Thursday, June 12, 2014

What do the weekends mean to you? - Part 3

What do the weekends mean to you? - Part 3

Posted by Thursday, June 12, 2014




I have been contemplating for months, MONTHS, on a creative blog name.  I am not creative enough to come up with a brand, or identity.  I asked many for ideas, hints, somewhere to start? The other day I sat down and started writing down names, descriptive words that describes our family. Outdoors, hunting fishing, farming, crafting, late, ……what should I call it?  We are crazy-busy, never home, always on the go.  What do I look forward to? Saturdays! What do I think about first thing Monday mornings? Wondering how soon the weekend will get “here”.

I know my husband works for the weekends, it's a time for family, spend fishing with the kids, or time in his hunting stand or duck blinds in the fall.  You will see lots of fishing pictures and hunting pictures here.

When I think of weekends, I think about ball games and laundry! I think I need to find a new hobby!! Crafting is my hobby, but that is done late nights, after everyone has gone to bed, sound asleep. That is my down time.  CK Designs by Crystal Kellner is my outlet for my creative side. I started this when Macie was little, and she wore bows everyday, and I made one, to match each outfit.  Now I offer other things in my store, lace rompers, and chunky necklaces.  I have also sold Uppercase Living for a few years, and helped many people decorate their homes.

There are not too many Saturdays left in Summer Break, 10 to be exact, before school starts again. What are you going to do with your family this summer to make memories?  Make your Saturdays count!

 

  This post is part 3 of a 3-part series sponsored by Indiana’s Family of Farmers.
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Crystal Kellner
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Monday, April 28, 2014

What do the USDA Crop Reports mean to you? - Part 2

What do the USDA Crop Reports mean to you? - Part 2

Posted by Monday, April 28, 2014

What do the USDA Reports mean to you? Are you a farmer? Consumer? Are you the government?  If you are the government or if you are a farmer, you would have two different opinions of the USDA Crop Reports.

 USDA Building - picture taken September 2010

In September 2010, I had the opportunity to travel to Washington, DC and be a part of the USDA lockdown and release of the September USDA Crop Report. USDA allows only a certain number of general public in these releases.  You check in, give up all your forms of communication, cell phones, tablets, laptops, they all left in a conference room.  I remember being escorted into another room, where we were prepped on the procedure of the reports, then we were shown the media room.  Certain media personnel had the numbers, and they were allowed to enter the numbers into programs, but everything was encrypted until the time the report was released. Nothing could be sent out until after the release time. USDA reports were released in the mornings.  7:30 Central time.  Now reports are released at 11:00 Central time.    

If you work for the USDA, and your job was getting the USDA numbers ready, be prepared to spend the night. You aren’t going anywhere.  The USDA employees were not allowed to leave the building until after the report was released.  I think the purpose of these trips is to show the farmers the level of security and secrecy used during these reports. I think sometimes the farmers question where the numbers come from.  Sometimes we are surprised with more or less acres. 

 USDA Crop Report - September 2010 - Picture opp with Agriculture Secretary Vilsack after the
USDA Report Briefing (note to self: Don't stand by the tall guys)    




March 31st was the USDA Planting Prospective Report. This report tells us what farmers are expected to plant. This is the most anticipated report before spring planting. Markets are affected by this report, and farmers are always worried about if it will make the market go up or down.  How will the spring weather forecast affect the markets? We were expecting the report to tell us more of a shift from corn to beans. 
 

USDA estimated corn acreage to 91.7 million acres, smallest crop since 2010. The USDA projected a record soybean acres at 81.5 million acres. With a late spring, we might see more acres going to soybeans.   These numbers were expected, so the market did not react too much to these numbers. 

We are experiencing a very wet spring. Some farmers were in the fields last week, but we have a long way to go here in Northwest Indiana.


This post is part 2 of a 3-part series sponsored by Indiana’s Family of Farmers. 
 
 
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Crystal Kellner
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Friday, March 28, 2014

Farmland, The Movie

Farmland, The Movie

Posted by Friday, March 28, 2014
Passion and family are the two words my husband described this movie when we left the theater. If you haven't watched the trailer for the movie, check them out on Facebook, or check out all the cast at Farmland.

It's a real-life dirt, sweat, and tears documentary, you are going to laugh and you going to cry.  These farmers were real, and honest and I left the movie feeling like I really know them, just like any farmer I work with day to day.  Family based business, like farming, is hard.  Farmers and producers normally work with their families all day long, and sometimes that can be trying on a relationship. I always hope at the end of the day we can "hang our gloves up" and walk in the back door and focus on the family 100%. That is easier said than done.

"It's not done until the corn is in the bin." This was one quote that stuck with me. Maybe it's because it really relates to my job. Harvest is the completion of a long process of preparing, planting, plowing and praying.

I hope those who are skeptical about farming practices sit down and watch the movie.  You are going to see the passion these farmers have for their job, their lifestyle.  Ranchers, chicken farmers, pig producers, farmers, produce growers.  This movie focuses on younger farmers, either starting up on their own or coming from a few generations of farmers.  They all come from different backgrounds, and have different goals for their operations, and they don't all agree on everything, and the movie portrays that. The important things they do agree on, is ownership, sustainability, and raising a safe product for the consumer.

The Movie will come out May 1st, great idea to get everyone excited about farming and planting in the spring, but I hope farmers take a break from field work to check this movie out!

 Stacy from The Backroad Life and I at the sneak preview.  

Dave & I attempted a selfie!
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Crystal Kellner
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Tuesday, March 04, 2014

What does Monsanto mean to you? - Part 1

Posted by Tuesday, March 04, 2014
Gary Truitt's very popular commentary on Hooiser Ag Today, has been shared numerous times on Facebook in the past couple of days. If you haven't read it, you need to

What Monsanto Has Done To Farmers

Gary proves he is an AGvocate and sharing his ag story where ever he goes. I met Gary a few years ago when I was a Farm Broadcaster. He is very smart and a great broadcaster, I enjoyed talking to him.  Now I enjoy listening to him on the radio and following his news stories on Hoosier Ag Today. You know by listening to Gary, his heart is in his job!

Just like Gary, who realized he has an opportunity to share his ag story with anyone, including a cab driver on the way to the airport.  Everyone needs to ask these questions to themselves.
-What does Agriculture mean to you?
-Are you prepared to answer tough questions when the situation arises?
-What do we know about biotechnology?
-What does Roundup mean to you as a farmer? What does Roundup mean to you as a consumer and a resident in rural America?
-Where can we get this information to help educate our friends, family and strangers who ask us the tough questions?  
-Where is our passion?

Did you have your cup of coffee yet this morning? What does it take to get you going in the mornings? If you know me, I don't drink coffee, and I am not a morning person. What gets me going in the mornings? My kids! They are my caffeine on legs as I chase them around the house to get ready and herd them out to the truck every morning! They may not always be morning people, but they are always very inquisitive and asking many questions as we drive to town.  By the time I get to work, I feel like I have already worked!

Let's stop and thing about what Agriculture means to us and how we can become AGvocates. The people are listening!

 This post is part 1 of a 3-part series sponsored by Indiana’s Family of Farmers.
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Crystal Kellner
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Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Another day, another two hour delay

Another day, another two hour delay

Posted by Tuesday, February 11, 2014
It's a beautiful morning,  from the inside looking out.  Once you walk outside the very frigid air takes your breath away. My SUV says - 22 degrees. It's just another day we are so used to,  a two hour delay.  It won't be much warmer in two hours when school starts, but kids safety is a concern. We have used 9 snow days. Three will be made up in February. We are waiting to hear how we will make up the other days.  "Back when I was in school" we would lose our spring break week. I don't think that will happen.  Until then, we will just enjoy the beautiful sunrises.
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Crystal Kellner
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Monday, February 03, 2014

Continuing the Tradition, 4-H

Posted by Monday, February 03, 2014

I know if you asked Dave and I what family traditions we would like to pass down to our kids, you will get entirely two different answers.  My mom always jokes when she goes through our childhood pictures, Dave is in pictures with lots of dead animals, fish, deer, coyote, rabbits, squirrels and I am pictured with live animals, cattle, sheep, and dogs :)  I think with what we learned growing up we can teach many new (and old) traditions to our kids. I will share pictures later of our earlier years, everyone needs a good laugh now and then anyway!

Tonight Macie had a 4-H meeting, and it brought back memories of many, many 4-H meetings my brother, sister and I attended on Saturday mornings.  Since C.J. is the youngest, he probably attended more, just by default, because he had to tag along! On the way to the fairgrounds, Macie said, "Mom, we need to start our own club." She must think her mom doesn't have enough to do! I assured her there were plenty of 4-H clubs in our county, we didn't need to add another.

Macie left the meeting tonight with an arm full of record books, project books and enthusiasm. She left the fairgrounds saying, "I didn't know I would have this much homework! "  She may have signed up for a "few" projects, but by the interior light in the truck, she read two chapters in her swine project book before we arrived home. The countdown begins! T-5 months! Time to get started on those projects!

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Crystal Kellner
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Thursday, January 30, 2014

Our Plans for 2014

Our Plans for 2014

Posted by Thursday, January 30, 2014
2014 will mean a new start for my blog. First, I changed the name to Kellner Farms.  I pondered on the name change for a very long time.  I even asked the family one evening over supper what they wanted to name our "Farm".  Right now, it's a dream, with livestock, and a barn, and pasture. We will talk about that dream later.

Other things we are working on in 2014, house plans.  I'll show you our building site, and this blog will keep a timeline of the progression of everything here.

Kids are busy with sports, Macie is playing basketball now. In the spring, Macie will be in Softball and Ryan will be in baseball.

Macie is also beginning her first year of 4-H. We have lots of projects to start on, and I think there are some  piggies that have just been born, and she is waiting to pick them out!!!

Our family spends a lot of time outside, that is where you will find my husband, fishing, hunting, scouting, gardening, playing "pig" at the hoop, or catch in the yard.  It's great that our kids love following  him around!

During their winter break, kids spent time outside, trapping with Dave and Papa Jack.






I think Ryan is very interested in trapping next year. What's in season next??

More to come in 2014, maybe a few recipes and how we are working on creating a menu every Sunday, it is working great for us! When we have dinner plans laid out at the beginning of the week, Dave starts dinner, and we are eating "in" more!!

Mason had his 18 month doctor appointment today! He's a growing little boy!!






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Crystal Kellner
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