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wmmm tafurfng The Ladies 4 SECTION 2 - PAGE 1 - PLAINDEALER Mary Kay Diedrich, Solon Mills, learned rapidly once she tried her han£ at helping with the dairy cows. Now she's a full-fledged member of the partnership with her husband, Dennis, and this is typical of many farm couples where farm women perform yeoman service. Tribute to farm women is being accorded them during National Farm Wife month throughout November. (Don Peasley Photography) Farm Bureau manager. Harris has a unique op­ portunity to know how farm women ' contribute to agricluture. He works with them on a regular basis through the Farm Bureau Women's committee, a group of dedicated people who strive to improve life on the farm but also to seek legislative and safety measures that benefit all. In working with Women's committee members, Harris has the chance to learn firsthand how women assume partnership responsibilities. Mary Kay Diedrich married Dennis Diedrich in 1965. "I had been on a farm as a high school sophomore", she srfiiles, "but this was to become a new life for me when we moved to a farm in 1967". Ed came from a farm, a dairy farm, and after he moder­ nized the barn a few years ago, Mary Ann recalls, "I was more willing to go between the cows and work with them. I did the milking once and found out I could do it. I had never driven a tractor before we moved to the farm. Now I disc and cultivate with the tractor." Dennis appreciates the help of his wife. "It is easier to milk in our operation with two people doing it. We have 50 cows with five milking machines in our stanchion barn. We produce a ton of milk a day. We had 3,000 pounds for two days each this summer, and we were pleased with this increase in our production." Besides helping raise three children,Mary Kay Betty Justen assists her husband, Don Justen, with the bookkeeping for their family dairy north of McHenry. rsity, participation of farm women deserves a special month." That's Larry Harris' af­ firmation that National Faym.... Wife month ..this November is a fitting tribute1 to a major member of the farm partnership team. This is a team which operates the family farm, the dominant form of American agriculture today even though the size of those farms has grown. In the days of the early settlers when 95 percent of the people were far­ mers,women worked side- by-side with their husbands and sons in the fields and with the livestock. Today's modern equip- ment-hulking combines and huge 18-wheel trucks-are no threat to women, for they drive tractors, harvesting equipm^t^,and other vehicles as one part of their partnership contribution. "Many women in McHenry county milk cows regularly. In this big dairy county, the willingness of women and many of their growing daughters to help in the milk house and with the livestock makes dairying possible. Without family help, few men would be able to survive the heavy workload of dairying, plus farming the land," said Harris, McHenry county Discover Til BEN FRANKLIN Just In Time For Christmas. . . OUTERWEAR SALE Snowmobile Suits Sizes 4-6x 8-18 Mens S-M-L XL Ski Vests Ski Jackets Ski Pants leads a Brownie troop and teaches a CCD class at her church. Another city girl who married a farmer is Carolyn Lillegard. She.was raised in Bridgeport, literally across the street from Mayor Richard J. Daley's home. She went to Northern Illinois university for two years, and when she and her husband, Tom, bought a farm of 65 acres in 1967 it was a return to the farm for Tom. "I knew nothing of the farm--I did not know straw, hay, bull, sow-I had never seen a live pig. Now we are renting 450 acres, and Tom taught me to drive a tractor: I rake hay now, disc, plow, and drive a grain truck in to take grain to market." * Carolyn points out the importance of a farm wife to the farming operation; "The financial decisions are big ones today. When we started farming, we had to borrow $6-8,000. Today, it appraoches $90,000 to get the crop in, cared for and har­ vested. With the amount of money a farmer must spend, women must be involved in decisions." Carolyn, who is chairman of the Farm Bureau Women's committee, says at first she was fearful. "I could not sleep, thinking about the debt. Now I un­ derstand better that farmers have to make use ^)f borrowed funds to farm." Carolyn handles the bookkeeping entries. Farm B u s i n e s s F a r m Management does the final figuring. Carolyn makes another point: "Tom and I go to meetings together. It ?is important to keep informed on farming. A farm wife needs to support' her husband, to understand tifis business and to take pride in our ability to provide a great deal of food for a hungry world." She urges women to become involved in the Farm Bureau Women's committee. "Farm wives own a business in their farming operation. As secretary I belonged tola secretary's association. Businessmen belong torr'l ' Chamber of -Commerce. 4bvi- best way to become involved in the farm business other than working on the farm is to participate in the varied program of this committee. Everything from safety to legislative matters, fro^j product promotion to sponsorship of estate planning meetings are in­ cluded in the Women's committee agenda." Leona Luerrsen, native of Big Foot, married Don Luerrsen, a . farmer near Harvard, in 1954 and today she's capable of helping fill the silo, feed cows, operate the milking machines and haul corn to the elevator. Leona frequently handles the milking With the help of their son, Mike. "Don is involved in quite a few Farm Bureau meetings, and of course Mike is out for sports so I wind up doing the milking alone. That reminds me of the time I did the chores when Don and Mike went on a short fishing trip earlier this year," she smiled. Pat and Chuck Beard became acquainted through Rural Youth. Pat remem­ bers she was raised on a dairy farm west of Hebron but didn't help muclrwith the farm work. That's changed now! Chuck switched from dairying to hogs. Today he has 125 sows and farrows about 1,200 pigs a year. Pat attended a farrowing school for women at the University of Illinois, a two-day seminar to help women work as fulltime partners in swine operations. "I learned how to give iron shots, clip needle teeth, dock tails, and prepare feed rations. In the fall, I run a tractpr to plow. "The farm is a good place to raise children," she summarizes, "and I enjoy the chance to be involved in our farming." For many years Rose Becker worked side-by-side with her husband, Bill, at the dairy barn. Today, they milk over 225 cows, and she Open Sundays 10 am-3 pm Sale ends Sunday Dec. 2nd 25% OFF SEE SANTA At Our Store Saturday, December 1st 2-5 pm SHOP EARLY FOR THE BEST SELECTION I BEN FRANKLIN 3ss 1250 N. GREEN ST., McHENRY 0806 makes fewer trips to the barn but more to the office. Thfeii^ children are old enough to be regular part­ ners, and additional help is needed to operate both the big dairy herd and the land. 4 Rose today handles the record-keeping, posting data fqr dairy cow record keeping and for production analysis. The three Becker children are in 4-H. Bill, Jr., 18, is in his sixth year. Along with brother Bob, 16, the boys are much help on the farm. Both Bill, Sr. and Rose serve as 4- H leaders: Rose is also ac­ tive in the new St. Elizabeth Seton church and is on its committee to raise funds for a building. Observes Bill as he recalls the help Rose has given him during their 20-year marriage: "This has been a family partnership from the start. Yes, she used to help with the cows, the chores and the farming. Rose handles the bookkeeping now. Accurate records are important to know our cows, the costs and what, changes should be made." Carol Frederick was born and raised on a dairy farm, a 4-H youngster/ whose erfey thusiasm is undiminished by long hours of ^iard work around the dairy herd and with the fartrt^ machinery. Carol and her husband, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28,1»7» Dave, feel that dairying is~ the best way to get the most out of corn and hay raised on the farm. "We use our own labor because we do all the. work ourselves except when we have a High school student help out during the summer," said Carol. The Fredericks have been hosts to Harvard Milk day on two occasions. Carol was a Dairy Princess candidate and worked in many dairy promotional events. 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