A Chat With The Chief
"Harvest Reflections During National Farm Safety
& Health Week" by Dave Owens, President & CEO |
 What an exciting time of year on our Illinois farms as we reap the harvest rewards of those corn and soybean seeds that were planted this past spring! As the yield monitors and test weights are carefully studied, most farmers experience both the joy of surprise abundances and the disappointment of unmet expectations - varying from field to field. But while the emotions may swing, the harvest ritual demands absolute focus.
That complete focus on the harvest means very important "other" things are often put on hold or not completed. Family, friends, and important dates are all compromised due to the field work at hand. For most rural Illinois residents, we notice the farm equipment sharing the roads and we often go to bed at night seeing lights in the fields and hearing the drone of diesel engines. And sometimes it's easy for us to forget how farm families transform their lives during this harvest season. Let's not forget that there are people running those machines, hauling the grain, and moving equipment. The farmers' days usually begin before we get up in the morning and often end long after we are sound asleep. Then they start the harvest routine all over again in the morning!
But as the work hours on farms increase during this harvest season, so do the risks for farm injuries and accidents both on the roads and in the fields.
Read More. . . |
Tom was named senior vice president of operations effective August 1. Tom joined Farm Credit last fall as vice president of commercial lending to work with agribusinesses and specialized farming operations as a commercial lending officer. Tom earned an undergraduate degree from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and a master's degree in business administration from Eastern Illinois University. He has twenty years of banking experience . . . 
