John and Sue Adams:
John and Sue Adams are the fifth generation to own and operate the family farm in Atlanta, Illinois. It’s a farm they own along with several family members of different generations. “We believe strongly in conservation tillage and adopted no-till on our farm in 1983, significantly reducing wind and water erosion,” John said.
The Adam’s use Integrated Pest Management to determine which crop production products to use to control insects and weeds and worked with a university on nitrogen rates studies so they could better understand the amount of nitrogen to apply to their cornfields for the most profitable yields and income. These efforts allowed them to increase corn yields by 60-75 bushels per acre while applying significantly less insecticide, crop protection products and fertilizer – and using 50 percent less fuel to power their equipment.
95% of all corn farms in America are family owned. (USDA)
2007 USDA – Agriculture Census
Table 61.