On Life and Land

In the second part of our series "Out of the Darkness," field editor Steve Werblow speaks with musician and mental-health advocate Jason DeShaw about the stigma of mental illness, the right things to do and say to a friend or loved one who is suffering, the unique challenges farmers and rural residents face when seeking treatment, and about Jason's own struggles with depression.

In the first of our two-part series "Out of the Darkness," field editor Steve Werblow speaks with Dr. Robert Fetsch, Colorado State University Extension, on the specific dangers rural residents face when addressing mental health evaluation and treatment, and on the signs to watch for in friends and loved ones who may be suffering from behavioral health issues.

We see and hear the question all the time: "I want to be a farmer, but I have no money, no acreage, no tractor, and no experience. How do I start?" Very few other industries are as attractive to newcomers, and as difficult to break into, as production agriculture. And even though the number of farms is decreasing, we still need young people to be interested in coming into...or back to...the farm life. Join Larry Reichenberger and Dean Houghton, field editors for John Deere's The Furrow and Homestead magazines, for a discussion on what it takes to be a farmer.

Got a lawyer? Need a lawyer? Either way you'll want to hear this episode of "On Life and Land," in which we speak with Prof. Susan Schneider, head of the agricultural law program at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, about hunting leases, undivided interests, choosing an attorney, and more.

Take a walk on the wide side with Bob Recker of Cedar Valley Innovation. A John Deere retiree who just couldn't leave the industry, Bob spends his time now working with cooperating farmers to run test plots and research. One of his areas of focus recently has been on the potential benefits of planting corn on 60-inch rows...benefits which could include improved soil health and reduced fertilizer demands. Join editor David Jones, co-hosts Chad Wagner and Chrissy Taylor, along with field editor Dean Houghton and his guest Bob Recker, for a look into the wide wide world of wide-row corn planting. And be sure to see Dean's article, A Walk on the Wide Side, from the Spring 2018 issue of The Furrow.

We were driving along Hwy 33 in Osborn, Missouri when it came into view. A tower standing a 100-ft or so tall, it's bright white paint a stark contrast against the baby blue sky. In bold, black letters down the side of the tower we could make out the letters "M I L K."

It's here that we talked with Matt Shatto about his family's journey of building their small dairy farm, Shatto Milk Company, into a successful multi-faceted farm-to-market business…and becoming one of the Midwest's most beloved dairies along the way. Join us as we chat about the day they decided to cut the cord with their co-op, how they've expanded their product line to include award-winning cheeses, ice creams and flavored milks (root beer milk anyone?), and how they reincarnated the milk man with their home delivery service – a business model that not only includes their products, but meats and produce from other local farmers as well.

Afterward, we challenge you to check out ShattoMilk.com and try not to drool.

It's hard not to be struck by the poppies.

Standing inside the World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, we're looking down on a display floor made up of thousands of red silk poppies. Our tour guide tells the story of how the poppy became a symbol of the human cost of the War.

When they're planted, poppy seeds need to be placed fairly shallow, to get the most possible light; without strong light, the seeds can lay dormant for decades. During the worst of the fighting, in places like coastal Belgium and northern France, artillery shells churned up tons of dirt on the battlefields, raising long-dormant poppy seeds...just like agricultural work can bring up weed seeds.

After the fighting, area residents noticed the abandoned battlefields covered with a carpet of poppies, more colorful and more numerous than they'd seen before. The combination of displaced soil, nitrates from the explosives, and human and animal decomposition created a nutrient-rich environment in which the poppies grew and thrived, serving as inspiration for John McCrae's memorial poem "In Flanders Fields," and forever associating the poppy with World War I.

Today, the poppy serves as a grave and graceful reminder of the human cost of conflict. Nine-thousand poppies cover the floor of the Museum, each representing 1,000 human deaths directly attributed to the War.

Join us for this two-part premiere of "On Life and Land," in which we hear from John Deere retiree and Museum volunteer Mark Dold about the history of World War I and its lasting effect on agriculture and food production.

It's hard not to be struck by the poppies.

Standing inside the World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, we're looking down on a display floor made up of thousands of red silk poppies. Our tour guide tells the story of how the poppy became a symbol of the human cost of the War.

When they're planted, poppy seeds need to be placed fairly shallow, to get the most possible light; without strong light, the seeds can lay dormant for decades. During the worst of the fighting, in places like coastal Belgium and northern France, artillery shells churned up tons of dirt on the battlefields, raising long-dormant poppy seeds...just like agricultural work can bring up weed seeds.

After the fighting, area residents noticed the abandoned battlefields covered with a carpet of poppies, more colorful and more numerous than they'd seen before. The combination of displaced soil, nitrates from the explosives, and human and animal decomposition created a nutrient-rich environment in which the poppies grew and thrived, serving as inspiration for John McCrae's memorial poem "In Flanders Fields," and forever associating the poppy with World War I.

Today, the poppy serves as a grave and graceful reminder of the human cost of conflict. Nine-thousand poppies cover the floor of the Museum, each representing 1,000 human deaths directly attributed to the War.

Join us for this two-part premiere of "On Life and Land," in which we hear from John Deere retiree and Museum volunteer Mark Dold about the history of World War I and its lasting effect on agriculture and food production.

On Life and Land Preview. Overview of our upcoming Podcast series.