Stay up on Ag issues with the Farm Bureau's winter report

The Illinois Farm Bureau's winter edition of its "Partners" magazine recently arrived and it's filled with interesting agriculture related articles. I always enjoy learning about agriculture, and a favorite winter pastime is daydreaming about what next year's garden might look like. 

The publication's winter edition helps me do both. Much of its content is available online, and here are a few of the reports I found particularly engaging:

Celeste Huttes tells us about the Richardson and Helmig farms in her cover story about Illinois Christmas tree farms. The report includes tips on how to care for a fresh tree after its set up in its new home.

Columnist Joanie Stiers details how technology helps farmers collect data involving everything from planting to harvesting. Stiers says many farmers (herself included) spend the winter months analyzing the data to determine how best to use the information next season. 

Farmer Aaron Mitchell explains the steps farmers follow to ensure cows are warm and healthy during harsh midwest winters. Did you know farmers can tailor coats to keep calves warm during winter's coldest weather? 

Insects play an important role in providing protein to animal feed, and soon will also provide jobs for Illinois workers, according to a report from Carisa Ownby. Construction of the world's largest insect protein facility is scheduled to begin soon in Decatur and is expected to create more than 200 jobs. 

Jan Phipps offers advice for selecting and caring for Poinsettias, a favorite plant during the holiday season. 

And winter is a good time to start planning a garden for next spring. Seed catalogs, both print and online versions, are available in January, reports Carisa Ownby, providing veteran gardeners and newbies food for thought on what flowers, fruits and vegetables include in next year's effort. 

If you enjoy learning about agriculture as much as I do, be sure to take a look at the Illinois Farm Bureau's offerings.

--Thanks for reading, and I always welcome your comments and feedback.

Oh, the bounties of November in the upper Midwest

 

Here are my Top 10 reasons why November is my favorite month of the year:

10. If October didn't give us an overnight frost, November will, and that means those of us suffering with seasonal allergies can enjoy breathing again.

9. Geese and other migrating birds take flight. I love the "honking" sound geese make as they fly overhead in November. I live near a river and geese frequently fly so low over my backyard that I hear their wings flapping. It's music to my ears. 

8. Autumn continues its magic. The last of the leaves fall from the trees. Backyard firepits beckon, and daytime temperatures still reach the upper 50s, sometimes the mid '60s.

 

7. Beautiful sunsets. November in the upper Midwest offers azure skies late in the afternoon and startling sunsets. I wait all year for such sights.

6. Illinois High School Association football playoffs continue, culminating in the state championships games Thanksgiving weekend. Great days indeed. My local high school was eliminated during the second round of games, but I'll continue to follow the games right through the championships. 

5. In anticipation of the start of the high school basketball season, I watch "Hoosiers" (1986), my favorite basketball film. My Dad played high school and college basketball, and enjoyed watching "Hoosiers". I enjoy watching basketball, but was never any good at playing it. I enjoyed watching the movie with Dad and made a tradition of kicking off the basketball season with a viewing. The movie always reminds how much I enjoyed attending basketball games during my high school years, and I never tire of the film. Pass the popcorn, please. 

4. IHSA and NCAA basketball begins play, mostly non-conference games and tournaments. I enjoy sitting in a high school gym and taking in the sounds and sights of a game - ball bouncing off the hardwood floor, the horns and buzzers. The crowd in the gym always sound so different from those at football games. I attend few college basketball games these, but I enjoy watching them on TV or listening to one on the radio. I follow Illinois and the Big Ten closely, but enjoy the action in other conferrences. Give me a bowl of fresh popcorn and a cold soft drink, and I'm ready for some roundball action. 

3. College football's regular season winds down and that means the traditional rivalry games that appear last on the schedule. For Big Ten Fans, that means Illinois-Northwestern, Michigan-Ohio State, and Minnesota-Wisconsin. It's a great way to close out the season.

2. Our diet shifts to winter mode - Our meals during the summer months when I was child (and today) were heavy on vegetables, fruit, hot dogs and hamburgers. Good stuff that was easy to prepare and serve. But late autumn and winter were the months we shifted to roasted meats, sausages, soups, fresh bread, and baked goods. It's a dining tradition I follow today. Vegetables and fruit remain a key part of our meals, but we do fewer salads and more roasted squash or roasted brussel sprouts. Chili is a good Sunday dish, and nothing says a hearty fall meal like a roasted pork chop, sauerkraut, red cabbage and potato wedges

1. Thanksgiving Day holiday and the feast - Thanksgiving Day is my favorite holiday. The act of giving thanks for all the blessings I enjoyed during the past year is important to me. I spend as much time as possible during the week leading up to Thanksgiving Day reflecting on all that God has provided me and my loved ones. I think it's important to acknowledge these gifts and offer thanks. And it nice to be able to do all of that and enjoy a traditional holiday meal, too.

-- Thank you for reading. Let me know what you think. Leave a comment here, or email me at kbotterman@gmail.com.

Memories of an October day in 1977

The AP Top 25 college football poll includes five Big Ten Conference teams this week and the October 30 slate of games included a match between Michigan and Michigan State, the first time since 1964 between the two when both were rated in the Top 10. (Michigan State won, 37-33.)

All of this reminded me of boyhood Saturdays, when my Dad would corral me and my two younger brothers or some work, followed by college football.

It is frequently said that we don't always recognize memorable moments when they occur, and that's true. I've been blessed with a keen sense of awareness and have long practiced the habit of striving to live in the moment. I still miss a lot of stuff, but I'm as good as most at noticing things and better than others at making mental records of them.

My parents resided in a Chicago suburb for decades and raised their eight children there. TV broadcasts in the 1970s featured local and regional teams and whoever they were playing. 

Consequently, I was raised a fan of the Cubs, the Blackhawks, the Bears, and Big Ten college football. We also had to watch another team, Notre Dame. 

The Big Ten Conference then (and today) was dominated by the Michigan Wolverines and the Ohio State Buckeyes, with occasional solid seasons from Purdue, Minnesota, and Northwestern (rarely). We often cheered for Northwestern, but we had other favorites, too. Our favorite teams didn't always win, but we did view some good games. 

Dad rose early six days a week, sleeping in only on Sundays, but still getting up early enough to attend 10 a.m. Mass. 

His Saturday morning routine included morning visits to a local bakery and a grocery story. He always purchased a variety of deli meats (called cold cuts back then), cheese, and fresh-baked sandwich rolls. 

He then returned home and put me and brothers, Patrick and Mike, to work, usually doing yard work. 

In addition to our regular indoor chores (running a vacuum cleaner, putting away toys, and helping wash dishes), we had weekly and seasonal tasks to complete outdoors. I was responsible for mowing the lawn, beginning in the 3rd grade and continuing through college. 

All three of us assisted with special tasks, such as painting the garage, trimming trees, raking leaves and shoveling snow. 

Dad always had special projects or maintenance tasks for us. One repair project stands out in memory, because it was part of a near-perfect Saturday in many respects.

Saturday, Oct 22, 1977 was a sunny, dry day, with seasonal temperatures in the upper 40s. Dad determined we would perform some routine but necessary work to the rooftop chimney. 

Under Dad's supervision, we pulled the wood extension ladder from the garage, and the four-man (well, one man and three boys) working party climbed up to the roof, a steeply slanted number with one bedroom dormer located at the rear side.

The project involved cleaning the area around the chimney base, applying some sealant to the chimney stack and the roofing shingles at its base. Dad explained why the work was necessary, told us about the materials we were using, and gave each of us a specific task to complete. 

The work wasn't complicated and was completed in a short time. We sat on the rooftop for a while, just talking, enjoying the view and waving to neighbors as they went about their Saturday projects. 

I remember Dad telling us about a few of the other seasonal tasks we needed to complete in the coming weeks, including replacing the window screens with the heavy storm windows. 

By the time we climbed down from the roof, we were ready for lunch. Dad set out all the fixings and we'd assemble our sandwiches. My favorite was a roast beef with cheddar cheese, topped with a tomato slice, lettuce and mayo - all stacked high on a fresh onion roll. I'd add a side of potato chips and a glass of cold root beer. 

We didn't always have soft drinks in the house, but root beer was Dad's favorite soft drink and he'd enjoy a glass with his Saturday lunch.

We'd gather around the family TV (we had only one in the house for many years) and watch the Big Ten game that was featured for the day.

Northwestern hosted Ohio State that Saturday and lost, 35-15, but we also heard how unranked Minnesota upset No. 1 Michigan 16-0 at Memorial Stadium in Minneapolis. We hated to see Northwestern lose, but I was a Minnesota fan then (and now) and found some comfort in learning of the Gophers' big win.

There are, of course, special occasions that instantly become lifelong memories - a wedding, the birth of a child, a college graduation. But the routine or the ordinary rarely signals it has the potential for lasting significance. Somewhere along the journey it becomes memorable and important.

That rooftop project and that day in October became memorable for me, and it comes back to me in vivid detail whenever I think about the Big Ten football conference. 

Dad passed away after a long illness in 1995, Patrick died suddenly in 2008, and Mike is retired now. But each is young and full of energy,  laughing and enjoying a meal of fresh bread, meats and cold root beer,  whenenever I think back to that brisk autumn day in October 1977.  

-- Thank you for reading. Please feel free to comment. Feedback is always welcome. 

  

We need more reporters, fewer journalists

 

"One can be a cat or a dog, but can't be both. Which one are you?"

A longtime business associate of mine is fond of saying that. It's both an accurate statement and a pointed question that forces one to focus attention on the challenges at hand.

I thought about that simple observation the other day, when a young friend asked me if a reporter is the same thing as a journalist, and if so, why don't we call them one or the other and be done with it? 

I said a reporter is different from a journalist these days, but it is understandable how so many view them as the same type of creature. 

I started my work in the news-reporting field 41 years ago, first in radio (for a short time) and then in newspapers, both the weekly and daily type. I am no longer paid to report news, but I still consider myself a reporter and use skills refined over four decades to gather information and share it with readers. 

I told my friend that journalists and reporters shared many of the same qualities when I started in the field, but things changed over the years. Specifically, journalism programs at colleges and universities changed significantly from the 1980s to today. You can check that for yourself, I said.

Once upon a time, a solid J-program taught not only the mechanics of the trade - the who, what, where, when, why and how foundations of news gathering - they also taught ethics. The most important rule taught to me on the subject was to be an objective observer to a story.

A reporter was to be unbiased, an umpire of sorts. "Tell the reader what happened at a meeting or an event and let the reader form an opinion or reach a conclusion," said a favorite professor and mentor.

If the story involved conflict, reporters were trained to craft a balanced presentation of both sides and attribute arguments and assertions to identified sources. Good, reliable reporters still do this today, I think.

Many journalists today, particularly younger ones, self-identify as social justice warriors first, reporters second. 

I read about a reporter last week who was described as a specialist in covering social justice issues. That's a good example of how the news industry has changed. Years ago a reporter might cover the cops, the courts, local schools, the state house, city hall, or any one of several other "beats." 

Some of the best reporters I worked with were "general assignment" reporters, individuals tasked with covering whatever story might break during their work shift. The work required skill, energy, and a lot of brains. 

I preferred working a beat and was productive when assigned to one. "Social justice" was not a beat during my years as a daily reporter, and I worked with several solid editors who would have fought against establishing a "social justice" beat, arguing the name was itself biased and assumed an injustice existed. 

Those editors are no longer producing the news. They've been replaced with workers who aim to correct injustices, real or otherwise, and they do battle with those they believe will commit more injustices if not exposed and stopped. They call themselves journalists, and they mimic reporters in many ways. 

I don't consider them reporters. I make a point of calling them journalists, and reserve the title "reporter" to individuals who practice their trade according to the traditions and guidelines established to provide accountability and safeguard credibility, the most precious element of the news industry.

And that is the true distinction between a reporter and a journalist, in my opinion. A reporter understands credibility and fights to preserve it by adhering to guidelines that protect objectivity. A journalist, as we know them today, surrenders objectivity to advance "social justice" or advocate for the "voiceless." 

One can be a journalist or one can be a reporter, but one can't be both. At least, that's how I see it. 

-- Thank you for reading. Comments are always welcome. 

Growing Old: The cost of staying alive

There's an old saying that notes growing old is not for the weak. That's true. It's also hard on your wallet.

I am in my 6th decade of what a close friend refers to as the journey through life. My wife is not far behind in chronological age, but I will not mention specifics. We are at that point in life where we spend a fair amount of money on prescription medications and other health-related expenses.  

I like to think it wasn't long ago that we spent a good portion of our disposable income on concerts, vacations, trips to the movie theater (no more due to Covid-19), dinners out, and similar expenses. We still do some of those things, but we eye the budget to make certain we have enough on hand to pay for our monthly prescriptions and our medical visits. 

It's more an observation than a complaint. Lori and I are in pretty good health (I'm in good shape for the shape I'm in, my Dad liked to say.). We work full time and have health insurance through our employers. We're better off in that regard than many others. 

I try not to complain about growing old, because so many are denied the opportunity. Two of my siblings passed at young ages, long before the myriad of aches and unexplained pains that come with age set upon them. And I have already said the final goodbye to a few friends from my high school graduation class, individuals I knew when we were young, healthy and carefree.  

Our journey here is strange and mysterious. We experience developments along the way that frequently defy reason and understanding. Body parts that worked well and efficiently one day become dysfunctional the next.

There are medical explanations for it all, of course, but understanding the science behind the decline doesn't always help us make peace with the inevitable. The changes come fast for me these days, and I have made peace with most of them. I think that's important.

It's all part of the process.

--Thank you for reading. Comments and questions are always welcome. Post them here or email them kbotterman@gmail.com.

  

 

September and the rituals of autumn

I am happy to welcome September, the first of the autumnal "ber" months. 

After two months of temperatures in mid-90s or higher in my areab and uncomfortable levels of humidity, we are enjoying cool days and cooler nights, the type that carry a hint of what is to come as we move through autumn. 

Some already have started their autumn rituals. Local coffeehouses offered pumpkin spice lattes in mid-August and I saw Halloween candy displayed at a nearby grocery store nearly a month ago. Theses are the same shopkeepers who display Christmas decorations on October 1.  

All of that is far too early for me. I'm from a time before algorithms and mass merchandising. Sure, we started thinking about Christmas wishes the day the Sears catalog arrived at the house, but we didn't shift to full holiday mode, until Vern Hagenbring decorated the big display window at the front of his store in downtown Arlington Heights.

And we didn't focus on Halloween until Uncle Ernie selected the pumpkins he planned to carve for Jack-o-lanterns, usually around October 20. Carve a pumpkin earlier than that, he'd say, and you'll have a rotten vegetable on your front porch on Halloween. 

Things are more than a little different today. We still have strict adherents who don't speak of fall until September 22, the offficial start, according to the calendar. There are many others who believe autumn begins September 1, and others who think it starts the day temperatures reach a high in the mid-70s. 

Some commentators say it's officially autumn when soccer moms appear in sweaters, down vests and knee-high boots. While that is a reasonable measurement, it overlooks that many moms dress in that manner way too early for the upper midwest, where temperatures might reach the mid-80s in late October. The sweaters go back in the closet when that happens and out come the summer shorts again. 

I view September as a transition month, a segue from summer to autumn, from long days of heat and humidity to shorter days, longer nights, and steadily cooling temperatures. 

September is for me the opportunity to finally say goodbye to August, a month I never cared for at any time during my years. August was physically uncomfortable for me while growing up. I was raised in a time when many homes did not have central air conditioning. Most families either relied on electric fans to move the air around inside their homes, or simply endured the conditions. 

And August also represented the end of summer. No more weekend visits to friends with summer homes on Wisconsin lakes. No more days spent at the public swimming pool, and no more community festivals. (Remember, this was in a time when fests were held only during summer months, mostly because many fathers worked jobs that required Saturday hours.) 

Public school resumed in September, after Labor Day, in those days. I was not a good student academically, but I always tried to put forth a good effort and always enjoyed reading and learning about history. I approached September with a view of it being a fresh opportunity to be a better student. Unfortunately for me, my enthusiasm typically faded by October and was forgotten by November. It was like a curse.

My family followed rituals that followed the calendar. Many families do, so we weren't unusual in the practice, but adhearance to the rituals took root in me. It might be out of habit, but I still follow many of those rituals and practices, some only at certain times of years. And I'm OK with that. 

So I bid farewell to August 2021 (good riddance, you hot, wet SOB), and say "welcome September." Let's hope the month is full of both promise and promises met. 

-- Thank you for reading. Please feel free to comment here, or send an email to kbotterman@gmail.com

A week of shock and frustration

I suppose it is safe to say that not since the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 has America experienced a week so full of shock and frustration as the one we that began August 15 and concluded yesterday August 22, 2021. 

The week began with the Taliban seizing control of Kabul, Afghanistan, and Americans watched televised images of military helicopters rescuing Americans from the U.S. embassy, a scene that was reminiscent of U.S. efforts to save Americans and others during the fall of Saigon in 1975. 

I watched the collapse of Saigon as it happened. I was in the 8th grade. We watched special news reports on a TV in my social studies class, and my parents had the news on at home throughout that tragic episode. I thought then, as many Americans did, that I'd never see anything like that again. I was right until Aug. 15. 

We begin a second week of a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan as the United States scrambles to rescue as many as 15,000 American citizens trapped in that country and as many as 86,000 Afghan nationals who worked for the U.S. during the last 20 years. An additional 100,000 foreign nationals also are trapped in the country, according to some estimates. 

The focus now is on getting as many people out through Kabul's international airport by Aug. 31, but for the first several days of last week many stunned Americans wondered how the Taliban could achieve so much in such a short time, after all, the U.S. spent nearly 20 years and nearly $100 billion building and training an Afghan army. That army all but disappeared in a matter of days. The Taliban grabbed up a large cache of weapons, helicopters and sophisticated equipment, left behind by the U.S.

Frustration followed shock as Americans watched as the entire U.S. national security establishment appeared confused and disorganized. Finger-pointing began almost immediately. President Joe Biden blamed the Afghan army, the previous administration, and poor intelligence.

The State Deparment looked overwhelmed, and the Pentagon acknowledged it lacked the capabilities to rescue those Americans who could not reach Kabul's airport. 

And throughout the week, the news broadcast heartbreaking images from Afghanistan, where people died as they tried to get out of Kabul, and the Taliban began beating and executing civilians. 

Our allies expressed anger, even contempt for the President. Experts on such things said the episode has seriously damaged U.S. credibility and might lead China to assault Taiwan and Russia to grab Ukraine. It was by many measurements a devasting week. 

Commentators said today it is unlikely President Biden will regain public confidence and approval. The situation also is devastating to Biden's legislative agenda, some say. We'll have to wait and see about that.

I expect anger and impatience will replace last week's shock and frustration, but that's only a guess.

--Thank you for reading. Please comment here, or send an email to kbotterman@gmail.com.