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
Farming equipment often requires a large-scale upfront investment acquiring expensive equipment and hiring workers If a family does not want to buy machinery that could cost millions of dollars it can rent the equipment or hire outside companies to do some of the work such as preparing fields or harvesting crops This strategy makes the risk of starting a new farm relatively low However if farmers do want to purchase their own equipment they can benefit from economy of scale This means that the more land a farmer has the less expensive it is to farm For instance the same combine can harvest 1,000 acres 405 ha or 2,000 acres 810 ha The cost to farm each acre goes down the more land the farmer owns 8
Family farming works well for other reasons For example corn farming requires people to be knowledgeable about the local soil nutrients pests and weather Family farmers have this knowledge because they live where they work They are flexible and they can adapt quickly to changing conditions in production weather or crop prices Plus farming is seasonal work and families can take on extra jobs during the off-season more easily than a corporation can shift its workforce In addition because family farms are often passed down from generation to generation the farmers have a big investment in making their business successful To family farmers farming is a way of life BEYOND FAMILY FARMS Growing corn does more than provide a way of life for farmers It also affects their communities the country and the world Because family farmers are often tied to single locations they tend to develop deep roots within communities Sharon Perry an Illinois corn farmer enjoys getting involved with other women in her community She attends conferences with female farmers and also with the Chicago Farmers association Farmer Shirley Smith appreciates the way farmers look out for each other Once when she was renting her farm the renters offered to pay more rent after they had a good crop The reason they gave was that it was only fair The United States is the world’s largest corn grower and exporter It is responsible for approximately 40 percent of the world corn trade 5 In 2015 US farmers devoted enough land 9
