You don't have to be a farmer to know it is harvest time in Illinois. In fact all you need to do is drive down any rural road and you are bound to see a field being harvested or a combine on the road. Maybe you complain about the dust from the fields affecting your allergies or being slowed down by some type of implement being on the road, but have you ever really stopped to think about the work being done?
I will be the first to admit that before being invited to the 2nd Annual Illinois Harvest Dinner I just took for granted that the crops, in many cases grown in our back yards, will be used for a variety of ways such as feed for animals, fuel for energy and of course could be the next meal you serve your family.
Over the course of one evening a group of guests, myself and my husband included, were offered a tour of a Central Illinois Farm complete with our own private tour guide who was able to describe the process of farming to us and answer any questions we may have had.
Students from the local FFA were on hand to demonstrate the growth cycle of each crop along with how each product goes on to be something more than you would expect. Take for example corn, one of the staple foods grown in our area. Did you know that:
- Illinois ranks #2 in corn production
- Ideally, each corn stalk should only sprout 1 ear of corn
- A kernel of corn can be used for feed, food, fiber and fuel
- 53% of corn grown in Illinois is exported
- Corn grows to about 7-10 feet in height
- Depending upon the cultivator type it can be harvested in 65-90 days
- Sweet corn is a gluten-free cereal
- The tassel releases millions of grains of pollen, most caught by the silk
While corn is the most common crop you can identify when driving past a field did you know that over 90% of all processed pumpkins in the US are grown in Illinois as well as:
- Pumpkins contain potassium and vitamin A
- Pumpkins are used for feed for animals
- Pumpkins are 90% water
- Pumpkins are a fruit
- Any time you pick up a can of Libby's Pumpkin it was grown in Illinois
- Morton, IL is the pumpkin capital of the world
Other facts we learned over the course of the evening:
- Illinois ranks #1 in soybean production
- Most vegetable oils are 100% soybean oil
- During the Civil War soybean replaced coffee beans for many soldiers
- 83% of Illinois wheat comes from the southern part of the state
- Wheat is a member of the grass family
- Wheat is gown in 42 states
- There are over 130 different type of green beans
- Southern Illinois grows 85% of the worlds horseradish
- Horseradish is mostly planted and harvested by hand
- Collinsville, IL is the horseradish capital of the world
- A potato has more naturally occurring hormones than a steak
The evening concluded with a a meal prepared by Cracked Pepper from Peoria, and included a menu of locally grown favorites which included a bone in glazed pork chop, a cheesy polenta with elotes, green beans with bacon and onion, rolls, salad and a dessert of pumpkin bars and mini apple pies. While the food was amazing what made the meal special was the fact that we were seated together with people who work in different areas of agriculture in our state. This allowed for each of us to share our knowledge and in our case lack of which led to some wonderful conversation.
Sadly, Mother Nature decided to crash the party and caused things to end somewhat abruptly. However, this did not end our mission to learn more about farming in Illinois, in fact we made a trip to the fifth generation Mackinson Dairy Farm in Pontiac, IL recently and Mike will be sharing more about that visit later this week.
If you have any questions about farming in Illinois please feel free to leave a comment, I feel confident that I will be able to get them answered for you. In the meantime you can see more of our photos from both the Harvest Dinner and our visit to the Mackinson Dairy Farm on my Facebook page.
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