IL CORN LEADERS FEATURED ON WATCHUSGROW WEBSITE

Tricia Braid

Jul 03, 2013  |  Today's News

Past Chairwoman of the Illinois Corn Marketing Board and current ICMB Director, Donna and Paul Jeschke, are featured in a new video that is available on the WatchUsGrow website. Watch Us Grow is the destination website for consumers to meet farmers in a “virtual” way. Research shows that having just one experience with a farmer or on a farm is enough to change the way your customers think about what you do.

Donna and Paul are participating in the Illinois Farm Families program this year. Illinois Farm Families is funded in part by Illinois Corn checkoff dollars, partnered with investments from the farm bureau, soybean, beef and pork groups. To watch the video about Paul and Donna, click here.

Over 10,000 people receive a regular email newsletter from the Illinois Farm Families program. The goal is to expand the experience of this year’s group of Chicago moms with many others, amplifying your checkoff investment and information on what really happens on your families’ farms. Here’s an excerpt from the most recent newsletter:

“Recently, the Field Moms visited Donna and Paul Jeschke’s corn and soybean farm to learn how farmers decide which seed varieties to plant (both GMO and non-GMO), what nutrients and fertilizers are needed to grow healthy crops, and other new, fascinating facts. Like, did you know the majority of all corn grown in the U.S. (more than 99 percent) is  field corn? It’s different from the sweet corn your family likes to enjoy year-round as a vegetable.  

Take it from these adventurous, inquisitive Field Moms:

  • Amina Nevels assesses her impression of GMOs and shares, “The Fourth of July is the peak production of sweet corn, and the 15th is when prices typically start to drop! Bon appétit!” Read more.
  • While standing among rows of corn, Samantha Schulz realized that each stalk only grows about one ear. She said, “’Field of Dreams’ came to mind, and for some reason, I thought each stalk grew about 10!” Read more.
  • Natasha Nicholes was surprised by farmers’ seed selection. “Farmers really love getting their new seed catalogs just as much as some women enjoy getting their new seasonal clothing catalogs.” Read more.
  • Christa Grabske learned that soil nutrients translate to healthy foods, stating, “I used to think that fertilizer meant manure and not much else. Now I know that fertilizer means much more than poop.” Read more.

Go beyond this small sample. Read all the Field Moms’ blogs.”

To learn more about the Illinois Farm Families program, visit www.watchusgrow.org. If you’d like to become more involved, fill out the volunteer form at www.watchusgrow.org/farmer. To find out more about IL Corn’s involvement in the program, email Tricia Braid, IL Corn Communications Director.