Thumb Farmer - October 2022

Gottschalk Farms provides learning opportunity for FFA

By:Connor Veenstra staff writer

Gottschalk Farms in Fillion is laying down new tile, and it was the perfect time for the FFA chapter of nearby North Huron School District to learn all about it.

The FFA’s advisor, Haley Talaski, is the daughter of the farm’s CAD designer, Russ, so there was a direct connection that allowed students to come to the farm and observe the process.

Russ explained how they lay new tile, by digging a trench about 4-5 feet deep and slowly feeding in a long line of rubber tile. The students also learned the conservation advantages of farming: the tile takes in water that isn’t bound up in the soil, which alleviates

saturation in the dirt and incorporates the oxygen from the water into the soil.

The original tiling was laid down by Herman Gottschalk, the last generation to own the farm. It was put down 66 feet apart, but adjustments have to be made with changes in farming methods and technology. “That was great for the farming methods back then, when you had 30-inch rows,” said the farm Co-Owner Debra Gottschalk-Allen. “But now, because of the narrow rows at seven and a half inches, we’re going to run two strands in between the 66 feet apart. We’re going to run tile in between it to get better drainage.”

Grateful for our farmers for their continued support.

The old map shows where the old tiles are and where the new ones go.

Russ Talaski digs and lays down new rubber tiles.

Huron County predicted above average for this year’s corn harvest

By:Connor Veenstra staff writer

Michigan Corn, a statewide checkoff program for corn farmers, recently completed data collection for its yield check, which estimates the crop for this year’s harvest. This lets farmers and their customers figure out how much space they’ll need to store the corn once harvest comes around.

The estimate for 2022 came out to 177 bushels per acre (the standard measurement for corn), based on production from all counties in the state to create an average.

Huron County’s yield this year came out to 184 bushels per acre, above the state average

and a respectable output for Michigan corn yield according to Jim Zook, Michigan Corn’s executive director.

This number comes off the back of a risky growing season, according to eastside Huron County farmers. According to them, the season experienced many dry patches during key points in the growing season, which hurt the grain output.

“It kind of just split us in the middle, we didn’t get anything,” said Andrew Farhner, a corn farmer from Sebewaing. Farhner predicts that his family farm will yield around 150 to 175 bushels per acre this year, which is less than the average of 200 they hope

for every year.

“If we’re going to see a yield bump, I think it’ll be over (on the east side) and it’s going to help us on the whole as a county, but on the west side I don’t think we’re going to have it,” he said.

Jake Bushey of Caseville also predicts an average or slightly lower output for this year, again due to the drier than expected weather. There’s also the fact that not all of his corn will be going to market, instead going to the silo for dairy cows.

“Michigan is not thought of at the national table as a big corn producing state,” he said. “One of the big reasons we grow corn in Michigan is the amount of dairy we have.”

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Estimates for this year’s corn harvest are above average in Huron County.

DNR wants you to stomp on, kill this invasive pest

By:Angela Mulka staff writer

Michigan officials are asking residents to kill an invasive species new to the state as swarms of the insect have been making their way across the northeastern United States, gobbling up trees as they go. The invader called the spotted lanternfly was confirmed to be in the state on Aug. 11, 2022, by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Director Gary McDowell when a small population of it was found in Pontiac in Oakland County. He stated at the time: “Although not unexpected, this is certainly tough news to share due to its potential for it to negatively impact Michigan’s grape industry.”

Beyond grapes, the spotted lanternfly

can damage or kill more than 70 types of crops and plants including apples, hops and hardwood trees, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

The bug is native to Asia but arrived in Pennsylvania in 2014.

The spotted lanternfly does damage by sucking the sap out of plants and leaving behind a sugar-rich, sticky liquid called honeydew, which collects on the ground or surrounding vegetation and results in a black mold that discolors and kills plants, according to the MDNR. Honeydew also attracts other insects, such as hornets and ants, which can complicate crop harvests.

“Our agricultural and natural resources are part of Michigan’s identity, and spotted lanternfly has the

Kemp Tiling Co., Inc.

potential to forever change that landscape,” Robert Miller, invasive species prevention and response specialist for MDARD said in a July 20 statement before the insect was confirmed in the state. “With its ability to wreak havoc on grapes, apples, hops, stone fruits and more, this could be devastating to Michigan’s farmers and the state’s food and agriculture industry,” Miller continued. Spotted lanternflies do not fly far. But they move easily on firewood, tires, campers and vehicles and lay eggs everywhere, according to the MDNR. Their eggs resemble patches of old chewing gum. If you find a spotted lanternfly egg mass, nymph or adult, the MDNR asked that you take one or more photos, make note of the date, time and

location of the sighting and report it online to Eyes in the Field. You can then scrape egg masses into a plastic bag containing hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol to kill them to limit the infestation in Michigan, according to the agency. The MDNR also recommended the following to prevent the spread:

• Check your vehicle: Before leaving a parking lot or work site, inspect vehicles for spotted lanternfly eggs or insects. Check doors, sides, bumpers, wheel wells, grills and roofs. If found, crush any eggs or insects you find by stomping on them.

• Park with windows closed: The spotted lanternfly and its nymphs can enter vehicles unsuspectedly.

• Remove host trees: Spotted lanternflies prefer the ailanthus tree, also known as the “tree of heaven.” Try to remove trees from properties to avoid attracting spotted lanternflies.

“The more people we can make aware of what to look for and what to do if they find it, the better chances we have at combating it,” Central Michigan Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area Director Matthew Lindauer said.

Earlier spotted lanternfly life stages include a black spotted beetle which later morphs to red, as indicated in the image’s top right and left corners.(Photo provided/Lawrence Barringer/Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources)

Spotted lanternflies may lay egg masses on vehicles, outdoor furniture or other items that can be transported to new areas, leading to new infestations, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. (Photo provided/Emilie Swackhammer/Penn State University/Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources)

Adult spotted lanterfly’s bright wing coloration is hidden when wings are closed. (Photo provided/Robert Gardner/Bugwood.org/Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources)

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Farmers bring their tractors out for plowing, reminiscing

By:Connor Veenstra staff writer

Farmers from around the Harbor Beach and Bad Axe areas came out with their tractors on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 1. They met on the 115-acre farm of Bill Volmering to plow and enjoy the clear sunny weather. “It’s all about just

reminiscing and celebrating farming,” Volmering said.

The unofficial group of 20-40 farmers often look for something to plow in the fall so they can work with their tractors, so Volmering offered his farm for them to use. The ground was planted with radishes for a cover crop, but unless

they’re destroyed, their roots will get into the underground tile that keeps the soil from being oversaturated with water.

Thanks to the frequent rain in the area, the soil was plowing nicely for everyone who showed up, which included old and new generations of farmers.

A month into the sugarbeat harvest, what’s the intake?

By:Connor Veenstra staff writer

The farmers of the Michigan Sugar Company have been harvesting their crop of sugarbeets for more than a month. As of Oct. 5, around 645,000 tons of sugarbeets had been harvested, only 15% of the 4.6 million tons the company anticipates will be harvested by the end of harvest.

The proper harvest hasn’t officially begun yet. Instead they’re in what Michigan Sugar’s Director of Communications and Community Relations Rob Clark refers to as the “early dig” phase, where only enough sugarbeets are harvested to keep the processing factories operational on a daily basis. The

“permanent piling” phase will begin in mid to late October. They hope to have 30 tons per acre by the end of the campaign.

This may sound like a huge number, but these numbers are a welcome return back to normal for Michigan Sugar. In 2021, the sugarbeet crop yielded more than 37 tons per acre, which beat the previous record of 31 and a half tons per acre. The beets kept growing when they should’ve stopped, leading to the heavy intake.

“The reason that happened is that it started raining that September and it kept raining all October and into November,” Clark explained.

Although the beets were bigger than normal, this meant they

didn’t store as much sugar as they normally would, yielding a lower sugar intake. The number of beets was also a problem, as there were so many left over that they had to be returned to the soil as fertilizer.

“We sell sugar, we don’t sell sugarbeets, so we need sugar content and we’re seeing good sugar content right now,” Clark said. “Hopefully, that will continue to rise.”

One highlight from this year’s harvest came from the Croswell processing factory, where workers set a new record for daily sugar production: 1,527,200 pounds of sugar packed in a single day, beating the 2019 record of 1.48 million pounds.

The sugarbeat harvest returns to normal in 2022 after the previous year’s excess harvest.

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Crop yields remain volatile this year

Harvest seasons vary depending on the crop that was planted, but late summer and fall are busy times of year for farmers. And since the pandemic began, farmers have been working overtime to ensure that their goods make it to market on time.

The agricultural sector is affected by a number of variables, including the weather and pests. The pandemic is yet another of those variables, and consumers may want to know how the many factors that affect the agricultural sector could affect what is and isn’t in the grocery store in the months to come.

Wheat products

A variety of factors have affected the availability of wheat-based products. Earlier this year, exceptional drought levels in the midwest — areas with high production of wheat products — coupled with concern about spring rainfall amounts being enough for summer crops to thrive may continue to adversely affect the availability of breads, pastas and other items made from wheat. Things are not looking better regarding imported wheat. The

ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, where wheat crops are grown in abundance, is impacting the global wheat market. Russia, the United States, Canada, France, and Ukraine were the world’s top wheat exporters in 2020, according to Statista. The United Nations reported that 30 to 40 percent of the fall 2022 harvest in Ukraine is at risk, as farmers have been unable to plant crops. This could result in a potential loss of 19 to 34 million tons of exported wheat this year.

Grass seed

The abundance of spring rain in the Pacific Northwest, as well as areas of Minnesota and Canada, contributed to an expected above-average crop of grass seed. However, the upper midwest crop was forecasted to be a week to two weeks late due to cooler than average temperatures.

Despite an abundance, the Oregon Grass Seed Bargaining Association expected that growers will ask for higher prices on seed throughout 2022 for perennial ryegrass and tall fescue due to greater input costs and land rent increases, among other factors.

Corn products

Later planting dates of corn across the United States corn belt has led to stalled development of the crop in 2022. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Crop Watch anticipated near-average levels of corn on irrigated fields. Across rainfed locations, predictions are more uncertain due to weather throughout July and August (which had yet to be documented at press time). While most sites are expected to see near-average corn crops, a high probability of belowaverage yield may occur in Iowa, southwest Nebraska and southern Kansas. Above-average yield may occur in northwest Missouri and south-central Illinois. Despite more normalized yields, operating costs have climbed, including the costs of nitrogen fertilizer used in corn production, so store prices of corn, corn oil and other corn products may remain high.

The agricultural sector continues to make strides to provide products people need. However, various factors have affected the cost and availability of a number of products.

8

sights to see at fall harvest festivals

Just as summertime is synonymous with concerts and carnivals, fall is a prime time for its own opportunities for seasonal entertainment, such as harvest festivals. Certain features overlap between summer carnivals and fall festivals, but the latter offers some unique offerings as well. The following are some things to expect when fall festival season hits full swing.

1. Seasonal fare

Many fall harvest festivals are built on the foods harvested in the fall for that region. In Wisconsin, that may be cranberries, while in Massachusetts it could be oysters.

Apples also turn up in many areas starting in September. For those who can’t wait to bite into food picked at the peak of its season, a fall harvest festival can’t be beat.

2. Wagon rides

Farms and the tools of the farming trade are part of harvest festivals.

Wagons transporting crops are a classic sight, even if they’re no longer heavily relied upon on the farm. Rather than a cargo bed full of corn or apples, harvest festivals tote families around on wagon rides or on hay bale beds towed by tractors.

3. Apples galore

Candied and caramel apples and many other apple products feature prominently at many harvest festivals. Apple fritters, apple turnovers, apple pies, fried apples, and others are bound to be sold by vendors, along with traditional fair foods, like funnel cakes.

4. Cider stations

Lemonade stands that are staples of summer give way to hot or

cold cider offerings come the fall. Cold ciders are perfect for an unseasonably warm fall day while warm varieties are tailor-made for days when there’s a chill in the air.

5. Pumpkin patches

Fall harvest organizers pick and display pumpkins in fields to make it easier for youngsters to find the perfect pumpkin for Halloween carvings. It’s a sea of orange this time of year, and things may get more colorful with non-edible gourds in shades of white or yellow.

6. Leaf-peeping opportunities

Some festivals are geared around chances to view the fall foliage that abounds in primarily rural areas. A mountain or forest backdrop adds vibrant color to any event. Coastal areas may set up fall foliage cruises that let guests see

the leaves from a new perspective.

7. Corn mazes

Fall festivals set up adjacent to or on farms may have corn mazes for the kids. These mazes may be kept up throughout October and repurposed into haunted mazes for older kids looking to get a scare for Halloween.

8. Wine tastings

Many grape varieties are harvested in the fall, so fall harvest festivals may capitalize on that

and invite local vineyards to set up tables providing tastings of their vintages. Vineyards also may host their own fall festivals, featuring sips and snacks with live music.

Fall offers a host of entertaining festivals geared around the harvest season. These festivals are ideal ways for people to see the sights and nibble on seasonal delights along the way.

The Perfect Fall Centerpiece Autumn’s colors make any gathering warm and inviting

Foliage, plants, traditional items and candles in the shades of autumn can provide just the right seasonfocused touch for your next table setting. Then complement your fall centerpiece with handpicked accessories to complete the look.

BRING THE OUTSIDE IN

Look for leaves, branches, vegetables and flowers that reflect the traditional colors of fall — from rich reds to bold oranges to warm yellows. Weave them together into a circular or oval shape to create the foundation of your

centerpiece, or craft a free-form garland. You could also paint a plain woven bread basket to create a cozy place to collect it all. If you’re not necessarily that crafty, you can also purchase an autumnthemed centerpiece and use these handpicked items to personalize it. Cornucopias are a classic choice that will provide timeless memories for a new generation. Place fallcolored and -scented flowers around the arrangement. Complete the centerpiece with wheat sprigs, small

pumpkins and squash, or other seasonal foods like apples.

FINISHING THE LOOK

Select napkins, placemats and a tablecloth that fit

into the color palette you’ve created with the centerpiece. Then get creative: Paint leaf patterns by hand on wooden napkin rings to give them a sense of homemade charm. A

hollowed-out pumpkin can also be used as a vase. Large fallen leaves from outdoors can serve as fall-focused place cards. Rinse them first, then allow each to dry before carefully inscribing them with the names of friends and family. Go around the table, placing one in front of each plate.

OTHER HELPFUL TIPS

Make sure your centerpiece isn’t so large that there isn’t room for glasses, condiments and serving platters. It also shouldn’t be so tall that guests struggle to see one another. Don’t

light the candles, since that may interfere with the scrumptious aromas associated with the meal you’ll serve at this fall gathering. Don’t be afraid to keep it simple: Arrange a grouping of mismatched gourds and pumpkins to very easily transform your tabletop. Focus on varying sizes and colors. Rather than worrying with formal floral arrangements, collect dried branch stalks in a variety of vases. For more pops of color, wrap the branches with wool and fleece, creating a sculptural conversation piece.

Time to Winterize

Prepare now for damaging ice and biting winds.

Save money now and in the future by winterizing your home now, before the worst of winter arrives. Drafty doors and windows, failing furnaces and leaky roofs should be addressed or they risk becoming a much, much bigger issue as temperatures drop. In some cases, winterizing your home takes nothing more than a bit of sweat equity.

WINDOWS AND DOORS

Inefficient doors and windows make it more difficult to warm your home, sending energy bills soaring. The danger doesn’t end with uncomfortable drafts, however. Leaks that let in winter temps also

allow in condensation, which can lead to rot in the wood frames that surround your doors and windows.

Caulking or weather stripping is often all that’s needed. If you decide to entirely replace them, consult local professionals to find out more about the most efficient new models. Then hire a licensed professional to make sure you receive a warrantyprotected installation.

FURNACE ISSUES

Electric and gas furnaces need annual service checks in order to operate optimally. Most are projected to work efficiently for around 10-15

years before they need replacement. You don’t want that term to end when there’s snow on the ground. The good news is, it’s easy to monitor any system’s age. A sticker with the model number, date of manufacture and date of installation should be found on the unit. If your system has been in place for more than a decade, it may be time to consider a complete overhaul or unit replacement. Even if your furnace manages to limp through the looming cold season, an inefficient system can still have a huge impact on your bottom line.

Residential costs have been

skyrocketing lately, and the U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts that trend will continue.

OTHER TROUBLE SPOTS

Check your roofing each fall for damaged shingles and leaks.

If you don’t feel comfortable with doing this inspection yourself, hire a professional. They can help head off serious issues.

Power wash all siding and decks so remaining dirt doesn’t promote mold and mildew. Add a new coat of sealer to the exterior of your home to help minimize the impact of winter precipitation.

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all

Fresh produce to enjoy this fall

As hot, humid days give way to cool fall temperatures, it is prime time to enjoy a new bounty of fresh vegetables.

Homeowners may be ready to pick the vegetables they have been growing the past several months. While many home vegetable gardeners focus on early spring plantings that yield the tomatoes, cucumbers and squashes of summer, they also

should consider summertime sowing that will yield tasty offerings throughout fall. Some of these cooler-weather stock can be harvested just before frost sets in.

Individuals ready to bite in to produce plucked at the peak of fall have many different options to look forward to. Here are some of common fall produce items that will be available at farm stands near you

well into November.

• bok choy

• broccoli

• cauliflower

• kohlrabi

• leaf lettuce

• mustard greens

spinach

• Swiss chard

• turnips

• beets

• Brussels sprouts

• cabbage

• green onion

kale

peas

radishes

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