Indiana State Fair Begins Today; Featured Farmers Ready to Tell Their Story
In what’s becoming a new tradition at the Fair, Corteva Agriscience will present a featured farmer each day. The featured farmer helps put a face on Indiana agriculture for those attending and allows farmers to tell their story. Mark and Phyllis Legan grow corn and soybeans and raise hogs in Putnam County. As the first featured farmers of this year’s Fair, Mark says he’ll take the opportunity to share the core values of their farm with the public.
“First core value we have is integrity, and we define that as doing what’s right even when no one is looking. We have stewardship. We are concerned about caring for our animals day to day. The employees, we’re part of the community. Our conservation ethic with our no till cropping system and use of cover crops fits in nicely with the stewardship principle. Relationships are very important to our farm. We’re a first generation farm and we wouldn’t be farming today if it wasn’t for the relationships.
I asked Mark how things are going on the farm and if he expects record yields for corn and soybeans as many analysts predict. He said the potential is there, but there are some concerns.
“We’ve seen some tip back in the ears of corn here recently with the dry weather up until the rain here first part of this week. A lot of it’s going to depend on the weather from here on out. They’re talking about a dry August which could nick the top end of things and probably hurt the soybeans more. We’re little concerned about foliar diseases too with these foggy nights. We certainly appreciate the cool nights and helping the crop fill out.”
If you’re headed to the fair, they encourage you to plan ahead. You can download the Indiana State Fair app and also visit indianastatefairparking.com.