a 21-day process for chickens and 28 for ducks. This is one of the kids' favorite learning activities, and I must admit it is mine, too. Melissa will always bring them into the office before taking them on to their forever home. Stand by; I will have pictures in a couple of weeks.
I am sure that you have not seen any farmers in the fields lately. The wet fields have kept their equipment stationary, and they are really getting antsy to get the fields in order to get crops planted. Rumor has it that there will be more soybean acres planted this year throughout the state.
Start seeing farmers! This makes everyone safer on the roadways.
Remember, we are farmers working together. If we can help, let us know.