Feeding Farmers in the Field-Everett Farms

Each fall we partner with our affiliate T102 in Lima for Feeding Farmers in the Field. Today we kicked off this years program with our first winner, Everett Farms outside of Sidney in Shelby County.

We randomly select the winner each week and this week’s entry was extra special. This past weekend while home on leave from U.S. Navy, Jon’s son Joey was in the tractor listening to T102 when he heard the promotion about the contest. He entered his family without mentioning it to them….So, when I called to tell them they won, they were taken-off-guard. Unfortunately, Joey had already returned to Navy earlier in the week. We were able to get him on the phone so he could at least hear about what was going on back home.

As of today the Everett’s were one-third of way done with harvest and they know it could be a long, drawn-out harvest this year. Jon said they start with a goal of being done by Halloween. If they don’t make that then the benchmark becomes Election Day. Jon and Tim both agree that this year they just hope to be done by Thanksgiving.

After lunch I jumped in the cab with Tim, in the corn field next to the home farm we were at. He planted it May 12th and had tried that field 10 days earlier and the moisture was around 24.5%. When we opened the field back up it was registering right at 20%. He’s been pleasantly surprised at the yields, considering this years growing conditions.  He said beans have been running  45-60 bushels and acre and corn anywhere from 150-200 bushels and acre.

Ron showed us his father-in-laws tractor original tractor, an International Harvester that he had restored.

Ron recently located the original tractor he started farming with back in 1958. He just had it completely restored and actually picked it up right before we arrived!

Tim and Jon were our guest throughout the midday broadcast. They shared background on the family operation, the conditions they dealt with this growing season and their harvest progress.

Jon and Tim got more than their 15 minutes of fame. Poor Tim could hardly get anything done between all the calls he got from people hearing him on the radio!

Chuck from the T102 morning show delivered lunch from Beer Barrel. We enjoyed it in the shop along with Tim & Jon's parents, wives, kids and Andrea Guckes of Cargill.

To say the least we enjoyed spending time with Everett’s and getting know more about their operation. Due to the National FFA Convention next Friday we have to take a week off, but we’ll be back on road for Feeding Farmers in the Field October 28th.

Heather Hetterick has been promoting agriculture from an early age. From her 4-H and FFA days to present, sharing the ag story has been important to Heather.

Her current responsibilities include reporting for the Ohio Ag Net, filling in for Dale Minyo and sales for the radio network. She is also involved with sales for Ohio’s Country Journal.

She is a graduate of the Ohio State University, where she was named one of the Top 10 Seniors in the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. After college Heather was the Director of Marketing & Education for the Ohio Pork Producers Council. She then went on to work for Clear Channel Radio and Time Warner Cable before joining the Ohio Ag Net.

Heather also blogs about food, frugality and freebies at http://www.heathershelpings.com. She resides in Shelby County, near Botkins, with her husband Zach.

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