SEGMENT: FAMILY FARM, ENVIRONMENT, & PESTS
Stephen Scates>ISM Interviews M-Z>ISM Interviews M-Z, Segment 9
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- FAMILY FARM
- Including the next generation in the partnership. Unwritten agreement that each partner gave the same percentage. Land Trust, owned by the five older partners. The partners lease the acres from the land trust. Seven in the current generation, seven in the next generation. All the grandsons are given the opportunity to be partners. No females have chosen to be partners.
- CROPS
- 1.2 to 1.4 million bushels of corn. 200,000 bushels of soy beans. 140,000 bushels of wheat. $500,000-$700,000 worth of vegetables, dependant on the demand.
- FERTILIZER
- Soil tests and yields determine amount of fertilizers.
- FARM WORK
- Made great strides through the years, remembers using a hoe to pull up ragweed.
- ENVIRONMENT
- Now uses chemicals. In the 1970s was concerned about using too many chemicals. Now they use no more than they have to. Thinks the environment is doing better, cites a return of animals (owls).
- PESTS
- Before chemicals, you would have to replant areas the cut worms cut down. Once planted in the same spot three times, each time was attacked by but worms.
