Farming goes back to our grandparents, Herb and Dolly (Christina) Schuetz. They moved [to Illinois] from Missouri in 1962. Herb came with determination and a wife and two daughters, and he began buying farm ground and planting fields. He was a natural. Later, his daughter and son-in-law, Diana and Doc, joined in, and eventually his grandson, Jeff.
As we grew older, our parents wanted to instill values and a work ethic in us like they had. What better way to do this than starting a pumpkin patch? What started out as just a small field has turned into about 30 acres of pumpkins raised each Fall season on our farm, Pumpkin Blossom Hill.
What are some ways science and technology play a role on your farm and help you raise your pumpkins?
When the pumpkin patch first started, we found ourselves sitting on an old two-row, horse-drawn Black Hawk planter, dropping pumpkin seeds by hand at the end of June. With the improvement of technology, we can get the pumpkins planted quicker using a larger planter and enjoy the comfort of the air-conditioned tractor cab. We use weed management to control the overbearing weeds and pest management to help ward off insects that enjoy eating our pumpkin plants. Jeff manages all the spraying with his knowledge of chemicals.
We have had 25 years of experience and technology, and these have allowed us to plant the best seeds with high-tech equipment. We also have a Facebook page and website for advertisement purposes for the farm!
Source: slsc.org
Photo Credit: Illinois Farm Bureau
Categories: Illinois, Crops, Fruits and Vegetables