Jennifer Kiel
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Editor, Michigan Farmer magazine
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Articles by Jennifer Kiel
A harvest close call: ‘It’s not plugged; it’s on fire’
Dennis Gardner was harvesting sugarbeets in Sanilac County, Mich., when his wife’s voice came crackling over the radio. His father heard her say the combine was “plugging.” Gardner heard something different. He knew the sound of panic in his wife’s voice. “It’s not plugging,” he told his father. “She said it’s smoking; the combine’s on fire.” Gardner and his family were working long hours Oct. 12, splitting time between finishing sugarbeets in the morning and combining soybeans in the afternoon.
60% of Ohio farms entered 2026 with decreased cash reserves
More than half of Ohio farms participating in a state financial analysis program entered 2026 with decreased working capital compared to the previous year, signaling continued financial pressure on agricultural operations across the state. The voluntary Ohio Farm Business Analysis Program, which evaluated 43 farms in 2025, found that 60% of participants saw their working capital decline, while 40% experienced a shrinking net worth despite skyrocketing real estate values.
Wisconsin families keep history rolling at Mackinac Bridge
With about 20 antique tractors in his collection, Del Bodart’s fascination with old iron runs deep. And there’s one time of the year when his love of yesteryear’s workhorses brings the whole family together for a special experience. The Bodart family from Pulaski, Wis. — a small community about 12 miles west of Green Bay — has made Michigan’s Mackinac Bridge Antique Tractor Crossing an annual pilgrimage.
New fungal disease could rival tar spot’s devastating impact
A previously unreported fungal disease has spread across Michigan’s cornfields, and agricultural experts warn it could potentially cause yield losses comparable to tar spot, which triggered severe epidemics that cost growers millions of dollars in 2018 and 2021. Phaeosphaeria leaf spot, also known as white spot, has been confirmed in about 20 Michigan counties, said Martin Chilvers, Michigan State University field crops Extension specialist.
Father engineers seat to share antique tractor bridge crossing
When you come across something special, there’s often a need to share it. As was the case with John Minto of Davison, Mich. This year marked his fourth year of participating in the 18th annual Mackinac Bridge Antique Tractor Crossing, which he confesses to enjoy immensely. So much so, he wanted to share the experience with family. The 2026 crossing was special.
Generations unite on antique tractors to cross Mighty Mac
Editor’s note: To see more tractors from the event and read about their drivers, click on the slideshow. The video provides a history of the event and live footage from 2026. “It's cool to see everybody's tractors and the different ideas that they've had and how they've fixed them up. Some are in their work clothes, some are in their Sunday clothes — they're just really cool to see,” said John Minto of Davison, Mich.
U.S., Argentine farmers diverge sharply on AI benefits for ag
American farmers remain deeply skeptical about artificial intelligence and data-driven tools, with more than half seeing no meaningful benefit for their operations, according to new survey data that reveals a stark contrast with their Argentine counterparts.
Why are eggs so expensive?
On this Shop Talk episode of FP Next, Curt and Sarah are talking all things poultry with Jennifer Kiel, Senior Editor of Ohio and Michigan Farmer with Farm Progress. Are political administrations to blame for high egg prices? What is Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and what does it mean for producers? Plus, hear about Michigan’s diverse agriculture industry, an antique tractor show, and what might be threatening the tart cherry industry.
Wolfe family makes century-long commitment to soil health
For Mike Wolfe, conservation isn’t just a farming practice — it’s a family legacy that spans three generations and continues to evolve on his 1,500-acre operation in Fairfield County, Ohio. The Wolfe family has been named an Ohio Conservation Farm Family Award winner, recognizing their commitment to soil health, water quality and sustainable agriculture practices that began with Mike’s grandfather in 1929.
Turpin Farms pioneers sustainable turf production
Just 9 miles from downtown Cincinnati’s Fountain Square, a 700-acre farm with Revolutionary War roots is rewriting the rules of sustainable agriculture, one blade of grass at a time. Turpin Farms, continuously operated by the same family since 1785, has evolved from an Ohio grain operation into a pioneering turf production facility that’s proving environmental stewardship and profitability aren’t mutually exclusive.
Attorney's secret land buy grows into award-winning farm
When attorney Neil McKown bought his first 155 acres in 1988, he didn’t tell his wife. “I went home that evening after I signed the purchase agreement,” he recalled. “And after we had our evening meal, I said, ‘Let’s all get in the car and see what we bought today.’” His wife, Pamela, wasn’t immediately thrilled. The property and home were “an eyesore” — overgrown, rundown and neglected.
Kellogg family turns gullies into dynamic conservation mission
When Bill Kellogg first noticed gullies forming year after year on his rolling ground, he knew there had to be a better way. It sparked a conservation effort spanning decades, helping to transform his original 700-acre operation into an 8,000-acre showcase of sustainable farming practices.
Earthworms jump-start farmer’s conservation journey
Two earthworms. That’s all Don Hammersmith found in 10 shovelfuls of soil from his Defiance County, Ohio, farm. “A friend of mine said, ‘Go out, get 10 spots in your field, and count how many earthworms you get,’” Hammersmith recalled. “I did, and in my 10 shovels I got two, and I’m like, ‘Whoa.’ He goes, ‘You should have at least one in every scoop.’” That moment in 2012 changed everything for the farmer and retired ag teacher.
Family's 40-year commitment to soil health pays off
Since Jim Braddock started running a small Ford tractor with a three-bottom plow at age 10, he never imagined doing anything but farming. Six decades later, his dedication to the land has earned him and his wife, Susan, recognition as Ohio Conservation Farm Family Award winners.
Celebrate 2026’s Ohio Conservation Farm Family Award winners
Jennifer Kiel,Editor,Michigan Farmer and Ohio Farmer Six Ohio Conservation Farm Family Award winners will be honored for their commitment to conservation and outreach efforts. Jacqueline Nix/Getty Images Every year, Ohio’s farmland tells a story of stewardship — and the Ohio Conservation Farm Family Awards program honors the farmers writing the best chapters.
Walking the Mighty Mac: A 50-year journey in 15,000 steps
It didn't cost anything. It didn't benefit a certain group or political ambition. It wasn't a race. Sometimes, you have to do things just because you can. It's hard to say how many steps my 8-year-old legs took to cross Michigan's Mackinac Bridge in 1976 during our country's bicentennial. Even the Jetsons didn't see smartwatches in the future.
Farmer starts small, dreams big with regenerative farming
Gina Orr never imagined her life would revolve around chickens, pigs, cows and lambs. But today, as the owner and marketing director of FreshOrr Family Farms, she’s not only raising animals, but also cultivating a thriving business that feeds families across Ohio. “I never had farming in my background,” Orr said.
Michigan Farmer pen pals connect young farm girls for life
In 1954, in a one-room schoolhouse in Perry, Mich., 8-year-old Barb Gruesbeck picked up a copy of Michigan Farmer magazine and discovered something that would impact her life forever — a pen pal column listing names and addresses of farm kids across the country. What began as a simple English assignment to teach proper letter writing became a friendship spanning more than seven decades, proving that genuine human connection needs neither proximity nor modern technology to flourish.
Inspiring stories of women building farms from scratch
Ohio livestock farmer Gina Orr offered valuable lessons for anyone considering starting their own farm.Courtesy of the Orr family Farming demands grit, determination and an unwavering commitment to overcome its many challenges. It’s an industry that can be both labor-intensive and costly, yet the rewards are plentiful for those who persevere. For farming operations, transitioning to the next generation is often a difficult process.
Slotkin tours Michigan dairy facility, hears growing concerns from ag industry
Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., toured the Michigan Milk Producers Association’s new multimillion-dollar, high-protein milk processing facility in Ovid on Aug. 28, highlighting the state’s growing dairy industry while hearing concerns about mounting pressures all farmers face across the state.
August moisture saves season for Ohio grower
While some portions of Ohio received as much as 12 inches of rain in early August — causing concerns about nitrogen deficiency, leaf diseases such as gray leaf spot and tar spot, and potential root deterioration — Bryce Kirian’s farm in Seneca County is in a sweet spot. Kirian is feeling fortunate as his 1,000-acre operation heads into harvest with promising crop conditions. While conditions turned dry about a month ago, the farm caught a break that many in the region desperately needed.
3,700-acre organic farm thriving despite tough spring
Surviving a brutal planting season looks to be paying off for Luke Ewald's 3,700-acre organic farm, which he operates alongside his father Steve, stepmother Dana and stepsister Lauren in Michigan’s Tuscola County. Ewald faced nearly three weeks of wet weather and damaging hail beginning in mid-June, which significantly disrupted planting schedules. The farm, which has been certified organic for more than two decades, didn't complete dry bean planting until early July — weeks later than normal.
Ohio tackles deer problem with refrigerated trailers
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is implementing a new deer management program modeled after Michigan's successful initiative, deploying refrigerated trailers to collect donated venison and address mounting concerns over deer overpopulation, crop damage and declining hunter participation. At the same time, the program will help feed thousands of food-insecure Ohio residents.
Michigan grower: ‘Teetering between disaster and OK’
Scott Miller stands in a low-lying area of his cornfield, where the crop shows promising green growth. But just yards away on sandy ridges, the story is starkly different. “The sandy ground is really all burned off, so that's going to be a challenge,” Miller said Aug. 19 during a field check. While some spotty rains have since offered some relief, the latest USDA Crop Progress report says Michigan’s corn is rated 45% good to excellent, with 76% of the crop in the dough stage and 23% dented.
A no-cost solution for farmers fighting deer damage
Deer crop damage costs farmers thousands in lost yield — everyone agrees. Finding a solution, well, that’s a little harder. Sure, farmers can obtain deer damage control permits in the spring and summer off-seasons, but shooting deer, getting them field-dressed, hung and cooled in a timely fashion — as well as finding a processor to take the carcasses — is a heavy challenge and the biggest deterrent.
Western bean cutworm escalates in Michigan and Ohio
Twenty years after western bean cutworm first invaded Michigan and Ohio, the destructive pest of both dry beans and corn is prompting urgent scouting recommendations as moths begin laying eggs in cornfields across the region. Chris DiFonzo, an entomologist with Michigan State University Extension, said moths have been flying since early July, with farmers reporting egg masses appearing in corn. Egg-laying activity is expected to peak through the end of July into early August.
4 keys to successful double-crop soybean production
Following wheat harvest, farmers have a narrow window to successfully establish double-crop soybeans. Research-backed management strategies with early-maturing varieties can help maximize yields despite the condensed growing season. While double-crop soybeans have proven successful in parts of Ohio, the farther north you go, the greater the risk.
Ohio no-till events focus on soil health, cutting costs
The Ohio No-Till Council is rolling out an extensive lineup of educational events and field demos designed to help farmers navigate tight margins while transitioning to conservation practices that can improve both soil health and their bottom line. Thanks to grants from Cargill’s Success from the Ground Up program and The Nature Conservancy’s Farmers for Soil Health effort, the council has expanded its usual programming to reach farmers across Ohio and neighboring states.
How an Ohio teen's B-minus project became the American flag
Bob Heft's parents were livid. Their 17-year-old son had just taken scissors to their wedding present — a pristine 48-star American flag — and cut it apart. For a school project. A school project that earned him a B-minus. The year was 1958, and Heft’s history teacher at Ohio’s Lancaster High School, Stanley Pratt, had given his class an assignment: design something. Anything. Just make it meaningful. Most students probably turned in poster board displays or written reports.
Cutting-edge farm tech demos coming to Michigan
Farmers struggling with labor shortages and tight profit margins will have an opportunity to see cutting-edge agricultural technology in action this September at the first-ever Great Lakes Tek Flex event in Benton Harbor, Mich. Scheduled for Sept.
Michigan organic farm battles rain, hail in tough season
Luke Ewald, who operates a 3,700-acre organic farm in Michigan's Tuscola County alongside father Steve, stepmother Dana and stepsister Lauren, has faced one of the most challenging planting seasons in recent memory. The farm, which has been organic for more than two decades, entered a particularly rainy period the second week of June that significantly disrupted the planting schedule.
Ohio farmer Keith Dennis says fertilizing cover crops pays
In early September, Keith Dennis plucked a soybean plant with a 16½-inch taproot from his farm in Perry County, Ohio. It was still filling pods while others in the area were dropping leaves and dying. It was a brutal year for parts of Ohio, battling the worst drought many have seen in southern Ohio — especially in the southeast. Dennis has no irrigation, and 65% of his 600 acres is highly erodible land.
Myron Wehr: Early adopter of no-till
For 60 years, Myron Wehr farmed on Ohio’s far eastern border with slopes as much as 8 degrees. “I had one field, it was so steep that to plant I had to go around where it wasn’t as steep and come down with the brakes on. Same thing with the combine,” he says. During the last year he farmed that ground before it was sold, it produced 225 bushels per acre. “Most people think, how can you farm that ground?” he says.
Boots to spores: Ohio veteran conquers mushroom cultivation
Having grown up on a hobby farm with cows, horses, sheep and goats, Sara Coakley set her sights on becoming a veterinarian. After high school graduation, she moved out of her childhood home in Granville, Ohio, and started attending Columbus State Community College. Things seemed to be on course, but the idea of eight years of student loans weighed on her. With her parents out of town, she returned home to dog-sit.
Killer frost cuts southern Ohio wheat yields in half
A late-spring frost on May 3 has had lingering effects on southern Ohio's wheat fields, slashing yields in half and leaving farmers to harvest what one agronomist calls “the ghost of what could have been.” Luke Schulte walks through wheat fields that should be golden with promise. Instead, the agronomist with Beck’s sees the aftermath of a killer frost that struck earlier this spring after wheat was already headed out.
Ohio grower optimistic after challenging, wet spring
Shane Kellogg and his father, Bill, who farm 6,000 acres of corn and soybeans across Hardin, Hancock and Wyandot counties, completed their spring planting season by mid-May despite challenging weather conditions that brought heavy, sporadic rainfall to the region. The Kellogg Farms operation began spring planting around April 14-15, starting with soybeans before transitioning to corn about April 20. “Rain was really spotty and really heavy this spring,” Shane Kellogg said.
Ohio reports crown rot in corn, frost damage to wheat
Ohio's agricultural landscape presents a mixed picture this growing season, with persistent wet weather and devastating frost damage creating significant and extended challenges for corn, soybean and wheat producers across the state. Luke Schulte, an agronomist with Beck’s Hybrids, reports that while some areas have dried out enough to complete field operations, prolonged saturated conditions have taken their toll on crops, particularly in regions east of Columbus.
Honor farm leaders: Master Farmer nominations open
Every agricultural community has standout farmers who exemplify excellence. You know who they are — those who demonstrate exceptional land stewardship, environmental consciousness and consistent profitability while still finding time to support others. Whether they're mentoring the next generation, serving in commodity leadership positions, participating in local government, or contributing to community and church activities, these individuals represent the best of agriculture.
Moving day: 100-year-old barn rolls to new home
It’s not exactly something you see every day: a heritage barn on wheels inching toward a new destination. Bob Barkham isn't taking the easy route. While most would simply bulldoze a century-old dairy barn standing in the way of expansion, he's investing thousands of dollars to move it, renovate and repurpose it. “You could just bulldoze it down and be done with your headache,” Barkham said.
Frost devastates U.S. tart cherry crop, industry at risk
Dorance Amos has spent decades growing tart cherries on more than 200 acres of Michigan farmland. This year, he'll be lucky to harvest 50,000 pounds — a fraction of his typical million-pound crop. Unfortunately, he’s not alone. The American tart cherry industry is navigating a critical period after a nationwide frost that has decimated the 2026 crop across all major growing regions.
High-tech or hula hoop for soybean stand counts?
High-tech apps and aerial imagery promise faster soybean stand counts, but a two-year Michigan State University study shows the old-fashioned manual method remains the most accurate. Researchers tested five assessment methods across multiple farms in 2024 and 2025, comparing them against traditional hand counts, such as the hula hoop method or counting plants per linear feet of row. The verdict?
Excessive rain, frost hit Ohio soybean crop hard
From delayed planting in northern counties to frost damage and stand reductions in southern regions, Ohio's soybean crop is grappling with prolonged wet conditions, creating a patchwork of challenges across the state. Luke Schulte, agronomist for Beck's Hybrids, said the state's biggest challenge is anaerobic conditions caused by excessive and prolonged rainfall that has left soybeans struggling to establish proper growth.
Monsanto settles, gives Michigan $108M for PCB cleanup
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel recently announced a $108 million settlement with Monsanto Co. to address environmental contamination from polychlorinated biphenyls statewide. Before they were banned by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1979, PCBs were widely used as coolants, insulating fluids and plasticizers across industrial, commercial and consumer products.
Michigan farmer pivots to popcorn, goes global
Ed Shumway never imagined that a childhood fascination with his family's dairy operation would eventually lead him to ship popcorn to countries around the world. Yet today, the sixth-generation farmer operates Shumway Popcorn from his family's Tekonsha, Mich., farm — land that has been in the Shumway family since 1853 — supplying premium popcorn kernels to buyers across multiple continents.
First-generation farmer rebuilds after devastating barn fire
Zach Wagner was sitting in his home office doing bookwork on an April morning when a friend rang his phone with news that would upend his farming operation: His barn was on fire. “I jumped out, and I looked outside my kitchen window, and I'm like, ‘No, we're fine,’” Wagner recalled. But his friend clarified that it was the large machine storage barn Wagner rented on Howe Road, about 20 minutes from his home, that was on fire.
Red crown rot emerges as new threat to Midwest soybean growers
A fungal disease that has plagued southern soybean fields for decades is rapidly advancing northward, and researchers are urging Midwest growers to stay alert. Red crown rot, once only found in warmer climates, has now been confirmed in Ohio, Wisconsin and Minnesota, and experts believe Michigan may be next. “My guess is that it's probably here,” said Martin Chilvers, a plant pathologist at Michigan State University.
Why farmers should care about California’s octopus farming ban
As of Jan. 1, 2025, California banned octopus aquaculture farming and the sale of octopus raised by that method anywhere — despite having no octopus farms within its borders. Why should all livestock producers care? While octopus farming is a narrow industry, another California law, Proposition 12, has a vastly larger reach and implications for farmers. Prop 12 mandates pork sold in California must come from sows housed with at least 24 square feet of space during gestation.
Barn fire dangers grow as wet hay and weather collide
In August, a series of barn fires erupted across three Pennsylvania counties, with York County experiencing the highest concentration. Just a month later, in Michigan’s Thumb region, fire crews from three counties battled a massive hay barn fire for more than eight hours before deciding the safest course of action was to let the fire burn itself out — a process that ultimately took five weeks.
Young Ohio farmer makes 1,000 acres and off-farm job work
Bryce Kirian was eager to get his soybean planter rolling on April 12, but his progress was limited to just 80 acres out of the nearly 1,000 acres he farms, primarily in northwest Ohio’s Seneca County. Heavy rains had left him idled, waiting for more than 2 inches of water to soak into the already saturated ground. This followed 4 inches of rain that fell in late March and early April.
Ewald Farms incorporates innovation on 3,700-acre organic farm
On Luke Ewald’s farm in mid-April, his grease-stained hands are busy with machine maintenance work in the farm shop. His mind is creating scenarios of what could go wrong, while plotting proactive measures. Spring brings not only the excitement of a new crop going in the ground, but also the anxiety of potential downtime — whether that be because of Mother Nature or broken equipment.
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