1 FAMILY FARMS Phillip Haynie II considers it an honor and a privilege to be an American farmer His farm in Reedville Virginia was founded in 1867 when his great-great-grandfather Reverend Robert Haynie bought 60 acres 24 ha of land Since then each generation of the Haynie family has inherited the farm and added to it Today the farm covers thousands of acres and produces corn soybeans wheat and barley Haynie takes care of the business management His wife Gail and their son and daughter are also heavily involved in the operation Phillip Haynie III is particularly proud to be a part of the heritage of his family’s business It’s an honor to ride across the fields in my air-conditioned cab and reflect on the fact that my great-grandfather pulled a plow with a mule across that same ground he says 1 April Hemmes runs her family’s 100-year-old farm in Hampton Iowa largely on her own While her husband works in town Hemmes grows grain and raises approximately 30 cows on 1,000 acres 405 ha Hemmes is a project leader as well as her county’s soil and water commissioner She also helps teach women in Uganda about farming Many farm owners operate farms that have been in their families for generations 5
I think that farm women are probably some of the most underrecognized people out there Hemmes says A lot of women say I don’t farm I just do the books which is really a vital part of farming and every little bit counts whether they market or do the books or drive the tractor or bring lunch to the fields 2 In 2011 Hemmes’s daughter nominated her for Midwest Farm Mom of 4-H Clubs In 1902 4-H clubs began as simple Corn Growing Clubs or Tomato Clubs in Clark County Ohio The purpose of the clubs was to encourage young people to experiment with crops and share their findings with adults The clubs also served as a way to connect public schools with rural communities and to develop new technology In 1910 a clover pin was created to signify the four Hs of head heart hands and health which represents the clubs values In 1912 the name became 4-H clubs Today 4-H clubs do much more than experiment with agriculture Open to children ages eight and up they provide free programs in gardening animal science ecology rocketry cooking and robotics the Year which she won WHY FAMILY FARMS Unlike some big-business industries the corn industry begins with family-owned businesses Family farms produce more than 90 percent of all corn grown in the United States 3 Located mainly in Iowa Illinois Indiana South Dakota Nebraska Ohio and Kentucky there are approximately 400,000 US family farms 4 Farming involves large investments of time and money especially during planting and harvesting when farmers consistently work long hours for seven days a week Despite the challenges of growing and maintaining crops effective financial decision-making can make farming economically rewarding for families Farming allows flexibility in 6
Children on family farms often learn to farm while growing up 7
