The tractor shopping continues.

The prolonged research and decision-making is typical of me. I've visited the manufacturers' websites, read the comments on the tractor forums, talked to people at work, sat in the seats, and talked to the salesmen. It's time to pull the trigger.

This is just like me: research, research, ponder, research and ponder until someone else buys it or we find another use for the money. It's time to pull the trigger.

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I'm buying a tractor.

For someone who has never bought a tractor, it's a big deal. The investment is significant, the available features and options seem limitless, and the color choices are... Well, in the ag industry, color isn't about hue, it's about brand loyalty. So where does a girl who's surrounded by Case IH red begin the search? TractorHouse.com!

I also involved my friend Dan who grew up around tractors (blue ones), works with me at Woods, and knows our farm and the work I want to get done with my tractor. That immediately narrowed the color choices to red or blue.

Dan and I chatted about how much I wanted to spend, horsepower, jobs around the farm, and ease of getting the tractor serviced. I drew Tommy into the conversation and he immediately reminded me of the "one that got away" last spring. Our hometown dealer, Peabudy's had a 2009 8N Boomer with low hours and an amazing price ($20K). I took too long to deliberate and they sold it. Sigh.

The New Holland 8N Boomer is a reproduction of one of the most popular tractors ever built, the Ford 8N. It's a sweet vintage-looking machine with 50 horsepower, CVT transmission, electronic 4WD shift, and  electronic PTO engagement. When New Holland introduced them, the price tag was a hefty $30K, which didn't play well in a shrinking economy.

The 8N Boomer — and compact tractors in general — are marketed to "ruralists" who rely on expendable income from their non-farm jobs to support their rural lifestyle. Sales in this tractor category have fallen with the affects of the economy on household income. Consequently, they are now available at much lower price points.

Notice that it's blue at heart, but red on the outside. Compromise! And, Tommy reminded me of how I found the 8N easy to operate and that its cool vintage style makes it an obvious choice for me (I'm a fan of classic design and aesthetics). Plus with 50 hp, "I can hook it to the auger at the grain bin," he surmised. Suddenly, my tractor was commandeered for his work.

So we discussed the finances behind the tractor purchase, all the attachments I'd need to buy, and where we'd store all this new equipment. And that's when we googled "Morton Buildings." It reminded me of the time we wanted to put a doggy door into the back yard and ended up remodeling the entire kitchen.

For now, there are no new buildings, no attachments, and in fact, no tractor... yet. Dan and I are combing through TractorHouse.com and I called Randy at Peabudy's last Tuesday. The search is on.

AKL

Yesterday, I arrived in Louisville, Kentucky, for our annual pilgrimage to the National Farm Machinery Show. Farmers, tractor enthusiasts, manufacturers, equipment dealers, FFA students, and other ag-geeks from around the country are assembling for the big show, which opens tomorrow. Woods Equipment is here in full regalia to show off our new 15-foot Batwing® cutters. It's the start of a Batwing love-fest that will continue through next year as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of a machine that changed the agricultural landscape. Literally.

Tommy and I went grocery shopping yesterday and after grabbing our favorite veggies and canvassing the imported cheese coolers, we made a left at the bakery and sauntered over to the meat counter. Our pace slowed to a crawl as we eyed the cuts of pork, beef, and lamb. We came to a stop at the poultry where a pair of tightly wrapped duck breasts cooed, "Take us home."

We chatted with the butcher, seeking his advice on how to prepare them. Duck has always seemed like one of those meats that takes extra steps and a lot of effort. Surprisingly, the butcher answered, "Grilled or broiled" with the fatty side toward the fire. He told us about his family's dislike for duck; how it's one of those foods that you know from the first bite if you're a fan. He said that in the summer he'd throw a piece of duck on the grill for himself alongside the chicken for his family.

After listening to the butcher, we listened to the duck ("take us home") and asked him to wrap them up. Tonight we prepared them just as we were told and paired them with roasted brussel sprouts and red wine. Yum.

What's even yummier is the service from behind the meat counter. Without the butcher's willingness to share recipes, personal tastes, and stories, we would have walked right past that pair of tightly wrapped pieces of duck. Service sells. Regardless of your business, taking time with customers — engaging them, educating them, and entertaining them — is worth the effort. And so is duck.

If there is anyone out there truly following these posts, then you've probably noticed that I've fallen off the face of the blogosphere for a while. A long while. As in 384 days.

Interestingly, it was 431 days ago that I returned to my corporate chair at Woods Equipment Company. As I posted in December of 2011, I traded my flexible days, local clients, and cozy home office for a 24/7 mind-set, international meetings, and an office in Oregon, Illinois. And, I'm loving it!

My career reflects a love/hate relationship with corporate. And, we're in love again. I'm energized by the challenge of building market share, eager to research and explore new markets, and excited to rebuild a once-neglected marketing communication function. I'm using my business coaching skills more than ever — but probably not enough — and relishing in the impatience, high expectations, and data obsessions of my boss. (We're stitched from the same cloth.)

I just updated my Twitter profile (another of my neglected social media outlets) and sighed when I saw "aspiring writer" just below the link to this blog. I debated whether I should delete one or the other, or both. And then I decided to write a post.

As I look back on the past year of "blog silence" and consider all that I accomplished at Woods, I'm reminded that work/life balance has always been a struggle for me, mostly because when you farm, work is life and life is work. That perspective spills over to my corporate work ethic.

My challenge rests in work/life blending. Where ever I go, what ever I'm doing, whom ever I'm encountering — I'm always a marketing executive, I'm always a farm wife, and I'm always an aspiring writer. Still.

The year's first issue of FarmWeek (Illinois Farm Bureau's weekly newspaper) reported that the USDA's Food Markets Branch has forecasted a rise in food prices for 2011. This is due to higher commodity and crude oil prices, along with other factors. One of the greatest impacts at the retail level will be seen in the meat case. USDA economists predict increases of 2.5 to 3.5 percent for beef and 3 to 4 percent for pork. As pork prices rise and bacon fluctuates around $4/pound a girl has to ask:

How much is too much for bacon?

While I understand the affects of corn and fuel prices on livestock production, I also understand that an increase in food prices creates hardships for people on limited budgets who are working hard to stretch every dollar at the grocery store. American households spend about 9.5 percent of their disposable income on food (USDA), still one of the smallest percentages in the world.

How much is too much for bacon?

Most consumers don't understand the costs associated with raising hogs and taking them to market. They can't appreciate the inputs, time and labor involved in getting a hog from the farm to the butcher. But we can all appreciate the scent of thick cut bacon as it sizzles in the skillet on Sunday morning. We all salivate at the thought of three crispy strips on top of a well-done beef burger. Who doesn't love a fresh BLT on toasted white bread, slathered with Miracle Whip? As the saying goes, "Bacon is meat candy."

How much is too much for bacon? You can't put a price on love.

Last month, I was "called home" to Woods Equipment Company in Oregon, Illinois. I had worked here as Corporate Communications Manager from 1999 until 2005, when a new management team decided that they didn't value communications and dismantled our department. Fast forward to 2010 and there's a new leadership team at the helm who believes that connecting with the dealers and end-users of agricultural equipment is a fundamental element of growth.

When I got a call from president, Jerry Johnson saying, "Ang, we want you to come home," it occurred to me that if it hadn't been for the previous management team, I would have still been here. So here I am in a broader role, serving as Director of Marketing and Communication. Product, price, place, and promotion — bring on the four P's!

Facing a whole new landscape in marketing (in 1999 tools such as Facebook and Twitter were nonexistent) and a limited budget, I'm energized by the creativity and possibilities. I've received a lot of inspiration from Jeff Jarvis' "What Would Google Do?" and am following Mark Zuckerberg's mantra of "elegant organization." I'm not here to control marketing, but to organize marketing in such a way that we can tap everyone's expertise in product development, pricing, distribution, and communication. I'm calling it "open source marketing."

Our business mantra is to return our focus to the customer and provide the service they need to grow their businesses. In essence, we're making the new Woods the old Woods. And already, business is up! In the posts ahead, I look forward to telling you about the new adventures of the old Woods with a much broader perspective on agricultural marketing.

It's great to be back and after 30 days on the job, I've decided that you can come home again. Welcome home, Angela!

When I wake up to scenes like this, the first thing I do is count my blessings: Thank you, God, for giving me such a beautiful place to live.

While in New York this weekend, I wondered about The Big Apple's connection to local foods and was reminded that here in the Midwest, we have amazing access to freshness. For example, my nearest egg source, my neighbor Jackie at Flynn's Irish Grove Acres, is just a couple miles north. (My source could be a couple steps to the west if I'd get my hen house renovated.)

One NYC blogger took her local food challenge, eating within a 250 mile radius. Sourcing food within a 100 mile radius — a standard metric for us in the Midwest — may be too limiting. Just check out her listing of local egg sources, and you'll see that the nearest is 69 miles and three of the five are at 150 miles plus. The two sources for apples are both more than 100 miles away and sell their produce at Union Square Market.

New Yorkers have been building a network of local producer greenmarkets for the past 40 years, and those city dwellers are tending community gardens and tilling urban farms.

I'm intrigued by the logistics of farmers in the surrounding counties supplying locavores in NYC. I'm curious about their transportation costs and the affects on their pricing. I want to know more about those distributing through CSAs and directly to restaurants.

Big questions about The Big Apple.

Three days, three Mule-loads, and a slight sunburn, but the weeds are gone! (Well, except for those few tuffs along the fence.)

In diner lingo, "in the weeds" refers to a cook or server who can't keep up with the orders. In my lingo, It means "too much travel and play time; not enough garden time." Those darn weeds are so prolific!

Between my trips to Italy and Denver, I managed to get the sows thistle under control (with a lot of help from my friend Jake who's 16 and will happily toil for gas money). With a bit of hoeing, I managed to keep it maintained and then another bout of rain followed by lots of heat and sunshine and two back-to-back weekend trips to Peoria. Arghhhh! Lambs quarter and grass! I'm back in the weeds!

As much as I'd like to continue this post, my desk overlooks the garden, and the view of all those weeds is more than I can bear. I'm trading in the mouse and keypad for garden gloves and kneepad.

The only way to get out of the weeds it to literally get in the weeds.

AKL

Mom and I just returned from our Saturday tour of two of Peoria's Farmers Markets: Metro Centre and Riverfront. One of the things I like best about markets is that they help teach consumers about seasonal foods. "Home Grown Tomatoes" that look like the ones in this photo on July 17, are a perfect reminder that peak tomato season hasn't yet hit.



They are also a reminder that tomatoes are tasty before they turn red, creating a good excuse to dig out those old recipes for green tomato relish and fried green tomatoes. (Since I'm posting this from Peoria, I can't rummage through Kate's Recipe Box to share one with you.)

The Metro Centre market promotes "fresh" food, which I was pleased tosee, because it was pretty hard to believe they are a strictly localmarket when I saw the beautiful selection of bananas. The market is open daily and showcases several large produce growers/suppliers, a local bakery (yummy Zorba Rolls from Le Bakery), and a pasta vendor with a vast selection of Pappardelle's specialty pastas, handcrafted in Denver, Colorado. I couldn't resist the Tuxedo Orzo and Italian Pesto Blend. Mom chose the Garlic Chive Shells. This market keeps the focus on food and seems to cater to serious shoppers. Bonus! Today they were giving away cloth shopping bags — large with a zipper — that are definitely keepers!

As we approached the Riverfront Market, the cast from "Grease," currently on stage at Peoria Players , was performing in the band shell and around the corner, a clown wasentertaining a group of kids with balloon animals. This market creates a lively atmosphere and seems to feature as many artists and artisans as farmers and producers. With its setting along the Illinois River, it's a market you visit for the "experience" as much as the shopping.

Since we didn't get there until 10:00 am, much of the produce was sold out.Our big "find" was "Blunier's Family Treat Homegrown Popcorn" from Bluhaven Farm in Speer, Illinois. Mom had bought it before at the Peoria Heights market and said, "It's just really good popcorn with nice big kernels and very few hulls."

The heat is unbearable today, so we snuck across the river to Steak 'n Shake for an early lunch. (Since it was founded down the road in Normal, Illinois, is Steak 'n Shake considered a local food?) I snapped a picture of the Riverfront Market from our booth and impressed Mom with my ability to get a bird to pose for me. If he were to fly straight downward to the Peoria-side river bank, he'd land on the south end of the market. See all the little tents?



Thus concludes this morning's tour of Peoria's markets. I think I'll cap it off with a bowl of Bluhaven Popcorn and a glass of lemonade.

AKL

"If you get to thinking you're a person of some influence, try ordering somebody else's dog around." ~ Will Rogers

My mom shared this quote from her "Farm Wisdom" file with me this morning. It's certainly a reminder to keep your ego in check, but I also see it as a commentary on dogs. Our Maizey Girl is very much Tommy's dog. He's the one that manages her diabetes; he's the one that relieves her allergies; he's the one that lets her lick his plate after breakfast.

And yet, Maizey is "everybody's dog." Everyone who meets her falls instantly in love and wants to take her home. She's gentle and doe-eyed. Like most Labs, you can snuggle with her, use her as a pillow, and prop your feet on her... as long as you keep petting her. The second you withdraw your affection, she moves on to the next pair of hands willing to scratch behind her ears and rub her belly.

Everybody can order Maizey around. She's obedient and ready-to-please. She responds to "sit," "stay," and "outside" (as long as it's not raining). She comes when you call her and goes away with a sharp "git."

I suspect that's another reason everyone loves Maizey. She makes everybody feel like they have some influence. Even if it's only over somebody else's dog.

Farming, easy? Never. But there are times when it feels more manageable from the farm wife's perspective. Tommy finished planting in record time this Spring and the first crop of hay is already in. Of course, there's always spraying, equipment repair, and crop scouting to be done. Crop scouting entails Tommy cruising through the fields on the four wheeler with me on the back (hanging on by his belt buckle loops) to see how well plants are sprouting and if anything needs to be replanted. Okay, that's easy. And fun.

If you're one of my farmer friends who survived the holidays and the first week of 2010, chances are that you're quickly turning your sights to planning this year's production. The new seed catalogs are arriving in the mail and we're like kids in a candy store! In the first days of a new year and new planning season, the possibilities are endless.

Thumbing through catalogs, we become armchair farmers and our ambition is untethered: "Look at all these heirloom tomatoes! I'm going to order all the new varieties!" and "This is the spring to finally till that half acre and plant it in curcubits!"

Planning time is focus time! One way to focus your ideas for the new season is to make market-driven decisions:

• What sold well last year?
• What did you run out of first at the market or in packing your CSA boxes?
• Which products did people ask about most?
• Was there an item that people seemed to ask for often but that you didn't grow?
• What are the trends in restaurants?

If you don't have these answers off the top of your head, ask your customers, your friends, and your Facebook connections. Consider this feedback a "pulse" on the market and combine it with other information about your input costs, amount customers will pay, your profit, ease of growing and harvesting, etc., to narrow your focus.

Perhaps this is the year that you go from being a casual market gardener to a full-scale food producer. (If you're making that leap, call me and we can talk about how we can work together to build a business plan.) Or maybe this is the year you're going to till up that small patch in the backyard and plant your first family garden. Both require a bit of planning and both begin with sinking into that armchair with a stack of seed catalogs and dreaming of the possibilities.

AKL

In the 25 years that I've known Tommy, this is the second time I've known him to pick corn in January. Few can imagine the stress of still having more than a hundred acres to combine in January and those few are most likely other farmers. The Illinois Department of Ag's last crop report claims that 10% of the state's corn is still in the field. Standing corn in January. That's stressful. And stress begets grouchiness.

I try to empathize, but I struggle to find anything in my realm that compares.

Perhaps it's similar to that time at the Republican National Convention when we had less than 10 hours on the Sunday night before Labor Day to organize a delegate breakfast with guest speakers Cindy McCain and Laura Bush and their entourage of more than a hundred members of the national news media.

Maybe it's sort of like the week before a corporate sales meeting when your team has to orchestrate the details of product training, general sessions, awards celebrations, spouse activities, transportation, and hotel rooms for one-hundred-fifty attendees. Oh, and name tags, there are always issues when you're trying to accurately spell, print, stuff, and alphabetize more than a hundred name tags.

Stressful, yet neither of those involved sub-zero temperatures, frozen equipment, or a grouchy temperament — three elements completely out of a farm wife's control.

I do my best to try to affect the grouchy temperament. I've learned that rationalizations don't work. "We're not alone, Honey. There are plenty of other farmers who still have corn standing." Comfort food doesn't work. "Here, Sugar, I made some cinnamon rolls to warm us up." Romantic comedies don't work. "Let's snuggle in and watch a movie, Darling. I rented 'Julie and Julia.'" They're just temporary fixes.

It has been two weeks, but this morning, he's picking corn again. And finally, I'm feeling much less grouchy.

My poor rosemary.

It dropped below freezing last night and I left my heat-loving rosemary out in the cold. Luckily, she's planted next to the foundation and it appears as though she made it through the night. My Mediterranean gal won't be able to take many more of these cold nights, so today I absolutely must settle her into a pretty little clay pot to overwinter indoors. Mmmmmmmm a winter full of rosemary spiced frittatas, burgers, and soup.

Rosmarinus officinalis (her Latin name) is used by herbalist for medicinal purposes as well. It's supposed to be a natural anti-inflammatory which can aid headaches and muscle aches, as well as improve bad breath. Hmmmmmmm it can get rid of that annoying, "Honey I've got a headache" while ensuring sweet-smelling kisses!

Viva la rosemary!

AKL

When I wake up to sunshine, I can't resist the urge to throw in a load of laundry so I can get it out on the line. Although the temperature is colder, the wind and the sun still manage to get the drying job done. As long as it stays above freezing, I'll be enjoying the fresh, breezy smell of line dried sheets.

My grandpa Tony wrote the important details of farm life on the calendar that hung on the back porch of his farmhouse in Southwest Missouri. My father-in-law Menten did the same in the pocket date books given every year by a Northwest Illinois bank, seed corn company, or insurance agent. If they were alive and living here today, they both would have recorded a sad entry on October 10: First Frost.

Now, we all know that October 5 is the latest we can expect a frost-free day in Northwest Illinois, so it's really no surprise that we woke up to crystal covered fields yesterday and today. It's more of a cold, hard slap of reality. In a growing season that started late due to rain and fields too wet to plant, we held out hope that the first frost would also be late. No such luck.

As soon as it's fit, Tommy can get in the fields and harvest the dead-but-not-quite-ready corn and beans, while I turn to the garden to clean up the dead foliage, cut back the perennials, and spread a coat of manure on the soil. It's work that seems all-too-soon after a late spring, cool and rainy summer, and now, early frost.

None the less, the works needs to be done. And I'll do it while holding out for the last bit of meteorological hope — Now that we've had the first frost, we can officially look forward to the prospect of an Indian Summer. And that, we'll happily mark on the calendar.

I just returned from San Francisco and when traveling to more temperate, ocean climates, I experience local food envy. Oh to live in a place where local food includes shrimp, scallops, and squid! My first stop was the Ferry Building Marketplace, along the water. The place is filled with restaurants, kiosks, and shops that feature local food. The farmers' produce trucks pull behind the building to unload and my friend Tammy and I had a perfect view of the day's deliveries from our table outside a little french restaurant, Boulette's Larder. While she enjoyed a soup of pureed greens (tasted a little too "health nut" for me... lettuce in a blender), I watched the truckers unload eggs, cheese, and vegetables. When our salads arrived, they were garnished with semi-soft boiled, deep fried eggs. Quite a tasty treat and the perfect accompaniment to the fresh greens and heirloom tomatoes.